Chapter 1970 — The Argument

"Ah! Uncle Jiu, you gave me such a fright — I thought we had hit a dead end, and here you had already run him down!" The moment Han Xiaopo heard Uncle Jiu's words, he was overjoyed.

"Young Master Po, everything I said before was only to set out this man's background." Uncle Jiu's voice remained flat.

At that thought, Han Xiaopo could not help feeling a quiet, private gratitude.

"According to the register at the university's security office, the owner of the car is a student at Donghai Engineering University... the rest is still under investigation." Uncle Jiu paused there, as though even he found it strange that a man of the Mystery Investigation Bureau should be a student.

"A student?" Han Xiaopo was taken aback. "How could a student be one of the Mystery Investigation Bureau's people?"

"That is still unclear. But I have already reported the matter to the head of the family, and he may convene a family council at any moment. Young Master Po, you had best make ready," Uncle Jiu said.

"Thank you, Uncle Jiu!" Hearing this, Han Xiaopo was deeply moved.

A family council was a fine stage on which to be seen. So long as one put forward a sound proposal for the family's advancement at such a meeting, one would win Grandfather's high regard. The heir to the seat of young family head had not yet been named, but Uncle Jiu clearly favored him.

And among his own generation, the only one with any hope of contending against him was Han Xiaochun, his second uncle's son. Xiaochun had ability enough, but he was narrow-minded and opposed him at every turn — a temperament Uncle Jiu had no liking for.

Sure enough, half an hour later Han Xiaopo received word from one of the family's disciples: a family council was to be held in the council hall.

Of his generation, only he and Han Xiaochun were qualified to attend a family council; both of them were being groomed as heirs to the family.

Han Xiaopo hurried to the council chamber, yet Han Xiaochun had arrived ahead of him — and Old Master Han, the second generation of the Han family, and Uncle Jiu were all present. Han Xiaopo alone came last.

It seemed the disciple who had carried the summons must have been one of Han Xiaochun's people, deliberately set to make a fool of Han Xiaopo.

"Forgive me, Grandfather. I am late!" Han Xiaopo glanced around the chamber and spoke with an air of apology.

"Enough. Sit." Old Master Han was no fool; he knew very well that Han Xiaopo would never have come late on purpose. He saw these little tricks clearly enough — he simply could not be bothered to speak of them.

"Yes, Grandfather!" Han Xiaopo nodded and took his seat.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Han Xiaochun's eyes: Han Xiaopo's lateness had not drawn Grandfather's anger in the least, and his scheming had come to nothing.

"Xiaopo, I hear from your Uncle Jiu that you have found a driver of exceptional skill, and that you mean to have him race on behalf of our Hidden Han family at the approaching Summit of the Reclusive Families. Is that so?" Old Master Han asked once Han Xiaopo was settled.

"Yes, Grandfather!" Han Xiaopo nodded, and recounted what he had seen of that Grand Cherokee on the highway. When he had finished, he added: "Grandfather, this grandson of yours feels that if there is any way at all, we must engage this man to race for us. Otherwise I fear the Hidden Han family will end up winning nothing at all — and this concerns the family's face..."

"Well said!" Old Master Han nodded in approval. "Xiaopo did not go out for nothing this trip. To hold the family's interests in his heart at every hour — that is what every member of the Hidden Han family ought to learn from. At this Summit of the Reclusive Families we had no hope at all to begin with. If Xiaopo can bring this man in, then for our Han family it may yet salvage some face, and we need not lose so miserably! Old Jiu, you have looked into this man's identity and background, have you not? Tell us, and we shall see how he might be persuaded to come!"

"Yes!" Uncle Jiu nodded and set before them all the results of his earlier investigation.

"Xiaopo, what do you think? The idea was yours — so what terms do you think we should offer to have this man race for us?" Old Master Han looked toward Han Xiaopo.

"Grandfather, since this man belongs to the Mystery Investigation Bureau, I doubt ordinary benefits would catch his eye. I say that if only we can secure him, then even giving him the treasures we win would be no more than proper..." Han Xiaopo said.

"Elder Brother, have you taken leave of your senses? The treasures we win? Those are hardly treasures put up by our Han family alone — every family that enters the race stakes a treasure, and when the time comes he would be carrying off the treasures of every family. Do you not think those terms are a little too generous?" Han Xiaochun cut in coldly before Han Xiaopo could finish. "Or is it that you mean to collude with an outsider and swallow up our Han family's interests?"

"Swallow up the Han family's interests?" Han Xiaopo looked at Han Xiaochun with a half-smile. "You should know that if we do not bring him in, we are bound to lose this race. With the little foundation our family has, we are not even worth watching."

"He is a student, nothing more. Even if he has ties to the Mystery Investigation Bureau, our Hidden Han family asking his help is already doing him honor — toss him any one of our Han family's treasures and will he not come running to help?" Han Xiaochun gave a cold snort. "We of the Hidden Han family may not rank among the top families of the reclusive world, but I will say this much: even the Mystery Investigation Bureau must give us face!"

"On this matter, Xiaochun has the right of it. If we gave him every treasure, our Han family would be losing far too much. Giving him a single treasure is already more than remarkable..." Old Master Han nodded, siding with Han Xiaochun.

"Grandfather, if we cannot show a little sincerity, then I cannot promise to bring him in..." Han Xiaopo sighed and put the unpleasant truth first. For some reason he simply felt that the man in the Grand Cherokee was not the sort to be reasoned with easily, nor one to be fetched by a casual invitation.

"Elder Brother, if you feel your abilities are limited, then leave the matter to me. I will go and invite him — I guarantee I will get it done!" Han Xiaochun thumped his chest in assurance.

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