Chapter 492: Happy Cooperation
At that moment, two middle-aged men were sitting on a sofa in the villa. When they saw Gao Dongran and Gao Li enter, they stood up with smiles.
"Mr. Gao, welcome," the man in the lead said with a smile as he extended his hand.
Seeing this, Gao Dongran quickly stepped forward and shook the middle-aged man’s hand. "Mr. Fan, hello. It’s a great pleasure to meet you," he said, smiling.
Standing behind Gao Dongran, Gao Li’s expression flickered as he listened, his heart filled with shock.
Mr. Fan? Are they from the Fan Family, of that business empire? he thought, stunned. He was well aware of the kind of power the Fan Family wielded.
"Haha, you’re too kind, Mr. Gao. Please, have a seat," Fan Qing said with a laugh.
Gao Dongran didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down on the sofa with a smile, while Gao Li stood calmly behind him.
"Mr. Gao, first, I’d like to welcome you here. We also welcome the chance to cooperate with you," Fan Qing said, looking at Gao Dongran with a smile.
"Mr. Fan, you’re too kind. We share a common enemy, so of course, cooperation is a good thing. I wonder, how do you plan to deal with Lin Kuang?" Gao Dongran asked, smiling back at him.
Gao Dongran was in high spirits. He was more than willing to cooperate with the Fan Family, as their power was plain for all to see—a force no one dared to ignore.
"I don’t believe we need any special methods. In the face of overwhelming strength, any scheme is useless. We know that you are an expert, Mr. Gao, so this time, our Fan Family has also dispatched several of our own powerful experts," Fan Qing said with a laugh, looking at Gao Dongran.
In truth, Fan Qing felt that the men he had brought were more than enough to kill Lin Kuang, even without Gao Dongran. However, the head of the Fan Family, Fan Wudao, had instructed that if Gao Dongran wanted to kill Lin Kuang, they should bring him along. This was because once Gao Dongran participated in the assassination, any retaliation from the Lin Family would inevitably be blocked by the Gao Family.
There was another key reason. Most of the Fan Family’s corporate headquarters were abroad. Their desire to return to the country meant establishing a foothold in Yanjing, which was a foregone conclusion. Once in Yanjing, they would require a local partner, and this partner needed to be one of Yanjing’s top powers. The Fan Family wouldn’t even deign to look at second-tier forces.
If the Fan Family and Gao Dongran successfully eliminated Lin Kuang together, the two families would undoubtedly form a partnership. With the Gao Family’s support in Yanjing, the Fan Family’s businesses would surely flourish. How could Fan Wudao pass up such a win-win situation? Moreover, Fan Wudao was confident that given the Fan Family’s foundation and strength, the Gao Family would not refuse. It was for these reasons that he had decided to join forces with Gao Dongran.
Upon hearing Fan Qing’s words, Gao Dongran couldn’t help but nod. In his opinion, using brute force to solve problems was an excellent method, as it didn’t require any complex thinking. He was just about to open his mouth and agree.
But at that very moment, a hand pressed down on his shoulder, causing the words to die on his lips.
Gao Dongran frowned. He knew the hand belonged to Gao Li, but he couldn’t understand why Gao Li would stop him at such a crucial moment. Although Gao Li got on his nerves, he also knew the man was quite intelligent. Otherwise, his father, who was no fool, would never have given Gao Li such an important position. Of course, his earlier words in the office had just been spoken in a fit of anger.
"Gao Li, if you have something to say, say it," Gao Dongran said coolly, glancing back at him.
Hearing this, Gao Li breathed a sigh of relief. He had been genuinely worried that Gao Dongran would ignore him.
Gao Dongran then turned back to Fan Qing and said with a smile, "Mr. Fan, the man behind me has my full authority to speak on my behalf."
Fan Qing, who had been watching Gao Dongran the whole time, smiled faintly. "Very well. Please, speak."
At this, Gao Li organized his thoughts and began, "Mr. Fan, I believe you came here fully prepared; otherwise, you wouldn’t have come at all. However, since you wish to drag Young Master Gao into this, shouldn’t you show some sincerity? After all, once Lin Kuang is dead, our Gao Family will have to step up and handle certain matters. I’m also confident that you could kill Lin Kuang even if Young Master Gao doesn’t lift a finger. That being the case, why should he get involved?"
Gao Li stared at Fan Qing with a smile. His meaning was clear: he wanted benefits—benefits significant enough to sway Gao Dongran or, rather, to sway the entire Gao Family. Otherwise, he would refuse the offer, because he was certain that Fan Qing would move against Lin Kuang whether they joined or not.
Hearing Gao Li speak, a thought sparked in Gao Dongran’s mind, and he instantly understood the meaning behind his words. In that moment, Gao Dongran began to see Gao Li in a new light. This was a perspective he hadn’t considered at all.
Fan Qing’s expression remained calm, though he was inwardly surprised by Gao Li’s words.
This man is a bit smarter than Gao Dongran. It seems I have no choice but to extend an olive branch now, Fan Qing thought.
His original plan had been to discuss the partnership after killing Lin Kuang, at which point the Fan Family would hold more leverage. Mentioning it now put them in a slightly more passive position. However, Fan Qing didn’t mind, as it was something that had to be done anyway.
"Our Fan Family is currently preparing to establish a company in Yanjing, so we need a partner. If you don’t object, Mr. Gao, we can absolutely become partners. I trust this is an attractive proposition?" Fan Qing said with a smile, his gaze fixed calmly on Gao Dongran.
Hearing this, both Gao Dongran and Gao Li were stunned, their hearts filled with astonishment. A partnership between the Fan Family and the Gao Family would be an absolute win-win!
Just as Gao Dongran was about to speak, Gao Li cut in. "Mr. Fan, is this the intention of the Fan Family Head? In other words, is the Fan Family proposing a partnership with our Gao Family?"
"That is correct. It is our Family Head’s intention and the beginning of the cooperation between the Fan Family and the Gao Family," Fan Qing replied, looking at Gao Li with certainty.
A smile spread across Gao Li’s face, and he said no more.
Gao Dongran felt a pang of shame. When it came to matters like this, Gao Li was indeed more considerate and handled them more appropriately than he did.
"In that case, Mr. Fan, here’s to a pleasant cooperation," Gao Dongran said, standing up and extending his hand with a smile.
Fan Qing nodded with a smile, rising from his seat to shake Gao Dongran’s hand. "Indeed. Here’s to a pleasant cooperation. Also, Mr. Gao, tonight you must lure Lin Kuang out. We will set up an ambush and eliminate him completely!"