Chapter 216 - 214: Ulterior Motives

Hearing his answer, Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow. He set down his wine glass, a hint of seriousness entering his eyes.

"Sakura Group laid out quite a few conditions. Some we can accept, but two of them left me rather puzzled," Wang Siming explained.

"They demanded that the materials we use for manufacturing must be imported from Yang Country, and they also want to dispatch a hundred technicians to Huaxia.

"They claimed that certain core technologies cannot be leaked and that they need these people to supervise product quality."

Ye Xuan and the King of the Underworld exchanged glances, both seeing a sliver of suspicion in each other’s eyes.

Sakura Group’s two demands were indeed a bit far-fetched.

Huaxia was vast and abundant in resources, with a rich labor force. There was virtually no shortage of any materials needed by manufacturing enterprises.

As for their claims about preventing the leak of core technologies, if the two companies officially collaborated, there shouldn’t be any concern about such leaks between them.

A hundred people wasn’t a huge number, but it wasn’t small either. If these hundred people were just ordinary technicians, there wouldn’t be any problem.

"Given the scene that was made today, I reckon your partnership with Sakura Group has fallen through. I’m truly sorry about that," Ye Xuan said.

He didn’t share his inner suspicions with Wang Siming. The Wang Family were legitimate businessmen, and they didn’t have much connection with the Ministry of State Security. If they could avoid dragging them into certain matters, they would.

"How could I possibly blame you, Cyan Dragon Chief? Those Yang Country People were simply going too far," Wang Siming said, quickly waving his hands in slight panic.

He shook his head as he explained, "Just now, they were trying to force that hostess to strip and dance in public. When she refused, I tried to talk some sense into them, but those Yang Country People immediately started picking a fight."

In truth, he hadn’t been particularly keen on collaborating with Sakura Group anyway. If the deal was off, so be it.

There would still be opportunities after entering the Yang Country market. After all, Sakura Group wasn’t the only company in Yang Country.

"It’s naturally for the best that you can think that way. It’s getting late, so you should head home early to be with your wife and kids," Ye Xuan said, reaching out to pat Wang Siming’s shoulder. On the surface, he was just advising him to head home early.

But Wang Siming wasn’t a fool; he naturally grasped the underlying meaning of Ye Xuan’s words. The fact that Ye Xuan cared so much about these Yang Country People indicated that Sakura Group’s collaboration with the Wang Family had an ulterior motive.

By telling him to go home early to his family, Ye Xuan was first implying that he and the King of the Underworld had other matters to discuss in private. Second, he didn’t want to drag Wang Siming into this mess. He was protecting him and the Wang Family.

"Understood. I’ll take my leave then. Cyan Dragon Chief, Brother King of the Underworld, have a good time."

Wang Siming blinked knowingly, bidding Ye Xuan farewell before leaving Lanshan Bar.

"Boss, those people have all been dealt with."

Not long after Wang Siming left, the manager came over with a few of his brothers.

The King of the Underworld poured a glass of wine for him and waved him over. "Come, have a few drinks with me."

The manager glanced at Ye Xuan and the others, didn’t say much, and sat down with poised etiquette.

"You handled things quite well this time. You’ve been managing this bar very well, too. I’m very satisfied," the King of the Underworld said, patting the manager on the back, a trace of gratification in his tone.

Over the past few years, the King of the Underworld had been trying to legitimize his businesses, dipping his toes into various industries. Core members of their organization nowadays basically no longer handled shady operations personally.

"Thank you for the praise, Boss. I will definitely work even harder," the manager said respectfully, cupping his hands toward the King of the Underworld before downing the glass of wine poured for him.

"This is my older brother, Ye Xuan. He’s also the Cyan Dragon Chief of the Ministry of State Security.

"And these two are my brothers, the Vermilion Bird Chief and the Black Tortoise Chief. Go on, give them a proper toast."

After the manager finished his wine, the King of the Underworld began introducing Ye Xuan and the others.

Hearing the King of the Underworld’s words, the manager instantly shot up from his stool and offered a deep bow to Ye Xuan and the rest.

"I didn’t realize I was in the presence of the Cyan Dragon Chief, Vermilion Bird Chief, and Black Tortoise Chief. I, Zhao Kuo, have been abrupt. Please forgive me."

Zhao Kuo’s voice was sonorous and forceful, brimming with respect.

Watching his deferential demeanor, the King of the Underworld grew even more satisfied with him.

"I must have been blind back then," he thought. "Why on earth did I make that little brat Guo Qiang my adopted son? I clearly have such a great candidate right in front of me."

The more he looked at Zhao Kuo, the more satisfied he felt. Smiling, the King of the Underworld pulled him back into his seat.

"These are all my good brothers. We’re all family here, so let’s drop the empty formalities. Go on, toast them first."

Since his own boss had spoken, Zhao Kuo naturally didn’t dare to disobey. Besides, getting connected with Ye Xuan and the others would bring him nothing but benefits.

He obediently picked up the wine bottle and filled the glasses for Ye Xuan and the others.

"Cyan Dragon Chief, Vermilion Bird Chief, Black Tortoise Chief, I, your subordinate Zhao Kuo, offer you this toast. I’ll drink first as a sign of respect!"

Zhao Kuo offered his polite remarks with his glass raised, then tossed it back in one gulp.

"What a promising talent," Ye Xuan thought.

Seeing Zhao Kuo’s adaptable nature, knowing when to bow and when to stand tall, Ye Xuan’s estimation of him rose a few notches. He smiled faintly, raised his glass to clink with Zhao Kuo’s, and downed it in one gulp as well.

"Boss, I heard from the men below that you had Guo Xiang locked up?" After finishing the toast, Zhao Kuo hesitated for a moment before asking this question.

Hearing him mention Guo Xiang’s name, the King of the Underworld frowned in displeasure, his tone laced with a hint of coldness. "Yes. When someone makes a mistake, they must be punished."

Faced with the King of the Underworld’s indifferent response, Zhao Kuo didn’t know what to say for a moment.

He wasn’t entirely clear on the specific details of the situation; he had only heard a few murmurs from his subordinates. His relationship with Guo Xiang wasn’t particularly good either; they had merely shared a few meals together.

He was simply puzzled. The King of the Underworld had always doted on his adopted son, Guo Xiang. What on earth had happened today to make the King of the Underworld so furious?

"Where is Guo Xiang right now? Bring him to see me," the King of the Underworld said. He took a sip of wine, hesitated for a second, but ultimately decided to interrogate Guo Xiang personally.

Not only did he need to find out exactly when Guo Xiang started associating with the people from the Celestial Ranking, but he also wanted to thoroughly investigate everything Guo Xiang had been doing behind his back over the past few years.

He wanted to know if Guo Xiang had actually sold him out.

"Yes, I’ll have someone bring him over right away."

Looking at the King of the Underworld’s frosty expression, Zhao Kuo didn’t dare dawdle. He quickly made a hand gesture to his subordinates, gesturing for them to get it done immediately.

Taking advantage of this gap, the group exchanged a few more casual remarks. Soon, Zhao Kuo’s subordinate returned.