Villain: The Play of Destiny

Chapter 434

Jin and Baobao were inwardly very concerned as they sat at the dinner table and watched Feifei happily converse with Keith and Qingyue.

It was almost as if nothing had happened today, and to them, this behaviour was extremely unusual. No person, who had nearly lost their life in such a freak accident should be so jolly afterwards, and it had only been a few hours since it happened.

They wanted to ask her if she really was fine, whether it was all a defensive mechanism that had kicked in, but at the same time, they were a little relieved to see the smile on her face. Perhaps, it was for the best that they did not talk about the accident again.

"Hey, Jin. Has Wang Zemin transferred our winnings to you?" Feifei suddenly asked, and the boy immediately picked out his phone and checked the e-mails.

"Yes. He has sent an extra 50 Million Yuan." He frowned a little. "Compensation for the accident?"

"Send the extra money back. We will only keep our winnings." The little miss Wei was not pleased at all with this gesture from Wang Zemin, and she considered it an insult.

Did any of them lack money? No. And did they ask for compensation? No. Why was he doing it then? Should have given this money to the family of the guy who lost his life.

"Okay." Jin simply shrugged and did as she asked. "I have transferred your and Baobao's shares to your accounts." He informed them before he put the phone aside.

Keith had already made it clear to them that he did not need any money and that he was only there to have fun.

Therefore, Jin did not attempt to insist on the matter as it would have come out as insulting to one of the richest men in the world who did not have need of a few million neris.

"Should I order another Ferrari for you?" The boy asked, suddenly remembering that he had to put in his order as well.

"No. I don't like Ferrari anymore." She laughed, and then happily sipped on her soup, confusing both Baobao and Jin.

She was seemingly lost in her thoughts for a moment as they watched her, and then she raised her head and looked at her cousin.

"Are the orders open for the upcoming Koenigseggs?"

"You want one of them?" Jin surprisedly asked, but then an excited smile crept on his face. "Can I order one as well?" He requested.

"You can only have one car." She smiled at his enthusiasm and watched Jin laugh as he happily excused himself from the table to make a call.

Between a Ferrari and a Koenigsegg, the choice was very easy for him.

Even though he was from a rich family, he had not started making his own money. And his mother was quite strict, keeping his pocket money limited.

He would have never been able to get himself one of those Koenigseggs before graduating, the cars which were amongst the most expensive cars in the world. But now that Feifei was willing to buy one, and they had enough money from their winnings, he was happy that she had decided to fund the remaining amount for his car.

"His mother is not going to be pleased." Baobao reminded Feifei, but the girl just shrugged at her words.

"Aunty loves me. I will just tell her that it was Jin's early birthday present."

"So, you want the new Koenigsegg?" Qingyue knowingly smiled. "What's with the sudden interest?"

"I have never really driven them before, and I saw them in action today. They are amazing! Now, I want one for myself." She happily smiled, and Baobao shook her head and sighed, all too familiar with her friend's impulsive nature.

"You know, it's Keith's favourite car company? He has quite a few of them in his collection." Qingyue meaningfully said and did not miss the faint blush that crept on Feifei's face before the girl met her eyes.

"What's your favourite car company?"

"I like the cars that Aston Martin makes, but I pretty much like any good car. I am not conscious about the brand." The grey-eyed girl then started chatting with her about her own collection, as well as the collections of her sister-wives.

Amelia was not interested in cars at all, but both Rebecca and Kiara were enthusiasts, so, given the number of cars they owned, their discussion continued until the end of dinner after Baobao and Jin joined in as well.

Whilst the four of them were happily conversing, the two other people at the table were relatively quiet.

Rouxi was not really eating as she had eaten earlier with Qingyue, but she stayed at the table until the end, listening and observing her friend. She was still worried for her even though she could see and tell that her best friend was fine.

From time to time, she sneaked glances at Keith and then back at her friend, and joined in the conversation only when someone asked her something.

On the other hand, Keith was busy on his phone for a while now, which was why others did not disturb him. And there was a very faint smile on his lips.

The thing he had been hoping for had finally happened.

Qin Feng was on the move, and he had disappeared from Purgatory Island, only telling Cerberus that he would be gone for a while.

No one knew where he was headed, but Keith knew that he was coming to China, and Hangzhou.

"How's the new office? Have you moved in yet?" He suddenly asked, catching everyone's attention, and Rouxi, who was lost in some thoughts, broke out of them and looked at him.

"We have. But renovations are still taking place." She smiled and told him.

"Why did you buy the place so close to the Old Market?" He curiously asked.

