Chapter 257: Negotiation

On the long streets of Si Jiu Cheng, a peculiar motorcade was slowly advancing.

He Yuzhu, Tian Dan, Shen Wenqing, and Tian Huaizhong were each sitting in a rickshaw, followed by an endless procession of vehicles, each piled high with bulging sacks.

Behind the motorcade followed students and workers there to watch the spectacle; these people appeared loose, but were actually organized.

Tian Dan looked back at this grand procession and couldn't help but chuckle: "He Yuzhu, just how many ideas do you have in that head of yours?" She paused, then asked, "What exactly is in these bags?"

"Just some daily necessities—potatoes, cabbage, rice, flour, oil..." He Yuzhu smiled slightly and lowered his voice, "The money to procure these was all provided by Miss Liu."

Tian Dan was startled at first, then understood, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled: "I really have to hand it to you!"

"Shen Shichang is my distant uncle, after all. We can't be too shabby when we visit, can we!"

At this moment, inside the Shen Residence, a killing trap had already been set.

Over twenty Secret Service Bureau agents were lurking behind pillars and inside side rooms, while more than eighty elite soldiers stood ready in the Houyuan.

Shen Shichang sat in a grandmaster chair, sipping tea in a leisurely manner, waiting for the prey to arrive.

"Mr. Shen!" a guard ran in hurriedly, "Tian Dan and the others have arrived, bringing over a hundred rickshaws! There are also several hundred workers and students following behind the motorcade to watch the fun!"

Shen Shichang frowned slightly: "Tian Dan is trying to pressure me."

"Sir, every rickshaw is packed full with all sorts of parcels; it's impossible to see what's inside."

Shen Shichang tapped his fingertips on the table, pondered for a moment, and suddenly sneered: "This Tian Dan is truly not simple." He waved his hand, "Since they are here to deliver gifts, accept them all. I want to see what kind of medicine she is selling in her Gourd."

Before long, Tian Huaizhong, Tian Dan, Shen Wenqing, and He Yuzhu stepped into the living room one after another.

He Yuzhu stepped forward quickly, a perfectly measured smile on his face: "Uncle, it has been a long time since we last parted. I have specially prepared some modest gifts this time, please do me the honor of accepting them."

The moment Shen Shichang saw He Yuzhu, his pupils constricted, and alarm bells rang in his heart.

He remained calm on the surface and asked indifferently: "Zhuzi, when did you get together with Tian Dan? Could it be that you are with the Communist Party?"

He Yuzhu waved his hands repeatedly, his tone sincere: "Uncle, you have misunderstood. I am actually here today to accompany my own uncle—didn't I tell you before that my uncle had passed away? Who would have thought we would unexpectedly reunite a few days ago! Isn't that a coincidence? Hearing that they wanted to visit you, I thought since I am familiar with you, I would take the initiative to lead the way."

Shen Shichang stopped looking at him and turned to Shen Wenqing, his tone softening slightly: "Fifteenth Brother, I am very happy to know you are still alive."

Shen Wenqing stepped forward, his expression complex: "Fourth Brother, I hope you have been well."

"Have you seen your sister?"

"I have."

Shen Shichang nodded, his gaze shifting to Tian Huaizhong, and he enthusiastically grasped his hand: "I heard that you and Dandan had an accident, and my heart has been filled with anxiety, worrying for you day and night!"

Tian Huaizhong smiled indifferently, his words laced with thorns: "Old Shen, we encountered dozens of agents and soldiers the moment we stepped out of the train station and nearly lost our lives. However, let's not mention these unpleasant matters; let's talk about business. Can Officer Fu come today?"

"He will arrive shortly." Shen Shichang was confident and led everyone to the conference room to be seated.

He Yuzhu leaned in toward Shen Shichang, his tone natural: "Uncle, since you are discussing business, it is not appropriate for me to listen in, so I will wait outside. By the way, are you providing lunch? If not, I need to hurry and book a table at my Siqiang's restaurant."

Shen Shichang looked displeased: "We are discussing major matters today; don't cause trouble here, go back."

He Yuzhu shook his head stubbornly, his smile unchanging: "That won't do, my mother gave orders that I must bring my eldest uncle back safely. Otherwise, she will surely break my legs."

"Suit yourself," Shen Shichang said coldly, watching He Yuzhu walk out of the conference room.

As soon as He Yuzhu left the conference room, his expression turned stern.

He paced under the corridor as if casually, but his gaze sharply swept across the Houyuan—the doors and windows of several side rooms were tightly shut, yet the faint sound of metal clashing could be heard. He scanned with his system and found over a hundred people hidden; it was indeed a trap.

He walked toward the Houyuan without hesitation and said loudly: "Mr. Shen has ordered that today's mission is canceled, everyone please return!"

A commotion immediately broke out in the courtyard.

An officer with thick eyebrows and large eyes slammed open the door of a side room and shouted sternly: "Who are you? How dare you fake an order!"

