Chapter 65 The Viper Takes the Bait
What kind of place is the Peace Hotel?
It is itself the largest information hub in Shanghai.
Du Kangnian didn't even need to do anything deliberately.
He casually made a complaint while having tea with a few familiar "scalpers".
Within three days, a rumor, half true and half false, spread throughout every filthy corner of the city.
"Have you heard? The eldest daughter of the Bai family, who just returned from the capital, is currently troubled by a certain matter."
"What is it?"
"I have an overseas estate of unknown value that I need to bring back, but I can't find a reliable channel. I'm so anxious that I've even developed blisters on my lips."
The news leaked from the tea room of the hotel, passed through the mouths of the "old gentlemen" carrying birdcages and skewers, and then reached the ears of the coolies at the Shiliupu Wharf and the brokers of various black markets, with the version becoming more and more bizarre.
Some say the inheritance consisted of gold bars, pulled from underground vaults of European banks, enough to cover the entire Bund.
Some say those were treasures that flowed out of the former imperial palace, and any one of them would be enough for an ordinary person to live on for ten lifetimes.
Some even claimed to have seen the Bai family's young lady with a treasure map marked in the rainforests of South America.
Rumors, fed by greed and imagination, grow fatter and more tempting.
......
Zheng Kai's trading company office.
Behind the large mahogany table, Zheng Kai leaned back in his leather executive chair, his face slightly flushed and his breathing a little rapid.
His voluptuous female secretary was frantically crawling out from under the table.
Her lips were swollen and red like ripe cherries, and her white shirt was wrinkled with the collar askew, revealing a dazzling expanse of white skin.
"Useless thing, can't even do this little thing right."
Zheng Kai pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes filled with disgust, devoid of any tenderness.
The female secretary bit her lip, looking aggrieved, and was just about to say something.
"Bang!"
The office door was violently flung open, and Lin Zihang burst in, his face contorted with a morbid excitement.
Zheng Kai's face instantly darkened, and he grabbed the ashtray on the table, intending to smash it.
"Who the hell told you not to knock!"
"Boss Zheng!"
Lin Zihang completely ignored his anger, his eyes shining, and his voice trembling.
"I'm rich! A golden opportunity to get rich has arrived!"
He rushed to the desk, braced his hands on the surface, and said urgently.
"Rumors are circulating that Su Wantang, that bitch, is going to smuggle a huge portion of her mother's inheritance back from overseas! It's said to be... priceless!"
"Oh?" Zheng Kai put down the ashtray, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes behind his glasses.
His female secretary, understanding the situation, straightened her clothes and quietly slipped out, closing the door behind her.
"Is the information reliable?" Zheng Kai asked slowly and deliberately.
"It's absolutely true! It's spread throughout both the legitimate and underworld circles of Shanghai!"
Lin Zihang let out a hoarse laugh, his face contorted with extreme excitement and resentment.
"Boss Zheng, this is God helping us! She's a woman, all alone in Shanghai, and she dares to be so arrogant! Isn't her inheritance just a gift for us to enjoy?!"
Zheng Kai remained silent, deep in thought.
That woman, Su Wantang… the glass of red wine that was splashed on his face at the banquet still stings. She's not stupid; on the contrary, she's very clever and extremely bold.
We just had a falling out, and he immediately releases this kind of news?
“This is a trap,” Zheng Kai said coldly.
Lin Zihang got anxious, walked around the table, and approached Zheng Kai.
"So what if it's a trap! Fortune favors the bold! Boss Zheng, think about it, that's the Bai family's wealth! How much stuff did they bring over from Hong Kong back then?"
"If we can get our hands on this money, will we still need to put up with that old bastard Lu Wenbo?"
"We absolutely must close this deal! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Lin Zihang's eyes gleamed with greed and resentment.
"Once we get the money, what kind of woman can't we have? As for that bitch Su Wantang, she'll be at our mercy! I'll make her kneel before me like a dog!"
Zheng Kai's pupils contracted slightly.
It has to be said that Lin Zihang's words hit the spot that was most bothering him.
