Replace me as the top scholar? Go talk to my Marshal Grandpa!

Sikong Lie picked up the blue-and-white porcelain teacup in front of him, gently blew on the tea foam, and slowly began to speak:

"Brother Long, Brother Fu... do you think the Wang family will agree to this deal?"

His tone was somewhat casual, as if he were asking a question that didn't require serious thought.

Fu Yuan did not answer immediately.

He picked up his wine glass, swirled it gently, looked at the amber liquid inside, and said calmly:

"Protests in five provinces have sparked public outcry; public opinion is like a knife."

"If the Wang family wants to remain in that position, they must give the people an explanation."

"And the only bargaining chip that can quell this turmoil is in our hands."

He paused, then downed the drink in his glass in one gulp: "They have no reason not to agree."

Long Xiaotian took a deep drag on his cigar and slowly exhaled a smoke ring that was almost solid.

He chuckled, his voice brimming with undisguised smugness:

"Agree? They'll definitely agree."

Long Xiaotian pointed to the protest image on the screen with the finger holding the cigar, then pointed to himself:

"We didn't let them suffer any losses. The technology was just shared, not monopolized."

"The Wang family still holds the core information; they're just giving us two more families—oh, three more families, three more copies."

"What could they possibly lose?"

He paused, a meaningful smile appearing on his face:

"Moreover, this 'talent transplantation technology'... was never originally owned by the Wang family."

Long Xiaotian's tone turned somewhat cold: "That Chairman Bai of Hengjin Group contacted Li Mo back then, offering up this technology and asking for protection."

"This technology should, in principle, already be in the hands of my Long family."

"I just didn't expect..." Long Xiaotian shook his head, his expression somewhat unnatural, "that poor boy who was bullied by Hengjin Group was actually Wang Quan's son, the long-lost direct descendant of the Wang family."

"What terrible luck."

They didn't get the technology and ended up with a lot of trouble.

They almost beat Li Mo, the "dog" they had raised for many years, to death.

This made Long Xiaotian very unhappy.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly enough.

They immediately pulled in two other companies and, taking advantage of the inherent sensitivity of talent transplantation technology, easily launched this protest movement that swept across five provinces.

They exerted maximum pressure on the Wang family at minimal cost.

Now, the Wang family not only has to obediently hand over the technology, but also has to reluctantly let Li Mo go.

What's this called?

This is called losing something and getting it back, and you even end up gaining a favor from the person who helped you.

Thinking of this, Long Xiaotian's mood improved again, and he took another deep drag on his cigar.

Sikong Lie nodded, seemingly agreeing with Long Xiaotian's analysis.

He was too lazy to waste any more time on this topic that was destined to have a conclusion.

She changed the subject, her tone tinged with a hint of wistfulness:

"Speaking of which... that Wang Quan guy actually has a son left behind."

"This is truly...unexpected news."

The moment the word "royal power" was uttered, the atmosphere in the private room subtly changed.

Fu Yuan's brow twitched slightly, his face, which had been expressionless.

Long Xiaotian's fingers, which were holding a cigar, paused slightly.

Royal power.

This name carries far too much weight for the three of them and the three families behind them.

That was a name that had once kept them up at night and filled them with extreme fear.

A person whose talent is so terrifying that the three families had to put aside their disputes, secretly join forces, and even resort to unconventional methods to "deal with" him.

If it weren't for that accident that caused the sudden fall of royal power during its formative years...

Once he has fully matured, once he has taken over the power of the Wang family, once he has reached a higher position, then there will be no more four top families in the capital, only the Wang family, the number one family in the capital!

Sikong Lie sighed, his tone complex:

"I've heard that Wang Quan's son is quite talented as well."

"He awakened to S-rank and even became the top scorer in the provincial exam through his own abilities."

"Truly...like father, like son."

His tone carried a hint of regret.

It's a pity this child was born into the Wang family, it's a pity his surname is Wang, it's a pity he's destined to be an enemy.

Long Xiaotian suddenly chuckled.

He flicked the ash from his cigar, his tone filled with undisguised contempt and disdain:

"Heh, like father, like son?"

He tilted his head and glanced sideways at Sikong Lie: "Brother Sikong, what you said is not right."

"That brat's S-rank now? He's not even as good as the worst E-rank! He's not even as good as my son!"

Sikong Lie paused for a moment, looking at Long Xiaotian with some confusion:

"Our pressure this time is to get them to share their technology, not to destroy it."

"They have this technology, so they can just find a talented person and transplant it over, right? S-level, or even higher, isn't impossible."

How come he's "not even as good as my son"?

Long Xiaotian laughed heartily, his laughter carrying a hint of smugness and a touch of sinister coldness.

"Brother Sikong, Brother Fu, have you forgotten?"

He said slowly and deliberately, "The current 'talent transplantation technology' is not yet mature."

"The transplant surgery performed on something produced by those half-baked researchers at Hengjin Group is extremely risky."

"Especially for the 'recipient,' that is, the person who receives the talent... there is a real risk of death."

"Would those members of the Wang family dare to let Wang Quan, their only son, risk his life?"

Long Xiaotian paused, admiring the expressions of realization on Sikong Lie and Fu Yuan's faces, and continued:

"By the time they fully understand the technology, improve and perfect it, and reduce the risks to a sufficiently low level... how long will that take? A year? Three years? Five years?"

"In the path of cultivation, what matters most is the prime of youth."

"At his current golden age for cultivation, wasting so much time has slowed down his entire cultivation pace and caused him to miss the best window of opportunity for a breakthrough..."

Long Xiaotian shook his head, his tone as relaxed as if he were talking about a bird with a broken wing:

"How high do you think his future achievements can go?"

After listening, both Sikong Lie and Fu Yuan nodded involuntarily.

It turned out to be the case.

Cursing Bai E, on the surface, was to silence him, but on a deeper level, it was to cut off Wang Xian's hope of regaining his talent. On an even deeper level, it was to completely slow down his entire growth pace, causing him to lose completely from the starting line.

Such ruthless methods.

Sikong Lie glanced at Long Xiaotian but said nothing.

Fu Yuan remained expressionless, but the fingers holding the wine glass tightened slightly.

They didn't ask Long Xiaotian how he did it, nor did they ask for the specific details of cursing Bai E.

Some things are better left unsaid.

The three chatted for a few more minutes, the topic shifting from Wang Quan and his son to the recent stock market situation, and then to a certain emerging socialite.

The atmosphere relaxed again.

They did not mention the deal again.

Because in their view, the matter was already a foregone conclusion.

The Wang family had no other choice.

Unless... they are willing to give up Wang Xian's already uncertain future and reject this deal.

But is that possible?

Just then.

There was a gentle knock on the door of the private room.

……