Chapter 977: But Crushing an Ant

Northwest Steel Group.

Chairman’s Office.

Pan Quan got off the secretary, panting heavily, and sighed: “I’m getting old, not what I used to be.”

“Not at all, Chairman Pan. You’re still as amazing as ever, three whole minutes!”

The secretary said sweetly, though who knows if telling lies like that would get her struck by lightning.

“Hahaha, you really know how to talk.”

Pan Quan burst into hearty laughter. The more certain things fail, the more he enjoyed being complimented on them.

“Chairman Pan, we offended Deng Tianwen like this, will there be any trouble?”

The secretary asked with concern, showing the close relationship she had with Pan Quan—this wasn’t something new.

Pan Quan sneered dismissively: “Trouble? What trouble could there be? You women are just too timid. The Deng Family is too busy with their own issues now. What can they do to me? And besides, the Zhao Family isn’t a pushover either.”

“But I heard that Deng Tianwen and Xu Shaochen are really close…” The secretary’s face remained worried.

Pan Quan hesitated for a moment then said: “Even so, there’s no problem. This is the Northwest, Ye Family’s turf. Xu Shaochen can’t stir up much trouble here.”

“Bang!”

At that moment, the office door was kicked open violently.

“Chairman Pan, truly you have foresight. I, Xu, am just a small fry, it’s true I can’t stir up trouble. But crushing an ant… that’s an easy thing.”

Xu Shaochen and Deng Tianwen strode into the office, looking at Pan Quan with a cold smile.

“You… how did you get in here? Bodyguards! Where are the bodyguards?”

Pan Quan was terrified, his face turning pale.

“No need to call, they’re right here.”

Long Yi and Long Er tossed two battered, bruised bodyguards into the center of the office.

“Xu… Xu Shao. It’s all just a misunderstanding! I was just running my mouth, absolutely no disrespect meant, none at all.”

Pan Quan quickly changed his expression, humbling himself in front of Xu Shaochen with an ingratiating smile.

Xu Shaochen walked over and pinched the secretary’s waist. Soft.

The secretary’s face turned pale, but she didn’t dare make a sound.

Pan Quan’s eyes filled with fury, but even he dared not speak up.

“Pour me some tea.”

Xu Shaochen said indifferently.

The secretary breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to pour the tea for them.

“Xu Shao, please sit, take the top seat.”

Pan Quan fawned over him carefully.

“It’s nothing, I’m just here to watch the show today. You and Tianwen, talk. This is your business.”

Xu Shaochen waved his hand as he sat down on Pan Quan’s boss chair without hesitation, toying with a jade ornament on the desk.

“Nephew, couldn’t this have waited for another day? Did you really need to trouble Xu Shao to come? How about this—another day, I’ll set up a banquet. We can eat and talk things over.”

Pan Quan felt much less pressure when dealing with Deng Tianwen. He just wanted to delay today’s confrontation, fully aware of the reason they had come.

“Uncle Pan, I’ve called you Uncle for over ten years now, haven’t I? So how could you stab your nephew in the back like that, without hesitation? If I hadn’t been prepared, your knife surely would’ve killed me.”

Deng Tianwen’s smile was cold as he looked at Pan Quan, who was shameless enough to still pretend to be close. Deng Tianwen almost laughed out of anger.

“Ah! It’s a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding! Nephew, you don’t know—back then, the Zhao men practically had a gun to my head. How could I not agree to their demands? I had no choice.”

Pan Quan wore an expression of helplessness as if everything he did was beyond his control and not his own doing.

“Uncle Pan, since it’s already happened, let it be. But, you should still compensate me, right?”

Deng Tianwen said.

Pan Quan’s face grew serious: “Of course! Of course! Nephew, just tell me what you need. Whatever I can do, I’ll do it without hesitation. Consider it my apology to feel better.”

“Uncle Pan, I haven’t settled the bill for the steel I’ve pulled in from elsewhere. I’m also running short on cash in my account. How about you cover it for me?”

Deng Tianwen asked.

Pan Quan’s expression stiffened. He knew full well how large the Deng Family’s project was.

That much steel would definitely be a staggering amount of money.

If he actually agreed to cover it, it’d be like having a huge chunk of flesh sliced off.

And right now, pork is expensive ((≡≡)).

“Well… Nephew, it’s not that I don’t want to help. It’s just that I too am in a tight spot. How about I double the breach of contract penalty for you?”

Pan Quan said in a pleading tone.

“Uncle Pan? Do you think because I’m speaking nicely to you, I’m really negotiating with you? Have I given you too much face, that you’re getting cocky?”

Deng Tianwen’s smile disappeared, replaced by a dark scowl, his gaze on Pan Quan like he was staring at a dead man.

“Nephew… What kind of talk is this?”

Pan Quan’s face shifted.

“Slap!”

Deng Tianwen raised his hand and slapped Pan Quan across the face. “Should I speak to you like this? Understand?”

“You… You…”

Pan Quan’s heart filled with rage, but with Xu Shaochen there, he didn’t dare mouth off.

He may have been brash earlier.

But in front of Xu Shaochen, he was always just a lackey.

“Chairman Pan, I don’t have many friends, but I don’t like to see my friends disappointed. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Xu Shaochen said calmly.

Pan Quan felt anguished, thinking he might still have a chance to wriggle out: “Xu Shao, listen to me…”

“Bang!”

Before he could finish, Xu Shaochen threw the jade ornament in his hand, smashing it into Pan Quan’s face.

“Ah!”

Pan Quan screamed as blood spurted from his face.

“You think I’ve shown you too much face? If you hadn’t been playing tricks behind the scenes, we all could’ve worked well together. So why did you have to get clever?”

“Is it that you look down on Deng Tianwen? Or is it me, Xu Shaochen, you don’t respect?”

“Do you believe I could make sure your business never leaves the Northwest?”

Xu Shaochen said lightly, looking at the bleeding Pan Quan, completely unfazed.

“No! No! Xu Shao, I never meant that at all. We’ll do it exactly the way you say, just as you say.”

Pan Quan was genuinely shaken, terrified now, immediately agreeing to Deng Tianwen’s terms.

If Xu Shaochen really made sure his steel couldn’t leave the Northwest, then his company was as good as bankrupt.

After all, how big is the Northwest market? Less than ten percent of the company’s total annual sales come from the Northwest.

“Now that’s more like it. You’re good, I’m good, everyone’s good. It’s all about harmony in society, right?”

Xu Shaochen stood up, smiled as he patted Pan Quan on the shoulder, then left with Deng Tianwen.