Chapter 446: Chapter 423 Intentional
"Hehe, once your health improves, Elder, how about I make an exception and give you two a day?" Secretary Luo, as if coaxing a child, drapes a coat over Hua Muyun: "The meeting minutes have already been sent over by the secretary’s office. Would you like to read them now or later?"
"Leave them for now. What do you think about today’s meeting?"
"Wang Zhanting doesn’t want Dragon Soul involved, and regarding the takeover plan for the Western Suburb, he seems to want to distance himself. I’m thinking, is it possible that there is already a rift within the Wang Family? Perhaps the evidence you arranged last time has created friction between Wang Zhanting and the Wang Family."
"Fatty Wang is insidious and deceitful, a smiling tiger. It’s impossible for Wang Zhanting to place him under his own banner. The Wang Family now has a significant presence in the market, and for Fatty Wang, a mere City Committee minister is nothing. Hua Muyun watched as the last black car drove out of the City Committee Building, then returned to his desk: "We’ll watch and see. Wang Zhanting is still wavering at the moment. To him, the reputation of the Wang Family is definitely more important than that of the heir. Keep a close eye on Lin Zhifang’s movements. Have him quickly collect all the of the Wang Family’s actions, including any collusion between local departments. No business lacks its underhand dealings."
"Yes, I will personally supervise that."
"Ah, no, no, you can’t come forward yourself. Find someone reliable, preferably someone not from our circle, to handle this. Also, find a detective agency. Regarding the land transaction from last year that Xiao Xiao mentioned last time, it’s best not to let Lin Zhifang handle it. Let him investigate what he’s already investigating. We’ll prepare a backup plan. Let him fiddle with the criminal case, but we need to find another avenue. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Elder."
Secretary Luo looked at Hua Muyun with an admiring gaze. In terms of meticulous thinking, those women couldn’t truly compare to Hua Muyun. He never trusted anyone and only believed in himself. People like them could even be betrayed by their family one day. In the face of power, there were no real friends.
This was what Hua Muyun had told him on the first day he took up the secretary position. He believed it to this day. Hua Muyun also viewed him and his surroundings with suspicion.
He no longer cared about it, but he couldn’t deny that at first, he was indeed furious about it. However, the longer he followed Hua Muyun, the more he understood his reasoning. Facts proved him right. This wasn’t just the case for those in official positions, but also for ordinary people. The competition in the business world was just as fierce as in the political realm.
"Xiao Luo, trusting someone is actually very easy." Hua Muyun seemed to have read Secretary Luo’s thoughts, showing him a rare kind smile: "But to trust someone for a long time is actually very difficult. You don’t know what will happen, whom you will meet, or what changes may occur. Even the smallest mistake can lead to betrayal between people. In this world, the least reliable aren’t enemies, but friends."
These words coming from Hua Muyun’s mouth was extremely rare, and for Secretary Luo, who had followed him for many years, hearing this was immensely moving. It proved his position in Hua Muyun’s heart.
"Elder, there’s something I’m not sure if I should ask."
"Go ahead!"
"Those people aren’t from the Sword, so why let things escalate with misunderstandings? This appears to be unfavorable for Young Master Xiao." Secretary Luo carefully chose his words while observing Hua Muyun’s expression and thinking about what to say next.
"Isn’t this direction good?" Hua Muyun smiled enigmatically, leaving Secretary Luo puzzled for a moment.
"I hope Elder can enlighten me."
"Xiao Luo, it shows you’re still young." Hua Muyun chuckled while sipping his tea: "Do you think Lu Yixing is an idiot? His eyes are sharper than anyone’s, and such a badge would easily be recognized once he scanned the photo."
"Are you saying Commander Lu did it intentionally?" This confused Secretary Luo further. When did the Elder and Lu Yixing become aligned? Such matters are usually handed to him to handle.
"Our plan was to use the fake Sword to draw out Wang Zhanting. Lu Yixing being stuck in the middle escalated things, which was unexpected. Lao Lu probably also wanted to use this as an opportunity for his promotion." Hua Muyun could generally guess Lu Yixing’s action. Such small moves were harmless as long as they didn’t ruin his plan. He let things proceed under his watch.
"Think carefully about this imposter."
"Before Young Master Xiao acted, he gave you the entire plan, and you leaked it to Lin Zhifang to test him. I understand that, but what is the purpose of the fake Sword?"
"The Liger Gang is just a stepping stone. No one cares about the life or death of the Lion. What they want is the meat of the Western Suburb, and Xiao Lin is the obstacle before it."
