Chapter 1066 All the Big Shots Are Mobilized!
Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou's private plane arrived in Country D at 4 pm. They were both in black as usual when they stepped out of the plane.
As she stood at the cabin entrance, Gu Mang squinted and scanned her surroundings. Her gaze swept across the staff standing below. She then lowered her gaze and curled her lips into a wicked smirk.
The people who had come to pick them up were Yun Ling and Lin Shuang's elder cousin, Lin Deng.
"Mr. Lu, Mrs. Lu." Lin Deng extended his hand. "It's an honor to meet you at last."
"Vice President Lin." Lu Chengzhou nodded in greeting as he shook Lin Deng's hand.
"Young Master Lu." Lu Jiu and Lu Shi bowed and then walked over to Lu Chengzhou's side before nodding to indicate that they had done as told. Previously, they had received orders from Lu Chengzhou to come to Country D in advance to clear the road to prevent any accidents.
Even though Lu Chengzhou had always been careful, he was nowhere as careful as he was now.
Gu Mang looked at Yun Ling. "Where's Ghost?"
Ghost was the person in charge of Country D's division, and everyone used to think that Lin Shuang and Ghost were the only girls among Shadow League's twelve founding members. That was why they were quite shocked to find out that their boss was also a girl and even younger than them. The group of geniuses had run into a freaking genius.
Just then, the loud roaring of an engine was heard coming from a distance.
Everyone turned in the direction of the noise, only to see a red and black convertible off-road vehicle bursting into view from the wide takeoff runway.
Lu Chengzhou frowned and instinctively stepped forward, putting Gu Mang behind him.
With a drift, the vehicle's rubber tires screeched against the ground and left black marks behind before coming to a sudden halt. A petite girl then hopped off from the driver's seat, dragged someone out from the back seat, and tossed them to the ground in front of everyone.
The person landed on the dusty ground with a thump.
Lu Chengzhou's frown deepened when he noticed that Gu Mang wasn't wearing a mask. He pulled her backward by a step.
In front of everyone's eyes, the petite girl stomped her foot on the back of the man she threw on the ground and looked at Gu Mang. She looked particularly arrogant when she smiled. "Boss, this idiot wanted to snipe you!"
This girl was Ghost, one of the twelve founding members of Shadow League. She had a Japanese princess hairstyle with fringe and delicate makeup on her baby face. She wasn't tall and was just as fond of smiling as the rumors said. She wore a white shirt with a small red bow at the collar that could be seen peeking out from underneath the white knitted top she was wearing, and it was matched with gray skorts and black knee-high socks. She was dressed like a harmless high-school student.
Lin Deng was rendered speechless when he looked at the girl and then at the man under her foot who was twice the size of her. This girl who can easily lift such a huge man with one hand… is harmless?
Lu Yī and the rest were gawking dumbly at Ghost as well.
Yun Ling slipped a hand into his pocket and glanced at the man on the floor who showed no signs of reaction. "Did you kill him?"
"No, I just knocked him out." The moment Ghost talked, her Lolita image was ruined. "There's no freaking use for him. Snipers have no access to the core information."
Yun Ling raised his eyebrows.
Ghost then turned her gaze to Gu Mang, her eyes filled with amazement. She excitedly pounced at Gu Mang with opened arms, hugging and rubbing her face against the latter. "I missed you so much, Boss! Ahhhh, you're really very pretty, Boss!"
There were many people at Gu Mang's wedding, so they didn't have much chance to talk to her on that day and respectively went back home just like that. After all, they were all busy people.
The twelve founding members were all bosom buddies who would contact each other when a need arose and disappear when there was nothing. There was no need for them to meet up and catch up with each other to maintain their tight-knitted relationship.
Both Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou speechlessly looked at the girl who had her face plastered against Gu Mang's collarbone. Gu Mang remained still as she coolly said, "Let me go if you've hugged me enough."
"Ah… You're really as heartless as the rumors say." Ghost wrinkled her nose and released Gu Mang to look at her stomach. She couldn't tell that the latter was pregnant from her appearance due to her skinny frame and loose clothes. "Boss, I heard from Nine Tails that you're pregnant. Why did you still come here? What if you tire yourself out?"
