Chapter 1105 — The Pi Family's Experts

"Hmm... that much is true. Zhaoming is right. Guifeng, did you hear that? You are the one who made a mess of this, so now you go and fix it! You must find a way to win the Xiao family's forgiveness!" Old Master Kang gave a cold snort and spoke to Kang Guifeng.

"This... yes..." Kang Guifeng was somewhat at a loss for words. Wasn't this asking far too much? They had offended the Xiao family to the point of no return back then — was there any chance of repairing the relationship now? And besides, the Xiao family already had the Pi family's support. What use was a marriage alliance with the Kang family now?

"Anyone can talk a good game. Of course the relationship must be repaired, but given the current situation, is repairing it even possible?" Kang Jinglong, displeased at having his thunder stolen by Kang Jingming, sneered with open sarcasm. Kang Jingming was clearly aiming his words at Kang Guifeng and Kang Jinglong!

"Whether it can be repaired is Uncle's business. There is nothing I can do about it — I wasn't the one who offended the Xiao family, was I?" Kang Jingming said in that veiled, needling way of his.

"You—" Kang Jinglong was so furious he was choking on his words, glaring with wide eyes and unable to speak.

"That's enough, Zhaoming. Stop pointing fingers at others!" Old Master Kang, after all, was still a little fonder of Kang Jinglong than of Kang Jingming.

"Grandfather, I wasn't pointing fingers. The first point I raised can only be carried out by Uncle — as the saying goes, the one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. There is nothing I can do about that. But that is only the first part. There are ways we can go about mending our relationship with the Xiao family. For instance, the Xiao family is currently eager to recruit business partners — isn't our Kang family a fine candidate?" Kang Jingming waved his hand and went on: "When we cooperate, we can afford to take a small loss. Mending the relationship is what matters most!"

In truth, everyone knew these things Kang Jingming was saying. It was just that the Kang family had all lost their heads and simply hadn't thought of them. And Kang Jingming, who had come into this matter with the intention of showing off in the first place, happened to be thinking with a relatively cool head!

The matter actually cost Kang Jingming nothing at all. Whether or not the Kang family advanced to the rank of an aristocratic house made no difference to his eating, drinking, and merrymaking — he was nothing but a spoiled rich boy, and by his grandfather's design he could never be allowed to inherit the family business anyway. So he, by contrast, had far less to worry about.

"At the critical moment, it is still Zhaoming we must rely on!" Old Master Kang was overjoyed at Kang Jingming's words and said hurriedly: "Come, then! If we are to cooperate with the Xiao family, we must naturally lower our posture and sacrifice some of our interests!"

Kang Guifeng's eyes lit up as well when he heard Kang Jingming's words. He had to admit, Kang Jingming did have some brains after all. This idea, plain as it was, was solid — otherwise, if they went to the Xiao family empty-handed to mend the relationship, on what grounds would the Xiao family ever mend it with them? You were the one who proposed the marriage alliance, and you were the one who called it off — are you playing them for fools?

"Of course, that is only one aspect. The idea is out there now, but whether it succeeds still depends on how Uncle handles it!" Kang Jingming was nothing if not sly. In fact, even doing all this might not win the Xiao family's forgiveness — but Kang Jingming had shifted the responsibility onto Kang Guifeng in a single stroke. If the thing failed, it would be because Kang Guifeng was incompetent, not because Kang Jingming's idea had been unsound!

Kang Guifeng's expression shifted slightly. He wanted to explain something, but before he could, Kang Jingming went on: "On the other hand, if we want to advance to the rank of an aristocratic house, we still have to rely on ourselves... in other words, on me. So long as I can get my hands on the formula for the life-extending, poison-clearing pill, then whether the Xiao family supports us or not will be so much drifting cloud. With our own pills and our own strength, we need not fear that the Yu family will refuse to acknowledge us as an aristocratic house!"

"Zhaoming, you are truly a blessing to the Kang family!" On hearing his words, Old Master Kang rose excitedly to his feet and clapped Kang Jingming on the shoulder: "Good grandson, at the critical moment, it is you who keep a steady head! Your grandfather misjudged you before — I took you for a wastrel, when in truth you are a great fool who is wise within!"

"Grandfather flatters me!" Kang Jingming said modestly. In truth, everything he had said was quite ordinary — it was the very development path the Kang family had settled on long ago. It was only that saying it now carried a different weight.

"The Kang family will depend on you from now on. I hope that under your hand the Kang family can take another step forward and march toward glory!" Old Master Kang said solemnly.

"I understand, Grandfather! Rest assured, I will not let you down!" Joy leapt to Kang Jingming's brow. His grandfather had finally begun to change his mind and was grooming him as a candidate heir of the third generation!

Old Master Kang's words, however, made Kang Guifeng and Kang Jinglong's expressions shift slightly. It seemed this matter had indeed been a grave mistake, one that had disappointed the old master! But there was no use saying more now. Kang Guifeng gritted his teeth in secret — he would stop at nothing to rebuild friendship with the Xiao family, even at the cost of some interests. If this could not be done, then Kang Jinglong's position would be in grave peril!

At that thought, Kang Guifeng dared not dawdle. The moment the family meeting ended, he hurriedly took Kang Jinglong with him and set off for Songshan City to pay a visit to the Xiao family!

A blue SUV sped along the expressway. The one driving was none other than Kang Jinglong; in the passenger seat sat Kang Guifeng.

"Zhaolong, this matter is very serious. If we mishandle it, our father-and-son standing in the Kang family will plummet!" Kang Guifeng sighed, his gaze heavy.

"Father, to be honest, I do not think we did anything wrong in this. Given the situation back then, anyone would have thought the Xiao family could never turn things around — but who could have foreseen that things would turn out like this?" Kang Jinglong said: "And Zhaoming was acting entirely out of selfish motives back then. What he was really thinking, only Grandfather fails to see. Who would have thought that by sheer blind luck he would guess right!"

"There is no need to say such things. Winners become kings and losers become bandits. We had best think of how to make amends." Kang Guifeng waved his hand. Whether Kang Jinglong had guessed right by luck no longer mattered; there was no point in discussing it.

"True. I wonder whether the Xiao family will forgive us..." Kang Jinglong nodded.

The car came to a stop at the gates of the Xiao family villa. But the Xiao family was not what it once was — ordinary people could no longer hope to get inside! The Pi family's experts had come swiftly. On the very night Pi Zhifeng and Pi Zhitao returned, the Pi family's experts arrived!

"Elder Pi, Brother Pi, I trust these sleeping quarters are to your satisfaction?" Xiao Jibi led the two Pi family experts to inspect their rooms with the utmost deference. This was the third floor of the Xiao family's villa, which had never been occupied before.

The Xiao family's villa was of the luxurious sort, standing one floor taller even than the villa at Gu Mengyao's home.