Ye Tian asked, "Who is he?"
Wu Zongnian replied, "A European consortium, the Rothschild family. They hold shares in several banks we've acquired. However, the Rothschilds don't want to sell their shares but are powerless to refuse."
Ye Tian stated, "That explains it. You've offended the Rothschild family, so they want to kill you."
Wu Zongnian explained, "I am the facilitator of this acquisition. If something happens to me, the acquisition will stall."
He then sighed, "Brother, if I hadn't met you, I would have likely not survived this time."
Ye Tian remarked, "I gave you elixirs before, and your physique is very robust. That's why this dark magic only made you uncomfortable and didn't harm your foundation. But if they continue, you will definitely contract a terminal illness within a month."
Wu Zongnian's expression turned grim. "Brother, is there a way to fight back?"
Ye Tian smiled, "How do you want to retaliate?"
Wu Zongnian declared, "They want to kill me, so of course, I want to kill them too!"
Ye Tian suggested, "They are using curse magic to harm you. Let's use the same method against them, returning their attack in kind."
Wu Zongnian's interest piqued. "How do we do that?"
Ye Tian instructed, "Take me to meet their leader, and I'll handle the rest."
Wu Zongnian agreed, "Alright. The Rothschild representative has scheduled a meeting with me tomorrow. You'll come with me."
Ye Tian inquired, "Is this Rothschild consortium powerful?"
Wu Zongnian responded, "Of course, they are extremely powerful. During the Franco-Prussian War, the Rothschilds bet on Napoleon's failure, shorted France, and earned more than the combined tax revenue of both countries for three years. Later, as Germany rose, and before World War I, the Rothschilds borrowed heavily from banks. After Germany's defeat, the mark's purchasing power plummeted, and the Rothschild consortium used this opportunity to hollow out Germany."
Ye Tian asked, "Didn't the Europeans get purged by that war maniac later?"
Wu Zongnian confirmed, "Yes, many Europeans were killed, but quite a few escaped Europe and went to the United States. The wealthiest people in the US are still Europeans, and they have already controlled the lifeline of the American economy. Later, as the United States grew stronger, Europeans returned to Europe and continued to dominate the financial sector."
Ye Tian commented, "These families are truly formidable, with tenacious vitality."
"Indeed. The combined industries controlled by the Rothschild consortium exceeded five hundred million US dollars back in the last century, truly possessing wealth rivaling nations. Not long ago, during the European debt crisis, the PIIGS countries had to seek loans from the Rothschilds to overcome the difficulties."
Ye Tian inquired, "How many people are in the core of this family?"
Wu Zongnian explained, "Their family has become corporatized, with capable individuals rising to the top. The most powerful are naturally the company's directors. However, they are all related by blood. The current directors are basically within three generations of kinship."
Ye Tian cautioned, "With such a powerful consortium, if you go to war with them, you must guard against their even more insidious tactics."
Wu Zongnian sneered, "Life is given by heaven. If I were meant to die, I would have died already, wouldn't I?"
Ye Tian affirmed, "Very well. If you want to retaliate, I will help you."
As they chatted, Wu Zongnian mentioned the Feller family, stating, "The Feller family is backed by the United States and is actually more powerful than the Rothschilds. It would be excellent if you could cooperate with them. However, these old financial magnates are quite opportunistic, so there's no need to confide in them."
Ye Tian took out two Longevity Pills and handed them to Wu Zongnian, saying, "These are the Longevity Pills I sold to them. Here are two for you."
Wu Zongnian accepted them without hesitation and chuckled, "At a hundred billion dollars per pill, I'm reluctant to eat them. But don't think you're at a loss; the money you left with me has more than doubled."
Ye Tian had left the money with him and hadn't inquired about it. Hearing his words, he smiled and asked, "Really?"
Wu Zongnian elaborated, "Using your money, I invested in over a dozen new companies and speculated on currencies a few times, earning you nearly a hundred billion dollars. However, some subsequent returns haven't been accounted for yet. By the end of this year, there should be another seventy to eighty billion dollars in earnings."
Ye Tian praised, "As expected of a financial magnate."
Wu Zongnian countered, "As a finance professional, I'm far behind you. Your pills sell for a hundred billion dollars."
Ye Tian retorted, "And you've also consumed a hundred-billion-dollar pill, haven't you?"
Wu Zongnian sighed, "Yes. But recently, I've encountered some people who, like you, seem incredibly divine."
Ye Tian's heart stirred. "Oh, who have you encountered?"
Wu Zongnian described them as, "A group of ancient people, some of whom have lived for hundreds of years but look younger than me. Money holds little significance for these individuals, as people will send them as much money as they desire. They are like the gods and angels of legend, residing high above, looking down upon the common folk."
Ye Tian inquired, "Where are these people you speak of?"
Wu Zongnian replied, "I've inquired. They might reside in the second space."
Ye Tian clarified, "The second space you mention, is it not in the same world as us?"
Wu Zongnian explained, "I don't fully understand it myself. I've only heard those individuals say that ordinary people like us live in the third space. To explain it with scientific theory, our living spacetime dimension is relatively low. Above that, there is the second space, which is even larger than the third space and inhabited by very powerful humans, as well as powerful beings. However, whether it's the second space or the third space, they all belong to the same world."
Ye Tian mused, "What you're describing is likely similar to the celestial realm, but perhaps a lower level, situated between the mortal realm and the celestial realm."
Wu Zongnian quickly nodded in agreement, "Yes. They say angels and God reside in the first space. Between the first space and the third space lies the second space."
He then sighed deeply, "Alas, no matter how much money I have, compared to the people there, I am like an ant."
Ye Tian's thoughts stirred. In a casual conversation with Sun Huanzhen, the latter had mentioned a place called "Dongtian" (Cave Heaven). According to Sun Huanzhen, Dongtian were spaces opened up by ancient celestial beings, filled with abundant spiritual energy and medicinal herbs. However, these Dongtian were controlled by certain factions, and entry required joining them. Ye Tian speculated that the second space Wu Zongnian mentioned was likely similar to China's Dongtian, also controlled by certain individuals.
Ye Tian offered, "After taking these pills, can't you also achieve immortality? That place is like a besieged city; people inside might want to come out, while those outside want to get in."
Wu Zongnian was slightly taken aback. "Brother, are you saying that people there aren't necessarily happy?"
Ye Tian chuckled, "You indulge in pleasures and do as you please outside. Isn't this also a life fit for immortals? Why envy others?"
Wu Zongnian burst into laughter. "Hearing you say that, I suddenly understand!"
After chatting for a while, Wu Zongnian's wife, visibly pregnant, came out. She was a beautiful woman from Jiangnan, with a melon-seed face, delicate eyebrows, and a charming smile. Wu Zongnian had mentioned his wife before; she was fifteen years his junior and from the Chaoshan region. To win her over, Wu Zongnian had spent hundreds of millions on her family, only then did her family agree to let her marry him.
Upon seeing Ye Tian, she respectfully said, "Mr. Ye."
Ye Tian replied, "Sister-in-law, please just call me Ye Tian. Judging by the time, the baby should be born soon, right?"
She smiled, "The due date is this week."
Wu Zongnian, having a child in his old age, was filled with joy. He quickly said, "Brother, please examine my wife's health."
Ye Tian took her pulse and smiled, "Sister-in-law is in excellent health. The baby should be born the night after tomorrow between nine and eleven o'clock. You should go to the hospital tomorrow to prepare for the delivery."
Wu Zongnian had absolute faith in Ye Tian's words and stated, "Alright! Brother, I'll be returning to my hometown next month to hold a banquet. You must come."