Chen Fan remained silent, awaiting his next words.
Seeing this, Xu Donglai let out a disdainful chuckle and began to introduce himself.
"The Xu family of Xiling is a prominent clan with centuries of history!"
"To say centuries is merely a general term; it doesn't refer to precisely one hundred years, but rather a much longer span, perhaps two or three hundred, or even more!"
"The Xu family of Xiling traces its origins to the previous dynasty. My ancestor, Duke Wenzhong, achieved the highest scholarly honor and served as the chief minister for three reigns, thus elevating the family's status!"
Xu Donglai spoke at a measured pace, his tone unhurried and his face etched with pride.
"During the previous dynasty, the Xu family's influence remained undiminished, and they possessed the ability to steer the course of the court."
"Later, amid turmoil, the Xu family fortified their estate for self-preservation. At their peak, they commanded an army of over ten thousand men, protecting their ancestral lands. Their prestige was so immense that no one in the Xiling region dared defy them."
"When the current dynasty was established, the Xu family voluntarily disbanded their forces, welcomed the new regime, and stabilized the region. They submitted millions in gold and silver to replenish the national treasury..."
Chen Fan was not privy to all these details.
Listening to Xu Donglai's eloquent account, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
Compared to a venerable clan like the Xu family, the Lin and Wen families of Hang Jiang were indeed insignificant.
In terms of family wealth, these local magnates were not even considered parvenus in the face of the Xu family.
After all, the wealth of a centuries-old clan far surpassed that of these prominent families; the local magnates didn't even qualify as nouveau riche.
Moreover, these families possessed extremely deep foundations; any everyday item from their households might well be a priceless antique worth thousands in the market.
It was only in Hang Jiang that such distinctions were made. If one considered Xiling as the Xu family's fiefdom, it wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"I'm not recounting this to flaunt my family's prestige to Mr. Chen," Xu Donglai said with a smile. "Rather, it is to demonstrate the sincerity of the Xu family."
"We are determined to acquire that item. Allow me to make you an offer: how about ten billion yuan?"
His tone was calm and filled with arrogance. "I heard Mr. Chen, on behalf of the Mr. Long behind you, spent ten billion at an auction a few days ago to purchase the 'Ping An Tie'! But that was not your own fortune!"
"As long as you hand over that item to me, ten billion yuan will be yours to command as you please."
His words were firm, convinced that he had presented Chen Fan with an offer he couldn't refuse.
"Furthermore, Mr. Chen, you will gain the friendship of the Xu family."
"I, Xu Donglai, have come to Hang Jiang with the intention of achieving great things, expanding my territory, and venturing into fields such as finance and real estate."
"In these endeavors, I will reserve an important position for Mr. Chen!"
Chen Fan smiled.
To be frank, he hadn't expected Xu Donglai to be so generous.
Ten billion yuan to purchase a fragment of the Dragon Rune Compass was indeed a significant sum.
Of course, for a clan with centuries of history, ten billion yuan to avoid complications might not be a loss.
However, he could not agree.
In essence, Xu Donglai's lengthy explanation boiled down to a simple threat and enticement.
Currently, it was enticement. If Chen Fan refused and Xu Donglai remained so amenable, then he would truly have to reconsider his opinion of Xu Donglai.
"Mr. Chen?"
Xu Donglai said confidently, "You are an intelligent man; you must know how to choose, right?"
"I'm not interested."
Chen Fan shook his head with a playful smile and replied, "I made myself clear yesterday. The item will not be sold to you."
"You..."
Believing Chen Fan couldn't refuse, Xu Donglai's face turned ashen.
The offer he had made was outrageously high, yet Chen Fan still refused.
Ten billion yuan, plus numerous promises!
Why would this fellow refuse?
Ten billion yuan would be enough to buy his life a hundred times over.
If he hadn't known that other powerful forces were also eyeing the Dragon Rune Compass, he would never have offered such a price.
"Mr. Chen, are you refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit?"
He stood up abruptly, his voice turning chilling. "You'd rather be a dog to that Mr. Long than show me respect?"
"I told you, your respect is worthless. If you insist on placing it on the ground for me to tread upon, I don't mind stepping on it a few times!"
