Chapter 318: The Counterattack Begins

Lin Sufang looked at Lu Qiaoshan with arrogant, beautiful eyes:

"To fully secure the brand will take about 160, 00 US dollars."

"That is not a small sum."

Lu Qiaoshan's cheeks twitched violently, and he forced a laugh:

"160, 00 US dollars!

"With so much money, about how long will it take for us to recoup the cost of the brand labels?"

"Director Lu, business always involves gains and losses; if you're afraid of losing, don't play." Lin Sufang laughed with disdain.

"You are a merchant, I am not.

"Deputy Minister Zheng is not either.

"We only care about the payback period and the returns." Lu Qiaoshan was very dissatisfied with her tone.

"Indeed, 160, 00 US dollars, what kind of business is this?

"Keeping it would be enough to live on until the next life; I advise you all not to play."

Lin Sufang elegantly pulled out a cigarette, and Long Er hurriedly took out a match to light it for her.

She exhaled a puff of smoke lightly:

"My time is limited; call me when you've made up your mind."

As she spoke, Long Er pulled back the chair, and she stood up, flicking the hem of her skirt over her hips.

"Miss Lin, how did Zhang Si die?

"I hope you have thought that through."

Lu Qiaoshan's patience for her haughty and arrogant attitude had reached its limit; his gaze turned cold as he said icily.

"If Deputy Minister Zheng wants to kill me, it is naturally as simple as stepping on an ant.

"But don't forget who I am working for.

"Being able to let that man surnamed Zheng play along is already giving him enough face.

"If I really want to kick you out, what can you do?

"Does he dare to say even a tiny word of 'no' to the person behind me?

"If you can play, then play; if you can't, don't force it.

"This is big business; not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can enter the game."

Lin Sufang directly ignored Lu Qiaoshan's cold, gloomy gaze and walked out in her high heels.

"You!" Lu Qiaoshan was left speechless by her outburst.

The person behind Lin Sufang was indeed not someone he could afford to provoke.

With Deputy Minister Zheng's steady and cautious nature, he naturally would not want to provoke this person either.

"I'm in.

"I will put up 40, 00 US dollars.

"The remaining 120, 00 will be funded by you."

Lu Qiaoshan thought for a moment and said.

"Fine.

"However, I heard that for the arms shipment, Staff Officer Yang from Ludong didn't take the order; your deal has become a bad debt.

"Zheng Jiemin is probably not going to invest any more money in you, right?"

Lin Sufang laughed.

She had entered the game as an introducer specifically to deal with Hong Zhiyou, and she had already taken her own share of the commission.

Saying this was purely to disgust Lu Qiaoshan and, incidentally, to probe his bottom line.

"Indeed.

"Some people are just too clever for their own good; if they had spent a little money to go by water back then, could Li Ya and the Security Brigade have hijacked it?

"This is what you call losing the big for the sake of the small."

Long Er also followed along, laughing in a sinister, low voice.

"Gang Leader Long, I remember you didn't talk much before.

"Hmm, finding a woman really makes a difference; your tongue gets sharpened quite well every night."

Lu Qiaoshan was not going to let him off.

"You!" Long Er pointed at Lu Qiaoshan, nearly fuming with internal injury.

"Rest assured, the arms won't be a loss.

"This liquor business, I am definitely in." Lu Qiaoshan laughed.

"Have the money ready by tomorrow night; I won't wait past the deadline."

Lin Sufang dropped this line, wiggled her hips, and walked away quickly under Long Er's escort.

"Bang!"

As soon as Lin Sufang left, Lu Qiaoshan slammed the table in anger: "Bitch, slut!"

After cursing for a while, he began to worry again.

Where could he raise so much money?

Lu Qiaoshan wanted money, a lot of money.

During the two years in Jingling, he had been very strapped for cash and lived like a dog, suffering all kinds of humiliation.

He knew deeply that in this world, no one's connections were reliable; only money was the "eternal truth."

