Chapter 131: Visitors from the Chu Family

Chapter 131: The Chu Family Arrives

Li Dongze’s smile was gentle and devoid of any condescension toward the young men. He even beckoned the young woman beside him to make introductions: "Fu Liang, Fu Jie, this is my fiancée. I assume you haven’t met her yet, have you?"

"Hello, I am Xu Shiqi." The young woman, radiating an air of intellectual beauty, greeted them with a smile. The gesture left the young Fu family members feeling flattered, and they scrambled to return the greeting with smiles of their own.

If Chu Fei were here, he would surely be astonished, for this intellectual beauty by Li Dongze’s side was none other than Class Monitor Xu!

That the young Master Li would personally introduce his fiancée to them left the Fu family cousins feeling truly honored.

"Haha, I won’t keep you from your duties welcoming guests. I’ll head inside now," Li Dongze said with a smile, nodding to the other young men besides Fu Liang and Fu Jie.

"Master Li, let me escort you in." Fu Liang volunteered immediately. Typically, such escort duties were handled by service staff, but he was more than willing to do it himself, clearly hoping to curry favor. His swift action left Fu Jie glaring at him from the side; he had wanted to offer, but having been beaten to the punch, he could only sigh.

"Then I shall trouble you," Li Dongze said, his smile growing even warmer.

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all. Master Li, er, Miss Xu, please." Excited beyond measure, Fu Jie led the way, guiding Li Dongze and his companion into the garden.

"Master Li truly grows more composed by the day. To be so young and yet possess such calm," Fu Pengcheng remarked with a sigh of admiration as he watched Li Dongze depart.

"Master Li? That’s just what others call him, but you, Pengcheng, mustn't indulge him so," replied the distinguished-looking man standing before Fu Pengcheng. It was none other than Li Qingyu, the big boss of Dongyu Group. While Dongyu Group did not rank among the Six Great Families, it was a colossal entity nonetheless. Founded over thirty years ago by Li Qingyu and his father, it had risen on the tide of China’s 1980s economic reforms. Within a few short decades, it had become one of the premier private enterprises in the East Sea region, and it was now one of the top ten private companies in the country. Its subsidiaries spanned nearly every industry, granting it a status even more transcendent than some of the older established families in East Sea—only titans like the Six Great Families could hold sway over them.

"How could that be indulgence? I’ve heard plenty about Master Li. He’s not even thirty yet, and he’s already able to shoulder burdens for you, Mr. Li. I hear he’s become your right-hand man, capable of standing on his own. In time, he’ll surely be able to take over your responsibilities, allowing you to finally get some well-deserved rest, haha!" Fu Pengcheng laughed heartily.

"You, you..." Li Qingyu pointed at Fu Pengcheng’s mouth, opting not to continue the topic. Instead, he smiled and said, "Honestly, for a task like welcoming guests at the gate, having the youngsters handle it should be enough. Why are you standing here yourself? Aren’t you tired?"

"That wouldn't do. There are too many distinguished guests arriving for the Old Master’s birthday today; we cannot afford to be discourteous," Fu Pengcheng replied with a smile.

"Is it considered discourteous to let the young ones handle the reception?" Li Qingyu shook his head. Sharp as he was, he saw through Fu Pengcheng’s motives immediately, yet he chose not to expose them. "Very well, I won’t stand here and waste your time. I’ll go on in."

"Let me escort you inside," Fu Pengcheng offered quickly.

"No need. Tend to your work, don't worry about me. We’ll have a proper chat once the birthday banquet begins," Li Qingyu replied, shaking his head.

"Understood. I will be sure to share a drink with you, Mr. Li. Oh, by the way, the Old Master is in the east banquet hall. If you get bored, feel free to go keep him company." Fu Pengcheng did not insist; with a true power-player like Li Qingyu, one only needed to touch upon a subject lightly—to be too persistent would only cause irritation.

"I know."

Li Qingyu nodded, and accompanied by the elegant woman at his side, he walked through the garden gate.

Not until he had watched Li Qingyu and his wife disappear into the depths of the corridor did Fu Pengcheng let out a long breath, feeling a subtle excitement. While Li Qingyu’s words had seemed direct and blunt, they were actually a form of invisible favor, which had made Fu Pengcheng feel a sense of rapport. He understood the disparity in status between himself and Li Qingyu; under normal circumstances, Li Qingyu would never chat so casually with him, but today he had done exactly that, even using the tone of a close friend to tease him—a clear indication of goodwill.

"It seems this marriage alliance has elevated the status of the Fu family once again."

Fu Pengcheng was thrilled. As the family’s status rose, so too would that of its members.

Turning around, he caught a few of the younger generation watching him. He frowned and snapped, "What are you looking at? Keep your heads in the game! The guests coming next are the real heavy hitters, understand? Absolutely no mistakes allowed."

"Yes, Uncle!"

The youngsters shrank back, quickly turning around and straightening their postures, standing as stiffly as soldiers awaiting an inspection.

Only then did Fu Pengcheng nod in satisfaction and return to the steps.

As he had said, the guests who followed were not only more numerous but also of increasingly higher standing. This required the young people responsible for the reception to exercise the utmost caution. After ten o'clock, they were overwhelmed, and Fu Pengcheng, who was overseeing the logistics, immediately made a phone call to summon even more Fu family members to assist.

Time ticked away.

As the start of the banquet drew near, some of the true giants of the East Sea region finally arrived, including representatives from the Six Great Families and other major consortiums. Some even brought their own leaders, accompanied by the younger generation of their families.