"You mean someone wants to take Young Master Xiao away under the guise of the Sword." Secretary Luo began to understand.
"Obviously, this person doesn’t understand Young Master Xiao’s background and resorted to murder when discovered."
Hua Muyun nodded. This was why he specifically highlighted this part in the meeting, to give a warning to those who meddled in the murder case, but it was unexpected that Lu Yixing would intervene, giving him a new opportunity.
"Lu Yixing’s intervention indeed gave me an opportunity to involve Dragon Soul, and Qin Weiguo doesn’t appear to be that dull."
"The death of the Sword person is an easy leverage point for the other side to exploit, posing as an investigation excuse to trap our people in a conspiracy, spurring conflict between the Hua Family and the military." Secretary Luo continued the analysis according to Elder Hua’s words, revealing loopholes one by one before them.
"So, I say Lu Yixing’s intervention actually helped Xiao Lin. It allows Dragon Soul’s people to legitimately enter the fray, as long as the military doesn’t interfere, Wang Zhanting can say nothing."
"Then on Lin Zhifang’s side..."
"Xiao Lin has already arranged for someone to go in on that side, let’s not worry about him. Any news can be passed on to him, but let’s see what Wang Family does."
"Although that’s what we’re saying, from the business side we can’t intervene here; Wang Family has an extra bargaining chip."
"How would we use sowing discord?" Hua Muyun cast a sidelong glance, his face full of displeasure: "Xiao Luo, seems like I need to throw you down below for a few months of training; you’re regressing as you grow."
"Elder, how could you bear to throw me out? Even if you could, I wouldn’t trust leaving you to those inexperienced youngsters." Secretary Luo’s face fell with a hint of jest: "What I mean is before Qin Weiguo submits his plan, shouldn’t we keep an eye on the Xia Family."
"Let’s keep the Xia Family still. The people Qin Weiguo can submit are just those few, we’ll wait." Hua Muyun revealed a profound expression again: "People sitting in high positions must remain calm at all times."
"Yes, Elder."
"Go make arrangements, let’s meet with Xiao Lin and Qing Yi, those two brats. They’ve finished their tasks without even coming back to report."
"Still at the old place?"
"Choose a livelier place, that brat doesn’t cause half the worry as Xiao Lin does."
"Elder can rest easy about this, with Young Master Xiao watching over, naturally nothing will cause trouble."
"Mm!" Hua Muyun put on his coat and hat: "Take the meeting notes from today and check what those two brats think. We’re old and not as spirited as the young people now. Plans we’ve thought of for a long time, they’ve managed to complete in a day’s time; their efficiency far surpasses Dragon Soul, the Xiao Family surely has successors."
Entering the world of night is chaotic and dangerous; a black business car entered a side road after driving along a main road.
This is the most secretive private club in Yanjing, having a very strict membership system. To enter the club, one’s identity must undergo thorough scrutiny before qualifying for a membership certificate. It’s not simply a matter of wealth or power, nor a member-introduced membership system. Many rejected individuals are left wondering what exactly is being scrutinized.
Is it status? Is it power? Or is it wealth? If it were these, many rejected individuals would qualify to enter, yet no one will answer such questions, nor will they bother responding.
Once the black business car came to a stop, the valet quickly opened the door, resting a hand on the doorframe to prevent the passenger from hitting their head while exiting. A pair of shiny black leather shoes stepped on the ground, and a dark grey suit emerged from the car interior. Secretary Luo stood outside the car door, glanced around, then extended his hand inside the car: "Elder, please get out."
Hua Muyun, donning his usual overcoat, stepped out of the car. Spring had arrived, yet the breeze was still biting, so he pulled up his collar: "Have they all arrived?"
"Yes, they’ve been waiting for quite a while in the private room. Young Master Xiao mentioned that there’s a gift prepared for you." Secretary Luo smiled mischievously, but under Hua Muyun’s glare, dared not act further.
The club’s interior is quite simple, best described as humble. No opulent decorations, no expensive artworks, no beautiful women or men, only middle-aged women with kindly smiles and thoughtful service.
After greeting a woman approximately in her forties, Secretary Luo led Hua Muyun up a side staircase to the second-floor private room.
"Xiao Yun has been working here for quite a while." Hua Muyun glanced at the woman below; despite her forty years, she maintained a figure akin to a twenty-year-old girl.
"Elder, would you like me to arrange it for you?"
"No need."
(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian () to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)