Deadly Trap.

Chapter 85. Father and Son's Empire
It really looks like it.

In the rain, Tang Quan covered his mouth and coughed softly. His dark black overcoat trailed at his feet. He strolled forward and stopped two meters away from the three of them.

He had no recollection of the young man before him, from his name to his posture.

But in the winter rain, this face, wet with raindrops...

Just that face immediately reminded him of Fang Ran's panting beneath him nineteen years ago.

Gu Fangran's phoenix eyes were naturally cold and sharp, beautiful yet arrogant. Tang Quan had never, and could never, truly possess a complete Gu Fangran.

Believe it or not, neither of them could do anything to the other.

A woman as fluid as water, with a personality as fluid as water, as insightful and intelligent as water; her fortune of billions depends entirely on Gu Fangran's mood. Truly exceptional.

No one can catch her.

Tang Quan never cared about this chessboard, squandering it recklessly and discarding countless pieces. But the Queen, in forty years, had only ever had this one.

Beneath that bed lay a noble and unapproachable figure, while on the bed lay the face of a wanton and lewd beauty.

Sadly, he died.

Love?
Tang Quan's lips curled up subtly.

The young man gritted his teeth inwardly. His gaze, fixed on that face and filled with longing for Fang Ran, must have made him extremely uncomfortable.

"That's true." Tang Quan chuckled.

The face he remembered, radiant with springtime joy, was, in her eyes, her respectable, lovable, and supreme birth mother.

“Mr. Gu wants to speak with me personally,” Tang Quan said casually. “Let’s talk.”

With great interest, he observed the subtle and imperceptible changes in the young man's expression: from an initial shock that seemed to shake his soul, to deep-seated hatred and disgust, to a return to calm and composure, all in just a moment.

"Is Mr. Tang following us closely, about to carry out another public murder?"

Finding it amusing, Tang Quan smiled and said, "Yes, so what?"

This child is outspoken; he quite admires that. But isn't this change in attitude rather astonishing? Last time, when they were surrounded on Lanzhou Mountain, this child remained calm under pressure, addressing them first as "Father." Now he's baring his fangs?
Unfortunately, he's in the way. To try and bypass him and shake Sheng Chunqiu? Unnecessary.

"A vibrant and exciting life in the city center suits you better."

At that moment, despite having Gu Mufeng pressing his throat against his, Butcher suddenly revealed a sinister, toothy grin. Before Tang Quan could finish speaking, the two men in black holding umbrellas beside him raised their trench coats, revealing silenced gun barrels.

The pistol was already loaded.

"Boss!" Welsh bravely stepped in front of him.

"You choose: Hang yourself? Take poison? Slit your throat? Or jump off a building?"

Butcher was dumbfounded: This is ridiculous, he didn't say a word at all.

But his voice suddenly resounded in everyone's ears, clear, eerie, and suffocating. Instantly, Tang Quan's eyes narrowed. He slightly turned his chiseled hand, signaling both sides to pause.

Transcending time and space, Butcher's voice continued out of nowhere on the rain-soaked observation deck.

"Even in death, Tang Quan still avoids me?"

The woman's voice rose from hell like a curse. She sneered, clearly pronouncing her name. Tang Quan snorted and gritted his teeth: he was no stranger to this arrogant and self-righteous madwoman.

"He recognized me as his sister and swore an oath of brotherhood! But because of my selfishness, I betrayed his Fangran and ruined his path to the Gu family. He's quite vengeful."

"Such a powerful president, yet so petty."

The two dark gun barrels on either side remained motionless. With the guns pointed at him, Gu Mufei, standing in the rain, lowered his eyes, and beads of water dripped from his spiky bangs.

His face was expressionless.

"Oh. Yes. The president did have something to say, instructing me to make sure he relays it."

Immediately following this, Butcher cleared his throat in a high-pitched voice, determined to imitate Tang Quan's mannerisms:
—The president said, 'You ruined my chance to be a good person…'

Under the umbrella, Tang Quan clenched his fist silently.

Almost incessantly noisy, Butcher's voice showed no mercy as he loudly mocked the most unlikely joke of the day.

—"Go and wait for me on the road. Although it will be a long wait."

A cold winter rain was falling. The people present were all listening to Butcher's voice, which was inexplicably laughing, and it was quite annoying.

"Look, hurry up and choose a method. I'm short on time; there are so many heads in Minzhou waiting for me to chop them off. I think hanging is pretty good. You kick and thrash, you're exercising before you die. We have to make it look like suicide, right?"

……

"Do you want to hear more?" The voice abruptly stopped. Gu Mufeng raised his head, a faint smile playing on his lips.

His fingertips, gripping the phone, were slightly warm. He had been waiting for the right moment to reveal this recording. But it came sooner and more dangerously than he had anticipated.

After carefully examining those phoenix eyes from his memory, Tang Quan laughed loudly: "Wonderful!"

After laughing, he coughed softly, covering his mouth.

Ever since their last encounter at the cemetery, when he was unexpectedly ambushed by the person in front of him at his most triumphant moment, he had been struck in the chest by a cold arrow. Perhaps due to his advancing age, although the injury itself was no longer a big deal for him, he had been left with a slight ailment.

