Chapter 1100 — The Rise of the Xiao Family
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
And so the hidden Pi family came to the Xiao household as a matter of course, and through their dealings with the Xiao family, they thrust their hands into the affairs of the mundane world!
Xiao Ji did not quite follow Pi Zhifeng's words, but Xiao Ben was a clever man and understood at once: the Pi family wanted to rake in money from the mundane world, yet could not reach out openly, and so they had fixed their eyes on the Xiao family. Uncle Pi's business was merely a pretext. Judging by the looks on these two young masters' faces, they did not seem to care much whether Uncle Pi lived or died — otherwise, why had they been at the Xiao household so long without once asking to see him?
At that thought, Xiao Ben actually felt relieved. So long as the Pi family had not come looking for trouble, everything would be easy. And from the look of it, the Pi family even meant to use the Xiao family to reach into the mundane world's business — then the Xiao family would have nothing to worry about at all!
"You two young masters of the Pi family, the Xiao family has fallen to its present state for two reasons. First, when my old father was alive, one failed investment after another squandered the greater part of our fortune. Second, our Xiao family has no truly presentable experts, so our ranking among the families is low and we are held in little regard..." Xiao Ben was quite honest, laying out the causes of the Xiao family's decline. "And in the matter of Uncle Pi, the Xiao family misjudged things as well — we never reckoned that the Gu Group had an expert sitting behind it, and so we lost both men and money. But when all is said and done, it comes down to this: our Xiao family's experts are simply not up to the mark..."
"You need not tell me all this; I know it well enough." Pi Zhifeng nodded. "If I send experts to sit watch for you, can you spread your business out within a short time?"
"Young Master Pi, if I may speak bluntly: however great the support you give me, that is how great a stage I can climb onto," Xiao Ben said. "When families do business, nine times out of ten it comes down to connections and strength!"
"Good. Then now we should discuss how the profits are to be divided." Pi Zhifeng had more or less grasped Xiao Ben's meaning, though what Xiao Ben asked was no problem at all for him. The Pi family had already deliberated: they would send experts to be stationed at the Xiao household year-round — under the fine-sounding pretext, of course, of investigating the truth of Uncle Pi's injury and, incidentally, protecting Uncle Pi's friends, the Xiao family.
"How does Young Master Pi intend to arrange it?" Xiao Ben's expression turned grave; this too was a crucial question.
"One to nine. You take one, we take nine," Pi Zhifeng said indifferently.
"This..." Xiao Ben's face changed at once, and he smiled bitterly. "Young Master Pi, isn't that a little too harsh? One tenth — isn't that a bit little for our Xiao family?"
Though circumstances pressed hard upon him, Xiao Ben thought that the Pi family also wanted to use the Xiao family to make money, and so he haggled.
"Xiao Ben, you had better understand your situation!" But what Xiao Ben had not expected was that Pi Zhifeng would turn on him outright. With a cold laugh he pointed at Xiao Ben. "Your Xiao family is merely atoning for its crimes by service. To speak bluntly, if I wanted to butcher you all, it would be the work of a moment! If our Pi family wants money, we can raise up any puppet family we please! If we went to the Kang family to cooperate, I believe the Kang family would be only too willing, wouldn't they?"
In truth, Pi Zhifeng was only trying to frighten Xiao Ji and Xiao Ben. The Pi family would not dare cooperate with anyone else. After all, the Hidden Family Pact was no joke — though that witness was gone, the Hidden Family Arbitration Association still existed!