Chapter 530 Lee Sung-jae
"Why are you so late! Representative Lee Sung-jae and many of his friends have already arrived!"
As soon as Jiang Bai and the others got out of the car, the middle-aged man anxiously approached them and yelled at Han Shengyu and Han Youxi, completely ignoring Lieyang and Jiang Bai who had followed them.
After speaking, he walked inside first, followed closely by Han Shengyu, Han Youxi, and Jiang Bai.
As they walked inside, Jiang Bai muttered something to Han Youxi, which made Han Youxi a little stunned, but at the same time, a smile appeared on her face.
As for Old Man Lieyang, he looked helpless, knowing that something was bound to happen again today.
Lieyang was well aware of Jiang Bai's troublemaking nature, and unconsciously, he felt worried for Li Chengzai, the young master of the four-star enterprise group. No one who encountered Jiang Bai ever came out unscathed.
Once inside, Han Shengyu explained the situation to Han Youxi's father, Han Zaizhong, and the two of them glared fiercely at Jiang Bai.
Finally, Han Zaizhong came over and said to Jiang Bai, "I don't care who you are, tonight's events cannot be disrupted, otherwise, I guarantee you won't be able to leave South Korea."
Jiang Bai shrugged indifferently. He had seen plenty of gangsters like Han Zaizhong and didn't take him seriously at all.
Then things proceeded as scheduled. Lee Sung-jae arrived at the venue, a handsome young man in his twenties dressed in a rather wealthy and charming manner. He took Han Yoo-hee's hand and walked to the center, then loudly announced their engagement, which drew cheers from the surrounding crowd.
Surprisingly, although these people were all wealthy and noble, mostly young masters and ladies from rich families, there wasn't a single middle-aged person among them. This engagement ceremony didn't look like an engagement ceremony at all; instead, it resembled a game party for the rich.
Jiang Bai wasn't the only one who noticed the problem; even Han Zaizhong saw the difference. His face turned ashen as he tried to speak, but he couldn't utter a single word. He too realized what the issue was.
Lee Sung-jae had promised to attend, but not only did Mr. Lee Hyun-ki fail to show up, none of the bigwigs who were supposed to be on the list also showed up; instead, only a bunch of spoiled brats came.
Characters such as the second son or second daughter in some families.
To put it bluntly, these guys who can't inherit the family business, despite their noble status, are utterly useless, just a bunch of spendthrifts. None of the people Han Zaizhong hoped to meet were there.
He's not stupid; if he couldn't see the problem by now, he would have lived all these years in vain.
Unfortunately, what's done is done, and he didn't dare to object at this time, because even the second sons of these families had enough power to crush him, a mere underworld boss.
At this moment, an unexpected change occurred. After Lee Sung-jae made a high-profile announcement of his engagement, Han Yoo-hee suddenly spoke up: "Alright, Mr. Lee Sung-jae's game is over, so I won't play along with you all anymore. My boyfriend is still waiting for me!"
Ignoring the astonished Lee Sung-jae, he rushed to Jiang Bai's side and hugged her in front of everyone, kissing her on the cheek.
This scene left everyone present stunned, their eyes wide open. Jiang Bai was also somewhat taken aback. Everything had been agreed upon beforehand: Han Youxi would make things difficult for Li Chengzai, and Jiang Bai would handle the rest.
But Jiang Bai was completely unaware that they had kissed!
The atmosphere in the hall became strangely eerie for a moment.
Many people dared not utter a sound at the sight before them, as they could not afford to offend Lee Sung-jae and his ilk. Only a few of the oligarchs' children laughed loudly without any restraint.
"Damn it! Who are you! Did we invite you here?" Lee Sung-jae walked up to Jiang Bai with a livid face. More than a dozen of Lee Sung-jae's bodyguards gathered around him as he approached.
Lee Sung-jae was furious. He had originally planned to hold a casual engagement ceremony to fool Han Yoo-hee's family so he could openly enjoy the beauty. But now his plan had been ruined, and Han Yoo-hee's words had made him a laughingstock. Naturally, he wouldn't let it go.
The first person they approached was Jiang Bai, their so-called "boyfriend"!
"This is a public place, why can't I come!" Jiang Bai blinked and said with a smile. Others may be afraid of Li Chengzai's identity, but Jiang Bai was not.
"I've booked this place! Please leave immediately and don't disrupt the engagement ceremony."
After saying that, he squinted at Han Youxi and said, "Youxi! Don't be silly. These are all my friends. You don't want me to lose face, do you? If I lose face, I will be very angry, and if I'm very angry, the consequences will be serious."
"I heard that the police are currently investigating some criminal evidence against the Yongdong faction. If it weren't for me, your Yongdong faction would probably be wiped out in less than two days. I hope you'll think this through before you speak!"
This is already an open and blatant threat!
"Are you threatening my girlfriend?" Jiang Bai said unhappily.
He and Han Youxi didn't have any special relationship. Although they had a slight mutual attraction, they were definitely not boyfriend and girlfriend.
But based on this goodwill alone, Jiang Bai had a reason to stand up and confront Li Chengzai, preventing him from making arbitrary threats.
"Men, throw him out! Don't let this scoundrel ruin my engagement ceremony with Yoo Hee!" Lee Sung-jae ignored Jiang Bai's words and coldly ordered his men.
As he spoke, more than a dozen bodyguards rushed forward to attack Jiang Bai.
"You beast! Who gave you permission to hold this engagement ceremony here? You've completely disgraced me! How could our family have such a beast?" Just then, a dignified voice rang out at the entrance of the hall.
The next second, a large group of people walked in. The one who spoke was an old man around fifty years old. Next to him was a young man who looked somewhat like Lee Sung-jae. At this moment, he was looking at Lee Sung-jae not far away with a victorious smile.
Walking up to Lee Sung-jae, the middle-aged man slapped him without hesitation and said viciously, "How can the son of a four-star enterprise group get engaged to the daughter of a gang leader? You're embarrassing me, you know? And what's with the engagement banquet? It's utterly absurd!"
The middle-aged man pointed at Han Youxi and the others, and said fiercely, "Tell them all to get out! Now!"
Then he turned to Han Zaizhong and said coldly, "Mr. Han Zaizhong of the Yongdong faction, please don't let your daughter bother my son anymore. I don't care about the affairs of young people, but let me tell you clearly, your daughter is not good enough for my son! Even though this guy is just a good-for-nothing second son!"
Chapter 531 Don't even think about leaving
"Even if he is the most useless second son, he is still the second son of the Li family. He is not worthy of you. Now, take your shameless daughter and leave! Never dream of anything here again, otherwise, your Yongdong faction will have no reason to exist."
Lee Hyun-ki's words made Han Jae-jung's face turn pale and then red. He wanted to open his mouth to explain, but he didn't dare.
In South Korea, no gangster has ever been born who dares to stand up to Lee Hyun-ki without breaking a sweat. In front of Lee Hyun-ki, he doesn't even have the right to explain himself.
Although he wanted to tell Lee Hyun-ki that the fault did not lie with him, but with Lee Sung-jae, and that Lee Sung-jae had even spoken to him before, and that this matter had been authorized by Lee Hyun-ki.
Otherwise, how could he dare to associate with the Li family?
But he didn't dare... He couldn't bring himself to say it, so he could only bow to Lee Hyun-ki to apologize, without saying a word more than necessary.
Because he has no right to speak at all.
Not only him, but all the wealthy children who had been watching the spectacle in the venue and had been invited by Lee Sung-jae had long since fallen silent and hidden to the side, including even a few of the oligarchs' children who had just been mocking Lee Sung-jae.
In South Korea, no one can remain calm and composed in the face of Lee Hyun-ki. Let alone these spendthrift sons, even their father would have to be three points inferior in front of Lee Hyun-ki.
When faced with this legendary giant, how could these spendthrift sons dare to utter a single word?
If I offend Lee Hyun-ki because of this, won't I be skinned alive when I get back?
"Smack!"
Just then, a loud slap broke the silence.
Jiang Bai slapped Li Chengzai across the face without hesitation, leaving everyone in the room stunned.
