"Chen Beiyuan, you motherf***er! Are you playing me?!"
Lin Xiao instantly flew into a furious rage.
The bastard was obviously treating him like a monkey and making a fool of him!
"You're only realizing that now?"
Chen Beiyuan leaned back against the sofa, looking at the furious "monkey" in front of him with an expression of genuine surprise.
He helplessly sighed.
"How the hell have you managed to survive until now with a brain like yours?"
"Pfft!"
A wealthy, voluptuous woman with an alluring temperament couldn't hold back her laughter.
"He's only realizing it now? Looks like his brain really isn't working properly!"
"I'm dying! With that pig brain of his, he actually thought he could play games with Young Master Chen?"
"He was putting on such a righteous act just now. Turns out he's nothing but a pretty face with no substance!"
The other people around them were infected by the wealthy woman's laughter and soon began laughing as well.
The way they looked at Lin Xiao was as though they were watching a monkey being toyed with.
The entire banquet hall was instantly filled with an atmosphere of amusement.
"Chen Beiyuan, you're courting death!"
At this moment, Lin Xiao felt blood rushing to his head.
He couldn't help wanting to attack and smash that infuriating face of Chen Beiyuan's into the ground!
With the Lin Family backing him, he naturally wasn't afraid of Chen Beiyuan's so-called "little tricks."
Ever since successfully transforming into a dragon, he had completely mastered the Taixuan Dragon Transformation Scripture. His combat strength was now dozens of times greater than it had been before.
He was far stronger than the Chen Beiyuan he had encountered at Donghua Academy.
At this moment, Lin Xiao was confident that he could fight Chen Beiyuan head-on!
As long as he could demonstrate that he possessed the strength to stand against Chen Beiyuan, his name would spread throughout Yanjing before the night was over.
By then, the Lin Family would undoubtedly value him much more highly.
And if he could successfully provoke a conflict between the two colossal families—the Lin Family and the Chen Family—and make them tear each other apart, that would be even better.
"Lin Xiao, stop!"
Just as Lin Xiao was about to make his move, a somewhat sinister voice suddenly came from behind him.
Lin Jiuxiao, his face gloomy and cold, strode down from the second floor.
Behind him stood a figure wearing a black cloak, its appearance completely concealed.
The moment the Third Young Master of the Lin Family appeared, another wave of shocked exclamations swept through the banquet hall.
Clearly, quite a few people had already realized that something serious was about to happen tonight.
"Damn it!"
When Lin Xiao saw that it was Lin Jiuxiao, he felt somewhat disappointed, but he suppressed his desire to attack.
Originally, according to their plan, he and Lin Jiuxiao were supposed to negotiate with Chen Beiyuan together.
Unfortunately, Lin Jiuxiao had received some kind of message midway through and said he had to deal with something first. He had left for a while.
Who would have thought he would return so quickly?
Lin Jiuxiao walked into the hall with a gloomy expression.
After taking in the situation before him, he coldly looked toward Chen Beiyuan, who was sitting on the sofa.
"Chen Beiyuan, what the hell do you mean?"
"You sent that little bastard Bai Yuze to wreck my businesses, then had him capture one of my people to lure me away, and now you want to openly target members of my Lin Family?!"
Lin Jiuxiao was absolutely furious!
This was supposed to be a straightforward negotiation.
But instead, he had suddenly received news that Bai Yuze had gone and wrecked one of his establishments.
Even worse, one of the women he kept outside had also been captured by Bai Yuze...
In his fury, he naturally intended to find Bai Yuze and settle the score.
But halfway there, he suddenly realized that this was most likely a diversionary tactic designed to lure him away.
He immediately rushed back.
And sure enough, he had arrived just in time to see Lin Xiao being provoked into a rage and preparing to attack.
Suddenly, Lin Jiuxiao seemed to notice Leng Ruobing standing nearby.
His gaze lingered on the beautiful, cold-faced campus belle, and he was clearly stunned by her appearance.
A trace of greed flashed through his eyes.
The movement was subtle.
But how could it possibly escape the notice of Chen Beiyuan and Lin Xiao?
Even Leng Ruobing herself noticed it.
According to rumors circulating outside, this scion of the Lin Family, Lin Jiuxiao, was an extremely lecherous man.