As Ghost was a chatterbox, Yun Ling was afraid that she would keep talking endlessly. Thus, he pulled her toward him and said, "Serious business first. Let's chat after we get Nine Tails out of prison."
"Oh, yes, you're right." Ghost came back to her senses. "Sorry, I accidentally got too carried away at the sight of Boss and totally forgot that Nine Tails is still locked up in prison."
"Let's go to the President's House first. We'll talk on our way there," said Gu Mang.
"Okay," everyone responded.
Shadow League's subordinates then dragged the sniper away.
Just as Gu Mang was about to get into the car, she paused and glanced obliquely in the direction where the sniper was at. A cold glint appeared in her eyes. I knew this trip wouldn't be so simple.
It had been quite a long time since Gu Mang had gotten angry. The annoyance and hostility that she had suppressed for some time were now plainly shown on her face. As she had always been an impatient person, she liked using the simplest and most direct method to solve any problems.
The time when she was dealing with the Elders' Association at Jijing Island was the most patient and careful she had ever been due to her pregnancy. But she wasn't as patient this time.
Lu Chengzhou put a hand over her head protectively as she climbed into the car and whispered, "Sis Mang, please keep your temper in check when we arrive at the President's House later."
Gu Mang looked up and shot him an indifferent glance. "Depends on my mood."
Lu Chengzhou stayed silent for a second before emphasizing, "You're not allowed to take action."
Gu Mang remained silent.
Standing in front of the car, Lu Chengzhou said particularly firmly, "You're not allowed to get into the car until I have your word."
Gu Mang turned her head sideways and narrowed her eyes slightly at him. Is he out of his mind?
Yun Ling was speechless. Putting his hands on his waist, he said, "Say, can't you knock it off for a bit? Lin Shuang is still in prison for goodness's sake."
Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou were still staring at each other. After a while, Gu Mang sighed and finally nodded her acquiescence. "Fine."
Ghost looked at Lu Chengzhou before exchanging a surprised glance with Yun Ling, whose corners of his lips twitched. From her expression, the latter could guess what she was thinking: Is this really… the ruthless boss of Red Flame… that had always been against us?
Lu Chengzhou looked at Lu Yī and the rest and spoke in a slow and light manner, "You guys better wise up."
"Yes, boss." Lu Yī and the rest lowered their heads in panic and respectfully cupped their hands in obeisance. It's not that we're not wise. It's just that Young Madam Lu acts so swiftly that we don't have a chance to do anything…
As Lin Shuang's matter was urgent, everyone didn't waste any more time.
The motorcade then left the airport and headed straight to the President's House.
Inside the car.
Yun Ling said, "According to Gu Si, the President's House said that they'll let Lin Shuang go if Boss treats Sasha's hand."
"They want Boss to treat her hand?" Ghost looked at everyone with an innocent and harmless face. "Aren't they afraid of Boss chopping her hand off?"
Lin Deng stiffly turned to face Ghost. Is she a dark Lolita?
Yun Ling gently tapped the back of Ghost's head. "Don't cause trouble."
Ghost smacked her lips unhappily.
Looking expressionless, Gu Mang indifferently inclined her head and unwrapped a piece of chocolate, which Lu Chengzhou had specially ordered for her and was suitable for pregnant women to eat. She crumpled the tinfoil into a ball and tossed it into the trash bin. She then rested her bony wrist on the table in the middle and tapped her fingers against it.
Lu Chengzhou pressed the earphone in his earphone as he listened to his subordinate's report.
Lin Deng looked at Gu Mang. "I'll have to trouble Young Madam Lu about my cousin's matter."
"Mm." Gu Mang nodded.
Ghost, who disliked dealing with political figures and found them annoying, said in a dangerous tone, "They'd better release Nine Tails as soon as Boss treats Sasha's hand. Otherwise, I'll—"
The car suddenly lurched and halted in the middle of the road.
