Chapter 238 The Feast at Hongmen
Bai Zhu's silent "declaration of war" appeared calm on the surface, but beneath the surface, turbulent undercurrents were brewing.
But to everyone's surprise, the Huo family did not immediately launch a business counterattack.
On the afternoon of the third day, a black Rolls-Royce quietly pulled up in front of the Peninsula Hotel, and an elderly butler with a hunched back, dressed in a traditional Chinese jacket, stepped out of the car.
Without alerting anyone, he went straight up to the top-floor suite and respectfully handed January a gold-embossed invitation written in small regular script with a brush.
The invitation contained only a few words:
"I cordially invite Miss Dong and Bai Shu to a simple banquet tonight at 7 PM at the Huo residence in Repulse Bay. — Huo Ling"
The two characters "Huoling" at the end of the inscription are written with vigorous strokes, penetrating the paper, like a lurking tiger revealing its sharpened claws and teeth.
When Dong Cunshan heard the name on the phone, his voice changed: "Huo Ling? That reclusive old master of the Huo family? My God! Miss Bai, you absolutely cannot go! That old guy is the true pillar of the Huo family, a ruthless man who eats people alive! He personally sent the invitation; this is definitely a trap!"
Holding the invitation, Lu Jingyan's face was ashen. He uttered only three words: "I can't go."
The invitation specifically stated that Bai Zhu should attend the banquet "alone".
This intention is as clear as day; everyone knows it.
"I have to go."
Su Wantang's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness. She snatched the invitation from Lu Jingyan's hand, her gaze falling on that name.
"Huo Qishan is just a pawn on the surface; Huo Ling is the one who holds the game. He can't sit still now and has personally invited me into the game, which means we've made the right move."
She walked up to Lu Jingyan, smoothed his furrowed brows, and softened her voice, a rare occurrence for her: "I know it's dangerous. But this is also our only chance to get close to the core of the Huo family, find Su Yuting, and even investigate the true nature of 'Nightingale Island.' Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Lu Jingyan grabbed her hand tightly. He remained silent for a long time before squeezing out a sentence through gritted teeth: "I'll see you to the door. Qin Zheng will bring his men to meet you on the outside. We'll agree on a signal. If anything changes, I don't care about the Huo family. I'll just lead my men to flatten that place."
His woman cannot take even the slightest risk when he cannot see her.
Su Wantang knew this was his biggest concession, so she nodded and said, "Okay."
Before nightfall, Su Wantang entered the Begonia Space alone.
Instead of tending to the thriving rare medicinal herbs, she went straight to the Inheritance Book Pavilion. On an inconspicuous shelf, she took down an antique wooden box.
Inside the box were rows of silver needles as thin as cow's hair. She took one out, soaked it briefly in the spiritual spring water, and then dipped it in a colorless and odorless medicinal powder. The powder was a formula she had prepared based on a fragment of a poison manual, and it was said to be lethal upon contact with blood.
Looking in the mirror, she carefully hid the poisoned needle in the crevices of her neatly trimmed left ring fingernail, leaving no trace.
Then, she took out an unassuming obsidian earring from a jewelry box. The base of the earring had been modified into a state-of-the-art miniature listening device.
Only after doing all this did she change into her banquet attire.
She was still wearing a cheongsam, but it was a deeper black than the night, embroidered with large, blooming peonies in gold thread, both luxurious and austere.
At 6:30 p.m. sharp, the Huo family's Rolls-Royce was waiting downstairs.
Lu Jingyan opened the car door for her personally and whispered in her ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Remember the signal: knock on the cup three times. As soon as the signal is given, I will be there within ten minutes."
Seeing the worry in his eyes, Su Wantang felt a warmth in her heart and leaned in to gently kiss his lips.
"Wait for me to come back."
The Huo family manor is located halfway up a mountain, covering a vast area. It is a huge estate in the style of a Chinese garden. The car drove up the winding private mountain road, with guards every three steps and sentries every five steps. The level of security was comparable to that of a military restricted area.
The car stopped in front of the main house. Bai Shu got out of the car and immediately felt an invisible pressure coming towards him.
