DASFAM_36

"......"

A casual remark, enough to stir a raging storm.

The smile at the corner of Bai Xu's lips pulled back slightly, while Shang Yanxiao's eyes, hidden beneath the brim of his cap, sharpened with a piercing edge.

Chu Yate felt the simultaneous chill emanating from across the table, yet his expression remained relaxed, "Both of you, I mean no harm. I simply feel that laying our identities on the table will make our conversation going forward far more productive."

"If I'm not mistaken, Young Master Bai and Third Young Master should have finished looking into my background by last night? Everything ought to be fair. It's impossible that I know nothing about the two of you either."

As he spoke, he reached for two clean glasses and poured the already-opened whiskey into them, "Care to try? This whiskey has quite a pleasant finish."

Bai Xu looked at the glass set before him and accepted it without any change in expression, "Perhaps Second Young Master Chu should first tell me. How much do you know about me?"

Still 'me,' and not 'us'.

Shang Yanxiao stood in silence behind Bai Xu. Though alarm bells were ringing loudly in his mind, he did not immediately confirm his own identity.

Chu Yate was in no rush. Instead, he cooperated quite willingly and explained, "Last night, when Young Master Bai ran into that incident in the corridor, I was in the lounge next door."

A door left barely ajar was enough to observe everything that transpired.

"That young actress goes by Qiao Xin. She's not long into her debut—she's been Chu Yuncheng's latest target recently."

Chu Yate and Chu Yuncheng had never gotten along. Since childhood they had fought as enemies—openly and in the shadows alike—each keeping a general watch over the other's movements.

"What that person said last night was right. There are very few in N City, or even all of Singapore, who would dare go up against the Chu family. Only Young Master Bai, bold through ignorance, would dare to step in and lend a hand."

Had it been any other guest who came across the situation last night, the actress named Qiao Xin would never have escaped Chu Yuncheng's grasp.

Chu Yate had learned early the previous day through his assistant that Qiao Xin had been brought to the banquet, and had already anticipated the danger and loss of composure likely to follow.

Only, he was not nearly as kind-hearted as Bai Xu.

For one, he had no reason to invite fresh conflict with Chu Yuncheng over a woman he didn't even know.

For another, he had intended to use the fallout from the incident to set a trap—feeding the media a scandal about Chu Yuncheng meeting an actress late at night, painting a picture of a still-chaotic private life, and stirring dissatisfaction among the family elders.

Yet Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao's appearance had not only ruined Chu Yuncheng's evening, but also upended Chu Yate's own quietly scheming plans.

"Afterward, I watched Young Master Bai take the initiative to approach Director Zhang and strike up a conversation, while showing no interest whatsoever in the other guests at the banquet. That was when I guessed your true purpose in attending."

"......"

Bai Xu said nothing in response, but he had to admit—the man before him possessed a remarkably sharp eye.

Chu Yate took a sip of his drink, "I have no interest in the project Director Zhang holds, but I have no desire to let my brother in name walk away with it smoothly. Put another way, you can think of me as someone here to muddy the waters."

Even if it hadn't been Bai Xu, he would have quietly thrown his weight behind whoever else was competing against Chu Yuncheng.

Bai Xu swirled the glass lightly in his hand and asked again, "I've heard there's no shortage of people in N City hoping to work with Director Zhang. Why did Second Young Master Chu come to me first?"

Chu Yate smiled and tossed the question back, "Young Master Bai, you're sharp enough. That answer shouldn't be hard to figure out."

With that, he glanced sideways toward Shang Yanxiao, who stood at the back.

Shang Yanxiao felt his gaze land and a faint, dark glimmer swept through the depths of his eyes—

That answer was indeed not hard to guess.

Because the Chu family's power in Singapore was overwhelming, the moment Chu Yuncheng publicly announced his intention to partner with Zhang Songyang, every company with ambitions would likely back down without a fight.

Even with Chu Yate quietly lending support from behind the scenes, there were probably very few companies in all of Singapore willing to wade into such murky waters.

If that was the case, then he might as well place his bet on Bai Xu, who had come from China—especially since the man had already made an enemy of Chu Yuncheng by helping Qiao Xin.

What Shang Yanxiao could figure out, Bai Xu had naturally worked out as well.

"I've only just arrived in Singapore, and Zhouye Investment is equally an up-and-coming company that hasn't made much of a name for itself back in China."

Bai Xu deliberately downplayed their standing and turned the question around, "So how can Second Young Master Chu be so certain that I would compete with Chu Yuncheng for this project? What if I also decided it wasn't worth the trouble?"

