Chapter 400: Appearing and Attacking Relentlessly

Yingchun Restaurant, Chu Huaijun's territory, was the perfect place to host Liao Zihui, the Chief of Border Defense, to whom he had given half the shares.

In a private room on the third floor, a table laden with delicacies sat untouched by Liao Zihui.

Flamboyantly dressed women played instruments and sang. Liao Zihui maintained a faint smile, mostly silent.

One of the singing women, at Chu Huaijun's subtle signal, sat on Liao Zihui's lap.

Chu Huaijun thought this would ease the awkwardness, but instead, Liao Zihui's faint smile vanished.

Liao Zihui was different from usual today.

Seeing the Chief of Border Defense's brow slowly furrow, Chu Huaijun quickly dismissed everyone else.

With only Liao Zihui and Chu Huaijun left in the private room, Liao Zihui took a pen from his shirt pocket and placed it on the table.

What was the pen for?

Chu Huaijun looked at the pen, then at Liao Zihui.

He realized Liao Zihui had things he couldn't say or do conveniently.

Chu Huaijun tried to find answers in Liao Zihui's expression, but he was virtually expressionless.

"Huaijun, don't be so nervous. I already know about the Three Heroes Gang incident. The responsibility isn't entirely yours, but you weren't cautious enough in handling certain matters. I need to account for some things to my superiors, but personally, my trust in you remains unchanged."

What did this mean? Was he here to hold him accountable?

Liao Zihui's tone sent a chill down Chu Huaijun's spine.

He had expected Liao Zihui to discuss next steps with him, and he would have seized the opportunity to propose a plan to wipe out the Three Heroes Gang.

But Liao Zihui had no intention of discussing anything; his few words filled Chu Huaijun with intense fear and dread.

Chu Huaijun adjusted his thoughts. Using a tone he felt was appropriate for someone from an outer province, he said to Liao Zihui: "Commissioner Liao, the Three Heroes Gang incident is part of a conspiracy, with many people involved. Now, Shen Jinzhong, the Three Heroes Gang's Grand Seal Bearer, has become a puppet of these individuals. We must completely wipe out the Three Heroes Gang to prevent this conspiracy from succeeding!"

Liao Zihui nodded: "Since you say it's a conspiracy, I hope you can investigate its full extent and causes."

Chu Huaijun was nervous. He wanted to smoke, but considering Liao Zihui's demeanor and the current atmosphere, he didn't dare take a cigarette from the pack.

"I'm still investigating this, but before the situation escalates further, the Three Heroes Gang must be..."

"Then wait until you've investigated thoroughly," Liao Zihui interrupted Chu Huaijun. "The Three Heroes Gang is a major organization with tens of thousands of disciples spread across Pro Province. If anything happens to this organization, these tens of thousands of disciples will become a huge hidden danger for Pro Province. We don't want to see such dangers."

Chu Huaijun explained: "Commissioner Liao, I'm doing this to eliminate hidden dangers."

Liao Zihui nodded slightly: "I see your efforts, but everything the Border Defense Office does must have clear objectives and strategies. From what you're currently doing, I cannot discern your objectives or understand your approach. I believe you should further clarify the difficulties you're facing and concentrate your efforts on solving the root cause of the problems. Of course, this isn't easy. If it's too difficult for you, I might consider choosing someone more capable to establish a cooperative relationship."

After speaking, Liao Zihui picked up his pen, put it back in his shirt pocket, and left the private room.

The sound of a steam car starting came from downstairs. Liao Zihui had simply left.

Chu Huaijun pulled out a cigarette and bit it.

What was going on today? What was with that pen? Why couldn't he understand what Liao Zihui was saying?

Not only did Chu Huaijun not understand, but Liao Zihui himself wasn't quite clear about what he had said.

Understanding wasn't really important. Liao Zihui had served in other provinces and often had to give speeches, and he frequently didn't understand what he was saying himself, but this never affected the atmosphere or the desired outcome.

The important thing was that speaking this way was the safest.

In the steam car, the seat behind the co-driver was habitually Liao Zihui's, but today it was occupied by someone else.

This person was Sun Junfu, from another province, of equivalent rank to Liao Zihui, but here on a special assignment: to inspect Liao Zihui's work.

He was very dissatisfied with Liao Zihui's recent work, especially regarding the handling of matters at Heishi Slope.

Cheng Mingke, the former Chief of Border Defense at Heishi Slope, was Sun Junfu's effective subordinate, recommended by him multiple times to get the valuable opportunity to serve in Pro Province. But shortly after taking office, Liao Zihui sent him back to his home province.

