Shen Peichuan straightened his back and saw Gu Bei walking in. “He’s here.”
Gu Bei’s fake laughter sounded right away. “So sorry, I was delayed. Did you guys wait long?”
“We understand that Mr. Gu is a busy man. Moreover, unlike the olden days, it’s no longer common for people these days to pay attention to the way we treat our guests.” Shen Peichuan was clearly insinuating something else in his speech – that Gu Bei was ill-mannered to treat his guests that way while they were magnanimous enough to let it slide.
Gu Bei’s face darkened, but he managed to force a wry smile. “Chief Shen, not only are you rising quickly in the ranks, but you’re also becoming a smooth talker.”
“You flatter me, Mr. Gu. I’m just a small fry. I’m still a far cry from Mr. Gu,” Shen Peichuan smiled mirthlessly.
Well, I’ll act along if he wants to continue being so hypocritical.
Gu Bei changed the topic as he looked towards Zong Jinghao. “Did President Zong fall asleep while waiting for me?”
Just as Shen Peichuan was about to answer, Zong Jinghao opened his eyes. He did not look as sleepy as before. In fact, he seemed to be rather alert. “It looks like Mr. Gu’s place has some special powers, it feels hypnotic to be here.”
Gu Bei laughed heartily and replied, “That’s needless to say, if this is not a special plot of land, it wouldn’t be possible for us to remain strong during such trying times.”
It’s not the environment that has special powers, but it’s me who’s powerful. Not to mention the strong backing I have. That was the obvious message the man was trying to convey to Zong Jinghao.
Gu Bei sat down on the couch and stretched out his arms lazily. “President Zong, it isn’t too great of you to not introduce your pretty girlfriend to me. Are you afraid that I’ll snatch her away from you?”
Zong Jinghao squinted as a hint of darkness surged in his eyes.
Keeping a cool front, he smiled. “I’m sure Mr. Gu has seen your fair share of really gorgeous women. My girlfriend is at most considered average-looking as compared to the pretty ladies whom Mr. Gu is acquainted with.”
“You’re too modest, President Zong. If I remember correctly, her name is… “ Gu Bei pretended to have a hard time recalling the woman’s name. He had on a frustrated expression as he reached for his forehead, appearing to be deep in thought. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “Oh right! Her name is Lin Xinyan! I met her once in C City and was rather fond of her too. If President Zong gets sick of that woman one day, please let me have her.”
Zong Jinghao grabbed Gu Bei’s collar as flames of fury burned in his eyes. Rage pulsed through his veins as he tightened his grip, so much that Gu Bei had difficulty breathing. Although Gu Bei’s face was flushed bright red, the man managed to force a smile while gasping for air. He challenged Zong Jinghao, “President Zong, why are you so angry? Do you really care so much about that woman? Ah, I almost forgot that you even took pains to hide her in C City. You must really care a lot about her. Let me guess, is she very good in bed? Is that why she’s able to capture President Zong’s heart… “
“You must have a death wish!” Crash! Suddenly, the shattering of glass was heard. No one noticed Zong Jinghao grab a wine bottle. The man smashed it against the table and pointed the broken bottle at Gu Bei’s chin. Traces of blood then appeared on Gu Bei’s skin as the sharp edges of the bottle brushed against it.
The strong aroma of red wine, which was splattered on the floor, permeated the room. However, it was still overpowered by the soul-stirring, horrifying atmosphere.
Gu Bei frowned when he felt the pain from the cut. At that moment, he had lost all the cockiness which he had displayed earlier on when he saw the dangerous glint in Zong Jinghao’s eyes.
Shen Peichuan, who had witnessed the unfolding of the events, was completely stunned. As far as he could remember, he had never seen Zong Jinghao behaving so aggressively and looking so cold.
Zong Jinghao had always been the calmest and stoic one among them. It was the first time he had displayed that other side of him, just like a dangerous animal, ready to kill.
“You… you… don’t forget, that woman, Qin Ya, is still in my hands. If you kill me, she would also have to die. Besides, my dad will definitely go after you and make you pay for it!”
Gu Bei was his dad’s only son; Old Master Gu had fathered him in his autumn years. As such, if Gu Bei were dead, the Gu family would certainly avenge him at all costs.
Shen Peichuan snapped out of his shock when he heard what Gu Bei said. “Be patient. We will have plenty of opportunities to get him next time,” he whispered to Zong Jinghao.
No matter what, as long as Qin Ya was still in Gu Bei’s hands, Shen Peichuan and Zong Jinghao would be at the losing end. They had to rescue Qin Ya as soon as possible before settling scores with Gu Bei.
With both hands held up, Gu Bei said, “Calm down, President Zong. Let’s talk civilly. First, I’ll apologize for what I said just now. I’m really sorry, I mean it… “
As Gu Bei spoke, he inched backward. Zong Jinghao noticed it but did not mention anything about it.
After all, that man still had Qin Ya. That reason alone left Zong Jinghao with no other choice but to relent for the time being.
When Gu Bei judged that the distance between Zong Jinghao and himself was wide enough for him to be safe, he jumped off the couch and stood at the side. Gu Bei wiped his neck with his hand and shuddered when he saw it smeared with blood. If he had used slightly more force, today could have been my death anniversary!
