Chapter 121: The Future Richest Person

He felt his internal energy draining away in a continuous stream. He tried to pull his fist back, only to find his hand locked firmly in place, unable to move a muscle. He attempted to mobilize the energy within his body to repel that crimson aura, but no matter how hard he tried, it clung to him like bone-deep rot.

His face was etched with shock and terror. A moment later, he tasted a metallic sweetness in his throat; he opened his mouth and spat out a spray of blood.

"You..." he managed to say, his voice weak and trembling.

In that instant, he finally realized that he had not provoked an ordinary person. This young man had actually reached the peak of the ninth level of the Heavenly Realm. Such cultivation was enough to command awe from everyone in the world. Were it not so, how could he have so easily defeated a master at the first level of the Heavenly Realm?

The white-haired old man could feel himself growing weaker by the second. He realized things were dire. If this continued, the decades of hard-won cultivation he had accumulated would be drained away, causing his martial arts prowess to suffer a devastating blow. At his age, he would never be able to make a comeback. Yet, he could not pull his hand away.

Knowing when to yield is the mark of a wise man. The white-haired old man had no choice but to beg for mercy: "Mr. Gu, please, spare me!" With that, he dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.

Only then did Gu Xiangnan retract his hand. But it was too late; the old man felt like a deflated balloon, his body instantly sapped of all strength. He stumbled backward a few steps, his face as pale as parchment.

Everyone else in the private room was struck dumb. Jia Mingxuan had been taking a gamble. He had guessed that Gu Xiangnan was capable, but he never expected him to be this formidable. A martial artist of the first level of the Heavenly Realm had been defeated by him with such ease. It was simply exhilarating! Gu Xiangnan was a true treasure! He had hit the jackpot!

The head of the Lin family looked bewildered. He asked in a trembling voice, "Who... who exactly are you?"

Lu Xiaofeng glanced at him sideways, his expression filled with disdain, and said coldly, "Who I am is none of your concern. Do you still wish to continue this fight? If not, get out of here and stop disturbing our pleasant evening."

The head of the Lin family had never been subjected to such humiliation, but the man before him was an unfathomable martial artist. He didn't even have the courage to retort; he could only hurry to help the old man off the floor and slink away from the scene in defeat.

Jia Mingxuan regained his composure and quickly said to his son, "Why aren't you thanking Mr. Lu for saving our lives?"

Jia Hanlin stood up and bowed to Gu Xiangnan: "Thank you, Mr. Gu, for your help. I offended you yesterday, and I hope you can forgive me."

"Mr. Lu, I once sent men to kill you, but you also killed my nephew. Let us wipe the slate clean of our past grievances today," Jia Mingxuan said.

Gu Xiangnan’s intervention today had truly saved him. Otherwise, not only would they have been beaten, but the project would certainly have been lost as well. How would he have been able to show his face in the provincial capital afterward? Wouldn't he have become a laughingstock? So much for being a "forefather"—he would have been reduced to acting like a "grandson"!

Gu Xiangnan felt a twinge of regret as well. He knew that since he had killed the Jia family's son, those grievances were not easily resolved. However, since they had saved the Jia family today, he was willing to let the past go. After all, they would need to cooperate in the future.

"Since the head of the Jia family is so magnanimous, let us turn our hostility into friendship," Gu Xiangnan said.

Jia Mingxuan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly invited everyone to be seated again. Both sides formally introduced themselves. When the Jia family learned that Yun Lengyue was the War God of the Northern Frontier, Jia Hanlin immediately stood up and gave a standard salute.

Jia Mingxuan marveled inwardly; it was fortunate that he had turned from an enemy into a friend with Gu Xiangnan. Getting to know the War God of the Northern Frontier would be of great help to his son's future development. Thinking of this, he felt quite pleased and ordered the waiter to bring drinks and food. These high-end mahjong parlors also offered dining services, and soon the dishes were served.

Jia Mingxuan raised his glass to toast Gu Xiangnan: "Come, let us celebrate Mr. Gu officially becoming our project partner and a close friend to the Jia family!"

The atmosphere in the room became lively as everyone toasted Gu Xiangnan. After the meal, they discussed the specific details of the project. Gu Xiangnan listened quietly, but he was stunned by Jia Mingxuan’s profit projections. Even though he had been mentally prepared, the tens of billions in profit still shocked him. This was only the first phase; after the demolition of the old city was complete, they would still need to build new residences, factories, and commercial centers.

"This project is truly a gold mine!" Jia Mingxuan remarked. "If all goes smoothly, our returns from this first phase alone will be enough to fill our coffers."

Gu Xiangnan felt his blood boil with excitement. This was only the first phase! If the partnership went well, there would be a second and third phase. Would he soon be able to let his senior sisters retire? He might even end up becoming the richest man in the entire province.

Gu Xiangnan still had six hundred million in his account, and he transferred all of it to the Jia family as his stake in the project. "This investment is negligible," Gu Xiangnan said.

But Jia Mingxuan waved his hand and laughed heartily: "Mr. Lu, you are too modest. What I value is not how much capital you can invest; what I value is your strength and your vision. With you anchoring this project, it will be as solid as a rock, and no one will dare to stir up trouble."

With that, he proactively offered Gu Xiangnan a thirty-percent stake in the company. This made Gu Xiangnan feel somewhat embarrassed.

After returning to the hotel, Gu Xiangnan lay on his bed, but his mind refused to settle. This trip to the provincial capital had opened a door to a new world for him; from now on, endless wealth would be beckoning. His destiny would undergo a earth-shattering transformation because of this project. The chain of pharmacies gifted to him by the Fuso Kampo Association would also become a continuous source of capital. In the future, whenever he developed new medicines, he could sell them exclusively in his own shops.

It was truly satisfying to have killed that little devil from Fuso. The Fuso headquarters of the Kampo Association would certainly not let this rest, but it didn't matter. If soldiers come, block them; if water comes, earth will cover it. No matter who came, he would have a way to deal with them. This trip to the provincial capital had indeed been fruitful.

The next morning, the group returned to Jiangning City. Gu Xiangnan brought Yun Lengyue back to his villa. He asked Yang Dianfeng to come over, saying they needed to discuss future developments with everyone. He also called Su Hanyan and asked her to come to the villa.

Yun Lengyue walked around the house, curious. "Xiao Nan, is this your home?"

Gu Xiangnan feigned anger: "Fifth Senior Sister, if you say it like that, I'll be upset!"

Yun Lengyue looked at him with curiosity.

"This isn't just my home; it is our home!"

Hearing those words from Gu Xiangnan, Yun Lengyue felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Before long, Su Hanyan arrived with Wang Mei.