The Zhang Family estate was swarming with luxury cars, its vast grounds hosting nearly a hundred tables of feasting guests, all seats now occupied.
Standing before the castle-like grand villa, Zhang Huaizhong rose and swept a glance over this unprecedented event, excitement nearly bursting within him.
"Had we not been quick-witted back then, I fear that the Tang Family's final piece of the pie wouldn't have fallen into our Zhang Family's lap."
Zhang Huaizhong turned his head, casting a glance over the grand villa and sighed from his heart.
He had always been fond of European-styled castles and, after swallowing up the remaining assets of the Tang Family which elevated the Zhang Family, he began ordering the construction of one here.
After five years, this building, symbolizing the Zhang Family, had been completed just three days ago.
The extravagance of its decoration was only slightly less than that of a royal palace.
"This is the foundation of my Zhang Family, the first step in our rise to power!"
"Grandfather's discerning eye! Without that last piece of the Tang Family's estate, our Zhang Family wouldn't be witnessing this unprecedented event today!"
The direct descendants of the Zhang Family at the same table, looking at the guests that filled almost the entire yard, all expressed their amazement.
There had been opposition back then, but the old master insisted on annexing the Tang Family, which led to the current favorable situation for the Zhang Family.
"Looking at Jiangzhou City today, among those families who swallowed the Tang Family's industries, only the Yang Family has begun to stand out; the rest, those of all ranks and classes, are nowhere near our Zhang Family. The day the Yang Family declines will mark our Zhang Family's ascendancy over them, achieving a great legacy of dominance!"
"Then let us congratulate Old Master Zhang in advance! Hahaha!"
"When Old Master Zhang leads the Zhang Family to dominate Jiangzhou City, I hope you won't forget to support us too!"
The voices of the surrounding guests were gratifying to Zhang Huaizhong, yet he still smiled and waved his hand, "The younger generation is just jesting; don't take it seriously."
Now, in Jiangzhou City, the Zhang Family ranked second to none—save for the Yang Family, which just barely overshadowed them.
But the world is unpredictable; wasn't the Jiang Family of Jiangzhou City once a dominant force?
In the end, it was the Yang Family who had the last laugh.
As for the future...
Zhang Huaizhong's mind couldn't help but imagine the scene of the Yang Family's downfall.
When the wall falls, everyone pushes; the Tang Family was so, the Jiang Family was so, and the Yang Family shall be no different.
"Of course, it mustn't be taken seriously."
A detached voice came from behind, interrupting Zhang Huaizhong's train of thought.
"Huh?!"
This person was indeed reckless with their words—he had just been making a polite remark, and they took it seriously! And to not show face for the Zhang Family in front of so many people?!
Zhang Huaizhong turned his head to look.
Today was his grand birthday celebration, naturally, he wouldn't do anything in front of the guests, but afterwards, he didn't want this person to show their face in Jiangzhou City again!
Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw a young man dressed in white enter his view.
A young man?
Zhang Huaizhong frowned.
"Hehe, of course it mustn't be taken seriously, young friend. You seem unfamiliar; are you not from Jiangzhou City?"
Though he was over eighty, Zhang Huaizhong was very confident in his memory. He had absolutely no recollection of this young man before him.
"Old Master Zhang, if this brat were from Jiangzhou City, would he not know of the Zhang Family's standing today? And where would he get the gall to say what he just did?"
"Exactly, the Old Master was just being polite, and this brat is indeed tactless!"
A guest spoke up, and among them, a two-meter-tall, sturdy man stood up and walked over, intending to remove this nuisance as an offering to the Zhang Family.
Zhang Huaizhong saw it all but did not intervene.
He couldn't order the Zhang Family to do anything, but as for what the guests wanted to do, he would not stop them.
"Are all present today somehow involved with the fall of the Tang Family back then?"
Ye Xiao took a few steps forward and walked to Zhang Huaizhong's side, the faces of the guests, all captured within his sight.
"Among you, quite a few don't seem to be locals from Jiangzhou City. I guess you've come to be a dog for the Zhang Family, willing to lie and say you were a part of what happened all those years ago, right?"
The courtyard, bustling and lively before, fell silent within moments after Ye Xiao's words rang out.
"You lad, you're here to cause trouble, aren't you?"
A burly man over two meters tall had already approached, towering an entire head above Ye Xiao, looking down at him as though he were an insignificant ant.
If Ye Xiao's earlier words were considered socially inept, then these words now were a heavy slap across the face of everyone present.
"Heh heh," Ye Xiao chuckled lightly, "Excuse my frankness, but none of the people here are worth my time to cause trouble for."
"You're courting death!"
The burly man roared with rage, and amid his bellowing, he charged forward. His large strides brought him right in front of Ye Xiao in just a few steps, and he threw a punch straight at Ye Xiao's face!
The faces of the guests revealed smiles.
This burly man had made a name for himself in Jiangzhou City, having started his fortune with the first pot of gold he earned from illegal prizefighting.
In terms of combat prowess, he was only slightly weaker than those martial artists who had practiced martial arts since childhood.
As the wind from his punch howled, all the guests could see was a blur, then suddenly a loud noise reverberated throughout the entire courtyard.
Bang!
The ground seemed to tremble for an instant.
Immediately after, a figure shot backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing through numerous tables and chairs and finally breaking through the manor's fence, barely coming to a halt.
"Wow!"
Dust filled the air, and the guests couldn't see his face, but they heard a scream as a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs sprayed onto the guests close to the fence.
"I'm not here to cause trouble today, just to collect a debt,"
From amidst the cloud of dust, an indifferent voice arose beside Zhang Huaizhong.
As the dust settled, under the watchful gaze of countless wide eyes, Ye Xiao's figure became visible.
"What?! How did he do that?!"
Someone couldn't help but cry out in shock.
The strength of that burly man was comparable to that of a martial artist, and Ye Xiao looked to be in his early twenties at a glance!
While everyone was still in shock and disbelief, Ye Xiao took a step forward and placed a spirit tablet on the table.
"Those not of the Zhang Family, kneel and kowtow three times, and I will let you leave."
The indifferent voice echoed throughout the entire manor as people looked around, a few trembling, with the majority showing confusion on their faces.
"Zhou Qin? Who is this? Could he be an elder of this young man's family? Is he here for vengeance?"
Someone among the guests asked.
Even Zhang Huaizhong, the head of the Zhang Family, looking at the name on the spirit tablet, was puzzled.
He had no recollection of this person whatsoever.
"It seems the old master Zhang really does forget things easily. Then let me remind you. Uncle Zhou was the driver for my foster father. It was your Zhang Family who stopped his car when he was about to call for help, took the bank card from his hands, and thus began the foundation of today's Zhang Family wealth,"
"What??!!! You... you're from the Tang Family?!"
Zhang Huaizhong's body shuddered violently, his complexion turned pale, and his right hand swiftly covered his aching heart.
Ye Xiao's words nearly triggered his heart disease to relapse!
This devil, he's the remnant of the Tang Family from those years!
The Tang Family has come to collect a debt!