Chapter 117: Don't Misunderstand

In the private room.

Hearing Hong Yu mention the Wang family of Huaizhou, Liang Zhanpeng smiled helplessly.

Liang Zhanpeng said, "Young master, please don’t mock me."

"If others don’t know, that’s one thing, but since you know, young master, I’m just working for the Hong family—I’m hardly any kind of king."

Hong Yu replied in exasperation, "Stop beating around the bush and just get to the point. I’m eager to get back to my wife."

Liang Zhanpeng sighed inwardly. At first glance, this young master seemed passable, but he hadn’t expected him to care so much about a woman.

Those destined for greatness treat women like clothing: take what you want, discard what you don’t.

To be fixated on a woman, especially only one woman, is a grave mistake.

Still, Liang Zhanpeng only dared to think this silently; he lacked the courage to say it aloud.

After a moment of silence, Liang Zhanpeng finally spoke, "There’s been a major incident in Huaizhou recently. I need to gather some people to discuss it."

"What happened? Is there anything in Huaizhou you can’t handle?" Hong Yu frowned.

Liang Zhanpeng said, "If it were just Huaizhou, that would be one thing. But this time, it involves all of Hannan."

"Hannan?" Hong Yu was startled, quickly sitting back down. "Tell me, give me all the details."

Seeing Hong Yu wasn’t leaving, Liang Zhanpeng breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to speak.

But he glanced at Zhou Teng and suddenly looked toward Xiao Sa.

Xiao Sa was the son of their family’s steward, someone Liang Zhanpeng had watched grow up and trusted.

Zhou Teng was different. He had heard of him but never met him, so he couldn’t reveal such secrets in front of a stranger.

Zhou Teng naturally wanted to listen and, catching Liang Zhanpeng’s glance, immediately tugged at Xiao Sa.

Xiao Sa, however, was like a mud Buddha crossing a river—he was reluctant to speak on his behalf.

Seeing Zhou Teng’s expression, Liang Zhanpeng immediately scolded, "Don’t be disrespectful—do you want me to show you the door?"

Zhou Teng was speechless and had no choice but to look at Xiao Sa.

Xiao Sa was genuinely a little annoyed, but after so many years of friendship, he reluctantly said, "Master, Zhou Teng is trustworthy. If this isn’t too confidential, it wouldn’t hurt to have him help."

Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Teng quickly pleaded, "Boss Liang, please give me a chance to redeem myself. I’ve always been on good terms with the Liang family—I would never betray you!"

Liang Zhanpeng didn’t fully trust Zhou Teng, but after some thought—considering the upcoming gathering and the recent events in Hannan—many insiders already knew the gist, so it wasn’t that secretive.

He waved his hand, "Fine, you can listen, just don’t interrupt."

Zhou Teng nodded quickly, relieved to have passed this test.

Liang Zhanpeng sat down, took a sip of tea, and began, "Young master, although you haven’t been in Huaizhou recently, Fengzhou also belongs to Hannan. You should know that your Fengzhou’s richest man has died, right?"

Hong Yu thought for a moment, "I’ve heard about it. There was a lot of discussion about it for a time."

"But what does that have to do with what you’re saying? Didn’t he just die in an accident?"

Liang Zhanpeng sighed, "If it were just an accident, that would be one thing. But after our investigation, it turns out it was a premeditated assassination."

Hong Yu frowned, "Even if it was assassination, it was probably done by his enemies. Fengzhou isn’t that influential in Hannan—it’s just one rich man. His death shouldn’t affect the whole region."

Liang Zhanpeng said helplessly, "If he had been the only one, we might not have investigated. But he was just the beginning. Afterward, several of the top wealthy figures in neighboring cities also died unexpectedly. That’s why we must pay attention."

Hong Yu thought for a moment, "No wonder the richest man in Huaizhou called me earlier and hesitated when asking his son to come over. He probably wanted to talk about this."

Liang Zhanpeng said thoughtfully, "Mr. Zhang must be afraid. He’s hired quite a few bodyguards recently."

"But bodyguards are just a temporary fix, and they can even bring more threats."

"We uncovered one case where it was the bodyguards themselves. Nowadays, it’s really hard to tell who’s friend or foe. Only those raised together and well known can be trusted."

As he said this, Liang Zhanpeng glanced at Xiao Sa and Zhou Teng.

Zhou Teng’s heart skipped a beat, but Xiao Sa just smiled faintly.

Hong Yu ignored Liang Zhanpeng’s subtle gesture, pondering for a moment before asking, "Do you know who’s behind this? Since so many ‘accidents’ have happened and you know it’s deliberate, surely you’ve identified the mastermind?"

Liang Zhanpeng whispered, "It was Huang Tian who hired someone."

"Huang Tian? Or Huang Tian?" Hong Yu asked.

Liang Zhanpeng realized Hong Yu didn’t know this person, so he explained, "It’s ‘Big Belly’ Huang—this Huang Tian. It’s normal you don’t know him. He was only prominent for a few years when you were very young."

Hong Yu curiously asked, "How did he become so famous?"

Liang Zhanpeng pondered for a moment. "He became the richest man in Hannan. The whole region was like his backyard. He could do whatever he wanted, with a status even higher than mine in Huaizhou."

"This Huang Tian is ruthless. Most of his wealth was acquired through illicit means, and he liked to oppress other tycoons. He’s no businessman."

"Back then, I was just starting out and wasn’t on his radar. But I heard that one city’s richest man cursed him behind his back and ended up ruined—his entire family wiped out."

"The wealthy in Hannan knew that if one fell, the others would be in danger. So they united and sued Huang Tian relentlessly."

"Huang Tian’s crimes were too numerous. No matter how much he tried to clean his name, he was forced to flee abroad."

"We thought he’d never dare return to China. But less than ten years later, the man came back, even more vicious than before."

Hong Yu frowned, "The rich men who died this time—were they the ones who had united against Huang Tian before?"

"Yes," Liang Zhanpeng said helplessly. "Honestly, I didn’t want to call this meeting. I hadn’t been involved before, and no matter how powerful Huang Tian is, he wouldn’t have wanted to mess with me."

"Others might not know, but with Huang Tian’s skills, he must have found out about my ties to the Hong family. So he would avoid causing trouble for me if possible."

"But now, with no clear leader in Hannan and me being one of the most influential in Huaizhou, if I don’t step up to take charge, they’ll be picked off one by one."

Hong Yu closed his eyes, thinking for a moment, then said, "You mean you don’t dare take charge of this situation yourself, and you need me to?"

Liang Zhanpeng was delighted, "It’s best if the young master is willing. If the Hong family intervenes, that little Huang Tian won’t stand a chance..."

Hong Yu interrupted, "Don’t misunderstand—I’m not going to have the Hong family intervene deliberately."