Deadly Trap.

Chapter 83. Seven Inches
New Year's Eve.

"This is ridiculous! An heir has fallen from the sky! Didn't my cousin Gu die young?" Full of anxiety, Sheng Chunqiu paced back and forth in the dark room with his hands behind his back.

Behind the floor-to-ceiling windows, a Moroccan-style courtyard embraces the swimming pool. The arched corridor remains dark, with several shadowy figures looming overhead, fully alert.

Sheng Chunqiu, dressed formally for the banquet, was impatient and repeatedly kicked the carpet, which was irritating to everyone.

The person in the chair simply smiled slightly.

"Mr. Tang, you're still laughing!" Sheng Chunqiu, driven to hysteria by the situation, furrowed his brows and clenched his large, tiger-claw-like hand to his forehead.

"What kind of time is this?! You kidnapped him and beat him to a pulp! I was waiting for news, and suddenly that tyrant from Friday Night becomes the Gu family's illegitimate son?"

Seeing that Tang Quan had no reaction at all, Sheng Chunqiu made up his mind:
"I'm not exaggerating: I can't have the Gu family's food, and you, Mr. Tang, shouldn't even think about getting a piece of it! What do you mean by unifying Minzhou? No money? Bullshit!"

With a sweep of his hand, the platinum family crest ring on his thumb flashed brightly.

Sheng Chunqiu continued pacing. For him, it wasn't just a matter of the Sheng family surpassing the Yi family: if he didn't cover the losses he incurred for the NYSE listing, the Sheng family's status as a conglomerate would be in jeopardy.

Suddenly, he remembered something.

Tang Quan. Who is he?
Twenty years ago, he defied his superiors, fighting his way through a bloodbath to rise to the top of the underworld. He's cunning and calculating, firmly controlling the dark side of Minzhou, second only to Tang Quan. Gu Fangran has a child out of wedlock—would Tang Quan be unaware?
His movements suddenly froze. Suddenly, Sheng Chunqiu glared fiercely. In the shadows, he met Tang Quan's gaze.

Moment.

Startled, Sheng Chunqiu hastily dodged. The four major conglomerates retreated to a corner. Instantly, he fell silent.

At this moment, the room was silent. Only the man in the armchair spoke softly.

"That child," a voice as deep as the ocean, "what was his name again?"

"President, Gu Mufeng." From the shadows, the man in black stepped forward respectfully and bowed in response.

"interesting."

Out of thin air, Tang Quan wiped away the dust with his finger.

Huddled in the corner, Sheng Chunqiu's face was ashen as he coldly watched the man in black accept his orders and leave.

Tang Quan said calmly, "When did Minzhou become a playground for children?"

>>>>>
In front of the landmark building in the city center, the car wheels rolled through the puddles on the street and slowly came to a stop. It was the dead of winter, and Minzhou was shrouded in a leaden rain curtain, with the Minxiu and Lanzhou mountain ranges lying dormant on the horizon.

Welsh opened his umbrella, turned around, and opened the back door of the car.

His footsteps broke through the thin water stains, revealing his tall, slender figure. Gu Mufeng was dressed in a sharp, deep black suit. A white shirt covered his wrists and the edges of his black gloves; his lapis lazuli tie was minimalist and neat, held securely at his chest with a tie clip, and a platinum chain swayed subtly.

The rain-drenched light made even the smile on his lips seem chilling.

"Mr. Gu."

He had just stepped out of the car when he saw a young man already waiting in the rain in front of the building. The automatic doors parted on either side: "The chairman is waiting in his office."

Unmoved, Gu Mufeng walked through the door in one smooth motion.

For several days in a row, he deliberately declined Sheng Chunqiu's invitations, not entirely to whet the other party's appetite. But his insistence on making a public and high-profile appearance at Shengshi Liyong was naturally due to his own considerations.

The young man respectfully escorted them straight to the administrative office. Gu Mufeng was already prepared for this office.

"Chairman, Mr. Gu has arrived."

Before the words were finished, a young and beautiful face appeared behind the door.

The beautiful woman professionally accepted the task, her figure swaying gracefully in her high heels, leading Gu Mufeng and Welsh through the secretariat. All the female secretaries in the room stopped what they were doing, staring at Gu Mufeng's handsome profile with an air of superiority as they slowly walked past.

