Chapter Fifty-Five: Someone Not to Be Provoked

The three bald men were on the verge of tears. This was utter self-destruction. They had assumed that with the backing of their boss, everything would be easily resolved. True, things had been settled effortlessly, but the ones who had been dealt with were not Ling Tian, but themselves. The bald man wept and struggled, fully aware that from this day forward, he had lost the powerful support of the Gu family forever. Even being a distant relative would do him no good now.

Gu Feng ground his teeth in fury. This damned bald fool—of all the people to offend, it just had to be Ling Tian. Truly, he was blind as a bat.

"I never want to see these three in Yunhai City again," Gu Feng said coldly, watching as the bald man and his companions were dragged away. He added, "Make sure of it."

"Young Master Ling, are you satisfied with how I handled things?" Gu Feng forced a strained smile onto his ashen face.

Ling Tian nodded. "You handled it fairly well. Let's leave it at that for today." He didn't wish to press the matter further—unless he possessed the absolute strength to sweep away the combined might of the four great families.

Zhang Ding and Zhang Ting had witnessed something today they could scarcely have imagined. As people at the very bottom of society, never in their wildest dreams did they think that the formidable Young Master of the Gu family would grovel so humbly before Ling Tian. Zhang Ding felt as if he had gone from rags to riches in an instant. From now on, he could finally leave behind those humiliating days of struggling just to survive.

"Young Master Gu, I've taken a liking to one of your business vehicles. If you don't mind, I'll be taking it," Ling Tian said indifferently. He led Zhang Ding and Zhang Ting back into the hall, selected a business car, and drove off.

Gu Feng's expression was icy as he watched Ling Tian leave. Once Ling Tian's car had exited the gates, Gu Feng cursed loudly, "Ling Tian, I won't forget this! Don't assume just because the Mu family is shielding you that my family won't dare act. In today's world, it's not force that counts, but brains. When we've brought down the Mu family, let's see how arrogant you still are!"

"Young Master Gu, should we send someone to finish him off?" a bodyguard asked, his voice low.

Gu Feng shook his head. "That kid's strength is formidable—even Lao Lang, one of Yunhai City's top fighters, is no match for him. Sending others would be a waste. Unless we have absolute certainty, making a move now would only provoke him."

"So we just sit and take it?" the bodyguard muttered, still nursing his bruised pride after the earlier confrontation.

Gu Feng shot the man a fierce glare. "Stop thinking with your fists. Use your head for once."

The bodyguard had no idea what Gu Feng meant.

"The scariest thing about him isn't his strength—it's his mind. Everything he does is perfectly calculated, always staying within the boundaries the families can't cross. Which means I can't use the family's power against him. Worst of all, he always controls the pace, keeping me a step behind," Gu Feng said through gritted teeth.

Gu Feng, who had always prided himself on his strength, was bitterly aware of how powerless he felt against Ling Tian. The frustration was suffocating.

In Ling Tian, Gu Feng saw a reflection of the older generation's methods: prudent, thorough, always weighing every factor. On the surface, Ling Tian appeared arrogant and reckless, but in truth, he was a man of deep cunning.

"Pass down the order—Ling Tian is now our number one untouchable," Gu Feng said grimly. If he couldn't deal with Ling Tian now, he'd have to bide his time until after the Mu family was out of the picture.

In Gu Feng’s eyes, Ling Tian’s arrogance was all thanks to the Mu family's protection. If the Mu family fell, Ling Tian would be nothing.

If only Gu Feng knew Ling Tian's true identity and power, he would run as far away as possible.

After temporarily settling Zhang Ding and Zhang Ting at the welfare home, Ling Tian returned to Qingcheng Group.

As soon as Ling Tian stepped through the doors, the receptionist greeted him with a sweet smile. "Mr. Ling, President Mu and Manager Wang Ling instructed me to notify you immediately to go to the president’s office if you arrived."

Ling Tian nodded and went straight up to the president’s office.

Since Ling Tian had handed over the formula, the R&D department had made astonishing progress. They had overcome numerous previously insurmountable problems, shortening the development timeline by a third. According to the report sent to Mu Qingcheng, they were confident they could present a prototype within a week. If testing went smoothly, mass production and market launch would follow soon after.

The thought of a new product breaking the market stalemate and propelling Qingcheng Group forward filled Mu Qingcheng with such excitement that she could barely sleep. After so much planning and investment of resources, she was finally seeing the first rays of hope.

When Ling Tian entered, he found Mu Qingcheng and Wang Ling both present. Unlike their previous worried state, today they were radiant, chatting and laughing.

"You’re back? Come, sit down. I’ll make you some coffee," Mu Qingcheng said the moment she saw Ling Tian. She shed her frosty, authoritative air, revealing a softer, more feminine side, like a wife welcoming her husband home. Wang Ling was visibly surprised.

Ling Tian sat down on the sofa and replied mildly, "Just make me some tea. I’m not used to coffee."

Mu Qingcheng smiled and nodded, preparing a cup of tea and handing it to Ling Tian. "Thank you for your help. If you hadn’t stepped in, the losses to the company would have been unimaginable."

Ling Tian sipped his tea, answering casually, "It was nothing—no need to dwell on it. Of course, if you truly wish to repay me, when your finances allow, help me acquire some rare medicinal herbs. Once you’ve gathered enough, I’ll come select what I need."

Mu Qingcheng replied, "That’s easy. Qingcheng Group’s main business is pharmaceuticals, and we have contacts with herbal suppliers all over the country. If it’s convenient, you can give me a list, and I’ll purchase according to that."

"Let’s leave it to chance," Ling Tian said calmly. "Just go about your usual acquisitions." In truth, he considered making a list, but felt that if he started targeting rare treasures, it would draw the attention of certain hidden sects.

Ling Tian always believed there was always someone stronger out there, and that it was best to keep a low profile—unless one possessed truly unrivaled power.

Besides, many of the most precious things couldn’t be bought with money. The real treasures were either yet to be discovered or had already been claimed by powerful sects and ancient families. That’s why such items were rare on the open market, and even if they did appear, the quantities were minimal.