Take the Kong family, for instance, who held shares in Shengshi Dynasty. Kong Zhi was third-generation red aristocracy; his grandfather was a founding hero, and his father had served as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. In Kong Zhi’s generation, members were active in both politics and business, achieving comprehensive success at the pinnacle of society. They were the vanguard controlling the nation’s political and economic lifelines. If Shengshi Dynasty hadn't willingly ceded a portion of its interests, taking over the Taoyuan Copper Mine would have been sheer fantasy.

Of course, the entanglement of interests here was far more complex than it appeared on the surface. At that time, besides the Kong family, Shengshi Dynasty could have sought cooperation elsewhere. What the Kong family did wasn't exactly unscrupulous expropriation; after dividing the profits, they were also obligated to fulfill the duties expected of a powerful backer.

So, one could say Wang Zhuo and the Kong family had a cooperative relationship, each satisfying their own needs. In this dynamic, the Qin father and son acted as brokers, gaining "influence" rather than immediate wealth.

However, Ma Qiang was unaware of these internal mechanisms. He saw Wang Zhuo merely as the profit representative for the "Qin faction." The rapid rise of the Ma and Kong families into powerful red families was inseparable from the vigorous growth of their clan members. In contrast, the Qin family was a single-heir line, and there was a significant age gap between Qin Jingzhong and Qin Xue. Had Qin Xue not ascended so quickly, he likely wouldn't have been taken seriously by those established red lineages.

There is an old saying that romantic flair is often swept away by wind and rain; indeed, the Ma family has shown signs of decline in recent years. Examining closely, by Ma Qiang’s generation, the family's ascent had peaked with the first and second generations. The third generation lacked talent; currently, only one minister in the central government offered a semblance of prestige. Furthermore, the Ma family had become excessively focused on money, leading to a dwindling pool of talent in officialdom. Therefore, although Ma Qiang could address Kong Zhi as a distant maternal uncle, the Ma family’s social standing had already dropped a notch compared to the Kong family’s.

But a red family remains a red family; even a starved camel is larger than a horse. Their vast network of connections is unimaginable and incomparable to ordinary people. Thus, Ma Qiang’s dismissal of Wang Zhuo, the nouveau riche upstart, was understandable from his perspective.

……

An Qi poured Ma Qiang a full glass of white liquor, then cleverly stepped aside, vacating a seat.

Ma Qiang adopted an extremely lofty posture. From his words and demeanor, everyone present could sense his contempt for Wang Zhuo. This level of veiled confrontation was a first for the An Qi sisters, and even Guan Yingying had never encountered it. Ning Yao had experienced something similar once before, but she had been a mere observer then, certainly not caught in the crossfire like this inferno.

The saying that beautiful women are catalysts for disaster was proving true right now……

Wang Zhuo subtly assessed Ma Qiang’s state. Ma Qiang had already consumed some alcohol, but not much. His alcohol absorption rate was about 1.7, suggesting a decent tolerance. He hadn't taken any Wangchao Wuliang before drinking.

The offspring of the red aristocracy still held significant power. Wang Zhuo felt it was better to avoid trouble when possible, preferring to provoke less. But this Ma Qiang was overly arrogant, so Wang Zhuo resolved to ply him with drink until he was completely wasted and taught a lesson.

He opened his mouth, about to speak, but unexpectedly, Ma Qiang, clearly having noticed his movement, casually shifted his gaze away, smiling at Ning Yao: “Miss Ning Yao, I didn’t realize you were such a drinking warrior among women; you use large glasses even for white liquor. Come, I propose a toast to you!”

With that, he raised his glass, his elbow propped on the table, his smile carrying a hint of haughtiness.

This action was profoundly disrespectful. There were five people at the table. An Qi was young and had stood aside, which was fine, but Wang Zhuo occupied the main seat, with Ning Yao and Guan Yingying seated on either side. Ma Qiang toasted Ning Yao alone, not even bothering with pleasantries for the others.

The atmosphere appeared harmonious on the surface, but a subtle discord had already set in. Ning Yao felt an indescribable awkwardness; feeling Wang Zhuo endure such humiliation because of her made her feel deeply apologetic.

“Mr. Ma, cheers!”

Seeing Ma Qiang did not stand up, Ning Yao also raised her glass while seated.

“Miss Ning Yao, this is our very first toast; you must give me face and down it in one go,” Ma Qiang said, eyebrows slightly raised, bringing the cup toward his lips.

Normally, when drinking with someone of Ma Qiang’s stature, Ning Yao would have an assistant nearby to deflect toasts and offer excuses, while she feigned distress to manage drinking less. But today was unusual, compounded by the fact she had already consumed a bottle of Wangchao Wuliang, and Wang Zhuo had preemptively diluted her drinks. So, she gritted her teeth and truly drank the entire glass of white liquor in one gulp!

In contrast, Ma Qiang, seated opposite her, merely touched the rim of his glass to his lips before setting it down—a gesture of minimal acknowledgment.

She had seen countless powerful figures—officials, tycoons, gang leaders, film executives—drink this way. Ning Yao could only offer a bitter smile internally, then showed Ma Qiang the bottom of her glass, signaling that she had done as he requested and finished the drink!

Even knowing that two-thirds of that glass was mineral water, and that Ning Yao had drunk a bottle of Wangchao Wuliang beforehand, Guan Yingying and the An sisters still felt a pang of sympathy, gaining a fresh understanding of the hardships beneath the celebrity glamour.

“Miss Ning Yao, truly a straightforward woman!”