"I'm giving you a lesson. Be more careful in the future. You dare to make a move on my girlfriend? You've got a death wish. Talk to your father yourself and explain what you did to him, you good-for-nothing!"
Jiang Bai slapped Li Chengzai across the face and said this, causing the old man Lieyang next to him to twitch at the corner of his mouth and mutter to himself unconsciously, "It's over, there's definitely going to be a fight this time."
Indeed, this was the case. At this moment, Lee Hyun-gi's expression suddenly changed. Although he looked down on Lee Seong-jae, of his four sons, Lee Seong-jae was the most useless spendthrift, but he was still his youngest son.
Despite his disdain for this kid, he actually dotes on him the most. Otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed over immediately upon hearing that the boy was causing trouble and immediately shifted all the blame onto Han Youxi's family.
why is that?
It was all just to clear Lee Sung-jae of the scandal. They portrayed Han Yoo-hee's family as a shameless family who relied on their beauty to seduce Lee Sung-jae, and that if this got out, Lee Sung-jae wouldn't bear much responsibility.
At most, they've just been scammed.
Their efforts were truly commendable.
How could he not know what was going on?
Don't you know your own son well?
But he did it anyway, just to save face for Lee Sung-jae and his family.
Now look what's happened. Jiang Bai's actions have completely humiliated the Li family and Li Chengzai.
If Li Xuanji doesn't speak up now, will everyone dare to hog the Li family's head in the future?
"Who are you! How dare you lay a hand on my son?" Li Xuanji said coldly, looking at Jiang Bai in front of him.
Unfortunately, Jiang Bai completely ignored him and slapped the already stunned Li Chengzai again: "Why aren't you saying anything! Are you a pig?"
"Stop right there!" Lee Hyun-ki roared.
At this moment, his bodyguards also reacted and rushed towards Jiang Bai, but unfortunately it was not very effective. Before they even got close, Jiang Bai kicked four or five of them to the ground, where they lay on the ground and could not get up again.
"All of you, get him! Get him! Arrest him!" A young man standing next to Li Xuanji immediately ordered, and the thirty-odd bodyguards around him swarmed forward.
Unfortunately, these elite bodyguards were only good at dealing with ordinary people; they were no match for Jiang Bai and were knocked to the ground by him in just a few dozen seconds.
Jiang Bai then grabbed Li Chengzai by the hair, kicked him to his knees, and said viciously, "What kind of person are you? You have the guts to do it, but not the guts to admit it? Are all the Li family members like this? I think your Four Star Enterprise Group is nothing special!"
"Young man, who are you! Do you know what you just did?" Li Xuanji calmed down at this moment, squinting at Jiang Bai with a frosty expression.
He could now see that Jiang Bai was no ordinary person, but precisely because of this, he was no longer angry. He remained extremely calm, his mind racing as he guessed Jiang Bai's identity before speaking.
"Of course I know, I'm beating up a shameless bastard, some idiot who dares to make a move on my woman! Of course, I'm talking to this idiot's father right now, but judging from his appearance, he's no better!"
Jiang Bai turned his head and coldly spoke to Li Xuanji in front of him, showing him no respect whatsoever.
He came here not wanting to cause trouble, but once he does, he will definitely not hold back.
Although doing so might cause him to encounter various obstacles and troubles when dealing with Li Yaoji, he was not afraid.
Jiang Bai was not one to swallow his anger.
Moreover, even if we swallow our anger, the other party may not necessarily give up.
"Good, good, very good. Many people and no one dare to speak to me, Lee Hyun-ki, like this anymore. Young man, I must say that your courage alone is enough to earn respect. Unfortunately... sometimes courage alone is not enough. This is South Korea! My South Korea, Lee Hyun-ki's South Korea!"
Lee Hyun-ki roared with domineering confidence.
Indeed, there is nothing in South Korea that Lee Hyun-ki cannot accomplish.
Jiang Bai merely smiled slightly, without saying a word, watching Li Xuanji with interest and waiting for him to continue.
"Your language is very standard, but how dare you speak to me like that? I know nothing about you. You must not be from this country. Are you Chinese or Japanese?"
Lee Hyun-ki asked, squinting his eyes.
Jiang Bai's courage is commendable, but such a person is definitely not South Korean, because no one in South Korea has ever been born who would dare to speak to him like that.
Moreover, although Jiang Bai spoke Korean very fluently, his speaking habits revealed his identity.
"China".
Jiang Bai didn't hide anything; there was no point in hiding such things. Li Xuanji only needed to make one phone call, and Jiang Bai's background would be immediately exposed to him.
"Good, very good. You certainly have guts. There aren't many young people like you with courage in the world these days. But unfortunately... based on what you just said, you can forget about leaving South Korea!"
Li Xuanji clapped his hands and laughed, then changed his tone and left behind this sentence.
Chapter 532 It's me, arrest me!
"hehe."
Jiang Bai chuckled at this and remained silent.
Actually, he had already noticed that the people around Li Xuanji were making phone calls, but Jiang Bai didn't know who they were calling.
There are only two options: black or white. However, Jiang Bai believed that given Li Xuanji's status and position, he would likely use white tactics against him. It's not that black tactics are unusable, but rather that he is unwilling to use them easily.
If he were arrested, plenty of people would help Lee Hyun-ki teach this outsider a lesson.
People in South Korea who want to curry favor with Lee Hyun-ki could line up from Busan to Hanyang. Once he's in jail, who knows how many charges will be pinned on him?
As expected, after he said this, the surrounding hall fell into a brief silence, and no one uttered a sound.
However, the guests present all looked at Jiang Bai with complicated expressions, mostly mocking and pitying, but some secretly admiring him.
Regardless, daring to speak to Lee Hyun-ki like that is a display of immense courage.
"What happened?!"
A minute or so later, seven or eight policemen walked in, and one of them, the leader, shouted.
Then, seeing Lee Hyun-ki's ashen face, he quickly approached and bowed, saying, "President Lee, we just received a report. May I ask what happened?"
Li Xuanji pointed at Jiang Bai and said to the police officer next to him, "This man just beat up my son. I'm calling the police now."
The policeman was stunned for a moment, then looked at Jiang Bai in astonishment. He had been patrolling the area and rushed over immediately after receiving the report, but he never expected such a thing to happen. Someone actually dared to beat up Li Xuanji's son in front of him.
Has the world gone mad?
"Yes, it's me. Arrest me!"
Jiang Bai happily stretched out his hand and said cheerfully, completely ignoring Li Xuanji's words, and simply and clearly admitted it.
The scene left everyone around them stunned, even Lee Sung-jae, who had been beaten, looked bewildered. They all looked at Jiang Bai with extremely strange eyes, including Lee Hyun-ki, who had just accused Jiang Bai.
"Has this guy gone mad?" the people present couldn't help but think.
Han Youxi looked stunned, then her expression changed drastically. She wanted to speak, but Lieyang stopped her. Han Youxi remained silent, but her eyes were full of worry as she looked at Jiang Bai.
This is South Korea, and the person opposite us is Lee Hyun-ki.
If you offend him, he has a thousand ways to deal with Jiang Bai. Don't listen to any nonsense about the rule of law. Li Xuanji can definitely make Jiang Bai commit suicide in a hundred ways before he goes to court.
This kind of thing has happened before.
Han Youxi is not a well-behaved girl living in a dream world. As the daughter of a powerful family, she knows far more about the dark side of this world than most people do.
However, since Lieyang was with Jiang Bai, and Lieyang had stopped her, Han Youxi had no choice but to endure it for the time being.
Jiang Bai was handcuffed, then smiled at Li Xuanji and said, "Mr. Li Xuanji, let's make a bet. I guarantee that within a day, you will personally beg me to leave the police station."
"Hmph! Young man, your idea is unique, but unfortunately unrealistic." Li Xuanji sneered, offering a rare response.
"We'll see! But it won't be so easy for you to ask me to leave then," Jiang Bai said with a smile.
"Hmph!" Li Xuanji snorted coldly, then ignored Jiang Bai.
