Chapter 1430 Showdown
Hongye sat in the main seat, gently tapping one hand on the armrest of his wheelchair, his eyes behind the mask revealing an unfathomable emotion.
Lei Laoda huddled in the corner, his eyes darting around, not daring to meet Hong Ye's gaze.
Because he knew what he had done, and when he came, he didn't expect that Master Hong would be here.
When Boss Lei tricked him before, he didn't explain it so clearly.
Lei Laoda tricked Luo Feng once before, and this time, it's Luo Feng's turn.
Only through reciprocity can things last.
Director Zhang held his teacup, seemingly relaxed, but his peripheral vision kept darting between Boss Lei and Master Hong.
When Luo Feng pushed open the door and entered, the conversation in the private room instantly stopped.
"Sorry, I'm late."
He walked straight to the seat opposite Master Hong and sat down, looking completely at ease.
Isn't this a form of provocation?
Although this is a collaboration, neither Master Hong nor Luo Feng are the type to rely on others.
Master Hong chuckled lightly, his voice hoarse, "Mr. Luo is quite carefree, going out to enjoy a few days of leisure."
"It's just a private matter, not exactly a leisurely one. When you have something on your mind, it's the same no matter where you are."
Luo Feng picked up the teapot and poured tea for everyone, thus demonstrating his attitude.
"Colin should have reported the project progress to you; the first batch of samples will be delivered next week."
Hong Ye didn't reply, but instead looked at Lei Lao Da and said, "I heard that you helped Mr. Luo a little when he was in the Aegean Sea?"
Boss Lei suddenly looked up, his face ashen, and he was at a loss for words.
This indirectly shows that Master Hong's intelligence network is truly remarkable, as he even knows about such highly confidential matters.
Luo Feng, however, did not find it surprising; on the contrary, he thought it was quite normal.
Someone of Hong Ye's status would definitely have his own undercover agents planted around Boss Lei.
"Master Hong, I..."
"nothing."
Luo Feng interrupted him and looked at Master Hong, "Just an insignificant person, we'll get rid of him."
Hongye paused for a moment and said, "Mr. Luo's reach is quite long."
“Same here.” Luo Feng met his gaze. “Isn’t Master Hong also keeping an eye on the map of Kunlun Ruins?”
The moment those words were spoken, the air in the private room froze.
Director Zhang put down his teacup, coughed lightly, and broke the atmosphere.
"Everyone, let's talk this out. We're all doing this for the project, and we're all getting what we need."
"Director Zhang is joking."
Hongye waved his hand and glanced at Luo Feng.
"Does the jade pendant in Mr. Luo's hand hold the secret of Kunlun Ruins?"
"This is your real purpose; the new energy project is just a front."
He knew all along, but he just wanted to see how Luo Feng would act out this play. After all, there were several other people present at the time, and Master Hong wanted to be the first to try something new.
Moreover, the new energy project does indeed have development prospects, especially in Europe.
Luo Feng didn't deny it, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "If Master Hong wants it, we can cooperate."
"Cooperation?" Red Master sneered as if he had heard a joke, and asked, "Do you think I would still believe you?"
"Believe it or not is up to you." Luo Feng put down his teacup, his tone calm. "But you should understand that you can't find anything with just the half jade pendant in your hand."
Boss Lei suddenly spoke, his voice trembling, "Brother Hong, what Mr. Luo said is true! I found out that the men you sent to China all perished in the Northwest..."
Hong Ye suddenly turned his head, his eyes icy cold, and said, "You're spying on me?"
Lei Laoda was so frightened that he shrank back and dared not say another word.
"enough."
Luo Feng stood up. "I'm telling you this: if you want to find Kunlun Ruins, then follow the rules."
"Otherwise, we'll all fall out, and nobody will have a good time."
Hongye stared at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed.
"Okay, I'll trust you one last time. But I have a condition you must agree to, otherwise don't blame me for being impolite."
"You said."
"I must keep the jade pendant safe. No one is allowed to touch it until we find Kunlun Ruins." Master Hong's tone left no room for argument.
Luo Feng pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay. But I need to send someone to follow it to ensure the jade pendant's safety."
"make a deal."
Hongye extended his hand, and Luofeng grasped it. Their eyes clashed, neither willing to back down.
Outside the private room, Colin stared at the closed door, his palms sweating profusely.
He didn't know how the talks went, but he knew that from this moment on, the world in Oucheng might be about to change.
Even after Luo Feng left, the atmosphere in the private room remained tense.
Master Hong turned his wheelchair, looked at Boss Lei huddled in the corner, and sneered, "Tell me, how should I punish you?"
Boss Lei trembled, and quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Master Hong, I know I was wrong, please be merciful..."
