Chapter 254: Ruthless Kong Shi

"That was said wonderfully, the women of Zaocheng really are like that. Mr. Zhou and I truly wish we had met sooner." Hou Laoban lifted his glass.

I also lifted my glass,

"Thank you, Hou Laoban, for your generous hospitality. If I can be of any use in Sijiucheng, just a word will do."

"We'll meet again." After saying that, I drained the wine in my glass.

"Good, Mr. Zhou, that's then a future meeting." Hou Laoban drained his glass.

I shook hands with Hou Laoban and said goodbye.

I quickly returned to the room,

I was thinking about this return to the Zaocheng Grand Hotel,

having a meal with Hou Laoban, first to increase his trust in me,

If Hou Laoban believes me, then Kong Shi will also believe.

If Kong Shi has no suspicions, then our next step will be easy: we will use Zhou Fuhai's identity to have him release Li Ming.

Also, after meeting Liu Shiru,

Only by observing them up close can we know what the opponent is thinking.

Otherwise, I could never defeat them.

Including that young master Zhou, I don't know whether he is truly involved.

I am also unclear.

We have no choice but to take the risk,

Knowing there are tigers in the mountain, I still head straight for the tiger's mountain.

Moreover, the real Zhou Fuhai has already undergone plastic surgery; he could be seen in two weeks. In the mental hospital he receives injections all day, and even the soundest person would become muddle-headed.

Thinking this through, my confidence surged.

At ten o'clock at night, Xiao Long knocked and entered.

Zhou Fuhai stays in a large suite with two rooms, inside and outside.

I let Xiao Long stay in the inner small room.

Xiao Long asked me, "Director Shangguan wants to exchange Kong Xiangju for my father; I don't know how the contact went."

I said, "Even a tiger does not eat its own cub, Xiao Long, rest assured— which father does not love his son,

every father wants to pass his best things to his son; Kong Shi, knowing we hold Kong Xiangju, will surely release your father.

After all, if anything happens to Kong Xiangju, he cannot bear it.

If, however, using Kong Xiangju still fails to get your father back, I will continue to order Kong Shi to release your father by using Zhou Fuhai's identity.

Because today Hou Laoban and I had a meal, the purpose was for Kong Shi to have Hou Laoban investigate whether Zhou Fuhai is genuine."

Hearing me say that,

Xiao Long then said, "This Kong Shi is truly full of tricks, even investigating Zhou Fuhai's identity."

I said, "The main reason is that Zhou Fuhai disappeared for a week,

many things are hard to explain.

There was no way; at the time I did not consider everything thoroughly.

These people have been through too much; they are not easily fooled. Including that Niu Ju, he is also sly and crafty.

When they gave me money, they actually had Kang Yali follow and record it.

There is no trust between them at all.

Xiao Long, in this society do you know what is the hardest?

Xiao Long shook his head,

"Grandfather, I don't know."

I said, "It is trust between people; the hardest thing is to make others believe you.

People are no longer in the closed environment of the past,

nowadays people are mobile, and hearts are changeable,

to gain someone's trust is difficult,

one must go through time and events to prove who is trustworthy and who is not.

Why are there so many laws, so detailed? It is to show that the foundation of social trust has disappeared.

For example, my own younger brother Zhao Xiaohua, your third uncle,

I once trusted him completely, but the result was that he bit me.

Now he is again the General Manager of Da Heng Group.

Yet I have become a fugitive.

This is my own brother— what can I do?

In the face of profit, there is no kinship to speak of.

Xiao Long, today why am I telling you all this,

it is to have you keep a skeptical heart, believing three parts and doubting seven of what some people say,

do you understand?"

Xiao Long nodded,

"Grandfather, I understand. I used to believe everyone's words; teachers educated us to be sincere with others in society.

Actually, being sincere depends on who you are facing.

If he repeatedly deceives you, what sincerity is there?"

I patted Xiao Long's shoulder,

Xiao Long, that's the meaning; the teacher's words are correct, but how to do it is your matter, you need to have the choice to listen.

Society is a university, and moreover, the water here is very deep, there are many things you cannot learn in school.

For example, how to get along with people,

Also, how to handle giving gifts to people,

School definitely won't teach these; everything must rely on practice.

Xiao Long, you should know, the society before you, everything you see is not true.

Just like a person's palm, you see the front of the palm, but the back is forever unseen; however, the back is the truth.

Regarding societal matters, you must learn to analyze, think more about the reasons, then you will understand the affairs of this world,

Between people, it's all about interests.

People live for the sake of interests; this is naked, there's no way around it.

Everyone wants to live better; every family and clan is the same.

Even nations and regions are the same; everyone is fighting for interests or survival rights, I suppose.

The cake is only so big; if you take a bite, he loses a bite.

Only a life-or-death struggle where you die and I live,

The victor is king, the loser is bandit—that's the principle.

After hearing my words, Xiao Long lit a cigarette and started smoking.

If you want to become a man, you must think more, calm down and think more.

I also took a puff of a cigarette,

At this moment, my old-person's phone vibrated.

When I saw it was Shi Yong's call, I hurriedly answered,

Shi Yong said on the phone: "Brother, is it convenient to answer the phone?"

"Convenient, you speak." said while holding the phone.

"Xiao Wu, through connections, found Kong Shi, letting him know that Kong Xiangju is in our hands, demanding he release Li Ming, and then we would release Kong Xiangju. You guess how it is." Shi Yong said.

"How is it?" I asked.

Shi Yong said: "That Kong Shi, through connections, replied, letting us directly kill the hostage; wanting to release Li Ming is out of the question."

Upon hearing Shi Yong say that, my heart immediately leapt up; how could this be possible?

This is absolutely not something a father would say; it's purely the talk of beasts; how could a father not care about his son's life or death?

I said to Shi Yong: "Is Kong Shi suspecting that we haven't really captured the real Kong Xiangju, and are deliberately deceiving him?"

"Brother, how could this be possible? We specifically had someone from the northeast record a video of Kong Xiangju, had Xiao Wu find someone to send the USB drive over, believing Kong Shi saw the video."

Because Kong Xiangju was crying and shouting in the video for Kong Shi to save him.

This cannot be fake.

Upon hearing Shi Yong say that,

I then said: "Is it that the connections Xiao Wu found are not in place?"

Shi Yong said: "I don't know about this, anyway Xiao Wu said, the connections could get the USB drive into Kong Shi's hands."

But, Kong Shi's side soon replied,

That is, let us kill the hostage,

Wanting to release Li Ming is utterly impossible. What kind of father would do that?

I and Xiao Wu discussed; if it really can't be done, we would cut off one of Kong Xiangju's fingers and send it to Kong Shi, so he wouldn't doubt.

I asked: "Did you consult with Shangguan Zhuren?"

"Shangguan Zhuren does not approve of this. Brother, I want to hear your opinion." Shi Yong said on the phone.

It seems Kong Shi's ruthlessness has exceeded my imagination.

He has already planned to abandon Kong Xiangju,

That is, no matter what, he will not release Li Ming.

This Kong Shi is really harder to deal with than Niu Ju.

I pondered for a moment,

"As for cutting off the finger, don't do it for now; I'll discuss it with Shangguan Zhuren first, then we'll talk."

Follow my orders, don't act recklessly. If you repeatedly send videos to Kong Shi, that would expose us all. Now Kong Shi is very suspicious of me.

You proposed releasing Li Ming, but he didn't agree,

This shows the problem.

Who wouldn't care about their own son? This guy is worse than a beast.