Suddenly, Luo Yang realized that he wasn't seasoned enough, as his confidence to win was too evident, scaring off Wang Yunxiong.
Otherwise, he might have made a fortune from this bet.
Luo Yang laughed, "Third Master, I didn't expect to frighten you."
Wang Yunxiong said indifferently, "I never do anything that I'm not sure of."
From these words, it was evident that Wang Yunxiong was very confident about this negotiation.
"Wipe the slate clean on what happened before?" Luo Yang popped two peanuts into his mouth, each bite punctuated with a loud crack.
"Of course," said Wang Yunxiong, his words laden with hidden meanings.
At this point, Luo Yang guessed that Wang Yunxiong wanted the formula for the beauty product.
Luo Yang waited for Wang Yunxiong to speak, but he just smoked in silence.
The wisps of smoke rose to a certain height before fading away, leaving only the smell of tobacco lingering in the private room.
It seemed as though the smoke was gone, but the scent remained in the air.
Each smoked his own cigarette, and the atmosphere grew tense.
"Drink," Wang Yunxiong initiated a toast.
Luo Yang downed half a glass of XO in one go.
"Xiao Luo, don't treat XO like it's beer. If you get drunk, we won't be able to talk," Wang Yunxiong said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"If I am drunk, you can take whatever I say seriously," Luo Yang slammed his cup on the table.
"A drunk person always claims they're not drunk," Wang Yunxiong scoffed.
"Third Master, Qiao Yousi will pay you back. Just give it some time," Luo Yang cut to the chase.
He hadn't come here just to drink with Wang Yunxiong.
Talking nonsense was pointless.
It was necessary to use words where they matter most.
After taking a puff, Wang Yunxiong said with ease, "Since you've opened your mouth, I have to give you face."
As he spoke, he refilled Luo Yang's glass with half a glass of XO.
Luo Yang picked up the glass, tilted his head back, and drank down the half glass of XO again.
"How can we continue to talk like this today?" Wang Yunxiong said, dissatisfied.
Having drunk with many people, Wang Yunxiong knew that most who downed a full glass of XO were usually drunk.
As a young man, Luo Yang, in Wang Yunxiong's view, was even more likely to get drunk.
"Am I drunk?" Luo Yang stared at Wang Yunxiong.
Watching Luo Yang for a moment, Wang Yunxiong couldn't be sure whether Luo Yang was sober.
Wang Yunxiong valued efficiency and didn't want to hold a second round of talks.
"I will be the general agent for your beauty stream water. You handle the production, and I'll take care of the sales. How about that?" Wang Yunxiong made his bold proposition.
Luo Yang intended to expand the beauty stream water business globally.
The company was in the process of filing paperwork, operated by Zhu Li; it was expected to be approved soon.
Being the general agent would, of course, fall to his own company, and he wouldn't hand over the operation to Wang Yunxiong.
"Third Master, how about I make you a second-level distributor?" Luo Yang suggested.
Upon hearing this, Wang Yunxiong's expression darkened.
"That means you completely disregard me!" Wang Yunxiong's tone turned cold.
"As a second-level distributor, you can make a lot of money," Luo Yang stood his ground.
Wang Yunxiong narrowed his eyes again, smoking and staring at Luo Yang.
"I hear you've caused some big trouble in Hongyun Town," Wang Yunxiong said, his face relaxing again.
Mentioning the Lin Family soured Luo Yang's mood.
It seemed that Wang Yunxiong intended to use the Lin Family to press Luo Yang.
This approach would only backfire.
Luo Yang despised such tactics, he wouldn't back down, but would rather meet the challenge even more bravely.
Seeing Luo Yang remain silent, Wang Yunxiong continued, "You can't play against the Lin Family. Opposing them will cost you heavily."
Luo Yang replied coldly, "So what?"
If he really had no other options, Luo Yang would drag down the Lin Family with him.
The barefoot are not afraid of those with shoes.
Although he could not shake the Lin Family's foundation yet, he had already taken down Da Feng, one of the Lin Family's five strongest henchmen.
With four henchmen left, Luo Yang planned to deal with them one by one.