"I'm just reminding you that I don't want to be caught in the middle of you, since I've taken the initiative to expose myself."
"Hands on?"
Master Hong snorted coldly, his eyes suddenly turning icy. "When you were acting as Luo Feng's spy, didn't you think about the consequences?"
Boss Lei's face turned pale, and he stammered, unable to speak.
He was threatened, but he discovered he had been deceived.
“Alright then,” Hong Ye said slowly, his tone carrying an unyielding sense of pressure, “From today onwards, you will keep an eye on Luo Feng, and you must report his every move to me.”
"This..." Boss Lei suddenly looked up, his face full of resistance. "Brother Hong, I have already pledged my loyalty to him. If I go to spy on him now and get discovered, I will be dead!"
"A dead end?" Master Hong laughed, his laughter laced with cruelty. "You think you'll have a way out if you don't agree?"
He paused, lowered his voice slightly, but it was like an ice pick piercing Boss Lei.
"Your brother is recovering well at the sanatorium in the west of the city, right? I heard he recently got a girlfriend who's a nurse."
"If Luo Feng can find threats, so can I."
Lei Laoda froze, veins bulging on his forehead, but dared not retaliate, and could only clench his fists tightly.
At least Luo Feng didn't use his family to blackmail him!
"Master Hong, please don't force me..."
His voice trembled, pleading.
"Force you?" Master Hong raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of mockery. "I'm just giving you a chance to atone for your sins."
"Either keep an eye on Luo Feng, or go to the sanatorium tomorrow to collect your brother's body."
Boss Lei's face turned from white to green, then from green to purple, and finally he slumped down, his voice filled with despair.
"I...I'll go."
"Those who understand the times are wise; very good."
Master Hong nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand, saying, "Go ahead, don't try anything funny."
Lei Laoda felt as if he had been granted a pardon, turned around and left quickly, his back view revealing a somewhat disheveled appearance.
Watching his retreating figure, the bodyguard beside Master Hong whispered, "Master Hong, are we really going to let him go? What if he turns against us..."
"Turn against him?" Master Hong sneered. "He wouldn't dare."
“As long as his brother is still in my hands, he will have no choice but to obey.”
"Anyone with family will have weaknesses, and that person is no exception. Otherwise, the Shadow Council and Thanatos wouldn't be in this situation."
The person he was referring to was naturally Luo Feng.
He turned his wheelchair, looked out at the night sky, his eyes deep: "Luo Feng, I want to see what tricks you're going to pull next."
As Lei walked out of the Cloud Top Pavilion, a gust of evening wind blew, and he realized that his back was soaked with cold sweat.
He stood by the roadside, gazing in the direction Luo Feng had left, and spat out a curse, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
On one side is the ruthless Master Hong, and on the other side is the unfathomable Luo Feng. He is caught in the middle, as if walking on a tightrope, one wrong step and he will fall into an abyss.
But he had no choice. Damn it! He'd rather die than admit defeat; if someone disagreed, he'd fight!
Boss Lei gritted his teeth, took out his phone, and dialed a number: "Hey, help me find out Luo Feng's whereabouts, the more details the better..."
Then, he ordered his family to be moved immediately.
Luo Feng got into the car, and as Colin started the engine, he suddenly chuckled softly.
“Red won’t let this go,” Colin said, glancing at him in the rearview mirror with a worried expression. “What do we do next?”
"Wait."
Luo Feng leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed, "If he wants to keep an eye on things, let him keep an eye on things."
Colin paused, puzzled, and asked, "Are we just going to let it go like this?"
"What else?" Luo Feng raised an eyebrow. "Instead of hiding it, why not put on a show for him?"
He took out his phone, dialed Bai Ningbing's number, and softened his voice.
"Ningbing, bring the children to Oucheng. Things are almost done here, so it's a good time to take them out for some fun."
After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, Bai Ningbing's voice came through.
"Did something happen?"
"It's nothing, I just miss them."
Luo Feng smiled and said, "Let me know when you've made the arrangements, and I'll come pick you up."
After hanging up the phone, Colin looked puzzled: "Bring the kids? At this hour?"
“The more dangerous the place, the safer it is.” Luo Feng said calmly, “Master Hong thought I would be in a hurry to find Kunlun Ruins, but I’m going to do the opposite.”
In the following days, Luo Feng indeed had some free time.
He first booked the most luxurious resort in the city, and every day he took his newly arrived nieces to amusement parks and shopping malls, followed by a group of bodyguards, making quite a spectacle.
When Boss Lei reported the news to Boss Hong, his tone was hesitant.
"Uncle Hong, he plays with the kids every day, and there's not a single thing happening..."
"A little noise?" Hong Ye sneered on the other end of the phone. He wasn't stupid; he guessed Luo Feng's intention.
