Chapter 64 Using Oneself as Bait
The noise in the banquet hall gradually subsided, and the guests, filled with shock and fodder for conversation, took their leave in twos and threes.
Inside the luxury suite on the top floor of the Peace Hotel.
Du Kangnian personally saw off the last group of guests who were still reluctant to leave. The smile on his face had long since disappeared, replaced by deep worry.
He walked quickly back to the room and saw that Lu Jingyan had already returned and was standing behind Su Wantang, his tall figure like a silent mountain.
“Young Miss, Commander Lu…” Du Kangnian bowed, but could only get the words out before he could stop.
Tonight's game was a close call, but it also completely offended that mad dog Zheng Kai.
Su Wantang didn't look at him. She sat on the sofa, toying with a cup of tea that had long since gone cold, her gaze fixed on a point in the void, lost in thought.
Lu Jingyan took something out of his pocket and placed it on the mahogany coffee table in front of her.
The soft "ding" sound was particularly jarring in the quiet room.
It was a diamond-shaped iron dart.
Du Kangnian glanced at him casually, and the color drained from his face, which had been hardened by the trials of the business world!
His lips began to tremble, and several times he tried to pick up the iron dart, but then abruptly pulled it back.
"This...this thing...where...where did you find it?" His voice changed, with a hint of sobbing.
"In Zheng Kai's warehouse," Lu Jingyan answered for her, his voice cold and hard.
Du Kangnian seemed to have all his strength drained away, slumping into a chair with a thud. Beads of cold sweat the size of soybeans instantly appeared on his forehead, and he kept muttering to himself:
"The Hongmen have come...they've come again..."
Lu Jingyan's brows furrowed, and his sharp gaze locked onto Du Kangnian.
Su Wantang picked up a cup of tea that had long since gone cold from the table, skimmed off the foam with the lid, her movements still elegant, but her beautiful eyes were now as calm as a bottomless abyss.
“Hongmen?” She parted her red lips slightly, uttering two words in a low voice, yet with an undeniable command: “Explain yourself.”
Du Kangnian was jolted awake by Su Wantang's icy voice, which pulled him back to his senses from his immense fear.
He looked at Su Wantang's face, which bore a striking resemblance to Bai Xiuzhu's, his lips trembled a few times, and he slumped down, his face filled with pain and struggle.
Lu Jingyan stepped forward and stood behind Su Wantang, his large, warm hand gently resting on her shoulder. He didn't speak, but the heavy pressure made Du Kangnian tremble.
“Young Miss… there are some things that Madam forbade me to say back then, because she was afraid… afraid that it would bring you a fatal disaster!” Du Kangnian’s voice was hoarse and trembling with sobs.
"Now, disaster has struck," Su Wantang said calmly, pushing the diamond-shaped dart in front of him.
"If I don't speak, I'll die without knowing why. If I do speak, there might be a glimmer of hope. General Manager Du, it's your choice."
Du Kangnian's psychological defenses completely collapsed.
He sighed deeply, as if he had aged ten years in an instant, and slowly revealed a shocking secret that had been buried for decades.
"Miss, are you aware that the Bai family did not originally have the surname Bai?"
“We...we were originally from the Hong Kong Island Hung Society.”
Upon hearing this, even Su Wantang, with her resolute character, couldn't help but tremble slightly in the hand holding the teacup.
“My ancestors were from the ‘White Paper Fan’ branch of the Hong Kong Hung Society, responsible for the organization’s finances and business. Later… later, when it came to your great-grandfather’s generation, he saw that the world was about to change and didn’t want to get involved in those violent and shady activities anymore. He wanted to completely clean up the business and go the straight path.”
"But this touched the interests of another faction within the Hongmen. That faction... is ruthless, uses despicable methods, values money more than life, and treats human life as worthless."
"Ultimately, due to differing ideologies, we parted ways. But to say we parted ways was a despicable act; they used underhanded tactics to label me a 'traitor' and try to eliminate me completely!"
A deep-seated hatred flashed in Du Kangnian's eyes.
"Your great-grandfather fought his way out and, with the remaining loyal subordinates and most of the family's wealth, smuggled himself to Shanghai. To avoid being hunted down, he changed his name to 'Bai,' meaning to sever all ties with the past and make a clean break."
"Madam, your mother Bai Xiuzhu, was born in Shanghai after that. She was intelligent and had a business talent that surpassed her mother's, and she quickly made the Bai family's business in Shanghai very successful."
