"You women always link everything back to women. I think Hu Li's actions are just the inherent male pursuit of power. After all, our uncle is in good health, and more than half of the people still hope he continues to lead the Hu family. As the Chinese saying goes: 'A new emperor means a new court.' Many people's interests are involved, and they won't easily let him become the family head.

If he wants to take over the position of the Hu family head smoothly, he must seize this crisis to demonstrate his extraordinary abilities and reassure those people."

"You have a point, but don't underestimate women. There's a saying: 'Men conquer the world, and women conquer men.' I bet Hu Li will attend the Hu family banquet without a date."

Ke Shaozheng smiled slightly, "He needs to become the family head first to have the banquet." He then continued, "Even if Hu Li really likes Hua Yan, he wouldn't attend the banquet alone just because of this and risk being laughed at."

Cai Cai, touching her belly as big as a football, smiled mysteriously and said with unusual certainty, "He might just go alone. You might not believe it, but it's possible."

"You, a woman with a tough exterior but a soft interior, speaking so firmly. Fortunately, I don't mind."

Ke Shaozheng didn't have a mad passion for Cai Cai, but compared to his other women, Cai Cai at least made the playboy willing to put aside his usual charming demeanor and talk plainly, even with a hint of honesty he didn't realize himself.

Cai Cai, whose nose had developed pregnancy spots, but whose face radiated the unique gentle glow of motherhood, hesitated slightly, then seriously said, "I'm very grateful to have married you. But I have something to say, though I'm unsure if I should."

"Aren't you usually fearless? Why so timid now? Go ahead, I'm all ears." Ke Shaozheng treated Cai Cai differently from his other women because she wasn't one of those who only knew how to quarrel out of jealousy or were obsessed with shopping and money. She was strong, smart, knew when to stop, assessed situations well, and had her own opinions.

Seeing Cai Cai's expression just now, he knew she felt she had to say it, otherwise, she wouldn't be like this.

"Recently, the Hu family's businesses have been closing down one after another, rapidly withdrawing from their large and small companies in Germany. Even in other countries, they've been selling off their assets. Don't you think they're following the principle of 'as long as the green hills last, there will always be wood to burn'?"

"Our two families have been gradually rising and pushing the Hu family from their top position. But the Hu family has been around for hundreds of years and shouldn't be underestimated. I'm worried that in the near future, we might suffer. This is just my own thought. Whether right or wrong, it's just a personal view."

If it weren't closely related to her future life, she wouldn't risk angering Ke Shaozheng by saying this.

After a few seconds of silence, just as Cai Cai was getting more anxious, Ke Shaozheng, who had been expressionless, suddenly smiled warmly, with a hint of genuine emotion.

"You don't have to be so cautious. What you said is very insightful. These concerns have also been foreseen by my father and father-in-law. Considering how worried you are, I'll share something with you.

We are fully aware of how powerful the Hu family is. But, as the saying goes, 'people are involuntarily in the martial world.' Our two families' real intention towards the Hu family was to progress gradually, not as aggressively as now. However, since we've already made our move, there's no turning back. We can only do our best to protect our families and hope the Hu family never regains power. Otherwise, with Hu Li's hatred for evil and unforgiving nature, the Ke and Cai families will be in great trouble."

Ke Shaozheng spoke with such seriousness and helplessness that Cai Cai suddenly realized that the joint effort of the Ke and Cai families against the Hu family was not entirely their own decision. There was a third force involved.

For Ke Shaozheng, a proud and self-respecting person, to admit his helplessness, it showed how powerful this third force was. But she couldn't understand how the Hu family, known for being low-profile and avoiding conflicts, had provoked such a formidable opponent. Could it be because 'two tigers cannot share one mountain'? Who was this third force?

"Do you know who is forcing our families this way?"

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Ke Shaozheng shook his head and smiled bitterly, "The sad thing is we're being used as pawns, and we don't even know who we're serving."

Cai Cai's eyes widened in shock, and without thinking, she asked, "How could that be? Don't Father and the others know either?"

"We don't know the specific people, but we're sure they're not to be trifled with. If they're unhappy, they might even wipe out hundreds of our people."

Seeing Cai Cai's face turn pale, Ke Shaozheng quickly comforted her, "Don't worry. Father-in-law also said these people wouldn't bother to take our lives unless absolutely necessary."

"But doesn't this mean we'll end up in a bad position on both sides, and eventually..." Cai Cai, who rarely cried, had tears welling up in her eyes, filled with despair and hopelessness. She feared for her child's future, that he might be born into a family in turmoil, or worse, one plagued by bloodshed.