Hong Zhiyou, a country boy.

With no background and no power base, why was he doing so well that even the Chairman asked him to transport goods?

Wasn't it just because he had some money from business and let the foreigners help him grind the mill?

He himself was at least a veteran of the Nanchang Investigation Section; he didn't believe he couldn't compare to a green, poor kid.

If you want to be rich, pave the road first.

The road to riches that Lu Qiaoshan paved was the Cherry brand of the Hennessy Company.

He had secretly traded a lot of liquor in the past and knew deeply that this was a highly profitable business.

If he could take down the brand labels this time and occupy the entire Jinhai and even the national liquor market, that would be an inexhaustible mountain of gold and silver.

At that time, would he still need to look at the expressions of Zheng Jiemin and Wu Jingzhong?

The key was that he had absolute confidence in the person behind Lin Sufang.

This was a business that was guaranteed to make a profit.

Whether he could rise to glory all depended on this.

Do it!

Thinking of this, he drove back to the Guilin Road villa.

"Guifen, pack up, give Old Sun and the others some money and send them away." Lu Qiaoshan entered the door, loosened his tie, and gave instructions while changing his shoes.

"Old Lu, what do you mean? Why are you chasing people away for no reason?" Li Guifen was puzzled.

"We have to sell this house to raise money for the liquor business," Lu Qiaoshan said.

"Sell liquor?

"Qiaoshan, you must think this through.

"This is the only nest we have; if we sell it, it's gone.

"Besides, we have emotional attachment to this house; how can you just sell it like that?"

Upon hearing this, Li Guifen immediately objected.

"What does a woman know?

"Once we sell it for money and the liquor business takes off, what kind of house won't we have? By then, I'll buy you a big mansion on Changde Road directly."

Lu Qiaoshan explained with forced patience.

"I don't want a big mansion; I just want our home.

"Qiaoshan, it wasn't easy for us to return to Jinhai.

"This house was even secured for us by Zhiyou; we must cherish our blessings.

"We made a lot of money the last two times, enough to buy a wedding house for our son; if you dump all the money out now, what if we lose it all and our family falls apart?"

Li Guifen frowned and tried to persuade him.

"What do you know?

"Money is never enough; if you don't earn it, all these damn things will be earned by others.

"This business won't lose money; we have someone behind us.

"Crushing Hong Zhiyou is a matter of minutes.

"If you don't risk the child, you won't catch the wolf; how can there be such a good thing as wanting to scoop up gold and silver without spending money?

"Don't worry, there will be plenty of good food and drink for you and the child."

Lu Qiaoshan's gaze was gloomy; he went upstairs, opened the safe, took out all the money he had saved from recent business, and began to count the banknotes.

"Qiaoshan, we have enough money.

"It's not easy to have a few days of comfortable life; stop tossing and turning.

"You forgot.

"Zhiyou put in a lot of effort for you to be able to come back."

"This house was also secured for us by him.

"He has always been generous, and he even let our son act as the agent for wine sales in Suzhou; he really has helped us a lot.

"We must have a conscience in how we conduct ourselves.

"Why must you insist on making things difficult for Hong Zhiyou? He is your own brother."

Li Guifen looked at the man whose face was full of hostility and pleaded earnestly.

"Shut up!

"What own brother.

"He wants to use me to deal with Li Ya, to stop me from investigating the money the two of them—father-in-law and son-in-law—are skimming. Do you think I don't know about the Beiping affair? He went there together with Li Ya.

"It's likely he was the one plotting behind the scenes.

"Don't forget, I am a Colonel now.

"I don't just want money, I want Wu Jingzhong's seat. Hong Zhiyou is Wu Jingzhong's son-in-law; can he be of one mind with me?

"Besides, even brothers must settle accounts clearly.

"Will he give me one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, or five hundred thousand US dollars?

"Lu Ming getting married, buying an official post—these all require money.