"President Sheng, Mr. Gu." Yingying pushed open the door, and her female secretary stepped aside.

Without being told, she and Welsh tactfully withdrew, closing the door behind them.

The enormous administrative office boasts a superb view, seemingly encompassing half of Minzhou City. The city is embroiled in turmoil; yet the interior remains spacious and bright.

Not far from the window, a plain, uncarved desk made of small-leaf sandalwood, shaped like a crouching tiger, spans the center of the room. Behind the desk, Sheng Chunqiu sits calmly, his fingers interlaced.

Looking up, as if only then remembering Gu Mufeng's visit today, Sheng Chunqiu stood up solemnly and said, "Mr. Gu! It's an honor to have you here amidst your busy schedule. I hope your presence will bring me great fortune."

He waved his hand to the side and said, "Please do as you please."

This time, Gu Mufeng also skipped the formalities. He had no intention of shaking hands with Sheng Chunqiu and simply sat down casually on the sofa:
"President Sheng still has quite the grand presence," Gu Mufeng smiled, "I'm truly amazed."

"Mr. Gu is joking with me. In Minzhou, when it comes to status and prestige, where would Mr. Sheng get a chance?"

Knowing that Gu Mufeng was teasing his secretariat, Sheng Chunqiu casually responded, while Sheng Chunqiu gracefully took his seat opposite him.

Between the two, a sturdy Lingbi stone table stood horizontally. The tea was already brewed. The famous Yixing teapot and fairness cup emitted warm steam, and the tea leaves in the discarded tea basket had clearly been wasted several times. Obviously, Sheng Chunqiu had been waiting for Gu Mufeng for more than just a short while.

"Mr. Gu, would you like to try some of the new tea?" With that, Sheng Chunqiu had already filled the teacup halfway.

"This is just one of my hobbies, and I only get a little bit each year. Your Mr. Dai has praised it highly. Mr. Gu, please don't be ungrateful."

Gu Mufeng smiled coldly, raising one eyebrow. He was here today to intrude and slap Sheng Chunqiu in the face: "President Sheng, perhaps you should think about what will happen after you pass away."

The hand offering tea froze in mid-air.

With a flourish, Sheng Chunqiu set down his teacup. His voice boomed:

"Very well. Mr. Gu speaks frankly; it makes me seem rather reserved. Your subordinate, Mr. Dai, probes indirectly but stops short. Mr. Gu has taught me excellent communication skills. If you say Mr. Gu is forgiving, I am certainly not ungrateful. It's just that..."

As he spoke, Sheng Chunqiu paused, seemingly amused. He brought the teacup to his lips, took a small sip, and simply said:

"Fine tea. It's a pity Mr. Gu is not destined to have it."

After finishing his tea, Sheng Chunqiu calmly continued his previous conversation:
“I wouldn’t give face if it weren’t for being an uncle. The New Year is almost here, and the nephew is only now coming to acknowledge his uncle—isn’t that too late? The uncle’s family has no shortage of relatives. What do you say, Mr. Gu?”

Sheng Chunqiu stared intently at Gu Mufei.

Under the oppressive gaze, Gu Mufeng's smile remained unfathomable. He was in no hurry to express his opinion. His fingertips moved to the lapel of his dark suit jacket, and he pulled out a small white envelope from his pocket. The cover was clean and blank.

With his black-gloved fingertips pressing down, he pushed the envelope across the coffee table in front of Sheng Chunqiu: "Mr. Sheng, please."

The scene seemed familiar. Sheng Chunqiu was immediately horrified.

seven years ago.

Sheng Chunqiu forced himself to remain calm, but his hands trembled uncontrollably. He hesitated before picking up the envelope. The pure white envelope seemed to be burning. Upon opening it, the contents were even more scorching. Two thin pages; Sheng Chunqiu dared only glance at them briefly.

In a panic, he stuffed the envelope back in as it was.

On his thick legs, his hand holding the envelope was neither open nor closed properly; his face was alternating between red and blue, and the muscles beside his nose twitched faintly.

Through gritted teeth, Sheng Chunqiu forced out the words: "Mr. Gu, you're threatening me."

