196: Chapter 196 The Trip to Switzerland: The Beginning of a Feast at Hongmen

The private jet cruised steadily at an altitude of ten thousand meters.

More than ten hours later, the plane landed at a private airport in Davos, Switzerland.

As the cabin door opened, a cold wind carrying snowflakes blew into the aircraft.

Chen Fan, clad in a black cashmere overcoat, descended the airstairs in military boots.

Chen Muyang and Chen Haoyu followed closely behind. The fully armed Shadow Guard dispersed to secure the perimeter, their movements precise and synchronized.

Outside the airport, a line of black armored vehicles awaited. The vehicles had uniform paint jobs and extremely thick bulletproof glass.

The convoy drove for half an hour through the snowy landscape, flanked by snow-laden pine trees. The tires crunched over the packed snow.

The convoy stopped in front of a castle built halfway up the mountainside. The castle's exterior walls were constructed from massive gray-black stones, exuding a sense of weathered history.

A security perimeter surrounded the castle's outer grounds, with guards stationed every few steps. All security personnel were heavily armed, their eyes alert and watchful.

The open area was filled with luxury cars bearing special license plates from various countries, a testament to the identities of tonight's attendees. maybachs and rolls-royces were relegated to parking on the outskirts.

Old Ross stood at the top of the castle steps, dressed in a tailored suit and leaning on a cane inlaid with rubies.

His silver hair was impeccably combed, and his aged face bore the arrogance of one long accustomed to wielding power.

Behind him stood two rows of tall foreign bodyguards, their hands crossed in front of them, emanating an intimidating presence.

Chen Fan stepped out of the car and looked up at Old Ross on the steps.

The cold wind howled, and snowflakes stung his face. The temperature in Davos was extremely low, his breath turning to white mist.

Chen Fan raised a hand, brushing the fallen snow from his overcoat's shoulder. He took long strides forward, his military boots making dull thuds in the snow.

Chen Muyang followed closely, his gaze sweeping over the hidden sentries in the surroundings.

Chen Haoyu pressed a hand to his earpiece, speaking in a low voice to confirm deployment details with the Shadow Guard.

Old Ross showed no intention of descending to greet them. Instead, he merely raised his cane and pointed towards a low side door to the left.

"Mr. Chen, you've had a long journey," Old Ross spoke in stiff Mandarin. "The main gate hasn't been opened for a hundred years; the rule cannot be broken. Please use the side door."

The side door was low; any adult would have to stoop to enter.

This was a blatant insult. An old-money financial consortium seeking to suppress the momentum of a rising power through protocol.

Chen Fan halted his steps, his gaze passing over Old Ross to the tightly shut main gate.

"A guest follows the host's arrangements, but if the host shows no respect to the guest, there's no need to save face," Chen Fan's voice was steady, devoid of inflection.

Chen Haoyu stepped forward, pulling a satellite phone from his overcoat pocket and dialing a specific number.

The Huihuang Group's current scale was already deeply intertwined with national interests.

"Notify the Swiss representatives. They have three minutes to resolve this," Chen Haoyu issued the order into the receiver.

Wind and snow swirled. The two parties stood in confrontation on and below the steps.

The bodyguards behind Old Ross rested their hands on their waists, ready to draw their weapons at any moment.

The members of the Shadow Guard similarly tightened their grips on their weapons, muzzles lowered, entering a combat-ready state.

Less than two minutes later.

Three cars bearing Swiss Foreign Ministry license plates sped over, their tires carving deep tracks in the snow before screeching to a halt in front of the castle.

The piercing glare of their high beams cut through the blizzard.

The doors opened, and several Swiss officials in formal suits quickly stepped out, braving the wind and snow as they headed straight for Old Ross.

The lead official produced a document stamped with a red seal and handed it to Old Ross.

"Mr. Ross, Mr. Chen Fan is a strategic partner specially approved by China's Supreme Resources Committee," the official stated with a stern, uncompromising expression. "In accordance with the principle of diplomatic reciprocity, you must open the main gate to receive him. Otherwise, we will revoke this castle's private security immunity and re-examine all your special privileges."