"Can Hong Zhiyou give it?

"It all has to be earned by me.

"In the money game, there are no fathers and sons. The cake in Jinhai is limited; only one of us can sit at the table with a knife and fork.

"That person must be me!"

Lu Qiaoshan gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging.

"But... Ke Shufen said that only a fool would buy a useless brand. She won't invest a single cent. That person you mentioned is unreliable; they made their fortune by eating human blood buns.

"Long Er and his wife are stupid, don't you follow them into the water.

"If you keep playing like this, you will be killed by them.

"Let's just stick with Hong Zhiyou and earn some money in peace.

"Go and explain the situation to him clearly; he will surely forgive you."

Li Guifen grabbed his arm and continued to speak.

"Forgive?

"Why does what you say sound so grating to my ears.

"Earning money is based on one's own ability; what do I need his forgiveness for?"

Lu Qiaoshan shook off her hand, his expression becoming even uglier.

"When you were framed by Li Ya, if it weren't for Zhiyou protecting you, you would have been sent to the electric chair by Li Ya long ago.

"Our family has enough money to spend now, a hundred times better than in Jingling.

"These were all given to you by Zhiyou, not by Zheng Jiemin, and certainly not by that person.

"Don't return kindness with enmity; that will bring retribution.

"Qiaoshan, I beg you, stop."

Li Guifen pulled at Lu Qiaoshan, wiping away tears as she pleaded.

"Get out!

"You stinking woman, shut your crow's mouth and get as far away as you can."

Lu Qiaoshan was furious; he took the land deeds and the US dollars and stormed toward the study.

"Lu, have you been bewitched? Have you gone mad?"

Li Guifen stamped her feet and cried out in pain.

"Yes.

"I am mad.

"I went mad the moment I was driven out of Jinhai by Li Ya.

"I went mad when Ke Shufen pointed at my nose and called me a loser.

"I was already mad when Commander Fang's wife looked down on the gold bracelet you were wearing for being too thin.

"I was driven mad by this world long ago.

"Are you satisfied now!"

Lu Qiaoshan said coldly.

Bang!

He slammed the door shut heavily.

"It's over.

"It's all over."

Li Guifen collapsed onto the sofa, waves of despair surging in her heart.

She had seen that something was wrong with Qiaoshan long ago.

Ever since he was driven away by Li Ya, he had fallen into a paranoia he couldn't pull himself out of.

The key was that Hong Zhiyou had truly done their family a great favor.

To smash someone's rice bowl is like killing their parents; no human being would do such a thing.

Thinking of this, Li Guifen cried even harder.

She wanted to save this family.

But Sister Mei and Ruirui had already left; she didn't even have anyone to pass a message.

Go directly to find Hong Zhiyou.

His courtyard was full of eyes and ears outside; if Qiaoshan found out, he would be so angry his chest would ache again.

After crying for a while.

She suddenly thought of someone.

Late at night.

US military warehouse pier.

Long Er and Lin Sufang stood on the second floor, watching the workers below moving wooden crates and the American soldiers patrolling with live ammunition; both of them revealed a knowing, triumphant smile.

"Second Brother.

"Once this batch of goods reaches Minnan, we can earn a huge sum again.

"I've thought it over.

"While the child hasn't been born yet, let's save up more for him."

Lin Sufang stroked her belly and said with a face full of tenderness.

"Sufang, it's thanks to heaven that I met you again.

"To tell you the truth, in the past I felt money had no meaning; Hong Zhiyou handled everything, and I just waited for the dividends.

"Anyway, I couldn't spend it all in this lifetime.

"But now that I have you and the child, and perhaps grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the future, whenever I think of the prosperity of the Long family, I dream of saving more money for them."

Long Er held her waist and said with deep emotion.

"Indeed, if I hadn't come, all your family assets would have become the Hong family's.

"Think about it, without you, he's nothing.

