With a loud bang, the double door made of peach wood was kicked open from the outside. The decorative gold bolt on the door latch immediately fell off and flew out. Amidst a cacophony of noise, more than a dozen burly men in suits, along with Yang Ling, slowly walked in. Behind the burly men were a group of disheveled and bruised security guards and service personnel from the Yang Group, who were still blocking Yang Ling and his companions from entering.
After entering the office, a dozen burly men immediately lined up in two rows on either side of the door, then formed a straight line with unwavering eyes, as if they were there specifically to welcome some important figure. They completely ignored Yang Ling, as they were not Yang Ling's men. Ling Yun suddenly felt that the manner of these burly men looked somewhat familiar, and couldn't help but take a few more glances.
Yang Ling was taken aback when he saw Ling Yun and the others, but he quickly regained his ferocious expression and laughed loudly, "Ling Yun, I was just looking for you, and I didn't expect you to be here. Today, I'll take care of you all."
He pointed at Lao Liao: "And you, Lao Liao, I paid you money, why didn't you kill Yang Yuqi? You were chatting and laughing with Ling Yun and the others. Is this how you kill people? Or were you just playing me for a fool?"
Old Liao snorted and ignored him, but his gaze drifted toward Yang Ling's back, a strange expression on his face.
Yuqi sighed softly, waved her hand to dismiss the few dutiful but bewildered security guards and service personnel who were still standing at the door, then looked deeply at Yang Ling and said softly, "Fourth Uncle, do you really hate me that much? It's just that I became the head of the Yang family, and you hate me so much that you even hired assassins to kill me? In your heart, does your niece still hold any real feelings or place? Fourth Uncle!"
Yang Ling, stared at directly by her, immediately felt extremely uncomfortable. His face flushed and paled by turns. He had lost his composure; otherwise, he wouldn't have acted so recklessly as to lead his men to storm the top floor of the Yang Group in broad daylight. Now, being questioned by Yuqi, every word struck him deeply. He decided to throw caution to the wind and roared, "Yes! I want to kill you! Because I want to succeed, I want to get rich, I want to become the true head of the Yang family! You stood in my way, so you're not my niece, but my enemy! Don't be so naive. In a wealthy family like ours, what do we need kinship or uncle-niece affection for? Do you think if you threatened Yang Wei and Yang Jun's interests, if they had the power, they wouldn't do what I did?!"
He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice growing louder and louder. His eyes suddenly turned red, and he pointed at Ling Yun with trembling hands, saying to Yu Qi, "What do you know? You little brat, just because your father is the eldest son of the family, you can rightfully become the chairman of the board of directors of the Yang Group. My talent and ability are no less than your father's, but I can only be the president of a subsidiary company, suppressed and managed by your father. We are both sons of the Yang family, but just because I was born a dozen years later, why should I have to suffer like this?"
He took a step forward: "I spent more than ten years scheming and plotting, and finally had a chance to become the head of the Yang family. But you brought this kid here and ruined all my plans. My life is over. From now on, I can only be a dog, wagging my tail and begging between Yang Cheng and you. I refuse to accept this!"
"I refuse to accept this!" Yang Ling's shoulders trembled as he exclaimed excitedly, "Whoever blocks my path, I will kill him; whoever ruins me, I will ruin them!"
"You're insane! Fourth Uncle, I've never treated you like a dog!" Yuqi shouted angrily. "Why don't you think about what you've done? Is greed really that important? Did I want to destroy you? When you colluded with the Japanese to control my mind, weren't you trying to destroy me?"
"I don't care about that!" Yang Ling shouted. "I only know that I must succeed, no matter what method or means I use!" He gritted his teeth and said, "Aren't assassins unable to kill you? Fine, luckily I have a backup plan. I've invited the boss of the entire assassin group. As long as I kill you and get the position of head of the Yang family, I'd rather give him half of the Yang family's assets!"
"You!" Yuqi was utterly shocked. Yang Ling was truly insane. How could he do something so depraved?
Suddenly, footsteps sounded again at the door. A dozen burly men bowed and saluted, and a young man with perfectly combed hair, dressed in an expensive suit, like a gentleman from old Shanghai, slowly walked in. He had an air of importance and a Cuban Zigong cigar that he had only smoked less than a third of was still in his mouth.