It was no exaggeration to say that Old Master Fu’s birthday banquet had swept up a third of East Sea’s high society.

However, the clever ones understood that a simple birthday celebration for Old Master Fu would never have had such an impact, even as one of the Six Great Families. The real reason for the sensation was the rumor that the Lin family intended to propose marriage at the banquet. For many of the guests, beyond the desire to show goodwill, the primary goal was to verify the truth of this rumor.

"Uncle, the Chu family is here."

Fu Pengcheng was in the middle of exchanging pleasantries with the CEO of a major consortium when a young Fu family member leaned in and whispered in his ear, his tone sounding very strange.

"The Chu family? Which Chu family?" Fu Pengcheng was floating on air, feeling that his reception duties had been well worth the effort—he had made connections with power-players he previously couldn't reach. He turned his head, confused for a moment.

"The Chu family from Xi City," the young man lowered his voice, his tone growing more complex.

"What?"

Fu Pengcheng’s expression shifted, though he quickly regained his composure. He offered a few warm closing remarks to the guest he had been speaking with, ushered him into the garden, and then turned his gaze toward the parking lot. Four people were walking toward the garden: two men and two women. The middle-aged couple in the lead was clearly husband and wife, followed by a young man and woman who bore a family resemblance—likely siblings.

Fu Pengcheng’s expression turned heavy, complex with hidden emotions. He recognized the man in the lead: Chu Zangxuan, the current head of the Xi City Chu family.

Watching the four of them draw closer, Fu Pengcheng felt a sudden sense of dread. It wasn't because the Xi City Chu family’s name was inherently terrifying—in reality, they were barely a second-tier family, perhaps not even that. Their combined assets amounted to only a few million, placing them in the third tier even within Xi City. They were, at best, a large minnow in the pond.

Yet, no one in the East Sea region dared to underestimate them, all because thirty years ago, the family had produced a man named Chu Zangtian. To this day, the name "Chu Zangtian" remained a taboo, one that people intentionally ignored or forgot. Many in the younger generation had never even heard it, but the older generation knew it well. For those who had lived through that era, the name was etched into their memories, never to be forgotten, even if no one ever dared to speak it aloud.

It was said that the original Chu family had once been a major power in Xi City, and though they couldn't compare to the Six Great Families of East Sea, they had been a prestigious name in the Jiangnan region.

It was the emergence of Chu Zangtian that had caused the family’s decline, leaving the old patriarch bedridden in sorrow until he died, never seeing the family rise again. Because of Chu Zangtian, the family had been isolated for years, forced to struggle in the business world on their own. By now, they barely managed to hold onto a few shopping malls and supermarkets—nothing more. They were fading into obscurity.

Yet, as Fu Pengcheng watched them approach, he felt a tremor in his heart. He could not fathom their purpose in coming.

Who had taken the liberty of inviting the Chu family?

Fu Pengcheng cursed inwardly. Was this madness? Or had they come uninvited?

His mind buzzed as if struck by lightning. He knew the importance of this banquet; he couldn't afford a single error, yet the arrival of the Chu family was an absolute wildcard. Regardless of the reason, it left him filled with trepidation.

Just then, the four of them reached the entrance. Chu Zangxuan, in the lead, immediately wore a brilliant smile: "Big Brother Pengcheng, it’s been a long time, and you’re still as energetic as ever."

"Brother Zangxuan, you’re looking quite spirited yourself," Fu Pengcheng replied with a warm, welcoming smile, though he was inwardly puzzled. *Is Chu Zangxuan not here to cause trouble? Why is he being so polite?*

"What are you standing there for? Still haven't greeted your Uncle? This is Uncle Fu Pengcheng, whom I’ve often told you about," Chu Zangxuan said, pretending to scold his children, though he seemed oblivious to Fu Pengcheng’s anxiety.

"Greetings, Uncle Pengcheng," the refined-looking young man said respectfully.

"Greetings, Uncle!" the stylishly and sexily dressed young woman chirped, flashing a bright, somewhat foxy smile at him.

"Good, good! You too!"

Fu Pengcheng responded somewhat stiffly. He had no idea what their motive was and only wanted to inform the Old Master as soon as possible.

The Chu family was here. It was far too unsettling.

"Big Brother Pengcheng, you carry on with your work. We won’t disturb you any further and will head inside," Chu Zangxuan said, finally sensing the unnatural quality of Fu Pengcheng’s smile.

"No disturbance, no disturbance. Very well, I’ll have someone show you in." Recovering his senses, Fu Pengcheng called over a family member to escort the group into Changxin Garden, then quickly pulled out his phone to call the Old Master.

"Eldest, is there something you need calling me at this hour?" the Old Master’s voice sounded strange.

"Dad, the Chu family is here. Chu Zangxuan and his wife from the Xi City Chu family have arrived with their children to attend your birthday," Fu Pengcheng said, his voice tense.

"Is that so?"

The Old Master’s voice held no surprise. He chuckled lightly, "So they really came. I actually thought they wouldn't."

"Dad, what do you mean?" Fu Pengcheng was baffled.

"Nothing. The invitation for the Chu family was sent out by me and your Uncle Lin. I just didn't expect them to actually come, and so early at that," the Old Master said. "Very well, nothing else to discuss, I’m hanging up. Just focus on your reception duties, don't worry about anything else." He hung up the phone abruptly and cast a meaningful look toward the gate, his eyes narrowing slightly: *The Chu family really came?*

*Could it be that they are not yet reconciled to their fate?*