Ghost's body flew forward, and she hurriedly held onto the table for support. "What the f*ck? What's going on?"
Lu Chengzhou put an arm around Gu Mang's shoulders protectively.
The cars behind them immediately put on their brakes as well.
The motorcade thus stopped on this deserted road.
The bright rays of the setting sun illuminated the motorcade.
Just then, three cars sped over accompanied by the roaring sound of their engines and stopped next to Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou's car.
Everyone subconsciously turned their heads, only to realize that the modified Maybach in the lead had a very familiar license plate number. The door opened to reveal Huo Zhi stepping out with the latest weapon in his hand.
Needless to say, he was the one who had shot at their car tire.
Lu Chengzhou frowned, his black eyes becoming frigid and dark.
Huo Zhi's bald subordinate, along with his other men, came out of the cars as well. Armed with weapons, they surrounded Gu Mang's car and turned around, pointing their guns outward.
"Huo Zhi?" Yun Ling looked out of the window in puzzlement. "Why is he here?"
Huo Zhi had disappeared right after what happened on Jijing Island. Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou didn't bother to look for him, though.
All of a sudden, a thought struck Yun Ling's mind. Even before he came, he had a suspicion that someone had deliberately lured Gu Mang over to Country D, so he couldn't help but feel that his suspicion was right when he saw Huo Zhi. It's possible for Huo Zhi to do all these things because of Gu Mang.
Gu Mang narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the man outside her window.
Lu Yī and the rest got off from the back seat and strode over to surround Huo Zhi and his men. They looked menacing with the loaded guns in their hands.
"It's been a while, Mr. Huo," Lu Yī politely greeted. "May I know what you're trying to do?"
Huo Zhi didn't say anything, although he did spare him a glance. He tossed his gun behind and to his bald subordinate and then knocked on the car window. "Gu Mang."
Lin Deng glanced at Huo Zhi before looking at Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou. He didn't know much about Huo Zhi and Gu Mang's relationship, but from the slightly tense atmosphere inside the car and the shift in Lu Chengzhou's mood, he could tell that things weren't so simple.
Jijing Island's internal unrest was settled really quickly, and all news was strictly sealed. The people that Country D had sent to look into this matter ended up getting warned by Lu Chengzhou's men.
Lu Chengzhou held Gu Mang's hand and let out a soft laugh. He pressed the button to wind down the window before looking at Huo Zhi with a slight curl of his lips. His voice was as lazy and indifferent as usual when he spoke. "Mr. Huo, may I know why you stopped our cars and why you're calling my wife?"
Both men had such an overwhelming presence that the temperature of their surroundings would seemingly drop several degrees. The atmosphere grew tense and strained when they met.
Yun Ling said in irritation, "Huo Zhi, we have an urgent matter to settle now. I don't care what you want to do. Just move aside and get in line for now."
Huo Zhi ignored him and Lu Chengzhou. His gaze focused on Gu Mang. "I received news that someone deliberately lured you here and that the road ahead is planted with bombs."
He then shifted his gaze slightly to the side to meet Lu Chengzhou's eyes. "Young Master Lu, did you come to Country D in such a hurry that you didn't even bother clearing the road?"
At that, Lu Yī stepped forward and said respectfully, "Young Madam, the road was indeed planted with bombs, but we've cleared them. On top of that, we caught a few snipers and have sent them to Red Scorpion for interrogation."
Huo Zhi was speechless.
Lu Yī looked at Huo Zhi. "Mr. Huo, your news seems to be a little outdated."
Both Huo Zhi and his bald subordinate didn't know what to say to that.
If we were to be blown up so easily, we can forget about working in this trade. Besides, he used to be Jijing Island's director, for goodness' sake. Doesn't he know how to use his phone? Must he resort to this? Feeling equally speechless, Yun Ling shot a fleeting glance at Huo Zhi. "Is anything the matter?"
Things were so awkward that nobody made a single sound.
The reason why Huo Zhi caused such a huge commotion was that he knew that Gu Mang was pregnant and that it was inconvenient for her to do many things. He was afraid that something might happen to her, so he hurriedly rushed over to meet her and shot at Lu Chengzhou's car tire without giving them so much as an explanation.
