Luo Wanjiang waved his hand dejectedly and said, "Go. Don't let me see you again." The conference room fell silent again. Luo Wanjiang had lost face in just one hour. He had been boasting about how cheap and reliable the people he had found were, and that they would definitely get things done. But in just one hour, things had taken a dramatic turn. Not only had he spent two thousand yuan per person, but he had also lost another three million yuan, which was dozens of times more than what Liu Heping had spent hiring experts!
Luo Juanjuan sneered: "Second brother, you're really something. I just took a nap and you threw away three million. It's no wonder you've squandered the Luo family's fortune. You even complained that your brother-in-law's 100,000 yuan for hiring someone was too expensive. Why don't you tell me how you felt when you threw away three million? Are you two in cahoots to swindle us out of a few bucks?"
Luo Pingping retorted sarcastically, "Second Brother, this isn't the way to spend money. My husband helped your Luo family save money, but you didn't appreciate it and complained that we spent too much. Now you're spending too little? I wonder if you've even accomplished anything? You turn around and throw in another three million. You're really something. No wonder Dad didn't say he'd hand the Luo family over to you to manage. With your extravagant spending habits, who would dare?"
Luo Wanjiang was furious: "Enough! Stop spreading rumors! This was an accident, a complete accident. There's definitely something wrong with a closed repair shop hiding a master there. Luo Wanfeng must have been worried about the safety there, which is why he had his daughter hide Yuan Qinghua there. I should have thought of this sooner. It's all your fault for making such a fuss."
Luo Wanhai said, "Alright, Second Brother, don't complain about your stomachache and bad foot. Just tell us what to do next. We're in a hurry to sleep. Anyway, the money you lost has nothing to do with us, so don't include it in our profits in the future."
Luo Wanjiang was so angry he was speechless. He had planned to use the three million from the future Luo family fortune, but it seemed that doing it openly wouldn't work, so he had to do it secretly. Luo Wanjiang said to Liu Heping, "Can you still contact your friend? Ask him to help. But we don't need to forcibly seize the Yuan blue and white porcelain for now. Let's find out the other party's background first before deciding on our next move."
Liu Heping said unhappily, "Second brother, are you suddenly remembering my good points? Would you believe me if I said I wouldn't do it even for a million? There are experts there, can I just watch my friend go to his death? What if he's willing to go, but he doesn't die? Wouldn't I become the one who got scammed?"
Luo Wanjiang's eyebrows twitched a few times. What's wrong with his own people? They're all bloodsuckers! This is kicking someone when they're down!
Luo Wanjiang held back and said, "I'll give you a million. You need to find someone to gather information immediately. Be discreet and avoid any conflict for now." At this moment, Luo Wanjiang was no longer as unafraid of alerting the enemy as before. Instead, he was afraid of stirring up a hornet's nest, so he repeatedly warned him to be careful.
Liu Heping said reluctantly, "Alright, I'll go talk to him about it. If he's unwilling to take action, there's nothing I can do."
The meeting ended, and everyone went home to sleep. Liu Heping, with his wife in his arms and a check for one million yuan, turned around and made a phone call, settling the matter of gathering information for only 50,000 yuan. He stuffed the remaining 950,000 yuan into Luo Pingping's bra. This trip back to the Luo family to celebrate the old man's birthday was a profitable deal. That damned Li Wanjiang, he didn't want to make money off him, but Li Wanjiang forced him to. Was he stupid?
The next morning, Luo Wanjiang received the news that after Shunfeng Repair Shop went bankrupt, it had been rented to a computer repair company for a period of time. Later, the computer company changed investors and, with its wealth and influence, rebuilt a large building in front of the repair shop, leaving the factory vacant. It was recently bought, but the transfer of ownership was not yet complete, so even the original owner did not know who bought it. Luo Wanjiang was not satisfied with this investigation result, but who the owner of the repair shop was was not very important. He continued to check other information. Currently, Hu Qian, the manager of Hongwang Technology, Luo Wei, the manager of Qimingdeng Electronics, Xu Xiaoya, the daughter of the district head, and the playboy Zhang Lingfeng would sometimes visit. There was also a skilled repairman, Zhao Qiang, and four security guards. Perhaps the four security guards were the ones who attacked last night. It was said that Hu Qian was from the Hu family in Beijing, so these four security guards might be special police officers from the army, which was why Feng Wanli suffered a loss! No matter how good he was at underground boxing, he was just an ordinary person, nothing compared to soldiers who had been trained by special forces.
