Chapter 49: The Young Lord of the Sea’s Little Trick

How could He Tian feel any guilt about using Lord Hai’s money to buy this villa? He felt perfectly at ease!

He Tian understood very well that by agreeing to race for Lord Hai in that competition, what Lord Hai could gain from this far exceeded what he was currently paying. In fact, the price Lord Hai paid was hardly worth mentioning. Thinking this way, was there any reason for He Tian to feel embarrassed? Absolutely not!

Zeng Yiqian moved swiftly. She quickly brought the revised contract, He Tian signed it, and so did Zeng Yiqian. With that, the villa was officially under He Tian’s name.

Lin Guang, having done Lord Hai a favor, promptly took his leave. In truth, he wasn’t especially close to Lord Hai and lingering overly would only be inappropriate.

Lin Guang was an old hand; he knew exactly where to draw the line. Moreover, it was clear Lord Hai had matters to discuss with this young man named He Tian. Lin Guang certainly couldn’t stay any longer.

“Old Lin, remember to come the day after tomorrow!” Lord Hai said warmly. After all, he’d just saved nearly three hundred million at a stroke, and was quite pleased with Lin Guang’s generosity. Making acquaintance with more business tycoons like this could only be advantageous for Lord Hai.

“Absolutely, absolutely!” Lin Guang nodded eagerly, then smiled at He Tian. “Mr. He, if you ever need anything in the future, just say the word.”

“You’re too kind, Mr. Lin.” He Tian smiled and nodded slightly.

“Don’t bother seeing me out!” Lin Guang departed with a smile, and Zeng Yiqian, after saying her goodbyes, followed him out.

With the contract signed, there was no reason for Zeng Yiqian to stay.

“Boss!” Zeng Yiqian could hardly believe Lin Guang had just discounted three hundred million. To her, that was a fortune—an astronomical sum!

“Yiqian, your commission will still be calculated from the original eight hundred eighty-eight million,” Lin Guang said cheerfully, “and I’ll raise your percentage by another point!”

“What?” Zeng Yiqian was truly baffled.

The actual sale was for six hundred million, yet Lin Guang was calculating her commission from nearly nine hundred million, and even increasing her share. That meant Zeng Yiqian would be getting much more. No wonder she was confused—why was her boss so happy when he’d lost so much money?

“Hahaha, you think I’ve lost money? You’re wrong! I’m investing in the future!” Lin Guang laughed heartily.

Within the Tianhai business circle, Lin Guang was still something of a newcomer. Only three years ago had he shifted his focus back to the mainland from abroad. This Longhai Garden project was his first major undertaking.

This exclusive villa complex had already helped Lin Guang achieve his main goal. Making a profit was secondary; most important was the number of local and national business tycoons he’d met through this project. That was what Lin Guang valued most.

He’d long heard of Lord Hai—one of the most renowned young lords in Tianhai, wielding significant hidden power. In the business world, Lin Guang knew full well what it meant to have government connections.

So he had no qualms about making a loss to gift this villa to Lord Hai. It was a long-term investment.

Zeng Yiqian, though not unintelligent, had a limited perspective and couldn’t see Lin Guang’s strategy.

After Lin Guang left, Wang Xinyou wandered off to explore and get a better sense of the villa.

He Tian and Lord Hai were left alone in the living room.

“Here’s the contract. Please take a look.” Lord Hai handed He Tian a document with a genial smile.

He Tian took it and scanned through. The terms were straightforward: he would serve as Lord Hai’s driver in the year-end race, and if he won, Lord Hai would receive twenty percent of the prize—along with a few other provisions they’d already discussed.

He Tian found nothing problematic—except for one thing.

“Lord Hai, the contract doesn’t specify a term. It should terminate automatically once the race is over.” He Tian had no intention of binding himself indefinitely with a single contract.

“Hahaha, that was an oversight on my part. But, Mr. He, the race is held every year. If you have the skill to win the championship, I believe it could be an excellent career!” Lord Hai laughed, intentionally vague. He’d hoped to gloss over the omission, but He Tian had read the contract thoroughly.

“Lord Hai,” He Tian frowned slightly, “I agreed to help you because of certain special circumstances. I never thought of this as a career.”

“I was being presumptuous! I’ll have it revised at once,” Lord Hai nodded, unbothered.

In truth, Lord Hai thought: if He Tian raced once and won, would he really turn down another chance at such lucrative rewards? Who could resist such temptation? Lord Hai assumed He Tian was just angling for a higher price next time, and if he won, Lord Hai was perfectly willing to pay more.