With a cold, icy gaze, Tang Quan glanced at Butcher, whose face was being held at bay by Gu Mufei's blade. Butcher's expression shifted instantly from ashen to a deathly pale yellow.

When asked to kill Su Yan, he clearly stated the chairman's name, frankly admitted who ordered him, and even mocked her, rambling on and on!

If a knife doesn't work well, just break it.

Tang Quanxing's eyes were as deep as the sea: "It seems that Mr. Gu's public visit to Shengshi Liyong was well-prepared."

"Mr. Tang is sensible."

Across from him, a face appeared both proud and youthful, as gentle winter rain fell upon Tang Quan's familiar features.
“There’s more than one recording. My death is a small matter, but Mr. Tang shouldn’t expect to live on either.”

As he spoke, Gu Mufeng suddenly chuckled. This smile, when directed at Tang Quan, was like a mirror image.

"Moreover, I have an appointment today. Unfortunately, I am still considered a person of some importance in this city. What will happen if I am late? Mr. Tang, take my advice: leave room for maneuver in your actions."

Tang Quan gritted his teeth: Wolves in sheep's clothing!
"Unfortunately, he's still someone of importance?" What a boastful brat!

His voice, deep as the ocean, was soft yet clear; Tang Quan spoke in a low voice:
"I never expected this. I failed to protect Fangran, yet she left me with such a good son. No wonder this old man, Gu Zhipei, has been so vigilant and protective of her for over a decade."

"But if it's left to the capitalist Mimi as an heir, I'm afraid Fangran will be heartbroken, won't she?"

At this point, Tang Quan lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

He wasn't entirely lying when he said that.

When he learned that Fang Ran had been murdered because of him, and that the old man of the Gu family had interfered, he was unable to even touch the last warmth of Fang Ran's body.

Even in his furious rage, when he imprisoned the half-blind Su Yan and slaughtered all those involved to offer a blood sacrifice for Fang, he truly had no intention of simply leaving.

He never wanted children, and never liked children; but Fangran wanted them, and Fangran liked them.

What Fang Ran left behind should have been two pure gold chips, two golden keys to unlock the Gu family's endless gold mine. Who would have thought that the Gu family would turn their backs on her so easily and deny everything?
In Minzhou, Tang Quan could eliminate anyone he wanted with a flick of his finger. The four major families, however, were an exception.

And he hates exceptions the most.

A sinister glint appeared on Tang Quan's lips as he waved his hand. The two men on either side neatly concealed their pistols, as if nothing had happened.

Under the umbrella, Tang Quan said calmly, "The past is the past. Why don't you and I, father and son, join forces today and swallow up the Sheng and Gu families?"

"I presume you are also familiar with Minzhou, which is controlled by conglomerates..."

With a sinister look in his eyes, Tang Quan stared directly into Gu Mufeng's indifferent gaze: "Tired of it, aren't you?"

Despite their conflicting motives, Tang Quan's question hit the nail on the head regarding half of Gu Mufei's selfish desires.

"And then?" Gu Mufeng remained unmoved. "Get rid of me again?"

Under the umbrella, they couldn't be more carefree, and Tang Quan laughed heartily: "Don't worry. Of course, it's a father-son empire."

Gu Mufeng, standing in the rain, scoffed, "Mr. Tang, please leave. You are different from me. You shouldn't be in the public eye for too long."

With that, Gu Mufeng flicked his wrist, creating a dazzling display of blade movement that was impossible for onlookers to see. He had actually sheathed the switchblade that was pressed against Butcher's throat, neatly tucking it into his sleeve.

"Also, please keep your dog under control. Don't let it bite the wrong person again."

His gaze was arrogant and disdainful as he swept over the two black-clad assassins behind Tang Quan, as well as Butcher, who was bewildered and covered in fresh blood.

Gu Mufeng lightly touched the tip of his lips with his finger: "Mr. Tang, too much doing leads to mistakes."

With just a flick of his right hand, his ring finger swept across the surface. The berry-shaped ruby ​​was so distinctive that it was impossible to mistake it for anything else amidst the white gold and black enamel foliage.

In an instant, Tang Quan's eyes narrowed. This ring...

Tsk. You brat. You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences.

"Mr. Gu, I also have some advice to offer."

The two men in black escorted Butcher away dejectedly. Tang Quan led the way, taking a few steps. Suddenly, he turned back. With an air of nonchalance, a smirk played on his lips.

Leisurely, Tang Quan left only two words:

"Be careful."

>>>>>
Next Chapter: A Beacon in the Night Rain
[Author's Note | Chapter 85]

Tang Quan is very special.

He is chaos. He has no morality, no emotions, and no sense of right and wrong. He is simply "self-centered and acts according to his own whims."

He was ruthless and smarter than Gu Mufeng, yet he never reflected on himself and could never be bound by emotions.

Does he love Gu Fangran? Or does he not?
What were Gu Fangran's feelings for him?

Moreover, what did the ring left behind by Gu Fangran remind Tang Quan of?
What are your thoughts on the connection between Tang Quan and Gu Fangran, and what are your thoughts on this seemingly ambiguous "father and son" relationship?
The confrontation between Tang Quan and Gu Mufei has reached a fever pitch. What does his two words, "Be careful," mean?

Tell me your thoughts in the comments section!

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(End of this chapter)