Chapter 138: Seize the Moment

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The spendthrift heir did not have pop-up ads. Tens of thousands of people per second were not wasting time, money, or life entertaining the two presidents. He was deeply focused on something.

“Quick, the enemies are coming from behind! I need fire support.”

“Little princess, hurry! Where have you been?”

“Brother, there are more enemies on my side... please come save me, Yi... they’re biting me…”

A cutting-edge 3D game was underway; two people, guns in hand and wearing 3D glasses, were fiercely battling monsters and alien foes on an extraterrestrial planet.

Finally, the game ended. They lost again. Taking off their 3D glasses, Xiao Tianci walked over and sat down. The chief steward handed him freshly brewed tea. Xiao Tianci took a sip—perfect temperature.

He glanced at the chief steward, realizing he must have calculated exactly when he might fail. Then, the little princess, still sulking, came over. Seeing her, Xiao Tianci smiled and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you angry?”

The little princess looked up defiantly. “Brother, we’ve played several times and still can’t get past this part. Is there something wrong with the game design?”

The little princess had only been playing for a few days. In the past couple of evenings when Xiao Tianci was free, he had played with her twice. After finishing discussions with Ivanov and Lajes, he was in a good mood and decided to keep playing a bit longer. But now they’d hit a bottleneck and couldn’t get through despite several attempts.

Setting down the teacup, Xiao Tianci said, “It’s good to question things, but you must remember: in this world, whatever you do, the more successful the person, the harder their path. At moments like this, you need patience. Take this game for example. First, ask yourself if you’ve truly done your best. You must persist with perseverance and keep trying. Unless you have solid proof that the game itself is flawed, the problem lies within yourself. Understand?”

The little princess tilted her head, thought for a moment, then nodded. “Okay, I’ll try again.”

Xiao Tianci said firmly, “No, that’s enough for today.” He looked at the chief steward, who immediately understood. “Looks like the little princess still has unfinished business today.”

The little princess smiled and ran inside. “Hehe, I’ll finish it now. Brother, come play with me again once I’m done—this time I’m definitely going to…”

She was becoming more cheerful, which pleased Xiao Tianci. Yet, he also considered the official image of a tough guy with a simple life. Lately, some issues deserved caution. After all, the Fire Phoenix had improved the little princess significantly compared to before, but its other negative effects still needed control. He must ensure the little princess didn’t learn bad habits from it.

Thinking of this, Xiao Tianci glanced around and silently thought: if the Fire Phoenix knew what I was thinking, I’d be in trouble again…

With the main matters taken care of, the rest would be easier. Xiao Tianci knew news from Ivanov and Lajes would take a few more days. Once things were settled, thoughts of Fatty made him restless.

At night, he led the group through the sewer system, leaving the living quarters. The underground network beneath the United States was vast and interconnected; many even lived there long-term.

Given his current level of attention, this move was bound to be monitored by major nations, though he didn’t need to completely avoid detection—it was nearly impossible anyway.

Fatty hadn’t expected Xiao Tianci to arrive so soon. They had agreed to meet at a mansion in the suburbs, one of Fatty’s Tang Gang’s properties. Sneaking out meant no personal car rides; Fatty sent cars to pick everyone up.

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“Hah... hah... hah... kid, didn’t expect you’d come so quickly. Have you settled everything on your end?” Fatty thought it would take at least three to five days. With his status, leaving would mean arranging things casually, and ten days or so would be normal.

Xiao Tianci looked around the mansion. With his elevated standards, few places impressed him now. What caught his eye was the vastness—everything inside was large. The doors wider than usual, tables and furnishings all at least half again as big as normal.

Many items were standard-sized but enlarged, which felt strange at first. The only thing that felt comfortable was Fatty himself; here, he seemed just right, while Xiao Tianci and the others appeared slender.

Understanding Fatty’s mindset, Xiao Tianci explained, “Actually, the bigger the operation, the easier it gets. It seems like more work, but that’s just an illusion. With so many people—each smarter and more capable than the last—on high salaries, why would I do the work myself? My job is simple: come up with ideas occasionally and let them handle execution.”

Xiao Tianci clicked his tongue. “Fatty, you’re too much. When I came in, I felt something was off. Turns out you’re the only one who feels normal here!”

Fatty laughed and cursed, “Damn it, your ideas are all wasteful! I’ve been hearing people outside saying you’ve started two companies called Xiao Family One and Xiao Family Two. Now they’re merging the businesses below, acting like they own the place. What the hell are you thinking? Everyone says you’re a total spendthrift, when did you stop making money and start wasting it?”

Xiao Tianci ignored him and continued, “Fatty, this house really has character. By the way, let me check if your bed is custom-made…”

“Hey, I’m talking to you!”

Xiao Tianci finally looked at him. “Spendthrift? What spendthrift? Don’t you know truth often lies with a few? If they say I’m a spendthrift, then the truth is in my hands.”

“Not bad, kid, you’ve got the gift of gab now!”

