Chapter 383: Untouchable
In the villa’s living room, Gu Changmin shook his head and said, “Let’s go to your study room! It would be very troublesome if some things were to be disclosed without caution. I just wasted a favor for you, so I don’t want to complicate matters anymore.”
“But Brother Chen and Brother Gao are not outsiders. I think it will be fine for them to hear it, right?” Li Haoran said lightly, “I, Li Haoran, lost face today. It happened right in front of them. If this matter were to be disclosed in the future, I would have no place to show this face of mine.”
Gu Changmin’s face turned cold. He glared angrily at Li Haoran for a while before he turned around and walked outside.
“Hey, hey, hey. Brother Gu, Brother Gu! What are you doing?!” A middle-aged man caught up with Gu Changmin and grabbed his arm, “Brother Li just wanted to keep his face, so that’s why… All right, Old Gao and I will go to the chess room while you two talk.”
With a slight change in expression, Li Haoran felt a bit incredulous after seeing Gu Changming’s unusual behaviour. One must know that he and Gu Changmin had been friends for decades, yet it was his first time seeing him act so strange.
Could it be that… the problem was because of his attitude?
He… did he really help him?
Li Haoran’s mind suddenly turned faster. The anger inside his heart diminished a lot. He walked a few steps toward Gu Changmin, forced out a smile and said, “Brother Gu, in fact, I really didn’t have other intentions. We’ve been friends for decades so you should know my temper. Someone just picked a quarrel on my house. What is more, I had to bow my head and admit my mistake. So you can see that I was choked with anger inside! But I hope you can forgive me if I offended you.”
“Brother Gu, just tell us what is going on! We are not outsiders, to begin with.” The middle-aged man Gao echoed, “I also can’t fathom why you behaved like that… like you were scared of that kid. In any case, I’m afraid I would also act just like Brother Li if such a thing happened to me.”
Gu Changmin took a deep breath as he looked at the three curious looking men. When he saw the shame and anger on Li Zhen’s face, he sighed softly before returning and sitting in the sofa.
“Tell all of them to leave!”
Li Haoran immediately waved his hand, and all bodyguards left the hall.
“Everyone, you all should know Haiqing Province’s Miao Group, yes?” Gu Changmin slowly said, “You should also know about its Boss, Miao Wentang, who is my old friend.”
“I know him!”
“I’ve heard about him!”
“Yeah!”
The three men nodded and looked a bit puzzled.
“Between the women beside Tang Xiu, the one who slightly older, I believe you should also have seen her, yes?” Gu Changmin sighed.
The middle-aged man Gao said, “Yes, I have seen her. She left a deep impression on me. She’s the Everlasting Feast Hall’s Manager. She’s smooth and slick in establishing networks and a very competent businesswoman.”
“That’s right, that is exactly the Everlasting Feast Hall.” Gu Changmin nodded and said, “I don’t know about you but, how much do you know about the Everlasting Feast Hall?”
“Brother Gu, the Everlasting Feast Hall is just an upscale restaurant!” Li Haoran’s brows furrowed as he said, “What kind of status do we have? Why should we know about this restaurant, to begin with?”
“If the Everlasting Feast Hall were just an upscale restaurant, I naturally wouldn’t have looked afraid in front of Tang Xiu. I wouldn’t even sell my face to keep on good terms with him.” Gu Changmin shook his head and said, “As a matter of fact, it was very fortunate that I was here today. Didn’t you see how obvious I was when I flattered him before? If that Old Jin… that Jin Xingkui was also here, I can say with certainty that he wouldn’t merely want to be on good terms. He would, instead, nakedly fawn upon him.”
“Brother Gu, do tell us about this Everlasting Feast Hall.” Li Haoran’s face slightly changed.
“A few days ago, ever since Brother Miao told me about the Everlasting Feast Hall’s inside story, as well as learning that Tang Xiu is its owner, I sent some people to investigate it.” Gu Changmin slowly said, “Although I didn’t dare to do an in-depth investigation, the bits of information I got was enough to make me shocked.
“The Everlasting Feast Hall’s HQ had been established decades ago in Jingmen Island. This restaurant has branches in four big cities: Jingmen Island, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing. Outside of running the restaurant franchise, they also have gold, silver, jewel, real estate, and luxury jewelry business under its flag…
“With my limited ability, I dared not investigate the Everlasting Feast Hall at a great scale, hence, I only got these kinds of information. I don’t know the specific details of how many businesses the Everlasting Feast Hall has.”
“Brother Gu, just because the Everlasting Feast Hall possesses big enterprises, you…” Li Haoran asked.
“Li Haoran, to tell you the truth, I really shouldn’t have involved myself in your business.” Gu Changmin waved his hand to interrupt him and said lightly, “I regret it now.”
“Brother Gu…” Li Haoran opened his mouth.
“No more explanations.” Gu Changmin shook his head and said, “Didn’t you want to know why my actions were so unusual? I might as well tell you straightly. Your Li Family would have been finished if I hadn’t stood up for you tonight. Tomorrow would perhaps become the death anniversary for you, father and son. From another perspective, your Li Family perhaps would have already faced a bloodbath and perished if the three of us didn’t happen to want to play mahjong here tonight.”
