Chapter Ninety-Five: In Those Days, the Hero Was Still Young Fourth Update, an Extra Chapter in gratitude to all the generous supporters of this book

Eight wealthy magnates strode in side by side.

Tian Sheng Group’s Li Yapeng, with thousands of employees and a net worth conservatively estimated in the tens of billions, was one of the ten outstanding young people of the nation in 2011. A self-made man, he was known as Huazhou’s Little Third Young Master.

Guangda Media’s Zhang Jicai was a rising entertainment tycoon, with two A-list stars under his wing and countless second-tier celebrities besides. Last year, a film that grossed over five billion was financed and produced by Guangda Media.

There was also Lin Jialei, the owner of Zhiye Steel. His steel business spanned overseas, his annual profit exceeded a hundred million, and his fortune had already surpassed four billion two years ago.

On the hotel rooftop, the crowd parted in all directions, making way for these titans of wealth.

In a scene like this, the guests from the Jiang and Zheng families did not even have the qualifications to stand in the main path. Every one of them stood trembling at the edge, their faces filled with utter shock. Eight tycoons had arrived at once—was this defying heaven itself?

Jiang Yun, the second son, hid his arms within his sleeves as they shook violently. He forced himself to remain composed, staring darkly at the wealthy men.

As for Zheng Xuan, her body went weak and she sank into a chair, tasting every bitterness and sweetness, every sour and acrid twist of feeling in her heart.

"Every tycoon in all of Jiangbei would bow and address me respectfully as Mr. Jiang."

"I brought down the Wolf Head with a single finger."

"I cured Xiahou Sheng’s long-standing malaria."

"I trampled a grandmaster underfoot and severed a half-step master with my sword."

"Alone, I suppressed Liusha Town."

"At the summit of Huating, I cut down four grandmasters in succession and forced the Hidden Sect to retreat step by step."

The words Jiang Yu had once spoken rang out in Zheng Xuan’s mind like a great bell and drum, like thunder crashing from the heavens, exploding there all at once. It struck her so hard that a chill ran through her entire body, leaving her unable to tell east from west or north from south.

Once upon a time, that arrogant and imperious tone...

Jiang Yu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the sky. At this moment, he stood atop Jiangbei, looking down on all living beings with the bearing of a true powerhouse.

"Li Yapeng."

"Zhang Jicai."

"Lin Jialei."

"Su Susu."

"..."

The eight of them bowed ninety degrees in unison, clasping their hands in salute, their faces full of reverence as they said, "We pay respects to Grandmaster Jiang. After a century of fortune gathering in Jiangbei, a true grandmaster has at last been nurtured into this world."

The entire scene fell into deathly silence.

Together, these people were enough to sway the economic lifeline of Jiangbei.

Jiang Ziyue’s beautiful eyes brimmed with tears, and a relieved smile appeared on her lips. "I knew it. I was never wrong. One day, Jiang Yu will stand before us in the posture of a sovereign who rules the world."

How terrifying a woman’s intuition could be.

She rose to her feet, her slender fingers clenched, her whole body trembling with excitement. "Jiang Yu, you truly rose against the current and climbed straight to the summit!"

This surprise struck the crowd so hard that their minds went blank.

Everyone from the Jiang and Zheng families stood up. One by one, they stared in speechless disbelief, the scene before them seeming no different from a dream.

Tycoons from Huazhou and Yuzhou had all arrived. The cities were far apart, spanning thousands of miles. And next—would people from Yuncheng, Jincheng, and Qingzhou also come?

No, impossible.

If they came any more, then it would be the entire Jiangbei.

The herald’s voice sounded again. From the tone of the boy announcing the arrivals, it seemed that with every new identity of enormous weight, he had grown numb, so exhausted that he could hardly go on.

"Tycoon Li Hao from Yuncheng has arrived!"

"Xiahou Sheng of the Xiahou family in Yuncheng has arrived!"

"Xia Qianshan of the Xiahou family in Yuncheng has arrived!"

"Yuan Shixiong of the Yuan family in Yuncheng has arrived!"

"Wang Yuanshan of Tianwang Enterprises in Yuncheng has arrived!"

One after another, the calls swept through the hall, encompassing every renowned magnate in Yuncheng.

Another six people emerged from the stairway.

Huazhou, Yuzhou, and now Yuncheng as well.

That was nearly half of Jiangbei—almost half of Jiangbei had come.

Jiang Yun was almost at his limit. His heartbeat had reached an extreme pace, and cold sweat covered his palms. Half the tycoons of Jiangbei had shown up.

Suddenly, Jiang Ziyue lifted her head and said with a bleak smile, "Li Hao, Yuan Shixiong, Xiahou Sheng... I finally understand. I finally know why, in the span of a single noon, all the Jiang family’s project contracts were terminated."

Her smile was complex beyond measure.

The day Jiang Yu severed ties with the Jiang family, every contract of the Jiang clan was canceled. Countless big names in Yuncheng, even at the risk of breaching contract and bearing the consequences, still tore apart every agreement they had previously settled on. They were willing to go that far, all in order to crush the Jiang family.

That was the answer. That was Jiang Yu’s hidden card.

It was also the courage that had let Jiang Yu soar with great ambition and break away from the Jiang family.

