Chapter 1635: Chapter 1937: Overseas Expansion (2)
"Chen, when do you have some free time? Come over to my place when you do. My sister is going abroad today to prepare for the branch office, and it might take a long time before she returns."
"Is she going alone?"
"No, Mom is going with her. Since all her connections over there are Mom’s, she definitely needs to go. I’ll stay here to continue managing Hongyu Group."
Ling Chen nodded to himself, a bitter smile slowly forming on his lips.
Jiang Yue’e has put so much effort into separating Nanrong Wanqing and me; she even convinced Nanrong Wanqing to develop her career abroad. Once Nanrong Wanqing goes overseas, the chances for us to meet will certainly decrease. Many long-distance relationships end without resolution because of the distance.
Forget it! No point in dwelling on these thoughts. Jiang Yue’e is Nanrong Wanqing’s mother; I can’t possibly go and cause trouble for Jiang Yue’e. If I can’t handle our relationship properly, even if I eventually end up with Nanrong Wanqing, how would I face Jiang Yue’e?
"Hey! Chen, why are you silent over there? Is there something wrong with my phone?"
Hearing Nanrong Hao’s voice from the other end of the call, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "No, I was just thinking. Okay! Since it’s your company dinner, I won’t interrupt you anymore. Let’s get in touch when we’re both free." With that, he prepared to hang up the phone.
"Chen, my sister is leaving the day after tomorrow. Would you like to join me in seeing her off?"
"I..." Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then said, "No, please tell your sister for me that I’m busy with a lot of things at the moment and can’t spare time to go to the airport. I hope she’ll understand."
"My sister is right here. Why don’t you tell her yourself?"
"No need for that, I have things to do, I’m hanging up now." Not waiting for Nanrong Hao to say more, Ling Chen already hung up the phone.
Putting down his phone, Ling Chen spread his arms wide, lying in a ’big’ shape on the bed, quietly staring at the ceiling above, his mind in a turmoil. Before he realized it, a drowsy feeling overcame him, his eyes slowly closed, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
In the blink of an eye, it’s been three days since returning to East Sea City.
These past days, Ling Chen immersed himself in a hectic state, dealing with all the matters pressing on Dragon Tiger Hall, not giving himself a moment of free rest.
Watching over him all the time was Zhu Qing, who couldn’t help but advise, "What’s been up with you lately? Since you came back, you seem like a different person."
"Do I?" Ling Chen gave a light smile and said, "Nothing much, just feeling that I’ve been too lax before, so now I’m set on working hard and striving for development. Although Dragon Tiger Hall is one of the major forces in Martial Arts, its current situation is rather awkward." Saying this, he took out a document and placed it in front of Zhu Qing, saying, "This just came today. In just a few days, several branches of Dragon Tiger Hall were suppressed by other forces because we seized their resources and interests."
"If I remember correctly, Dragon Tiger Hall currently has a total of 13 branches."
Ling Chen nodded and said, "Exactly! Apart from the headquarters in East Sea City, there are 13 branches. The Beijing branch was opened earlier, with a solid foundation and Mr. He overseeing things, so no one dares to cause trouble there. However, the other twelve branches were established later; one reason is their short establishment time, and another is that the responsible personnel lack experience and ability to handle such incidents. These branches are all located in major cities, where resources are plentiful, but some of these major cities have Martial Arts families present. Previously, no one was interested in competing, so they let us open as many branches as we wanted. But the current situation is different. Today, Martial Arts is gradually rising, showcasing a trend of blossoming diversity, and all Martial Arts families and forces are eager to take a bite out of this meat bun. Whoever can grab the meat will be determined by each family’s abilities."
"How are you planning to respond?" Zhu Qing asked.
"Not long ago, Elder Tong and those two veterans warned me that Martial Arts is nearing a chaotic phase, so I’ve mentally prepared for this inevitable suppression from other forces. If you gobble up the most meat, people will definitely be jealous. If you wish to protect this piece of meat, you will have to make a move. But the current issue is, with so many envious eyes, who do you teach a lesson to? Moreover, we don’t have enough resources to wage war with everyone."
"Isn’t this simple?" Zhu Qing said, "If you can’t do certain things, let us handle them. Anyone daring to hassle Dragon Tiger Hall, kill a few of them first, and see if others take heed."
Ling Chen shook his head and said, "You’re oversimplifying it. Dragon Tiger Hall now is like a piece of juicy meat, which countless eyes are watching. If not handled well, or if there is the slightest mistake, it could serve as an excuse for others, putting Dragon Tiger Hall in a situation of being besieged by other forces. Previously, we had Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to help divert attention, but now, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion suffered a major attack, inflicted heavy losses, and barely manages itself. In Martial Arts World’s strongest force undoubtedly, us Dragon Tiger Hall. Only by suppressing us can others have the opportunity to rise; do you understand what I’m saying?"
"I’m not stupid." Zhu Qing rolled her eyes at Ling Chen and asked, "So, how are you planning to proceed?"
"These past two days I pondered seriously, Dragon Tiger Hall’s many branches are beyond our management, so we’ll have to sacrifice some branches and concentrate our power to solidly defend several locations. This way, other forces will compete for the interests we abandon and won’t fix their eyes on us for a time."
"What’s the point of doing that? The problem still exists; it’s only a matter of time."
Ling Chen smiled, "With enough time, we can make arrangements accordingly. In short, our Dragon Tiger Hall won’t initiate conflict or fight with others; we only need to secure our own turf. You’re also part of the Martial Arts World, so you understand what Martial Arts means. If there’s no conflict, then how does Martial Arts progress and evolve? Martial Arts now is at a unique period, forces from all sides are making a comeback, and undercurrents are surging. But any tactics are merely processes; the true victor is the one who can laugh till the end."
Zhu Qing nodded absent-mindedly, looked at Ling Chen with a peculiar expression, and said, "I still feel you’re acting strangely, you never bothered with such matters before."
Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "Elder Tong is bogged down with Martial Arts Association matters now, and Mr. He is stationed in Beijing. The entire future of Dragon Tiger Hall rests solely on me; of course, I need to be more earnest. Although I’m not power-hungry, Dragon Tiger Hall is something I established with painstaking efforts; I can’t just watch it get divided up by others."
At this point, Ling Chen switched the subject and asked, "By the way, how’s the matter I asked you to handle last time?"
