Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1514 Clash, Discord, and Breakdown

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……

Just as Tang Yusheng was about to explode again, Tang Potian preemptively locked his attention back on Chen Zhang, putting on a "heartfelt" expression and speaking with a tone full of "grievance": "Brother Zhang, this is really your fault!"

"If there are such lucrative business opportunities, why don't they share some with our Haotian Sect?"

"As you know, our Haotian Sect has always been very poor, unlike your Chen family which is rolling in wealth."

"Our two families have a long-standing and deep-rooted friendship. Shouldn't you at least let us have a taste of the good things?"

These words were half true and half false, using both soft and hard tactics, clearly indicating an attempt to interfere and disrupt the situation.

As soon as he said this, everyone in the hall focused their attention on Chen Zhang, and the air seemed to freeze as they awaited his response.

Faced with this almost shameless provocation, Chen Zhang remained calm, and even a smile appeared on his lips, as if he were stating something perfectly natural. His voice was clear and bright: "To be honest, it's not that I don't want to, but that it's not appropriate."

Meeting Tang Potian's sudden, sharp gaze, he calmly gave a reason that surprised everyone: "Brother Potian, the Haotian Sect is now thriving in the heart of the empire, at its zenith, with three titled Douluo, and its prestige is formidable."

"If my Chen family were to continue to cooperate with your clan on crucial matters such as weapon forging, and if word got out, the Heavenly Dou royal family would..."

He shrugged, making a rather helpless expression, "I'm afraid they'll think our two families are colluding in something we shouldn't be doing, and they'll really send someone to 'kick our butts'."

These words were so blunt they were almost vulgar, and the rejection was incredibly sharp.

The entire council chamber fell into a brief, frozen silence.

Regardless of their stance, everyone in the Tang family showed a hint of undisguised shock on their faces at this moment.

Chen Zhang so directly exposed the unspoken, unspoken tensions and suspicions between the Heavenly Dou royal family and the Haotian Sect, laying them bare in the open of the council hall.

This is not just a rejection; it exposes the hidden power struggles and invisible red lines of rules to the light of day.

……

Chen Zhang's words made Tang Potian feel as if a piece of hard iron was stuck in his chest.

Isn't this blatant nonsense?
Tang Potian was seething with anger.

What do you mean the Haotian Sect is doing so well in the central district of Tiandou?

The Haotian Sect has indeed made some progress, but can it compare to the Chen family, whose vast commercial network truly spans the entire continent and connects the north and south?

Using the royal family as a shield sounds noble, but it's actually incredibly cunning!
His forced, familiar smile faltered, and he forced out a dry laugh, his voice filled with suppressed frustration: "Oh dear, my brother Zhang, the way you're saying that... it's like you've nailed the door shut."

"A living person can't just die from holding their pee, can they? Surely they can come up with a way to circumvent those rules and regulations?"

Chen Zhang remained calm, not even raising an eyebrow, and replied with a few words as still as a deep pool: "It's best to be cautious."

"Ha! My brother." Tang Potian leaned forward slightly, the suppressed anger finally rising to his throat, "Aren't you deliberately trying to piss me off?"

Chen Zhang bowed slightly, adopting a humble posture: "Then it was my fault. I will definitely come to your door another day to apologize and have a good drink with you, my brother."

These words were spoken with the gentle warmth of a spring breeze.

Tang Potian's eyes turned completely cold, and he pressed on relentlessly, "Is it really... no chance?"

Chen Zhang remained silent, only shaking his head very slightly.

All eyes in the council chamber were fixed on this silent contest.

The Tang family members watched as the two exchanged seemingly intimate words, which to outsiders were actually filled with veiled hostility. They saw right through them, and although their expressions varied, they all held their breath in concentration.

"We... have been friends for many years..." Tang Potian laughed freely.

Upon hearing this, Tang Yusheng almost sneered out loud—was it the friendship between the Haotian Sect and the Chen family?

It was clearly the Haotian Sect that forcefully coerced the Chen family into not interfering in the affairs of the Xuanhuang Tang family, but now they have been blocked.

Tang Potian's frustrated and stiff posture, in his eyes, only made him feel inexplicably satisfied.

He suddenly understood the profound meaning behind his grandfather Tang Jinghe's words about waiting for three days.

It wasn't just because the immense wealth offered by the Chen family was tempting enough, but also because they wanted to see firsthand just how tough the Chen family's attitude was in the face of pressure from the Haotian Sect.

Just how firm is their determination to protect the Xuanhuang Tang family and resist the suppression by the Haotian Sect?

This concerns the future survival and reliance of the entire family!

Chen Zhang said calmly, "Lankai County is a place of beautiful mountains and rivers, and its location is excellent. It is indeed a treasure land."

"In business, if you want to prosper in the long run, you naturally need to find a good place to settle down."

Tang Potian stared at Chen Zhang's calm and expressionless face for a good seven or eight breaths, trying to glean something else from his seemingly frank eyes.

Finally, a faint smile, almost imperceptible, appeared on his lips: "That's true, Lancashire... is indeed a good place."

He paused, then said meaningfully, "I've been 'hanging out' here for quite a few years now, Brother Zhang, you'd better give me a chance to show some hospitality."

What a wonderful gesture of hospitality! The unspoken message is quite profound.

"I wouldn't dare trouble you." Chen Zhang's lips curled into a polite smile. "Next time... let me invite Brother Potian for a chat."

