C12 A Daydream

"Dad, this isn't a dream, is it?" Xia Hao asked, his face alight with excitement.

Xia Qichao shook his head, maintaining a composed facade: "Son, keep your cool. Our Xia Family may have fallen on hard times, but we were once a distinguished household in Cangzhou. They wouldn't dare disrespect us. Once we're inside, we need to carry ourselves with pride and not allow anyone to look down on us."

"Understood, Dad. You can count on me." Xia Hao nodded vigorously, and together they strode into the CEO's office with their heads held high.

Inside the office, President Lin lounged in his chair, not bothering to glance up as Xia Qichao and his son entered.

Xia Hao paused, taken aback. This wasn't at all what he had expected. Shouldn't Lin Zongwei be rising to greet them with deference?

With Lin Zongwei remaining silent, Xia Qichao sensed that something was amiss. But they were here now, and leaving without accomplishing anything was out of the question.

"Hello, President Lin, I'm Xia Qichao..." he began, his voice sounding somewhat strained.

"I know," Lin Zongwei responded indifferently.

Xia Qichao's expression tensed. Lin Zongwei's nonchalant demeanor left him feeling frustrated, yet he knew he had to be humble within another's company, especially when seeking assistance.

"President Lin, I'm here on behalf of the Xia Family to discuss the Mount Yuquan Resort project. What are your thoughts on this?"

"Does the Xia Family have any particular expertise in resort construction?" Lin Zongwei inquired, his tone still detached.

A glimmer of hope shone on Xia Qichao's face. If Lin Zongwei was engaging in conversation, there was a chance for dialogue.

"President Lin, our family boasts nine professional engineering teams, along with a variety of heavy construction equipment. We're seasoned veterans in this field... Moreover, our Xia Family's wealth stems from real estate, and our workers have extensive construction experience. Many of Cangzhou City's renowned buildings were constructed by us..."

Xia Qichao spoke eloquently, extolling the high level of skill within the Xia Family's engineering teams. He continued for over ten minutes, only stopping when his mouth was parched and his throat dry.

After finishing his pitch, Xia Qichao gave Lin Zongwei a self-assured glance, almost certain he had made an impression.

However, the next moment left Xia Qichao gaping in disbelief.

Lin Zongwei had actually reclined in his chair and fallen asleep—snoring, no less!

Xia Qichao felt his face flush with anger. This was a blatant insult.

Xia Hao, standing beside him, was seething. Usually, the mere mention of his status as a member of the Xia Family was enough to have people fawning over him. But today, they had been repeatedly disregarded.

"President Lin!" Xia Qichao's voice took on a sharper edge. He was livid, but not foolish. He wouldn't dare cause trouble for Lin Zongwei, knowing full well that the Chen Family and Shen Hongchang backed him—either of whom far outstripped the Xia Family in influence.

"What seems to be the problem?" Lin Zongwei asked, appearing to rouse from slumber, looking at them quizzically.

"Nothing at all. I've finished outlining the Xia Family's expertise," Xia Qichao managed to say, quelling the rage inside him and shooting Xia Hao a meaningful glance.

Xia Hao caught on quickly. He produced a sandalwood long box from behind and set it before Lin Zongwei with great reverence. With a sycophantic smile, he said, "President Lin, I've heard about your fondness for tea. Therefore, my father personally commissioned someone to acquire this Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain tea set from the antique market. We hope it pleases you."

Lin Zongwei gave Xia Hao a brief look, then opened the box. Inside lay a radiant tea set, its blue and white porcelain gleaming.

It was indeed a genuine Yuan Dynasty piece. Not the finest example of Qing glaze, but a fine set nonetheless, valued well over a million.

The Xia father and son were indeed generous, Lin Zongwei mused with an amused smile.

"President Lin, what do you think..." Xia Qichao began, hope flickering in his chest as he saw Lin Zongwei's apparent approval.

"Mr. Xia, I believe you've overlooked mentioning one particular talent of the Xia Family," Lin Zongwei said with a teasing tone.

Xia Qichao and his son exchanged a glance, both clearly puzzled. Did the Xia Family have any other special talents they weren't aware of?

"Could you please clarify, President Lin?" Xia Qichao requested with due respect.

"Dreaming in broad daylight!" Lin Zongwei said with a taunting smile, delivering a three-word verdict, "Your Xia Family excels at building castles in the air."

It was a blatant insult!

Xia Qichao and his son's faces contorted with the sting of humiliation.

Only then did they realize that Lin Zongwei had never intended to engage in a sincere discussion with them from the start.

He had planned to belittle them all along!

Xia Qichao's breathing became heavy with rage as he demanded, "President Lin, in what way has our Xia Family offended you?!"

Xia Qichao was no fool. If he couldn't discern Lin Zongwei's motives now, his life's experiences would count for nothing. He had wondered why Lin Zongwei, elusive to over a hundred companies, had agreed to meet with them.

Now it was clear—it wasn't their prowess that brought them here, but Lin Zongwei's desire to demean them!

"The Xia Family isn't even worthy of offending me," Lin Zongwei retorted with a scoff, abruptly grabbing the sandalwood box from the table and hurling it at Xia Qichao's face.

Xia Qichao let out a cry, clutching his nose as he stumbled backward.

The blue and white porcelain tea set within the box crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

"I'll fight you!"

Upon seeing his father struck, Xia Hao's face flushed with fury, and he lunged at Lin Zongwei like an enraged lion.

Lin Zongwei just chuckled and sent Xia Hao sprawling with a swift kick.

"Guards!"

At the sound of the scuffle, the bodyguard burst through the door.

"President Lin!" the bodyguards exclaimed in unison, turning their attention to him.

"These idiots thought they could attack me. Teach them a lesson about who runs this place," Lin Zongwei commanded with a cold laugh. Since Chen Zhong had assigned him the task the previous night, he had been plotting how to provoke Xia Qichao and his son into making the first move. Xia Hao had played right into his hands.

"Yes, President Lin," the bodyguards responded in chorus.

The bodyguards cracked menacing smiles, their fists clenched as they closed in around Xia Qichao and his son.

After a brief chorus of screams, Xia Qichao and Xia Hao lay on the ground, their faces swollen and bruised, gasping for air in shallow breaths.

"Take them out, and make it clear to everyone waiting outside that if they wish to partner with Dingfeng Corporation, they must sever ties with these two. No severance, no discussion of cooperation," came the stern directive.

As Xia Qichao and his son, sprawled on the floor, processed these words, darkness clouded their vision, and they passed out, breathless.

The bodyguards hauled them up and dumped them at the entrance like discarded carcasses.

Onlookers from various companies exchanged puzzled glances, trying to piece together the sudden turn of events.

Just half an hour earlier, the Xia duo had strutted in, full of pride, to negotiate with Lin Zongwei. Now, they were unceremoniously tossed out like yesterday's trash.

Those who had once envied the Xia Family, anticipating they'd be Dingfeng's premier partner, now inhaled sharply at the sight of the pair's pitiful state, relieved it wasn't them lying there.

The bodyguards loudly reiterated Lin Zongwei's message for all to hear.

The crowd erupted into a frenzy of whispers and speculation.

"Could the Xia father and son be so bold as to assault President Lin at Dingfeng Corporation?"

"I can't help but laugh. Xia Yunsheng, that sly old fox, why would he send such fools?"

"The Xia Family's done for. With President Lin's words, it's clear—no one will dare to collaborate with them from now on.".