Luo Wanjiang threw the letters away! Had he already possessed this firsthand information, would he have suffered such a loss? The million-dollar investment was too devastating! It wasn't that he couldn't bear the loss, but rather that he felt utterly humiliated. This made his brother-in-law and younger brother look down on him, which was detrimental to his power grab. Damn it, how could Hu Qian be living there? Even knowing the Yuan blue-and-white porcelain jar was hidden in Luo Wei's hands, he wouldn't dare act rashly. The Hu family had indeed declined in recent years, but they were still a once-powerful family, not something a merchant family like the Luo family would dare touch!
Volume 2 [228] Huge Loss
The brand reservation event didn't end until 10:30. Zhao Qiang and Wang Meng happily returned to the factory. Wang Meng was a little dizzy, and Zhao Qiang laughed at him, saying, "You weren't bewitched by Zhou Junjun's captivating eyes, were you?"
Wang Meng smiled sheepishly, "Brother Qiang, although Zhou Junjun is quite pretty, I still hope to find a girl like you by my side."
Zhao Qiang said, "Then you'd better act quickly, or I'll beat you to it."
Wang Meng said, "If I run into him, I'll hide him first, and then let Brother Qiang see him after I've done something good. I'll make you envious!" The two laughed heartily. Wang Meng invited Zhao Qiang into the house to get some late-night snacks. It was actually very simple. They boiled water on an induction cooker to cook instant noodles, and there were more than a dozen portions of ham sausages and canned goods. The two of them drank beer and that was it.
Today, the squad leader Liu Jia, along with soldiers Xu Qing and Zhan Tiannan, were on duty at the overhaul depot. Liu Jia knocked on the door and joined the late-night snack party, but he didn't drink alcohol—that's a strict military rule! The sounds of Zhao Qiang and Wang Meng returning also attracted Hu Qian, who had just come back from working overtime. Now that there was slimming tea, Hu Qian didn't need to diet, and she drank beer and ate various canned foods with Zhao Qiang.
Liu Jia said, "Young Master Zhao, there were people loitering around the door today, especially when you were fighting in front. Some even peeked in, but they quickly left after Xu Qing shouted at them."
Zhao Qiang hadn't expected this turn of events, so he asked, "Is the Yuan blue-and-white porcelain jar in the insurance container alright?"
Liu Jia laughed and said, "It's nothing. If there were any problems, President Luo would have come looking for trouble with me by now."
Hu Qian put down the can and anxiously looked at Zhao Qiang: "You two got into a fight? Why can't Squad Leader Liu and Yang Shiqi handle this? Why did you have to do it yourself? And Wang Meng, you need to keep an eye on your brother Qiang. Fighting is a good thing."
Zhao Qiang blushed when Hu Qian touched and pinched him in front of everyone: "I'm fine, don't be too nervous."
Hu Qian sat down again, feeling embarrassed. She opened a can of wine for Zhao Qiang and handed him a sausage. "I said that setting up a security company is necessary, but you and Yang Shiqi insisted on opposing it."
Zhao Qiang said, "Being too forceful isn't good either. Let's not talk about it anymore. Let's talk about today's events. Judging from what Brother Liu has gathered, it seems that the farce that happened earlier tonight might not have been a coincidence!"
Liu Jia said, "Yes, I think so too. Someone caused trouble in front to attract attention, but of course, nothing came of it in the end. Besides, the people in our courtyard don't like watching the excitement. They felt there was no opportunity to take advantage of the situation, so they left after their attempt to sneak in and gather intelligence failed."
Wang Meng said, "Who cares? As long as we safely deliver the Yuan blue and white porcelain on Grandpa Luo's birthday, all the conspiracies will be thwarted, right?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It's not that simple. If one plan fails, the other side will come up with another. We need to be careful."
Liu Jia said, "I have already instructed the staff on duty to strengthen precautions."
Zhao Qiang said, "That's good. If all else fails, we can send the goods to the military camp. I don't believe anyone would dare to force their way in."
In fact, no one dared to force their way in. It wasn't a military camp, and no one had openly come to make a move even at the repair shop. It seemed that the other party was very cautious. However, Zhao Qiang did not expect that there were shadows between Wang Xiaoliang and the assassin behind this. He could see through objects but could not see through the inside story of the event. He could only deal with whatever came his way.