Li Hao was radiant and spirited, dressed in a suit, his hair slicked straight back, his feet planted in thick-soled leather shoes, every inch of him overflowing with swagger. The underground emperor’s reputation was well deserved.

His chief enforcer, the Wolf Head, followed respectfully behind him. Broad-shouldered and fierce, his gaze sharp as an eagle’s, he swept it across the Jiang and Zheng families.

When he reached Jiang Yu, Li Hao bowed with devotion. "Xiao Hao pays respects to Teacher."

The Wolf Head was filled with fear. The moment he saw Jiang Yu, it was as though he had seen a god. "Wolf Head pays respects to Master Jiang."

With those plain and simple words, it was as if a comet had fallen from the sky, stirring up towering waves upon a still lake. That terror, that shock, that astonishment—under those surging waves, they were instantly reduced to ashes, leaving only blank minds behind.

Xia Ning wore a form-fitting long dress, her hair streaming behind her, exquisite beyond compare. She followed quietly behind Xiahou Sheng, and in her gaze toward Jiang Yu there was reverence and admiration.

Heroes under heaven are all born from among our generation!

Xia Ning walked up to Zheng Xuan and said in a cool, detached voice, "Zheng Xuan, weren’t you curious why I, Xia Ning, always treated Jiang Yu with such courtesy and respect?"

"Here is your answer. In truth, Jiang Yu is not merely my friend, but an honored guest of the entire Xia family. On the day of your engagement, you said that connections among the younger generation were nothing special. The ones who truly control this era are still those great tycoons. And now, all of them are here."

Tears burst from Zheng Xuan’s eyes. Facing Xia Ning’s challenge, she could not say a single word, as though a fishbone had lodged itself in her throat.

"How could you possibly fathom Jiang Yu’s achievements?"

Xia Ning stood proudly, and her moderate tone sounded especially clear in the quiet air.

Xia Qianshan of the Xia family’s right branch, the father of Xia Qinghan, was deeply respectful as he stepped before Jiang Yu. "Qianshan greets Master Jiang."

Behind him, Xia Qinghan was there as well, and even Lin Dong followed silently at his side.

At last, Lin Dong had been utterly convinced by Jiang Yu.

In just a few minutes, the tycoons standing behind Jiang Yu now spanned the three great cities of Yuzhou, Yuncheng, and Huazhou, numbering more than twenty.

As for the Jiang and Zheng families, only a dozen or so minor rich men worth several million remained standing. In a scene like this, none of them dared even breathe too loudly.

Then several more figures hurried up.

They brushed the herald aside and ran straight over. These people were the local wealthy bosses of Jincheng.

"Manager Cui?"

"Manager Yang?"

The Zheng father’s face went deathly pale. Even people from Jincheng had come.

These people had never even met Jiang Yu. They had merely heard that today’s gathering was astonishingly lively, that half of Jiangbei had come. After asking around, they learned it was Jiang Grandmaster’s arrival, and hurried over at once.

With Jincheng included, tycoons from four major cities had now arrived.

Today’s banquet was unprecedented and unmatched. Jincheng was shaken to its core. At this moment, everyone could sense, faintly and invisibly, several pairs of eyes watching the situation here.

With so many tycoons present, if anything went wrong, some people’s livelihoods would surely be on the line.

That slender figure remained unruffled by honor or disgrace. He lit a cigarette, said not a single word, and in the face of everyone’s visit, merely nodded absentmindedly as a token return greeting.

As for the rest, since he did not speak, no one else dared to open their mouth first.

But the arrivals were not over yet.

After asking about the identities of the next guests, the herald said wearily, "Tycoons from Qingyuan and Nancheng have arrived."

By this point, every tycoon in all of Jiangbei had been mobilized.

The hotel rooftop was packed shoulder to shoulder with people—every one of them a boss or magnate worth over a hundred million.

Another dozen-odd people hurried over to Jiang Yu’s side.

The pastry in He Bing’s hand slipped silently to the floor. She covered her lips with one small hand, stars bursting across her vision.

Sun Wanyue gave a bitter laugh. "So this was your preparation?"

Jiang Yu moved. He ground out the cigarette butt and walked, unhurried, toward Zheng Xuan. Looking at Zheng Xuan and Jiang Shaoqi, he asked, "Didn’t you say you hadn’t even seen three or two stray cats and dogs? Now then, do these cats and dogs catch your eye? Compared with the connections of your Jiang and Zheng families, how do they measure up?"

Having said that, he looked at the tear-streaked Zheng Xuan and said calmly, "I told you back then that with just a single sentence, making your Zheng family become the next Li Hao of Jincheng would not be impossible."

Jiang Yu showed neither joy nor sorrow, with not a trace of emotion. Raising his voice, he said, "I wonder if these count as the kind of connections I understand. What do you think?"

Everyone from the Jiang family kept their heads lowered, too afraid to look at Jiang Yu.

In the quiet that followed, the herald’s voice trembled as he cried out:

"The richest man of Jiangbei, Ma Tianzong, has arrived!"

"Chairwoman Gu Feifei of Huating Entertainment has arrived!"

That was all there was to Jiangbei.

In that year, the heroes were still young.