Chapter 1972 — A Well-Meant Invitation
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After the noon class let out, Wei Zhao looked at the stranger before him and frowned slightly. He was quite certain he had never met this person, yet the man had blocked his path, which put Wei Zhao in a foul mood.
"Is there something you want?" Wei Zhao asked flatly.
"Excuse me… are you Mr. Wei Zhao?" Though the man had stopped him, his tone was exceedingly polite.
"Yes. What is it?" Wei Zhao sized the man up again. Still no recognition.
"I am Han Xiaopo of the Hidden Han Family, and I pay my respects to Senior Lin!" Han Xiaopo saluted with cupped fists, using the honorific of the martial world.
"The Hidden Han Family?" It was the first time Wei Zhao had heard of this hidden clan. Still, he halted his steps. Since the man belonged to a hidden clan, he might as well see what the fellow was after.
"We are but a minor family, so it is only natural that Senior Lin has never heard of us…" Han Xiaopo smiled bitterly, thinking to himself that the Hidden Han Family truly had no name to speak of — Wei Zhao had probably never heard of them in his life.
"Fine. Tell me what you want," Wei Zhao said, caring nothing for whether the family was great or small.
"Senior Lin, I will not beat around the bush. There is a matter on which I would ask for your help!" Han Xiaopo said.
"Not interested. No time." Since he had never even heard of the Hidden Han Family, Wei Zhao had no inclination to humor a request for help.
"Please wait, Senior Lin. Our Han Family once came into possession of an ancient ruin filled with treasures. If Senior Lin is willing to help, you may take your pick of the treasures as your reward!" Han Xiaopo knew that with a man like Wei Zhao, one must not play games. Speaking plainly was the only way to earn his goodwill; beat about the bush, and Wei Zhao would likely have lost patience and walked off long ago.
"An ancient ruin?" Wei Zhao stopped and turned to look at Han Xiaopo, falling into thought. He knew well enough what an ancient ruin was. Legend had it that those ancient sects and ancient clans had risen to become giants of the martial world precisely because they found such ruins — and yet the Hidden Han Family had actually found one too, which surprised him somewhat.
They had found an ancient ruin, and they were still a minor clan? So obscure that even among the hidden clans they had no name?
He did not yet know the reason behind it, but Han Xiaopo's offer did stir Wei Zhao's heart. The materials in an ancient ruin might well include pure yellow jade, colored steel, or blue crystal powder.
"That is correct…" Han Xiaopo nodded. "May I ask if Senior Lin has the time? Let us sit down and discuss the details…"
"Very well. The cafeteria, then. I have not had lunch yet," Wei Zhao said.
"Senior Lin, I have already reserved a table at the nearby Xueshang Business Hotel, and I hope Senior Lin would do me the honor…" Hearing Wei Zhao agree, Han Xiaopo's face lit up at once as he issued the invitation.
"Oh. Then let us go," Wei Zhao said with a nod.
A Ferrari sports car was parked below the biology department's teaching building. Han Xiaopo respectfully ushered Wei Zhao into the car, and they sped toward the Xueshang Business Hotel.
The Xueshang Business Hotel turned out to be none other than the Xueshang Guesthouse, merely called by a different name. Arriving here, Wei Zhao was reminded of Sun Jingyan, and said to Han Xiaopo, "Wait a moment. I will invite a friend to eat with us."
"Of course, no problem!" Han Xiaopo would not dream of questioning it. The more casual Wei Zhao was, the better the chance the matter would succeed.
Wei Zhao called Sun Jingyan. She happened to be on her way to eat as well, so he told her to come straight to the private room Han Xiaopo had reserved.
"Wei Zhao, what made you come all the way here for lunch?" Sun Jingyan was rather surprised by his sudden appearance. Then, noticing the unfamiliar man beside him, she grew puzzled. "And this is…"
"You must be Senior Lin's girlfriend. Greetings, senior. My name is Han Xiaopo, of the Hidden Han Family!" Han Xiaopo said to Sun Jingyan with the utmost deference.
"Huh? The Hidden Han Family?" Wei Zhao knew nothing of the Hidden Han Family, but Sun Jingyan, being of a clan herself, knew them perfectly well, and was familiar with the story of the Han Family's rise. Even if the Hidden Han Family was one of the weaker hidden clans, compared to the Sun Family it was still a colossus!
What Sun Jingyan had not expected was that a scion of the Hidden Han Family would address her as senior… Was she basking in Wei Zhao's reflected glory?
"Yes. I am the eldest grandson of the Hidden Han Family, and I speak on its behalf. There is a matter on which we would ask Senior Lin's help…" Han Xiaopo explained respectfully.
"Enough. Let us have the food first — I am hungry. We can talk while we eat," Wei Zhao said, waving his hand with some impatience and cutting Han Xiaopo off.
"Yes, Senior Lin. I will have the waiter bring the dishes at once!" With that, Han Xiaopo turned and left the private room to instruct the waiter.
Meanwhile, Sun Jingyan lowered her voice in astonishment and said to Wei Zhao, "Why did he call you senior? And he wants to ask your help?"
"Who knows. We will hear him out in a moment," Wei Zhao said indifferently.
Soon Han Xiaopo returned, respectfully taking the seat of lowest honor and pouring tea for Wei Zhao and Sun Jingyan.
"All right. While we wait for the food, tell me what this is about," Wei Zhao said.
"It is like this, Senior Lin…" Han Xiaopo then hurriedly recounted everything to Wei Zhao: the summit of the hidden clans, the contest, and how he had seen Wei Zhao racing his car on the highway.
"The summit of the hidden clans?" It was the first Wei Zhao had heard of such a thing. But then, if the great clans had their clan assemblies, it was hardly surprising that the hidden clans had a summit of their own! From the sound of it, this was a grand meet to test the strength of each hidden clan. "So, in other words, if I win the car race for you, all the prizes of the race go to me, and on top of that I may choose any treasure I like from the Hidden Han Family's vault? Do you not think you are getting the short end of the stick?"
"That is correct!" Han Xiaopo nodded. "Of course, I hope this will be more than a mere transaction — that it will be the beginning of a friendship. I sincerely hope the Hidden Han Family may become a friend of Senior Lin, so whether we lose out or not hardly matters."
Had Han Xiaopo merely wanted to bargain, he could easily have offered Wei Zhao the race prizes first, and only raised the stakes if Wei Zhao refused. But what Han Xiaopo sought was Wei Zhao's friendship. Ever since he learned that the man driving the Grand Cherokee was Wei Zhao, he had harbored this thought.
"Pure yellow jade, blue crystal, colored steel — which of these does the Hidden Han Family have?" Wei Zhao asked.
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