Jiang Bai ignored him, glanced at the guy next to him who was handcuffing him, and asked with a smile, "Can I make a phone call?"
"Kid, you've offended Mr. Li Xuanji. Calling anyone won't help. If you want to call, I suggest you come back with us first. But it probably won't make any difference."
The middle-aged policeman gave a cold laugh in response.
Let him hit him!
At that moment, Li Xuanji's voice rang out.
He was eager to see what methods Jiang Bai had that would make him compromise.
He didn't believe a young man could be that capable. Even if he was a second-generation rich kid from China, so what? This was South Korea, his territory.
"Xiao Tian, do you have my phone book? Call those bastards and tell them I've been arrested, and that it was Li Xuanji of the Four Star Enterprise Group who orchestrated it."
Jiang Bai said only this to Xiao Tian before hanging up.
It left people completely stunned.
Lieyang, standing beside him, couldn't help but rub his temples, muttering with a headache-filled helplessness, "This is troublesome."
Can you please make it less troublesome?
Xiao Tian received Jiang Bai's call and immediately took action. As Jiang Bai was being taken away by the police car, Xiao Tian's first call was to Cheng Tiangang.
The second call was made to Wu Tianxi.
After hesitating for a moment, he made another phone call to Li Qingdi and Yang Wudi.
He then instructed the people around him, "Go and pick up General Manager Xu and General Manager Yao, and have them come to the company for a meeting."
Then he called Dou Bin and Yang Yong in Hong Kong.
Having gone through what happened with Yin Tianchou, the two of them are now completely different from before. They have an astonishing influence in Hong Kong. One has become the head of Hutchison Whampoa, and the other has integrated the Number Gang. Moreover, they have gradually cleaned up their act and are quite influential in Hong Kong.
Then, he made a phone call to Dilina's father, who was far away in Taixi.
Everyone started to take action.
After thinking for a while, Xiao Tian finally remembered Mr. He, who was far away in Jiangmen and had some dealings with Jiang Bai, and gave him an explanation.
Only after everything was done did I feel relieved and hang up the phone.
Jiang Bai was completely unaware of all this. At this very moment, he was sitting leisurely in the interrogation room of the Hanyang District Police Station, with his legs crossed.
Outside the police station, Han Youxi and Lieyang were waiting, but compared to the calm and collected Lieyang, Han Youxi seemed a little anxious.
Originally, her father and brother disagreed with her coming, but under her strong insistence, they reluctantly agreed. Then, the family followed Lieyang to the police station and waited there.
Seeing Han Youxi pacing anxiously, Han Zaizhong's face darkened. He had already lost all face this time. He didn't go out to inquire about the situation, but he knew that at this moment, he had become a laughing stock in the Greater Hanyang region.
I wonder how many people are laughing at him. Everyone knows that he offered his daughter to curry favor with Lee Seong-jae and was even humiliated by Lee Hyun-gi. It would be a lie to say he wasn't angry.
But what's the use of regenerating gas?
That's Lee Hyun-ki!
What can he do?
He could only endure the insults.
"Youxi, if you need, I can help your friend hire a good lawyer. This is a small matter, just assault. According to the regulations, it's only a few days in jail, or maybe just community service."
"The key is that we don't know if the Four Star Enterprise Group will take any other actions. You know... this matter has a huge impact. If Li Xuanji acquiesces, I don't know how many charges will fall on your friend, and then I will be powerless to help."
Chapter 533 President, Something's Wrong!
Unable to bear seeing his daughter's anxiety, or perhaps out of guilt, Han Zaizhong spoke up at this moment, wanting to help, even though he knew it wouldn't make much difference.
But at least it can offer some comfort to my daughter.
"No need, that kid has already made the call, there won't be any problems," Lieyang, who had been calm and collected, suddenly said.
His words left everyone present stunned.
Then Lieyang stood up, stretched, and said to Han Youxi with a smile, "Little girl, listen to my advice, don't worry, go back and get a good night's sleep. This matter will be resolved tomorrow. That kid will be fine, otherwise he wouldn't have had him arrested."
"Trust me, this lousy police station can't hold him. He can leave whenever he wants. If this kid doesn't leave, it's just that Li Xuanji will have to ask him to come out. We don't need to worry about this. Let him have a meal, take a shower, and get some sleep. We'll pick him up tomorrow."
After saying that, he turned and left, muttering to himself as he went, "That kid, really, what am I going to do now that he's in jail? I'll have to pay for my own meals from now on, and even if I get receipts for reimbursement, I won't get any benefits. Really, am I supposed to issue fake receipts? I'm not that kind of person."
Han Youxi, who understands Mandarin, was speechless at this.
After Lieyang left, Han Youxi was persuaded to leave as well. She knew that Lieyang, who was with Jiang Bai, must have been confident to say such a thing, otherwise he wouldn't have said it.
That evening, the police presented Jiang Bai with a stack of files listing twenty-nine heinous crimes, including murder, robbery, rape, fraud, involvement in organized crime, and drug trafficking, hoping to force him to confess.
Jiang Bai glanced at the officers and said with a smile, "I will absolutely not admit to anything other than rape, which has a bad reputation. I will plead guilty to everything else. If you don't think that's enough, you can add a few more charges, such as subversion of state power or espionage. I'll admit to all of them!"
This left the interrogating officers completely stunned. They had thought it would take some effort, but Jiang Bai's quick response caught them off guard.
In the end, the interrogators helped Jiang Bai spend half the night preparing all the confessions and statements for the twenty-eight charges. Afterwards, feeling quite guilty, they treated Jiang Bai to a big meal.
Jiang Bai readily accepted, and then spent a comfortable night under the other party's arrangements.
When Li Xuanji woke up the next morning and arrived at his office, he learned about the situation. He was somewhat surprised to learn from his assistant that Jiang Bai had been so cooperative.
Then Jiang Bai's information was placed in front of Li Xuanji. Li Xuanji was surprised to find that Jiang Bai was also a billionaire with a net worth of tens of billions. He was stunned for a moment, but did not pay attention to it.
Jiang Bai is indeed wealthy, but that's in China. Besides, his wealth is far less than Li Xuanji's, so he's not worried about anything.
After the morning meeting, the assistant came over and said with a somewhat grim expression, "President, we just received news that our factories in Tiandu and the surrounding area were vandalized last night, resulting in significant losses. Several of our workers were injured, and... several warehouses were set on fire, with losses amounting to several million US dollars."
These words startled Li Xuanji for a moment, then he sneered: "According to the information provided by the police, this Jiang Bai is from Tiandu. According to the information, he should be a person with some influence in Tiandu. This is not surprising. However, you think you can make me compromise with such a low-level trick? You are really ridiculous!"
Upon receiving the police information, Li Xuanji knew that Tiandu would likely encounter some minor problems, but he didn't care. A few small losses were nothing to a behemoth like the Four Star Enterprise Group; it was just a drop in the ocean.
"By the way, how's the investigation going with the person I asked you to investigate?" Lee Hyun-ki then asked.
He had already instructed his assistant to investigate Jiang Bai last night, but there's still no concrete news.
"It's already underway, but it will take some time. It was too late yesterday, and our friends there promised to give us an accurate answer today," the assistant said respectfully.
It's not that their intelligence capabilities are inferior to Jin Mingzhe's. The reason Jin Mingzhe was able to obtain information about Jiang Bai was not because he was particularly well-informed, but simply because he happened to be lucky enough to contact Wu Tianxi.
"Knock knock knock!"
There was a knock on the office door, and the secretary rushed in anxiously, saying in a panic, "President, something bad has happened! We received a new fax. Binhai Tianci Group has just sent us an official letter terminating all contracts. Effective today, all business contracts with us are terminated. At the same time, their representative has hinted that from now on, all goods from our Sixing Enterprise Group will be prohibited from entering or leaving the ports controlled by Binhai Tianci Group."
One sentence made the two people in the room turn pale. Binhai Tianci is engaged in maritime trade and has a strong influence in Binhai and the surrounding areas. They and their partners control almost 80% of port transportation and have many business dealings with four-star enterprises.
