Damn it, don't screw me over

At this point,

the situation had become fairly clear.

Although Gong Changheng remained cautious, the people behind him had already realized that he was being bugged, watched, and monitored.

Thus, Gong Changheng's backers revealed very little information.

However,

even this was enough for analysis.

First, the organization was called the Eternal Life Society!

Such an audacious name.

Yet also brutally straightforward.

Upon hearing it, many felt an inexplicable tremor in their souls.

Second,

the drug was named the Elixir of Longevity.

Third, the Eternal Life Society had a strict hierarchy, with the lowest rank being Level Nine and the highest presumably Level One.

While it was unclear whether figures like the Third Chairman were Level One members, they were likely high-ranking.

Fourth, their technological capabilities were not lacking—whether in drug development or general tech, they were at least on par with some military-grade systems.

This was why the trail went cold at Gong Changheng, with no further leads.

Fifth,

and most crucially, during their conversations, they mentioned only one phrase: "Bet on Huaxia!"

Those four words spoke volumes.

It suggested that the Third Chairman might not be from Huaxia, but there were certainly high-ranking members who were.

This also explained why the drug first appeared in the hands of scientists within the Great Xia—it was an investment.

After some deliberation,

some suspected that Cao Cheng might be the Huaxian among the Eternal Life Society's leadership.

The probability wasn’t low.

But it didn’t matter.

What mattered was securing an invitation and membership qualification from Gong Changheng first.

To unravel the structure of the Eternal Life Society, they had to get inside.

……

……

They didn’t have to wait long.

The next day,

Gong Changheng, under the pretext of hosting a birthday banquet for his father, invited numerous business families—some from John, some from the Bear, some from Old Len, and others from the mainland and Hong Kong.

Logically,

Gong Changheng’s net worth was only in the tens of billions—not in dollars.

So, whether considering the mainland or the global stage, he wouldn’t even crack the top ten in Hong Kong alone.

After all, the tenth-richest in Hong Kong had a net worth of $6 billion.

The higher-ups were in the $10 billion range.

The wealthiest sat at $30 billion.

Thus,

a local tycoon like Gong Changheng, ranked in the teens with limited connections, could certainly throw a lavish banquet with his money and network.

But in the past, he’d never have been able to attract the "real players."

They wouldn’t have come.

Especially the old-money international families—they wouldn’t have given Gong Changheng a second glance.

But…

that was before.

Now, Gong Changheng sent invitations directly to the heirs and representatives of prominent families stationed in Hong Kong.

And they all confirmed their attendance to celebrate Old Master Gong’s birthday.

The great-grandfather had long passed.

But Gong Changheng’s father, now in his seventies, was still in good health.

Since stepping back from the business, Old Master Gong had focused on staying active—hiking, playing golf, watching horse races.

Occasionally, he indulged in some private entertainment.

After all,

everyone has needs.

After his wife passed away years ago, he never remarried.

What baffled Old Master Gong, however, was that while the entire Hong Kong business circle knew about his upcoming birthday banquet,

and global capital was well aware,

he himself had no idea.

It wasn’t until a golfing buddy asked, "Why the grand celebration this year?" that he found out.

In the past, hosting a birthday celebration was just about gathering a few close friends, playing some mahjong, and enjoying the lively atmosphere, wasn’t it?

But this year—

This doesn’t align with the Gong family’s traditions at all.

...

Old Master Gong returned home with a dark expression.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Instead of calling his son, he went straight to his son’s house, where his daughter-in-law was home.

Noticing the old man’s grim face, his daughter-in-law attended to him cautiously and quietly called Gong Changheng.

Gong Changheng arrived soon after.

"Dad, what brings you here?"

He spoke in Mandarin.

The old man leaned back into the sofa with an air of authority. "Do you have another father I don’t know about?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that? Where would I get another father? If anything, it’d be my father-in-law." Gong Changheng shook his head helplessly before asking carefully, "Dad, what’s wrong?"

"You’re asking me what’s wrong? The whole world knows I’m celebrating my birthday—except me?" The old man glared.

"..."

"..."

Gong Changheng and his wife were speechless.

With a glance, Gong Changheng signaled for his wife to leave.

Once she was gone, he sat beside his father and smiled. "It’s just an excuse, really. Since your birthday is coming up, it worked out perfectly. If not for the timing, I’d have had to come up with something else."

Old Master Gong frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Gong Changheng pointed upward, then shook his head. "Some things are better left unsaid."

He then made a phone gesture.

The old man’s pupils contracted.

He understood immediately.

Pointing upward referred to the main family.

If not for the Tang family’s support back in the day, the Gong family would have been wiped out.

Even though they no longer interacted openly, their roots were still tied to them.

The lack of contact was just for show.

As for Gong Changheng’s meaning—it was the main family’s arrangements, things they couldn’t discuss openly.

And the phone gesture? Probably meant they were being monitored.

That had to be it.

The old man wasn’t stupid.

After a brief pause, Old Master Gong lowered his voice. "Kid, are you messing around again? I handed the family over to you—don’t go stirring up trouble."

