Chapter 168 — Flamboyance Unmasked [Chapter 6 Update, Begging for Monthly Tickets]
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"To think he has his eye on the Gu Group too..." Gu Pengzhan heaved a deep sigh. "Originally I thought it was merely internal strife within the group, and out of consideration for my father's face I never set things in order... But some people have actually begun colluding with outsiders to move against the group... To think it had grown this complicated..."
As he said this, Gu Pengzhan looked utterly helpless, and bleak with sorrow.
Wei Zhao could feel it, and he understood the man's mood. He had said it before: most of the company's shareholders were the sons and nephews of the old comrades who had once fought alongside Old Master Chu to build this empire.
"Is there anything you need me to do?" Wei Zhao raised his head and looked at Gu Pengzhan.
"Li Cihua is a man of very complicated background, walking the line between the black and the white. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I do not want to make an open enemy of him," Gu Pengzhan said, somewhat helplessly. "It seems we can only start from inside the company. Xiaoyi, you just protect Yaoyao and Xiaoshu. Leave these matters to me."
"Uncle Chu, actually, I can help share some of the burden." Wei Zhao smiled. "Li Cihua — even if we do not provoke him, he will come looking for trouble with us. Just as when I refused his offer, he turned right around and sent two fine hands after my life."
"Li Cihua sent people to hunt you down?" Gu Pengzhan started, staring at Wei Zhao in shock. He had not expected Li Cihua to make his move so soon. Li Cihua had a reputation for heavy-handedness, but Gu Pengzhan had had little to do with him; Gu Pengzhan was a legitimate businessman and kept his distance from anything shady.
"Yes. Two Yellow Rank experts." Wei Zhao did not know whether Gu Pengzhan understood the ranking of martial ability, but from his expression, he guessed not. Yet a flicker of something passed across Uncle Qing's face — there and gone in an instant, impossible to catch unless one had been watching closely.
Wei Zhao had kept his eyes on Gu Pengzhan and Uncle Qing all the while he spoke, and from Uncle Qing's expression he knew the old man must understand something of the rankings. But now was not the time to ask.
"So you — you shook them off?" Gu Pengzhan asked, regarding Wei Zhao with some concern.
"I led them onto the national highway, used a little trick. They took the bait without meaning to and drove straight into the ravine." Wei Zhao shrugged. "Their bad luck, really."
"Dead?" Gu Pengzhan's eyes went wide. Killings were hardly unknown in the struggles of high society, but Gu Pengzhan rarely did anything against his principles, and hearing that Wei Zhao had lured two experts who meant to kill him into a ravine left him badly shaken.
"I doubt they'll live." Wei Zhao smiled bitterly. "Uncle Chu — this won't bring you any trouble, will it?"
"Trouble? No, I shouldn't think so." Gu Pengzhan was shaken only for a moment before recovering himself. Wei Zhao had run into this trouble on account of his family's affairs; never mind that the two men had meant to kill Wei Zhao and been lured into the ravine by his trick — even if Wei Zhao had walked up and killed them outright, Gu Pengzhan would still have found a way to clear him. "Without evidence, who can prove you did it? Hmph. In Songshan City, it isn't so easy to touch anyone under Gu Pengzhan's protection."
Only now did Gu Pengzhan's domineering air come to the surface. Before Wei Zhao and Gu Mengyao, Gu Pengzhan had always worn the manner of a gentle, kindly elder; never before had he been so furious.