Sun Junfu, with a stern face, said to Liao Zihui: "Commissioner Liao, we're old acquaintances, so I'll be direct. I think there's a serious problem with your attitude towards work. I think Chu Huaijun's approach is excellent. Forces like He Yuxiu and the Three Heroes Gang openly provoke, and they should be eliminated early. Why do you repeatedly choose compromise and retreat?"

"These 'forces'..." Just from Sun Junfu's words, he clearly didn't understand the situation in Pro Province.

Liao Zihui smiled humbly: "Pro Province has unique circumstances, within which..."

Sun Junfu interrupted: "Old Liao, we all know Pro Province has unique circumstances. Let's not bring up objective reasons. If you subjectively show fear or even cowardice, how can you live up to the trust placed in you? How can you live up to the great responsibility entrusted to you? Regarding your issues, I believe there are three main points..."

"This fellow, he talks just like his apprentice." Liao Zihui wanted to beat Sun Junfu, or even make him disappear from Pro Province.

But he couldn't, because the pen on his chest would record his every word and action in Pro Province. After the inspection, Sun Junfu would personally take it back to his home province.

When would this inspection end? About a month. This incompetent fool would be here for a month; Liao Zihui felt something major was about to happen.

Sun Junfu had just started on the second point when a steam car tire suddenly burst.

The four bodyguards in the car, including the driver, immediately prepared for combat.

Sun Junfu thought it was a traffic accident and angrily looked at the driver: "What's going on? Don't you usually drive safely?"

The driver exploded into a bloody pulp.

Blood splattered on Sun Junfu's face. His body began to tremble, and his features contorted.

"Uh, uh-uh..." Sounds squeezed from his throat; it was unclear what he wanted to say.

This driver was a fifth-level cultivator, yet he died like that, with no assassin visible.

The bodyguard in the co-driver's seat had a seventh-level cultivation, the highest among them. He immediately took the driver's seat, controlled the steering wheel, pulled a lever below it, and shook it up and down twice.

The entire steam car suddenly disappeared.

Was that teleportation? Li Banfeng activated his Golden Eye Acuity skill and could still see the car's outline in the darkness.

No, it wasn't teleportation; it was an invisibility spell. This car had many hidden features.

No wonder the Chief of Border Defense always took a steam car wherever he went. It wasn't just a symbol of status but also a safety guarantee.

The car sped towards the Border Defense Office. Li Banfeng followed at a leisurely pace behind it.

After a short distance, the two sixth-level bodyguards in the back row successively exploded. Even now, Liao Zihui hadn't seen the assassin.

Was this assassin crazy? Did he know who was in the car? This was the Chief of Border Defense; did he really want to wipe them all out?

Liao Zihui curled up in the car, pressing down on the terrified Sun Junfu. He tore open the leather cover on the co-driver's seat back, pulled out a rotary wheel, and turned it clockwise three times.

After a muffled thud, the Chief of Border Defense's steam car disappeared.

This time, it was truly gone. Li Banfeng pushed his Golden Eye Acuity to the limit but couldn't see any trace of the car.

Was this teleportation this time? Had they returned to the Border Defense Office? Commissioner Liao, you have nine lives. This was just a greeting today; we'll meet often in the future.

Li Banfeng pulled down his hat brim and disappeared into the night.

At this moment, Liao Zihui and his party had not returned to the Border Defense Office.

They were still in the same spot, but had entered a place Li Banfeng couldn't see.

This place was completely dark. Liao Zihui couldn't see outside either.

He could only wait. Based on experience, waiting until dawn was the wisest choice.

But after waiting for over ten minutes, Liao Zihui changed his mind.

A suffocating smell wafted into his nose. Liao Zihui looked at Sun Junfu beside him and asked: "Did you mess your pants?"

Sun Junfu's face was pale, and he stammered: "I want to go back, take me back immediately, I want to go back..."

Liao Zihui took the pen from his shirt, put it to his mouth, and shouted: "Old Sun, you just did that! Are you living up to the trust placed in you? Are you living up to the great responsibility entrusted to you?"

Actually, Liao Zihui was also quite scared.

He had just come out for dinner. Which lunatic did this? Such heavy-handedness! This incident even forced them to use the dimensional space.

Chu Huaijun sat in the Yingchun Restaurant, smoking cigarette after cigarette.

His strategist, Yuan Xiongmao, was beside him: "Master, the food's cold. You should eat something."

Chu Huaijun shook his head: "I've been thinking for a long time, and I still can't understand what the Chief of Border Defense meant."

"Let's not guess about this," Yuan Xiongmao said cautiously. "Tomorrow, we'll send someone to inquire if something has happened at the Border Defense Office."

Chu Huaijun looked grim: "I'm not afraid of something happening to them; I'm afraid something will happen to me. Commissioner Liao is displeased with me, but I still don't know what I did wrong. We've done so much for the Border Defense Office; how can we let someone else reap the rewards now?"