"Marrying Su Zhenhong... Firstly, Su Zhenhong disguised himself so well back then, showing deep affection for his wife. Secondly, he wanted to find a local to act as a cover, so that the Bai family could completely integrate into the community and no longer attract attention."
Su Wantang listened quietly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.
She finally understood why her mother, a business prodigy, was willing to take a backseat and support that good-for-nothing Su Zhenhong. It wasn't love; it was... hiding.
“But we were too naive.” Du Kangnian closed his eyes in anguish. “We thought we had hidden ourselves well enough. But they, like sharks that smell blood, still came knocking on our door.”
"Your stepmother, Liu Liyun, was sent by them! She got close to Su Zhenhong and used her beauty and money to quickly turn that opportunistic man against his principles!"
"Su Zhenhong!" Su Wantang squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, her eyes burning with overwhelming hatred.
She hated this man, not only because he was greedy and stupid, but also because he... betrayed the wife who had paved the way for him with her whole life!
“What they want is the enormous fortune that your great-grandfather brought from Hong Kong Island. Madam sensed the danger and began secretly transferring assets, entrusting my father with a crucial list and keepsakes in case of unforeseen circumstances.”
"But I never expected... that they acted so quickly and ruthlessly... that so-called 'accident' for the lady was actually a murder!"
"That beast Su Zhenhong not only betrayed Madam, but also helped Liu Liyun embezzle the property Madam left behind!"
At this point, Du Kangnian, a man in his forties, could no longer control himself, and tears streamed down his face as he sobbed uncontrollably.
The room was deathly silent.
Su Wantang slowly closed her eyes, and a hot tear finally slipped down her cheek.
So that's how it is.
It turns out that the root of her suffering in both lifetimes lay in the bloody feud that occurred decades ago.
Why is Su Zhenhong so indifferent to her biological daughter, both praising her excessively and killing her?
She wasn't some wealthy orphan girl bullied by her stepmother and stepsisters; she was a descendant of a annihilated clan, burdened with a deep-seated blood feud.
Lu Jingyan felt her shoulders trembling, and the hand on her shoulder tightened its grip.
Su Wantang took a deep breath, and when she opened her eyes again, the tear stain was gone, and the sadness in her eyes had vanished without a trace. In its place was an extreme calm madness.
Hatred did not cloud her judgment.
Instead, it made her more clear-headed than ever before.
She picked up the diamond-shaped dart and slowly twirled it between her fingers; the cold touch made her even calmer.
"They're in it for the money, aren't they?"
Du Kangnian was taken aback, then nodded: "Yes, they have always believed that the Bai family has a treasure overseas that is worth more than a country."
“Alright.” Su Wantang smiled, but there was no smile in her eyes; instead, there was a chilling murderous intent in her eyes. “Since they want it so much, then I will… give it to them.”
Lu Jingyan and Du Kangnian both looked at her, their eyes filled with confusion.
“Manager Du,” Su Wantang looked at Du Kangnian, her gaze sharp as a knife, “starting tomorrow, release a message to the public.”
"Take me, Su Wantang, for example. I've found a huge fortune hidden overseas by my mother, Bai Xiuzhu. It's priceless. It will be transported to Shanghai soon through 'special channels'."
This plan is groundbreaking!
Du Kangnian was shocked: "Miss, no! This... this is just asking for trouble! Zheng Kai and his men will pounce on us like mad dogs!"
“I want them to pounce on me.” Su Wantang’s voice was icy. “A snake can only be severed at its vital point when it comes out of its hole. If it’s always hiding in the grass, it’s impossible to defend against it.”
“But…” Du Kangnian still hesitated, “Which ‘channel’ should we look for? And where did this ‘inheritance’ come from? Zheng Kai is suspicious by nature and cunning as a fox. He might not believe us if we just talk the talk!”
Su Wantang smiled.
She didn't answer, but instead slowly took out the Phoenix Blood Jade Bracelet that she had snatched back from Su Yuting from her inner pocket.
Under the light, the jade bracelet, nourished by the spiritual spring, is warm and lustrous, with flowing blood vessels, as if it were alive.
She held the jade bracelet up to Du Kangnian, her voice carrying an air of confidence and composure that suggested she was in complete control.
"We have this as a token,"
He will definitely believe it.
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