The Tycoon Inheritance

Beijing, being the mecca capital of China from since ancient days has seen its share of prosperity over the decades. Though second to Shanghai, it's a place of one's dream of fame and fortune.

It's shiny in the eyes of many, but a dark sea for its natives.

A surge of changes has been happening lately. It began subtly a few months ago until recently when those changes came to the public eye.

Those who understood the hidden meanings in each business, finance and entertainment headline were preparing for the upheaval. The stubborn and arrogant ones only sneered at the news.

Its been two days since Chen Kai's arrival in Beijing and his presence has already rubbed a few opportunistic bastards a wrong way.

The one who believed his baby son to be the top young master of his generation was now reduced to a laughing stock. To shake off some embarrassment, he made Chen Kai's deeds known, even exaggerating a bit.

The protagonist in the fresh rumors was unaware of this, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care.

The news of the rumors came to his uncle though but just like his nephew, maybe its an innate thing, he too was unbothered by it.

But even if the Li Clan was unbothered, a few close friends to the family were worried.

"Yo, what is it? We came to fish and try to do that damn retirement thing. What got you so fidgety?" Old Master Li muttered carelessly. He was currently fighting with a fish he pulled out of the lake, planning to give his nephew a good fish feast later. Ever since he was notified of Chen Kai's identity, the old man has been in 'doting grandpa' mode.

"What the hell? Don't tell me you're oblivious to that overinflated prick's latest move against you." Zhu Hao was annoyed by his friend's nonchalance.

As one of the few closest friends of the Li Clan's old master, he knew how unpredictable this fox was. They knew of Chen Kai and were eager to meet the kid that soften the cunning fox's edges; now seeing those pampered horses attacking the little patriarch they were outright pissed.

"Which one?"

Old Li's four companions turned to look at him with gazes of disbelief. Does he really not know?

Old Li, noticing the silence, looked up. "Oye, what's with this pantomime act? What is it? Tong hasn't said anything to me and Little Kai was showing me his latest project. I don't have the urge to ask about those bastards."

The old men sighed at their friend's easy adaptability to retirement. If their grandkids were as competent as Little Kai they can be like him too. Inwardly, they began to scold their precious grandkids.

"Xi sent out word that Little Kai is a ruthless gangster who has no regard for life. They revealed a few things about what happened the other night. The word has only spread through the circles, not to the public," One spoke up after seeing Old Li's reaction. He resettled himself in the chair to get back to fishing.

Old Li chuckled at the news. "Smart as ever. He's still thinking of the bigger picture. If he revealed everything, then he would lose more money. After Little Kai retaliated, he lost an important subsidiary and his stocks have been declining slowly. Which part did he reveal?" The proud smirk on his face couldn't be missed.

The hell. The four cursed under their breaths. The kid probably accomplished something and he was waiting to announce it to the world.

"Its probably fabricated. Xi's version is Little Kai attacked one of his vassal family, nearly killing them to make his debut."

"…. Are they retarded?"

"They don't use retarded anymore," Chu Kang softly admonished his friend.

"Tch! What is it now… yes… mentally disturbed? Challenged? Whatever… they're messed up in the head to put that out. Who doesn't know that the Long family 'attacked' us under his orders? Taking away that second-rate entertainment company was giving him face; it wasn't Kai's fault that the men they chose had no control over their tongues." Old Li was a bit annoyed but didn't put much thought into it.

"Are you going to tell Little Kai?" Zhang Deng asked lazily.

All five of them were in their retirement age, and their friend from their youth Li Yunkang, was the first to pass the mantle. The man has been waiting to do that since the disappearance of his dear niece, only he knew a few bits about her disappearance. Thankfully Little Kai is alive and well.

"He won't be bothered. If they push him, he won't attack the older one but the younger one. Heheheh~ He knows where to hit people where it hurts."

"Its really a Li Clan trait huh? Knowing an enemy's weakness at a glance," Zhu Hao sneered at his smug friend. Hateful bastard.

Old Li smug smirk turned into a toothy grin.

Across the city….