Once the Lin Family became a toothless tiger, he would see how much they could still swagger.
Wang Yunxiong forced a laugh, then said, "You'll be taken out by them in no time. If you need my help, I can step in and mediate for you."
They were at a point with the Lin Family where they were like fire and water, incompatible.
"What conditions do I have to agree to this time?" Luo Yang took a fierce drag on his cigarette.
"I'm just asking if you want to make peace with the Lin Family," Wang Yunxiong countered.
If they could make peace normally, that wouldn't be a bad thing.
Luo Yang knew all too well that the Lin Family was vicious; anyone who crossed them would be chased down and bitten like by a rabid dog, until they were maimed or killed.
Seeing Luo Yang smile silently, Wang Yunxiong suddenly clapped his hands three times.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Luo Yang immediately became alert, unsure of the purpose behind Wang Yunxiong's secret signal.
Even if enforcers rushed in, Luo Yang was confident he could easily restrain Wang Yunxiong.
But if Wang Yunxiong intended for them to go down together, that would be a different matter.
Luo Yang's right hand dragged the chopsticks along like a knife; if anyone rushed in, he would strike Wang Yunxiong first.
Footsteps sounded outside the door.
Leather shoes.
But there was only one person; Luo Yang couldn't be mistaken.
The door to the private room was opened, and someone walked in.
Seeing who it was, Luo Yang's blood almost froze.
The visitor was none other than the head of the Lin Family, Lin Tianhua!
The two of them were sworn enemies, red-eyed upon meeting.
Staring each other down.
The atmosphere in the private room suddenly became extremely tense, thick with the smell of gunpowder.
"Old Lin, come sit," Wang Yunxiong called out.
Lin Tianhua walked over and sat down, with Wang Yunxiong separating the two.
"I know there have been unpleasant incidents between you two. Everyone should look to money, to profit. Making money together is the ultimate goal," Wang Yunxiong said as he poured Lin Tianhua half a glass of XO.
Among the three people, only Wang Yunxiong spoke while Luo Yang and Lin Tianhua both had stern faces.
Wang Yunxiong gave Luo Yang a meaningful look and said, "Xiao Luo, show your sincerity."
Remembering that night, if not for good luck, he would have been killed in an accident.
Luo Yang was filled with rage. It wasn't his fault, and now he was supposed to take the initiative to apologize to Lin Tianhua. His pride wouldn't allow it.
A young man's temperament, as they say, the younger generation fears nothing.
Luo Yang wondered why he should apologize to him?
Thinking this, the corners of his mouth curled up in disdain.
Lin Tianhua saw the scorn on Luo Yang's face and felt more displeased the more he looked, his expression darkening and his gaze growing colder until he was glaring with gritted teeth.
The atmosphere that had just warmed up suddenly plummeted below freezing point again.
Among the three, Luo Yang was the youngest, still a middle school student.
The other two were seasoned veterans of Jianghu.
Moreover, both Wang Yunxiong and Lin Tianhua had social status far beyond that of ordinary people.
According to societal norms, it was indeed customary for the younger generation to apologize to their elders first before continuing the conversation.
But Luo Yang was no longer the same as before; ever since obtaining the "Shennong Scripture," his own strength had greatly increased.
Although he didn't have much capacity yet, given time, he would surely make a significant mark.
In Luo Yang's eyes, Wang Yunxiong and Lin Tianhua were just the preceding waves.
The new waves of the Yangtze River push forward the old, the older ones dying on the beach.
In other words, Luo Yang regarded Wang Yunxiong and Lin Tianhua as good as dead.
Asking Luo Yang to apologize to the dead was out of the question.
Who was Wang Yunxiong?
In the county town, among those who were involved, how many didn't know Wang Yunxiong?
With just a flick of his finger, he could easily finish someone off.
Many people wanted to curry favor with him, but he wouldn't even spare them a glance.
Yet now, trying to give face to Luo Yang, he was met with cold indifference, and Wang Yunxiong felt he was losing face.
Even more humiliating was that he was being stood up by a green youngster.
To be overpowered by a youngster, he couldn't hold onto the title of "big brother" anymore.