Age of Legends

Chapter 300 Planning
This man is called Xiao Shuai. He is currently in a terrible predicament because his good friend and older brother is preparing to gather his men to confront the opponent who has been provoking them. Little do they know that this is a trap set by the opponent, and this move will bring them annihilation.

Such a description flashed through Zhang Chen's mind.

I think that I'm probably in that situation right now.

What a fuss!

He knew how annoying it would be to contradict someone at a time like this, but he had no choice. Liu Qi was now arrogant and would most likely use this opportunity to take down Zhao Tao in one fell swoop, regardless of any past grudges or whether he simply wanted to replace Zhao Tao entirely. In short, he had gone completely mad with this approach.

Zhang Chen stepped in to persuade them, naturally because he didn't want Zhao Tao and his brothers, who had finally gotten on the right track, to fall into the mire again.

"I told you to be patient because Liu Qi has taken too big a step and he'll get himself into trouble!"

Before this famous quote was even coined, Zhang Chen's words stunned everyone present. After a moment of realization, some people wanted to laugh, their faces showing amusement.

Hong Yao's eyes regained some clarity: "Tell me, what happened?"

Bu Ruijie also looked over with a cold face, "How can we tolerate this?"

Zhang Chen moved his stool forward and lowered his voice: "This time, he acquired that textile factory land at a high premium, earning the title of 'land king.' He looks glamorous on the outside, but in reality, his cash flow is stretched to the limit. Yipin Group used to supplement its cash flow by lending at high interest rates. By developing real estate, they could borrow bank funds, repay the loans slowly, and then lend those bank funds out again. But now? With 2.1 million yuan invested, all his funds are locked up by the land price. Where will he find spare money to lend? His old clients can't borrow money, and his network of relationships is collapsing. The turnover rate of his funds will come to a standstill."

Everyone was slightly taken aback when Zhang Chen analyzed Liu Qiyi's real estate situation in one sentence.

Someone asked, "How do you know all this so clearly?"

"Monkey" glanced at the man and said, "His mother is Huang Huifen, the one who fought with Liu Qi over the land!"

Someone made a "whoosh..." sound.

Not everyone present knew Zhang Chen's background. Zhang Chen's arrival was a direct challenge to theirs, which drew criticism from many people who disliked this young man. If it weren't for the fact that Zhao Tao's core associates had already spoken to him, someone would probably have reprimanded him on the spot.

Previously, I had heard that Zhang Chen owned 20% of Shengfeng's shares, which made me feel resentful and disdainful of his age. I wondered if he was the son of some leader. But I never expected that Zhao Tao would also take this princeling route. This will inevitably shake some people's trust in Zhao Tao.

Now that Qian Junyi has revealed that Huang Huifen is Zhang Chen's mother, people are less suspicious and wary.

"Liu Qiyi's group doesn't just claim to have a lot of money; his net worth is over a billion!" someone asked, frowning.

Zhang Chen looked at the bespectacled man in the crowd and said, "Promoted assets don't equal cash flow. Especially in real estate, if the land price is too high, the initial infrastructure, demolition, design, and pre-sales will easily cost two or three hundred million."

He then looked at everyone and said, “Before, he could make money by taking out high-interest loans, but now that path is blocked. He can only wait to sell the properties and get the money back. However, his inventory can't keep up, and some of them have quality disputes. If he makes any mistakes during this period, such as problems with the audit, getting involved in some scandal, or having an official implicated in his case, or the properties not selling and not getting the money back smoothly, any of these could wipe him out from the interest! Liu Qi has stretched his cash flow so tightly. Once a problem occurs, the day he collapses, he will be devoured by others before we even have a chance to act!”

After Zhang Chen finished speaking, the room fell into a long silence, and no one asked any more questions.

Zhao Tao, who had been listening to Zhang Chen's explanation the whole time, put his phone out of his pocket and said only one sentence: "Okay, let's do it Zhang Chen says!"

Bu Ruijie touched the back of his neck and said in a deep voice, "Then let's wait."

Qian Junyi curled his lip, "Let him talk nonsense himself."

Hong Yao nodded: "Alright, let's see how he falls."

Zhang Chen breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had single-handedly averted a potential storm of conflict and bloodshed. The words he spoke today were probably even more tiring than if he had personally fought someone.

……

In Liu Qi's villa in Spring Garden, he sat on the second-floor Baroque-style balcony, wearing pajamas and holding a wine glass. The wind blew the balcony curtains, revealing glimpses of Wu Yue's body lying on the large bed in the bedroom.

He had just spoken to Huang Heyan on the phone, the gist of which was that things had indeed been going increasingly smoothly for him ever since he snatched the textile factory land from Huang Huifen. Many obstacles that were previously insurmountable seemed to have been easily resolved because he had acquired the "land king" plot.

Historically, Genghis Khan's army, propelled by animal power, continuously conquered Eurasia, and the Qin state transformed from a small country with little technology and resources into the mighty Qin through constant expansion. The essence of this is the principle of "using war to sustain war."

