"One set of data on mechanical weapons, one quotation," Fu Qingyang said. "That's it?" Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback. Fu Qingyang rested his elbows on the table and exhaled, "Of course not. I've submitted a cooperation proposal under the name of Xiahou Aotian to the headquarters, aiming to supply the Wuxing Alliance with mechanical weapons. I've committed to making four mechanical weapons the standard equipment for official garrison units within six months, with a 50% price discount. Once mechanical weapons become widely adopted, the operational strength of frontline personnel will significantly improve, reducing casualties and enhancing the Wuxing Alliance's administrative control—there's no reason the headquarters' ten old fellows wouldn't agree. I also told them that these four models are just the beginning; more advanced models and a broader range of types will follow. Do you understand what that means?" "Equipment iteration—great transformation," Zhang Yuanqing spread her arms. "We may not be talking about a transformation per se, but equipment iteration is very real." Fu Qingyang looked at him and explained: "You might not be aware that back then, the official body jointly established a research fund with the three academies, known as the 'Promotion of Ancient Techniques.' The goal was to leverage mechanical engineering to drive equipment upgrades and enhance the combat capabilities of mid- and lower-level spiritual practitioners, thereby enabling the Five Elements Alliance to close the gap with Tianfu in a short period—ideally achieving parity. "This was a truly visionary strategy. Although the ten senior officials at headquarters are often tedious and difficult to work with, they do have some merit. However, mechanical engineering relies on technical accumulation—something that cannot be solved merely by spending money. "Just as you can't produce advanced engines or high-performance chips simply by investing funds, despite the fact that others have accumulated over a century of technological expertise. How can you reasonably expect a spiritual practitioner community with only a century of history to catch up with a tradition of mechanical engineering that has been refined over thousands of years of accumulated practice?" Fu Qingyang spoke with confidence: "Of course, the headquarters was able to agree so quickly because I told them that, at the same price, Xiaohou Aotian would send the same offer to the overseas Tianfa ten minutes later." He then looked at Zhang Yuanqing calmly, with a composed expression of "I've finished—please go ahead and handle the procedures now." Zhang Yuanqing bowed immediately: "Senior, your strategy is truly brilliant!" Fu Qingyang nodded in satisfaction. "But Senior, isn't half-price too much of a loss?" Zhang Yuanqing, after all a college graduate, had solid calculation skills. With only Songhai, there were already forty or fifty small teams, hundreds of extraordinary practitioners. To imagine the total number of small teams across the Five Elements Alliance was no small feat. All these specialized equipment units were being offered at half-price—what kind of financial outlay would that entail? And the material costs were being covered by Fu Qingyang himself. With such a massive outlay, wouldn't both the Ma families have to sell off their assets to raise the funds? "Half-price isn't an issue—we can recover it from maintenance costs as long as we appropriately shorten the service life of our onboard weapons and install self-destruct mechanisms that allow us to dismantle them at will. Once the official maintenance units start relying on us, they'll have to come to us for help." Fu Qingyang said. "In fact, I can even offer them the services free of charge, because free is actually the most expensive option. As long as we multiply our maintenance revenue by a few times, we'll be well off." What a penguin-like behavior you're showing... Zhang Yuanqing grumbled. "When you're silently dissatisfied with me, do try to lower your head a bit," Fu Qingyang said with a cold gaze. "Ahem!" Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat quickly and added, "Then, will your funds be sufficient? This isn't a small sum—oh, I almost forgot, you have the Fu family behind you." To his surprise, Fu Qingyang shook his head slightly. "I don't intend to involve the Fu family. If we do, our company's decision-makers will effectively become the senior members of the Fu family." "Then, can you really have such a substantial cash reserve?" Zhang Yuanqing If we don't involve the Fu family, relying solely on Fu Qingyang's personal assets, it would be difficult to cover such substantial expenses. "No!" Fu Qingyang shook his head firmly. "That's why I've asked you to bring Fu Xue into the partnership. Though her business has been struggling in recent years, she has accumulated a fortune of over 10 to 15 billion yuan—money is now secured. Pausing a moment, Fu Qingyang smiled slightly. "Once she commits all her personal assets to our company, she'll have no choice but to stay committed, even going to great lengths to secure funding for the company's financial stability. As a professional manager for the Fu family for over a decade, Fu Xue has an extensive network and knows many wealthy individuals. With her reputation, people