Yang Ling smiled obsequiously and stood humbly at the end of the Han Dynasty building, welcoming this high-ranking figure.
"Young Master!" Old Liao was stunned and involuntarily called out.
Ling Yun was stunned. When he saw this young master, his face immediately showed an expression as if he had witnessed the climax of a drama.
Chapter 273 A Friend Comes from Afar
Yang Ling was now impatient to kill Yu Qi and Ling Yun as soon as possible so that he could take over the position of head of the Yang family. He had even forgotten that this was in broad daylight, in full view of everyone, and on the top floor of the Yang Group headquarters. Although the security guards and other employees of the Yang Group had been dismissed by Yu Qi, countless people had seen him storming into the building headquarters with a group of gangsters who did not look like good people. It was during working hours, and someone had already called the police.
He circled the young master like a mad dog, urgently saying, "Young Master Zhang, this is the person I want you to kill. As long as you kill her and that boy, I'll give you half of the Yang family's fortune, no! Two-thirds of it!"
Yuqi's face turned pale, and a chill ran through her heart. She couldn't believe that her fourth uncle was so heartless and desperate to kill her. Her once kind fourth uncle had turned into a devilish murderer, which made her extremely sad. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision in an instant. Xia Lan put his arm around her shoulder, and they remained silent, not knowing what to say.
Xiao Rou sighed as well, and couldn't help but think of her own mother. They were both relatives, and both were devoid of affection. A feeling of sympathy suddenly arose in her heart, and her hostility towards Yu Qi lessened considerably without her realizing it. Their two snow-white, jade-like hands clasped together, conveying warmth to each other.
Yang Ling continued talking incessantly: "Young Master Zhang, don't worry, it's daytime. Just do it. I'm very familiar with the police, they'll definitely have a way... Hey, Young Master Zhang, what's wrong?"
Suddenly, the distinguished young master Zhang stared intently at Ling Yun, his eyes fixed on him without blinking. He even dropped the cigar he was holding to the floor. He seemed oblivious to Lao Liao's call, his face showing a mixture of disbelief and surprise, as if he had seen an old friend he hadn't seen for many years.
Ling Yun's face showed the same expression, his excitement overflowing. He strode forward and grabbed the shoulders of the distinguished young master. The young master was startled and immediately grabbed Ling Yun's arms in return. The two of them, arm in arm like children, suddenly burst into laughter at the same time.
Everyone was taken aback. Judging from their expressions, did the two know each other before? Xiao Rou looked at Ling Yun in surprise. She had rarely seen him express his emotions in public like this before, acting like a child. In her memory, Ling Yun had always been deep and reserved, rarely showing great joy or sorrow. Could this Young Master Zhang be his…
Old Liao was so surprised that his mouth was agape. He had originally wanted to introduce the two of them, but now it seemed there was no need. Judging from the way they met, they must have been friends for many years.
Yang Ling nearly fainted. His head buzzed, as if he'd been struck hard by a mallet, and he almost passed out. He'd gone through countless hardships to finally get in touch with the underworld, spent countless savings, and even promised half of the Yang family fortune to hire what was supposedly a powerful underworld figure—a man who knew Ling Yun, and apparently had a close relationship with him. Good heavens, what was going on?
He couldn't help but groan, "Lingyun, you are truly my nemesis. Why is it that everything I do can be so easily thwarted by you?"
"Lingyun!" Young Master Zhang was so excited that he finally uttered the first word of address. "Boss, I've finally seen you again."
Everyone felt like they were about to faint. What? The boss behind this assassin group was actually called Boss Ling Yun? What was Ling Yun? The King of Assassins? Yang Ling was completely speechless at this point, his lips twitching uncontrollably, and he was just about to foam at the mouth and collapse to the ground unconscious.
Ling Yun had regained his composure and chuckled as he punched Yunfeng on the shoulder: "Yunfeng, it's been almost half a year since we last met. You little rascal, when did you become so successful? You're a boss now, and even an assassin like Lao Liao is your loyal subordinate. Hehe, by the way, weren't you in school? How come you've suddenly turned into a gangster again?"
This incredibly exaggerated young master Zhang was none other than Ling Yun's high school classmate, Zhang Yunfeng. Since going to Beijing to study with Zhang Yunfeng and Li Lingling, the three hadn't seen each other. Although they had spoken a few times, Ling Yun was constantly preoccupied with other matters, even too busy to meet in person. After several months, their contact gradually decreased. Of course, this was mainly because Ling Yun was too busy, either cultivating his power or engaged in various bloody battles, leaving him no time to think about anything else.