However, it turned out that Lu Chengzhou had settled everything. It was obvious that Huo Zhi not only failed to provide any help, but he also became a burden to them.
With a snap of his fingers, Lu Yī summoned one of his subordinates to change the car tire. Everything proceeded quietly with Huo Zhi still standing in front of the car window.
Eventually, it was his bald subordinate who spoke up and broke the silence. "Ms. Gu, Boss is just worried about you. He immediately came over as soon as we received news from our informant that you've arrived in Country D."
Gu Mang didn't say anything in response.
"Please… don't blame him…" The bald subordinate's voice grew weaker and weaker as he looked at Gu Mang with trepidation and fear that they might have delayed her.
Just then, the subordinate responsible for changing the car tire came back to report to them, "Young Master Lu, Young Madam Lu, we can leave now."
Gu Mang glanced at Huo Zhi before lifting her chin toward the empty seat across from her and saying insipidly, "Get in."
As soon as she said that, she felt Lu Chengzhou squeezing her fingers tightly.
…
The motorcade thus continued to head to the President's House. The only difference was that it was joined by another three cars.
"Thank you." Gu Mang looked at Huo Zhi.
Feeling surprised, Huo Zhi smiled wryly in response. "I'm ashamed to receive your thanks when I failed to provide any help."
"Are you trying to seize the opportunity to get back at me?" Lu Chengzhou lightly asked.
Huo Zhi didn't bother to act politely with Lu Chengzhou. "I'm not that bored."
"No?" Lu Chengzhou laughed. "Then why did you rush over with your men and burst my car tire? Is your phone only used for decoration?"
"I—"
"Here's a suggestion," Gu Mang suddenly interrupted in her indifferent voice. "We'll stop the car for you guys to go down and fight. Whoever makes it alive can come find me. I'm busy right now, so I won't stay to watch the fight."
Everyone was speechless.
Lu Chengzhou and Huo Zhi instantly fell silent, although they still couldn't see eye to eye with each other.
Gu Mang leisurely unwrapped another piece of chocolate before looking up. It was only when she saw that they were behaving themselves that she asked Huo Zhi in a low voice, "What are you doing here?"
Huo Zhi had left Jijing Island after that night at Base 102. Although Gu Mang roughly knew where he was these few months, she didn't bother finding out his specific location. She only knew it by chance when Lin Shuang mentioned it to her.
"Someone wanted to work with me."
Gu Mang remained silent as she waited for him to continue speaking.
"He asked me if I was interested in getting back my position." After saying that, Huo Zhi smiled and slowly leaned back against his seat.
"Goodness, isn't that as good as asking you if you want to die?" Ghost blinked her eyes in shock.
Huo Zhi's smile stiffened.
Lu Chengzhou, however, burst out laughing as he placed an arm around Gu Mang's shoulders.
Yun Ling wanted to laugh too, but he held in his laughter and stroked his nose. "Is that the person who lured Arctic Fox to Country D?"
Huo Zhi nodded and turned to face Gu Mang. "Do you know who Xu Ying is?"
Gu Mang thought about it for a moment. She didn't know anyone by the name of Xu Ying, although she knew plenty of people with the last name Xu. Since the person managed to contact Huo Zhi, she figured that that person must have a deep connection with Jijing Island.
Xu… Gu Mang's eyelids fluttered open, and her voice became serious. "How is he related to the Head Elder?"
Unlike the other families on Jijing Island that had their family name included in the front of their residence plaque, the Head Elder's residence plaque read 'Head Elder's Residence.' And it was exactly because of this that many people overlooked what the Head Elder's last name was.
Shadow League had the information of every Elders' Association member in their secret file, though—the Head Elder's last name was Xu.
"Father and son," replied Huo Zhi. "As for the rest, I believe you know what's going on without me saying it."
Xu Ying had colluded with the people in Country D's political arena.
As Huo Zhi recalled his past memories, he said, "I remember that Xu Ying died on a mission eight years ago, but by the look of it now, he must've faked his death back then. He's currently in Country D managing Jijing Island's spy network."