will be willing to lend her funds at favorable terms—our financing concerns will thus be fully addressed. "Yet I will not grant her decision-making authority. That way, she will have to look to us for approval. Then, not only will the Fu family object to your marriage plans with her, but even if Guan Ya changes her mind and decides not to marry you, Fu Xue will still have to arrange for her daughter's "You're really tenacious—wait, I mean, boss, you're absolutely brilliant." Zhang Yuanqing was left stunned, deeply realizing how shallow his social experience was and how much he still didn't understand the intricacies of human nature. “Zhang Yuancheng said with irritation. “That’s entirely up to Xiahou Aotian. As long as he can withstand the pressure from the Xiahou family, they will naturally cooperate with us.” Fu Qingyang replied. “Can Xiahou Aotian really withstand that pressure?” Zhang Yuancheng furrowed his brows. “It’s difficult—so I’ve added three safeguards,” Fu Qingyang said, speaking with flawless precision. “First, I’ve entered a binding contract with Xiahou Aotian. Should he choose to align himself with the family, the contract’s provisions will effectively kill him. Second, I’ve not only drained his savings to cover material costs, but also lent him a debt of two hundred million yuan. Third, I’ve assigned five Saint-level officers and scholars from the Baihui Guard here—officers and scholars who now report directly to him and whom he treats as his subordinates. Xiahou Aotian is a man who loves to show off—he’s always eager to make a grand impression on the world. In the past, when he was in the Xiahou family, he often worked alone, overlooked and ignored, and thus his inner ambitions remained unfulfilled. Zhang Yuanqing bowed respectfully at once. "...Who are you talking to?" Inside the adjacent factory, Xiahou Aotian lounged lazily in a high-back chair, one leg crossed over the other, with five Saint-level figures standing behind him, like the leaders of a club. Facing him was a middle-aged man wearing black-framed glasses, exuding the demeanor of a university professor. Yet, despite his usual composed and refined manner, he was now furious, his face flushed with anger, pointing at Xiahou Aotian and shouting, "Xiahou Aotian, do you know what you've done? You possess the secret texts on mechanical engineering—instead of sharing them with your family, you've made them available to outsiders! For twenty years, your family has nurtured you, and yet this is how you've repaid them?" Xiahou Aotian remained calm and unshaken: "Uncle Six, my parents have raised me. What does that have to do with the family? Once I've earned my fortune, I'll surely repay my parents. Stop fussing here, you may be my uncle, but remember—before you is the future wealthiest man in the country." “You… you… you…” “Uncle Li, you no longer deserve to stand on equal footing with me. I only speak to Grandfather when he arrives, and even when the Ancestral Patriarch comes, I’m only allowed to say, ‘Please take a seat.’” The middle-aged man pointed at him, trembling all over, unable to speak, until after a long pause, he exclaimed with deep sorrow, “In just a few days, you’ve grown so arrogant!” Xiaohou Aotian raised his chin. "See this? This is something the Xiahou family cannot offer me. You old fellows—my elders—always act superior in my presence. Here, this is my paradise." Xiahou Aotian opened his arms, embracing the radiant light as if a devout believer would embrace the divine. "Just because of this?" The middle-aged professor, clutching his chest, stepped back several paces, unable to accept this reasoning. He stared at Xiahou Aotian in anger for several seconds before turning and walking away. He simply couldn't convince this eccentric nephew. It was best to let the family head handle it. Compared to the younger generation who were always focused on accumulating wealth and playing with women, Xiahou Aotian's difficult temperament was the real source of frustration for the elders. What's so special about being a spendthrift? Who hasn't been one at some point in their youth? With time, they mature and become steady and grounded. When dealing with spendthrifts, elders could only offer criticism and guidance. But with Xiahou Aotian, they often had to carry a bottle of fast-acting heart pills in their pockets. "Six-uncle, wait!" Xiahou Aotian suddenly Xiahou Aotian took out a document from the drawer. "This is the cooperation proposal I've drafted. The bulk of the investment certainly can't go to the family, but since I bear the Xiahou surname, I'm willing to offer some concessions. As long as the Xiahou family provides us with scholars at the extraordinary stage, I'll grant them 5% equity—half from my own contribution, and half from Fu Qingyang's." The middle-aged man's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward briskly, taking the document from Xiahou Aotian with a slightly softer tone: "That's exactly what we expected. I'll relay this to the family. You just wait for their response." A newly established company specializing in mechanical weaponry inherently requires substantial capital. If the family expects both funds and scholars, then a 5% equity stake clearly isn't favorable. But if they only require scholars, then the 5% stake becomes a valuable