At this point, some things couldn’t be said outright.

But he could still scold him.

And test the waters.

Gong Changheng chuckled. "Relax, Dad. The family’s been thriving under me—profits have been steady."

"Ha! You just happened to catch a lucky break. Without the right timing, do you think your docks and shipping ventures would’ve made so much? Don’t overestimate yourself," the old man shot back.

"Right, right. It’s all thanks to the foundation you laid, Dad. Anyway, don’t worry about this. Just enjoy your birthday. I’ve invited quite a few people—you’ll be drowning in gifts."

"Who’s on the guest list?"

"The Blakeson family from John, the Everton Hills, the Penningtons..."

"What?"

The old man was stunned.

Since when could their family rub shoulders with these elite John families?

And now they’re coming to celebrate his birthday?

This...

Gong Changheng continued, "Then there’s the Rocheforts, the Monges, and the Saint-Aubins from France..."

"Wha—?" The old man was even more shocked.

Gong Changheng went on, "The Harts, the Carringtons, the Childs, the Worths, and the Sterlings from Germany..."

"..." Old Master Gong felt dizzy.

Gong Changheng added, "And from Russia, the Ivanovs... the Sidorovs, the Petrova-Alekseyeva..."

"..."

Finally.

Gong Changheng went on to mention some tycoons from Hong Kong and the mainland.

In short,

Old Master Gong felt this was a major event.

Perhaps even bigger than when he followed his father and left the country years ago.

Could this be the turning point for the family?

Why invite so many people all at once?

The Tang family might not be as lofty as they once were,

but

their true status couldn’t be revealed publicly.

Most importantly, these families—whether internally or externally—had their own share of problems.

Some even held grudges against each other.

Whose family patriarch’s birthday celebration could possibly gather every single one of them without exception?

Who had that kind of clout?

This was clearly about setting aside hatred and grievances to come celebrate someone’s birthday.

Insane.

After a long silence,

Old Master Gong swallowed hard and said, "I have that kind of clout? Damn it, kid, did you pull some strings behind my back? You little bastard, don’t drag me into trouble."

Gong Changheng could only offer a bitter smile.

He hadn’t anticipated things escalating like this.

Sure, he’d estimated that their family’s standing would rise because of this, maybe even giving them a shot at expanding their business globally—

multiplying their assets over and over…

But

now that it was actually happening, even he felt uneasy.

These past few days, he’d often fallen silent, trying to steady his nerves.

Even now, he hadn’t fully calmed down.

However,

seeing his father’s reaction, he suddenly felt a wave of relief.

"Dad, my dear old man, just relax."

"Relax my ass—you trying to send me to my grave?"

"I said relax, as in don’t worry… I’ll explain later. It’s too complicated to sum up in a few words." Gong Changheng then pointed upward, hinting at the higher-ups.

Old Master Gong was bursting with questions.

But if this was arranged by the main family, they probably meant no harm.

Besides,

what kind of status did the main family hold now?

Worst case scenario—

they could always return home.

With that safety net, what was there to fear?

Times had changed, and so had the situation back on the mainland.

A fortune in the billions… Even if they lost it all, with just a word from the main family, couldn’t they recover it in no time?

Moreover,

thinking about it, it seemed like these top-tier families actually needed something from his son.

Otherwise, why would they come celebrate his birthday?

And his son had always been steady in his decisions.

So things should be fine.

After a brief silence, Old Master Gong mostly came to terms with it.

On top of that,

he was already in his seventies. His children and grandchildren would have their own fortunes to make. In a few years, they might even have four generations under one roof—what was there to fear?

In his lifetime, he’d followed his father through thick and thin.

He was born when the Japanese were still around.

He’d weathered storms before.

What the hell was there to be scared of?

Besides, damn it, if he could go out with a bang like this—

having the most powerful families in the world come celebrate his birthday—wasn’t that the kind of legacy that would go down in history?

Even if he dropped dead right then, it’d be worth it.

Just like that, Old Master Gong made peace with it.

He asked, "We’re inviting the press, right? Get reporters from all over the world."

Gong Changheng was taken aback. "Why?"

"Why? Damn it, if I’m gonna flex one last time in my life, I might as well make it count. Let the whole world know who Old Man Gong is."

Hearing this, Gong Changheng was speechless. "Dad, don’t get carried away. With our family’s modest assets, people will just think we’re desperate for attention."

"What the hell are you scared of? Why back down now? This is called leveraging momentum—isn’t that what momentum’s for? Sure, our family’s assets can’t compare to these people, but aren’t they tripping over themselves to send gifts to your old man? Doesn’t that make us even more enigmatic? Kid, you’ve still got a lot to learn. You ride the wave to make your own—why the hell should I be afraid when even I’m not?!"

"……"

This exchange made it clear the old man was someone who knew how to seize an opportunity.

And once he made up his mind, there was no hesitation left in him.

The brash recklessness of his youth had faded with age, but in moments like these, traces of it still shimmered through.