The Luo family meeting room was brightly lit, and everyone wore an expression of displeasure. Luo Wanjiang, ten years old, was the second son of Old Master Luo and the eldest son of Ye He after she married into the Luo family. Luo Wanfeng was the son of Ye He's ex-husband. Ye He married Old Master Luo Xin while pregnant. In Luo Wanjiang's mind, he should be the true eldest son of the Luo family, while Luo Wanfeng was just an outsider. This idea was suppressed while his mother Ye He was alive, but after her death, he became arrogant.
Luo Wanhai, 28 years old, was not particularly interested in the power struggle between his two elder brothers. However, since Luo Wanjiang shared the same parents, their relationship was naturally closer than that of Luo Wanfeng, so it was impossible for him not to attend this meeting.
Luo Pingping, 38 years old, is Luo Xin's eldest daughter. She is already married to Liu Heping, a wealthy family in the south. They have a son named Liu Guinan, who is still in school and cannot participate in today's meeting.
Luo Juanjuan, 26 years old, is Luo Xin's second daughter. Although she is not very old, she wears heavy makeup and has a bit of a prostitute vibe. Although she has never had a boyfriend, the number of men she has been with is countless. She is an extremely promiscuous woman. Luo Wanjiang and Luo Wanhai both dislike this second sister. Luo Pingping also doesn't like her very much. However, for some reason, this second sister has caught Luo Xin's eye, so he never dares to leave Luo Juanjuan behind whenever something happens.
With a snap, Luo Juanjuan lit a cigarette, and thick smoke billowed from her scarlet mouth. "Second brother, third brother, eldest sister, you need to make a decision quickly. I don't have time; I have to meet friends tonight."
Luo Wanjiang's face was full of anger: "Can't you be serious for once? Our Luo family's fortune is about to be taken away by an outsider, and you don't even care? All you care about are those men in your bed, huh? When you're penniless one day, let's see which man will come to fawn over you!"
Luo Wanjiang was telling the truth. If the Luo family were to lose everything, it was uncertain whether Luo Juanjuan would be able to lure men into bed with her. Unlike real prostitutes who could make money in this industry, she had always been a money-loser.
"Alright, alright, you can continue discussing. I need to rest." Luo Juanjuan smoked and closed her eyes. Luo Wanjiang took a deep breath. "It seems that old thief Luo Wanfeng really did repair the Yuan blue and white porcelain jar."
Luo Wanhai said, "I just don't understand, how is this possible?"
Luo Pingping's husband, Liu Heping, said, "I have seen the photos of the fragments with my own eyes. The person who did it is a well-known hitman in the south. He only brought a cat in and smashed Wei Zi to pieces. How could he have failed? To say that he failed would be an insult to him!"
Luo Wanjiang said angrily, "I insulted the assassin? I want to see the result. Why did Luo Wanfeng say on the phone that it was definitely not broken, and even argued that he wanted to return it to Dad? I went through a lot of trouble with Smith to trick Dad into giving me Yuan Qinghua. If he returns it safely, our plan will have failed completely."
Liu Heping said, "You can't say that he didn't break it. The one who made the move was one of the six great masters of the South. I was able to invite him because of fate. If you complain about him like that, I'll lose face and might offend someone."
Luo Wanhai said, "You can't assume it's a restored Yuan blue and white porcelain just because someone came out of Luo Wanfeng's house carrying a bag that looks like a jar. It could be a fake, and maybe it's still in Luo Wanfeng's hands."
Luo Wanjiang said confidently, "No, I've already sent people in to search, and there's nothing in Luo Wanfeng's house."
Luo Wanhai shrugged and said, "Then what do you suggest? The repair shop is being watched very closely by some enemy. Your farce this evening also ended in failure. Is there any other way to get in?"
Luo Wanjiang was furious: "The military camp is right behind the repair shop. I can arrange for people to cause trouble at Shunfeng Technology, but if they cause trouble at the repair shop, it will alert the soldiers in the military camp. Everyone knows what kind of people the Yang family are; we businessmen can't afford to offend them."
No one spoke, because no one could think of a solution.
Finally, Liu Heping said, "How about I personally invite an expert to go in and investigate?"
Luo Wanjiang objected, "We don't need experts; it's too expensive. I think we should try with some locals first. If that doesn't work, then we can consider other options."
Liu Heping said, "If your actions alert the enemy, I won't care." Luo Wanjiang scoffed, "What's the point of alerting the enemy? Do you think this is a wolf's den? Your expert charges 100,000 for every move he makes, but I can buy a bunch of desperados to test the waters for 10,000."
