Chapter 150: Xu Yun Appears

Chapter 150: Xu Yun Appears

Facing Tang Jiu's declaration, the individuals who eagerly desired to split the Tang family assets all darkened their expressions. Leading the third generation of the Tang family, Tang sanguo and Tang Huazhong were the first to voice their dissatisfaction with Tang Jiu's words.

Tang sanguo sneered, "Little Jiu, your third uncle has loved you the most since you were a child. No matter what you say, your third uncle would usually go along with it, but today your words went a bit too far. What do you mean by anyone wanting to leave the Tang family can do so, but cannot take a single shred of the Tang family's property? The Tang family was built by your father and these uncles of yours. Your elder brothers here have also put in immense effort. The hard work and dedication your third and fourth brothers have poured into the Tang family are something your father has seen crystal clear."

Tang Zhengtian smiled faintly, "Of course, everything Shaofeng and Tang Yi have done for the Tang family is entirely clear to me."

"Third Uncle, are you only telling half the story?" Tang Jiu asked. "Everyone in the Tang family sees the contributions Third Brother and Fourth Brother have made, but what about the conditions the Tang family has provided for them? Not to mention Jinan City, looking across the entire province, how many people enjoy the conditions they have? Third Uncle, it’s not that your niece likes to speak harshly, but do you truly believe their contributions to the Tang family match the privileges the Tang family has afforded them?"

"Ninth Sister, what do you mean by that?" Tang Yi frowned angrily. "You can criticize me and your third brother all you like, but how can you speak to our third uncle like that! Without these elders, where would any of us be today?"

Tang Jiu's smile held no warmth at all. "Fourth Brother, let me ask you then: what is the extent of your actual contribution to the Tang family? You were merely entrusted with overseeing a few entertainment venues. Do you honestly think things would fall apart without you? For an annual salary of five hundred thousand, I could hire anyone off the street who would manage them just as well. Meanwhile, the annual upkeep for your three luxury cars alone must exceed fifty thousand, right?"

Tang Yi’s face flushed a mottled mix of red and white under Tang Jiu's reproaches. "Little Jiu! Do you think Jinan is genuinely that peaceful? Who knows how many disasters might have broken out if not for your fourth brother's reputation and influence! You really are sitting comfortably and talking without lifting a finger, tossing out such sarcastic remarks."

"Reputation?" Tang Jiu laughed aloud. "Fourth Brother, you don't actually believe your reputation is that grand, do you? You don't honestly think driving a Porsche and a Lexus gives you real clout, do you? Your prestige is bestowed upon you by the Tang family. Without the Tang family backing you up, how much do you think your so-called prestige is actually worth?"

Tang Jiu's blunt words truly shocked everyone present in the Tang family. Even Tang Zhengtian had not expected his daughter to return and attack with such aggressive momentum; it seemed she was genuinely furious.

Seeing that Tang Yi was speechless, Tang Jiu continued, "Fourth Brother, I know your purpose in coming to this family meeting today. You simply want to take over those entertainment venues and operate them independently. Hehe, it’s not that your younger sister is unwilling to agree, but if I do agree, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle them."

"Ninth Sister, since you've pushed things to this extreme, I'll lay my cards on the table as well! You can assign whoever you want to those venues! If a single person manages to keep them running successfully, I will change my last name!" Tang Yi had been stripped of every shred of dignity by Tang Jiu's words. If he didn't react now, he would truly lose all footing within the Tang family.

"Don't do that, Fourth Brother, no matter what, you are still a member of the Tang family." Tang Jiu smiled slightly. "Since you've said so, I will do as you requested. From now on, you won't need to visit those venues anymore; I'll take full charge of them."

It was only then that Tang Yi realized with a jolt that Tang Jiu had quietly stripped him of his power without a sound. However, the words had already been spoken, and going back on them would only cause him to lose even more face. Gritting his teeth, he braced himself and said, "Fine! We'll do it your way!"

He simply refused to believe that a little girl like Tang Jiu was better at managing those places than he was. A single phone call from him would grind the business at those venues to a halt! At that point, he would just wait for Tang Jiu to beg him to come back and take over.

Tang Shaofeng nearly blurted out the word "idiot"! Fourth Brother lacked any sense of principle whatsoever. They had originally come to push for a family split, yet Tang Jiu had managed to flip his stance entirely with just a few sentences. No wonder their father always scolded him on ordinary days; even as his own flesh-and-blood brother, he found him infuriatingly weak-willed.

"Ninth Sister, you say you're taking them back just like that, but those were managed by Fourth Brother for a long time. You can't just write it off like this, can you?" Tang Shaofeng interjected.

Before Tang Jiu could reply, Tang Yifei jumped in first. "Third Brother, what is that supposed to mean? Are the assets Fourth Brother managed no longer part of the Tang family? Why do your words make it sound like those entertainment complexes are your family's private property?"

Tang Shaofeng narrowed his small eyes and shot a glare at Tang Yifei. "Second Brother, I didn't say any such thing. I'm merely speaking the truth based on facts. Fourth Brother put more effort into those entertainment complexes than anyone else; logically and reasonably, he should be the one managing them."

"By the sound of it, since you manage several of the Tang family's hotels, those hotels should belong under your exclusive management as well?" Tang Yifei smiled faintly. "Will you be demanding separate, independent management of the accounts after today too?"

Tang Shaofeng did not flinch in the slightest against Tang Yifei's direct confrontation. "Second Brother, I finally understand your drift now. The Tang family's financial investment company is managed by you—does that mean you intend to take the lion's share? Hmph, if that's what you think, as your younger brother, I wouldn't dare say much, but you'll have to ask Uncle Tang whether he agrees to it or not."