They are an important partner of theirs, and they have always had a good relationship.
But now they're suddenly sending an official letter saying all this?
How could they not be surprised?
No one knows better than Li Xuanji who the boss of Binhai Tianci is. He understands deeply the power that Wu Tianxi represents in the provinces of Hebei. With just one word from Wu Tianxi, even a fraction of the goods of the four-star enterprise can forget about flowing into the surrounding provinces!
This is the real reason why Li Xuanji's expression changed.
"Please contact Mr. Wu Tianxi for me and ask him what exactly happened. We've always been good partners, why would Binhai Tianci do this?"
Lee Hyun-ki's expression changed, and he said to his assistant.
However, after saying this, he stopped his assistant from doing so and picked up the phone himself to call Wu Tianxi, but at that moment his assistant's phone suddenly rang.
After saying a few words, his expression changed, and he quickly hung up the phone, saying, "President, something bad has happened. There's a problem in Hong Kong. Several of our product's partner distributors have just informed us that they want to terminate their cooperation with us. More than thirty of our directly operated stores and branches there have been attacked by unknown individuals."
"At least thirty people were injured, and a large number of people resigned this morning."
"It's terrible, President! It's terrible... Tiandu Wuji Enterprise, Nanjiang Huwang Group, and Didu Tianlong Group have all announced the termination of their cooperation with us. They have now made clear demands on us. All our goods in several southern provinces of China have been seized by the police, who say that our goods contain contraband. The Chinese police department has now organized a special task force to investigate us..."
Chapter 534 Li Xuanji's Fear
Even Li Xuanji couldn't sit still anymore and suddenly stood up: "What's going on? Go... go investigate for me, contact those families, and find out exactly what happened?"
Tiger King of Southern Xinjiang, Heavenly Dragon of the Imperial Capital, and Heavenly Gift of the Coastal Area—aren't they all renowned figures who dominate their respective regions?
It's a big deal that they've joined forces to suppress the Four Star Enterprise Group.
It's important to know that Four Star Enterprise Group's products are sold all over the world, but with the rise of China's economy, China is now their largest source of customers and the lifeblood of the entire group.
These companies joining forces could almost completely strangle the four-star enterprise's trade in the entire China, a devastating blow that would immediately trigger a chain reaction once the news spreads.
With the stock price of four-star companies plummeting and the board of directors holding people accountable, his position as chairman is in jeopardy.
After all, Four Star Enterprise Group is a listed company. Although he is the chairman and the company has been in his hands for decades, it is because he has brought the company to take off and brought huge profits to the shareholders.
But if the group suffers a huge blow, it's hard to guarantee that no one will find a pretext to attack him.
Unfortunately, no sooner had he said that than another secretary rushed in. He only had three secretaries and one president's assistant, and now they had all rushed in.
"What is it now?" Lee Hyun-ki asked wearily.
His secretaries are all rigorously selected and trained, and are extremely capable. They can handle most minor matters on their own. It is very rare for them to barge in like this without any manners; something serious must have happened.
As expected, the secretary glanced at Li Xuanji, quickly bowed, and then said anxiously, "President, something bad has happened. The Ministry of Commerce of China just held a press conference and has launched an anti-monopoly investigation against us."
"In addition, our products were subject to a spot check by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and some of them failed to meet the standards. This has already made the morning news. They said they would investigate us today and temporarily ban our exports to China."
"Furthermore, according to information from our Huaxia branch, starting this morning, various functional departments in Huaxia have begun to launch various investigations into us, and we expect to receive more bad news soon."
One sentence made Li Xuanji slump down. This was absolutely a momentous event. Not only were various corporate giants targeting them, but even the functional departments had taken action.
At this point, he'd be a fool not to sense something was amiss. After a moment's hesitation, he hurriedly yelled at his assistant, "How's the situation with your investigation? Tell the people over there to find out about Jiang Bai as quickly as possible, by any means necessary! Hurry!"
One sentence startled the assistant, who hurriedly ran out.
He then yelled at his secretaries, "I don't care what methods you use, get all the branch offices to do everything they can to handle this, and I will use all my resources to resolve it as soon as possible."
After saying that, the group left in a hurry. Lee Hyun-ki, who was on the other side, rubbed his head with a terrible headache. Suddenly, the office phone rang.
He didn't want to answer, but when he saw the number, Lee Hyun-ki hesitated for a moment before answering. It was the president of East Asia Bank calling. The president had provided a large amount of loans to Four Star Enterprises Group and was one of their major clients, so he couldn't refuse.
"President Murakami, I don't know you..." Lee Hyun-ki was about to greet him.
But the other party interrupted him, saying bluntly, "President Li, I'm calling you now to inform you that the eight billion US dollar loan you previously requested cannot be extended according to our bank's research. We hope you will repay it as soon as possible."
"But didn't we already agree on this last time? How can you do this? There are only seven days left until the repayment deadline. Where are we going to get eight billion US dollars?"
"If you had told us earlier, we definitely would have prepared. This amount of money is not a problem for our Four Star Enterprise Group at all. But we had already agreed to extend the loan and renew it! That's what we agreed on!"
"We have been partners for many years, Mr. Murakami. I need a reasonable explanation from you, otherwise I seriously doubt whether our future cooperation can continue!"
Murakami's words undoubtedly angered Lee Hyun-ki. They had been long-term partners, and their relationship was mutually beneficial. He was originally planning to repay the loan when it was due, but the other party took the initiative to contact him and ask him to extend the loan term.
Now look what's happened. We just sent the money out, and they've already changed their minds. How can we not be angry?
"This... I'm really sorry, but there's nothing we can do about it. As you know, the Portuguese Group has always been our biggest client. They have a large amount of cash deposited in our bank. Now Mr. He called me and said that his old friend has had a conflict with your Four Star Enterprise Group, and he is very unhappy."
"They demand that we stop your lending business, or they will withdraw all deposits of the Portuguese Group and all its shareholders in the Bank of East Asia. You know... that's a terrifying number."
"Our bank cannot afford this. With Mr. He's power and influence, this could very well lead to a bank run and even bankrupt our bank. So we are very sorry." After saying this, the other party hung up the phone.
Lee Hyun-ki then received several more phone calls, all of which were calls demanding payment.
Raw material suppliers stopped supplying goods, forcing factory workers to strike.
Bank loan collection efforts and government investigations came one after another, giving Li Xuanji a huge headache.
Then the Black House also called. It was a high-ranking official who had a very good relationship with him and could even be said to have been promoted by him: "President Li, what exactly did you do? Who exactly is Jiang Bai? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially sent us a diplomatic note today, demanding that we release him immediately."
"They have even produced evidence that our police framed Jiang Bai. There are reports that you were behind this. Now we are in a very passive position. The president is very angry. You must resolve this as soon as possible."
"This matter is no longer just a matter for your Four Star Enterprise Group. Now all of our companies in China are facing a boycott, some to some extent. There's nothing official about it, but both Universe Group and GL have been severely impacted. Both of them have complained to us about your appalling behavior that disregards the national economy."
"We have tried our best to suppress it now, but this matter needs to be resolved as soon as possible, otherwise the president will not be able to withstand the pressure from those two families."
One sentence sent chills down Lee Hyun-ki's spine. South Korea's three pillar oligopolies are GL, WUKO Group, and Four Star Enterprises. Four Star Enterprises is of course the largest, but the other two are not weak either, and together they are stronger than Four Star Enterprises.
Now that these two families have joined forces to oppose him, Li Xuanji can't help but feel apprehensive.
Chapter 535 Let's go see him
"President, the data has arrived."
Just then, Zhu opened the door and rushed in, his forehead covered in sweat.
"Get out of here!"
Without a second thought, Lee Hyun-ki picked up a stack of documents from the table and threw them over.
He was in a bad mood, and this damn guy dared to walk in without even knocking, giving Lee Hyun-ki a perfect target to vent his anger on.
His reaction startled the other party, who realized that the boss was angry, but the matter was urgent and they couldn't worry about that now.