The house is in a pure classical style, with flying eaves and brackets, carved beams and painted rafters, and the air is filled with a unique smell that is a mixture of aged sandalwood and decaying time.
The old butler led the way, passing through several courtyards, and finally stopped in front of a brightly lit study.
"The old master is waiting for you inside."
Bai Zhu pushed open the door and entered.
The study was enormous, with floor-to-ceiling mahogany bookshelves on all four walls, filled with thread-bound ancient books. A gaunt old man in a gray long gown stood with his back to her in front of a huge ink wash landscape painting.
He looked like he was on his deathbed, as if a gust of wind could blow him over, but when he slowly turned around, the light shining from his cloudy eyes was as sharp as a hawk's, as if it could pierce through people's hearts.
He is Huo Ling.
“Miss Dong, please have a seat.” His voice was hoarse, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.
Bai Shu sat down in the armchair opposite him, her back ramrod straight, meeting his gaze with neither servility nor arrogance.
There were no formalities, no small talk.
Huo Ling cut to the chase: "A young girl like you has quite the ambition. In just a few days, you've stirred up a storm in Hong Kong. Tell me, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Bai Shu picked up the teacup beside him, smelled the aroma of the tea, and then slowly said, "Mr. Huo is too kind. I am just a businessman who came here for profit. Hong Kong Island is full of gold, so naturally I wanted to come and try my luck."
"Gold panning?" Huo Ling sneered. "Using a research institute worth 100 million to pan for gold? Using an auction worth 30 million to pan for gold? Little girl, I, Huo Ling, have lived for eighty years and seen all kinds of people. Don't try to fool me."
Bai Shu put down his teacup and smiled, "Then Mr. Huo might as well speak frankly. I seek neither fame nor fortune, so why would the Huo family get involved with a shady organization like 'Eagle's Nest'? And even carry out something like the 'Moon Goddess Project,' using living people for experiments. If this kind of inhumane act gets out, the Huo family's century-old foundation will probably be destroyed in an instant, right?"
Her words caused a sharp glint to flash in Huo Ling's cloudy eyes, and the air in the study seemed to drop several degrees.
He stared intently at Bai Shu for a long time before his imposing aura slowly subsided, transforming into a profound and unfathomable scrutiny.
“You know more than I thought.” He slowly said, his withered lips curving into a cold smile.
“That’s right, the Huo family does have a partnership with ‘Eagle’s Nest.’ However, you seem to have misunderstood something.”
He paused for a moment, then dropped a bombshell.
Do you know what your mother, Bai Xiuzhu, was codenamed back in the 'Eagle's Nest'?
This sudden question made Bai Zhu's heart skip a beat.
She didn't speak, she just looked at him quietly.
Huo Ling was very satisfied with her reaction at this moment, and said word by word: "Her code name was 'Begonia'. And her death was not an accident, but because she betrayed the organization."
boom--
This news struck Bai Shu like a bolt from the blue.
My mother... was a member of "Eagle's Nest"?
She always believed that her mother was a victim, killed by the Su family and the Hongmen in an attempt to protect her property and family.
But now, Huo Ling is telling her that her mother was a member of that evil organization?
How is that possible!
Countless thoughts churned in her mind, almost overwhelming her reason. But the strong will she had honed through two lifetimes allowed her to forcefully suppress the turbulent waves in her heart within a few seconds.
Her face showed no shock whatsoever; in fact, it revealed a cold, mocking smile.
She raised her eyes, meeting Huo Ling's probing gaze, and asked in return, "So what? Mr. Huo is telling me all this to recruit me, to have me follow in my mother's footsteps and join you, to inherit my mother's 'career'?"
At this moment, she was not Su Wantang, she was Bai Shu.
A master of white magic who can remain absolutely calm in any desperate situation and find a way out.
For the first time, genuine admiration appeared in Huo Ling's cloudy eyes.
He nodded slowly: "Talking to smart people is so easy. You can continue the path your mother didn't finish. You and your descendants can enjoy the glory your mother didn't get to enjoy."
He stood up, his gaunt figure casting a long shadow under the lamplight.
"Now, come with me."
"I'll show you something."
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