Chapter 165: Rules are made to be broken

With Zhou Ming's apology, Tang Lin and Hoover were stunned, looking at Zhou Ming with an expression of surprise that said, 'Are you kidding me?' 

Zhou Ming's approach really took them by surprise. Or perhaps they had also thought that Zhou Ming might negotiate by throwing them a bone or even force them to compromise, but that would be like showing your trump card at the critical moment in negotiations between two parties. This is not the same as the landlord showing his trump card as soon as he gets up. Isn't it very strange and unreasonable?

Zhou Ming didn't care about any of this. He just looked at them very calmly and asked, 'Do you have anything else? If not, we'll take our leave first. Goodbye.'

After saying this, Zhou Ming stood up with Tang Ran. Tang Ran said yes happily, obviously not affected by Zhou Ming's words, or perhaps she was originally disgusted with the Tang Dynasty Bank and the Tang family succession, so of course she was most happy that Zhou Ming was leaving now.

Zhou Ming walked to the door and opened it, but the two female bodyguards blocked the doorway. Zhou Ming frowned and turned back to ask Tang Lin, 'If Mr. Tang Lin doesn't have anything else to discuss, please ask your people to move aside.'

Looking at the standoff between Zhou Ming and his two female bodyguards at the door, Tang Lin came back to his senses and said, 'Mr. Zhou Ming, I hope you have heard of the term "enough is enough". what I want to share with you now. If you have any conditions, you can raise them, and don't just quit like this without warning. Don't you know that such behaviour only makes people feel childish?

'So that's how you feel, Mr Tang Lin? Then I'm sorry, believe it or not, I really am leaving, and I'm not blackmailing you,' said Zhou Ming.

'Words are meaningless. Whether or not you are blackmailing me is not for you to say,' Tang Lin said, smiling. He poured himself a cup of tea while he spoke, 'Since Mr. Zhou Ming is really determined to leave, then please find your own way.'

How could Zhou Ming not guess that Tang Lin was playing a game with him? So Zhou Ming glanced at him, nodded, and then took two steps forward.

As he walked forward, the two female bodyguards immediately felt a huge pressure. They hunched their backs and assumed their respective fighting postures, looking fiercely at him as if they were two wolves on the hunt. Unfortunately, however, these two wolves were constantly backing away under his relentless pressure. Compared to them, he looked more like the king of beasts patrolling his territory, indifferent to life and death and looking down on everything, not even giving the two female bodyguards in his way a second thought.

Finally , having already taken a few steps and almost out the door, Tang Lin could no longer hold back and yelled, 'What are you doing? You took my money, can't you even stop him?'

Tang Lin order was undoubtedly the last straw that broke the camel's back. At the sound of Tang Lin's voice, the two female bodyguards simultaneously let out a shout and charged towards him.

The two female bodyguards were no doubt former mercenaries. Even though they were women, their movements were very aggressive and explosive. Even though Zhou Ming was still some distance away, he could feel the wind whistling as they moved.

They one raised her hand and turned it into a knife to slash at the throat, while the other lifted her leg to kick at the groin.

It cannot be said that their movements were not very synchronized, and they were also very practical. Not to mention ordinary people, even if they encountered them, people who had been specially trained as martial artists would be afraid that they would not be able to stand up again after a second.

But Unfortunately, the opponent they encountered this time was, of course, specially trained and responded immediately. He first raised his leg to catch the female soldier's low kick and forcefully stepped on the opponent's foot to the ground. At the same time, he reached out and caught the other female soldier's hand chop.

The entire was completed in an instant. Before Tang Lin could see what was going on, he heard the two female bodyguards fall to the ground, screaming in agony. This left Tang Lin and Hoover momentarily stunned. Hoover even exclaimed in shock, 'How is this possible! They were not just some embroidered pillows, but were actually very capable mercenaries. Close-quarter combat was their forte, and even retired special forces soldiers were no match for them! How could it be...'

Hoover could not finish his sentence, . Hoover could no longer say anything, because it was not surprising that these two female bodyguards were defeated. They didn't believe that there was anyone invincible in the world, but now they were defeated in seconds, which made them unable to calm down.

Zhou Ming couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to Tang Lin and Hoover, who were so surprised that they could have put a duck egg in their mouths. They walked out the door, but were stopped again. This time they were stopped by Tang Lin's bodyguards, a middle-aged man in a tai chi uniform and a burly young man.

Zhou Ming turned to Tang Lin and asked, 'These two should be your men, Mr. Tang Lin, right? Are you sure you want them to stop me?'

Tang Lin couldn't help but stand up from his seat. He waved his hand to signal for his two bodyguards to step back, and it was obvious that the two men let out a sigh of relief.

This made Tang Lin frown, as it was obvious that his own bodyguards didn't have confidence in being able to defeat Zhou Ming's bodyguards.

Damn . What kind of monster has this guy brought out?

Tang Lin cursed in his heart, but on the surface, he remained calm and said, 'Mr. Zhou Ming, I have no objection if you want to leave, but you cannot take Tang Ran with you.'

Tang Ran was unhappy: 'Why? Your people can't beat Ming's people...'

This comment hit Tang Lin like a slap in the face, embarrassing him but leaving him unable to argue. Fortunately, Zhou Ming said to him at this time, 'I'm sorry, although I don't want to say, but it seems that you really don't have the means to keep us here. Are you going to shut down the elevators in the entire building or threaten us in some other way? Just like when you tricked Tang Ran into coming here?'