At the entrance of a prominent Beijing building, five business elites stood solemnly at the glass doors, waiting quietly for a guest they didn't expect. Just like the rumors – he was very unpredictable.

Workers and patrons of the 56-floor high financial building were curious as to why these people who commanded many professionals and could be seen in news reports were standing idly on the sidewalk.

Those who had nothing to do took a few photos and posted them in their friend circles – [Wonder which bigshot is ascending to have them like this.]

The few who stayed to watch the show didn't have to wait long. Three luxury cars smoothly came to a stop at the curb.

Positioned at the front and back were two Audi Q3s, visibly customized SUVs; centered at the middle was a Lexus ES. To the car lovers and dreamers around, they silently quoted the standard price and customization for these two luxury cars. They hissed at the calculated costs and wondered who in Beijing was so extravagant to use these cars for everyday use right out of production.

Out of the Audi SUVs came four uniformed bodyguards. They created a protective shield at the rear door of the Lexus ES.

Unbothered by the stares, a young man with deep dark eyes stepped out. His tall, regal stature, clad in a bronze colored Tang suit jacket with a white t-shirt and black slim-fit jeans tucked in lambskin leather boots, he stood and calmly waited for his assistant to accompany him.

The five elites took a deep breath and stepped forward. When the young man's dark eyes passed over them, they instinctively lowered their gazes, their everyday superior posture seemed to wither in this man's presence. Glancing at the gold signet ring with the blue jade piece, they confirmed who this young man was.

Keeping their heads lowered, they bowed and shouted their greeting with all the respect and sincerity they had for their new boss and his family.

"Welcome, Young Master Li!"

The spectator's head turned swiftly to the regal and indifferent young man. His existence came into the business world months ago when the family made that unexpected statement.

Heir to Li Industries. The present patriarch of the clan. Owner of unimagined wealth, that is decades worth both domestic and international. An excellent young man with his own accomplishments.

This impeccably dressed, prince-like, handsome young man was the envy of most men in the masses and seemingly out of reach for the ladies.

News houses were clamoring to get a quick interview or photo of this guy. Those who recorded this impromptu visit of the Li Clan's prince saw an inkling of riches and fame.

How lucky were they!

"Thank you." His voice mellow and pleasantly deep reached their ears. The elites returned to their upright posture and guided their boss into the building. When he made a step to follow, Assistant Tong showed him a message on his tablet.

Chen Kai's sly smirk was caught on a few phone cameras. His messy ponytail was affected further by a light breeze, the few loose hair strands brushed against his fair skin. The dangling gold earring shimmered under the morning sun. Every move he made was ethereal and played right in to the new moniker the onlookers quietly gave him – Prince Li.

Chen Kai was distracted a bit by the news sent from his uncle that he didn't know that he gave the impromptu paparazzi a lot of material. An enthusiastic scream broke him out of his inward cursing session; the moment he looked up, the cameras worked harder than they were used to.

Giving them a quick nod, he continued on his way.

The Sheiru Building, commonly known as the Li Headquarters in Beijing, carried the image and prestige of the family's wealth and influence in China and overseas. The building housed 56 floors and was built with materials from Dubai and Japan. Each floor catered to specific departments and amenities for the employees – restaurants, gyms, a convenience store, and a pharmacy. For 9 -5 workers, having free time to go shopping for themselves or finding a one-stop shop in the heart of Beijing can be challenging; the building catered to these things.

The ultra modern vibe of the lobby resonated with Chen Kai aesthetics – clean sleek lines with the touch of streamlined tech, this was 60% similar to his companies in his last life.

The elites saw the appreciative look on their young boss's face and were relieved.

"Your office, on the top floor has been re-designed to your wishes. Old Master Li did notify us that you will be working remote most of the time. Assistant Tong sent word that you require all heads of department to be in your meeting room, they are already there."

"Good. Xiao Ming, please invite our other guests." Chen Kai spoke softly but everyone in the elevator heard.

'Other guests??' They were curious as to who were these guests but they can't ask the boss bluntly nor beat around the bush in asking.