"President, you should take a look first. It's Jiang Bai's information," the assistant said with a wry smile.
After saying this, he took out a stack of documents, ignored Li Xuanji's astonished gaze, walked over, and handed them to him.
Lee Hyun-ki paused for a moment, then put on his glasses to look more closely.
First, let's talk about Jiang Bai's financial situation. Although he is a wealthy man, it is rare to see someone who started from scratch and has such wealth. However, it is not unacceptable, and Li Xuanji doesn't even consider him a threat.
The crucial information that followed completely stunned Lee Hyun-ki.
With a solemn expression, he read on. Inside, Jiang Bai's actions over the past year were roughly listed in a timeline, with details written down, such as eliminating Kun Sha, killing Yin Tianchou, and forcing Mr. He to compromise, etc.
It also records in detail his relationships with Zhao Wuji, Wu Tianxi, Cheng Tiangang and others.
In short, this person is someone you shouldn't mess with.
"Have you read it?" Lee Hyun-ki asked his assistant helplessly, his face full of fatigue, after closing the document.
"This... I've already seen it." After thinking for a moment, the assistant still said in a low voice.
Then he wondered if he should try to persuade Li Xuanji if he refused to back down, since according to the information, Jiang Bai was really not someone to mess with.
What's even more deadly is that, in addition to his immense wealth and network of connections, this person himself is also incredibly powerful; angering him could cost you your life.
"Let's go, let's see him." Without waiting for his helper to persuade him, Li Xuanji stood up and said dejectedly.
As a self-made tycoon, Li Xuanji was a man of principle, knowing when to be tough and when to back down.
Clearly, now is the time to back down. Since Jiang Bai said those things to him yesterday, this matter is definitely not going to end well. If he doesn't personally invite someone out, this matter probably won't be resolved.
Half an hour later, Li Xuanji led his group to the Da Hanyang Regional Police Headquarters. Before arriving at the gate, he had already notified them to release Jiang Bai, testing Jiang Bai's attitude. If Jiang Bai was willing to come out, then he would not show up.
Then we'll meet with Jiang Bai again and reach an agreement.
If Jiang Bai refuses to come forward, then it's not too late for him to step in later.
And so, this scene unfolded at the police station: a bunch of police officers were surrounding Jiang Bai, begging and pleading with him to leave.
Unfortunately, Jiang Bai didn't appreciate it: "Weren't you so arrogant just now? Why are you begging me to leave now? If I don't leave and you don't give me an explanation for this, I'll just stay here. Anyway, your food is pretty good."
Just now, those bastards were trying to bluff me, telling me that the investigation had been completed and I had been released without charge, and that I should leave quickly, saying things like to be careful not to commit crimes again.
Would Jiang Bai even bother with them?
Obviously not.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai spat in their faces and sat there motionless.
When the hard approach failed, they switched to the soft approach, with a group of people surrounding Jiang Bai and begging him to leave immediately.
Unfortunately, Jiang Bai still refused.
"Mr. Jiang, please leave. We have definitely investigated the matter thoroughly. President Lee Hyun-ki also called, saying there was a misunderstanding about you and they want to apologize to you. Please leave."
A senior police officer, wiping sweat with a towel, pleaded with Jiang Bai with a mournful face.
He was under immense pressure. Not only the Four Star Enterprises Group, but also the other two oligarchs called, demanding that he release Jiang Bai unconditionally. In addition, the local prosecutor's office and the Black House also called.
The Black House had made it clear to him that if this matter wasn't resolved, his term as an official would be over.
"Li Xuanji wants you to apologize to me? Who do you think you are? Let me tell you, if Li Xuanji doesn't come to invite me in person, I'm not leaving! Let him wait, this isn't over yet."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai immediately became unhappy and started acting arrogantly.
Lee Hyun-ki must have been under pressure from the outside world, and at this moment he had no choice but to release himself.
But this old guy was so aggressive when he grabbed me, saying things like I was going to die. Now he wants to settle this matter quietly?
No way!
"Mr. Jiang, here I am! I'm so sorry, so sorry. Everything yesterday was a misunderstanding. I apologize to you! Please forgive me."
Li Xuanji heard Jiang Bai's words clearly from outside the door. He gave a bitter laugh, walked out, and said to Jiang Bai in a dry tone, giving Jiang Bai a smile that was more like a grimace.
He hadn't encountered something like this in decades. Having always been high and mighty, he really couldn't bear to suddenly have to grovel and apologize to someone.
But there's nothing I can do about it. On the way here, I heard that my old rival in the board of directors has started contacting people, trying to use this opportunity to oust me. This is something Lee Hyun-ki absolutely cannot accept.
So despite his reluctance, he still had to personally invite Jiang Bai out.
"Misunderstanding? You think it's all over with just one misunderstanding? Li Xuanji, do you think I'm easy to fool?" Jiang Bai said angrily.
This matter is not so easily resolved. Do you think you can settle it with just a misunderstanding?
No way.
Although he didn't go out, he knew that Xiao Tian must have used a lot of connections and probably even invited people he was on good terms with. He had gone to such great lengths and wasted so many favors, so an apology couldn't solve the problem.
Jiang Bai's words made Li Xuanji's face flush red, and he didn't know what to say for a long time. He didn't say anything, but the assistant next to him leaned over and whispered in Li Xuanji's ear: "President, we just received news from Taixi that our major investment project in Taixi has been temporarily taken over by the military today. There are reports that this matter will be shelved indefinitely."
"I heard it was the idea of the Minister of Economic Development and General Chatchaiwan."
This made Li Xuanji's face even more bitter. He had invested tens of billions in the Taixi project, which was one of the largest initiatives of Four Star Infrastructure to go abroad. He had single-handedly led the project and overcame all opposition to make it happen. If it were to be halted now, the trouble would be even greater.
The initial investment of tens of billions of US dollars cannot be recovered, and the bank interest is a major expense. Every day of shutdown results in a loss of tens of millions of US dollars, which is an absolutely huge hole.
Chapter 536 Desperate for Money
As for who did this, Lee Hyun-ki knew without his assistant even needing to say.
The information I received today clearly states that General Chatchaiwang of the Capital Military Region has a relationship with Jiang Bai. Chatchaiwang, who was able to eliminate Khun Sa and be promoted to Minister of Defense, owes Jiang Bai a considerable favor.
As for the Minister of Economic Affairs, he even claimed to be Jiang Bai's father-in-law.
Li Xuanji would never believe that Jiang Bai wasn't behind their actions.
"Mr. Jiang, I was wrong in this matter. My son is a scoundrel. If you are willing to come out, we can sit down and talk to resolve this matter. I will definitely teach him a lesson that will satisfy you!"
With a determined effort, Li Xuanji spoke up, agreeing to hand over his youngest son to Jiang Bai for disposal.
Although the son is important, he is qualified; there is only one Four Star Enterprise Group.
It's the foundation of their family!
Sacrificing Lee Sung-jae to help the Four Star Enterprises Group overcome its difficulties and preserve the Lee family's power seems like a worthwhile deal.
Moreover, in Lee Hyun-ki's view, Lee Seong-jae would at most be taught a lesson, and there would be no serious consequences, so what was there to worry about?
"What would I do with your son?" Jiang Bai replied irritably.
This surprised Li Xuanji. If he didn't want his spendthrift son, then what did he want?
He couldn't quite understand it.
Logically speaking, the conflict between him and Jiang Bai was because of his son. If he didn't want his son, what did he want?
Could it be me?
This put Lee Hyun-ki in a difficult position, as he wanted Lee Hyun-ki to stand up for him.
This... Lee Hyun-ki can't accept it.
However, the current situation is very challenging. If the Li family loses control of the Four Star Enterprise Group, they will be in serious trouble.
Over the years, countless people have been watching the Li family, and countless people have wanted him dead, but they have all been hesitant to act because of the Four Star Enterprise Group he leads. Once he loses control of the group, countless people will retaliate.
Whether we can hold out at that time is another matter.
Moreover, if Jiang Bai doesn't give up easily, he'll cause trouble for me even after he leaves.