Li Haoran abruptly stood up. He glared at Gu Changmin and said, “Brother Gu, did you say that to scare us? In the present society, with the legal system, even for those rich and powerful people, they can only solve one or two individuals. But slaughtering and exterminating a big family, are you kidding me?”
Gu Changmin stared at him coldly, and scornfully said, “You’re ignorant. If you don’t believe me, I’ll show it to you.”
Having said it, he took out his mobile phone, dialed a cell number, and directly pressed the loudspeaker feature. After the other party answered the call, he said, “Old Jin, this is Gu Changmin.”
“Brother Gu, you haven’t rested yet?” Jin Xingkui’s cheerful voice was transmitted from the phone.
“Old Jin, not only have I not slept yet, I also made a loss just now.” Gu Changmin said.
“What’s the matter? Tell me about it.” Jin Xingkui was puzzled and said, “Do you want my help?”
“My dear Old Jin, I’m with Li Haoran now.” Gu Changmin forced out a smile and said, “Anyways, I’ll ask you a few questions, and you only need to reply. That would be a great help to me, so as to avoid losing all decorum with everyone else since I just used up the favor from Tang Xiu.”
“All right! Then tell me… … Wait, wait! What did you just say?” Jin Xingkui’s screamed out of the phone, “You’ve just used up the favor from Tang Xiu? The favor we obtained with great difficulties after merrily keeping him company in the Everlasting Feast Hall?”
“Yeah!” Gu Changmin replied with a bitter tone and expression.
Jin Xingkui was silent for a moment before he slowly said, “Brother Gu, although I don’t know anything about what happened between you and Tang Xiu, as well as anything else related to it, I can tell you one thing. Unless our family encounters a critical life-and-death situation, using up that favor is out of the question. All right. Now tell me! What happened?”
“Well, I just happened to visit the Li Family’s residence tonight and came across Tang Xiu. He came to the Li Family to demand an explanation since Li Zhen had provoked him. Furthermore, the enmity seemed to be quite deep as well.” Gu Changmin said, “I believe you also know about Li Haoran’s disposition as a father who always doted on his son. He had probably also annoyed Tang Xiu, thus making him discontented. After that, I came forward to plea in his instead.”
Jin Xingkui was silent for a moment before he lightly said, “For having avoided a bloodbath, his Li Family is really in luck. In my opinion, the Li Family would still be able to save their assets if they used their wealth to buy their lives even if you didn’t come forward tonight. That Tang Xiu… …Hehehe. You can provoke anyone in this world, but you must never provoke that demonic star!”
Li Haoran couldn’t sit still. He had never thought that Jin Xingkui would say such words. He hastily said, “Brother Jin, this is Li Haoran. Can you tell me who Tang Xiu really is? Does he have someone powerful behind him?”
“A backer? Hehehe… he doesn’t need any backers whatsoever.” Jin Xingkui sneered, “Merely his identity as the Everlasting Feast Hall’s Boss is enough to easily exterminate your Li Family. Let alone your family, even if my Jin Family and Brother Gu’s family joined forces with you, I’m afraid we still couldn’t do anything to the Everlasting Feast Hall. I even dare say that there’s a 99% chance our three families would all be erased.”
Panicked and shocked, Li Haoran cried, “Brother Jin, you’re not trying to scare me, are you?”
“Scare you?” Jin Xingkui said, “Hehe… do you think I’m someone who bluffs just to scare people?”
"This…" Li Haoran’s face faintly blanched.
“Li Haoran, I must tell you the truth. You really owe Brother Gu a huge favor.” Jin Xingkui said, “A favor so massive that it’s not excessive to say that you can only repay him by using all of your Li Family’s power. All right! I have said everything I must say. You put your best into it.”
The phone call ended.
“Now you understand why I made you apologize to Tang Xiu? Why did an outsider personally hit your son just to get you out of a predicament?” Gu Changmin said lightly, “He’d undoubtedly die tonight if I didn’t beat him. Now, do you dare to intervene? Your Li Family will be completely exterminated if you do. As for how terrifying the Everlasting Feast Hall is, neither you and I know about it. But Miao Wentang, my old buddy, knows perfectly well about it. So does Jin Xingkui.”
Li Haoran suddenly got up. He then strode toward the shocked Li Zhen and fiercely slapped his face a few times. He then furiously roared, “Get your ass to my study room and kneel there! See for yourself how I will fix you up!”
Frightened and scared, Li Zhen covered his face as he half-ran toward the study room. He would have opposed his father if it were in the past. But after tonight’s bitter experience, as well as seeing several Shanghai’s big shots afraid of Tang Xiu, it made him realize that he had provoked a terrifying existence.
Li Haoran returned to the sofa, but he didn’t sit down. Instead, he deeply looked at Gu Changmin and said, “Brother Gu, I’ll always remember the grace and favor you showed me today. I have fully witnessed your magnanimity. As long as you need anything in the future, please do tell me freely. I absolutely won’t balk if I can do it.”
Gu Changmin’s expression eased a lot this time. He sighed, “Brother Li, if not for the sake of our decades of friendship, I would have never said anything tonight. If it were others, I would just add insult to their injury for the sake of showing goodwill toward Tang Xiu. We are among old friends here. If I didn’t speak out, coming to your place tonight would have me regretting it.”