Chapter 48: Lord Hai Pays the Bill

He Tian paid no mind to whatever Wang Xinyou was thinking. Instead, he smiled gently at Zeng Yiqian and said, “I need to make a phone call.”

“Please, go ahead,” Zeng Yiqian replied with a slight smile, then sensibly walked some distance away.

He Tian dialed Mr. Hai’s number.

“Hahaha, Mr. He, it seems we truly have a connection! I’ve already prepared the contract, the car, and some documents. I was just about to call you!” Mr. Hai’s hearty laughter came through the receiver.

“That’s perfect! I was just about to look for you,” He Tian replied with a laugh. “I’ve just found a villa I like. Why don’t you come over, and we can sign the contract right here?”

“Oh, you found a villa you like so quickly? Great, I wanted to talk to you too. Tell me the address—I’ll be right over!” Mr. Hai responded, still laughing.

“Longhai Garden, Villa Number 03,” He Tian said, smiling as he gave the address.

On the other end, Mr. Hai paused noticeably.

“What’s wrong?” He Tian asked.

“Nothing,” Mr. Hai chuckled. “Mr. He, you do have excellent taste! Longhai Garden, indeed… But I’m a man of my word. Wait for me, I’ll be there soon!”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you,” He Tian replied, ending the call with a broad grin.

“Miss Zeng, I’m buying this villa. Please prepare the necessary paperwork right away. Here’s my ID… I appreciate efficiency,” He Tian said, handing over his identification and smiling warmly.

“Certainly, Mr. He. I’ll get right on it. Rest assured, everything will be arranged as quickly as possible!” Zeng Yiqian accepted his ID with delight and hurried off, thrilled at the sizable commission she would earn from such a sale.

With Zeng Yiqian gone, only He Tian and Wang Xinyou remained.

Wang Xinyou didn’t bother to hide her feelings; she pulled He Tian to sit with her on a lounge chair beside the third-floor pool.

“Tell me the truth—do you really plan to take Mr. Hai’s villa?” Wang Xinyou asked, her expression grave.

“Yes, I do,” He Tian nodded. “If it’s there for the taking, why not? Since I can choose freely, of course I’ll pick the most expensive one!”

“Do you really intend to get involved with Mr. Hai?” Wang Xinyou’s expression grew even more serious.

“You’re making me uncomfortable with that attitude,” He Tian replied with a smile. “I have my reasons. And ‘getting involved’… that sounds a bit harsh.”

“Mr. Hai is far from a good person! You’re accepting something so valuable from him and he’s not even making a fuss—that says a lot! It means the car race he mentioned must be incredibly dangerous,” Wang Xinyou said in a low, resolute voice. “I won’t allow you to go!”

“Oh? Worried about me? Afraid for my safety?” He Tian teased.

“Don’t change the subject!” Wang Xinyou insisted, still stern.

“Xinyou, let me just say this: approaching Mr. Hai is part of my plan. I need to investigate a few things. You don’t need to know the details, but you must understand that I will not be in any danger. On this, you have my word,” He Tian’s tone turned serious, and he spoke with utmost sincerity.

Hearing this, Wang Xinyou was at a loss for words. She knew He Tian’s background was extraordinary, as was Old Hu’s. If He Tian had things to investigate, it wasn’t her place to ask or stop him.

“So you’ll be moving in here, then?” The thought made Wang Xinyou feel a pang of loss—if He Tian moved into this villa, he might never come home again.

“Hahaha, of course I’ll move in! It would be a shame not to, considering how wonderful this place is!” He Tian stood up, laughing heartily. Seeing Wang Xinyou’s expression, he worried she might confess her feelings to him on the spot. He wasn’t ready for that.

Truth be told, He Tian felt a little hypocritical. He clearly liked her, yet kept dodging and hiding his feelings—what kind of behavior was that? But he truly wasn’t prepared, especially considering Ouyang Bingbing. He didn’t want to hurt such a gentle girl.

Wang Xinyou looked even more dejected. Yet, remembering that He Tian wanted to protect her, she almost found an excuse for him not to move in. Just as she was about to speak, He Tian turned to her and said, “Not only will I move in—we’ll all move in! You, your sister, Old Hu, Chen Long, Hou Qiang and his four brothers, Aunt Qiu and her two friends—everyone. Only then will it feel like a real home!”

“All… move in?” Wang Xinyou had never considered this, and was taken aback by the suggestion.

“What, did you expect me to live here alone? Don’t be ridiculous,” He Tian scoffed. Although he’d decided to enjoy life for once, and this place was exactly what he wanted, he would never live here by himself.

“This is your villa, not ours!” Wang Xinyou retorted. “Why should we all move in?”

