Chapter 159: The Uninvited Guest
"Young Master Cai!" Du Hong, the leader of the group, suddenly stood up under everyone's surprised gaze, his face showing a rare expression of respect.
As the others stared in astonishment, a dark-skinned, ordinary-looking young man—around 1.75 meters tall, dressed in a black shirt, black tie, and black suit—walked calmly into the room. He glanced at Du Hong and nodded slightly. "Elder Du."
"Young Master Cai, it's truly an honor for my humble Moon View Pavilion to be graced by your presence." Du Hong said respectfully, walking over to the young man who looked so unremarkable.
"Hehe, Elder Du, you're too polite." The dark-skinned young man smiled faintly and gracefully gestured for Du Hong to sit first.
"This is Young Master Cai Yu, the legitimate grandson of Elder Cai from the Cai family—one of the Eight Great Families of the capital. Everyone, please greet Young Master Cai." After escorting the young man to his seat, Du Hong made the introductions.
"The Cai family…"
Everyone present was stunned. What was a member of the Cai family doing here?
The Cai family was one of Huaxia's most prestigious old families, with power spanning politics, the military, business, and education. Every member was outstanding. Take Cai Yu, for example—only twenty-five years old, yet already holding PhDs in both economics and law, and one of the main leaders of the Cai family's Yongxing Foundation.
Above Cai Yu was someone even more formidable—his sister, Cai Bing, who oversaw all overseas operations of the Cai Consortium. This year alone, she had completed several major mergers approved by the Ministry of Commerce, with the largest valued at over two billion U.S. dollars.
Among the twenty major families rumored to exist in Huaxia, aside from the top four or five, the Cai, Qiao, and Chen families led the second-tier group. Which of the three was strongest was hard to tell, but one thing was certain—they all aspired to join the top tier.
The Chen family was based in Shanghai, so in the capital, the Qiao and Cai families competed fiercely in strategy—but it wasn't a life-or-death rivalry. They were linked by marriage, after all, so any competition remained behind the scenes. On the surface, they remained cordial.
In recent years, both the Qiao and Cai families had made clear their intent to expand into the economically vital Southeast Province of South China. Outwardly, the Qiao family seemed to have the upper hand, since the Southeast's top family—the Du family—was tied to Elder Qiao through an old relationship. Theoretically, the Southeast power balance had already been decided, with the Qiao family holding the advantage.
Moreover, the Qiao family's long-silent Lanchen Group had been expanding rapidly in Mingzhou and Meining. Combined with Du Zhengyu's appointment as acting mayor of Mingzhou, these moves signaled that the Qiao family had basically secured control over the Southeast.
But now, Du Hong's sudden invitation to Cai Yu shocked everyone. After all, the Du family's alliance with the Qiao family was well known—this move could only mean one thing: the Du family was cutting ties with the Qiao family.
There had to be a deeper reason behind this!
"Hehe, I know everyone must be wondering why Young Master Cai has come to Mingzhou. Let me explain—he just arrived from the capital," Du Hong said with a smile, glancing at Cai Yu. "His main purpose this time is to acquire Bai Pharmaceuticals and establish Yongxing Group's Southeast Headquarters here in Mingzhou, to collaborate fully with the province's enterprises."
That statement exploded like a bomb among the crowd. First of all, acquiring Bai Pharmaceuticals seemed strange. The Bai family was on the brink of collapse, like a hut swaying in a storm—taking over their business was practically picking up a burning coal. Who would want to do something so foolish?
Second, the Cai family's Yongxing Group specialized in heavy industry and energy—sectors that were not the Southeast's economic strengths. Unless the Cai family was changing its industrial strategy, how could such a collaboration make sense?
"I know my words might cause more confusion," Du Hong said with a smile as everyone took their seats. "But that's alright. Let's hear what Young Master Cai has to say, shall we?"
Cai Yu nodded, then stood up. "Uncles, elders—first, I must apologize for intruding so abruptly."
"I came today mainly to exchange ideas with all of you. I don't mean to overstep. If there's anything inappropriate, I hope you'll correct me."
His tone was humble, his gaze calm. Unlike the usual arrogance of young nobles, his words carried a steady confidence that quickly won over many of the elders present.
"Please, go ahead, Young Master Cai."
"Thank you. Here's the thing—the Southeast Province was one of the first regions in Huaxia to open up. Economically, especially with Meining and Mingzhou, it stands as a shining example of South China's growth. That's something we all acknowledge… However—" He paused, scanning the room to gauge everyone's reactions before continuing with a faint smile, "In recent years, as the nation has deepened reform and expanded westward, the Southeast's position has become somewhat awkward. Of course, the state hasn't neglected the Southeast's development. The new economic zone strategies proposed in recent years signal the next great opportunity for this region's growth."
"That's the main reason our Cai family wishes to enter the Southeast—to progress together and share in the prosperity that the state has bestowed upon this region."
"All of you here, especially Elder Du, are the leading figures in the Southeast's economy. That's why Yongxing Group's only option is to cooperate with you. To be transparent—this acquisition of Bai Pharmaceuticals was done in partnership with Elder Du. Moving forward, Yongxing Group will expand into real estate, biotechnology, shipbuilding, and energy—especially biotechnology…" He paused briefly as everyone exchanged shocked glances. "Yes, biotechnology will be our primary focus."
His words left the room in complete silence. Yongxing Group entering the pharmaceutical industry—this was a bombshell. After all, everyone present had some connection to biotech. Even those on the sidelines were closely tied to the Du family.
Though Cai Yu didn't spell it out, everyone understood perfectly well—he was essentially saying: if you want to survive in this new era, you'd better work with the Cai family's Yongxing Group.
Nuwa alone had already left many companies trembling. Now with the Cai family entering the scene, how were they supposed to survive?
All eyes turned to Du Hong. His stance was clear—the Du family had now pledged allegiance to the Cai family. In other words, there was only one path left for the rest of them: follow the Du family, and follow the Cai family.
"Then, Young Master Cai," Peng Huai stood up, his face full of expectation, "how do we resolve our current predicament?"