The moment Shi Feng finished speaking, the air inside the private dining room seemed to freeze solid. Xiao Yu, who had navigated the business world for years, wore a look of utter terror on his face, staring at Shi Feng in disbelief.
"It's over! We're done for…" At that moment, Xiao Yu felt as though the sky itself were collapsing.
He had learned some information about Zero Wing from Liang Jing before — he knew Zero Wing had connections with several major corporations, even had opportunities to meet with the upper echelons of certain conglomerates, and had carved out a respectable position in Divine Realm, the virtual reality game that had taken the world by storm.
But at the end of the day, it was still just a game. The Wuzhou Grand Consortium was one of the most powerful conglomerates in the entire country; its influence and status were simply beyond imagination. As the sole son of Wuzhou Grand Consortium's chairman, Han Yifeng commanded respect from everyone in the upper circles. Countless corporations and enterprises would have given anything to latch onto this powerful backer and skyrocket to success.
Yet Shi Feng had flat-out refused without so much as a second thought.
He hadn't even bothered to be subtle about it…
If Han Yifeng were provoked, forget Zero Wing — even the major corporations that maintained close ties with Zero Wing could find themselves in serious trouble.
After a brief silence had settled over the dining room, Han Yifeng, whose expression remained perfectly placid, finally spoke again.
"Well done! You really are someone who can make Lu Xingluo eat humble pie." Han Yifeng showed none of the fury or contempt that Xiao Yu had expected. Instead, he was remarkably calm, as though none of this had anything to do with him. "In that case, let's consider this matter settled. However, I should warn you — the situation with Xinghang won't be nearly as simple. Your Zero Wing caused Lu Xingluo to suffer considerable losses. He's already begun mobilizing his connections and resources. I imagine Zero Wing has noticed this by now, and this is only the beginning."
"The interests at stake in Divine Realm are far more terrifying than you can imagine. Zero Wing has disrupted too many people's interests now. Without a proper backing, you'd do well to be cautious."
Han Yifeng then gave a subtle glance to the lean man standing beside him. The lean man immediately produced a business card and handed it to Shi Feng.
"This is my personal card. Should you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." Han Yifeng's tone was neither warm nor cold, carrying none of the mundane warmth of an ordinary person.
Xiao Yu watched Han Yifeng hand his personal card directly to Shi Feng, eyes wide with shock and envy. He hadn't expected that Zero Wing would earn such regard from Han Yifeng — enough to merit a personal business card.
A business card meant nothing to ordinary people, but for someone at Han Yifeng's level, it was a mark of recognition — proof that you could contact him directly.
People like Han Yifeng were akin to the crown prince of a dynasty. Even corporate heads of Xiao Yu's caliber had no standing to reach him directly; they would need to go through his secretary just to request an appointment, and whether they could even get a meeting was another question entirely.
Shi Feng, for his part, did not refuse Han Yifeng's card. He accepted it directly — after all, even when a deal fell through, maintaining good relations was important. Besides, obtaining a business card from someone of Han Yifeng's stature was equivalent to securing a major buyer. If Zero Wing ever needed to offload something in the future, having that connection would make things considerably easier.
Moreover, Shi Feng could tell that Han Yifeng was no ordinary rich second-generation heir. He was nothing like Lu Xingluo. There was an almost inhuman quality to him — his mental state remained in absolute calm at all times, and his physical conditioning was the highest Shi Feng had ever seen, even surpassing his own experience.
Even if Han Yifeng weren't the heir to the Wuzhou Grand Consortium, his future accomplishments would be extraordinary. If he had chosen to become a combat sports athlete, he would undoubtedly have been world-class. Experts like Lei Bao, who possessed inner force, might not have been a match for him — winning a world championship would not have been out of the question.
After Han Yifeng and Shi Feng exchanged some brief small talk about the situation in Divine Realm, Shi Feng and Xiao Yu took their leave from the Red Stone Restaurant.
Once Shi Feng and his party had departed, only Han Yifeng and the middle-aged man who appeared to be a butler remained in the private dining room.
"Young master, isn't it a pity to give up on acquiring Zero Wing? With just a bit of effort, taking over Zero Wing wouldn't be difficult," the lean man asked in a low voice.
"Zero Wing does have a solid foundation, but they're riddled with problems right now. Forcing an acquisition would only turn Zero Wing into a mess, which would be detrimental to our entry into Divine Realm," Han Yifeng shook his head. "Besides, Zero Wing isn't my only option. The other candidates may not have as great an advantage, but they have far fewer issues. With some consolidation, they could surpass Zero Wing entirely."
"Then why did you invite Zero Wing here today, young master?" the lean man asked, puzzled.
"I simply wanted to gauge Zero Wing's attitude and situation — to see whether they could cause some trouble for Star Ring." Han Yifeng replied flatly. "Judging by his attitude, Zero Wing does have some backbone. They should be capable of creating problems for Star Ring, which means I can proceed with my plans more effectively."
"Young master, why bother with that Lu Xingluo? He's nothing for someone of your standing to worry about," the lean man said.
"You don't understand. If it were just Lu Xingluo, Star Ring wouldn't be a concern at all. But the person standing behind Lu Xingluo is a different matter entirely — not so easy to deal with. All I can hope for is that Zero Wing can stall for some time, giving me more room to prepare." Han Yifeng glanced at the lean man and spoke slowly.
The lean man suddenly understood.
Still, in his view, since Lu Xingluo had already begun mobilizing his connections and resources, it was unlikely that Zero Wing could stir up much of a wave. Moreover, he had some knowledge of guild management — a massive guild without enough trustworthy internal members to manage it might hold together in the short term, but over time it would develop countless holes. Not to mention that the moves Lu Xingluo had employed were only just beginning. Zero Wing wouldn't last long.
Meanwhile, in the luxury car departing from the Red Stone Restaurant, Xiao Yu, who had been silent the entire time, finally could not hold back any longer.
"Head Coach Shi, that was a rare opportunity — why did you refuse? The Wuzhou Grand Consortium's influence is enormous. Even the slightest association with them could lead to a meteoric rise. If Zero Wing could become a subsidiary of the Wuzhou Grand Consortium, we could operate with impunity even in a first-tier city like Fenglin." Xiao Yu looked at Shi Feng, his heart heavy with regret and confusion. "And at that point, even the Xinghang Grand Consortium would have a hard time targeting Zero Wing."
For the Beidou Group, establishing a foothold in a first-tier city like Fenglin was already a dream. Being able to operate with impunity there was simply unimaginable.
Yet Shi Feng had just thrown that away…
Moreover, Zero Wing's current situation was far from good. With Lu Xingluo actively working against them, the major corporations and enterprises all refused to partner with Zero Wing. If this continued, how could Zero Wing ever establish itself in Fenglin?
Sitting beside Shi Feng, Liang Jing was equally consumed with worry. She hadn't understood the full picture before, but now that she knew the Xinghang Grand Consortium was behind it all, things looked grim. This was reality, not a game — the power of capital was no joke.
"Perhaps the Wuzhou Grand Consortium is powerful, but our Zero Wing's strength isn't something Xinghang can fathom either," Shi Feng said with perfect calm. "Lu Xingluo doesn't want those training centers and martial arts schools to work with us? Fine — then Zero Wing will just open its own training center!"