Tong Ming ignored the looks and sent a quick message to four people. He then took the chance to get a grip on the current situation within the company. After all when a new boss comes in, there will be a lot of unease.

Chen Kai didn't participate in the conversation; he was chatting with his main assistant Argon. The AI swiftly executed his orders, and Chen Kai waited for the fish to take the bait.

'How thick can one's face be? Slander me and want to use my businesses to show off? Had to be sick in the head,' Chen Kai cursed inwardly.

While he was cursing to the high heavens internally, he kept a calm expression and listened to the conversation beside him.

56th Floor – Owner's Suite

The pleasant AI voice cut through the talk.

Tong Ming stepped out first, then the Elites, both sides instinctively creating a shield. To Chen Kai this action was natural in his eyes. A person with power has this influence upon his subordinates because of their respect and recognition.

The Owner's Suite as it is dubbed on the building schematics and written into the building's system encompasses the entire floor and designed with numerous types of glass walls and compatible sleek furnishings. Shades of blue, green and white were seen, whether in the frosted glass or simple knick-knacks, creating a comfortable Scandinavian aesthetic.

"I must say Young Master Li, the upgrade to the company's software has work life a bit smoother. The tech team has been raving about it and wanted me to send their thanks for the additional support for cyber security," one of the Elites commented. His job entails any tech or cyber security needs and problems across all the companies in China. He was also the first subordinate that Chen Kai met with when he took over from Old Master Li.

"You're welcome though what I added is another layer to your impeccable defenses. I'm not saying this as good words its out of pure sincerity. You are the first line of defense when it comes to the development of Li Industries. If anyone breaks our shield it would be chaos."

They all nodded in agreement. They were now in the Tech Era; hackers were abundant and many companies can be vulnerable to these silent threats. Thankfully they had loyal and competent people in the field.

"Now let's deal with the human side of silent threats."

In the conference room…..

Those who were present can be said to be at the middle rung of the hierarchy of the company's structure. Maybe one or two rungs below the elites and have a bit of influence in their departments. They all had great ambitions however a few of them went along to reach their goals annoyed Chen Kai a bit.

These people began to think beautifully.

They were invited up to the 56th FLOOR!!!!

A white collar worker's dream is to be invited up to that floor to meet the owner. Maybe it will be in guise of a commendation for good work or a special job. The dreams were endless amongst the workers.

The little managers in the room were both anxious and nervous. They were about to meet their new boss. They heard whispers about him. All the miniscule facts they garnered were his age and his business prowess.

A young business genius. That's all they can say about their new boss.

"What do you think? A promotion? Bonus? They won't call us up here for a simple check in won't they?" A chatty female manager said aloud. She found the room too quiet for her liking. The background music playing in the speakers and the comfortable ambience didn't relax her at all. Unable to pinpoint it the reason why she was uneasy, she decided to liven up the place.

"It is weird. Why would the boss request to meet with us mid tier guys on his first visit? It's a bit strange, if you ask me." Another manager said in a wary tone.

"I heard the directors went down to meet him. Do you think they know?" A manager with a pudgy figure asked carefully. His eyes had an ever-present vigilance even when speaking to a friend.

" How could they not know? They are like the hands of the boss. Its known that the directors of Li Industries are as ruthless as the one who commands them. The new one is probably the same." A male manager sneered as he said this. A typical ambitious fellow who reaches for things beyond his scope.

No one made a comment on that talk. Those who didn't speak turned their attention to their phones while the chatty cathy who started everything shifted the conversation skillfully.

It wasn't wise to comment on any Li family member – good things can be voiced, unpleasant things are to be quiet.

The new round of conversation didn't last long. The double doors to the conference room opened, welcoming a tall, handsome young man with piercing dark eyes. He moved unhurriedly to the head seat of the large U shaped conference table. The porcelain table gleamed under the natural light and reflected the occupants clearly. The elites and Tong Ming moved past the standing managers who had their heads lowered in either fear or discomfort.

How can they not understand the strength of Chen Kai's momentum? One look was enough for them to second-guess their words and double-check their work.