benefit. After sending off his uncle, Xiahou Aotian happily went back to his work of tightening screws. ... Free Federation, Fursk State. A red sports car, freshly waxed, sped along the countryside, flanked by vast fields of wheat. The sky was clear and blue, with soft, drifting clouds, the scenery as beautiful as a fairy tale. The woman behind the wheel was equally enchanting—poetic and alluring, with a touch of divine magnetism. She appeared neither young nor old, but perfectly ripe, like a mature peach. Her finely textured, wavy hair fluttered in the wind, her black sunglasses, high nose bridge, and sharp chin giving her a refined, elegant look. Wearing a black dress with a white shirt, her graceful figure was accentuated. Soon, the red sports car came to a stop outside a large manor. The woman removed her sunglasses and glanced at the surveillance camera positioned at the entrance, where the iron gates stood like dark, thorny branches. A few seconds later, the iron gates slowly opened. The car entered the estate, which spanned a wide area, complete with a shopping mall, a bar, and even a school. The main line, collateral branches, and imperial relatives of the Fu family, totaling around five or six thousand people, all reside within this large manor that resembles a small city. A red sports car arrives at the outer entrance of a building shaped like a pointed medieval castle—while most of the manor's structures are elegant villas and modern high-rises, this castle appears ancient, as though it dates back to the last century. The inhabitants within are likewise relics from that era—members of the Fu family's elder generations. Currently, Fu's family's greatest regret is that they haven't produced a second half-divine. Fu Xue parked the car, closed the door with a heavy thud, removed her glasses, and strode into the manor with a stern expression, brisk and determined. She went straight to the butler's office, glaring at her distant cousin, "Fu Long, why have you sold off the three listed companies I've been managing? You must give me a reasonable explanation." Her cousin wore a formal suit, his face serious and composed, like a seasoned officer in battle. In response to her questioning, he replied coldly, "When should the Council of Elders explain their decision to you?" Fu Xue's delicate, beautiful face twitched slightly, then burst into laughter, "Fine, after all, I'm about to lose my job—I've got plenty of time on my hands." With that, she pulled out a chair, sat down across from the butler with a defiant air, took out a lighter and a lady's cigarette from her luxury bag, held the lit end between her vibrant red lips, and began to smoke with graceful ease. A beautiful woman makes everything delightful—even smoking is a pleasure. But Fu Long, who had never touched tobacco or alcohol, furrowed his brows. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed wearily, "You're still just as unreasonable as when you were a child." "Say it!" Fu Xue snapped, eyes blazing. "Is the family planning to sell off assets and shift its operational focus to domestic markets?" She had two purposes for coming today: first, to confirm the family's strategic direction and verify Fu Qingyang's claims; second, to stir up a fuss. She couldn't influence the family's overall development plan and had to accept it—yet why were they specifically targeting only the companies under her management? She had investigated the matter and found that among the recent asset sales, only the three listed companies under her supervision had been divested. The companies managed by other uncles and cousins were still thriving. For years, due to Guan Ya's lackluster performance and her divorce from her husband, she had struggled alone, gradually being pushed out of the family's power center. As the daughter of the former family head and a firstborn of the direct line, her position had become truly dire. The elders had been treating her unfairly. Fu Xue is a strong-willed woman who occasionally longs to share her sorrows and frustrations with someone, but after being single for more than a decade, she has no one to listen to. So she ends up complaining. "How can this be..." Fu Long furrowed his brows, saying, "The family intends to shift its assets to domestic operations, but selling your company isn't due to this matter." Fu Xue furrowed her delicate brows, asking, "So are the elders deliberately targeting me?" Fu Long glanced at her, saying, "You still don't qualify!" He spoke firmly: "It's Fu Qingyang. Recently, he secured a major contract with the Five Elements Alliance, which has given the elders a clear vision of opportunities and hope for expanding domestically. As a result, they've sold off the three companies under your management to raise funds. However, Fu Qingyang has refused the family's investment, because he made a request that the elders cannot accept." "What request?" "Fu Qingyang asked that his father step down and become the head of the family." "Fu Long warned, 'The clan elders have been furious about this matter. You'd better stop causing trouble, or they'll pass their anger onto you.' Fu Xue gritted her teeth, 'You've all been treating me unfairly.' She took a deep breath, 'What agreement has Fu Qingyang made with the Five Elements Alliance that has the elders so invested in it?'