Xiao Tianci smiled and bowed slightly. “Heh, all thanks to your excellent mentorship, Fatty.”

After a few jokes, Xiao Tianci grew serious. “Alright, Fatty, let’s get down to business. Who do you support in the Gremio family?”

Fatty said, “Rega Gremio, the third son of the old Gremio. He’s very smart and has been close with me since his father was alive. Without my support, he’d have been swallowed up long ago. His own strength is decent, but he lacks much internal family backing. The Gremio family is now split among three sons and their uncle. Four people are vying for control. Others are also divided in loyalty. If it weren’t for the Sakura Group causing trouble, this would be his best chance. Damn those little bastards.”

Xiao Tianci considered this and said, “Fatty, if you had decided earlier, you should have acted then. Only by this infighting could you have had a chance.”

Xiao Tianci always approached matters decisively—either not at all, or quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly without hesitation or fear.

Fatty replied, “Back then, the situation wasn’t clear. I had just stabilized Tang Gang’s position and been recognized. If the old man had died then, everyone would know it was me trying to expand. So I held back. Didn’t expect those damn little bastards to move first.”

“Now call Rega over. Let’s plan to help him seize the Gremio family. But,” Xiao Tianci snorted coldly, “helping him take control means he must submit to you, so you don’t have trouble later. We can’t help for free.”

Fatty, more ruthless than Xiao Tianci, said, “Uh... that’s not easy. Though Rega is close to me, making him submit is tough. The Gremio family’s a centuries-old clan. If united, their power surpasses Tang Gang. We’re currently just cooperating. If he gains the headship, will he agree to yield benefits and submit?”

Xiao Tianci said, “Times have changed. Now you have my help. Don’t worry, we’ll get him to submit. Call him here now—we’ll take back those streets you lost recently.”

Fatty understood: the plan was to assert authority, forcing Rega to submit. Considering the forces around Xiao Tianci, that was indeed formidable.

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“Okay, I’ll call him now.” Fatty picked up the phone and contacted Rega, urging him to come at once. It was a critical time, so Rega responded as fast as possible.

Entering without much inspection, Rega saw Xiao Tianci sitting there. He glanced at Fatty and asked, “Boss Tong, something’s wrong?”

Rega was about the same age as Fatty. Though he had rushed over, worry was visible on his face. He lacked composure and was just an ordinary man, not a martial arts expert. His height was average, but his aura was unremarkable.

His bodyguards were stopped outside; only he entered. Usually, he would stand to greet guests, but today Fatty merely sat and nodded slightly—a prearranged plan between Fatty and Xiao Tianci.

“Rega, sit down. We have a big operation tonight, so we called you to discuss.”

Only then did Rega notice Xiao Tianci’s presence, who smiled faintly as he looked at him, making Rega feel as if he were naked. Something was off with Boss Tong today.

Who was this man? Rega wondered cautiously. “Boss Tong, I don’t recognize this friend. Who is he?”

Fatty, as prearranged, said, “This is a university classmate of mine, who’s come to help.”

Anyone allowed here was no ordinary person. Judging by Xiao Tianci’s bearing, he seemed to be from a noble family. Rega, smart as he was, quickly stood and extended his hand. “Hello, I’m Rega. Please take care of me.”

Xiao Tianci sat and briefly shook his hand, thinking: Who is this guy to be so arrogant and rude?

Boss Tong seemed strange today; he was never like this before. He didn’t even introduce this man’s name. What was going on?

Rega grew uneasy, sensing trouble. But now that he was here, he couldn’t just leave. He forced a smile and sat again. “Boss Tong, what is this matter you mentioned?”

Fatty stood. “Let’s go. Tonight, we’ll take back the territory the Sakura Group seized a few days ago. It’ll be lively, so we called you.”

Xiao Tianci also stood and chatted casually with Fatty. Rega followed behind, increasingly uneasy. Suddenly, it struck him—could this man be sent by his brother or uncle to deceive him, to hand him over?

Rega’s heart sank, but he was powerless. What could he do? He hadn’t brought many men, and he knew Boss Tong was a master; he wouldn’t be able to escape.

Within a few steps, sweat poured down Rega’s head. He had been too careless. Though Boss Tong had supported him and they had agreed on cooperation, he was still an outsider driven by interest. If someone offered more or spoke to him as a classmate, then...

Everyone got into cars. This time, only a few top experts from Tang Gang came, along with Xiao Tianci and the others. Previously, these masters were reserved for emergencies—to protect the gang and its members. If something happened to the experts, it would be easy for the enemy to assassinate them.

Fatty said they probably didn’t have experts like King Kong, but still many skilled fighters. So even if one or two like King Kong appeared, it wouldn’t matter; their headquarters was well-defended.

Fatty had a master named Laughing Maitreya, who originally taught him martial arts. Fatty estimated his master was extremely powerful, though even he didn’t fully know how strong.

On the way, Xiao Tianci chatted and laughed with Fatty, while Rega was full of anxiety but helpless...