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墨書 Inktalez
I rejected Zheng Yu's proposal but didn't reveal my reasons. You enjoy being mysterious, don't you? So let's both keep it that way.
You're quite confident, and that's commendable. However, what disgusted me was how Zheng Yu seemed to see right through my thoughts. I frowned upon hearing this but said nothing, merely nodding with a smile.
After Zheng Yu left, I found myself deep in thought. My former boss, Zhang Peng, who had assigned me the undercover mission, was himself a product of that world. In his time as an undercover agent, the Underworld was far darker and more ruthless than it is now! His experiences were much harsher than mine ever were.
I remember the day I accepted the mission; Zhang Peng warned me not to trust anyone! During undercover operations, if someone approaches you with intent, you must know their motives! Until you understand their intentions, never give them your trust—because once you do, they might just stab you in the back!
I took a deep breath and leaned back in my chair. As for Zheng Yu's motives, I could only speculate. Linna had dismissed my suspicions, so I couldn't fully trust Zheng Yu either. But if he truly is my opponent, then his ability to read people's hearts would make him a formidable adversary!
The afternoon sun was warm and inviting as I drove my car toward Aishang Club, cheerful music playing in the background. Chen and Ning Chuan were coming this afternoon. It was rare to meet these two big shots; I should seize the opportunity to make a good impression for future promotions.
Upon arriving at Aishang Club and entering our dedicated meeting room, I immediately felt the temperature drop slightly. Liu Haoran, Geng Kun, Cao Hui, and Wu Hai were all present, and the atmosphere was icy as everyone spoke.
Of course, I wasn't going to break this awkward silence; let it be stiff—I wasn't here to play games with them. Heh, our leader has always been the most aloof one; he always arrives last for meetings.
As soon as I sat down, Wu Hai broke the silence with a smirk directed at me. What? Is he attacking me?
Wu Hai's words were indeed aimed at me; it was my fault for being late. How could I arrive slower than him? My bad.
With a helpless smile on my lips, I pointedly remarked that this wasn’t the first time I had called him out for being slow; he surely understood that.
What the hell do you mean by that? Wu Hai immediately bristled.
Guess!
I chuckled dismissively. "What are you pretending for? Even when I was just a small nightclub manager, I would call you out! Now that I'm in a higher position, am I not allowed to speak up?"
Everyone quieted down at once!
Liu Haoran suddenly shouted for silence! I fell silent; with neither Chen nor Ning Chuan present yet, it was best for me to stay out of it. Geng Kun shot Wu Hai a look, and only then did Wu Hai chuckle lightly and stop talking.
No one spoke; everyone ignored each other. In this situation, Liu Haoran—the useless leader—was unable to take charge. Whatever needed to be discussed would have to wait until Chen and Ning Chuan arrived.
About an hour later, Liu Haoran's phone rang. He answered it respectfully, responding a couple of times before saying, "The captain has arrived! Come with me to greet him!"
We collectively exited the conference room and headed outside. We stood at the entrance for about a minute before a Hummer followed by a Lincoln Sedan slowly came into view.
Liu Haoran led Cao Hui to meet the Lincoln Sedan, while Geng Kun opened the door of the Hummer. It was evident that Ning Chuan was in the Hummer, while Chen was in the Lincoln.
Naturally, I followed Liu Haoran towards the Lincoln Sedan.
"Boss, you finally made it!"
Liu Haoran respectfully opened the car door, and a man in his late forties stepped out. Chen stood around five feet seven inches tall and weighed approximately one hundred seventy pounds; he was slightly overweight with a small mustache that gave him an imposing presence.
"Well! Did you really expect me to come? Did you think I would come to clean up your mess?"
Chen showed no courtesy at all. Upon seeing Liu Haoran, he immediately began to scold him. Liu Haoran stood at attention, his head slightly bowed, repeatedly apologizing—this was how a subordinate should behave in front of their superior.
While we were witnessing this reprimand, things were not much better on the other side. After Ning Chuan got out of the car, he directly slapped Geng Kun across the face!
"Damn it! Useless!"
Ning Chuan's shout drew everyone's attention. He appeared much younger, in his thirties, wearing a plain black short-sleeve shirt. His muscular build and fierce demeanor gave off a military instructor vibe.
"Boss! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Geng Kun looked terrified as he repeatedly bowed and apologized to Ning Chuan. Both Ning Chuan and Chen had received criticism from above due to their subordinates' failures, so their anger was understandable.
"Haha, Ning Duo, teaching your dog a lesson? Isn't it inappropriate to hit someone in public?"