Ma Qiang set his glass down with a pa, applauding loudly: “CEO Jiao, quickly pour Miss Ning Yao another drink!”

“Oh, right!” Jiao Yuanbo hastily stepped forward, taking the bottle with both hands, and moved to stand beside An Qi to pour a refill for Ning Yao.

“Mr. Ma,”

Wang Zhuo’s cool voice suddenly resonated in the private room: “Sister Ning finished her toast to you, but it seems you haven’t finished yours yet?”

“Tsk—”

Ma Qiang immediately let out an audible hiss of displeasure, his smile vanishing instantly. While his body remained oriented toward Ning Yao, his eyes flickered toward Wang Zhuo: “Wang Zhuo, do you have an issue with me?”

Wang Zhuo met his gaze, the corner of his mouth curling slightly: “Finish the wine in your glass, and I won’t have an issue.”

Ning Yao quickly nudged him under the table with her knee, her heart plunging like a fifteen-bucket well, desperately wishing the reckless young man would just shut up.

“So, you do have an issue with me,” Ma Qiang sneered dismissively. “But you can keep your opinion to yourself. You don't seem to have the qualifications to offer me advice.”

Tension spiked!

The temperature in the small private room seemed to drop ten degrees instantly, the very air solidifying. Wang Zhuo’s words had been a direct challenge; Ma Qiang’s response was an undisguised public slap in Wang Zhuo’s face!

Wang Zhuo paused briefly, as if he had heard something amusing, then turned his head toward Ning Yao with a smile: “Sister Ning, what should I do? He says I’m not qualified.”

Ning Yao had no idea what to do! She offered Wang Zhuo a strained smile, signaling frantically with her eyes, even poking his thigh under the table. It now appeared Ma Qiang was an explosive personality who tolerated no insults. If Wang Zhuo continued to provoke him, wouldn’t he create a massive feud?

Her desperate signaling caused a ripple in Wang Zhuo’s resolve. He gently held her hand under the table, then turned back to Ma Qiang, stating calmly: “Finish the wine in your glass, and you can leave.”

“Huh?”

Ma Qiang burst into incredulous laughter, turning back to Jiao Yuanbo and Hai Jun: “Did you hear that? What did he just say?”

“Uh… Mr. Ma,” Jiao Yuanbo quickly leaned in, intending to quietly explain Wang Zhuo’s reputation in Jiangzhou to the young master. Admittedly, Mr. Ma was far more powerful than Wang Zhuo, considerably so. But Wang Zhuo was notoriously aggressive and reckless; surely the wise man avoids immediate confrontation!

However, Ma Qiang was already boiling with rage, thinking, This little punk, a mere watchdog daring to act so presumptuously in front of his master, doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth!

So, just as Jiao Yuanbo leaned in with an oily face slick with nervous sweat, Ma Qiang glared back dismissively, then turned to Wang Zhuo with a cold sneer: “What if I don’t drink it? What can you do to me?”

What is a conflict of wills? It’s two middle schoolers coming to blows over a piece of bubblegum wrapper, resulting in one dead and one injured; it’s two groups of punks arguing over an online game and arranging a real-life meet-up; it’s Ma Qiang, upon hearing Wang Zhuo didn't respect him, deliberately coming to humiliate him. The stage was set, and a more violent clash was imminent!

Ma Qiang’s driver and bodyguard had quietly entered the room at some point and were standing directly behind him. The bodyguard of a princeling was not like the security hired by Guan Shichen, Lu Weimin. This bodyguard was a legitimate retired special forces soldier, someone who had taken real bullets on the border and shed real blood.

Although Lu Weimin’s skills were not negligible—he had served in a classified special operations unit—compared to this unremarkable-looking retired soldier, his prowess was definitely a notch lower. This was precisely why Ma Qiang didn't take Wang Zhuo’s supposed fighting ability seriously. In the eyes of this young master, even if Wang Zhuo was genuinely good at fighting, he was at best an unorthodox folk master. Compared to the precision takedowns and combat techniques of special forces designed for one-hit stops, Wang Zhuo was just a joke!

What could Wang Zhuo do to him? He truly didn't believe it. Even if there was a bodyguard in the way preventing him from touching Ma Qiang, and even if Wang Zhuo miraculously managed to touch him, the consequences would be far beyond anything Wang Zhuo could bear!

Ma Qiang felt completely secure in his arrogance. Princelings behaved this way; nowadays, even second-graders who were sons of officials understood the tactic of offering their face to be struck by an opponent: If you punch me, my father will send men to beat your whole family! If you knock out one of my teeth, I’ll cripple one of your legs!

“What can I do to you?”

Wang Zhuo calmly repeated his words, raising his right hand to point vaguely at him: “You can force a bull to drink water, but you can’t force its head down. That is my plan.”

Ma Qiang didn’t get angry; instead, he laughed, leaning back in his chair with a leisurely air: “Feel free to try.”

Thump!

Ning Yao felt her tightly held left hand suddenly relax as Wang Zhuo released it and sprang to his feet. Then came a grating, loud screech—it was Guan Yingying bracing her legs against the table leg, causing her chair to drag violently against the floor.

By bracing herself this way, she created a gap about forty centimeters wide in front of her. Then, she shifted her legs to the side, clearing a path wide enough for Wang Zhuo to pass through!

Ning Yao froze, utterly stunned. She had never imagined that Guan Yingying, at this critical juncture, would not only refrain from stopping Wang Zhuo but would actually be clearing a path for him with extreme speed—it was as if she were actively stirring up trouble!