Deadly Trap

Chapter 98. Traitors and Rebels
Oops.

Unable to resist, Sheng Chunqiu secretly glanced at Tang Quan: He had said that a tiger father begets no dog son. But this was too much... this was simply one mountain higher than another.

Unmoved, Tang Quan's expression remained completely unchanged:
"...Such arrogance."

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Gu Mufeng's right hand returned to its crossed position, his expression nonchalant:
"Mr. Tang forced me to do it."

“It seems,” Tang Quan said quietly, “that we can’t reach an agreement.”

"Two people, two people."

Seeing the tension rising, Sheng Chunqiu quickly stood up and placed his hands on the table to mediate. If these two were to break down in negotiations again, having already spoken frankly and openly today, it would only put the Sheng family in a difficult position on the surface.

The struggle for capital will eventually come to an end, and a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one. Quickly, Sheng Chunqiu continued, filling in the blanks directly:

"Oh dear, things should be discussed slowly. Harmony brings wealth, and harmony is the key to wealth."

"How about we, Mr. Tang, Mr. Gu, take a five-minute break, catch our breath, and then consider this further?"

Before Sheng Chunqiu could finish his attempt at smoothing things over, Tang Quan had already stood up coldly. The man, over sixty, wore a well-fitting black suit, clean and sharp, with an upright posture and an imposing presence.

In a few steps, Tang Quan had already reached the door, his feet moving with the speed of the wind. His left hand, like an eagle's claw, gripped the brass doorknob.

"Mr. Tang, what's wrong with you?!" Sheng Chunqiu hurriedly asked.

Beneath his black hair, his unruly smile remained: "Restroom."

Without hesitation, he turned around, and the door closed perfectly behind Tang Quan.

"Mr. Gu!"

As soon as he confirmed the door was securely closed, Sheng Chunqiu was already impatient. He almost leaped, rushing a few steps to within two meters of Gu Mufeng, then abruptly stopped.

Clenching his teeth, Sheng Chunqiu unleashed his pent-up anger. He spewed out the words like a machine gun:

"Mr. Gu has always been calm and composed. Why is he acting so young and impulsive today? Isn't this... isn't this a deliberate attempt to ruin the negotiations?"

He was furious.

Gu Mufeng, however, was clearly not interested in that. He stood up lightly, but his expression was unusually hurried. He only slightly raised an eyebrow at this powerful tycoon:

"President Sheng, let's get straight to the point: if Tang Quan stays in Minzhou, neither I nor you will be here in the future."

"I?"

His voice was hoarse, Sheng Chunqiu's anger flaring. Inwardly, however, he secretly sneered:

I, a seemingly upright and righteous figure, revered as the highest authority, would have stooped to such a position if not for my own imperial ambitions and my desire to keep my hands clean. Would I have bothered with social scum like Tang Quan and Gu Mufeng?

Whether you and your son disappear or not is none of my business.

"Since Xinglong Society was able to take down Gu Fangran when it was at its peak."

With just one glance, Gu Mufeng saw through Sheng Chunqiu's little scheme. He had no intention of hiding his true intentions any longer, and simply stated his words directly and concisely:
"If Tang Quan becomes you in the future, how will you be any different from Gu Fangran? It's just a fleeting moment."

"The Xinglong Society has been re-merged. If you continue to collude with Tang Quan and Sheng Chunqiu, I advise you to think carefully."

"Gu Fangran?" Sheng Chunqiu was taken aback. "But that woman, Fangfang's cousin, wasn't she in a car accident? She and Tang Quan, you, you weren't—?"

Could it be that even his wife and children...?
Sheng Chunqiu felt a chill run down his spine.

Gu Mufeng gave a disdainful snort. Without saying another word, he left Sheng Chunqiu, who was still stunned and dumbfounded with cold sweat on his forehead, and strode to the door.

Coming to his senses, Sheng Chunqiu asked in surprise, "What, Mr. Gu too? Going to the restroom as well?"

"Mm." Turning around, Gu Mufeng smiled gently, "President Sheng, please rest easy. I'll be right back."

Having said that, Gu Mufeng gently opened the door and slipped out. The door latch clicked shut, leaving Sheng Chunqiu alone in the large conference room. Suddenly, all was silent.

A sudden gust of wind rose outside the window, rustling the new leaves.