Yin Tianchou is the best example. Yin Tianchou's status in Hong Kong was much higher than his own. He was the only one who could dominate there. He had a rival, but Yin Tianchou was still taken care of.
Just imagining the scene of thousands of gunmen crossing borders sent chills down Li Xuanji's spine.
Although South Korea and its backer would never allow such a thing to happen, the Lee family is not like a ruthless tycoon like Yin Tianchou. They are legitimate businessmen with many enemies. They don't need too many gunmen; a few hundred would be too much for him to handle.
After hesitating for a long time, Li Xuanji gritted his teeth and said to Jiang Bai in front of him, "If Mr. Jiang wants me, then I will go back and take care of some matters, and then I will leave it to Mr. Jiang to do as he sees fit."
He had already decided that if Jiang Bai really wanted him, he would make arrangements as soon as possible to let his eldest son inherit his position, so that the Li family's power would not fall and they could still make a comeback.
Jiang Bai almost vomited blood after hearing those words. He coughed for a while, then threw a piece of trash at the other person and said irritably, "What do I need you for! I don't want you or your son!"
"What do I need you guys for, a grown man like me!"
Don't want a man?
Li Xuanji paused for a moment, then thought of his daughter and looked at Jiang Bai with a strange expression.
Her daughter is quite pretty, but she's already in her thirties. Could it be that this guy likes this kind of taste?
The daughter is married and has a son. The son-in-law is usually very filial and works at the Four Star Enterprise Group. The family has a good relationship. However, if Jiang Bai really likes his daughter, then it is only right for his daughter to make some sacrifices.
Making some sacrifices for the family is absolutely necessary.
As for whether his son-in-law would be cuckolded, that was completely outside of Lee Hyun-ki's considerations.
If he dares to fall out with his daughter over this, he'll be in big trouble!
If Li Xuanji can't handle Jiang Bai, how can he not handle his own son-in-law?
The only problem is that my daughter has a rather strong personality, which I've spoiled. It seems I'll have to do some serious talking-to about her later.
"If it's my daughter, I agreed to let her keep you company tonight, but… you need to give me some time, I need to go back and talk to her… she…"
This left Jiang Bai speechless. He rolled his eyes at Li Xuanji in front of him and growled irritably, "Stop, stop, stop! I'm not interested in your whole family! I want compensation for emotional distress! Do you understand?"
"You insulted me, had me arrested, and charged me with a bunch of crimes. This has caused me great mental harm. Do you think that sending people over to let me vent my anger will solve the problem? I have no interest in you or your son."
"As for your daughter, I don't care about her either!"
"But don't you think you've caused me serious emotional trauma and should compensate me for this?"
Jiang Bai was very dissatisfied with Li Xuanji, who was so clueless.
Look how shrewd Zhang Changgeng is!
They offended me back then, and now they've given me a bunch of stuff.
That's the real deal.
Unlike Li Xuanji, who insists on making himself speak so clearly?
I really don't know how this guy got to where he is today.
Are people from other countries just naturally so dull and unable to think in this direction?
Actually, you can't blame Li Xuanji for this. According to Li Xuanji's information, Jiang Bai is worth tens of billions. The company has sound finances and no economic pressure at all. To put it bluntly, they have so much money they don't know what to do with it.
Based on Li Xuanji's level of thinking, he certainly didn't think Jiang Bai would care about money. In Li Xuanji's view, solving this problem should be more about making Jiang Bai look good on the surface and satisfying Jiang Bai's mind.
Instead of giving them some money, that's the way to deal with poor people.
So he was momentarily stunned and took aback by Jiang Bai's words.
It was only after his assistant couldn't stand it anymore and whispered a reminder that Lee Hyun-ki suddenly realized what was going on, and his mood immediately brightened up.
Lee Hyun-ki may not have much else, but he has a lot of money. His personal assets rank among the top 30 in the world. He's incredibly wealthy.
In his view, any problem that can be solved with money is not a problem.
But his joy didn't last long, because he remembered that Jiang Bai wasn't one of those poor bastards who could be easily dismissed with a little money and still be grateful.
Jiang Bai himself is a billionaire worth billions of US dollars. It's definitely not that simple to settle things; the amount of money required would be astronomical.
Conservative estimates put the cost at least at one billion US dollars, which gave Lee Hyun-ki a headache.
Because he couldn't grasp the exact amount, and Jiang Bai hadn't specified clearly, saying too little would be inappropriate, but saying too much would be overwhelming for him. Therefore, Li Xuanji found himself in an even more difficult position…
Chapter 537 Been tricked
"This... I wonder what Mr. Jiang thinks is an appropriate amount for mental... emotional compensation?"
In the end, Li Xuanji handed the problem over to Jiang Bai.
After some haggling, Jiang Bai's initial compensation of five billion US dollars was reduced by Li Xuanji to three billion US dollars.
Li Xuanji, as expected of an old fox, refused to budge on this issue despite the new compensation and his unwillingness to provoke Jiang Bai, and insisted on fighting Jiang Bai to the end, haggling over the price.
In the end, Jiang Bai had no choice but to resort to his ultimate move: flipping the table and refusing to play anymore. Only then did Li Xuanji have to compromise and agree to a price of three billion US dollars.
However, Li Xuanji did not have that much cash, and he could not use the company's money recklessly. In the end, it was decided that Li Xuanji would take out a portion of the cash, and he would use his shares to take out a loan from the bank to hand over the remainder to Jiang Bai within a month.
Originally, according to Jiang Bai's idea, if Li Xuanji didn't have that much cash, he could use the shares of Four Star Enterprise Group to offset the cash payment to Jiang Bai, but the old fox refused to do so no matter what.
Ultimately, this was the only agreement that could be reached.
The agreement was reached, and a debt contract was printed and signed on the spot. It was noted that if Li Xuanji could not provide enough cash to Jiang Bai within a month, his shares would be transferred to Jiang Bai at the closing price of that day.
Jiang Bai smiled after everything was completed and left happily. Before leaving, he said goodbye to Li Xuanji, saying that he hoped to cooperate again in the future.
Completely ignoring the old man's green face.
After finishing everything, Jiang Bai left. As soon as he stepped outside, he ran into Han Youxi's family and Old Man Lieyang.
Seeing that Jiang Bai was safely brought out by Li Xuanji, and hearing from Jiang Bai that he had extorted a large sum of money from Li Xuanji, Han Youxi's father, a member of the underworld, immediately got the idea and began to fawn over Jiang Bai.
Finally, they invited Jiang Bai to their home for a meal, during which they repeatedly expressed their hope that Jiang Bai and Han Youxi could develop a relationship.
Jiang Bai smiled broadly, while Han Youxi blushed deeply.
After having a meal, they thanked Jiang Bai profusely and saw him off, because Jiang Bai had made a phone call to Jin Mingzhe during the meal, helping Yongdong faction solve its immediate difficulties.
After leaving Han Youxi's house, Jiang Bai took out his phone and made a series of calls to express his gratitude before finally finishing his business.
Back at the hotel, it was already past midnight. I had a good day to rest, but there wasn't much to do.
He then called Lee Hyun-ki and used his connections to help find Lee Yo-gil.
Even with the help of Kim Myung-chul and Han Jae-jung, the two of them tied together couldn't withstand Lee Hyun-ki's little finger.
Li Xuanji naturally dared not refuse. By evening of the next day, he had already received a phone call saying that he had found Li Yaoji's address.
This surprised Jiang Bai, but he didn't suspect anything. Li Xuanji couldn't possibly know Li Yaoji's situation, and besides, he wouldn't dare to lie to him since he had just finished dealing with something today. So Jiang Bai took Lieyang and went to find him.
After being injured last time, Lee Yo-gil hid in the suburbs of the Daehanyang region, a sparsely populated rural area that was difficult to find. If Lee Hyun-ki hadn't used his connections with the police and the National Intelligence Service to thoroughly investigate all surveillance footage in the Daehanyang region, he probably still wouldn't have been able to find him.
Are you sure this is the place?
Lieyang sat in the car and asked a driver sent by Li Xuanji to guide him.
