Chapter 61: Investing in the Jiang Family

"I'm here today simply to discuss a partnership with you!"

A partnership?

What kind of lucrative deal could a penniless little brat like him possibly have?

And as for talking business with Pei Wanfu, unless it was a project worth tens of millions, he wouldn't even deign to give it a second glance.

It wasn't that Pei Wanfu was particularly picky; it was just that doing business strained the brain too much, and he much preferred to resolve any issue with his fists.

He looked at the young man standing before him, his heart filled with utter disdain.

Yet, upon meeting the other's ice-cold gaze, a sudden jolt of alarm ran through him.

He had seen all sorts of characters throughout the underworld, but perhaps this was the sole person capable of holding such a freezing, merciless stare!

Since the fellow was willing to sit down and talk cooperation, it meant his own life wasn't in immediate danger.

Realizing this, his inner fear gradually dissipated.

Pei Wanfu's hands trembled slightly as he struck a match and lit a cigarette.

"Let me tell you, little brother, don't you think this demand of yours is a bit too much? Although the Jiang family may look infinitely glorious on the outside, their interior is already riddled with decay and riddled with holes! Bankruptcy is merely a matter of time. If I invest in the Jiang family now, I'll end up losing every single cent I have in the future..."

Li Mu smiled indifferently.

"I simply want to ask whether you are willing to invest or not."

This was a blatant, unadulterated threat.

Even if he refused to invest, he simply didn't believe this man before him would actually dare to kill him!

Having survived and thrived in the underworld, though his heart was brimming with contempt, his face still maintained an expression of earnestness.

Just while the two of them were talking, Pei Wanfu had already signaled the waitress attending them to slip out and send for backup.

Once his reinforcements arrived, he would certainly make this punk pay dearly!

"If I refuse to invest, do you really think you can kill me?"

"Of course not. After all, if something unfortunate were to happen to you, who would provide the funds for the Jiang family?"

Hearing these words, Pei Wanfu let out a cold snort.

The brat seemed utterly convinced that he would have no choice but to invest!

The next second, Li Mu let out a sinister, chilling laugh.

"It seems you want to play games with me? Since you are in such high spirits, I have no choice but to accompany you!"

As he spoke, he took out his phone.

"Find something entertaining for the owner of Wanfu Hotel within one minute!"

With that, he hung up the call.

Li Mu looked at Pei Wanfu with a completely earnest expression.

"I am quite looking forward to your performance in a moment!"

This time, Li Mu's smile came from the bottom of his heart, yet this very smile invariably gave people a creeping sense of dread.

Pei Wanfu didn't pay it any mind; given the fellow's youth, in his eyes, he was nothing more than a clown putting on a show.

"Let me tell you, little brother, leave a way out for others so we can still meet amicably in the future. I have no idea where you get your confidence from!"

"My confidence stems entirely from the fact that I can wipe you off the face of the earth!"

As soon as these words fell, it was Pei Wanfu's turn to burst into loud laughter. This was probably the funniest joke he had heard all year!

"Just on the strength of you, or that little phone call, you expect to scare me? Little brother, you must be joking with me!"

"Don't be impatient. Whether it's a joke or not, won't we find out in a moment?"

At that moment, the waitress who had left earlier slowly walked back into the private dining room. Swaying her hips, she came up to Pei Wanfu.

She leaned down and whispered a few words into his ear, bringing an expression of petty triumph to Pei Wanfu's face.

The waitress had just informed him that his reinforcements were about to arrive.

"Half the time is already up, little brother. Haven't you made your move yet?"

With that, he leaned lazily back into his chair.

Right at that instant, a commotion echoed from the doorway as dozens of men poured in.

They were no ordinary security guards; every single one of them was a top-tier mercenary in his own right.

Pei Wanfu had taken these men with him to storm other dangerous territories in the past, and no one had ever been a match for them.

He conceded that the aura radiating from the young man before him was indeed formidable, but no matter how heaven-defying his skills might be, he would be beaten to the ground in a split second!

Before Pei Wanfu could finish his thought, the phone in his pocket began to ring.

In this environment, that ringtone sounded exceptionally grating.

In truth, besides owning this restaurant, Pei Wanfu also held considerable business interests down at the docks.

That territory had been carved out by the Axe Gang.

And the person calling him right now was precisely from the docks.

According to his routine, this was the time of day when he indulged in his decadent group gatherings, so unless it was a matter of life and death, absolutely no one would dare call him.

Pei Wanfu pressed the answer button.

"What happened?"

"Boss, our side has been raided and sealed off, and the authorities have detained quite a few of our men! The ships are supposed to leave the port today, but the cargo hasn't even been fully loaded yet. What are we supposed to do?!"

At this critical juncture, the cargo on the ships had been impounded?

Although he was no saint, he hadn't sunk so low as to store contraband goods at his own private docks.

Someone was deliberately targeting him.

Before he could hang up that call, several other lines began ringing simultaneously.

Gazing at the successive call notifications lighting up his phone screen, a wave of panic surged from the depths of his heart.

"Listen to me, Boss Pei, I heard your docks have been sealed off. Can you still deliver my batch of goods on time or not?!"

"Have you lost your mind? How dare you pull a stunt like that in your own warehouse?! Tell me, what are we supposed to do with our cargo now?!"

"Old Wan, if you really don't know how to run a business, you might as well step down and hand the docks over to someone else!"

Pei Wanfu opened his mouth to offer some explanation when another phone in his inner pocket suddenly began to ring.

This particular device was his private line; no one would ever dial this number unless an absolutely critical emergency had occurred.

Pei Wanfu was already trembling by the time he answered it.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at, dammit?! How did the docks get sealed off out of nowhere? Let me tell you, if anything happens to this shipment, I'll have your head!"

Immediately afterward, yet another call came through—this one originating from the Governor's office.

The Governor's office?

What kind of situation could possibly cause the Governor to be so anxious that he called him directly on a landline?

One had to know that the Governor was Wanfu Hotel's ultimate backer.

It was precisely because of this connection that his illicit gray-market empire had grown larger and stronger by the day.

After all, the authorities above preferred to turn a blind eye.

Furthermore, the vast majority of his annual profits were funneled straight to them.

Yet, in a single fleeting moment, everyone was calling him simply to sever ties entirely.

Pei Wanfu stared at Li Mu's wildly arrogant face.

So many events had unfolded in the span of merely a single minute.

This forced him to completely reassess what kind of existence Li Mu truly was.

He refused to believe that a mere wet-behind-the-ears kid possessed such terrifying power.

Yet all of this was far too coincidental; even if he refused to believe it, it was hard to deny the reality before him.

"Did you do this to my docks?"

Li Mu smiled faintly, once again adopting an expression of absolute earnestness.

"Indeed. But our game has only just begun!"

Immediately following those words, a chaotic din echoed from the hallway, and moments later, violent, thunderous knocks battered against the door of Pei Wanfu's private dining room.

"None of you are allowed to come in!"