Chapter 288 — The Discarded Pawn
Years of Heartflutter · Page 4 of 5
The two of them ate in silence, heads down. At first, watching Tian Yan's sullen look, Tian Long found himself talking before he knew it, and once more began to prattle on, working away at his son's mind.
"Donghua, have you ever thought about it? Once the Sun family's businesses all become ours, just how formidable will you be in Donghai? Sure, the eldest son of the Tian family is already a big deal, but compared to that, you'd reach a whole new height!" Tian Long said. "Take that time before—you got into a fight over a girl and beat the guy up. You walked away clean, sure, but didn't you still have to transfer schools? Things are different now. If you beat someone up, worst case you pay them off, and there's no need to transfer at all. That's the kind of power the Sun family has in Donghai!"
Tian Yan, however, curled his lip. A year ago he might have been tempted, but over the past year he had matured a great deal and felt that his former self had been truly childish. Especially after being with Wang Xue, he had come to see many things clearly, and so Tian Long's enticement left him entirely unmoved.
He raised his head and gave Tian Long a blank look, then said, "Not interested. When I was young and reckless, a fight was just a fight. Doing that now would be idiotic."
"..." Tian Long was left badly choked, yet utterly helpless. He had assumed his words would stir Tian Yan, but this was the response he got—a flat, lukewarm retort.
"If nothing else, then think of your younger brother—I have to push forward too! Look at Tian Dongguang. Grown as he is, he still has no sense of restraint, exactly like a spoiled young master. If your father's influence doesn't grow even greater, how will he wipe the ass of every mess that boy makes?" Tian Long said.
"Stop making excuses for your own ambition. If you were an ordinary citizen, Tian Dongguang wouldn't be able to strut around the way he does now," Tian Yan said mildly.
"Hmph! So what if I am ambitious? You and I are father and son—that's something you can't change or choose! It's fine if you don't support me; in a few years you'll come to understand!" Tian Long, thoroughly at his wit's end with Tian Yan, slammed the table and roared, "My great work is already done. Even if you don't approve of my methods, what does it matter?"
Tian Yan said nothing more. The two of them now had no common ground; talking was pointless. So Tian Yan chose silence and bent his head again to demolish the food before him.
Just as Tian Long was waxing impassioned and feeling himself invincible, he had no idea that he had already been abandoned by the mastermind behind the scenes. After seeing Qu Daming and Liu Chan exposed ahead of schedule, the mastermind held no further hope for Tian Long—he had even killed Sui Yuejin to frame Yu Heng.
One could say Tian Long had become a discarded piece. If the need arose, the mastermind would cast him aside without a moment's hesitation. But for now, Tian Long seemed to have no further use; whether he lived or died made no direct difference to Yang Ce, so the mastermind could not be bothered with him and left him to sink or swim.
By the time Tian Long finished drinking, it was past two in the morning. To stumble back to the villa in a drunken haze would surely be miserable on the road, so Tian Long decided not to go back tonight and to find a room here to make do for the night.
"Jin Guo, do you have any free rooms? Fix one up for me!" Tian Long ordered Zhang Jinguo.
Even if there weren't, Zhang Jinguo would have had to say there were. "Right away, Brother Long. I'll get it ready."
Zhang Jinguo gave up his own room, for preparing a spare one on such short notice was no easy task. He himself would find some corner to make do for the night, and that would be that.