Chen Fan remained seated, speaking indifferently.
"You court death!"
Xu Donglai grunted. "Do you know that in front of the Xu family, that Mr. Long is nothing? If the Xu family exerts its influence, even Long Teng Group will find itself in dire straits!"
Chen Fan stood up and said, "You can try."
The commercial empire he had built, if it could be so easily brought down, would be meaningless.
Moreover, Chen Fan didn't place much importance on Long Teng Group.
Xu Donglai was enraged at this response. "No one dares to refuse me. If you don't hand over the item, do you think you can walk out of here alive?"
Chen Fan said calmly, "Enticement fails, so you resort to coercion. It seems the methods of a centuries-old clan are nothing more than this."
"You dare to insult my Xu family?"
Xu Donglai gritted his teeth in fury and scoffed, "Today, I will show you what the consequences of refusing me are!"
"Once you step out of this door, you will be an enemy of the Xu family!"
Chen Fan stopped at the office door and said, "I forgot to tell you. If you use the same methods to invite me here again, you will die!"
His tone was indifferent, but the power contained within it made Xu Donglai tense up suddenly.
However, he quickly sneered.
In one day, he had used his connections and various channels to investigate Chen Fan thoroughly.
In his opinion, Chen Fan's sole reliance was that mysterious Mr. Long.
A mere Mr. Long was not enough to make him hesitate.
Even the Raptor Brigade, which had a close relationship with Mr. Long, had been deployed elsewhere, so what was there to fear?
This Chen Fan was merely skilled in combat, but what good was that?
Since he dared to refuse, he would not leave this martial arts dojo alive.
Chen Fan then stepped out of the office.
In the spacious training hall, over a hundred people were gathered.
There were members of the Shao family, individuals training at the dojo, and elite bodyguards brought by Xu Donglai.
"Kill him for me! Avenge Mo Qing!"
A young member of the Shao family couldn't resist and shouted, wielding a practice staff from the dojo and swinging it at Chen Fan.
"Go, Young Master Xu is backing us!"
"Beat him to death! Young Master Xu has offered a reward of ten million, and everyone gets a share!"
"..."
The others didn't hesitate. Some empty-handed, others wielding clubs or similar weapons, they surged forward like a tide.
Chen Fan reached out and snatched the practice staff from the Shao family youth's hand.
With a swing of the staff, the Shao family youth cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
Chen Fan, holding the staff, took a step forward.
Without any preamble, with a mere sweep of the staff, he knocked out three people.
He flicked the staff upwards, deflecting an incoming weapon, then moved forward with an elbow strike, sending someone staggering back, knocking over a chain of people.
The practice staff of the martial arts dojo seemed to come alive in his hands. Each strike was incredibly simple yet effective, and no one could dodge or block it.
He scoffed inwardly.
It had been too long since he had thrown a punch. It felt good to stretch his limbs today.
As he advanced, one figure after another fell, regardless of whether they were trained or skilled in combat. None were spared.
At the entrance of the office, Xu Donglai and the old man had emerged, watching Chen Fan with expressions that were not overly surprised.
"Xibo, what do you think?"
Xu Donglai asked in a chilling tone.
"No internal energy!"
The old man replied, "But his combat skills are already perfected to the point of transcendence."
"I will face him!"
A murderous glint appeared in Xu Donglai's eyes.
"Then young master, you must be careful."
The old man said.
"It would be best if I could kill him myself. If not, then you can intervene!"
Recalling the subtle disadvantage he suffered when shaking Chen Fan's hand yesterday, Xu Donglai harbored a deep resentment.
He wanted to kill Chen Fan personally, not only to obtain the Dragon Rune Compass fragment but also as a form of self-discipline.
The heir to the Xiling Xu family must be proficient in both civil and military arts, excelling in all aspects.
If he could personally defeat Chen Fan, he would earn significant favor with the elders of his family, surpassing his peers in the clan by a considerable margin.
Of course, he was not entirely confident of victory, hence his decision to have the expert Xibo act as a backup.
He did not place all his hopes of subduing Chen Fan on the people outside.
The true trump card was the martial arts master, Xibo!