"He's so cunning, using your people and your ships to go to Xiangdao to open a shipyard. My brother went over last time and saw that your name wasn't even among the shareholders.

"A business worth millions, even tens of millions, and it has nothing to do with you.

"And selling wine, moving goods from our pier every day—has he ever paid a cent for transport?

"You really are stupid to the core."

Lin Sufang pinched his ear and hummed coquettishly.

"Yes, yes.

"My Sufang is the living Bodhisattva sent to save me.

"However, what he did was indeed a bit excessive. Actually, we could have talked to Hong Zhiyou openly and split the company and everything clearly.

"After all, we were brothers; without him, I wouldn't have sat in the position of gang leader. Furthermore, he isn't the type to forcibly occupy or demand things; there was no need to make the relationship so tense."

Long Er said with a bit of unease in his heart.

"You are just too kind-hearted.

"That's because it didn't involve money. If we didn't strike first, with his scheming mind, he would have dug you out if you went to talk.

"But there's no need to worry now.

"After the wages for the entire Cao Gang were raised a few times, everyone only recognizes us now.

"Even if Hong Zhiyou wants to pull some tricks, it's absolutely impossible."

Lin Sufang curled her beautiful red lips and a cold sneer appeared.

"How much money do we have in our accounts?" Long Er asked.

"I tallied it up; two underground banks were taken over by Hong Zhiyou. Yesterday I went to settle the accounts, and Zhou Yan refused to hand them over.

"As for the shipyard, the Rong family has been stalling, and since your name isn't on the contract, I reckon we won't be able to get it back.

"Subtracting those two assets, the liquid funds we have in our accounts are probably only about two hundred thousand US dollars."

"It cost tens of thousands to buy the distillery.

"I spent ten or twenty thousand on connections with the foreign devils.

"The remaining hundred-plus thousand will likely all have to be dumped into the liquor business.

"Sigh, money is still not enough."

Lin Sufang sighed softly and said.

"That's right, I was soft-hearted about the bank.

"When Hong Zhiyou said he wanted it, I waved my hand and handed it over to him, taking a net commission every month.

"Now it's hard to get it back."

Long Er frowned and said in distress.

"What's so hard about it?

"Everyone knows the bank is yours; as long as you finish off Hong Zhiyou, won't it come back to you in a legitimate way?"

Lin Sufang said coldly.

"Wouldn't that be going too far?" Long Er said.

"If you don't kill him, he will finish me off.

"Now that things have reached this point, do you think Hong Zhiyou will let me off?" Lin Sufang said with dissatisfaction.

"But he is a man of the Secret Service Bureau; if Wu Jingzhong wants to avenge him, we will be in big trouble." Long Er said, troubled.

"You are a dignified gang leader, why are you always so timid?

"We have Anderson backing us now.

"The Americans are the ancestors of his Wu Jingzhong; besides, once Hong Zhiyou is dead, his connections will vanish into thin air and he will be nothing.

"As for Wu Jingzhong.

"Don't forget that back then, a single Zhang Si was enough to keep him from raising his head.

"You wouldn't be inferior to even Zhang Si, would you?

"Second Brother, for the sake of the child in my belly, Hong Zhiyou must die."

Lin Sufang continued to persuade.

Long Er looked into the distance, tapped his front teeth a few times, and slammed his hands heavily on the armrests: "Fine, then let's finish him off."

"That's right.

"A man must be ruthless to be a man, and one cannot stand firm without being cruel.

"Once Hong Zhiyou is killed, Jinhai will be ours.

"However, don't be in a hurry.

"Wait for the Americans to turn on him, squeeze his Axe brand out of the market, make him completely lose his financial path and his connections, and only when he is as destitute as a dog will we send him to his grave.

"This is also the meaning of that person."

Lin Sufang said.

"Fine, I will listen to everything Lady arranges." Long Er nodded.

Downstairs.

Bang.

Two workers carrying a crate suddenly had their hemp rope snap, and the crate tipped over onto the ground.