Unexpectedly encountering Zhang Yunfeng in Hong Kong brought back memories of high school, causing Ling Yun to sigh with emotion. As time passed, everyone changed to some extent, especially herself, whose changes were quite significant. Zhang Yunfeng, her former good brother, seemed to be doing quite well now, at least a prominent figure. Ling Yun wondered how her other friend, Li Lingling, was doing. Thinking of the charming and beautiful class beauty, Li Lingling, Ling Yun's heart stirred.
Li Lingling was deeply in love with him, and Lingyun was well aware of this. Unfortunately, the gap between them had widened considerably by then, and Lingyun's feelings for Li Lingling faded after his own feelings changed. Therefore, they were destined to remain only good friends. When they first entered university, they communicated quite a bit. Later, as time went by, Li Lingling called him less and less. Perhaps she had started a new life at university and her attention had shifted. Lingyun silently hoped that Lingling could forget him and find her own happiness.
Zhang Yunfeng scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled, "Look at what you're saying, boss. I'm still me, unchanged. Now's not the time, so let me put it simply. Since starting school, I haven't been interested in studying. I spend all my time hanging out with Brothers Chen Feng and Zhao Yu in the underworld. I don't know why, but seeing all that hacking and slashing, all that scheming and plotting in the underworld gets me excited. I'm not interested in the Sihai Group's business or my studies. Later, the two brothers realized I wasn't cut out for studying, but I had some talent in the underworld, so they let me temporarily suspend my studies to help them integrate China's underground forces. After these few months of trial and error, I've really gotten the hang of it. The glamour of being the head of an underground force is really something, haha." As he spoke, Zhang Yunfeng burst into a triumphant and arrogant laugh, making everyone break out in a cold sweat, wondering just who this kid was.
Ling Yun said with emotion, "I haven't seen Chen Feng and Brother Zhao Yu for a long time either. I wonder how they are. Speaking of which, I'm still a special employee of Sihai Group, receiving a special employee allowance every week, without contributing anything to the group. I'm really ashamed. By the way, how's Xia Tian doing now? I haven't seen him for even longer. I wonder how the chairman is doing. And Lingling, I haven't contacted her in a long time either..."
At this point, Ling Yun couldn't help but feel a little sad. It wasn't that he didn't miss his good friends from high school, but now it seemed that he could no longer get close to them. It wasn't a matter of different levels, but rather that it would be easy for them to get him into trouble. After all, he had already offended the Heavenly Eye Society, the Japanese ninjas, and several other supernatural beings. No matter what abilities an ordinary person possessed, it was impossible to contend with supernatural beings. For safety's sake, it was best to avoid contact as much as possible.
Zhang Yunfeng couldn't help but slap his shoulder hard, a hint of comfort flashing in his eyes: "Lingyun, you finally managed to get to Lingling. At least you still have a conscience. Do you know how thin she's become because of you? Every day, besides missing you, she's just depressed. I asked her to contact you, and even offered to take her to see you, but she always refused, saying that you're a big shot like Longteng, you must have your own career, and contacting you would bother you. If you really cared about her and your brother, you would have contacted us sooner or later. It's a pity, Lingyun, it's been almost a semester, and you haven't called more than a few times. It's okay for me, we're still brothers even after all these years. But Lingling is completely devoted to you, boss. Even if you don't like her, you should at least treat her like a little sister. At least meet her occasionally, have a meal together, and call her every few days to check on her. That would be showing her you care."
Ling Yun was taken aback. He hadn't expected that Li Lingling, whom Zhang Yunfeng had mentioned, was still so devoted to him. He felt a pang of guilt and murmured, "Yunfeng, I really didn't know Lingling was still like this... You know what I'm thinking. I just want her to be happy. I really don't have any other thoughts. You don't know what I've been through since I started university. It's a long story. Let's talk about it sometime. How is Lingling now?"
In Ling Yun's heart, he already regarded Zhang Yunfeng as his best brother. Back in high school, he didn't reveal his superpowers to avoid attracting his family's attention. Now that Zhang Yunfeng had become the underground power holder of the Sihai Group, there were some things he could naturally tell him. Moreover, after so long, Ling Yun also needed someone to confide in. Although Xiao Rou was his lover, sometimes the feelings between a brother and a girlfriend were not entirely the same.