Jijing Island had a spy network in every country. The intelligence bureau was previously jointly managed by the Head Elder and Huo Zhi, but the latter no longer knew what was going on in the intelligence bureau since he had handed his authority over to Gu Mang during her inauguration ceremony.
He added, "I didn't agree to work with him, so he must've acted alone and talked terms with the second princess of the President's House…"
He had received the news too late.
Lu Chengzhou and Gu Mang had very little information about Jijing Island as they used to avoid the place. Hence, they didn't know as much about Jijing Island as Huo Zhi. That said, Lu Chengzhou was cautious in nature, and he did things as ruthlessly as Gu Mang. This was why their identities as the boss of Red Flame and Shadow League remained a secret for years.
At the thought of something, Yun Ling suddenly frowned. "If Sasha is working together with Xu Ying, then Gu Si… He's currently at the President's House…"
Hearing that, a murderous glint flashed across Gu Mang's eyes as she stopped tapping against the table.
It was deadly quiet inside the car.
The motorcade traveled neatly on the road as if the distance between each car had been precisely calculated.
After a while, Gu Mang picked up her phone to make a video call.
Soon, a relatively empty living room with concrete walls appeared on the screen. The only furniture in there was a sofa and a coffee table with a laptop with peeling paint on it. It didn't even have a television. There weren't any doors installed in the two bedrooms.
Lu Chengzhou couldn't help frowning at the state of the house.
There wasn't anyone on the screen, and all that could be heard was the sound of water coming from the bathroom.
Gu Mang said, "I remember that The Gray Building has special authority in all major prisons."
Everyone's faces changed when they heard the words 'The Gray Building.' Does she have connections with The Gray Building?
The Gray Building was the Interpol's headquarters, where the top detectives were. They had great authority in all countries' security departments and had close connections to major corporations and special prisons.
"Yes." A low and lazy feminine voice rang out, although nobody showed up on the screen. It seemed that she was in the bathroom, gargling. "What's up?"
"Help me get someone from Devil Prison," said Gu Mang.
The woman fell silent for a couple of seconds before slowly saying, "Well… That place might be a little difficult. After all, it's said to be impenetrable."
Gu Mang took Lu Chengzhou's phone and quickly tapped on the screen a few times with one hand before holding it in front of him to scan his iris. A sum of money was transferred out, followed by the sound of money being credited from Gu Mang's phone screen.
The next second, the woman immediately changed her tune and said with utmost loyalty, "But no amount of difficulty can stand in the way of our rock-solid friendship! Send me their details. I'll leave as soon as I wash my face."
Everyone was speechless.
"Forget it, I'll just wear a mask."
That was the last sentence everyone heard before the video call ended. The speed at which money was transferred determined the speed of the woman's action.
Once again, silence filled the car.
While Yun Ling was amazed by how Gu Mang could reveal a trump card at any time, Huo Zhi was reminded of how smug and confident Xu Ying looked when they met up. You've messed with the wrong person…
…
In the depth of a forest that was a few hundred meters away from Country D's central park was a European-style castle guarded by countless black-clothed guards.
A middle-aged man was currently playing chess in front of a floor-to-ceiling window and holding a piece of white jade chess piece between his fingers.
Black and white chess pieces filled almost the entire chessboard, and it was hard to see which side was winning.
Standing next to him was a young man in black casual clothes who was currently on the phone. "Got it."
After he ended the call, he tilted his body slightly and bowed his head respectfully to the middle-aged man. "Mr. Xu, Lu Chengzhou has captured our man and cleared the bombs on the roads."
Xu Ying didn't say anything. It was like he wasn't bothered by the news as he twirled the chess piece around his fingertips and stared at the chessboard.
Although the black chess pieces were evenly matched with the white chess pieces, it was obvious that the white chess pieces had diminished the black chess pieces' forces.
Xu Ying wanted to see how many men Lu Chengzhou could bring to Country D.
"Huo Zhi showed up too. He's together with Gu Mang and her gang." The young man paused before adding, "They have probably found out about you."