Tang Zhengtian, a man well past fifty, was well aware of his own physical condition and couldn't be bothered to waste energy getting angry at the antics of these younger generations. He spoke calmly, "I understand my own body, and you understand it too. I know what you're all after. But let me say this once more: as long as I draw breath in this world, a split of the Tang family will never be permitted."

Tang Long, as the eldest of the fourth generation, hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Third Brother, go play somewhere else! Uncle Tang is still in good health, yet you're already plotting to divide the family—isn't that going too far? Third Uncle, if you ask me, today's trouble is entirely Third Brother's fault."

"Brother Long, Fourth Uncle had you at a young age, and he passed away early. When we were kids, my dad showed you plenty of favors and affection. I never imagined you would turn around and become a lapdog to Second Brother. Hmph, I really overestimated you." Tang Shaofeng's tongue was truly vicious when he wanted it to be.

Tang Wanxin and Tang Quan exchanged glances, a secret amusement rising in their hearts. They hadn't expected the drama tonight to be so entertaining; it had barely begun, and Second Brother and Third Brother were already tearing into each other. Although the two of them belonged to the main branch of the Tang family, they practically possessed no voting power or voice. You couldn't really blame them—Tang Quan's father and Tang Long's father had died in the exact same car accident, while Tang Wanxin's old man had inexplicably decided to become a monk when Wanxin was just sixteen. Consequently, these two had no backing in the Tang family and were destined to be mere parasites for life.

Tang Long was unfazed by Tang Shaofeng's taunts and continued, "Of course I am grateful for Third Uncle's care for me since childhood, but right now I am siding with reason over relations. I feel Second Brother makes a valid point: the Tang family is a single household, and we cannot afford to split up."

"Since we've torn off our masks, I won't hide anything anymore." Prompted by a glance from his father Tang sanguo, Tang Shaofeng laid his cards bare. "Nobody wants to see the Tang family split apart, but the issues the Tang family faces have reached this point. Brother Long, you and Second Brother don't want a division, and Second Uncle feels the same way, simply because you believe that without a split, Second Brother will inherit the entire Tang family! Don't bother denying it when I say this—that is precisely what is on your minds!"

Tang Zhenfeng frowned. "Shaofeng, is that any way to speak? Do you really think Uncle Tang and Little Jiu don't exist anymore? With Little Jiu here, the Tang family has a legitimate, rightful heir. What on earth do you mean by maliciously siphoning accusations against Second Uncle and your two brothers?"

"Second Brother, stop playing the fool when you know very well what's going on. Who doesn't know the truth here?" Tang sanguo smiled faintly. "Don't try to use your seniority to suppress the younger generation. Hehe, do you genuinely believe Little Jiu can inherit the Tang family? While the Tang family has no rule stating women cannot inherit, there is certainly no precedent for a female successor either!"

Emboldened by his father's support, Tang Shaofeng stepped once again into the spotlight. "Second Brother, you've had your little schemes calculated for a long time, haven't you? Ninth Sister completely lacks the capability to inherit the Tang family, but don't even dream of swallowing it all by yourself!"

"Audacious!" Tang Yifei rebuked angrily. "Third Brother, you'd better watch your tongue!"

"What? Struck dumb with anger after being exposed?" Tang Shaofeng sneered.

Smack! Tang Wanhe, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly slammed his palm down on the table, reprimanding the quarreling juniors in a fury. "Do you still see your elders in your eyes?! Do you still see Uncle Tang in your eyes?! It is not yet your turn to run wild and point fingers in the Tang family!"

Tang Yifei snorted. "Seventh Uncle, in the past you never voiced opinions on anything, but today you ought to state your stance, shouldn't you?"

"Second Brother, of course my dad won't agree to a family split. But he certainly won't support your bid to inherit the Tang family either." Tang Xiandai smiled lightly. "You'd better stop pinning your hopes on my dad. Fight and brawl however you like, but we must retain our right to speak in the Tang family."

Tang Yifei cursed them inwardly as ambitionless trash, abandoning any further attention toward them as he turned his gaze to Tang Zhengtian. "Uncle Tang is still seated in this position; his words are the law of the Tang family. Let's cut the nonsense, everyone, and abide by Uncle Tang's decision."

Tang Zhengtian adjusted his mindset as best as he could, refusing to let himself be provoked by the petty squabbling of the younger generation. If he lost his temper right now, a surge of blood to his head could trigger a life-threatening crisis at any moment. "I believe I mentioned before that if Little Jiu could find a capable and reliable helper, I would be able to rest easy and hand the Tang family over to her. If not, the Tang family cannot be entrusted to her. Today, Little Jiu has brought that person to us all. Whether they can earn everyone's recognition depends entirely on their own abilities."

Xu Yun couldn't help but issue a bitter internal sigh. Oh boy, you just dumped this heavy burden straight onto my head with such casual ease! Well, there's no helping it; since I agreed to help Tang Jiu, I have to take it on. Who asked me to make that promise to her anyway? Since I'm playing her boyfriend for a few days, I have to play the part convincingly, otherwise I'd feel terribly guilty about losing out on that hundred-million-dollar hotel.

With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yun stood up, casually waving a hand with a beaming smile. "Pardon me, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Xu Yun, and I'm Tang Jiu's boyfriend. It's an absolute pleasure to have the honor of meeting all of you today. Of course, the feeling might not be mutual, and you probably aren't thrilled to meet me either, but what's done is done, and you'll just have to swallow it and accept the reality. Well, that's pretty much the gist of it. Moving forward, I hope you will all give your full support to me and Tang Jiu. I won't say much more than that."