Chapter 363 - 247: The Spirit of Lion Mountain

Chapter 363: Chapter 247: The Spirit of Lion Mountain

Hu Ping’an glanced over and got the gist of it. ’There must have been some kind of dispute. This guy Zhuang didn’t know his place and Brother Chu put him in it. Old Gao, nice... Damn, that’s impressive.’

"What’s going on!"

"Old Gao! Look at that steady hand! What’re you doing, shooting a movie?"

He shouted out.

Behind them, Liu Junfeng was startled by the sight. But once he recovered, he found it exhilarating and hurried over to Lin Chu. "Brother Chu, what’s all this?"

Lu Ming followed right behind him, a nervous and thrilling sweat breaking out on his palms.

Wang Zhefei strode toward Lin Chu, his brow deeply furrowed. He wanted to say something, to urge caution, but he forced himself to stay quiet. ’This isn’t the time to butt in.’

Ma Lin was totally stunned. ’What the hell is going on? I’m fucking panicking! Why did I have to see this? I should’ve taken the other car!’

The tension in Zhu Yixian’s mind was stretched to its breaking point. ’This is fucking insane. I put this get-together on, and now it’s come to this.’ His thoughts raced. In a heavy voice, he said, "Zhuang Yingcheng, what the hell do you think you’re doing?! I’ll call your family right now and have the elders come pick you up."

He knew exactly how to strike a vital nerve.

At these words, Zhuang Yingcheng panicked. His composure shattered completely. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

"Don’t call! I’ll take the loss! Brother Chu, I give in! You’re the real deal, and I was blind. I failed to recognize a great man. Please, spare me!"

He knew, of course, that this was exactly what Lin Chu had been waiting to hear.

He had just been stubbornly holding it in.

But if Zhu Yixian actually called his family over, he would never be able to live it down.

This was a critical time in his power struggle with his two younger brothers. If anyone saw him like this, it would be a complete catastrophe.

Gao Haitao heard his words and immediately withdrew the knife.

"You should’ve just said so earlier. Was all this effort worth it? Feel proud?"

"Come on, let’s go have a drink."

"My apologies, Young Master Zhuang. I was just messing with you. Fun, right? Hope I didn’t scare you."

Gao Haitao’s expression changed in a flash. He broke into a wide grin, slung an arm around Zhuang Yingcheng’s shoulders, and practically herded him away.

Zhuang Yingcheng: ...

’He still felt the humiliation, still seethed with rage, but what could he do now?’

He let out a long sigh.

His men let out a collective sigh of relief. It was always better to avoid trouble. If there had been bloodshed tonight, it would have turned into a major incident.

"Okay, round one is over. I win."

"Yingcheng, let’s go. Time for an intermission."

Lin Chu tossed out the words with a smile, then gave a cool turn and headed for the elevators.

His friends all hurried to catch up.

Gao Haitao, still herding Zhuang Yingcheng, followed along with them.

’Can’t let him go just yet.’

...

They booked the most luxurious private suite and called in a dozen hostesses. Everyone took their seats and started drinking. The atmosphere in the suite was actually quite cheerful.

Naturally, however, furtive glances were constantly darting toward the center of the sofa where Lin Chu and Zhuang Yingcheng were seated.

The only person who was truly on edge right now was Gao Haitao.

He had already sent a covert message to their Xiangjiang branch, requesting them to dispatch a professional security team—the more, the better.

He really wasn’t sure if Zhuang Yingcheng would try to retaliate.

But it was best to be prepared.

’These were things Brother Chu didn’t even need to ask for.’

Just then, Lin Chu raised his glass with a smile, casually clinking it against Zhuang Yingcheng’s. He said nothing, just took a small sip.

Zhuang Yingcheng’s emotions gradually settled. ’My best option right now is to leave,’ he thought. ’But it’s obvious this bodyguard next to me isn’t going to let that happen just yet.’

’Just as Lin Chu said. A total rout in round one.’

’He had completely lost the upper hand in terms of momentum.’

’Analyzing it now, two things struck him as particularly impressive.’

’First, this bodyguard. The man was a goddamn combination of strategist and enforcer—he had brains, and his combat skills were top-notch.’

’Second, Lin Chu’s own sense of timing throughout the whole affair, his restraint, and his entourage. These weren’t just fair-weather friends; it seemed like every single one of them had a unique talent.’

’A true dragon crossing the river.’

For a moment, his mind started churning with new thoughts.

"Brother, may I offer you a toast?"

He raised his glass toward Gao Haitao.

Gao Haitao smiled, picked up his glass, and lowered it slightly. "I should be the one toasting you. My apologies for earlier. My boss is actually very good-natured. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him that angry. You just caught him at a bad time."

Zhuang Yingcheng exhaled sharply through his nose, nodded silently, and downed his drink in one gulp.

Then he turned to Lin Chu. "We have no conflict of interest."

Lin Chu gave a casual nod.

"That’s the only reason you’re still sitting here drinking with me."

"I don’t get it. You’ve got your own ass full of problems, so why come looking for more with me?"

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Zhuang Yingcheng’s face before vanishing. He sighed and said with a wry smile, "I was careless. I thought I could recruit a new subordinate, but I ended up becoming the subordinate myself..."

"Is there any room for us to cooperate?"

’Adversaries can become friends, after all. One look was enough to confirm it: this was someone he couldn’t handle. With his pride and spirit crushed, he might as well try to get something tangible out of this.’

"I was just thinking about you pointing that gun at me," Lin Chu said. "I saw a few possibilities. First, you start a conflict, then you try to divert the fallout onto your two brothers. Second, we both get taken to the station, and while we’re there, you arrange for someone to make a move against your brothers. A few days in jail for a fight? At least you’d have an alibi. Third, if I were actually a coward, you might have scared me into submission."

Zhuang Yingcheng: !!!

His eyelids twitched violently.

’He came up with all that?’

’Those thoughts... they had actually crossed his own mind, though he hadn’t thought them through. His main motivation really was the third one—he just wanted to put Lin Chu down a peg, to show how powerful he was. But one thing led to another, and here he was.’

Just then, Zhuang Yingcheng heard Lin Chu’s indifferent voice again.

"I have no interest in getting involved in the Zhuang Family’s affairs. Money is meaningless to me. I’m on vacation now, finally getting a break, so don’t make trouble for me."

"You’re not an enemy, but you’re not a friend either. You’re just someone passing by. Kang Hao is a good kid, and I only agreed to meet you for his sake."

"And from what I’ve seen, you... you’re not up to it. You’re just a useless heir—a radical and arrogant one at that. You should just live out your days peacefully as a rich man. When your abilities don’t match your station, you’re bound to run into trouble."

Zhuang Yingcheng took a deep breath, his face flushing crimson.

Those words truly hit a nerve. It hurt more than the knife at his throat.

"Do I have a choice?!"

"I have no choice!"

"I was born with the name Zhuang!"

His eyes turned red, his composure once again giving way to rage as he spoke through clenched teeth.

Lin Chu just waved a dismissive hand and smiled.

"Alright, alright. You do you. Go get ’em, tiger. Destroy them..."

...

...