Chu Yate raised an eyebrow and teased him, "Then why did Young Master Bai still show up today? Isn't your presence here the best answer of all?"

The moment those words fell, Shang Yanxiao's gaze fixed forward and darkened slightly.

"......"

Bai Xu had forgotten about that slip. He took a small sip of whiskey to conceal his reaction.

He was entirely unaware of the warning look being directed at him from behind. Chu Yate, however, caught that subtle undercurrent of hostility and let the playfulness fade from his expression.

"To be honest, I didn't know much about Young Master Bai at first, and I was worried you might not have the nerve for it."

That was until Chu Yate tracked down the attendant who had been on duty the previous evening, and from something the attendant mentioned offhandedly, caught a faint thread worth pulling on.

"The bodyguard by Young Master Bai's side was quite something—imposing, with real presence. Change the outfit, and anyone who didn't know better would probably mistake him for some distinguished guest from a prominent family."

It was on account of that one simple remark that Chu Yate had his assistant look into the matter again at the fastest possible speed.

"Word has it that something happened to the third branch of the Shang family in China. Shang Yanxiao, the third young master held in the highest regard by Old Master Shang, fell into a coma after a car accident and has not woken up in months, he was even arranged into a marriage alliance."

"Ten days ago, the Shang family spared no expense sending the third young master to Singapore to continue his treatment, while his intended, Young Master Bai, turned up last night at a business banquet where he had absolutely no business being."

"Most importantly, the bodyguard at Young Master Bai's side has a build remarkably similar to Third Young Master Shang's. All of this is a little too much of a coincidence, don't you think?"

"......"

Things had been said this plainly—there was no longer any point in keeping up the pretense.

Shang Yanxiao removed his cap and face mask, revealing the cool, stern features that had been hidden beneath, "Since you already know my true identity, what does Second Young Master Chu intend to do?"

Seeing him admit it so openly, Chu Yate's smile deepened, "Rest assured, I never had any intention of using this to threaten either of you. After all, the Chu and Shang families actually have quite a bit in common."

You can guard against enemies from outside, but never against those from within.

Chu Yate could piece together that Shang Yanxiao's disguise was most likely to guard against members of the Shang family—and as an outsider by name, he had no reason to get involved in that.

"To put it plainly, the old man at home is retiring before long, and I have only one enemy standing in front of me right now."

Chu Yate slid the remaining glass of whiskey back across toward him, "What I want is an ally, not an enemy to make my life difficult."

Zhouye Investment might be an unremarkable small company, but the third branch of the Shang family that truly held the capital was an entirely different matter.

"If Young Master Bai and Third Young Master Shang can help me block the partnership between Chu Yuncheng and Director Zhang, then wherever I can be of use to either of you in the future, you need only say the word."

"My goal is the position of chairman of Chu Group. I imagine Third Young Master has ambitions of his own back in China?"

Nothing was spelled out, but the implication between the lines had already made itself clear.

"There is no conflict of interest between us—on the contrary, there will be no shortage of opportunities for mutual benefit down the road. What do the two of you think?"

Bai Xu couldn't help but admit that Chu Yate was a remarkably shrewd partner. An equal exchange of value made for the most stable of alliances.

However, the one who truly needed this project was the third branch.

Bai Xu did not presume to make the decision on Shang Yanxiao's behalf, and so quietly turned his head and waited for the other man's answer.

Shang Yanxiao caught the glance from beside him and met it at once, "Young Master Bai, what do you think?"

Bai Xu blinked, "Hm?"

Right in front of Chu Yate, Shang Yanxiao placed the decision in his hands, "Hasn't our household always been whatever you say goes?"

Bai Xu gave a puzzled flutter of his lashes and asked without a word: has it?

Shang Yanxiao wore an expression that said 'it always has been' and told Chu Yate, "I'll go with whatever he says."

Chu Yate opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped, and felt inexplicably as though he had just been force-fed a mouthful of secondhand sweetness, "You two, you're quite the devoted couple, aren't you?"

"......"

Couple?

It was the first time Bai Xu had heard that word used to describe him and Shang Yanxiao by someone outside of them, and for reasons he couldn't quite place, a faint, indescribable feeling welled up in his chest.

"I think Second Young Master Chu's proposal is a good one."

Bai Xu had long since understood the answer hidden in Shang Yanxiao's hint, and steered the conversation elsewhere, "At the very least, we still have a chance on this project to meet Director Zhang in person."

Only then did Shang Yanxiao take his glass and said with calm composure, "Here's to a pleasant partnership, Mr. Chu."

