The private room was spacious, far larger than typical restaurant rooms for a dozen guests. However, it was mostly empty, save for a single table with four wooden chairs in the center. The room also featured decorative screens and a flower stand, adding a touch of elegance.
A man in his early forties sat at the table, dressed in a simple high-collared T-shirt, oversized shorts, and slippers. He was tall and somewhat heavyset, though not excessively overweight, giving him a sturdy, robust appearance. His face was unshaven, and his hair hadn't been washed in days, making him look particularly sloppy and greasy.
Standing at the door, his two bodyguards each had a much more refined demeanor, exuding a sense of composure that made this man look even more out of place. He resembled the type of average, unremarkable middle-aged man one might find on any street corner—someone who may have been in decent shape in his youth but had let himself go after marriage and children, losing all his youthful edge to the grind of daily life.
At first glance, he hardly seemed like someone wealthy or powerful.
Yet in reality, he was more than just rich—he was incredibly wealthy.
One distinct feature stood out: a faint scar on the right side of his neck, the reason he habitually wore high collars to conceal it. From what Ethan Wu knew, this scar was the result of a car accident many years ago.
As Ethan entered the room, the scruffy man turned to the door, and both men paused for a brief moment.
Ethan's reason for pausing differed from the man's.
The middle-aged man was taken aback by Ethan's youth. He had expected to meet a fellow affluent middle-aged man, perhaps younger by a few years but not by much. Their brief phone conversation had hinted at youth in Ethan's voice but conveyed a maturity that made him estimate Ethan to be around thirty.
The man had certainly not expected Ethan to be only in his twenties.
"So, it's you, Mr. Lei," Ethan spoke first, feigning a surprised tone, as if he recognized the man and they had met by sheer coincidence. He wanted to give the impression that recognizing him was natural—a matter of fate.
"Chen? Ethan Wu?" the scruffy man asked. He had assumed Ethan's name might contain the character "Chen" since Ethan's in-game name was "Overlord Chen," and he had previously confirmed Ethan's surname.
"Yes, it's me," Ethan nodded, moving further into the room as the bodyguards outside closed the door.
"You know who I am?" The man's gaze followed Ethan closely.
"You're the second son of the Lei family from Hongfa Industries. Your name precedes you. Seems we really are…fated." Ethan smiled, adding a slight nuance to his expression when he said "fated."
The man noticed this nuance—a deliberate move on Ethan's part.
After saying this, Ethan adjusted his suit and took a seat across from the scruffy man.
Hongfa Industries… It was actually a rather common name, and there were many companies with similar names across the country. However, the Hongfa Ethan referred to was the Hongfa Weixing Precision Group in Guan'an County, Huai West City.
This was one of the top ten companies nationwide in contract manufacturing, with branches in air conditioning research, auto parts production, and other sectors, with total assets exceeding 60 billion yuan.
The Lei family, who held 31% of Hongfa's shares, was the company's largest shareholder and the actual controlling party.
The Hongfa Group began as a small, struggling state-owned factory in Guan'an County, nearly collapsing until the wave of privatization hit in the early 1990s. Rayton Lei, then the factory director, scraped together funds to buy the factory and transformed its business model, leading it to rapid growth. Over the years, the company had nearly gone bankrupt several times, underwent several rounds of funding, and even acquired another major company, Weixing Industries.
These capital injections and acquisitions had diluted the shares over time, explaining why the Lei family held only 31% of the shares. Nonetheless, the family had never relinquished control of the company; share ownership and voting power were two different things.
Currently, the company was chaired by Rayton Lei, nearly seventy, though his eldest son, Raymond Lei, now managed most of the day-to-day operations as general manager.
Sitting across from Ethan was Rayton Lei's younger son and the second in line, Charlie Lei.
Charlie Lei, 42, was the company's seventh-largest individual shareholder with a 5% stake, as well as the deputy general manager of Hongfa Weixing and the chairman and general manager of the Hongfa subsidiary in Sea City, Fumao Group. Lei had lived in Sea City for many years and had some private ventures of his own, though they were small compared to his family's holdings.
…
"My reputation…" Charlie Lei chuckled, a sound that seemed jovial but with an undertone of self-deprecation.
He smiled at Ethan and asked, "So, which family do you come from?"
"What family?" Ethan responded, feigning ignorance.
Though he knew what Lei meant, he pretended not to understand. Lei was already sizing Ethan up, trying to determine his family background, figuring he must be a scion of some powerful family to be able to drop millions in a private game without blinking.
Clearly, he saw Ethan as a wealthy second-generation heir.
"No family background?" Lei frowned in doubt but then shook his head with a smile. "Fine, I won't ask. But you, my young friend, at your age, playing such an old game? You really surprised me. Much younger than I'd imagined."
He filled his teacup again and poured a cup for Ethan.
The table held only one teapot and two cups.
"Just a little something to pass the time. I've been under a lot of stress lately, and I needed something thrilling to unwind. Last time I played this game, I was in fourth grade," Ethan said with a smile.
"Blowing off steam, eh?" Lei chuckled, shaking his head with a sigh. "You young people with money sure know how to spend. Makes me look like a miser."
"It's not too bad." Ethan smiled, glancing at the door.
"Have some tea first," Lei lifted his cup, gesturing for Ethan to drink.
Ethan raised his teacup and said, "Mr. Lei, I noticed your two bodyguards out there—they're not ordinary men. You're still so cautious, huh? Afraid your brother might come after you?"
Just as Charlie Lei raised the teacup to his lips, he froze, his gaze toward Ethan Wu turning razor-sharp in an instant.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。