The Way of Restraint

“I’ve already had my negotiating team reach out to yours to draft an investment proposal,” Larry said. What he wanted from Honey Badger Security was not primarily business expansion. It was personal security. No amount of money was worth anything if you didn’t live to spend it. Through an equity stake, he would gain access to the Honey Badger Training Camp’s resources — and more importantly, its data infrastructure.

Zhang Hongqing had read this priority immediately.

“Of course.” He gave a single nod. “The commercial liaison for this discussion will be my son Zhang Kaitai. He will shortly be taking a board position at the newly structured Honey Badger Security.” He turned and raised his voice slightly. “Kaitai — come, let me introduce you to Mr. Larry.”

Zhang Kaitai rose from his place among the younger generation and walked over.

“Mr. Larry, I’m Zhang Kaitai. I’ll be joining the Honey Badger Security board as director of commercial operations and external affairs. We’re very glad to have you, and I can assure you that once you’re under Honey Badger Security’s protection, your personal safety will never be in question again. Our counter-terrorism intelligence network is extensive — we maintain comprehensive files on the shadow world, which means we can identify exactly who has been working against you.”

As he spoke, Zhang Kaitai’s eyes moved briefly to Su Jie — and he added, in a tone of mild, professional concern, “Mr. Larry, on the subject of your current security arrangement — I should note that from a Honey Badger Security perspective, there are some significant gaps. Our standard protocol is that any uncleared individual who enters within a specified radius of our principal is flagged and vetted immediately, without exception. Your current personal bodyguard appeared to take no action in that regard. In a Honey Badger Training Camp evaluation, that would be a disqualifying failure.”

Zhang Kaitai had just declared himself a board member before the position was officially his — and had used the opportunity to professionally undermine Su Jie in front of the client.

Su Jie heard every word.

He understood exactly what was happening. In a domestic Chinese context, this kind of open criticism of a competitor in front of a client would read as poor manners, a social misstep. In an American business setting, it read entirely differently — as competence and professionalism, the frank identification of weaknesses, a standard commercial tactic for establishing credibility while diminishing a rival. Zhang Kaitai knew his audience.

And the larger picture had also just become clear: Zhang Manman had worked toward this position for months, but in a single sentence from Zhang Hongqing, the outcome had essentially been declared. The Dragon Head had already decided. His son would take the board seat. Zhang Manman was not in the calculation.

Zhang Hongqing’s word carried that kind of weight — in the Zhang family and in the Honey Badger Training Camp alike. He was Dragon Head in one and a founding member in the other. There were other stakeholders who competed with him for influence, but on a matter of inserting a specific person into a board seat, his control was absolute.

The Honey Badger Training Camp had begun as a mercenary training operation, then expanded rapidly into legitimate enterprises — pharmaceuticals, arms brokerage, energy logistics, maritime and land transport. Zhang Hongqing was among its founders; the others remained largely unknown to Su Jie, which told him they were among the camp’s highest-level secrets.

In recent years, the camp’s shadow-world operations had been squeezed hard by the Typhon Training Camp, pushing Honey Badger toward legitimate security work — protecting the ultra-wealthy, where the opportunities were larger and more sustainable. In practice, many of the attacks currently being mounted against major billionaires traced back to Typhon. Honey Badger was fighting back through the security market.

The conflict between these two giants — Su Jie understood it clearly. The internal competition within the Zhang family he saw even more plainly. And his own interests were already entangled in both.

If Zhang Kaitai took the Honey Badger Security position, any access to information Su Jie might have needed would be blocked, and the resources on that side of the board would be turned against him.

He was under no illusion about Zhang Kaitai’s feelings toward him.

“My bodyguard,” Larry said, with a small, playful smile, “is exceptionally capable. Actually — this gives me an idea. I haven’t seen Honey Badger Security’s abilities demonstrated yet, but I’ve had the opportunity to witness my bodyguard in action. What if someone from your side challenges him? If they win, I’ll take your organization completely seriously — and I’ll personally recommend Honey Badger Security to my associates. As it happens, I’m hosting a private retreat next month, and my associates will all be attending. Win this contest and I’ll put forward the proposal that Honey Badger Security handles security for the entire retreat.”

Larry delivered this in a continuous, comfortable flow of English. There was a negotiating structure underneath it. He had spent weeks studying Su Jie’s data and experiencing his capability firsthand — he didn’t believe anyone in this room could beat him. In Larry’s mind, Su Jie occupied the category of superhuman.

“I’ll do it.” Zhang Kaitai accepted immediately. He had understood the subtext instantly. Su Jie was supporting his sister’s challenge to his position. The impulse to put Su Jie down had been there from the moment he entered the hall — hence the verbal attack moments ago.

