Chapter Sixty-Three: No Longer Keeping a Low Profile (2)

Prodigal Son Without a Care – Chapter Sixty-Three: No Longer Keeping a Low Profile (2)

Zhou Ao stepped forward and said, “Mr. Xiao, we’re delighted you could make it to New York. My father has mentioned several times that if you ever came, we must invite you to our home as our guest.”

The Xiao and Zhou families had been close for generations; Zhou Ao’s father and Xiao Tianci’s father had been friends for many years. Xiao Tianci was now well aware of this. More importantly, he sensed an undercurrent in Zhou Ao’s words—clearly, Zhou Ao was extending a friendly gesture. And recalling the last two consecutive meetings, there was certainly something intriguing at play.

“Haha, of course. Since I’m here, I must pay my respects to Uncle Zhou,” Xiao Tianci replied with a smile.

He exchanged a few perfunctory words with Autney, neither warm nor cold, and then everyone climbed into their cars. With this group traveling together, the motorcade was naturally grand—luxury vehicles, bodyguards, and other personnel, dozens of cars in all, forming a mighty procession.

The six of them rode together in a stretch Lincoln with twenty-two seats. Inside, space was abundant and comfortable. Once settled in, Xiao Tianci asked, “By the way, why are we taking cars? Wouldn’t it be much faster to take helicopters?”

For over a decade, as the nominal chairman of Meihua and a regular on the world’s richest lists, Will had always been the center of attention at such events. He could move effortlessly from discussing ancient Chinese and Babylonian history to speculating about the future of human life beyond its current limits. Others could only interject occasionally. Although Zhou Ao wielded family influence and was not necessarily afraid of Will, Will was, in name, the chairman, so there was no need to vie for prominence on such occasions.

Moreover, those raised in families like the Xiaos and Zhous had a keen sense of when to yield and when to assert themselves. Whether receiving heads of state, world celebrities, or reclusive masters, or even Xiao Lin in the past, Will had always played the leading role.

But today was different. Other than greeting Xiao Tianci, Will wore a solemn expression and said little. Seeing Will had no intention to answer, Zhou Ao smiled faintly and explained, “Mr. Xiao, this was a rule set by Old Mr. Xiao. Because the Xiao family and Meihua are so closely connected, we didn’t want the whole world to know, so we kept things low-key.”

If anyone else called such a grand procession “low-key,” it would sound overly modest, even hypocritical. But for the Xiao family, the description was fitting.

Xiao Tianci thought for a moment and laughed. “Haha, you’re right. If ten or eight helicopters were to fly in, it would certainly draw attention.”

He knew Will’s character well, both from the files and from Chief Steward Lin Jian. Seeing Will’s demeanor now, Xiao Tianci thought, “Ungrateful fool. Whether it was the disaster or what’s happening now, you must have had a hand in it. You’ve been a puppet for over a decade, yet you still act as if the world owes you. Fine, if you won’t make a move, I’ll force your hand. You’ve all plotted so carefully—let’s see how you handle chaos.”

So, ignoring Will’s silence, he chatted with Zhou Ao instead, reminiscing about the generations of friendship between their families, about family affairs, and so on, leaving Will and Autney to the side. Will managed to maintain a meditative stillness, his face unmoved, but Autney could not restrain himself and kept casting angry glances at Xiao Tianci.

Suddenly, Zhou Ao said, “By the way, Brother Xiao, I heard you’re planning to hold a press conference this time. Forgive me if I’m being blunt—our families have always kept a low profile. When Uncle Xiao was alive, he insisted that the family keep out of the limelight. I just don’t understand—why the press conference?”

Will’s heart skipped a beat. This was exactly what he wanted to ask, but felt he could not. He had worked with Zhou Ao for over a decade. Though they had no real conflict, Zhou Ao always kept him at a distance. Will hadn’t expected Zhou Ao to ask the question for him today.

Xiao Tianci knew it was time to play his part. He and Chief Steward Lin Jian had crafted an image: suddenly catapulted from millionaire to trillionaire, a man eager to make his mark and let the world know his name—a brash, ambitious character. That was the image needed at the start, though their plan would evolve.

At the mention of the press conference, Xiao Tianci broke into a self-satisfied grin. “Haha! Brother Zhou, as you said, those were my old man’s rules before he died. Now they’re all gone, and I’m the only one left. I’m the head of the Xiao family, so I can do as I please. Is there a problem with that?”

Zhou Ao smiled and shook his head, but inwardly he was stunned. He had never expected Xiao Tianci to say something so bluntly. He had thought it, perhaps, but could not imagine saying it out loud. Was this the difference between a scion raised among commoners and those from old families?

Will and Autney were both fuming inside, but could not speak. After all, neither of them was Xiao Tianci’s father—what right did they have to be angry? At that moment, Will almost missed Xiao Lin. For all his power, at least Xiao Lin wouldn’t have acted so recklessly or irrationally.

Xiao Tianci raised his glass, the chief steward having poured the wine. He downed it in one gulp, smacked the leather seat beside him, and laughed. “Haha! Brother Zhou, I’ve always wanted to achieve something big, just never had the chance. But now, finally, I have it. I’m not like those spoiled brats. Since fate has given me such a great opportunity, I absolutely won’t waste it. I’m going to make a splash.”

Aside from Xiao Tianci and the chief steward, the other three had exactly the same thought: “You’d be better off as a spoiled brat.” Big business is worlds apart from small, just as domestic trade is nothing like international commerce.

For a corporation as vast as Meihua, it’s not a matter of just anyone stepping in to manage. The solid leadership and management structure had been built up over years under Xiao Lin. Unless there’s major upheaval, less direct interference is better than more.

“Ahem… ahem…” Zhou Ao coughed lightly, then said tactfully, “Brother Xiao, don’t you think this is all a bit sudden? Perhaps you should take more time to get familiar with things. Meihua is a massive enterprise, and you’ve only just arrived—it’s not easy to figure everything out so quickly.”

Will thought, “Smart move, Zhou Ao. If this fool suddenly takes charge, we’ll all have to do as he says. I’ll be the first to suffer, you the second. Hmph, Xiao Tianci inherits his fortune and immediately wants to take over Meihua and announce it to the world. I never imagined he’d pull this stunt.”

This was a matter of power at the highest level. In an organization where interests had stabilized, any attempt at a sudden takeover would be collectively resisted. Yet, in the current situation, even if they all opposed it, the final say still rested with Xiao Tianci.

But Xiao Tianci, ever infuriating, simply replied, “Don’t worry, Brother Zhou. I’m not just an armchair strategist—I already have plenty of great ideas. If you knew them, you’d be amazed. In the future, I’ll need all of your support and assistance!”

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