“I know what you’re thinking, Lingyun. I’m not blaming you. I just want to wish Lingling all the best in finding her own happiness.” Zhang Yunfeng’s eyebrows twitched, clearly also filled with emotion. “Lingling is doing quite well now, you know? She completed all her university courses in just two months and even got her diploma! Now she’s working as a senior business manager at Sihai Group.”
"What?" Ling Yun was shocked and asked incredulously, "She finished four years' worth of courses in just two months. I know Lingling was a good student in high school, but she couldn't be this good, could she? Unless she..." He was about to say that unless she was also a superhuman, and a superhuman with high intelligence, such superhumans are very rare even in the whole world, but a strange feeling suddenly rose in his heart, so he shut his mouth.
“My reaction was the same as yours when I found out,” Zhang Yunfeng laughed. “At first, I didn’t believe it either, but when I met Lingling and the president of her university, I realized it was all true. Completing four years of courses in two months is simply a miracle. Then I asked her what she wanted to do after graduation, and she said she didn’t have any plans. So I discussed with Chen Feng and Brother Zhao Yu whether we could get Lingling to work at Sihai Group. Unexpectedly, Brother Xia Tian suddenly came back. After a deep conversation with Lingling, he was very impressed with her abilities and intelligence. Now Lingling is Brother Xia Tian’s assistant, working with him on Wall Street in the United States. I don’t understand these things, but I heard that in just two months, Lingling has already earned two billion US dollars for Sihai Group.”
"Two billion US dollars!" Ling Yun exclaimed involuntarily. "Then Lingling is no longer a billionaire, hehe, that's great. It seems Lingling has her own career now. If we see her again, we must give her our best wishes." He was genuinely happy for Li Lingling, or rather, he was trying to ease his own troubles. Because of matters of the heart, Ling Yun was already overwhelmed and couldn't keep up. First there was Xia Zhenyuqi, then Bingyan and Wangyue Nami. If Lingling became obsessed with him again, even to the point of losing her appearance, then Ling Yun would not be able to find peace of mind. Dealing with these matters every day was already a huge burden. As for the idea of a man having three wives and four concubines, even if Ling Yun was willing, he was afraid that none of the girls would be so generous.
“Yes! It’s really unexpected, Lingyun, the three of us have changed so much.” Zhang Yunfeng sighed deeply. “Now, Brother Xia and Lingling are busy expanding the Sihai Group’s business overseas. The work in China is mainly handled by Brothers Chen Feng and Zhao Yu, while I’m in charge of coordinating and arranging all the underground forces in China. I just took down an underground den in Guangdong a couple of days ago. I was planning to come to Hong Kong to make some connections since it’s Chinese territory. But then this guy named Yang Ling, who doesn’t know his place, ran into me. He bought Lao Liao’s safflower and then somehow found me, saying he wanted to kill a relative of his. He was worried that Lao Liao wasn’t reliable. I thought about killing him right then and there. Why would he come to me if he didn’t trust my assassin skills? But then I thought this was an opportunity, so I came to check it out, and I just happened to run into you, haha.”
"I see." Ling Yun nodded, now understanding the whole story. No wonder Old Liao kept trying to arrange a meeting between him and the young master behind him, which he had refused at the time. If he had known it was Zhang Yunfeng, he would have insisted on meeting him. Unfortunately, because of this incident, he had been delayed in meeting Yunfeng for a long time.
"Young master, so you know Brother Ling Yun! I'm so happy! I didn't know how to tell you about this. I guessed that you two were about the same age and both heroes, and that you would become like brothers when you met. Sure enough, I was right." Old Liao finally got a break from their conversation and quickly came over, rubbing his hands together and laughing. He didn't forget to flatter Ling Yun and Zhang Yunfeng.
Zhang Yunfeng said with a straight face, "What 'little brother Lingyun'? This is my boss, the boss I've followed since I graduated high school. Stop calling him 'little brother' all the time. If you call him 'little brother,' what do you call me? 'little little brother'?"
Old Liao said with a grin, "Yes, yes, young master, isn't this from another perspective? No matter what, you are my boss, and Brother Lingyun is your brother, so he is also my boss. Haha, I didn't expect you two to know each other. This is really great."