Not the 'Second Young Master Chu' that others called him, but 'Mr. Chu'—a form of address that better reflected a professional standing—and it had clearly struck a chord with Chu Yate.

Chu Yate smiled with evident satisfaction, "Mr. Shang, Young Master Bai—then here's to wishing us a fruitful partnership."

Clink!

Three glasses rang out in a crisp collision, marking the sealing of their verbal agreement.

Taking advantage of a moment when Shang Yanxiao wasn't watching, Bai Xu swiftly poured nearly half a glass of liquor down his own throat. The spirits burned going down, but it was a good kind of burn, "Something Mr. Chu provides is naturally excellent liquor!"

Shang Yanxiao had let his guard down for just a moment and the sneak drink had already succeeded. He sighed helplessly, "Mind your stomach."

Bai Xu replied, "The allergy cleared up long ago. A little won't hurt me."

Chu Yate did not insert himself into the small, sweet atmosphere between the two, and waited a couple of seconds before gesturing, "You've both been standing for quite a while, shall we sit and talk?"

"Sure."

Bai Xu settled onto the sofa and looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the sweeping expanse of the golf course stretching into the distance, "Mr. Chu, will Director Zhang and his party really come here today?"

"Yes."

Chu Yate confirmed it without a shred of doubt, "I checked with the golf course manager again when I arrived. They're still booked for two-thirty. We came a little early, so it won't look too deliberate."

"Is that so?"

Bai Xu teased and undermined him in the same breath, "I'm afraid the moment you show your face in front of Chu Yuncheng, he'll start questioning your motives."

Chu Yate clicked his tongue, "Young Master Bai, even if you see through it, you don't have to say it out loud. Either way, today is your show—as long as you can handle it, that's all that matters. I'll do my best to keep a low profile later."

He glanced at the sportswear Bai Xu had on, "By the way, Young Master Bai. Do you play golf?"

"Fair warning: even though I can't stand Chu Yuncheng as a person, his golf game is genuinely impressive. And from what I know, Zhang Songyang has been quite the enthusiast himself these past couple of years."

Beyond the dining table and banquets, if you could really connect over a shared interest and have a good time of it, the chances of securing a partnership would go up considerably.

Shang Yanxiao heard Chu Yate's question and the gaze he rested on Bai Xu carried a faint trace of curiosity.

That was something he had genuinely forgotten to ask.

Though, based on what he knew of the Bai family, Bai Xu likely wouldn't have had much opportunity to pick up that kind of sport in his day-to-day life.

Bai Xu felt both pairs of eyes on him and replied with perfect composure, "Me? Passable, I suppose. If it comes to it, I can swing a few clubs, and even if I can't keep up..."

He paused, then said with a grin, "I'll just turn around and say I want to take Zhang Songyang as my teacher. A perfect excuse to make myself memorable."

Knowing how to adapt was how you widened your circle.

"......"

Chu Yate was thoroughly struck by this, and quietly gave Bai Xu's way of thinking a silent thumbs-up.

Shang Yanxiao caught the endearing side Bai Xu had tucked beneath the joke and felt a laugh threatening to escape, so he raised his glass to drink and used the motion to cover the smile spreading at the corner of his lips.

Buzz, buzz.

Chu Yate's phone vibrated with an incoming message.

He glanced at it and stood up decisively, "They've arrived, at Course A2. We'll take the shuttle over."

"Alright."

Bai Xu nodded, then almost immediately felt a flicker of concern for Shang Yanxiao, "Are you coming too?"

Shang Yanxiao sat in quiet thought. Before he could answer, Chu Yate spoke first, "Third Young Master, put your cap and mask back on and come along as a bodyguard. Just stay a bit further back, that's all."

"Chu Yuncheng doesn't have the same eye for detail that I do. He's always looked down on everyone—he probably won't even take Young Master Bai seriously, let alone a bodyguard trailing along."

"And the moment I appear in front of him, he'll likely pour most of his attention into finding ways to mock me."

Hearing this, Shang Yanxiao felt a certain resigned ease settle over him, like someone who had already accepted the worst, "I'll come along for now, just in case."

Bai Xu thought it over, "Alright."

...

At the edge of the vast golf course.

Chu Yuncheng drove the ball with a near-perfect swing, his expression carrying a shade of arrogance, "Director Zhang, your turn."

In contrast to his smug ease, Zhang Songyang had a knot of unresolved worry pressing between his brows. He stepped up to the tee, silent, and took hold of his club.

The preparation time ticked by, second by second.

