Deadly Trap.

Chapter 68. Irreversible
Despite being mentally prepared, Gu Mufeng's heart still felt as if it had been suddenly and forcefully squeezed, and his blood surged violently.

From a young age, he knew that he resembled his mother; even Gu Zhipei thought the resemblance was uncanny.

But why does the face in front of him look like a mirror image?
Despite the increase in age, and the fact that his facial features and face shape are no longer the same, every smile, every gesture...

Caution is advised. But Gu Mufeng forced himself to breathe through the excruciating pain and struggled to sit up. He lightly braced one hand against his wound for support, using the shadow to hide the fine sweat at his temples, and as if deliberately enticing him, calmly rolled down the car window completely:

"...Mr. Tang."

"This is a perfect place for a final bow," the voice on the other end said slowly. It was a deep, gloomy tone, like something lost in the ocean.

The man sat comfortably in the shadows, impeccably dressed in a dark suit, a stark contrast to Gu Mufeng's current disheveled and embarrassed state.

Beneath his smoothly combed-back black hair, moonlight illuminated half of his sharply defined, cold, and arrogant profile, and revealed a pair of starry eyes hidden in the shadows. Within those deep black pupils, a chilling, untamed smile emanated. This face showed no signs of being over sixty.

At this moment, the man acted as if Gu Mufeng were completely invisible. Casually, he surveyed the surroundings of the cemetery, his demeanor one of complete ease:

"I heard that there is a grave of one of my daughters here, so I came to take a look on a whim. Why did Mr. Gu come here at night?"

"Let's not beat around the bush." ​​Gu Mufeng twisted his knife wound to rouse himself, the pain whipping up his spine like a whip.

He smiled slightly: "...Father. Please don't take the wrong side on a whim."

At the same time, his heart clenched. Standing before Xiao Fan's grave, he actually called his enemy "father"?
If Su Li heard this, how would she despise him? Or would she say nothing, only using the disappointment in her eyes to freeze his last remaining escape route?
"Oh?" Tang Quan seemed quite interested.

“No matter how obedient an outsider is, they are still an outsider. Besides…” Taking a moment to consider his words, Gu Mufeng barely managed to hide his difficulty breathing. He deliberately paused:
"Even among the four major conglomerates, some are merely ambitious opportunists accustomed to sitting on the fence. How could they possibly listen to you?"

The moonlight is cold.

Across from him, Tang Quan chuckled softly.

"I've seen the tomb. This place is quite nice." With that, Tang Quan casually rolled up the car window. "Today, let this old man see off this young man. Let's get started."

"Now!"

Just as Tang Quan closed the car window, a sharp gust of wind swept silently from the memorial pavilion at the cemetery. Gu Mufeng's shout was barely out of his mouth when, "whoosh," a cold shadow appeared. Close to the slowly closing window of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, "swoosh," at a tricky angle, the arrow pierced straight into Tang Quan's chest.

The hand-stitched arrow fletched itself slightly against the dark suit.

"President!" A murmur rippled through the crowd.

With his foot on the accelerator, the car roared to life, and Gu Mufeng had already started the engine, leaving everyone else in the dust. Close to the edge of the cemetery, he yanked the steering wheel hard, causing the car to skid. The rear-wheel drive crushed the grass, the car nearly scraped against the tombstones, and it swerved to escape the Tianxing Gang's blockade.

The next second, he turned around, accelerated, without hesitation, and without looking back. Behind him, gunshots rained down in a chaotic manner. Gradually, he left them behind at lightning speed, and they disappeared from his sight.

In the west, the waning moon was faintly visible.

Resisting speed and inertia, Gu Mufeng gritted his teeth. Driven by some unknown emotion and belief, it was as if the soft hand of the past was supporting him… forcing him to reach his limit. In an instant, he burst out of the maze-like Lanzhou Mountain Road.

He sped across the sleeping suburbs at breakneck speed, like a burning flame of life, and raced onto the deserted Minxi Expressway viaduct.

The car sped along like a shooting star. The engine roared fiercely, and all that could be seen in the rearview mirror was endless darkness. Ahead, the towering city center of Minzhou seemed within reach.

The east was just beginning to lighten.

"Boss!"

Finally, when the car screeched to a halt at the foot of the Cloud Pavilion on Pear Island, Welsh, who had been anxiously waiting there, immediately rushed forward.

In the dim light of dawn, Gu Mufei struggled to push open the blood-stained car door.

Holding onto the car, he nearly fell out due to blood loss and the drop in adrenaline. His body suddenly stretched, as if his ribs were being torn from his flesh, causing him excruciating pain that made him tremble all over.

Sweat dripped from his temples to his chin.

Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped on its own at some point, leaving half of the white shirt stained with blood, which clung dry and hard to the torn flesh on the left side.

Welsh supported him with both hands: "Boss, you?"

Gu Mufeng could barely hear what Welsh was saying. He couldn't speak either. His heart was pounding wildly, still fiercely pounding in his trembling veins. His brain was buzzing:

From the moment he resolutely threw himself into Friday Night, making revenge the only cause worth burning his life for, he rose from the ashes in the gray world, determined not to implicate others, even sacrificing love and affection for it.

Over the course of eleven years, he meticulously planned and executed his plans, sparing no effort in strategizing and personnel management. From nothing to something, working tirelessly day and night, he built his own unique power, his own set of rules, and his own gray empire.

He roamed the southeast, overseeing several municipal reshuffles. He was always the one who used his cunning and scheming to turn others upside down.

But now.

