The Red Stone Restaurant in Fenglin City.
As one of the most prestigious private restaurants in Fenglin City, the Red Stone Restaurant operated on a strictly membership-based model and did not serve the general public. Ordinary people, no matter how much money they had, couldn't get a table here. But for many of the city's prominent figures, it was a frequent gathering spot for meetings and discussions.
For one, the security here was exceptional. Even when discussing sensitive matters, there was no need to worry about eavesdropping by skilled experts — something that was evident simply from the capable reception staff.
For another, the food and wine were so exquisite that even those accustomed to the finest delicacies found themselves craving them daily. The Red Stone Restaurant offered no delivery service, so the only way to enjoy its cuisine was to dine in person.
Because of these two factors, nearly every prominent figure in Fenglin City visited regularly, and the Fang family was among its most frequent patrons.
In a seventh-floor VIP dining room, two young men sat at a table laden with dishes, eating and conversing. One had a rugged, rough-hewn appearance, while the other carried himself with refined elegance. An ordinary person would never have guessed they were brothers.
The refined young man was Fang Xiaotian, the current head of the Fang family. Dressed in a long white robe, he looked every bit the cultured scholar. Despite his youthful appearance — seemingly no older than twenty-four or twenty-five — he was actually in his mid-thirties, and served as the eldest young master of the Fang family.
Sitting beside him, the brawny young man built like a bull was Fang Xiaotian's second brother, Fang Mingyu.
"Second Brother, there won't be any problems with your side for this year's martial tournament among the Five Great Houses, will there?" Fang Xiaotian looked at Fang Mingyu and asked.
Their Fang family was no ordinary clan from the outside world — they were an ancient martial arts family. The annual martial tournament hosted by the Five Great Houses was far more prestigious than any national competition.
"Don't worry, Big Brother. This year's tournament is definitely ours," Fang Mingyu said with a grin, gesturing toward a group of young men standing nearby. "They were all trained by my own hand. Two of them have already mastered Dark Force."
The dozen or so young men standing behind Fang Mingyu were all quite young — none over twenty, with the youngest being only seventeen. Yet their physical conditioning was so outstanding that even participants in the national competitions would struggle to match them.
"Good." Fang Xiaotian nodded. "Recently, the virtual reality game Divine Realm has exploded in popularity, and many major conglomerates have poured enormous amounts of capital into it. The old patriarch wants us to get involved as well. Make preparations."
"We're going in too?" Fang Mingyu asked, surprised.
"Yes. This involves certain secrets, and naturally the Fang family needs to have a hand in it," Fang Xiaotian said. "Which is why I recently proposed to the old patriarch that we send a marriage proposal to the Bai family."
"That girl Bai Qingxue from the Bai family is not only stunningly beautiful, but her abilities are also remarkably impressive. She managed to hold on to her brother's guild — give her ten years, and the Bai family might even enter our circle. It's a shame the Blackwater Consortium got involved, but now she's thriving in the Divine Realm and bringing considerable benefits to the Bai Group. She'd be a perfect match for Third Brother."
"That way Third Brother can finally settle down. He's been carousing day and night, and the old patriarch has scolded him several times, but he still won't mend his ways." Fang Mingyu chuckled.
Their third brother was rather useless, but he was still a direct heir of the Fang family. The Bai family was merely a second-tier family in Fenglin City — being willing to marry Bai Qingxue was already the Bai family climbing far above their station.
"However, that little girl from the Bai family has been making moves lately. When you have time, pay the Bai family a visit and put them in their place. If that doesn't work, have the old patriarch come to us — just say our patriarch would like to see him," Fang Xiaotian said.
"Understood. I'll take care of it after this," Fang Mingyu nodded.
He didn't think much of such matters. The Fang family had already taken the initiative to extend their hand — if the Bai family couldn't recognize a good thing when it was offered, they would simply have to get out of Fenglin City. The Bai family surely understood this and knew what choice to make.
And outside the Red Stone Restaurant, Shi Feng had already arrived.