And he had a particular fondness for married women...
"Wow, screw your mother!"
"Lin Third, how the hell dare you talk to my brother-in-law like that?!"
"Did you eat shit or something? Why does everything that comes out of your mouth sound like garbage?!"
Bai Yuze's arrogant voice suddenly came from outside.
Everyone turned to look.
Bai Yuze swaggered into the banquet hall, his face full of arrogance and defiance.
He didn't give Lin Jiuxiao the slightest bit of respect.
For a moment, everyone in the banquet hall was completely dumbfounded.
This was supposed to be an ordinary "banquet."
Yet representatives of three of the Empire's most powerful aristocratic families had shown up—
The Chen Family.
The Lin Family.
And the Bai Family.
Some people who sensed that the situation was becoming dangerous, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire, had already begun quietly slipping away.
"Bai Yuze, you still have the nerve to show your face in front of me?!"
Lin Jiuxiao glared viciously at Bai Yuze.
He wished he could tear the bastard into a thousand pieces.
But he forcibly suppressed his anger.
His gaze once again locked onto Chen Beiyuan, who remained completely unmoved on the sofa.
"Chen Beiyuan, is this your attitude toward negotiation?"
"I want an explanation!"
"What the hell are you?"
Chen Beiyuan sneered.
"And you think you're entitled to demand an explanation from me?"
He looked at Lin Jiuxiao as though he were looking at a ridiculous clown.
In the original story, this Third Young Master of the Lin Family was extremely ambitious.
He desperately wanted to seize complete control of the Lin Family, but because of his insufficient strength and status, he had never been able to achieve his goal.
Later, after meeting the Son of Destiny, Lin Xiao, the two were practically made for each other.
Lin Xiao first helped him eliminate his own elder brother, allowing Lin Jiuxiao to successfully become the Lin Family's next heir.
Then, after Lin Jiuxiao's father discovered that he had been responsible for his elder brother's death, Lin Jiuxiao decisively strangled his own father.
He then directly seized power and became the head of the Lin Family.
After that, he wholeheartedly supported Lin Xiao in his efforts to deal with the Chen Family.
This was a truly ruthless bastard.
He was willing to kill even his own elder brother and father just to seize power.
With that in mind, Chen Beiyuan showed absolutely no mercy.
"Did your elder brother die?"
"Has the Lin Family already chosen you as its heir?"
"Do you actually have the qualifications to negotiate with me?"
"And you're demanding an explanation from me?"
"Where the hell did you get the confidence to say that?"
The moment those words came out—
Lin Jiuxiao's expression completely collapsed.
Chen Beiyuan had struck him exactly where it hurt the most!
Because within the Lin Family, he was merely the third son.
Above him stood an elder sister and an elder brother.
The heir to the Lin Family was his elder brother, Lin Jiuzhou!
In terms of status and position, Lin Jiuxiao wasn't remotely Chen Beiyuan's equal!
Only the designated heir of a family had the authority to represent the family.
Everyone else had no such right!
At this moment, Lin Jiuxiao finally understood.
Chen Beiyuan had never intended to negotiate with him from the very beginning.
He had simply been playing him for a fool.
"Fine! Fine! Fine!"
"Chen Beiyuan!"
Lin Jiuxiao laughed in fury.
"Do you have any idea how serious the consequences will be for the Lin Family if you humiliate us like this?!"
Anyone familiar with Lin Jiuxiao knew that the Third Young Master of the Lin Family had completely lost his temper.
"The Lin Family?"
"You, the third son, are qualified to represent the Lin Family?"
"Fine."
"I'll just assume your elder brother really has died and that the Lin Family has already chosen you as its heir."
"I, Chen Beiyuan, am the Young Master of the Chen Family and the future head of the Chen Family."
"I have the authority to represent the Chen Family!"
Chen Beiyuan's expression suddenly became solemn.
Slowly, he rose from the sofa.
For the first time, he looked directly at Lin Jiuxiao.
Then he calmly asked a question that sent shockwaves through the entire banquet hall.
"Now, you tell me."
"What exactly does the Lin Family want?"
"Are you trying to start a war with my Chen Family?!"
The instant those words fell—
The entire banquet hall fell deathly silent.
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