After Ning Chuan slapped Geng Kun, Chen immediately provoked him. The relationship between these two was quite complex; previously, Chen had been in charge of this faction in Kyoto while Ning Chuan was his subordinate. Their relationship had once been healthy, with subordinates obeying their superiors.
However, after Lin Tianfeng dismissed Chen and appointed Ning Chuan as captain, Ning Chuan took advantage of his position to oust his former boss. Who would have thought that Chen would return as Ning Chuan's subordinate?
This situation was bound to create conflict!
But wait!
A thought suddenly struck me!
What exactly did those above mean? Zheng Yu had speculated that they brought Chen back to regain control of the Kyoto Headquarters. However, earlier today Zheng Yu informed me that there seemed to be an intention from above to shelve Chen's reinstatement.
So what did they mean?
Perhaps they initially intended for Chen to serve under Ning Chuan as vice-captain just to incite conflict between them!
I let out a sigh, increasingly convinced that this possibility was real! In the world of business, a new ruler means new subjects. How could the Kyoto Headquarters, such an important position, possibly rely on old ministers from the previous regime?
These two old ministers must have contributed significantly when the boss seized control of the Lin family’s business, which is why the boss couldn’t just dismiss them outright. Instead, he had to find a way for them to undermine each other until he could justify getting rid of them—either by firing or eliminating them entirely! This meant that these two had been walking on eggshells for quite some time. It was no wonder that when Liu Haoran and Geng Kun called them recently, they were so irritable!
“Deputy Chen! Who do you think you are to discipline anyone? You’re just a dog!”
Ning Chuan chuckled lightly, emphasizing “Deputy Chen.” It seemed these two were truly at each other's throats. In reality, they probably understood the higher-ups' intentions well enough; however, even if they did, there was nothing they could do but follow orders. Otherwise, what choice did they have? The only way for them to survive was to flatter the boss while they fought amongst themselves.
Perhaps if they managed to win the boss's favor, they might gain something in return. But for now, this was merely my speculation. The situation was undoubtedly complex and involved many factors. Nevertheless, understanding this would help me navigate the future more clearly.
“Ning Chuan! How dare you! Have you forgotten the favors our leader once bestowed upon you?”
Liu Haoran suddenly pointed at Ning Chuan and shouted. To be honest, if we were to label anyone as a dog here, everyone present would fit that description; the only difference was whose dog they were.
“Me? Outrageous? I think you’re the one being outrageous! What gives you the right to speak to me like that?”
Ning Chuan raised an eyebrow and glared at Liu Haoran. Liu Haoran opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by Chen.
“Hey! Haoran, why bother? If you speak human language, how could he possibly understand?”
Chen sneered, continuing his insults. Ning Chuan’s expression darkened as he chuckled lightly but said nothing further before turning and walking into the Aishang Club. It was clear that in a verbal spat, Ning Chuan wouldn’t stand a chance against Chen’s ever-present smile.
I followed Chen’s group into the Aishang Club. Along the way, Liu Haoran kept flattering Chen while Cao Hui occasionally glanced over at him. I could tell he wanted to curry favor but dared not approach Liu Haoran directly; after all, such hierarchical flattery could lead to many complications.
Speaking of Cao Hui, ever since I had confronted him last time, he hadn’t uttered a single word to me nor shown any inclination to start a conflict. When we crossed paths, he treated me as if I were invisible.
This indicated that he had recognized the current situation; starting a fight with me would only offend Liu Haoran—a risk he wasn’t willing to take since he didn’t have someone backing him like Geng Kun did.
As we approached Aishang Club, the temperature in the large conference room seemed to drop several degrees. Everyone sat quietly as Cao Hui and Geng Kun reported on their recent investigations.
However, after both spoke at length about how their operations were running smoothly without any issues, it became clear that neither had uncovered anything significant!
Bang!
Ning Chuan slammed his hand on the table in anger and glared at a visibly shaken Cao Hui. “Is this your idea of an investigation result? You were given such a prime venue to manage! Now it’s been shut down, and all you can tell me is that everything is fine?”
Ning Chuan’s face was filled with rage. Chen also slammed his hand on the table with even more force than Ning Chuan had—startling everyone in the room!
He turned towards Geng Kun, who appeared calmer compared to Cao Hui, and echoed similar sentiments. I couldn’t help but smile slightly at this scene; both sides were eager to point fingers at each other because if their subordinates made mistakes, it would lessen their own responsibility.
I had said earlier that today’s meeting would be far more interesting than this morning's session. I wondered who would outmaneuver whom in this battle of wits—I couldn’t wait to find out.
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