Liu Heping spread his hands: "Alright, you decide."
Luo Wanjiang said, "Feng Wanli, the most famous underground boxing champion in Donghai City, has several extremely powerful boxers under his command. Let them infiltrate the repair shop to test the waters and see if they've discovered anything. Give each of them a maximum of two thousand. These black-market boxers... Hmph, they're all money-grubbing bastards."
Feng Wanli is indeed quite famous in Donghai, not because he is charitable, but because he is tough. A second-generation official like Zhang Lingfeng actually has no strength; he only relies on his family to maintain his image. If his family abandons him, Zhang Lingfeng is nothing in front of Feng Wanli. Of course, Zhang Lingfeng is much more honest now and can be considered a legitimate businessman. Since his departure, Feng Wanli has become even more successful in Donghai City. He used to only charge 1,000 for a fight, but now the price has increased to 2,000.
The Luo family meeting continued late into the night. Everyone stayed in the meeting room, smoking and waiting for further news. The money had been transferred to Feng Wanli via online banking, and they had also contacted him by phone. Feng Wanli still valued the Luo family highly and immediately led a team to Shunfeng Repair Shop in the Kai District to carry out the mission. He promised to give them a message within an hour if they could find the Yuan blue and white porcelain jar.
Luo Wanhai glanced at his watch impatiently; it was already past 12:30. His second sister, Luo Juanjuan, was already fast asleep, sprawled on the table, oblivious to the fact that her clothes had become out of shape and exposed her chest. Luo Pingping shoved her awake, and she squinted, saying, "What? Can't we pay her tomorrow morning? She thinks she's sleeping with a gigolo again."
Luo Wanhai slammed his hand on the table and said, "Second Brother, are you any good or not? If not, we're going to sleep. We don't have time to waste here with you."
Luo Zhenjiang was also getting anxious, so he called Feng Wanli, but the other party refused to answer. Luo Wanli cursed, "Damn it, he dares to swindle my money? Doesn't he plan to stay in Donghai City?"
Liu Heping mocked Luo Wanjiang, saying, "I told you, the people here are all unprofessionals and can't be relied on at all."
Luo Wanjiang was somewhat annoyed and was about to dial again when his secretary knocked and came in. "Mr. Luo, there's a man named Feng Wanli outside with some people looking for you. It's so late, should we let them in?"
Luo Wanjiang smiled at Liu Heping and instructed his secretary, "Bring them over here immediately! They're the ones I've been waiting for."
Thank you to DaMaHou, JianZi, ShuYouWeiYan, and WuWeiAnYeJianRen for your monthly ticket support! This chapter is an extra chapter!
Thank you to Jianke for the Jianghu Bi coins! Thank you to Wu Youbi coins! Thank you to Longti Qianan for the Longbi 8 coins! Thank you to Yanjingbu Liumang and Rizi Nanguo Tiantian Guoguo for the donations!
Happy Lantern Festival to all my friends! May your families be filled with joy, health, and happiness! While praying for everyone's well-being, I'd also like to ask for another monthly pass from you all!
Volume 2 [229] Yang Jie
Guang Wanjiang called Liu Heping, his first words being to express his gratitude. He was convinced by Liu's words, "You're a professional." "Brother-in-law," he said, "I've read all the intelligence you sent. The investigation was very detailed. I'm sorry to have troubled you for half the night. Your help this time has been immense."
Liu Heping chuckled and said, "Second Brother, what kind of relationship do we have? You're being too formal by saying that."
"
Luo Wanjiang said, "Since we're not just friends, I'd like to ask you for another favor."
Liu Heping said, "Second Brother, just ask. I won't hesitate to help if I can." Luo Wanjiang said, "Because the Hu family from Beijing lives in the repair shop, it's foolproof that that bitch Luo Wei hid the Yuan blue-and-white porcelain jar there. I just need to wait until she's on her way to Father's birthday banquet with the jar before I make my move. You have the skills for that, right? Price is no object."
Liu Heping said, "I can try, but it's not appropriate to do it in broad daylight. I'm afraid they won't agree."
Luo Wanjiang: "I'll give you another million."
Liu Heping said, "Okay! I'll contact them for you right away."
Luo Pingping was putting on makeup in front of the dressing mirror when she said to her husband, "What did my second brother say this time?"
Liu Heping said, "More business has come in. Cold-faced Green Fox's current predicament has really helped me a lot. This one of the top experts in the south will actually take any job just to make a living. I heard that he even went to kill someone in Dongyang City for ten thousand yuan during the New Year. A tiger fallen into the plains has become a dog. It's really a good thing for us."
