Chapter 127: The Eldest Uncle and Shen Xian Reach an Agreement

Shen Xian was somewhat surprised to receive a call from Yu Tianshu. After hanging up, he called Zhou Wan, asking her to return to look after Qingqing as he had something to attend to and needed to go out. Sitting on the sofa, Shen Xian did not rush to leave; a contemplative look appeared in his eyes. He was considering how to draw Yu Tianshu into his trap. After a moment of thought, a hint of something sinister crossed his face. To market that batch of "feathered livestock" belonging to Ye Yuning, he would have to personally step into the fray. However, he would bear unimaginable infamy. No matter; as long as it made money. If this deal went well, he could net at least 20 million. With proper execution, even 30 million was possible.

"Are you going out?" Zhou Wan asked upon her return.

Shen Xian nodded. "Yes, I have some business."

"Ning Cai and Ye Yuning invited us to dinner tonight. Are you going?" Zhou Wan asked. "It’s at her villa; it’s very beautiful."

Shen Xian smiled. "I’ll be there." As he spoke, he took hold of Zhou Wan’s soft hand. "Wanwan, do you trust me?"

Zhou Wan looked at him curiously. "Why do you ask that so suddenly? Has something happened?"

Shen Xian shook his head. "Nothing has happened yet. I just want you to promise that no matter what happens in the future, you will trust me unconditionally, okay?"

Zhou Wan nodded submissively. "Shen Xian, I trust you." She was truly rebellious and often deaf to reason, but when she chose to be obedient, she was genuinely compliant. Once she fell in love with someone, she became incredibly docile, agreeing to whatever excessive terms they might propose.

"Alright, I'm heading out now." Shen Xian picked up his bag and left. The sky was overcast, and as he exhaled, his gaze gradually hardened. He had to make this deal work. He had calculated his song royalties, and he was still about 30 million short of buying the stadium. If he pulled this off, he would have enough. The stadium project could not be delayed; Xiao Yang’s father was already sharpening his knives, preparing to demolish the place and turn it into a pig farm.

Yu Tianshu soon sent over a location—a high-end cafe in the city with an elegant, pleasant environment. At a booth, his eldest uncle, Yu Tianshu, and second uncle, Yu Tianxing, were already waiting for him.

"You certainly moved fast regarding the affair with Qi Zhengqing and Su Rulong," the eldest uncle said, looking at Shen Xian with a smile.

Shen Xian replied, "What does that have to do with me? I was a victim, too."

Qi Zhengqing had originally wanted to cause trouble for Shen Xian, but he could find no evidence. According to Qi Zhengqing’s recollection and Su Rulong’s confession, Shen Xian had also passed out and only regained consciousness later. Qi Zhengqing’s bodyguards had blocked the hotel exits, and when they saw Shen Xian leave, they had chuckled, thinking the kid must have been ravaged by the pervert Su Rulong. By the time they realized something was wrong, they felt a sense of dread: *Damn it, Young Master Qi hasn't come down yet; did something happen?* By the time the bodyguards rushed into the hotel, Su Rulong had vanished, leaving only a roaring Qi Zhengqing inside.

"Back to business, we brought you here because we need something done," Yu Tianshu said.

Shen Xian sat down. "What is it?"

Yu Tianshu said, "Two things. First, help us persuade Ning Cai again to go back and take the civil service exam. Second, find a way to convince Ye Yuning to hand over her breeding base to us." Yu Tianshu had long planned to acquire the base to develop a high-end villa district, but Ye Yuning had consistently refused, and the matter remained at a stalemate.

Shen Xian squinted at them. "I can talk to Ning Cai about her situation, but why do you think I can help with Ye Yuning?"

Yu Tianshu said, "I know you’re having dinner with them tonight. If you help us persuade her, Ye Yuning listens to Ning Cai, and Ning Cai listens to you."

Shen Xian shook his head. "Even if she listens to me, when it comes to such large sums of money, they will weigh the pros and cons."

"I don't expect it to succeed in one go. I just want you to help persuade her. Under multiple pressures, Ye Yuning will eventually agree." Yu Tianshu pushed a check toward Shen Xian. Shen Xian glanced at it—one hundred thousand. A look of calculation appeared in his eyes, and he asked, "What is the biggest difficulty in communicating with Ye Yuning right now?"

Yu Tianshu said, "Ye Yuning hides behind 'ideals,' claiming to be the pioneer of specialized breeding. She refuses to give up the base. Furthermore, I’ve offered two hundred million, but she still won't agree. The biggest hurdle is that she believes if she can just sell that batch of red-crested geese, she can recover her capital and expand."

Shen Xian said, "Clearly, that batch won't sell. You can just wait. Once her capital chain breaks, she will naturally give up."

"She still has several million in liquid assets and can hold out for a few months, but we can't wait that long," Yu Tianshu said. "I must acquire this land within a month at the latest."

"Sorry, I can't help you." Shen Xian started to stand up.

Yu Tianshu said, "If you can get this done, I’ll give you one million!"

The second uncle, Yu Tianxing, added, "You don't have to put in much effort. At most, just talk to Ning Cai and have her push Ye Yuning."

Shen Xian sat back down. "I am tempted by the one million, but I don't think Ning Cai will necessarily listen to me, and Ye Yuning won't necessarily listen to Ning Cai." This was, in fact, the truth.

"You just need to say what you need to say," the eldest uncle said.

Shen Xian nodded, then suddenly said, "I do have an idea. I’m just not sure if it’s feasible."

Yu Tianshu asked eagerly, "What is it? Tell us."

Shen Xian pushed the check back. "I want five million!"

The uncles’ eyes narrowed. "Tell us your plan first."

Shen Xian asked, "The reason that batch of geese is hard to sell is that there is no clear distinction between wild and farmed, and the buyers bear too much risk, right?"

The two uncles nodded.

"And the media doesn't dare to promote it too much, right?"

They nodded again. Specialized breeding was a sensitive area—like snakes, sika deer, giant salamanders, or sturgeon. Because it was extremely difficult to distinguish between wild and farmed, buyers could easily end up in legal trouble.

"They are having me over for dinner tonight. If I take a photo and claim that Ye Yuning is serving me protected animals, and then the media spreads that, wouldn't people be even more afraid to buy them?" Shen Xian asked.

The uncles’ eyes lit up. If a photo were leaked, and they spent money on a massive smear campaign, relentlessly blackening her reputation, they could claim the geese were actually wild, merely wearing the guise of farmed stock. Then, they could invite the animal protection association or market regulators to investigate. Regardless of how the truth came out later, buyers would be scared off. The general public didn't care about the truth; they cared about the stigma. No one wanted the reputation of having eaten a protected species.

"Fine! As long as you take a photo of the red-crested goose dish on the table, I’ll give you five million!"

"If you have a video—for example, Ye Yuning introducing the dish—I’ll add another million!"

Shen Xian said, "First, we must agree: you cannot say that the photos or videos came from me."

Yu Tianshu said earnestly, "Don't worry, absolutely not!"

Shen Xian nodded. "Alright, I’ll head out now. I need to prepare."

As they watched Shen Xian walk away, the two uncles exchanged glances, both seeing the same sneer in the other’s eyes.

"Did you record that?" the eldest uncle asked.

The second uncle produced a recorder from his side. "Recorded it in full."

"Once we get the photo or video, we’ll send this to Ning Cai. Let her see the man she likes sell out his own friends for a mere few million," the eldest uncle said. "Then she’ll give up and go back to the capital to take her exams."