When you overcome one challenge after another, the strength you demonstrate becomes awe-inspiring. Often, others will even surrender at the mere sight of you, vying to curry favor and rely on you, unable to muster the will to confront you head-on. Accumulate momentum, and once that momentum is established, unleash it with unstoppable force.

Liu Qi now feels like an invincible sword in Rongcheng.

The blade's edge was like Zhao Tao, who had once overpowered many seasoned veterans in Rongcheng. Now, under Liu Qi's repeated pressure, Zhao Tao had chosen to back down and behave like a submissive wife towards Liu Qi.

But Liu Qi was not satisfied; this was not the result he wanted.

I had heard of Zhao Tao's reputation before at dinner parties. Although Liu Qi was said to be able to operate in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, people in the underworld generally respected his legitimate operations, which is why some people in the underworld "give him face".

But buying his face is not true face.

True respect, at this level, is earned through hard work and tangible results. What are the "achievements" of Liu Qi's demolition team? Those don't constitute real "victories." True achievements are earned by stepping on those who came before you; only then will people respect you.

Just like when Boss Xiong occupied a section of the train station, beat the so-called four big bosses of Rongcheng to a pulp, persecuted Zhao Tao, and sent him to the intensive care unit, the entire Rongcheng underworld was in a state of panic.

At that time, many people in Rongcheng believed that Boss Xiong had two possible fates: either he would be executed sooner or later, or he would run rampant in Rongcheng for a while and then be executed in the end.

Because this person is insane and has no moral bottom line.

But it also truly represents the madness of that era at the turn of the century.

Xiong Laoda died just like that, after Zhao Tao was discharged from the hospital.

No one believed he died in an accident. To Liu Qi, it seemed more like Zhao Tao seeking revenge for Xiong Laoda's death. However, Zhao Tao had powerful connections who protected him. Xiong Laoda's mistake was running into Chen Xuran, a prominent figure, which led to such a dangerous incident. Zhao Tao, seizing the opportunity, handed the matter over to him.

After that, Zhao Tao's name became known to everyone.

But times have changed. The martial arts world isn't all about fighting and killing anymore, but it's still a place where new talents emerge in every generation. Liu Qi's goal is to replace Zhao Tao and personally send him to jail.

Zhao Tao's choice to remain hidden and avoid battle greatly annoyed Liu Qi. This made him somewhat suspicious, fearing that Zhao Tao was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.

However, Huang Heyan had calculated that Liu Qi was currently free of the Seven Killings, the Three Punishments, and the Blood Blade, and was experiencing a period of great fortune. This reassured Liu Qi somewhat.

Wearing a silk nightgown, Wu Yue got out of bed. The robe was loosely tied, and the inside was white and greasy. She walked gracefully to his side, half-kneeling to straighten his collar. Her eyes were alluring, yet also somewhat suspicious.

Liu Qi looked at her and said, "I'll give you six months to get to a position at the provincial TV station where you can have a say. It's not just a nominal position; it's a position where you can decide when a program will air and how a news story will be written with just a word."

Wu Yue raised her head, her face revealing undisguised ambition, and said, "This is not simple, it's very difficult. There are many departments in the station, and the relationships involved are deep. Also, I must have the authority to speak up."

“Meng Lihui is your aunt. She’ll give you the ladder, and I’ll give you the money. As for your personal qualifications, you can find people, and I’ll provide the resources. As long as you dare to reach out, what can’t you do? With some more maneuvering and management, I want you and your aunt to eventually turn the entire provincial TV station into your territory. Or, to take it a step further, I’ll build you a TV station in Hong Kong. Not just for entertainment, but the kind where you can sway the news with a single word.”

Wu Yue held her breath, feeling as if her heart had been suddenly gripped and suspended in mid-air. She felt a surge of immense happiness mixed with awe at the power and influence the man before her possessed.

Only she knew the true extent of the ambition and far-reaching plans hidden behind the man's eyes. These plans weren't limited to the province; they might even be laying the groundwork for future business ventures across the entire country.

She felt her breath becoming hot, and her eyes narrowed: "Jiang Rong from the provincial TV station..."

Liu Qi smiled, "That pretty female producer... she's quite good. That show currently has the highest ratings. Isn't that just a good appearance? Whatever she has, just use what she has to prove yourself!"

Wu Yue looked at Liu Qi, seemingly a little jealous, "Oh, it seems she's quite famous. President Liu seems to pay a lot of attention to her and has a pretty good impression of her."

Liu Qi sneered, remaining noncommittal.

Wu Yue leaned forward slightly and whispered in his ear, "Do you want me to get her... so that she has no choice but to serve you obediently..."

Liu Qi's mouth went dry. Amid Wu Yue's soft moans and giggles, he picked her up with one hand and threw her back onto the bed. Then he ripped off his robe and went forward to whip her.

(End of this chapter)