Ke Shaozheng, having never seen Cai Cai cry, was at a loss, holding her and comforting her carefully. He felt both heartache and regret for not listening to the elders earlier. Because long ago, Cai Cai's father had warned him not to tell the family women about these matters.

After a while, when Cai Cai's mood had slightly improved, she asked, "Why don't we secretly explain the situation to Hu Li? That way, regardless of who wins in the end, we won't be in danger."

"Okay, I'll discuss it with Father. You just focus on staying healthy and keeping the baby healthy." Though his face remained calm, Ke Shaozheng sighed inwardly. They had considered this approach from the beginning, but the people instructing them had countless spies. They feared any minor action would be noticed immediately.

Three days later, the ceremony for the new head of the Hu family was held in their ancestral hall. Hu Li's father personally placed the thumb ring he took off from his own hand onto Hu Li's hand, then handed him a brocade box adorned with classical patterns.

This brocade box was over a hundred years old. Inside it was the Hu family seal, intricately engraved. From this moment on, every important command Hu Li issued had to bear two seals: one being the Hu family seal and the other his personal seal.

Many had tried to counterfeit these two seals, attempting to pass off fakes as genuine, but no one had ever succeeded. This was one of the secrets behind the Hu family's centuries of enduring success.

In the past, the successors chosen from the branch families were often vetoed by the new family head. Though such actions were allowed by family rules, they inevitably caused troubles due to personal feelings, and some even began to harbor disloyalty.

Surprisingly, Hu Li did not veto any successor this time. Over the past few months, not only had the family's overall strength not diminished, it had even improved. This achievement was not due to the exceptional abilities of the branch family successors but rather Hu Li's remarkable courage, willingness to change old rules, and readiness to take risks by giving everyone a chance to prove themselves.

Because of these people, Hu Li's succession as the family head went very smoothly. No one, regardless of their reasons, dared to voice any objections.

With a calm expression, sharp gaze, and imposing presence, Hu Li's authority radiated powerfully, making everyone except Hu Li's father feel suffocated. As time ticked by, a chilling, bloody fear grew more intense. Those with weaker hearts began to see stars. Hu Li's father looked on with excitement and pride at his son, who was even more outstanding than himself.

The intricate ceremony lasted until the sunset turned the sky red. After bowing to Hu Li once more, people gradually left.

Many wiped the sweat from their foreheads as they exited, lamenting that they had hoped to bring up the topic of the family head's wife and give their daughters a chance to become Hu Li's wife.

But under Hu Li's inscrutable, faintly smiling gaze, none dared to be the first to speak. Frustrated, they pinned their hopes on tomorrow's banquet.

They all believed their daughters were the brightest pearls, and once Hu Li saw their daughters, he would surely fall for them.

In a secluded room, over twenty men and women, aged between twenty and thirty, sat formally. Hu Li, dressed in a black handcrafted casual suit, sat at the head. Behind him stood Hu Da, whose piercing eyes were the only sign of life.

After the ceremony, the new family head had to have an in-depth conversation with the branch family successors.

Glancing at the hesitant faces of the successors, Hu Li said, "You can ask whatever you want." Although his tone was calm, Hu Da could tell that Hu Li was encouraging them to speak their minds.

Within minutes, a woman around twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed provocatively, looked at Hu Li and asked, "I want to know if we have a young mistress already?"

Her question drew admiring glances from the others. After all, having interacted with Hu Li, they knew he was a man who did not tolerate interference in his personal affairs, not even under the guise of official matters.

Their actions today were out of necessity. They needed to confirm whether Hu Li had a wife, and even if he did, they had to gauge from his words and expressions whether he favored and loved her.

The information they gathered would help them maintain their loyalty to Hu Li while securing some benefits for themselves.

"I am married," Hu Li replied, showing his unique, dazzling wedding ring on his ring finger. Ignoring the colorful expressions of the others, he continued, "Disrespecting her is disrespecting me."

There was a collective gasp as Hu Li's straightforward declaration left no room for doubt about the important status of the unknown young mistress in his heart. Regret, disappointment, curiosity, surprise, excitement—various emotions flickered in their eyes.

Seeing their reactions, Hu Li continued to invite their questions.

This time, several people scrambled to ask, "Will we see the young mistress at tomorrow's banquet?"

"Not for now," Hu Li replied.

As soon as he spoke, these seasoned elites, who were supposed to remain composed in any situation, couldn't help but express their astonishment with exclamations like "Ah," "Oh," and "Eh."