“Oh, you silly girl! Look at that beach—it’s the perfect place to train! Right by the sea, if you keep up your efforts here, you’ll progress much faster than elsewhere. If you’re diligent, you’ll be an expert in no time!” He Tian said, knowing full well how to win her over.

“Really?” Wang Xinyou adored martial arts, and her delight was plain to see.

“Would I lie? After all these years of training, if I couldn’t tell that much, how could I possibly teach you?” He Tian replied earnestly.

“Hehe, I get what you’re saying! But even if I agree, it’s not up to me—my sister has the final say!” Wang Xinyou’s eyes twinkled. No longer prying into He Tian’s dealings with Mr. Hai, her excitement over martial arts had faded, and she quickly guessed He Tian’s real motive for bringing this up.

“Leave that to me. As far as I’m concerned, once I’ve convinced you, your sister won’t be a problem,” He Tian replied confidently.

“You have a way with words,” Wang Xinyou muttered, exasperated by his claim to have “convinced” her. Who talks like that?

“Heh, I just meant it that way,” He Tian grinned.

“He Tian—tell me, what secret do you and my sister share? Please, I want to know!” Wang Xinyou only called him “He Tian-ge” when she was being playful, as she was now.

“Silly girl, don’t poke your nose where it doesn’t belong,” He Tian waved her off, playing the part of a stodgy old man.

“Come on! Today, I really want to hear it! Are you going to tell me or not?” Wang Xinyou put her hands on her hips, feigning ferocity.

“Nope! Not a word! What can you do about it?” He Tian laughed.

“I’ll make you talk…” Wang Xinyou threatened, preparing to use her infamous pinching attack.

He Tian immediately fled.

Wang Xinyou chased after him.

Zeng Yiqian arrived before Mr. Hai.

By the time she came in, He Tian and Wang Xinyou were already in the first-floor hall. Wang Xinyou had caught up and, to her satisfaction, managed to pinch He Tian twice. But she still hadn’t gotten any useful information from him—he was tight-lipped as ever.

In the end, what made her relent was He Tian’s suggestion: “Go ask Wang Xinmeng. If she’s willing to tell you, you’ll know everything.”

“Mr. He, Miss Wang—here’s the contract. Please have a look,” Zeng Yiqian said with a smile, handing the papers to He Tian.

He Tian skimmed through the contract quickly but thoroughly. A transaction of this scale demanded his full attention; any hidden traps in the contract could spell disaster. Fortunately, everything was in order, and the terms were satisfactory.

He Tian waited until Mr. Hai arrived before setting the contract aside.

“Mr. Hai!” He Tian stood up from the sofa, greeting him with a cheerful smile.

“Mr. He, let me introduce you—this is Mr. Lin Guang, the owner of Longhai Garden! This place is his masterpiece,” Mr. Hai beamed, accompanied by a man nearing forty, dressed in a suit with a genial expression—he looked every bit the kindly businessman.

“Mr. Lin, what an honor! Please, have a seat. Xinyou, tea for our guests,” He Tian called for them to sit, then turned to Wang Xinyou.

Wang Xinyou gave a soft humph but didn’t hesitate; she went to prepare the tea at once.

Mr. Hai glanced at her, then gave He Tian a thumbs-up.

He Tian smiled and waved dismissively, feigning modesty but secretly pleased with himself.

“Boss!” Zeng Yiqian was surprised to see Lin Guang here. She’d held back earlier when he was greeting He Tian, but now that he was seated, she stepped forward.

“Yiqian, is this the contract you prepared? It’s not right—draft a new one, and set the price at six hundred million,” Lin Guang said after glancing at the contract.

Zeng Yiqian was stunned. The villa was worth eight hundred eighty-eight million—Lin Guang had just slashed nearly three hundred million from the price.

“Old Lin, isn’t that a bit much?” Mr. Hai said with a laugh. “I wouldn’t dare take advantage of you like that.”

“Mr. Hai, that’s not how I see it. What matters is that you look after me in future,” Lin Guang replied with a smile, showing not the slightest regret over the lost millions.

Lin Guang was confident he could recoup that sum, many times over, through Mr. Hai in the future. He understood the ways of business, especially in Tianhai. He knew all too well the difference it made, knowing someone like Mr. Hai.

Presented with such an opportunity to curry favor, Lin Guang would never let it slip away.

“Hahaha, Old Lin, what am I going to do with you! Listen, I’m hosting a party at my place the day after tomorrow—how about we all get together then?” Mr. Hai said, eyes twinkling.

“With such an invitation, how could I refuse?” Lin Guang chuckled, satisfied that he’d achieved his purpose.

He Tian watched the exchange with a quiet smile.

Wang Xinyou brought over the tea, and He Tian said pleasantly, “Mr. Hai, Mr. Lin—please, have some tea.” He Tian had already taken on the air of a true master of the house.