Old Ross stared at the seal on the document, the muscles in his face twitching twice.

The veins on the back of his hand, gripping the cane, bulged, his fingers clenched with such force they seemed deformed.

Though this was his territory, he could not openly defy the machinery of the state.

"Open the main gate," Old Ross gritted his teeth, the three words forced out from between them.

Several foreign bodyguards stepped forward and together pushed open the century-old oak main gate, long sealed shut.

A heavy grating sound echoed across the snowy ground, shaking loose the accumulated snow from the doorframe.

The gate swung open, revealing a resplendent, gilded corridor within. The light from crystal chandeliers poured out, illuminating the snow outside.

Chen Fan straightened his overcoat collar and, striding up the steps, walked purposefully through the main entrance.

Old Ross stood to the side, the corner of his eye twitching. He had intended to make Chen Fan bow his head, but instead had broken his own family's century-old rule.

In the castle's great hall, representatives of various financial consortia who had arrived earlier watched this scene, whispering amongst themselves. No one dared step forward to speak.

As Chen Fan reached the midpoint of the corridor, the phone in his overcoat pocket vibrated.

He took it out and saw a video call request from Su Wanqing on the screen.

Chen Fan stopped walking and pressed the answer key.

On the screen, Su Wanqing was dressed in loungewear, holding their eldest child in her arms, with the bedroom of a courtyard house in the background.

"Have you arrived?" Su Wanqing asked.

Chen Fan's originally cold, hard expression softened, his voice gentling. "Just arrived. Have the children been fussy?"

"They've all been very good," Su Wanqing leaned closer to the screen for a look. "Why does it look so dark around you? Are you cold?"

"Not cold, there's heating inside," Chen Fan turned the phone halfway around, avoiding the fully armed bodyguards behind him. "Getting ready for the meeting now. I'll come back once it's over."

"Alright, be careful and come back soon."

"Mm, save the cut cake for me," Chen Fan reminded softly.

Hanging up the call, Chen Fan slipped the phone back into his pocket.

All traces of warmth vanished from his face, replaced by an impassive expression.

He turned his head to look at Old Ross, who was walking over.

"Lead the way," Chen Fan said.

Old Ross snorted coldly, turned, and walked towards the conference room at the end of the corridor.

The conference room doors were pushed open.

Inside stood a wide, oval-shaped table.

In the twelve seats sat the top financial magnates who controlled the global economic lifeline.

The combined assets of these individuals were enough to buy half the world.

Chen Fan walked to the sole empty chair, pulled it out, and sat down.

This chair faced Old Ross directly, placing him in a position to be scrutinized by the entire room.

Chen Muyang and Chen Haoyu stood behind him. The Shadow Guard remained stationed outside the door.

Old Ross walked to the head seat and sat down, placing his hands crossed on the tabletop.

He gave a meaningful glance to the assistant beside him.

The assistant took out a stack of documents and distributed them to everyone present.

A copy was also placed in front of Chen Fan.

The agreement was in English, printed on thick, substantial paper.

Old Ross leaned back in his chair, looking at Chen Fan.

"Mr. Chen, the Huihuang Group's recent expansion has been too rapid, disrupting the market's balance," Old Ross tapped the table. "This is a joint boycott agreement. Once everyone here signs it, starting tomorrow, all of the Huihuang Group's global supply chains for high-precision equipment will be completely severed. Your Pangu Biology won't be able to obtain a single piece of experimental instrumentation."

The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The twelve magnates fixed their gazes on Chen Fan in unison, exerting invisible pressure.

Old Ross took out a solid gold pen and tossed it in front of Chen Fan. The pen rolled twice across the table.

The sound of metal clinking against wood was particularly jarring in the silent room.

"Sign it, hand over Pangu Biology's core technology, and the Huihuang Group might still survive," Old Ross's tone carried a note of condescension. "Otherwise, you won't even leave Davos. Mr. Chen, what is your choice?"

(Seeking likes~ seeking tips~ seeking more updates~ Finished for today.)