At once, Gu Bei’s temper sparked, and he glared at Zong Jinghao with bloodshot eyes. “Are you out of your mind?” he yelled.
Zong Jinghao smoothed out his sleeves casually as he replied, “I was just fooling around. Don’t take it too seriously, Mr. Gu.”
“Look at the blood on my hands! Fooling around? More like you’re taking me for a fool!” Gu Bei was breathless with anger and nearly flipped the table in rage.
“I can’t be serious about harming you, right, Mr. Gu?” Zong Jinghao looked at Gu Bei in the eye and continued, “The purpose of our visit today is not to create bad blood with you, Mr. Gu. It wouldn’t be beneficial to either of us if you insist on making things worse.”
Gu Bei narrowed his eyes and replied, “The feud between you and Wen Qing is really none of my business. Why did you have to drag me into it? Do I look like a pushover to you?”
I have a temper too, you know!
Gu Bei felt that his reputation would be ruined if he simply let the matter slide without doing anything about it.
“State your condition. What do you want from us for you to release Qin Ya?” As Zong Jinghao stood up and walked towards Gu Bei, Gu Bei retreated a few steps and warned, “Don’t come any further!”
He was already deeply traumatized by Zong Jinghao’s actions. What a scary man!
Zong Jinghao stopped in his tracks and laughed, “Did I frighten Mr. Gu just now? Sorry, I wasn’t able to control my foul temper. I hope you don’t take it to heart.”
He considers this just a foul temper? Gu Bei was grumbling silently inside his heart.
“Will you agree to any condition I state?” Gu Bei was trying to gauge how important Qin Ya was to Zong Jinghao, as he planned to obtain the maximum benefit he could from that guy.
Well, he has to pay the price for making use of me!
“Is Mr. Gu joking with me? Agreeing to any condition? I can’t possibly give you the moon!” Zong Jinghao flicked away a wine droplet on his collar before adding, “As long as it is within my means, I’ll agree to anything Mr. Gu asks for.”
“Let me think about it then.” Gu Bei held Qin Ya hostage because he could not stomach the thought of being made use of and cheated by Zong Jinghao. He wanted a proper explanation from him. In fact, it seemed from the present situation that enmity had already been formed between both men.
If that were the case, all the more reason why Gu Bei would not let that woman go so easily. Otherwise, he would lose the only hold he had over Zong Jinghao.
The best strategy Gu Bei could think of was to stall for time while planning his next move.
“It’s not very honorable for Mr. Gu to use a woman as a stake to solve the problems between us men. Aren’t you worried that it would give you a bad reputation if word got out?” Shen Peichuan questioned.
“Just cut the crap,” Gu Bei sneered while pressing a hand on his neck. “I’m injured and need to go to the hospital now. Let’s talk about releasing that woman some other time.”
He left immediately after he finished speaking.
While Gu Bei was walking out of the room, he could feel a slightly wet and sticky sensation on his hand. After taking a look at his hand and seeing blood on it, he bellowed, “Number Four!”
One of Gu Bei’s lackeys in the nightclub rushed over. “Master Four already left.”
Gu Bei cursed angrily under his breath before yelling, “Get the car ready; I’m going to the hospital now!”
“OK! I’ll do that right away!” The lackey dashed towards the car park immediately.
Gu Bei got a checkup done after the lackey dropped him at the hospital. He was informed by the doctor that he had only gotten a minor abrasion – the injury was nothing serious. The wound was a little deep, causing blood to trickle out, but no major arteries were damaged.
The doctor told Gu Bei after disinfecting his wound, “It’s better not to wrap it with gauze in such hot weather as the humidity would slow down the healing of the wound. You should try to keep it dry so that it recovers faster.”
“I’ll take note of that, doctor,” Gu Bei said and left the consultation room. When he was on his way out of the hospital, he bumped into Su Zhan.
Su Zhan was accompanying his grandma for her medical checkup at the hospital and was heading towards the outpatient consultation area with the results of the medical examinations.
Both men saw each other, but Gu Bei did not intend to talk to Su Zhan. Zong Jinghao had just wounded him, and he was still angry about it. As such, he felt a flash of irritation towards anyone who was connected to that man.
Gu Bei let out a cold snort as he brushed shoulders with Su Zhan.
“Mr. Gu, are you injured?” Su Zhan was not someone who would be taken advantage of. He could also feel the anger building in the other man after being knocked in the shoulder by Gu Bei.
“I hope your neck injury isn’t life-threatening,” Su Zhan said coldly.
Gu Bei gritted his teeth and pointed his finger at Su Zhan. “I’m not going to argue with you in the hospital. Just pass a message to Zong Jinghao. Tell him that if he wants to save that woman, he has to apologize to me personally!”
Su Zhan was startled for a moment. Woman? Which woman?
Lin Xinyan has just returned to B City. Could something have happened to her already?
“Woman? Which woman are you talking about?”
Gu Bei scoffed, “I thought you were close friends with Zong Jinghao. How can you not know about it?”
Gu Bei had assumed that Su Zhan was feigning ignorance. He could not be bothered to waste time answering him. Just as he turned around and walked away, Su Zhan caught up and grabbed his arm. “What are you talking about? What woman?”
Gu Bei shook off Su Zhan’s hand and roared, “Who else could it be other than that woman called Qin Ya? I have captured her from C City!”
