It was a bit abnormal, perhaps too normal, which made it seem abnormal.
The senior gave me a look, and I nodded in understanding. It was too quiet. I glanced behind me; no one was paying attention to us. The Taoist brothers were dispersed around the hall. Everything seemed so peaceful, so peaceful it was eerie.
The senior's expression was blank as he walked out as usual.
I watched the four of them go to the parking lot, get into their cars, and slowly drive away. There were very few cars in the parking lot, and no one was walking around, except for a few security guards. Not a soul was in sight.
As we walked to the door, the Taoist brothers began to gather around us. A van was parked outside the entrance. A person in ethnic clothing saw us approaching and opened the car door for us. The senior got in without a word, and I followed, sitting beside him.
The Taoist brothers behind us followed and got into the back seat.
Seeing how calm the senior was, I didn't dare to ask him. My heart was pounding. Had we judged incorrectly? Did Brother Hui just want to scare me, and there was no one here at all?
Impossible. I had already discovered someone was following me, so how could it be just a scare?
Yet, the four of them walked out of the hotel so openly. Forget an ambush; there wasn't even a shadow. Could they have detected our disguise?
Unlikely. Their appearance and demeanor alone could fool most people, and with Wen Siqiang and Qian Fugui following, it was like double insurance. Something should have happened, right?
The senior suddenly said, "Find it strange, don't you?"
I replied, "Yes, it's too strange!"
The senior said, "Step on the gas! If I'm not mistaken, they're lying in ambush at the venue."
I was startled. Our purpose in walking out so brazenly was to provoke them into acting here, to expose themselves. What we feared was them causing trouble at the venue. Today was an important meeting attended by city leaders and business magnates. Any commotion there would be extremely detrimental to us.
Today's groundbreaking ceremony was held in an open-air venue with no security measures. The surroundings were dense with forests, making it easy to hide dozens of people.
I called Da Kui and told him to immediately notify all company security guards to rush to the suburban farm, as quickly as possible.
The development of the suburban farm was my and Lan Ya Jing Lei's own affair. I didn't want to involve the company, nor did I want to mobilize company personnel. I had truly been careless.
Lan Ya must have invited Brother Bao. Da Kui would definitely be by Brother Bao's side. With them there, I felt more at ease.
Just now, Wen Siqiang brought Zhou Yingying over. I had him arrange a room for her and planned to see her after I dealt with things here.
While Da Kui was mobilizing security, the senior called the disguised Taoist brothers and told them to observe the scene carefully. The enemy had ambushed them earlier and was lying in wait around the area. He instructed them to prepare for battle.
Just then, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. I hesitated before answering.
A hoarse voice came from the phone, asking if I was Li Hua. I listened carefully; the voice was completely unfamiliar, and I couldn't identify who it was.
He continued, "Young man, you've gone too far. You sent my son to prison, and he's facing the death penalty for drug trafficking. It seems you're cutting off my old man's retreat. Since you can initiate, I can retaliate. He's in there, but I'm still here. Don't think the King of Hell is asleep. I still have some influence. I heard your establishment was having its groundbreaking today, so I, your elder, will come to join the fun."
I recognized the voice. It was Kang Gong from South City. I didn't expect him to target me as well. It seemed our drama was about to begin.
After hanging up, I said to the senior, "Kang Gong's father. This old man is no easy person to deal with. He even keeps armed forces on the other side. If he decides to move against us, the threat level is no less than that of Brother Hui."
The senior replied, "I've heard of this Kang Gong from South City. He got rich by smuggling redwood from the other side. I have some knowledge of his influence. His involvement is indeed disadvantageous to us."
I grunted. I had been so focused on dealing with Brother Hui that I hadn't considered the ticking time bomb right beside us.