He Yuzhu stood tall, his voice like a booming bell: "Mr. Tian, who is here for the negotiations, brought over a hundred rickshaw pullers, and there are three hundred workers and two hundred students waiting outside. Do you intend to kill them all?"

The officer's face changed drastically: "Damn it! Are you threatening me?"

Before he could finish, He Yuzhu lunged forward, lightning-fast, and gripped the officer's throat: "Order your men to retreat immediately! Otherwise—" He applied force, choking the officer until his face turned purple, "I'll send you to see the King of Hell right now!"

The officer struggled to draw his gun, but He Yuzhu was quick-eyed and nimble, snatching the opponent's sidearm first and pressing the muzzle hard against his temple.

"Tell everyone to get out!" He Yuzhu commanded sternly.

The officer gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging. He Yuzhu added another three parts of force to his fingers, making the officer's throat bone creak.

"All... all get out!" the officer finally squeezed the order through his teeth.

In an instant, over a hundred armed soldiers poured out of the courtyard, a dense, dark mass.

He Yuzhu looked around and sneered: "Even if the negotiations fail today, don't you dare make a move. There are several hundred people waiting outside!"

He released his grip, straightened the officer's collar, and patted his shoulder: "Officer, those who understand the times are heroes. Take your men and retreat early, so as not to embarrass Mr. Shen."

The officer's eyes widened as he suddenly recognized something: "You little brat... I recognize you!"

He Yuzhu grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth: "That's right, I am He Yuzhu. You should know how many of your men have fallen at my hands."

The officer spat bitterly, anger burning in his eyes, but he ultimately dared not make another move.

At this time, the atmosphere in the conference room was already tense.

Tian Dan had long since seen that this was a trap. Tian Huaizhong said in a deep voice: "Old Shen, why must you do this? Now that the situation is lost, why act like a mantis trying to stop a chariot?"

Shen Shichang knew that things had reached this point and that further concealment was futile. He sighed heavily: "Old Tian, I understand your thoughts. But this world is complex, and many things are not as simple as they appear on the surface."

He walked to the window, the afternoon sun somewhat blinding: "Even if the Northeast is lost, has the sky collapsed? The overall situation is not yet settled; saying some things too early may not be a good thing."

As he turned around, his expression became serious: "Since we have reached this point, I will not hide it from you—Feng Qingbo is indeed my man. But it was not I who ordered your elimination; he has other superiors, and there are many things I am not in a position to intervene in. Sitting in this position, I also have my difficulties; I hope you can understand."

Tian Huaizhong suppressed his anger: "Is it impossible for you to even arrange a meeting between me and Officer Fu?"

"This is a death order," Shen Shichang said stiffly, "Anyone attempting to approach Officer Fu must be eliminated once discovered. There is no room for negotiation, and I am powerless to help."

"Then can we walk out of this door today?" Tian Dan's voice sounded exceptionally clear in the stagnant air.

A sneer appeared on the corner of Shen Shichang's mouth: "You went to quite some trouble for today's meeting, didn't you? I hear the commotion outside—quite a lot of people have come."

"Fourth Brother," Shen Wenqing stepped forward, "The situation is lost, why must you walk down this path to the end?"

Shen Shichang's gaze swept past him, his voice filled with exhaustion: "Fifteenth Brother, I have long since had no way back."

Just then, a cold, clear female voice came from the doorway: "If you are willing, I can send you to the United States."

The crowd looked toward the sound, only to see the picturesque Liu Rusi standing at the entrance of the conference room, though no one knew when she had arrived. She stared straight at Shen Shichang and said word by word, "Even though you are the murderer who killed my mother."

Shen Shichang's pupils constricted: "Xiao Si, do you know what you are saying?"

Liu Rusi threw a document onto the table. Shen Shichang grabbed it and flipped through it quickly, his expression growing increasingly grave: "This thing... where did you get it?"

"Don't forget what I do for a living," Liu Rusi said in a calm tone. "In this world, if you don't want people to know, you shouldn't have done it in the first place."

Shen Shichang closed the document and let out a long sigh: "It is just as well that you know. I had deep feelings for your mother, but she shouldn't have hidden her identity. It was she who deceived me!"

Liu Rusi shook her head gently, a single tear sliding down her cheek: "This is the last time I will call you father. From today on, if you turn back, I will send you abroad to spend your remaining years in peace; but if today passes—" her voice trembled slightly, "even if someone beats you to death right in front of me, I will not spare you another glance."

Shen Shichang froze in place, the document in his hand slowly drooping. He retreated two steps in dejection and collapsed into his chair, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

The conference room was deathly silent, with only the faint sounds of carriages and horses drifting in from outside the window.

Those hundred-plus rickshaws, three hundred students, and two hundred workers remained quietly guarding outside the Shen Residence, like a silent warning.