Lin Xiaotian already guessed that Ren Tianxing was behind this, and that this was an offer to appease his anger. He accepted the offer, but as for how he would deal with Ren Tianxing…
The smile on his face grew more pronounced. Now, it was just a matter of whether Ren Tianqing would appear before him in person.
Meanwhile, after leaving, Manager Zhao rushed to the villa in the suburbs as quickly as possible. He had intended to call ahead to inform them, but the phone call didn't go through.
Upon his arrival, the villa's servants immediately ushered him inside.
Ren Tianxing was seated in the living room, his gaze filled with a hint of worry, but more so with anticipation. He stood up immediately and hurried over to Manager Zhao, "How did it go? Did Lin Xiaotian agree?"
"Lin Xiaotian is a smart man; he must know there's something fishy going on. Did you do as I instructed?"
Manager Zhao nodded hurriedly, "Mr. Ren is indeed as wise as ever. I followed your instructions precisely throughout the entire process, and every step was within your calculations. You even predicted Lin Xiaotian's reaction."
"However, Lin Xiaotian did not agree to hold the auction. He has his own bottom line and doesn't want to part with those precious antiques. But he did propose a condition: he wants us to help him build a museum, and it needs to be large-scale, with the land exclusively belonging to him."
"Furthermore, when I returned, he asked me to deliver a message to you: you are to go to him within a day to beg for forgiveness, saying that while death can be avoided, a living punishment is unavoidable."
"I think what Lin Xiaotian is doing is a bit excessive. You've already shown goodwill and offered him immense benefits, yet he directly comes up with such a demand. Even with the greatest of grievances, after such substantial concessions, I believe it should be put to rest."
Ren Tianxing's brow furrowed deeply, his eyes filled with solemnity.
He did not give Manager Zhao a clear answer, instead pacing back and forth.
He was immensely hesitant. He knew Lin Xiaotian had seen through his plan. If he were to appear before Lin Xiaotian in person, he might be instantly killed with a single blow. But Lin Xiaotian had said that death could be avoided, but a living punishment was unavoidable.
He didn't know what kind of living punishment Lin Xiaotian had in store for him. Especially when he thought of Lin Xiaotian's methods that could make life worse than death, he felt a chill down his spine. He even suspected that Lin Xiaotian had already figured out the truth of the matter and might even suspect Daoist Kumoku.
If he went there, would Lin Xiaotian ask him some excessive questions? If he were to betray Daoist Kumoku, it would be tantamount to him directly defecting from Tianluo Diwang.
Seeing his grave expression, Manager Zhao whispered, "Mr. Ren, I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. If you have any conflicts with Lin Xiaotian, they should be resolved face-to-face."
"Now that you've made your intentions clear, both openly and implicitly, to Lin Xiaotian by offering benefits, I believe he must have guessed you were behind this. We can completely focus on building the museum to the best of our ability."
"As long as we don't mind the cost in the short term, I can have someone create the best possible plan, building it to be the world's most top-tier museum. However, the expenses involved will likely be astronomical."
"When you present this construction plan, I believe that even if Lin Xiaotian wants to take action, he'll have to consider the consequences. This plan offers him immense benefits, and he himself would be reluctant to spend so much money. After all, one who accepts gifts is beholden to the giver. By then, no matter how angry Lin Xiaotian is, it will dissipate."
Ren Tianxing shook his head, "There are some things you don't understand, and even if I explained them to you, you probably wouldn't believe them. For now, you should quickly have people start working on the plan you mentioned. This is one path forward."
"No matter the cost, this museum must be designed to be the best."
Manager Zhao nodded quickly and took out his phone to make calls. The designers under Fengfu Company had to finalize this matter as soon as possible. He was, after all, a member of Tianluo Diwang, and working for Ren Tianxing was only natural.
Ren Tianxing remained conflicted and hesitant, but he knew very well that if he didn't appear before Lin Xiaotian sooner rather than later, the consequences would be truly unimaginable if Lin Xiaotian personally dragged him out.
He was now at a loss. Daoist Kumoku would certainly not appear in person to handle this matter, so he had no choice but to act himself. Furthermore, in front of Lin Xiaotian, he would have to take all the blame.
He could only hope that Lin Xiaotian wouldn't hold grudges, otherwise, he would be truly miserable.
When he received the general plan from Manager Zhao, the first page clearly stated in bold black characters:
"Ten Billion Plan!"
His heart skipped a beat. He turned to Manager Zhao, his eyes filled with a sharp killing intent.
"Are you really planning to spend ten billion to build Lin Xiaotian's museum?"
"Do you know that once this plan falls into Lin Xiaotian's hands, he will definitely take it seriously? If we can't spend that much money, he will eventually come after me for an accounting."
"Although I have a lot of funds, I don't have tens of billions. If such a huge loss occurs, and the higher-ups blame me, I won't be able to bear it."
Manager Zhao quickly said, "Mr. Ren, this is an exaggerated plan. No matter how grand the plan, changes can happen."
"Besides, the construction team is made up of our own people. How we proceed is up to us. How much budget is allocated and how much money is spent is also something we can decide with our words."
"Lin Xiaotian probably doesn't understand the intricacies of our industry. It's perfectly fine to inflate the figures when we do the accounting. The actual cost will be around one-tenth of that. Moreover, if we quote too low, Lin Xiaotian will certainly not be moved. After all, his antique company is also extremely wealthy. If he's not moved, he won't sign the contract, which could lead to unfavorable consequences for Mr. Ren."
Ren Tianxing thought about it carefully and could only sigh helplessly, "Now, we can only take it one step at a time. Although Lin Xiaotian has given me one day to consider, the sooner I see Lin Xiaotian, the sooner I can quell his anger."
"Give me the plan. I'll go see Lin Xiaotian now."