“That’s enough.” Zhang Hongqing’s expression hadn’t shifted. “Today is the family assembly. These things can be arranged afterward. Mr. Larry will have his demonstration.”

“Then I’ll wait,” Larry said pleasantly, nodding. “Hongqing, please don’t let us keep you from your other guests. One more thing — I’d like to continue my business discussions with your daughter, Ms. Zhang Manman. She was the one who brought me this bodyguard, and I’m very satisfied with the result.”

“It’s kind of you to take an interest in her.” Zhang Hongqing’s expression remained neutral. “I’ll give it consideration.”

He turned and left.

When he had taken five paces, Su Jie exhaled.

He had not said a single word throughout the exchange. Even Zhang Kaitai’s pointed criticism had passed without any visible response from him — because he had spent ninety-nine percent of his attention on Zhang Hongqing, and there had been nothing left over. Zhang Kaitai’s abilities were substantial. They simply did not occupy a place in Su Jie’s concern.

*****

“Father,” Zhang Kaitai said quietly, falling into step beside Zhang Hongqing once they were clear of Larry. He had read something in the Dragon Head’s bearing. “You seem to think I can’t beat him.”

“You can’t.” Zhang Hongqing didn’t soften it. “His attainment has entered Divine Enlightenment. The gap between you is considerable. Only if I acted personally would there be a decisive result.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Zhang Kaitai kept his voice level. “My training has been uninterrupted since childhood. You shaped me yourself, and I’ve been through more combat than I can count. I’ve looked into this person — he’s a university student. He went to a martial arts academy in China for a period and learned some techniques. Even granting him exceptional talent, there’s no basis for him to be beyond me. If he is, then everything I’ve done for the past twenty years has been wasted.”

“Wait for me to arrange this,” Zhang Hongqing said. “Go back to your seat.”

Zhang Kaitai didn’t argue.

*****

As Zhang Hongqing returned inside, a man came alongside him and lowered his voice.

“Hongqing — what was that with the foreigner? Is the investment happening? If we can get access through someone at his level, Honey Badger Security could open doors with the world’s wealthiest very quickly. Though I noticed Manman and Kaitai are competing hard, and Manman seems to have the early advantage with Larry. That complicates things.”

The man was Zhang Hongding — one of the Zhang family’s Seven Outstanding, the seven of that generation who had made the family what it was: Zhang Hongqing, Zhang Hongyuan, Zhang Hongjun, Zhang Hongyin, Zhang Hongding, Zhang Hongshun, Zhang Hongning. Each one formidable. Each one carrying real ability.

“Hongding,” Zhang Hongqing said, stopping. “Say what you came to say.”

“The Zhang family’s plans can’t be disrupted by outside interference,” Zhang Hongding said. “Brother, you’re the Dragon Head and none of us dispute that. But on the question of the heir — you can’t be careless. Kaitai is capable, but Manman is a woman. When she marries, her loyalty follows her husband, and her children won’t carry the Zhang name. That’s the reality.”

Zhang Hongqing’s eyes went slightly cold. Zhang Hongding took a step back.

“There’s more,” Zhang Hongding continued, holding his ground verbally if not physically. “Could you consider giving some of the other younger generation a chance? There’s already significant discontent beneath the surface. The competition for this position is causing people to reach outside the family for support, which risks exactly the kind of internal conflict we can’t afford.”

“Is this your view alone, or others’?”

“Mine, Hongyuan’s, Hongjun’s, Hongyin’s, Hongshun’s, and Hongning’s,” Zhang Hongding said. “We’ve already held a private discussion.”

Zhang Hongqing was quiet for a moment. “You want Kaitai to step aside from this position. Who are you putting forward? Kaiyu? Kaiyuan? Someone else?”

“It doesn’t have to be any particular person. Open competition. Our proposal is a formal martial assessment — whoever wins earns the board seat.”

“Fine,” Zhang Hongqing said. “That was my intention anyway. This was never meant to be predetermined.” He paused, and something in his tone shifted very slightly. “I should also mention — your group monitored my conversation with Larry just now. Very thorough. I’ll factor that in when the assembly concludes.”

“Brother, that wasn’t my—” Zhang Hongding’s composure slipped immediately.

Zhang Hongqing had already turned and walked away, leaving Zhang Hongding rooted in place, the decision to speak suddenly feeling like a significant miscalculation.

What he had done was closer to a pressure play — an attempt to steer the Dragon Head’s decision through coordinated force. Inside a family like the Zhang family, this was a serious transgression.

*****

“Well?” Zhang Hongshun appeared beside him.

“He’s set on Kaitai,” Zhang Hongding said, frowning. “If it stays that way, that entire branch consolidates the resources while the rest of us become subordinate.”

“He agreed to an open selection through public assessment,” Zhang Hongshun said. “That leaves considerable room to work with.”

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