Chen Kai wasn't bothered by this. To him, it was normal. His gaze swept over those who were on his target list then to those who played it safe.

'May have to do some restructuring,' he silently mused.

"Sit."

No questioned asked. They obey the soft command.

Backs straight, phones on silent mode, they looked at Chen Kai, waiting for his next words. He stood above them like an emperor surveying his court. Those eyes moving from one person to the next.

What was he thinking?

Under that steady, emotionless gaze, they began to squirm in unease. A small smile played on Chen Kai's lips when he got the expected results.

He tapped the table twice and spoke, " Serra, start the broadcast."

{Yes, Young Master Li.}

This voice.

Isn't this the AI voice they hear every morning? It has a name? It's a high-level AI. Why didn't they know?

They didn't have time to study the reason behind this. Ahead of them, the large wall-sized painting flickered.

A screen?! The painting was a screen?!

These managers and elites were used to the wall-mounted projection monitors in the lower floors that seeing such a large monitor and the seamless blended standby screen.

Wait… why are they stuck on this small stuff? Why do the people on this broadcast look familiar?

The targeted managers who recognized them were dumbstruck; they tried hard to keep their expression neutral but the changes were caught by Chen Kai.

He didn't say a word nor point them out. He calmly took a seat and voiced an order to Serra. "Enable the audio for Interview room 2 and caption the others."

{Received.}

"….. On July 7th, you were tasked with this project due to your past achievements. This project was created to collaborate with three companies from different industries. This can't be labelled as a S level project but C level at best, with the connections give to you by your manager, can you tell me how one of our competitors executed this project with similar plans and connections?"

The little worker was pale with fright. She thought this was the promotion interview her manager told her about. All she had to do was work on this project superficially and not care about the rest. She received a bonus. She became confident and became a favored worker by her manager.

"I-I cannot say. I followed the words of my senior and…"

"So your meeting of these two competitors were orders from your senior?" The investigator pushed two photos and attached documents towards the trembling woman.

"We do not prohibit intimate relations but a few irregularities between us and them within time of your dalliance. Things that should be known to your department were found in their companies. Can you explain this Miss Chun?"

Her eyes darted from left to right under her thick eyelashes as she lowered her head. She was trying to figure out a way out of this but couldn't. She can go to jail for this. What would her mother think? Her friends. Her new lover.

The investigator didn't stop.

He made queries about four other projects that were handed to her by the manager she trusted. The pressure was great. The more questions were asked, the heavier her heart felt. She had no way out. There were no excuses … no one… Wait.

There was one. There was someone.

"Manager Kim!"

The investigator held back a smile. He knew who they were targeting and this young lady with low will power was enough to get their target. "Manager Kim? What of him? It says here he's your superior and have been under Li Industries' employ for 14 years. A bright name within the department. Why did you mention him?"

"It was him. He was the one who told me to just keep up appearances and talk to those people. I also sent gifts to them. I never knew what was in them because they were already wrapped by Manager Kim. C-Could it be I was played all along? I didn't do any of this intentionally. It's not me!" She was getting hysterical by the moment because the investigator still held an indifferent expression not hinting at any sign of empathy.

Back on the 56th floor, three managers were completely ostracized. They were all bumbling around trying to explain themselves but the evidence was clearly highlighted on the screen.

Chen Kai didn't speak. He sat in his chair in a leisurely position, watching the mini how the three were putting on.

He let them carry on until their faces turned blue and trembling in the corner whenever they happened to catch his eyes.

"Director Du, I believe this falls into your department," Chen Kai said languidly.

"Yes, Young Master Li." The middle aged woman stood up from her seat, her eyes were cold as she looked at the three managers she always had a good repertoire with. At first, she pinned such moves on Manager Liu, the ambitious one, but neveron these three who were considered the backbone of their departments.

Chen Kai smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Good then I will take the last step in advance. Assistant Tong please post my statement."

Five minutes later, Li Industries made a public statement.

This statement said a lot and the main point from it was clear.

Li Industries has entered a new era.