The very instant Zhang Songyang swung to drive, Chu Yuncheng asked with an almost wicked air, "Director Zhang, what did you think of the proposal I just made?"

Thwack!

The clubhead struck off-center, and the golf ball traced a limp, powerless arc through the air before dropping weakly to the ground.

Chu Yuncheng let out a barely perceptible quiet laugh, "Director Zhang, you're off your game today."

"......"

An invisible silence spread between them.

Zhang Songyang gestured for the caddy nearby to step away, then finally couldn't hold back any longer, "Mr. Chu, I'm genuinely interested in working with Chu Group."

Chu Yuncheng gave a careless nod, "I know, and aren't I showing even more sincerity than Director Zhang?"

"As long as Chu Group holds the majority stake, with Juesheng in a supporting role, no matter how much the buy-in amounts to, that won't be a problem at all."

Faced with this sudden and unreasonable proposal, Zhang Songyang's expression grew taut.

Giving up the majority stake meant that from that point on, Juesheng would lose the greater share of decision-making power over the project, which ran completely counter to everything he had set out to do.

He had gone to such lengths to secure the letter of intent with AW ahead of everyone else—not to do all the work and hand the rewards to someone else!

Chu Yuncheng saw Zhang Songyang's hesitation and difficulty, and pushed even harder, "Director Zhang, you should know. The moment I put the word out that I want to partner with Juesheng on the medical deal, I doubt anyone in all of Singapore would dare get in my way."

"I hear the letter of intent between you and AW is only good for one month. If you can't complete the acquisition before the agreement deadline, everything you've done up to now goes up in smoke."

"Only, it's a shame. Juesheng, relying solely on its own funds in the short term, probably can't raise that much capital, can it?"

"......"

Every word was both a threat and a statement of fact.

Each one lodged itself in Zhang Songyang's throat, leaving him with nothing to say in return.

Chu Yuncheng took a different club from his assistant and lined up his aim at the ball on the ground once more, "Director Zhang, ambition to expand is a fine thing, but it depends on who you're standing in front of."

"From the time I was young to now, and with every project I've gone after since taking over the company, I, Chu Yuncheng, have never once been the one playing second fiddle."

Thwack!

Another ball flew off into the distance.

Chu Yuncheng confirmed it was yet another perfect swing, and the look he turned on Zhang Songyang as he turned around carried even more pronounced arrogance, "Director Zhang, right now it is you who needs Chu Group's partnership, not the other way around."

"If I had any more shame about it, I could simply wait until after the deadline to step in. But isn't this me, out of consideration for Director Zhang, making a sincere effort to work together?"

"......"

Sincere?

What kind of sincerity was that supposed to be?

All the pleasantries exchanged before had been nothing but a performance. The negotiation laid bare right now was the true, merciless reality.

Zhang Songyang was, at his core, a refined and cultured man. Even after years of being worn smoother by the business world, he could never manage to be as relentlessly aggressive as Chu Yuncheng.

"Director Zhang, what do you think?"

"......"

Nearly fifty years old, and he was being cornered into speechlessness by someone young enough to be his junior. No matter how steady and composed Zhang Songyang's temperament was, he found that right now he couldn't quite keep his dignity intact.

All of a sudden, a cheerful beeping of a horn rang out from the nearby cart path, neatly breaking the air around them that had been on the verge of solidifying.

Right on its heels, a breezy greeting called out, "Well, what a coincidence."

Chu Yuncheng and Zhang Songyang looked over one after the other, their expressions a study in contrast.

Chu Yuncheng fixed his gaze on the three people stepping off the shuttle cart and locked in immediately on Chu Yate's face at the front. Undisguised contempt filled his eyes, "What are you doing here?"

"That's an interesting thing for you to say, Brother." Chu Yate met his displeasure with perfect nonchalance, his reply carrying a pointed edge, "You're a member of this course, and so am I. Since when am I not allowed to come?"

As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward Zhang Songyang standing nearby, "This must be Director Zhang from Juesheng Medical. Hello."

Zhang Songyang reined in his complicated feelings and nodded politely, "Hello."

In the next instant, his eyes moved past Chu Yate and landed on a familiar face further back, "Mr. Bai?"

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao exchanged a quick glance, and Bai Xu stepped forward on his own, "Director Zhang, what a coincidence."

Chu Yate played along with feigned ignorance, "Oh? Bai Xu, do you know Director Zhang?"

Zhang Songyang met Bai Xu's friendly smile and felt the tension easing slightly from his shoulders, "We met last night at the banquet."

