C27 Second Time Entering Scussa

Chen Feng certainly wasn't boasting. For a small clan like the Xia family, he had a myriad of ways to play them like a fiddle.

Xia Yunsheng would be sorely mistaken if he thought he could breathe easy after finalizing the contract with Lin Zongwei for the Jade Hill Resort. Such naivety would only betray his youth.

With a cold laugh, Chen Feng reached out and called Chen Zhong...

At Yunsheng Building, Xia Hao arrived at the office bright and early, feeling refreshed and cheerful. To celebrate Xia Mengyao's firing, he had treated himself to a night of revelry at the clubhouse with a couple of ladies. Consequently, his spirits were exceptionally high today.

He had reclaimed all the construction teams and was now the lead on the Jade Hill Resort project. His only job now was to make money while practically doing nothing.

"That little bitch Xia Mengyao is probably fuming at home by now," Xia Hao smugly thought to himself.

"Son, join me on a trip to Scussa later," Xia Qichao greeted Xia Hao with a beaming smile.

"Didn't we wrap up the project discussions? Why are we going back?" Xia Hao asked, puzzled. His last encounter with Lin Zongwei at Scussa had left him with a psychological scar, and just the mention of Scussa made him uneasy.

"We've discussed the project, but we still need to iron out the details of the implementation," explained Xia Qichao.

"Dad, can't Second Uncle handle it?" Xia Hao inquired timidly.

Xia Qichao shot him a stern look. "You're the head of the Jade Hill project now. How could we send your Second Uncle in your place?"

"I know what you're worried about, but relax. With the contract secured, even Lin Zongwei wouldn't dare cross us," his father reassured him.

"I'm just worried that Xia Mengyao might badmouth us to Lin Zongwei and stir up trouble," Xia Hao expressed his concern.

"This isn't some small-time venture; it's a multi-million dollar project. If Lin Zongwei has any sense, he won't jeopardize it over petty squabbles. He's merely the project manager for Jade Hill. The real power behind Jade Hill lies with the Chen family!"

"If Lin Zongwei dares to make a move against us, the Chen family won't stand for it!" Xia Qichao declared with confidence. Little did he know, the true mastermind behind Jade Hill wasn't the Chen family at all—it was Chen Feng.

"Dad, shall we head out?"

Xia Hao couldn't help but admire the Chen family. He often dreamed that the Xia family would rise to become a powerhouse like them, influential enough to make the whole of Naprax quake with a single stomp.

But for Xia Hao, it was just a dream. A family like the Chen family—if you weren't born into it, you'd spend a lifetime chasing them in vain.

Xia Qichao and his son Xia Hao returned to Scussa Company. Unlike their last visit, when the stunning receptionist treated them with icy indifference as if they were invisible, this time Xia Hao noticed a marked change in her demeanor; she looked at him with a newfound warmth.

Feeling buoyant, Xia Hao said, "Director Lin."

Upon knocking and entering Lin Zongwei's office, Xia Qichao greeted him with a smile. However, Lin Zongwei's expression soured at the sight of them. "What brings you here?"

Xia Qichao's face tensed as he replied, "Director Lin, our Xia family recently signed a contract with your company regarding Jade Hill Resort..."

"Are you the one who signed the contract?" Lin Zongwei cut him off before he could finish.

"Well, no," Xia Qichao admitted with an awkward smile. "But regardless of who signed it, we're all part of the Xia family, so anyone should suffice."

"What if I specifically want the person who signed the contract to come?" Lin Zongwei challenged, lifting an eyebrow.

"Why must you insist on this, Director Lin?" Xia Qichao's expression grew strained. Xia Mengyao had been dismissed; there was no way she could come.

Lin Zongwei shook his head dismissively. "Return when Miss Xia can make it. I'll discuss matters with her then."

"Director Lin, Mengyao is tied up with important matters right now and truly can't come."

"Then she can come when she's available. I'm in no rush," Lin Zongwei stated flatly.

Seeing Lin Zongwei's unyielding stance, Xia Qichao's face darkened with displeasure.

"Director Lin, we have a signed contract," Xia Qichao pressed once more.

"Indeed, Director Lin, it's quite problematic for you to hold up the construction of the Jade Hill Resort due to personal matters, wouldn't you agree?" Xia Hao remarked, his voice laced with an undertone of threat.

Lin Zongwei's expression turned icy in an instant. "Are you threatening me?!"

Xia Hao's face shifted, and through gritted teeth, he murmured, "You're kidding, right, Director Lin? I wouldn't dream of threatening you."

With a cold snort, Lin Zongwei retorted, "If you're not daring, then make yourself scarce—now!"

Xia Qichao and Xia Hao's complexions fluctuated between green and red. They hadn't anticipated Lin Zongwei's boldness. Could he truly be unafraid of the Chen family?

Noticing that Xia Qichao and Xia Hao remained motionless, Lin Zongwei snorted again, "What's the matter? Do you expect me to escort you out?"

At his words, the pair no longer feigned ignorance. They quickly scurried out of the office, eager to avoid being 'escorted' out by Lin Zongwei as they had been previously.

Once outside Scussa Company, Xia Hao was seething with bitterness. "Damn it! This Lin Zongwei, has he got the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard? He's nothing but the Chen family's lapdog. How dare he act so high and mighty?"

Humiliated by Lin Zongwei for the second time, Xia Hao had completely lost his composure.

"Lin Zongwei must be acting this way because he's backed by something—or perhaps, he even has the Chen family's silent endorsement," Xia Qichao speculated, his face ashen.

"If that's the case, Dad, we should take them to court. The contract is legally binding, and a breach could mean a penalty of over 300 million yuan."

"Fool, suing the Chen family—are you out of your mind? Even if we win, and the Chen family offers us over 300 million yuan, would you actually have the nerve to accept it?" Xia Qichao rebuked.

His words hit Xia Hao like a splash of cold water, jolting him back to reality. To take compensation from the Chen family would be to risk the Xia family's very existence on this earth by the following day.

"What should we do now?" Xia Hao asked, his face etched with frustration.

"I'm not sure. Let's consult your grandfather," Xia Qichao suggested with a helpless shake of his head.

"It's all Xia Mengyao's fault, that bitch. She must have spent the night with Lin Zongwei again. Damn it!" Xia Hao spat out the words, his bitterness toward Xia Mengyao growing even deeper.

Upon returning to the office, Xia Qichao relayed Lin Zongwei's message to Xia Yunsheng verbatim.

Xia Yunsheng's weathered face furrowed with concern.

Neither Xia Qichao nor he had anticipated that Lin Zongwei would dare to flout the contract.

"Grandfather, it has to be Xia Mengyao's doing! She's surely resentful about your decision from yesterday," Xia Hao insinuated.

Xia Yunsheng's brow remained furrowed in thought. While what Xia Hao suggested was plausible, Xia Yunsheng sensed that there were additional factors at play influencing Lin Zongwei's actions; Xia Mengyao alone couldn't be the sole reason for his behavior.

Could it be Chen Feng? The thought of Chen Feng crossed Xia Yunsheng's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. If Chen Feng truly wielded such power, he wouldn't be dependent on the Xia family, nor would he have tolerated being downtrodden for three years without a peep.

"Hao'er, given the circumstances, it seems we have no choice but to put this on you," Xia Yunsheng said with a heavy sigh, looking at Xia Hao.

Xia Hao's face shifted with emotion as he responded, "Grandfather, are you suggesting..."