The more Chu Huaijun thought, the more distressed he became. He had lost his appetite. He put on his coat and left the Yingchun Restaurant.

A rickshaw was waiting downstairs. As Chu Huaijun got in, he suddenly heard continuous whistling nearby.

"It's the Three Heroes Gang!" Yuan Xiongmao recognized their whistles.

Chu Huaijun remained calm: "First, talk to them. Tell them to state their business; don't play these street games with me!"

Yuan Xiongmao had intended to negotiate, but listening to the whistles, he felt increasingly uneasy.

"Master, they're coming to kill!"

Chu Huaijun sneered: "This is Yingchun Restaurant, the territory of the Chu family and the Border Defense Office. I'd like to see if they have the guts."

As his words fell, Shen Jinzhong, with dozens of Three Heroes Gang experts, had already walked across the street.

Yuan Xiongmao stepped forward and shouted: "Grand Seal Bearer Shen, let's have a cup of tea inside and talk slowly."

"Enough of your nonsense! Get lost, I'm here for your master!" Shen Jinzhong looked at Chu Huaijun, beckoning him: "I've chosen a stone for you, for your tombstone. Tell me your birth details, and I'll collect your body and bury you directly."

As he spoke, Shen Jinzhong led his men forward, and his subordinates were indeed carrying a large stone.

Chu Huaijun was no longer so calm.

The Three Heroes Gang was truly serious.

Chu Huaijun knew there would be some friction with the Three Heroes Gang and had taken some precautions, bringing a few men, but not too many.

Today, he was hosting the Chief of Border Defense; who would dare cause trouble in front of the Chief?

Moreover, Shen Jinzhong was not yet firmly established; some friction was understandable, but how dared he attempt to kill the powerful Chu family?

This was Li Qi's suggestion. Shen Jinzhong was indeed not firmly established; killing the powerful Chu Huaijun would be the perfect way to establish himself successfully. If he could also give the Chief of Border Defense a warning, his position would be even more secure!

Chu Huaijun looked at Yuan Xiongmao, lowering his voice: "Call for backup, quickly!"

There were still some men inside the Yingchun Restaurant, but they hadn't come out yet, either unaware or not in a hurry.

Shen Jinzhong yelled: "Today I'm only after Chu Huaijun; it has nothing to do with anyone else!"

There was still no movement from the Yingchun Restaurant. Chu Huaijun's men began to look at each other.

Chu Huaijun panicked. After his father died, he had fought his way up among his siblings.

He knew the consequences when his subordinates looked at each other like that.

At 2 AM, Yuan Xiongmao, covered in wounds, helped Chu Huaijun back to an outer residence.

They didn't dare return to the main mansion; the Three Heroes Gang did things thoroughly, and there would surely be an ambush there.

This outer residence was very secluded, known to few. Yuan Xiongmao simply treated Chu Huaijun's wounds, gritting his teeth: "Master, just wait. Tomorrow, I'll rally our forces and wipe out the Three Heroes Gang!"

Chu Huaijun waved his hand: "That's for later. Tomorrow, sign a document and hand over half of Paramount Club directly to Commissioner Liao."

"Hand it over directly?" Yuan Xiongmao was stunned. "Master, do you mean without even asking for the capital back?"

"What capital! If the Chief of Border Defense truly abandons us, we're finished. The Three Heroes Gang, the He family, the Lu family, and Li Qi and Ma Wu—wouldn't all of them try to kill us? What's half of Paramount Club? Just give it away!"

"Is that yours to give away?" A voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.

Yuan Xiongmao immediately stood up. Chu Huaijun gestured for him to wait.

The door creaked open.

A woman, wearing a white hat with a black veil, a black and white trailing cheongsam, with white foundation, dark eyeshadow, and dark red lipstick, walked step by step into the residence.

In the dead of night, only one person Chu Huaijun knew dressed like that.

"Huaiyuan, listen to me. I'm doing this for our family..."

"Big brother, we're not one family. We split long ago," Chu Huaiyuan said, looking up at Chu Huaijun with downcast eyes. "What's mine is mine. If you touch my things, then you're in the wrong."

Chu Huaijun sneered: "Huaiyuan, is it appropriate for you to speak to me like that?"

Chu Huaiyuan smiled: "What way do you think is appropriate?"

Chu Huaijun lit a cigarette: "Yes, I touched your things. What are you going to do about it?"

Chu Huaiyuan didn't speak.

Yuan Xiongmao tugged at Chu Huaijun's sleeve.

The few guards outside the door hadn't moved yet.

"Hit them dead as soon as they show their faces"—he wasn't just saying that casually.