Sheng Chunqiu shook his head, trying to calm himself down. "Tang Quan is old enough to understand, but why is Gu's nephew, who's so young, also going to the restroom?" Unable to contain his unease, Sheng Chunqiu paced back to the window. He was still carefully processing Gu Mufeng's hasty words and the latter's unusually frank and sharp emotions.

Unconsciously, Sheng Chunqiu recalled the formidable woman he had only met twice.

Miss Su, is that right? What a beautiful woman, outwardly charming and inwardly sharp-witted.

Thinking about it that way, it's no wonder. The two are a perfect match, handsome and beautiful, and deeply in love; Gu Mufeng is also young. They'd naturally indulge in a life of pleasure and debauchery. His nephew must have been overindulging in excessive sexual activity.

Sigh. If Tang Quanfei hadn't made a move on Miss Su, Gu Mufeng would have truly been willing to sacrifice a beauty and go to the meeting alone.

Gu Mufeng emerged from the conference room with a brisk, light, and hurried gait, but he wasn't heading towards the restroom. He walked cautiously, stopping frequently, until he reached the inconspicuous little white door at the back of the east wing on the first floor.

This leads to the basement. As usual, this door is padlocked.

Unperturbed, Gu Mufeng rummaged in his pocket and pulled out an even more inconspicuous little key.

The corridor lights suddenly shone down, illuminating the iron staircase to the basement layer by layer, like a pre-arranged signal. Bathed in the light, Quenxus led Bran and the rest of the militants, eager to make their move. They crept up quietly in single file.

The guesthouse was no different from any other public building, with its underground space often used as a machine room. All of this was already part of Gu Mufeng's plan.

Without needing to guess, Gu Mufeng was certain that Tang Quan would never show up alone as promised. Since that was the case, there was no reason for him to be a sitting duck and wait to die.

"Boss." A crowd of people gathered at the end of the narrow corridor, lined up neatly. Quenxus stood at the front. "Everyone is here."

"Good job, sniper team?"

"Everyone in his place."

"Dai Ze?"

"As planned, I am guarding the courtyard with Welsh, waiting for the police to respond."

"Okay. Tell them to be careful to stay hidden."

Gu Mufeng gave him a brief instruction. At the same time, he quickly put on gloves, picked up the Tang sword and G17 pistol that Quenxus had offered, and got into position.

In Fri-Night, Dai was his designated successor, a move he had to keep hidden and do nothing.

With this thought in mind, Gu Mufeng gently pulled the gun back, "click." The feel was subtle, the mechanical sound barely audible, and the semi-automatic pistol was silently chambered. Calmly, he tucked the pistol into the custom-made holster on the left side of his suit vest.

"Everyone,"

Gu Mufeng spoke sternly and solemnly:
"Seven years have passed, and the underworld's covetousness remains undiminished. Tang Quan harbors wolfish ambitions; if he fails today, nothing will succeed tomorrow. Fate is in your hands, and the choice is yours. At this moment—"

The matter was settled. He gave the order:
"The action begins."

As soon as he finished speaking, they split into two groups: one reconnaissance team spread out quietly and kept watch from fixed points; while the other group, the security team and the special forces team, led by Gu Mufeng, quickly moved in stealthily.

They quietly returned to the vicinity of the second-floor conference room.

A dozen or so people followed closely behind. As they saw the corridor turn left ahead, Gu Mufei pressed his hand, and they immediately stopped against the wall.

Kneeling on one knee, Gu Mufeng secretly glanced sideways to observe:

As expected. Two men in black were now stationed in the conference room, guarding it closely. The door was ajar. From afar, one could hear Sheng Chunqiu's annoyed voice coming from inside:

"...What, Mr. Tang, are you going to restrict my personal freedom?"

>>>>>
Next chapter: Calamity

　[Author's Note | Chapter Ninety-Eight]

　　Gu Mufeng certainly wouldn't go to the meeting alone. It's obvious that Tang Quan is cunning; how could he possibly go alone?

　　In other words, Sheng Chunqiu was "too naive".

　　Things seem to be starting to take a delicate turn.

　　Even Sheng Chunqiu could see that Gu Mufeng was completely devoted to Su Li. Mr. Gu, you really need to be more careful!
　　(End of this chapter)