"The government plans on demolishing the place and reconstructing it to meet the modern standards of the city. It's been long overdue. My father won the tender before he passed away, and I want to fulfil it." She informed him. "After the demolition of the old market and the district, new roads will be built. The place would become a prime site for Offices in the future."

"I see." He nodded and then looked at his phone again.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, curious about his sudden interest in her new office.

"I have been informed that the people of the old market are quite stubborn, and they are even giving the city government a headache." He looked and her again and said. "How do you plan on dealing with them?" He smiled and asked.

"I have been thinking of solutions, but I don't think it will be easy. And neither can I convince everyone. However, I believe that if we show our goodwill, and try to communicate with the natives, the smart ones will eventually cooperate with us and accept the incentives. As for the stubborn ones, force will need to be used. The mayor is already considering a forceful approach, but he is a little concerned about the upcoming elections. Also, the place has some underground influence as well, where people listen to those black forces more than they listen to the city government..."

Rouxi gave them a detailed picture of what exactly was going on with the old market. And she did not hide that it was a headache for her.

"It's better to wait for the elections." Qingyue agreed that now was not the right time to use some underhanded or forceful approach. "In the meantime, trying to communicate with the locals is indeed the best option."

"Yes." Rouxi nodded to her and then curiously looked at Keith, who was sipping on the white wine. "What would you do in such a situation?"

"I?" He smiled and took another sip. "I will invite the leaders of those locals to a banquet, and then I will talk to them and ask them to leave the place and take the compensation."

"They won't accept." She frowned.

"Oh, they will." He slyly smiled. "People listen to me when I ask them to do something for their own good."

"Hmph!" Feifei expressed her annoyance at his words as she understood exactly what he meant by it, and despite herself, she could not contain her giggles when he winked at her.

This made Rouxi frown some more as she sensed a secret between them, but no matter how hard she thought, she could not see how what Keith said could work, not unless someone threatened the people with their lives or used some serious underhanded methods.

Not that she was judging him, after all, no one could become so successful in the Business community without the readiness to use some underhanded methods when the situation demands it, but she was quite curious about what method Keith wanted to use.

Then again, it was a question she would not raise at this table.

"Any peaceful resolutions?" She curiously asked again if he had some other means to deal with the situation.

He was her peer, after all. And he had achieved so much in the Business world. She had no hesitation in asking for his input, and they were already business partners now.

"Play on their greed and envy, and divide them." He smiled.

"How exactly?"

"Find the people who need help in their community, and help them if it is right. Give the unemployed some menial jobs. Hire them for the new office if they are capable enough. Present yourself as the mediator between the City Government and the locals, and delay the forceful action against them. When you find that the time is right and that you have garnered enough support, come out as their ray of hope and offer them incentives from your own pocket as well. Make them feel that you did your best for them, and at that point, most would take your offer." He said and poured himself some hot soup that the maid brought for them and put it on the table. "This will immensely improve your public image, and you will face no serious backlash when the inevitable action by the City Government is taken against them. Yes, it will cost you some money, and it will delay your project by several months, but it will work. As for the Underground Forces that have a hold in that area, don't worry about them. Other major Business Groups of the city also have tenders in the Old District, and they will make a deal with them. The forces will approach you on their own accord and make an offer, and you can choose to accept it or refuse if you don't find it feasible. In case those forces try to take action against you, not liking your growing influence over the locals, you can spin it all to your advantage, adhering to the legal measures and sticking to helping the locals regardless of the threats. Yes, you will have to up your security and take some risks, but the risks would be worth it."

For a good minute, everyone at the table thought through his plans, and they had to admit that it was the best course of action, considering the benefits it carried.

"What if those forces threaten the locals instead of Rouxi?" Feifei curiously asked, and Rouxi, Qingyue, and Keith smiled at the same time.

"That would be the best," Qingyue told her, making her more curious. "The current situation is that the Underground forces present themselves as the well-wishers of the community, but once they start to threaten the locals, just as the government, it will create cracks in their influence. More people will secretly jump to take the Incentives that Rouxi would offer them, understanding that they were in danger and that the result of a future conflict would not be good for them and their families. It will especially be the case with households who are adamant about providing their children with the best education and giving them a better life. And once people see that their neighbours are leaving, more will follow suit."

"Oh..." She nodded in understanding. "It's quite a manipulative method, but I guess it works the best."

"Yes." The grey-eyed girl nodded to her. "And I think that fewer people will be harmed this way."

Feifei inwardly rolled her eyes at those words, knowing well that if Rouxi let Keith deal with the issue, he could just influence the minds of people and make them leave the place. It would be far safer and quicker, but it was not something she could bring up at the table.

She met Keith's eyes, and when he smiled at her, she immediately turned her eyes away, trying to calm her heart that had started accelerating.