"He's doing this on purpose to show me. Keep watching."
Two more days passed, and Luo Feng still made no move, instead indulging in a life of debauchery.
He booked the largest private room at the nightclub, hired a band to entertain him, and was surrounded by several well-dressed escorts, chatting and laughing, seemingly without any suspicion.
Lei, watching from the shadows, was increasingly puzzled.
"Brother Hong, he drank quite a bit tonight, and he was flirting with those women..."
"Flirting?" Red's voice was tinged with suspicion. "Where are his bodyguards?"
"They're all standing guard outside, and they seem quite lax."
After a moment of silence, Hong Ye suddenly said, "No, he's acting."
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out Luo Feng's intentions.
Inside the private room, Luo Feng smiled and pushed away the escort who was leaning towards him, then winked at Team Leader Chen beside him.
Team Leader Chen nodded and quietly slipped out.
Luo Feng picked up his wine glass, gazing at the night view outside the window, a cold smile playing on his lips.
Hongye, take your time guessing.
They're all ancient foxes, why are they playing at some kind of ghost story?
When the door to the private room was pushed open, Luo Feng was handing a glass of red wine to his companion.
Team Leader Chen appeared at the door, his face expressionless, only shaking his head slightly at Luo Feng.
Luo Feng paused in raising his glass, then resumed his normal posture, tilted his head back and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, a slightly drunken smile on his lips.
"what happened?"
He looked at Team Leader Chen; there was a slight smell of alcohol in the air.
"There's no movement outside," Team Leader Chen said in a low voice.
Immediately, his gaze swept over the companions around him, as if he were sizing something up.
The escorts sensed something was off and tactfully got up to leave.
They could also tell that Luo Feng and his companion didn't seem to be there for fun.
Only Luo Feng and Team Leader Chen remained in the private room, and the noise instantly subsided.
"So, Master Hong didn't take the bait?"
Luo Feng rubbed his temples, his tone returning to clarity.
Hong Ye is indeed a seasoned veteran.
Only strong medicine can cure a serious illness.
It's difficult to persuade your opponent with just a few words.
"We sent two people to keep watch on the street corner, but they didn't dare to get close."
Team Leader Chen said, "It seems he's really suspicious."
Luo Feng sneered, "An old fox is an old fox."
He got up and walked to the window, looking at the dim streetlights outside. "Since he's not coming, we'll go and ask him."
"What do you want to do?" Team Leader Chen asked.
"Prepare a generous gift and visit Master Hong tomorrow."
Luo Feng turned around, a calculating glint in his eyes, "Just say... I want to ask him to help look after the children for a few days."
Team Leader Chen was taken aback. "Isn't this too risky?"
Luo Feng, who has always treated his niece as his own daughter, would actually agree to do this?
If Luo Feng hadn't acted as if nothing was wrong and hadn't stayed by the other person's side the whole time, Team Leader Chen would have suspected that someone else had been replaced.
“The more risky it is, the more he will believe it.”
Luo Feng patted his shoulder and smiled faintly, "Do as I say."
The following morning, Luo Feng appeared outside Master Hong's villa carrying an exquisite gift box.
After the bodyguard announced his arrival, he was led into the living room.
Hongye was sitting in a wheelchair, fiddling with a potted plant. When he saw Luofeng, he didn't even lift his eyelids.
"Mr. Luo is a rare guest."
His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"My humble abode is truly honored by Mr. Luo's visit."
He spoke politely, but he didn't even look at Luo Feng directly.
It's all hypocrisy.
Luo Feng placed the gift box on the table and said with a smile, "I don't come here without a reason. I'd like to ask Master Hong for a favor."
Hongye then looked up, his eyes sharp as he looked at him. "Oh? Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"The children just arrived in Europe, and I have a lot of things to do here, so I can't take care of them all."
Luo Feng wore a sincere smile, making it impossible to guess his true intentions.
"I'd like to ask Mr. Hong to come and help look after things for a few days. I promise it won't be too much trouble for you."
Hongye's fingers gently traced the leaves of the potted plant. After a moment of silence, he suddenly smiled.
"Aren't you afraid I'll hold them hostage?"
“Mr. Luo, if I may be so bold, I am capable of doing such a thing.”
He was genuinely surprised by Luo Feng's move.
He had considered other possibilities, but he never imagined it would be this way.
Even if you don't know Luo Feng very well, you've still seen the news and know how much he values his nieces.
“Hongye is a big shot, I don’t think you would do such a thing.”
Luo Feng spoke with certainty, but his eyes held a hint of probing.
He wanted to see what choice Master Hong would make in the end.
Hongye stared at him for a long time, as if trying to see through his heart, but unfortunately he couldn't see anything. (End of this chapter)