"Yes, sir, we are certain that he is hiding in that wooden cabin on the mountain, but he hasn't come out for several days. However, none of the villagers have seen him leave, so he should still be inside," the other party quickly replied.
He didn't know Jiang Bai and Lie Yang's identities, but he did know that they were two people that even Li Xuanji was unwilling to offend.
"Let's go, stop talking nonsense, go grab that guy, and we can leave safely."
Jiang Bai desperately wanted to return to Tiandu, even though it was quite nice here, with plenty of food, drink, and beautiful women.
During the day, he even accompanied Han Youxi for a walk down the street and had a fling along the way. Their relationship is developing well, and if given more time, getting a first kill wouldn't be a problem. However, this still couldn't stop Jiang Bai's eagerness to return.
However, this raises a big problem: Li Yaoji. If Jiang Bai can't find this guy, he'll be too embarrassed to go back.
Especially yesterday, after Li Qingdi went to great lengths for his own cause.
Jiang Bai knew that the reason why various departments were so eager to take care of the Four Star Enterprise Group was all because of Li Qingdi's influence.
Jiang Bai didn't say anything about this favor, but he kept it in mind. Li Qingdi had asked him to do something, and had given him both benefits and a favor. It wouldn't be right for Jiang Bai to go back without doing anything.
"Same as always, you go up and fight him, I'll ambush you!" Lieyang nodded and said.
"Why don't you go and fight him? I'll ambush him!" Jiang Bai said irritably.
Li Yaoji is not someone to be trifled with. In close combat, if Jiang Bai didn't bring out that monstrous "Tiger Soul" blade, it's really hard to say who would win or lose.
Although Li Yaoji is injured now, he's like a cornered beast, ready to fight any chance. He might become even more monstrous. If you go up there, you'll be beaten to a pulp.
"Well... I've thought about it too. If he were an ordinary person, I wouldn't even need you to lift a finger; I'd just kill him myself. But this guy is a monster. My old body can't take much of a beating. I'd be done for in a couple of hits. I'm already in my fifties; how can you ask me to take such a risk?" Lieyang chuckled, responding shamelessly.
"You're already in your fifties or sixties. You'll be dead soon if you don't fight. You might as well go. You've lived enough. I'm still young." Jiang Bai said irritably, but his movements were not slow at all. He leaped up and headed straight for the dilapidated house on the mountainside.
They moved extremely fast; they leaped up the several-hundred-meter-high mountain in just seven or eight leaps, and landed steadily in front of the house in just over ten seconds.
"Li Yaoji, I know you're here. Come out now and surrender or you'll be killed! You need to know you're surrounded. Don't resist!"
Jiang Bai stood in front of the dilapidated house without going in, and first shouted.
It wasn't that I didn't want to go in, but I didn't want to be ambushed by Li Yaoji. Standing here with a wide view made me feel safer.
Unfortunately, Jiang Bai called out, but the other party did not respond at all.
There wasn't even a reply.
This struck Jiang Bai as odd.
After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Bai shouted again, "Li Yaoji, don't think you can get away by keeping quiet. I'll give you three seconds. If you don't come out, I'll have Lieyang burn the house down!"
He waved to the blazing sun, beckoning the old man closer, then called out, "One!"
The next second, a raging fire suddenly broke out in the mountains, burning the house to ashes in the blink of an eye. The house collapsed, but there was no one inside.
"We've been tricked!" Lieyang couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Chapter 538 Bloodbath Across the World
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai was taken aback, and his expression turned grim.
The house was empty; all that could be seen were ruins. Li Yaoji was not there at all.
Where did he go?
Jiang Bai immediately thought of Kim Tae-yeon, who was still at the hotel!
During this time, Kim Tae-yeon has been with me, staying at the Shilla Hotel without venturing out. Even when she went to the hospital, she was accompanied by me. Now she is staying at the hotel as I instructed.
If my previous speculation with Lieyang was correct, then the only reason for Li Yaoji's disappearance is that he went to find Kim Tae-yeon!
But why did he choose to go now?
How did he know that he and Lieyang had arrived?
Could someone have leaked the information?
The key question is: who leaked the information?
Could it be Lee Hyun-ki?
Jiang Bai's biggest suspicion right now is this old guy, but then he shook his head. According to Li Qingdi's intelligence, Li Yaoji and Li Xuanji should not know each other and have no connection. How could Li Xuanji possibly tip him off?
That old bastard just suffered a blow from me, he shouldn't have the guts to go against me so quickly.
If that's the case, how did Li Yaoji know that he was coming?
Jiang Bai was overwhelmed with thoughts.
"Kid, hurry back and stop standing there in a daze! I bet Li Yaoji has gone to find Kim Tae-yeon! Why aren't you going?" Lie Yang said angrily, which brought Jiang Bai back to his senses.
Following Lieyang, they hurried down the mountain and arrived at the person who had brought them there in no time. They asked him to start the car and drive back to the city.
On the way, Jiang Bai asked them questions, and they honestly admitted that after receiving the news today, they came here to investigate first. However, they could guarantee that the other party had not discovered them because they had not gone up the mountain to investigate at all.
If you just ask the villagers, they probably won't find out unless the villagers tell you.
But the villagers are all locals and don't interact much with the outside world, so how could they possibly have any contact with Li Yaoji?
This left Jiang Bai completely baffled.
Lieyang finally spoke up, sighing as he said, "No need to say anything, he must have found out today, after these people went to investigate."
"You mean, Li Yaoji has connections among the people?" Jiang Bai asked in astonishment.
"No, his blood can temporarily control a person's mind. I dare not say more, but it can definitely control one or two villagers. As long as they consume his blood, he can control them for a short period of time, which is not a problem. After that time, they need to continue consuming it."
"I think he did this for safety reasons. After all, his essence and blood are extremely precious. If he hadn't been threatened by us, he certainly wouldn't have been willing to do this. But since he did, it's not surprising that we were discovered."
Jiang Bai was astonished to hear for the first time that Li Yaoji's blood had this effect.
"Don't be surprised. The demon race has existed for countless years. They were the original masters of this world. However, the demon race has declined. There are hardly any left now, and many of their demonic arts have been lost."
"Take Li Yaoji for example. He is from the Long-Armed Divine Ape clan and should have a lot of heritage. Unfortunately... to this day, apart from being able to temporarily transform into a human and using some basic minor demon techniques, he can only fight us with his physical body. Otherwise, do you think the two of us can deal with a great demon who has cultivated for a thousand years?"
"In ancient times, the magic spells cast by the demonic power generated from a thousand years of cultivation were enough to completely overwhelm you and me even when we joined forces."
Lieyang revealed some secrets. He was a genuine old-timer who had been in the God Group for decades and had come across countless bizarre and strange things. Naturally, he knew much more than Jiang Bai.
"Why did it decline?" Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask.
If the demon race is as powerful as he described, why did it decline?
Jiang Bai was puzzled.
How could ancient humans, living a primitive life of slash-and-burn agriculture, possibly defeat these powerful monsters?
Just a few martial artists?
"Hehe, that was so many years ago. You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? But I've heard that there are records of it declining after the Investiture of the Gods. Whether it's true or not, only ghosts know. Some people even say that the Investiture of the Gods never even happened."
"Historians have also investigated this, haven't they? They even discovered the remains of the Battle of Muye, with a bunch of bronze artifacts lying there. It's not as mysterious as the rumors make it out to be."
"Therefore, many people believe that it is a myth, and the rise and fall of the demon race, and even whether they still exist now, are all mysteries."
"In all my years of life, as far as I know, there are only seven or eight scattered demons in the world, all of whom are old creatures who have lived for hundreds of years. No new demon has ever been born in modern times."
"Otherwise, wouldn't the world be teeming with monsters by now?"
These words left Jiang Bai stunned. After listening to Lie Yang's explanation, Jiang Bai subconsciously asked, "If you say there are seven or eight demon clans, and they are all ancient beings over several hundred years old, then Li Yaoji is one of them. Is there any connection between them? Will those ancient demons help him?"
