Brother, just how powerful is our family?

"Of course I've heard of him," Zhou Shao finally spoke, his voice calm. "Qin Feng, twenty-five years old, from Huai County. He has a base in Black Africa, a private armed force, and nuclear weapons. Now he's returning to China to invest, planning to develop the chip and materials industry in his hometown. What's up?"

"I recently studied the Huanyu Group's information in detail." Chen Shao took out a tablet computer from his briefcase and pulled up several documents. "According to reliable sources, Huanyu Group's investment in Huai County is just the tip of the iceberg. Their base in Africa has a complete industrial system and research capabilities. And their carbon-based chip technology, once mass-produced, will completely revolutionize the global semiconductor industry."

He swiped the screen and pulled up a market analysis report: "Conservatively estimated, the chip and materials industry under the Huanyu Group will generate over five trillion yuan in annual revenue after production begins. With a net profit margin of 30%, that's 1.5 trillion yuan. And this is just the initial stage; with technological iteration and market expansion, this figure will multiply."

Five trillion in revenue and 1.5 trillion in profit.

These numbers echoed in the tea room, and everyone's breathing became slightly rapid.

"1.5 trillion..." Lin Shao murmured repeatedly, "What does that mean? The combined profits of Ali, Xun Teng, and Huawei don't even reach that much."

"And this is sustainable," Chen Shao continued, adding, "Chip and high-end materials are the core industries for the next few decades. As long as we have technological leadership, profits will continue to flow in."

Wang Shao's glasses reflected the light from the screen: "What does Young Master Chen mean...?"

"What I mean is," Chen Shao looked around at everyone, "instead of getting some shares in those small companies, why not invest in Huanyu Group? As long as we can get a portion of the equity, we won't have to worry for the rest of our lives."

A long silence fell over the tea room.

The rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind came from outside the window, and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus seemed even stronger.

"Invest in Huanyu Group?" Young Master Zhao broke the silence. "Young Master Chen, Qin Feng invested 500 billion. What can we use to invest? Even if we pool our resources, how much can we raise? 100 billion? 200 billion? What is that amount of money compared to Huanyu Group?"

His question is very real.

Although their families possess vast assets, most of them consist of real estate, equity, and resources, with relatively little actual cash flow.

It is virtually impossible to come up with funds matching those of the Huanyu Group.

Young Master Chen smiled, a smile that held a deeper meaning: "Young Master Zhao, do you think we need money to invest?"

This remark seemed to lower the temperature in the tea room by a few degrees.

If you don't need money, then what do you need?

The answer is obvious.

"Young Master Chen," Young Master Zhou began slowly, "I've heard that the higher-ups are paying close attention to Huanyu Group. The Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology—several departments are following up. Will what we're doing...?"

"What the higher-ups are concerned about is Huanyu Group's technology." Chen Shao interrupted him. "As long as the technology stays in China, does it matter who owns Huanyu Group? If Qin Feng can do it, why can't we? It might be better if we do it—at least we know the rules, what we can and cannot do."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, our combined forces represent a portion of the Dragon Kingdom's power. No matter how powerful Qin Feng is, would he dare to oppose the entire Dragon Kingdom?"

This logic may seem absurd, but it has its rationale within their cognitive system.

For a long time, they have been accustomed to conflating family interests with national interests, and to using the "big picture" to justify their personal actions.

"But..." Lin Shao still hesitated, "Qin Feng has considerable influence overseas, possessing nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles. What if he..."

"You said it yourself, it's overseas." Chen Shao's voice turned cold and hard. "What is his little bit of power to China? A private army, no matter how powerful, can it stand against the state apparatus? As for nuclear weapons—does he dare to use them? If he dares to use nuclear weapons on Chinese soil, he will be a traitor to the nation, a sinner for all time. He cannot bear that responsibility."

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to the crowd: "Qin Feng may have some influence abroad, but this is China. On our turf, a dragon must coil up, and a tiger must lie low. He must understand this principle."

Silence fell in the tea room once again.

Everyone is thinking and weighing their options.

Although Chen Shao's words were domineering, they were not entirely without reason.

In this country, the power behind them can indeed represent a lot.

"So how exactly do we do it?" Young Master Wang asked the crucial question.

Chen Shao turned around, a satisfied smile on his face: "It's not the right time yet. Huanyu Group's investment has just begun, and the technology hasn't been fully implemented yet. We have to wait, wait for their factory to be built, wait for the technology to mature, and wait for everything to get on track."

"Then, we'll talk to Qin Feng about investing." He walked back to the tea table and sat down. "We can make it clear to him that after we invest, Huanyu Group will have no obstacles in China. Policies, approvals, resources—we'll have everything we need. It's a win-win situation."

"What if Qin Feng doesn't agree?" Zhou Shao asked.

Chen Shao's smile turned somewhat sinister: "Disagree? That's easy too. Arrange for the relevant departments to come and inspect—environmental protection, safety, taxation, fire prevention… they'll find problems. If once isn't enough, try twice; if twice isn't enough, try three times. Make his business fail, let him know that in China, money and technology alone aren't enough to do business."

He took a sip of tea and said casually, "He'll agree when the time comes. Besides, we don't need much. A few companies joining forces will be enough, taking 40% or 50% of the shares. We'll leave him 5% so he can continue as chairman and, on the surface, remain the richest man in China. It's better for everyone this way."

"What if he still disagrees?" Zhou Shao pressed.

Chen Shao put down his teacup, making a soft clinking sound.

His eyes sharpened like knives: "Then let him go in and operate the sewing machine. Find any crime, smuggling, tax evasion, endangering national security... we can always find something suitable. When the Huanyu Group is leaderless, we can take over under the guise of 'protecting national industry,' which will be perfectly logical."

These words were spoken so naturally and calmly, as if they were discussing what to have for dinner.

The air in the tea room seemed to freeze.

The sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms outside the window now smells almost cloying.

"Do it this way..." Lin Shao hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"That's going too far?" Chen Shao finished speaking for him. "Lin Shao, you have to understand, that's how this world is. It's a dog-eat-dog world, survival of the fittest. Qin Feng has the technology, we have the resources. His technology combined with our resources is the best combination. If he doesn't know what's good for him, then he can't blame us for being ruthless."