"Oh ho, they've turned the tables and launched a powerful counterattack." Tang Potian chuckled briefly. "Then I'll definitely be waiting."

The laughter subsided, and his expression turned serious: "Brother Zhang, to be honest, I came in a hurry. I still have a few urgent matters to attend to, so I'm afraid I must take my leave now."

After saying that, he suddenly stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Zhang.

Then, he bowed slightly to Tang Jinghe and Tang Jigen.

Without looking at anyone in the hall, he turned around, strode out of the council chamber without looking back.

The negotiations broke down.

Tang Yusheng's lips curled up slightly.

……

Outside the gates of the Tang residence, Tang Potian had just stepped down the last stone step, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

A hoarse voice tore at his dry throat, a summary of his own words and the silent confrontation within the mansion behind him: "Chen Zhang... what a fine Chen Zhang!"

The name lingers in your mind, leaving a complex and nuanced impression.

That seemingly peaceful yet firm stance, that impeccable demeanor, and that blatant display of "royal suspicion" all struck precisely at the most unspeakable sore spot of the Haotian Sect.

What made his heart clench most was that decisiveness—the Xuanhuang Tang family was clearly determined to take them down.

One of his trusted aides, who was following closely behind him, couldn't contain himself and asked urgently in a low voice, "Seventh Master! The Chen family is so blatantly overstepping their bounds and encroaching on our territory... are we just going to... accept this?"

Another person stepped closer, his tone indignant: "Yes! With the Chen family barging in, all the traps we laid in Lankai County, all the methods we used to dismantle the Xuanhuang Tang family... weren't they all... a complete waste of effort?!"

Tang Potian suddenly stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around immediately.

A few breaths later, a low, gritty voice finally escaped his throat: "What's the rush... The waters of Lan Kai are... muddy now."

He slowly turned around, his gaze like a poisoned knife, sweeping over his four subordinates behind him, and said coldly, "This matter is not so simple."

"Let's go back first—immediately report back to the sect everything you saw and heard today, without missing a single word, and await your instructions, Uncle."

……

The following day, in the council hall of the Xuanhuang Tang Clan Ancestral Hall, a final vote was held on the three cooperation proposals put forward by the Chen family.

The result was clear: the two core cooperation intentions, namely "contract manufacturing of consumer goods" and "outsourcing of skilled craftsmen," were approved with 70% of the elders' approval.

In contrast, the "co-building the market" plan, which involves sharing retail channels, was successfully passed with 80% of the elders' votes.

On the surface, this resolution, which has been finalized, especially the two collaborations that are currently considered extremely lucrative, only passed with a "70%" vote; even the "joint market building" that seems to have lower risk and a shallower binding relationship still has "reservations" from 20%.

These cold, hard numbers are like a mirror, clearly reflecting the depth of Haotian Sect's infiltration into the Xuanhuang lineage over the years.

The 20-30% of votes that failed to secure support may not all belong to the die-hard vassals of the Haotian Sect; they may be mixed with conservative doubts or considerations of interests.

Of course, the large number of 70-80% of the votes in favor may not all be staunch supporters of the Chen family's position. They may also include those driven by self-interest, those who are observing from the sidelines, realists who have no other choice, and even those who are inclined towards the Haotian Sect.

Chen Zhang calmly examined the list of vote count results in his hand.

For the Chen family, the passage of the resolution was merely the starting point of this intricate game.

The complex composition of Xuanhuang Tangshi means that a refined and differentiated management mechanism must be established for subsequent specific implementation—whether it is the details of the product specifications to be commissioned, the scope of mastery of core process parameters, or the functional allocation and access rights of external craftsmen.

It is necessary to strictly distinguish between critical and non-core information levels and establish necessary internal supervision and barriers.

If, due to momentary negligence, the core assets invested by the Chen family—such as blueprints, new material formulas, and unique soul tool design concepts—which are enough to forge a huge competitive advantage in the future, are leaked through certain channels, then the generous investment at this moment would be tantamount to digging a hole for themselves.

With the resolution in place, the next steps were contract signing and a complex and urgent coordination process.

However, to the slight surprise of the Xuanhuang Tang family, just three days after the resolution was passed, the second wave of professional liaison teams from the Chen family arrived in Lankai County.

Given the vast distance between Chang'an and Lankai, it's impossible to arrive in just two days; it's clear the Chen family was well-prepared long ago.

Seven days after Chen Zhang left, they set off.

This team has a well-defined structure, comprising elite personnel with various functions such as procurement coordination, artisan allocation, market assistance, legal verification, and process supervision.

Like precise gears meshing into machinery, they silently and swiftly advanced the complex tasks of contract refinement, site verification, initial material delivery, and personnel placement. Their decisive and efficient approach revealed the high importance the Chen family placed on this cooperation.

The Xuanhuang Tang Clan's temporarily stranded giant ship was originally supposed to disembark, but a high tide came and it was being towed away from the shallows full of reefs.

……

Footsteps echoed on the bluestone slabs, dull and hurried.

Tang Potian turned his head, his gaze like two cold, lingering flames in the night: "Eagle Letter. The fastest, activate the 'Heaven' seal."

The Heavenly Seal is directly connected to the Sect Master for personal access!
The attendant was terrified and bowed his head: "Yes! I will do it immediately!"

"Add one more sentence: the predicament of the mysterious and the heart of the mortals... is no longer a test, but their will is very firm."

Cold sweat trickled down the attendant's forehead: "Understood!"

(End of this chapter)