Chapter 519 Big Shot
Sun Fugui's heart ached.
"Human hearts! Heh! Friends! Hehe! Brothers!? Hehehe, hahaha! What damn generational friendship!? Twenty billion bought the bones of you filthy, rotten-hearted dog things! My Sun family was the first to stand up for the Zhang family, help you build momentum, help you besiege Lu Chengwen... In the end, the abacus was played on my head?"
Sun Fugui gritted his teeth. Thinking of this disastrous move of his, which killed his own son, he was furious.
Tears of anger burst from his eyes: "I actually believed your nonsense! Let my son personally go out, wave flags and shout for your Zhang family! Thinking about it now, I'm just an idiot, a fool played in your palms! Our Sun family is responsible for dying, your Zhang family is responsible for collecting money!"
Sun Zhe (eldest) said angrily: "Father, the Zhang family used our Sun family as a bargaining chip, hiding behind to make money, letting us suffer losses. This score cannot be settled just like this!"
Sun Fugui looked at Zhang Yuan of the Zhang family, pressed to the ground, a long sword against the back of his neck.
"Zhang family is unjust, don't blame me for being unrighteous!"
"Family Head, don't, don't! For the sake of the generational friendship between Zhang and Sun families, you must..."
Puchi!
Zhang Yuan was truly wronged.
...
Zhang Jiucheng always felt somewhat uneasy.
During the day, Lu Chengwen called and spoke harsh words. In the evening, he contacted him again, saying he could immediately transfer twenty billion, and at the same time give the Zhang family annual dividends from the enterprise.
The only request was for them to mediate, contact the Sun family, see how to discuss compensation, to seek peace.
Such a good thing, the Zhang family was naturally happy to accept.
So they sent a representative to the provincial capital to secretly contact Junshi under Lu Chengwen.
He would never have thought this would be a counter-espionage scheme meticulously planned by Lu Chengwen and Zhuge Qin.
They arranged to meet Zhang Yuan in an upstairs room. But they first went to a downstairs room, had A Hu cooperate and act out a scene first.
The Sun family members heard the scene downstairs, didn't suspect at all. Going upstairs again, they were certain Zhang Yuan was the Zhang family representative who had just negotiated with Zhuge Qin below.
And Zhang Yuan, they were somewhat familiar with. His original surname wasn't Zhang; it was bestowed by the family head.
Thus, at this moment, in the eyes of the Sun family, the Zhang family was greatly wicked.
They didn't show up themselves, let the Sun family show up to hunt down Lu Chengwen, to apply pressure.
But behind the scenes, they acted as good people to Lu Chengwen, taking money.
Is this how people act?
But from the Zhang family's perspective, since things had already happened, might as well extort a sum from Lu Chengwen first, then discuss with the Sun family how to deal with Lu Chengwen.
Just this first step wasn't even completed, and the situation had already changed.
Zhang Jiucheng couldn't contact Zhang Yuan, could only pace in circles alone.
By intuition, he knew something had happened.
And Sun Fugui, after killing Zhang Yuan, didn't make it public, precisely so your Zhang family couldn't get this money!
Revenge needs to be taken step by step.
Lu Chengwen has money, the Zhang family has power. These two cannot be resolved together, need to be dealt with one by one.
Especially the Sun family, too many masters. If they truly tore off all pretenses, the Sun family had no certainty of victory.
How to make all families deal with the Zhang family together?
Sun Fugui also thought of a vicious plan.
...
The next day.
Zhang Jiucheng, with complex feelings, arrived at the Yu family in the North Kingdom.
The Yu family was one of the four major families in the North Kingdom, a truly big family. In the eyes of the Yu family, what Zhang family, Sun family, Long family, Sima family... were all small fries.
The Yu family was not populous, but had many masters.
Not only many masters, but also many connections with the top echelons.
The Zhang family being able to have face in the North Kingdom these years was mainly by relying on the Yu family.
Thus, arriving at the Yu family manor in the morning, wanting to report on recent events.
This was a necessary task.
Logically, as soon as trouble occurred in their family, they should immediately report, then let the Yu family preside over justice.
Just Zhang Jiucheng never expected that a Lu Chengwen could actually stir up such earth-shattering chaos.
Actually dared to smash the Sun family's second son to death!
Things had reached this point, the 'bored and overfed' (organization) would most likely intervene. Once they intervened, the nature would completely change!
Moreover, these ancient martial families all had some unsavory dealings behind the scenes. Once targeted by the 'bored and overfed', even if you're innocent, you'll swell up (get into trouble).
Some things, unweighed don't amount to four liang; once weighed, a thousand jin can't hold them down. (Idiom: Some minor issues become huge once investigated)
Zhang Yuan's disappearance was definitely an extremely strong negative signal!
Now was the time, must immediately go find the Yu family, let them back him up, give advice, even beg them to help the Zhang family handle subsequent matters.
Coincidentally, today the Yu family was receiving a distinguished guest.
Zhang Jiucheng was very sensitive to these things.
In this position, he couldn't afford not to be sensitive.
The Yu family's reception standards today were clearly the most exaggerated he had ever seen.
The red carpets were brand new, not a single person on the main gate road, everyone walked sticking to the wall;
All flower gardens, landscaping, buildings had been cleaned, repaired;
All house servants, maids had changed into new clothes, walked with small, quick steps, spoke in soft whispers.
Inside and out, more festive than New Year!
Zhang Jiucheng met with the Yu family's second steward.
"Brother Funan! I have urgent matters to report to the Family Head!"