Even though he was willing to die in Su Li's place to protect her, he was actually seen through, completely exposed like a baby! This was unprecedented!
Despite his efforts to save face, since Tang Quan had seen through his intentions and believed he had him under his control, he would not hesitate to use him to his fullest extent.

When he saw the satellite map and realized he was practically next to Lanzhoushan Cemetery, he guessed that Tang Quan would make the same assumption about him:

He will definitely lead his troops to Lanzhou Mountain; and after going around in circles, he will go to see Xiao Fan's grave.

While driving and shoving people away, Gu Mufeng gave instructions and made arrangements.

He first ordered the special forces to infiltrate covertly and make sure to protect Su Li, while he himself acted as bait;

Immediately afterwards, he directed the Slayer sniper team to ambush the memorial pavilion at the cemetery and coordinated the transportation team to provide support and facilitate their departure.

Finally, he deliberately risked his life.

He acted like a clown, fulfilling Tang Quan's expectations and prompting the latter to appear in person; he also spoke as much as he could, doing his best to buy more and more precious time for the overall deployment and Welsh's retreat.

As the saying goes, "Use the orthodox to engage, and the unorthodox to win!"
But! He put Su Li in grave danger! He made him so disheveled! And he even called out "Father" against his will! Right in front of Xiao Fan's grave! Tang Quan!
His blood boiled. "This time, I underestimated my opponent..." Gripping Welsh's arm that was supporting him, Gu Mufeng knelt down on one knee. He suppressed the anger and bloodlust that suddenly surged in his chest and almost escaped his lips.

He struggled to breathe and said, "But there won't be a next time."

In Welsh's view, while his boss was always strict with himself, this time he was perhaps being excessively harsh:
Anyone else would have to overturn the entire plan to save someone, and be forced to lure the enemy to their death; in a crisis, they would still be able to quickly come up with a series of ingenious plans to escape and counterattack, and then protect all team members to ensure their safe retreat.

Gu Mufeng relied solely on his own abilities to fight against the underworld that once held absolute power in Minzhou.

Moreover, in this operation, apart from failing to uncover Tang Quan's hideout, they severely injured Tang Quan and Butcher, causing the Tianxing Gang to lose face.

They even obtained crucial evidence. This was extremely beneficial.

just.

“Welsh…”

Hearing Gu Mufeng speak again, Welsh was extremely conflicted. He knew that Gu Mufeng would definitely ask this question when he returned. But Welsh was unsure whether he should speak up at this moment and in this situation.

"Su Yan?"

“She…” Welsh stammered.

Breathing rapidly, Gu Mufeng's eyes remained fixed on Welsh. His pupils held an almost desperate urgency as he forcefully pulled Welsh's shoulders with both hands.

Driven by his deepest desire, he relentlessly pressed for an answer: "Her?"

Rather than investigating whether Su Yan is alive or dead, Gu Mufeng should investigate Su Li, whether to let her live or let her die.

Welsh's lips parted slightly: "Boss, Su Yan, she..."

Clenching all ten fingers until they turn white, a testament to unwavering faith.

"She's dead."

Su Yan is dead.

Gu Mufeng's eardrums suddenly blared, and the surrounding sounds instantly faded away. His vision blurred and flickered, and he couldn't even see Welsh clearly in front of him.

His tightly clenched fingers suddenly loosened, and as Welsh anxiously supported him, he froze as if in a trance. The pale waning moon illuminated his desolate face.

Nineteen years. A full nineteen years. From the time his mother, Gu Fangran, was murdered by Su Yan's scheme, leaving her mother to abandon her beloved ten-year-old and four-year-old children.

For nineteen years, he relentlessly pursued the challenge.

Nineteen years!

Winter goes and spring comes, summer is warm and autumn is cool.

The revenge had finally come to an end, but not with the exhilarating satisfaction Gu Mufeng had hoped for. Only a chilling coldness spread from his heart to every vein.

Su Yan is the cause of Gu Mufeng and his sister's loss of their mother and home. Ultimately, Su Yan will also be the consequence of Gu Mufeng's lifelong unrequited love.

In an instant, Su Li's stubborn yet uncompromisingly pure eyes flashed before his eyes.

Su Li will hate him to the core.

It all began with Su Yan's unbridled love and hate, burning like wildfire. This pure jealousy, ever-fresh and unforgettable until death.

Ridiculous?
The moon is bright and the stars are few; crows fly south. They circle the tree thrice, but on which branch can they perch?

Stiffly pushing away Welsh's hand that was supporting him, Gu Mufei stumbled and fell to the cold ground. He raised his head straight up, kneeling silently and looking up:

Above him, the skyscrapers of Pear Island clustered in the night sky, their light dimming and indistinct. Amidst the bleak expanse, starlight, following the patterns established over millions of years, shone faintly.

In his eyes, the stars shifted and the constellations changed.

Suddenly, as if struck by a fatal arrow of love at their first meeting, Gu Mufeng's breath caught in his throat. He suddenly understood.

As always, the sun rose. It generously showered its light upon the land of Minzhou. Without pause, it also generously showered its light upon Gu Mufeng's bloodless face.

The will has been sent. If he weren't here, Su Li would be more at ease.

After a long silence, he uttered a very soft sentence:
"Finally... it's beyond saving."

He fell forward into the dust.

>>>>>
Next chapter: Ivory Tower

[Author's Note | Chapter Sixty-Eight]

In this chapter, Gu Mufeng finally gets his revenge after nineteen years of waiting, but it doesn't seem to be as satisfying as he had imagined...

He realized that she... was beyond redemption.

Whose heart was shattered by his kneeling?

What will happen when Su Li, completely unaware of his will, receives it?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section!

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(End of this chapter)