Immediately, the spherical opium inside scattered all over the floor.

"You bastards, how are you doing your work? Hurry up and pick it up."

A foreman immediately took out a whip and started beating them while cursing.

In the shadows.

Another foreman stood in the shadows, took out a miniature camera, and *click, click*, quickly captured the scene.

Mu Residence.

Hong Zhiyou vented all the mental pressure he had been under for days onto Wanqiu.

The two of them tossed and turned until late at night before calling it a day.

After smoking a post-coital cigarette, he got up, picked up the telephone, and dialed a number:

"Is it done?

"Good.

"Tomorrow morning, I want to see it on the front page of the Jinhai Daily.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Hanging up the phone, Hong Zhiyou walked to the window and pulled back the curtains.

The sky was layered with dark clouds that the wind could not blow away, and the crescent moon looked so faint it seemed it could shatter at any moment.

A dark night with a high wind.

It is the perfect time for killing.

A faint smile appeared on the corner of Hong Zhiyou's mouth:

The counterattack is about to begin.

The next day.

Lu Qiaoshan, in his military uniform, drove straight to the Marine Corps.

Anderson had already been ordered to wait for him.

"Anderson, has Hong Zhiyou been here recently?"

Lu Qiaoshan got out of the car and secretly slipped him a hundred-dollar bill.

"No.

"He came to look for us a few times and asked for a few card games, but the General didn't pay him any mind." Anderson accepted it happily and said.

"Aren't you worried about your old partner and old classmate?

"His business has all been taken over by me now."

Lu Qiaoshan said as he walked.

"Old classmate?

"My friend, you must have never been to the West; we believe in money above all else.

"Whoever gives more money is a friend.

"Obviously, Miss Lin gives us more; since she recommended you, you are our friend.

"Hong can only go cool off on the sidelines for now.

"You are our true friend."

Anderson laughed.

"Right, we are friends." Lu Qiaoshan nodded.

"I'm curious, if Hong Zhiyou gave more, would you choose him again?" After thinking for a moment, he asked with a lack of security.

"That's not very likely.

"Because Hong doesn't sell opium.

"The profit in this is not something he can give up.

"So, as long as the Cao Gang is still around, it's impossible for us to do business with Hong Zhiyou again.

"After all, who would go against money?"

Anderson laughed loudly.

"That makes sense."

Lu Qiaoshan felt a bit more at ease.

When they arrived at the office of the General, the General had already set up the card game.

"Lu, my good friend, we were just waiting for you."

He joined the game.

Lu Qiaoshan was fuming inside.

He did not intentionally lose money as he had in the past.

For some time in the past, in order to flatter these foreign devils, he had lost at least three thousand US dollars at the card table.

Now that there was a shortage of goods and they still wanted money, there was no way.

Lu Qiaoshan had always been calculating; how could he indulge the General?

He was shrewd by nature and could count cards.

After playing for two hours, he had slaughtered everyone and won over a thousand US dollars.

The General's heart ached from losing.

His face fell, he pushed over the mahjong tiles in his hand, and started jabbering:

"No more playing, no more playing, my luck is bad today."

Anderson acted as the simultaneous interpreter on the side.

"We have an old saying: the moon has its cloudy and clear times, and card games naturally have wins and losses; where in this world is there a general who always wins?

"General, shouldn't you give me the rest of that shipment of goods?"

Lu Qiaoshan straightened the bills one by one and put them into his pocket under the General's pained gaze.

"General Ke Ke called me last night; the goods are already in transit and will arrive in Jinhai in three days at the latest," Feiersun said irritably.

"Good."

"Three days."

"Farewell."

Lu Qiao smiled.

Just as they were speaking, Feiersun's phone rang.

He answered it, and after hanging up, he whispered a few words to Anderson.

"Division Chief Lu."

"Something has happened to the Cao Gang; you need to rush back immediately."

(End of chapter)