Luo Jiangping winked at Liu Heping and said, "Know when to stop. Don't keep trying to make money off your own family. My second brother may not be a great person, but he's still my blood relative. You know that, right?"
Liu Heping said smugly, "Don't worry, he's still my brother-in-law. Do you think a few million can buy me the chance to help him regain the old man's favor? If he becomes the head of the Luo family, even giving me a million more wouldn't be too much."
When Zhao Qiang woke up in the morning, he saw Luo Wei sitting in the office with red and swollen eyes. He was startled and asked, "What happened?"
Luo Wei asked, "Did you stop someone from entering the office last night?" Zhao Qiang didn't go out when the fight started. Although the people outside were already tiptoeing when they made their move, Feng Wanli's people didn't know how to suppress their noise, so it was only natural that Luo Wei noticed.
Zhao Qiang said, "It's just a few thieves, why are you worried about the Yuan blue and white porcelain jar?"
Luo Wei said, "Yes, why didn't they steal it before? Why was the Yuan blue and white porcelain jar stolen on the very first night we brought it here? So I absolutely refuse to believe there's more to this story."
Zhao Qiang comforted Luo Wei, saying, "Why do you care about all this? Just bring it back to your grandfather safely on your birthday."
Luo Wei said worriedly, "But I'm afraid I might not be able to get into my grandfather's house safely."
Zhao Qiang casually said, "Alright, I'll go all the way and deliver it for you. Now you can rest easy, right?"
Luo Wei had a smile that seemed to come through her tears. "Okay, thank you, Zhao Qiang. Uh..." Luo Wei tilted her head and thought for a moment. "That day, you can be my boyfriend and go to my grandfather's birthday party."
Zhao Qiang hurriedly shook his head: "That won't do."
Luo Wei was in a much better mood. Although she appeared somewhat aloof in front of others, she actually had a very harmonious conversation with Zhao Qiang. When she heard Zhao Qiang refuse, she was a little unhappy. "What? Are you afraid Ya will scold you?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Of course not, she's not unreasonable, I'm just afraid that this will make you lose face."
Zhao Qiang wasn't a handsome guy; he was just an average person. He looked the same as before, except that his clothes were a bit more upscale, and he carried a few more cards and cash. But the subtle signs that remained were those of a guy who was always busy working to earn a living. He knew his own situation and didn't want to embarrass himself in such a place. However, Luo Wei was having difficulty protecting the Yuan Qinghua and returning it to her grandfather, so Zhao Qiang had no choice but to promise to accompany her.
Luo Wei was somewhat disappointed, but she knew that one shouldn't be too greedy. Zhao Qiang's willingness to accompany her to return the Yuan blue-and-white porcelain jar had already relieved a great worry in her heart, and it wouldn't be good to ask for anything more.
The day passed peacefully, and Zhao Qiang didn't bother to find out who had attacked him the night before. He figured it must have been Luo Wanfeng's younger brothers and sisters. There were plenty of stories in TV dramas about brothers fighting over family wealth, and Zhao Qiang was too lazy to care. The more important thing was that he couldn't care less anyway. Helping Luo Wei protect Yuan Qinghua was already the best he could do.
That evening, Yang Shiqi came to see Zhao Qiang and also informed Hu Qian. Otherwise, Hu Qian would still be at the company processing documents. Rednet Technology's business was becoming increasingly complex, and Hu Qian couldn't handle it all by herself. Several business managers were new to their roles, and Hu Qian wasn't comfortable letting them handle many things alone. Plus, Xu Xiaoya had returned, and Hu Qian knew she needed to rein herself in. So staying at the company and working overtime was a good idea, to avoid unknowingly returning to the repair shop and facing Xu Xiaoya's disapproving looks.
"I found you. Yang Shiqi's first words upon meeting you were to head straight for Zhu Xu. Two soldiers were escorting a suspicious-looking guy. It must be Yang Jie, whom Yang Shiqi was looking for last night. This kind of person doesn't seem like the factory bully. Logically speaking, the bully of the machinery factory should be a burly figure."
Zhao Qiang waved his hand to the outside: "Bring them in."
Yang Jie entered the office. He still didn't understand why he had been arrested by the military. He recalled everything from when he was in the womb, and it seemed that he had never had any dealings with the military. Even if he had broken the law, it should have been the police who arrested him.