“Akun!” Lord Hai made a call, summoning someone.

Soon, Akun entered.

He Tian’s heart stirred. This was the same Akun who’d appeared the other night—the third-stage inner energy expert who had helped He Tian escape from Qi Cheng, the fourth-stage master. The bandage on Akun’s shoulder only confirmed He Tian’s deduction.

But He Tian was not one to betray his thoughts. He kept his expression perfectly neutral.

“Revise this contract—add a term so it expires after the race,” Lord Hai instructed, without introducing Akun.

“Yes, sir!” Akun took the contract and left.

“Mr. He, here’s some information about the race. It’s been running for several years now.” Lord Hai handed over some documents and discs.

“I’ll look them over carefully. Before the race, there’s a practice run, right?” He Tian wasn’t familiar with racing protocols.

“Of course—especially for new drivers like you. You’ll have plenty of time to get used to the track. Mr. He, I won’t say more, but I must ask for your help.” Lord Hai’s tone was earnest and sincere.

“My interests are at stake too. I’ll give it my all,” He Tian replied with a smile.

He didn’t read the documents on the spot, but followed Lord Hai outside to view the sports car parked there.

It was a top-of-the-line Ferrari—He Tian could tell at a glance that it had been modified, making it even more powerful than standard models.

“Get in and take it for a spin. This will be your race car. If anything doesn’t suit you, or if you have any requests, just let me know,” Lord Hai offered.

He Tian nodded, got in, and started the engine.

The deep, powerful roar instantly exhilarated him. He pressed the accelerator, sometimes firm, sometimes light, expertly savoring the “feel” of the car.

No man could resist the allure of cars, and He Tian was no exception.

Seeing He Tian’s professional focus and joy behind the wheel, Lord Hai felt increasingly satisfied. Yet, he also grew more curious about He Tian.

At first, He Tian had refused to race, but then he’d agreed for some reason, and clearly, he had a passion for racing in his bones. Lord Hai had no doubts on that score.

What puzzled him was He Tian’s background. He’d already investigated, and while everything seemed in order, he had the sense that something was being concealed. It was just a hunch—without any evidence, Lord Hai wouldn’t dig further. Still, he thought it necessary to use this opportunity to get to know He Tian better.

Unbeknownst to each other, both men had the same idea.

“The car is excellent. I like it,” He Tian said as he got out, smiling.

“I can see that! Here’s the contract—please check it over.” Akun had returned with the document, and Lord Hai handed it to He Tian with a smile.

He Tian glanced at the contract. He could tell it wasn’t the same as before, nor freshly printed—it seemed Lord Hai had prepared it in advance. Evidently, the omission of the term was a deliberate trap. But He Tian feigned ignorance.

He indicated the contract was fine and signed without hesitation. He had no desire to haggle over such details—the real priority was building a connection with Lord Hai.

“If you have any questions, you can always contact me. By the way, the night after tomorrow, I’m hosting a little gathering at home—just some friends getting together. I hope you’ll do me the honor of attending,” Lord Hai invited with a smile.

“It would be my pleasure,” He Tian nodded, exactly as he’d hoped.

“Oh, and you must bring a date!” Lord Hai added with a conspiratorial wink.

“Haha, no problem!” He Tian laughed, exchanging a knowing look that all men understood.

“Mr. He, you have excellent taste! Perhaps our relationship will become even closer. I’m quite interested in Miss Wang, you know.” Lord Hai leaned in and spoke quietly.

“I’ve heard Xinyou mention it. But Miss Wang seems to have some… misunderstandings about you?” He Tian replied with a mischievous smile.

“Just a minor misunderstanding! I hope you’ll help me out in the future,” Lord Hai said with a grin.

“I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise anything!” He Tian replied, then laughed. “And don’t call me ‘mister’—I’m still in my prime, don’t make me sound old!”

“Hahaha, how about ‘Brother He’ then?” Lord Hai laughed heartily, slapping He Tian on the shoulder.

“That’s perfect!” He Tian smiled.

“Then don’t call me ‘Lord Hai’ either. If you don’t mind, just call me ‘big brother’!”

“Big Brother Hai? Hahaha!” He Tian laughed and switched to the new title.

“That’s the spirit! Come, let’s celebrate our partnership with a few drinks!” Lord Hai suggested.

“I’ve got things to do this afternoon. How about the night after tomorrow? I’ll drink with you until we’re both satisfied!” He Tian declined with a smile—he still had to pick up Lan Ji later that afternoon.