Tang Lin really wanted to say yes, but he understood even more that since Zhou Ming had said it so directly, he must have some means of defence, and more importantly than that, he really had no way of forcing him to stay.

In the end, Tang Lin could only sigh and say, 'I don't understand, what exactly do you want to do? Didn't you ask Hoover to tell me to come over and talk about cooperation?'

Zhou Ming nodded and said, 'Yes, I do want to cooperate with you, on the basis of equality between the two sides.'

Almost as soon as Zhou Ming finished speaking, Tang Lin said, 'This is on the basis of equality between the two sides!'

Zhou Ming looked at Tang Lin intently and asked, 'Are you really so sure?'

Tang Lin was very confident at first, but when he heard Zhou Ming ask like this, he became very unconfident. Zhou Ming then said to him, 'The so-called equality is that both sides must be honest with each other. But it seems that you, Mr Tang Lin, have not achieved this. Do you remember what I asked you just now? What is your aim in fighting for the Tang family succession rights?'

Zhou Ming then continued, 'To end the current family succession farce and allow the family to recover as quickly as possible. That is your answer.'

Tang Lin spread hands, innocently asking in return, 'It seems there's no problem, doesn't it?'

'In terms of words, there is indeed no problem, but unfortunately, this has nothing to do with Tang Ran or me. Even three days ago, Tang Ran didn't know that she was still the heir of the Tang family,' Zhou Ming said and paused for a moment before continuing, 'So for us, what inheritance farce, what recovery of vitality, we don't care about, and the only thing that can make us care is the Tang Bank, because he has a lot of money.'

Zhou Ming's words stopped suddenly here. He looked at Tang Lin intently and finally asked, 'Do you understand what I'm saying?'

Tang Lin nodded and said, 'Yes, that's fine. I can give you a lot of money, a million dollars, ten million dollars...'

Zhou Ming laughed and interrupted Tang Lin, 'If this money can buy more than 30% of the ownership of Tang Dynasty Bank, then I think I would be very willing to accept it, and I think I can even buy the entire Tang Dynasty Bank.'

Tang Lin furrowed his eyebrows. At this time, Hoover leaned over to his ear and briefed him on the situation of Zhou Ming. Tang Lin looked at Zhou Ming in surprise and said, 'Really I never thought you had such a background. If you get involved in this, I'm afraid that unless I offer something substantial, I won't be able to satisfy you.'

Zhou Ming nodded and replied, 'Exactly. That's why I said that what we need is genuine cooperation. As for the million or ten million dollars, you might as well donate it to a charitable foundation.'

Tang Lin was silent for a while and then asked, 'So how much do you want?'

Zhou Ming spread his hands and said, 'I don't know how much the Tang heir can inherit, but I think more than 30% of the shares of Tang Bank should be...'

Before Ming could finish his sentence, Lin resolutely interrupted, 'That's impossible!'

'Is it or is it that you don't want it, Mr. Tang Lin?' asked Zhou Ming with a meaningful tone.

Tang Lin was momentarily stumped by this question. He frowned and thought for a moment before replying, 'It's impossible and I don't want it either, because according to the Tang family rules, all heirs must demonstrate the ability to lead the family ability to lead the family forward. Otherwise, even if they are the first-born heir, they are not qualified to inherit if they have no work record in the family business or only have a record of failure.'

After listening to Tang Lin's reply answer, Zhou Ming nodded and said, 'Very good rules. This can help the family filter out those good-for-nothings who only know how to eat, drink and play, and always maintain power in the hands of the elite.'

Zhou Ming suddenly changed the subject, 'So if that's the case, Mr. Tang Lin, why do you have to find Tang Ran to come back?'

'Because I have made great achievements in the family business, and it is because of these achievements that I was promoted to the fifth successor in line. So as long as I can marry cousin Tang Ran, with my work record at Tang Bank, and coupled with cousin Tang Ran's innate advantage as the first successor in line, we will be more than enough to beat all our competitors!' Tang Lin said with great confidence said.

But unfortunately, Tang Lin's confidence did not last long. As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Tang Ran say, 'You're just blowing your own horn, aren't you? If you're really that good and have achieved outstanding results at Tangren Bank, then why are you, the fifth in line, worried about the three before you?'

Tang Lin's expression was some embarrassment: 'That's not it. I just want to be able to take over more securely...'

Zhou Ming interrupted Tang Lin , 'You don't need to explain, this has nothing to do with us, because we will never accept it no matter what, but we can do it another way.'

'What way?' Tang Lin asked nervously, and at that moment he felt a bad feeling in his heart.

'It's that we cooperate make Tang Ran the rightful first heir, and then we'll split the family inheritance,' said Zhou Ming.

'That's impossible! ' Tang Lin shook his head and said, 'I have already explained the family rules. A person who has not achieved anything cannot inherit, let alone the fact that apart from a few elders in the family, there are also a few of us top-ranked heirs, and no one even knows her. She simply doesn't have the capital to be the first in line to inherit. Your cooperation is simply a fantasy!'

Zhou Ming laughed: 'Mr Tang Lin, is that really the case? If I remember correctly, the situation was the same twenty years ago. Tang Ran's father was also in the country at the time and only came to San Francisco after hearing from the family. If we follow the rules you mentioned, without having achievements in the family, he would also have no chance of inheriting anything. But in the end, didn't he successfully inherit the family business?'

'Therefore,' Ming Zhou concluded, 'the so-called rules are meant to be broken. I believe there are always alternatives to everything, aren't there?'