Chapter 2346 — The Old Man Bi Steps In

Of course, because he continued to pay tribute to Zhao Guangyin, continuing to hand over a large portion of the Zhao family's hidden wealth every month, he had still managed to gain a firm foothold in Donghai City quickly enough—though he would never again rise to a higher stage.

The hidden Zhao family chose a new business spokesman for themselves, and that man was the chairman of the Donghai Chamber of Commerce—Lei Daming.

The order to throw those people out just now had also come from Lei Daming. Against Lei Daming's wishes, of course, he could not go; for he and Lei Daming belonged to the same faction.

It seemed this matter had run into an iron wall. He would have to make things clear with Lei Daming: someone from the hidden Zhao family would have to step forward to suppress someone from the hidden Han family. But Zhao Guangsi did not yet have the clout to summon a member of the hidden Zhao family into action—whereas Lei Daming could.

"I understand. Don't do anything rash for now. Serve them their dishes in the proper order, and don't show your face again. I'll arrange for someone else to go over!" Zhao Guangsi said.

"Yes, President Zhao!" the lobby manager said hastily.

Hanging up, Zhao Guangsi could scarcely wait to dial Lei Daming's number.

"President Zhao, all settled?" Lei Daming was dining at the Arctic Ocean Seafood Restaurant at that very moment. Receiving Zhao Guangsi's call, he naturally assumed the matter had been taken care of—for in his eyes this had never amounted to anything at all. Zhao Guangsi was the owner here; if he chose not to do business with one table of guests, then he simply would not. What could Gu Pengzhan possibly do about it?

"President Lei, settled? You've landed me in deep trouble—these people have backing too!" Because Zhao Guangsi was related to Zhao Guangyin by blood, he did not have to be overly deferential before Lei Daming, and he poured out his grievance outright: "They brought in someone from the hidden Han family, a man named Han Xiaohu. I can't hold him back. Han Xiaohu not only threatened to drive me out of Donghai City, he demanded I pack up my businesses and go. President Lei, you can't just wash your hands of this!"

"Someone from the hidden Han family? How do they have anything to do with Gu Pengzhan?" Lei Daming frowned, somewhat baffled. "All right, leave it alone for now. I'll report to the boss right away!"

The boss Lei Daming spoke of was, of course, Zhao Guangyin of the hidden Zhao family. At present Lei Daming was his front man for raking in money, and the reason Lei Daming did not want Gu Pengzhan entering the Donghai market was chiefly this: Gu Pengzhan's holdings overlapped far too much with his own—hotels, shopping malls, real estate, all lucrative ventures. If Gu Pengzhan came in, his strength was no small thing either, his cash flow not inconsiderable, and he would very likely cut into Lei Daming's business. When the blame came down from Zhao Guangyin then, it would be Lei Daming who had to answer for it.

So Lei Daming did not feel he was in the wrong at all, and dialed Zhao Guangyin directly: "Boss, we've got trouble!"

"What trouble?" Zhao Guangyin's attitude toward Lei Daming was favorable. Since being built up, Lei Daming had quickly made a splash in Donghai City, bringing the Zhao family substantial profits every month, with plenty of sustainable profit besides, so Zhao Guangyin thought highly of him.

"I mentioned to you before that I had joined forces with local Donghai merchants to squeeze an outsider out of the market, to keep him from doing business in Donghai City. After all, the business he wants to do overlaps with ours..." Lei Daming laid out the background first, to prove he had not stirred up this feud with the hidden Han family out of personal spite.

"Mm, I know. This outsider has connections?" Zhao Guangyin quickly leaped to certain conclusions.

"Exactly. Someone from the hidden Han family has come to prop them up!" Lei Daming nodded. "The man who came is called Han Xiaohu!"

"What? Han Xiaohu of the hidden Han family is that outsider's backer?" Zhao Guangyin was slightly taken aback. The hidden Han family—did they not stay out of business? Could it be that after the Hidden World Families Summit, the hidden Han family too had bared its fangs and was preparing to go into business and rake in money?

"Exactly. What happened today was this..." Lei Daming held nothing back, and recounted in full detail how he had run into that outsider at the Arctic Ocean Seafood Restaurant and then had Zhao Guangsi put him in his place—telling the whole thing to Zhao Guangyin.

"Hm, you did nothing wrong." Zhao Guangyin nodded after hearing him out. Lei Daming was indeed arrogant and domineering, but when all was said and done, he had acted in the interests of the hidden Zhao family's business, so Zhao Guangyin could not fail to stand up for him!

And even without this affair, the hidden Zhao family had been finding it hard to swallow their grievance. After the Hidden World Families Summit, the hidden Han family was no longer as cautious and low-profile as before; in Donghai City they too had begun operating frequently, making their voice heard, faintly signaling an intent to contend with the hidden Zhao family.

At the Hidden World Families Summit, the hidden Han family, relying on their connection with Wei Zhao, had already left the hidden Zhao family thoroughly stifled. And after Wei Zhao departed, the hidden Han family was still capering about, even to the point of backing an outside merchant—Zhao Guangyin could not tolerate this going on any longer!

If he yielded this time, he was certain the hidden Han family would take a foot when given an inch, growing more severe each time. So he must strangle their ambition in the cradle, the moment they first bared their fangs!

"Boss, so what should we do now..." Lei Daming asked cautiously.

"It's just one Han Xiaohu, isn't it?" Zhao Guangyin gave a cold laugh. "He really thinks he's somebody now. Rest easy—I'll have Qibing and Old Man Bi go together, in person, to teach this insolent fool a lesson! He really believes the hidden Han family can stand against the hidden Zhao family? A mantis trying to stop a chariot—overestimating himself!"

"Wonderful!" Lei Daming was overjoyed. He had not expected Zhao Guangyin to send Zhao Qibing, heir to the hidden Zhao family, and Old Man Bi, a core figure of the hidden Zhao family, into action. There was no question now of eating Han Xiaohu alive.

"Just wait. They'll be there soon enough!" Zhao Guangyin could not command Old Man Bi, but he could command Zhao Qibing—and if Zhao Qibing went, Old Man Bi, his master, could hardly stay away. Han Xiaohu, after all, was a skilled hand of the early Earth Rank!

If Han Xiaohu made a move, Zhao Qibing would certainly come off the worse; but with Old Man Bi there, the situation was different. Old Man Bi would never sit by and do nothing—and Han Xiaohu would not dare to act.

"Yes. Thank you, boss!" Lei Daming said quickly.

In Wei Zhao's private room, Han Xiaohu shut the door with a trace of displeasure, then walked over to Wei Zhao's side with a smile: "Boss, what's going on?"

"This is Uncle Chu, an elder of mine. He wanted to do business in Donghai City, but that chamber chairman named Lei Daming blocked him at every turn, and just now there was a confrontation down in the parking lot..." Wei Zhao then recounted the whole affair, cause and consequence. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to cast