Chu Yate gave a nod as though hearing this for the first time, "Ah, I see."

"Bai Xu and I are old friends. We had some free time today and came to get some practice in. We'd been playing on the next course over for a bit and weren't feeling it, so we thought we'd try switching over, didn't expect to run into you both here."

Bai Xu listened to Chu Yate's improvised story and said nothing to contradict it.

Chu Yuncheng, standing to the side, caught the exchange between the three of them and, for once in rare form, got a taste of what it felt like to be overlooked.

He fixed his gaze on Chu Yate, whose glib tongue never seemed to rest, and challenged him, "I've never seen you come here to play before. And another thing—"

Chu Yuncheng directed the accompanying displeasure squarely at Bai Xu, "Mr. Bai, you're from China. How come I never knew you and my second brother were old friends?"

Bai Xu shot back with a smile, "Does Mr. Chu have assets by the sea? Since when is that any of your business?"

"......"

"I met Second Young Master Chu in Germany. It's been many years now, and we're quite close."

Bai Xu's retort was smooth, and the deflection came just as effortlessly.

Chu Yate genuinely couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing, "Brother, since when do I need your approval to make friends?"

Hearing the two of them trade remarks like a well-rehearsed pair, Chu Yuncheng's expression darkened further.

How could Zhang Songyang possibly miss the undercurrent running between the three of them?

He glanced briefly at Chu Yuncheng, then turned and extended an invitation with a warm smile, "Mr. Bai, why don't you and your party stay and join us?"

Under ordinary circumstances, a business discussion between two parties shouldn't involve a third.

The trouble was that Chu Yuncheng had come in from the very start looking to seize the upper hand and dominate the conversation. Zhang Songyang didn't currently have the leverage to push back head-on, but he had no intention of conceding so easily either.

The arrival of Bai Xu and Chu Yate's group had come at just the right moment, giving him a timely way to steer away from the conversation he had no desire to continue.

Chu Yuncheng furrowed his brow, "Director Zhang, this is a private arrangement between the two of us."

"There's no need to be so petty, Brother." Chu Yate seized the opening and twisted the knife, then went further with an air of generosity, "If it comes to it, just put your and Director Zhang's expenses today on my tab. Golf is more lively with more people around."

"......"

"I'm a newcomer who's only just arrived, and my game is rusty at best. I don't want to get in the way." Bai Xu joined the performance, stepping back to move forward, "How about I watch from the side while Director Zhang and the rest of you play? I'll take care of the bill at the end."

Chu Yuncheng's grip on his club tightened slightly as he sneered, "Who's short on that kind of money?"

Under the accumulation of these quietly delivered provocations, the frustration that had been building inside him had long since reached a breaking point, "Mr. Bai, have you forgotten what I said to you last night?"

This person had already ruined things for him more than once!

Chu Yuncheng raised his golf club and pointed it directly at Bai Xu, "When it comes to something I, Chu Yuncheng, want, there is no room for anyone else to take a share."

He wasn't a fool. He could see plainly enough what Bai Xu and Chu Yate's real purpose was in showing up here.

Not far away, Shang Yanxiao caught the threatening gesture and the expression hidden beneath his mask went several degrees colder on the spot. Without thinking, he moved to step forward.

At almost the exact same moment, Chu Yate reached out and deflected the golf club that had been aimed at Bai Xu, "Brother, what do you think you're doing?"

The careless, devil-may-care look in his eyes turned serious, "In front of Director Zhang, you'd better show some courtesy to my friend. Don't make things awkward for everyone."

After all, it was Zhang Songyang who had invited them to stay.

Zhang Songyang caught the hint and immediately gave a deliberate cough to make his presence felt, "Mr. Chu, we're all here to enjoy ourselves. Let's not sour the mood."

"Enjoy ourselves?" Chu Yuncheng bit down hard, reining in his anger just barely, "Fine."

He planted his club back on the ground and turned his head to look out across the expanse of the golf course, "Then let ability do the talking, so no one goes away thinking I rely on power to push people around."

Zhang Songyang said, "Mr. Chu, you're being too serious about this."

Chu Yuncheng paid no attention to his attempt to smooth things over. His hostile gaze landed on Bai Xu once again, "Mr. Bai, shall we have a match?"

Bai Xu neither flinched nor stepped back, "What does Mr. Chu have in mind?"

"Match play. Just five holes. Fewest strokes per hole takes the hole. Quick and clean. Whoever loses—"

Chu Yuncheng issued the challenge with the bearing of someone who had already won, "Must disappears from the other person's sight on the spot!"

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