Second steward Yu Funan pulled him aside: "Old brother Jiucheng, today is really tough! Someone from the Jiang family is here."
"Jiang family? Which Jiang family?"
Yu Funan smiled: "Let me put it this way, all the ancient martial artists under heaven, in the eyes of the Jiang family people, are cabbages."
"Ah..."
Yu Funan said: "The Jiang family is an ancient family, their standards are too high! Coming to the Yu family this time is already giving the Yu family immense face. Didn't you see everyone in this mansion, up and down, treating them like the Supreme Emperor? Even if you have heaven-shattering matters, you have to wait until the Jiang family people leave."
Zhang Jiucheng's heart felt like it was on fire.
"Erge (Second Brother - referring to Funan)! I really encountered a heaven-shattering matter!"
"What heaven-shattering matter?"
"Don't mention it! Our Zhang family held a martial arts marriage contest a few days ago, but Lu Chengwen from Xuecheng snatched the bride in public! Even snatched away a Tianmen Dan of ours! Later the Sun family stood up for us, Lu Chengwen actually smashed the Sun family's second son to death; yesterday he invited my people to the provincial capital for negotiations, but later they went missing, haven't been able to contact them since..."
"Alright alright alright..." Yu Funan didn't even want to listen: "Isn't it just that some Sun family lost a son? Dead anyway. Let me tell you plainly, this time if we can receive the Jiang family well, the Yu family will be unique in the North Kingdom in the future! The top dog! Tell me, at this time, what would the Family Head care about... that some Sun family lost how many sons?"
"Old brother, let me also tell you some good news!"
"Still good news?"
"Right! You wait until the Jiang family people leave. If our reception is good, the Family Head will definitely be in a great mood! Then you go find him, everything will be easy to discuss."
"Good! Good good! Many thanks Brother Funan! Erge, come visit when you have time, everyone at home is thinking of you."
Yu Funan said smilingly: "Not at all, not at all, we've been brothers for so many years. That what Lu, what..."
"Lu Chengwen."
"Lu Chengwen." Yu Funan said: "Let him live two more days, just two days. Later when the Jiang family people leave, if the Yu family wants to destroy him, isn't it just like playing?"
Zhang Jiucheng understood.
In front of the Yu family, he was just like the Yu family in front of the Jiang family: trembling, a sycophantic minor figure.
Now the Yu family was handling important matters, his little affair, they couldn't be bothered with.
But fortunately, the Yu family encountered a joyous event. If the Yu family could achieve class advancement, then in the future they could give the Zhang family even more benefits!
Thinking of this, Zhang Jiucheng also became joyful.
At this moment, people walked out from inside. Yu Funan was greatly alarmed: "Oh no! Quick quick quick! Go go go!"
The two were about to slip away.
But it was too late, the people inside had already come out.
Only five people in total.
Jiang Xiaohu walked at the very front. Yu family head Yu Kuohai, that tiger-backed, bear-waisted man nearly two meters tall, voice like a great bell, an authoritative figure in the North Kingdom, now seemed somewhat shorter.
He carefully positioned himself beside Jiang Xiaohu, but always half a step slightly behind Jiang Xiaohou.
This way, he could answer Jiang Xiaohu's words anytime, anywhere, yet wouldn't overstep and be abrupt by walking side-by-side with Jiang Xiaohu.
Following behind were the chief steward and Jiang Xiaohu's three personal guards.
Those three personal guards, each looked like a god descended to earth. Based on Zhang Jiucheng's experience, just by looking at their eyes, he knew these three were masters among masters, top-tier talents!
Let alone the expressionless Jiang Xiaohu in front, just these three personal guards, their expressions clearly didn't even put Yu Kuohai in their eyes.
And the chief steward Yu Dong, usually second only to one person and above ten thousand, now accompanied with a smile, following behind, even more cautiously.
His face always maintained a proper smile, usually didn't interrupt, only interjected a sentence when necessary, proper, quick-witted, yet composed and introverted.
But!
Everyone was inferior to the extraordinary bearing of the young man leading them.
In Zhang Jiucheng's eyes, Yu Kuohai was already the most awesome, most imposing, most kingly-mannered big figure he had ever seen.
But today, this young man refreshed Zhang Jiucheng's understanding.
Although this person was very young, he truly gave people a feeling of... in all the world, who else but me.
Zhang Jiucheng only understood today, so this is what real imposing aura means.
He was the most relaxed person in the entire venue, but also looked like the most powerful person.
He was handsome, face calm, eyes not sharp.
This expression and state were very inconsistent with his age.
Belonged to the type that was both heroic and spirited, and also old and scheming.
Simply like a crown prince inspecting on behalf of the monarch in the North Kingdom, so majestic, so domineering.
However, what made Zhang Jiucheng feel most dreadful was, the killing aura on this young man... was too strong!
His every move, his aura and gaze, gave people the feeling that—
In this kid's eyes, human life simply wasn't treated as human life.
Even if someone told Zhang Jiucheng this fellow had killed an entire country's people himself, the current Zhang Jiucheng wouldn't doubt it.
The chief steward saw Zhang Jiucheng and Yu Funan over there from the moment he stepped out.
He remained unmoved, always maintained a smile, fixed on the family head and Jiang Xiaohu in front, occasionally interjecting a sentence.
But took a moment to glare back. Yu Funan inwardly wanted to strangle Zhang Jiucheng.
Yu Funan grabbed Zhang Jiucheng, tightly gripping his wrist, head lowered, not daring to speak.
The two stood respectfully by the side of the corridor.