"No! Haha, if someone had helped him, he wouldn't be in such a sorry state. In fact, those old devils want Li Yaoji dead much more than we do. We're just looking for the Qin Emperor's key, but those old devils want to grind Li Yaoji to dust!"
Lieyang laughed and then said that he was not worried about it at all.
"Why?"
This left Jiang Bai somewhat bewildered. He didn't understand what Lieyang meant. Li Yaoji was also a member of the demon race, so why did others hate him so much? This didn't make sense.
Logically speaking, even if they had a deep-seated hatred in the past, so many years have passed now, and there are only a few of them left. Shouldn't they at least look after each other?
If humanity were to become extinct, leaving only eighty or ninety people, even if they harbored deep hatred towards Jiang Bai, Jiang Bai would probably let it go and lend a helping hand if the other party was in danger.
But these guys want to grind Li Yao to dust. What kind of deep hatred is that?
Logically, this shouldn't be the case. What exactly did Li Yaoji do?
As if sensing Jiang Bai's doubts, Lie Yang said, "According to ancient records, the Long-Armed Divine Ape clan is small in number and has a unique appearance. During the pre-Qin period, when Qin Shi Huang was in power, they were taken into the palace. They can no longer be considered as a demon clan, but only as Qin Shi Huang's pets."
"Yes, it was a very pleasing pet with considerable strength, so the Qin Emperor's Key was kept by their clan, or more precisely, by Li Yaoji's father."
"Back then, Qin Shi Huang destroyed the Wu and the demons, and the gods slew the immortals and the demons. Tsk tsk, the world was slaughtered. Their clan was an accomplice and was eliminated from the demon race long ago. Those old demons who survived in the world were just lucky ones who escaped back then. How can we not hate their clan?"
Chapter 539 is over, the enemy is here.
"Help him? Those old monsters would love to tear him apart alive!"
"According to records, Li Yaoji's clan was favored by the Qin Emperor and multiplied to at least several dozen. However, he is the only one who survived. Apart from some being dealt with by humans, many were killed by the demon race. This was partly due to the Qin Emperor's secret key, but more importantly, it was because they were hated."
The Qin Emperor destroyed the Wu and the demons, the gods slew the immortals and the demons, and bloodshed swept across the world... The scene was too beautiful for Jiang Bai to even imagine.
As one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history, he has countless legends, but the scale of the commotion was something Jiang Bai hadn't expected.
Jiang Bai unconsciously swallowed. Although Lie Yang had mentioned that this was just a legend recorded in ancient books and not recognized by official history, Jiang Bai believed it was probably true. However, whether it was as fantastical or exaggerated as he thought was another matter.
However, one thing is certain: the description of Li Yaoji's family should be correct.
If that's the case, then everything makes sense. Why is this guy doing so badly? It turns out his ancestors were up to no good.
"You keep talking about the Qin Emperor's Key. From what I've heard, this thing has existed for many years. You've been searching for it, and their clan has been guarding it with all their might. What exactly is this thing?"
Seeing that Lieyang was willing to speak, Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask.
Jiang Bai hoped the old man would open up and tell him the news, since he was really curious about it.
Unfortunately, Li Qingdi and Cheng Tiangang didn't tell him.
"The Qin Emperor's Key! This thing is actually... Hmm? Heh, kid, you're trying to trick me into telling you? I really can't tell you this. You're strong enough, but unfortunately, your ambitions lie elsewhere. I can't let you know, or it will cause a lot of trouble."
That's what he said again. That old guy Lieyang almost said it just now, but he suddenly stopped and wouldn't say another word, which made Jiang Bai very unhappy.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I promise you, once you find that thing and hand it over to me, I'll take it back to the Azure Emperor and then call you to tell you what the Qin Emperor's Key really is!"
"On the condition that you promise not to utter a single word about it, and absolutely not to have any ulterior motives!" Lieyang said solemnly.
"Isn't it just the key to the Lishan Mausoleum? I know, Cheng Tiangang told me that a long time ago. Isn't what you're saying to me just nonsense? It's like you haven't agreed to anything. What I want to know is what the Qin Emperor's key represents. Is it just a key to open the Lishan Mausoleum? What exactly is inside the Lishan Mausoleum?"
Jiang Bai said irritably, "All that Lieyang said was just a bunch of nonsense, completely useless. In the end, he still won't say anything."
"Um, I forgot that Cheng Tiangang told you that day. Since that's the case, you already know what you need to know, and you don't need to know anything else. Trust me, Jiang Bai, now is not the time. Knowing too much is not a good thing!"
"It would be great to live happily for a few years! If you still want to know after a few years, then we'll talk about it!"
Lieyang chuckled and said this, leaving Jiang Bai speechless.
He ignored him and started calling Kim Tae-yeon, but unfortunately no one answered the phone.
I called Han Youxi and asked her to send someone to the hotel to check on things. As for her, it's best if she doesn't show up herself.
Han Youxi was obedient and compliant. As a black heiress, she was exceptionally sensitive to such matters.
Jiang Bai forbade her to go, and she immediately realized the problem. Without saying anything more, she sent someone to go.
As for herself, she stayed at home obediently, no longer went out, and even canceled her original schedule.
Half an hour later, before Jiang Bai and the others had even entered the city, Han Youxi called back. Kim Tae-yeon was indeed missing, and even the person Han Youxi had just sent to the hospital was gone.
This surprised Jiang Bai. He told Han Youxi to rest assured, and after hanging up the phone, he frowned and said to Lieyang beside him, "They're gone. It seems your guess was right. Li Yaoji really did go to find them."
"Kim Tae-yeon and the others are indeed descendants of the Wang clan of Goryeo, but not from her father Kim Yong-jun's branch, but from her mother's branch. I was wondering before why her mother also had the surname Kim, but now that Lee Yo-gil has even arrested Kim Tae-yeon's mother, then this matter can be basically confirmed."
"They've been arrested? This is troublesome." Lieyang frowned and couldn't help but mutter in a low voice.
Li Yaoji could have kidnapped Kim Tae-yeon and the others much earlier, but he waited until now, which was a bit abnormal. Lieyang didn't understand why either, but since he had already taken action, it meant that the time Li Yaoji had been waiting for had come.
So... Kim Tae-yeon and her daughter are in danger.
"What should we do? Give me some advice. I'm overwhelmed with so many things to do, I don't know what to do either," Jiang Bai asked, frowning.
The Greater Hanyang area has tens of millions of people, and half of South Korea lives in this area. The area is vast, and finding a few people in this area is like finding a needle in a haystack. Lee Yo-gil has caught someone again. If he wants to hide, it will be very difficult for him to be discovered with his methods.
"What else can we do? Let whoever helped us find this place continue searching. They also bear some responsibility. If their people hadn't been careless, Li Yaoji wouldn't have had the chance to pull this feint. Let them keep searching!"
Lieyang snorted coldly and said.
Just then, the speeding car was suddenly stopped by an elderly man with the rank of general, driving an off-road jeep, who blocked the middle of the road.
There were also dozens of armed soldiers and a bunch of military vehicles blocking the road.
At this moment, he stood motionless in the middle of the road, blocking the way with a cold expression.
When he saw him, Lieyang, who had just been shouting for Li Xuanji to take responsibility and resolve the matter, immediately changed his expression.
With a bitter face, he looked at the elderly general, who appeared to be around sixty years old, not far away, and said dryly, "It's over, the enemy is here."
These words startled Jiang Bai for a moment. He then carefully observed the old general. He was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted with fair skin. Even though he was nearly seventy years old, he had not retired. He was imposing, full of energy, and looked quite robust.
Jiang Bai already knew that Lieyang had an old rival in South Korea. They had never met before, but he knew that this person was an ice-type ability user and an SSS-level expert.
There were already many guesses, but I never expected it to look like this.
"Old friend, since you're here, why didn't you greet me? Are you here again to do something shady? Was it you who caused the incident in the slums last time? Dozens of houses were destroyed, hundreds of people died, and it caused huge panic. Shouldn't you give me an explanation?"
Before Lieyang could even get out of the car, the other person's voice came through.