He worked tirelessly for Lu Wenbo, doing all the dirty work that could cost him his life, but in the end, the Lu family took the lion's share, and he only got a small share. He had long wanted to start his own business.
However, he remained rational.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the office door.
"Come in."
A trusted subordinate strode in and respectfully handed over an envelope: "Boss, this was sent by a middleman named Lao Liu. He said... Miss Bai asked him to pass it on."
Zheng Kai opened the envelope; inside was only a photograph.
The photo shows a Phoenix Blood Jade Bracelet with a smooth, warm surface and flowing blood-like veins.
Zheng Kai's pupils contracted sharply after just one glance!
"This is... the Bai family's Phoenix Blood Jade Bracelet!"
He cried out in disbelief.
He recognized this thing! Back when he first started working for the big boss, he had seen the design of this jade bracelet in a top-secret file about the Bai family.
This is the true token of the Bai family; seeing this bracelet is like seeing the head of the family!
The trusted subordinate added in a low voice, "Sixth Brother also relayed a message: Miss Bai said that this deal is too big and too risky, and she will only talk to people she trusts. If you want to talk, you have to produce something to prove your identity."
"Prove your identity?" Zheng Kai sneered.
“Yes, Miss Bai said... only members of the Hongmen are qualified to take on this business.”
These words struck Zheng Kai like a thunderbolt!
All his doubts vanished at that moment!
trap?
No! This is not a trap!
Zheng Kai's breathing instantly became heavy, and a greedy flame burned fiercely in his eyes.
He understood! He understood everything!
Su Wantang, that stupid woman, has no idea who she's dealing with! Does she think that by revealing her "Hongmen" identity, she can find so-called "one of her own" to protect her?
She had no idea that Zheng Kai was the sharpest knife that the Hongmen had planted in Shanghai!
She's inviting a wolf into the house! No, she's personally delivering the fattest piece of meat to a hungry wolf's mouth!
"Hahaha...hahahaha!"
Zheng Kai could no longer hold back and burst into hearty laughter.
Looking at the exquisite jade bracelet in the photo, he could almost see mountains of gold bars and antiques.
Su Wantang has the Bai family's keepsake, which means that the inheritance is real.
But what can an orphan like her do, even with Lu Jingyan backing her? Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake! This is Shanghai, his territory!
She can't keep this wealth!
This wealth, which rightfully belonged to the "Hongmen," should now be returned to its rightful owner!
"Reply to her." Zheng Kai's eyes gleamed with a cruel yet excited light as he ordered his confidant, "Tell her, I've taken the job."
He paused, a cold smile curving his lips.
“Tell her that I will speak with her in person at 8 p.m. three days from now, in the presidential suite on the top floor of the Peace Hotel.”
He wanted to watch this reckless woman hand over her wealth on his own turf, and then send her on her way.
...
Peace Hotel, suite.
Su Wantang smiled after hearing the news Du Kangnian brought back.
"The fish has taken the bait."
She picked up the teacup and gently blew on the steam.
Lu Jingyan stood behind her, his tall figure exuding a sense of security. He simply looked at her, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration and doting affection.
Zheng Kai's choice to hold the transaction at the Peace Hotel was exactly what he wanted.
Over the next two days, the entire Peace Hotel operated covertly under Du Kangnian's direction. An invisible net, centered on the presidential suite, quietly began to unravel.
The night before the trade.
Du Kangnian knocked on Su Wantang's door with a solemn expression. He didn't speak, but simply handed her a document.
That was a detailed list of all the hotel's employees.
Su Wantang took it and opened it.
Lu Jingyan also came over, his gaze falling on the documents.
"Young Miss, Commander Lu."
Du Kangnian's voice was hoarse with a hint of lingering fear.
"There's a reason why Zheng Kai thinks the Peace Hotel is his home turf."
He pointed to three pages of the document.
He drew a heavy circle around each page with a red pen.
One of them was a floor attendant in the presidential suite.
One of them is the deputy head of the hotel's security department.
There's also the front desk supervisor.
“Young Miss,” Du Kangnian said in a hoarse voice.
“These three people are Zheng Kaian’s spies who have been planted here for some years.”
"They are all Zheng Kai's men."
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