chapter 21 I'm not even an ant

After an hour had passed, the Land Rover pulled up in front of a towering skyscraper in the heart of Dongzhou that had yet to officially open its doors. "Is this the Dongzhou Building?" The two individuals disembarked from the car and strolled towards the plaza. Randy Ling gazed up at the building with a complex expression. This had been the greatest aspiration of his adoptive father throughout his lifetime. He dreamt of transforming Dongzhou's tallest building into the city's iconic landmark. Whenever people mentioned Dongzhou, they'd think of Dongzhou Tower. According to the plans, once the construction was completed, it would house high-end shopping, leisure, entertainment, hotels, and offices. However, tragedy struck before it could be finished—a mishap involving his adoptive father. "Yeah," Sherod Lu replied. "Your adoptive father had an accident, and the project was halted immediately. Dongzhou authorities were searching for someone to take over." "He established a branch of Sihai Group in Dongzhou. After a year of construction, it's been completed and is now in the investment stage." "Yeah," Randy Ling nodded slightly. "Fat Shen is quite reliable in his work." "But, on one hand, due to the massive investment required for the project, and on the other hand, due to superstitions about bad luck, no one has dared to step in." "A year ago, at your direction, I contacted Fatty Shen and asked him to come to Dongzhou and take over this project." Leading the way was a Rolls-Royce Phantom, followed by a procession of all-black Mercedes-Benz vehicles, creating quite a spectacle. Subsequently, scores of men in black exited the Mercedes-Benz cars and fanned out in various directions. Screech! Screech! Screech! At that moment, the sound of tires screeching on the road outside the plaza caught their attention, as twenty or thirty luxury cars came to a stop. "Who are they? Such a grand entrance?" "Haven't you seen the license plate on the front Rolls-Royce? That's the vehicle of the Sihai Group's chairman, and this Dongzhou Building belongs to their company!" After a while, the highway was put under martial law, and the square's pedestrians were gradually persuaded to disperse. Pedestrians from a hundred meters away cast curious glances, their expressions tinged with awe. Conversations buzzed around them. Simultaneously, two individuals, one elderly and one younger, alighted from the Rolls-Royce. "No wonder! It's the Sihai Group that emerged in Dongzhou this year, making the Zhao family, the city's most powerful clan, withdraw!" "..." "That damn chubby guy just loves grand entrances!" Sherod Lu shot a speechless glance at the other man. "Young Master Ling!" A moment later, a young man sprinted over, covering three steps at a time. The elderly man, roughly sixty years old with white hair and a cherubic face, stood beside the car like a javelin with a tense demeanor upon disembarking. The younger man, still shy of forty, had a rotund physique, donned designer brands, and wore a Maitreya Buddha-like smile. As Webb Shen's personal guard, he alone understood the depth of Webb Shen's connections. Not only in Dongzhou but throughout the country, their influence was substantial. He rushed to Randy Ling and bowed deeply. "Webb Shen reporting to you, Master Ling, please give your instructions." Witnessing this scene, an astonished expression crossed the face of the elderly man nearby; he couldn't believe his eyes. "Hehe, I don't want any idle people disturbing Mr. Ling!" Webb Shen grinned and gestured to the elderly man behind him. "That's it!" "Understood!" The elderly man nodded and turned to a man in black at his side. The man took out his walkie-talkie and issued orders. He had followed Webb Shen for nearly a decade but had never seen him treat anyone with such respect. "Do you enjoy flaunting your authority?" Randy Ling scowled at the other party. "Have your people disperse first!" "Screw you, I don't share your hobbies!" Sherod Lu retorted. "Uh... Boss Lu, don't tarnish my reputation!" Webb Shen twitched the corners of his mouth, then glanced at Randy Ling. After a while, a hundred men in black reboarded their vehicles, and the convoy roared away. Webb Shen turned to Sherod Lu. "Boss Lu, it's been a while, I've missed you!" "Master Ling, haven't you been in the Western Region all this time? Why the sudden trip to Dongzhou?" After the three of them climbed into the car, Webb Shen directed his question at Randy Ling. "You're quite the good boy. It's been two years since I saw you last. You've shed quite a bit of weight!" Randy Ling replied, avoiding the question. "Mr. Ling, the building isn't officially open yet. Would you like to visit the company instead?" "Let's just stay in our car for a while!" Randy Ling looked up at the building once more, then turned and headed back to the car. "Yeah, not bad, quite a bit of perseverance!" Randy Ling smiled faintly. "Thank you, Master Ling, for the compliment!" Webb Shen responded with a smile. "Master Ling, may I report the progress of Dongzhou Building?" "Hehe, isn't that why you're here?" Webb Shen grinned. "I've been working out a lot in the past two years, and I've already achieved the weight loss goal you set for me!" "For now, there's nothing special. Focus on attracting investment and getting this building up and running as soon as possible," Randy Ling instructed. "Rest assured, Mr. Ling, I guarantee there won't be any issues!" Webb Shen declared confidently. "No need!" Randy Ling shook his head. "I trust your judgment; you can make the final decisions on these minor matters." "Thank you, Master Ling, for your trust!" Webb Shen paused briefly and then asked, "Master Ling, do you have any specific reasons for coming to Dongzhou? Any new instructions?" "My adoptive father was killed by those three families," Randy Ling said solemnly. "Ah? They deserve to die!" Shen Le's face flushed with anger. "Rest assured, Mr. Ling, dealing with a few pests won't be a problem!" "Furthermore, find out more about the businesses under Zhao Wangtao's family and be prepared to take them over," Randy Ling added after a moment of contemplation. "Huh?" Webb Shen was taken aback. "Young Master Ling, do you intend to take action against these three families?" He had no idea how much money was in the Supreme Cards on his person, but he knew that any one of them could likely buy ten such high-rise buildings, more than enough. "I presume you'll need some capital to acquire their properties. Do you have enough funds on hand?" Randy Ling continued. "If not, I can transfer some to you." Money, to Randy Ling, was just a number. "The Qin family?" Webb Shen was momentarily stunned but then nodded. "Understood!" "You go ahead and focus on your work. If anything comes up, I'll have Sherod Lu contact you." "That's enough!" Webb Shen nodded vigorously. "I can manage this small amount of money." "Good!" Randy Ling nodded slightly. "Additionally, have someone compile information on the Qin family and provide it to me." "Young Master, who is this person? Do you need to treat them with such respect?" Webb Shen's personal guard asked upon returning to the Rolls-Royce. "Mr. Tang, let me ask you a question. Do you think I'm impressive?" Webb Shen responded indirectly. After the three of them continued chatting for about ten minutes, Randy Ling waved his hand. "All right!" Webb Shen bid farewell to Sherod Lu and exited the car. "Let me put it this way, even if my accomplishments were multiplied tenfold or a hundredfold, compared to him, I'd still be no more than an ant." "Haha!" Webb Shen chuckled faintly. "With what the young master has achieved today, he's one of the best among his peers," the personal guard replied. Hiss! The personal guard couldn't help but inhale sharply, his face reflecting shock. "He is?" "The Western Region's King, Randy Ling!" Webb Shen stated solemnly. ..