Across from him, Gu Mufeng remained calm and unhurried. His imposing presence leaned forward, making him appear even more candid than before: "President Sheng understands: if I were truly threatening you, this envelope..."

He lightly tapped Sheng Chunqiu's hand with his finger: "It won't be in President Sheng's hands."

Sheng Chunqiu was speechless. He had indeed been dealing with Gu Mufeng for quite some time.

Seven years ago, Gu Mufeng ascended to the throne of Fri-Night. He devised a plan to arrange a meeting between the four major conglomerates, using the same method as before: each person was given only an inconspicuous small envelope.

Recalling that day, Sheng Chunqiu still felt it was deeply ingrained in his bones, clear and unbearable.

At that time, he thought to himself, "What kind of shady character is this? I don't even look at him."

However, none of the four major conglomerates wanted to see the underworld dominate.

In the conference room, apart from the old Gu family member who was ill again, the three family heads gathered together, tacitly understanding each other.

Feeling slightly bored, and more to kill time, Sheng Chunqiu casually opened the envelope in front of him, treating it as a pastime.

The envelope contained only a few thin sheets of paper. But what he saw was the very business secret of the Yi Group that he had been dreaming of obtaining!
His choice of words and phrases hit the nail on the head; his detailed descriptions and points all focused on the pain points.

Sheng Chunqiu couldn't help but feel excited: There was such a useful person in Minzhou! If he could bring him under his command, he could make the most of him.

Feeling both smug and nervous, Sheng Chunqiu's heart pounded. He looked up and met the gazes of the other two families present. Each of them held an open small envelope.

The tycoons, each holding the other by the throat, were all embarrassed.

Things are very different now: what Sheng Chunqiu is suppressing is his own family's financial deficit, as well as indirect evidence of his collusion with the underworld to engage in illegal fundraising.

"President Sheng." The voice was crisp, calm, and emotionless, interrupting Sheng Chunqiu's thoughts.

Although Gu Mufeng's tone couldn't be more frank, Sheng Chunqiu felt as if ice and snow were hitting him from head to toe.

“If President Sheng doesn’t mind,” Gu Mufeng said, fiddling with his fingers, “the Sheng family is facing a minor problem, and I can lend a hand. President Sheng doesn’t need to get involved in finance.”

"To be honest," he said with a meaningful smile, "the city police are working on solving the financing case within a limited time. Mr. Sheng, you don't want the Sheng family's stock price to look too bad this year, do you?"

"Hmph. Mr. Gu is playing both sides." Dropping his pretense, Sheng Chunqiu narrowed his eyes coldly, his gaze menacing.

Despite his graying temples and beaded sweat, he rallied his spirits and displayed the indomitable spirit inherent in the Sheng family:
"Mr. Gu, are you perhaps a novice who doesn't understand that it's easier to talk than to do? You have no plan, and you just spout flowery rhetoric in front of me. How can I see Mr. Gu's sincerity and methods?"

Sheng Chunqiu is still probing the truth.

“What a coincidence.” Gu Mufeng remained resolute, his gaze fixed on Sheng Chunqiu’s unsteady eyes:
"Gu has a demolition and construction project in his hands, and the official documents will be available before the end of the year. The profits are enough to turn the Sheng family around."

That's right. Just to get Su Li out of danger and thwart Su Yan's scheme to seize her inheritance, Gu Mufeng was willing to give the Sheng family over 100 million.

>>>>>
Next chapter: Open Threat
[Author's Note | Chapter 83]

Sheng Chunqiu conspired with Tang Quan to poison Gu Mufeng, and it turned out that he was also involved.

To thwart Su Yan's scheme to inherit her estate, Gu Mufeng personally arrived to manipulate Sheng Chunqiu, offering hundreds of millions in compensation for the demolition and construction.

Despite having received benefits, Sheng Chunqiu felt like he was living a life worse than death...

Some people are really not to be trifled with.

What do you think of Gu Mufeng's small plan involving several hundred million?
Will Sheng Chunqiu really obey so easily?

Sheng Chunqiu had lustful thoughts towards Su Li; would Gu Mufeng really let it go so easily?

Let the young writers know your opinions in the comments section.

Add this to your favorites, follow it, and vote to let the young author know how much you love them!

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(End of this chapter)