"So what?" Xu Ying still refused to put down the chess piece.
The young man spoke with hesitation, "Will the people at the President's House be able to deal with them? Even the Head Elder and Elder Leng lost to them."
"What do you think?" Xu Ying smirked with indifference. "Where's Gu Si?"
"In the basement. I think they gave him an overdose of the drug. He's still unconscious."
"Watch him," ordered Xu Ying.
"Will do," answered the young man, although he didn't understand why Xu Ying didn't kill Gu Si. "Mr. Xu, we have Xu Hui on our side. We've trained him to behave exactly like Gu Si over the past few months. Keeping Gu Si alive is a dangerous move. Why don't we—"
Gu Si was far easier to deal with than Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou.
"I've promised to let him deal with Gu Si himself. Let's just wait and see," said Xu Ying. Of course, the 'him' here referred to Xu Hui.
"We'll raise the stake this time." Xu Ying suddenly placed a chess piece down.
There was a reversal in the situation on the chessboard, with the black pieces in a losing situation. Both sides suffered heavy losses, though.
I'll make sure that Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou die here.
…
The President's House.
"Mr. Xu wanted to kill Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou while they're on their way here, but his men ended up getting caught?" Sasha repeated what she heard in a grave tone while lying on the bed. The Miracle Doctor is a member of the Shadow League, so Shadow League will naturally send their men to protect her. Besides, Lu Chengzhou surely has plenty of men around too. Dealing with them naturally won't be easy. Now that we've exposed ourselves, Gu Mang will become wary of us. This will affect our upcoming plans and my hand.
"What is he trying to do? I still need Gu Mang to treat my hand." Sasha looked upset as she pursed her lips.
"Sasha, you yourself know that it won't be easy to deal with Gu Mang and the others, and Mr. Xu naturally knows this too. He must've his reasons for doing this." Miraine pondered and said, "Aren't they fine? When your hand fully recovers from her treatment, we'll act again. It was our mistake this time. We didn't expect your hand to be so seriously injured."
"Mm." Sasha's gaze became glacial when she recalled how Lin Shuang had pushed her down the stairs and nearly maimed her hand.
Xu Ying had been helping Sasha ever since she entered Country D's political arena. In fact, they had been working very closely, which was why she managed to gain her footing in the political world so fast.
Seeing how capable he was, she guessed that he probably was related to Jijing Island in some ways. In a bid to show his sincerity about their partnership, he had given her Jijing Island's most advanced intelligence technology and promised that Jijing Island would work closely with Country D once they got rid of Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou.
Sasha reckoned that Jijing Island's peacefulness was because Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou were around to help. She didn't think a kid like Gu Si could do anything.
Looks like there will be a huge internal reshuffle within Jijing Island soon. Sasha smirked. So what if Lin Shuang is a member of Shadow League? I have Jijing Island behind me, and I'll be able to share half the authority of Jijing Island in the future.
Just then, the phone in the room rang.
Miraine answered the phone.
It was a call from a guard from the President's House. "Madam, Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu have arrived."
Miraine and Sasha exchanged glances before looking out of the window. They could see a black motorcade driving into the President's House from afar.
…
Elder Bai and the butler came up to call Gu Si. They had just reached the entrance of the guest room when the door suddenly opened from the inside. Gu Si walked out, followed by a groggy Tang Yi who was rubbing her eyes.
"What are you doing up here?" Gu Si looked at them with puzzlement, only to ask a second later, "Has my sis arrived?"
Elder Bai bowed his head and respectfully said, "Yes."
Gu Si's eyes lit up, and the corners of his lips lifted. His expression looked exactly the same as the expression he usually had whenever he heard his sister was coming to find him. One could sense the immediate improvement in his mood.
"Okay, let's go then." Gu Si walked ahead in bigger strides than usual.
Tang Yi chased after him sleepily. "Wait for me, Brother Gu."
Elder Bai chuckled when he saw the two children in front of him. Young Master totally forgot about Young Lady Tang the moment he heard that Young Lady was here. He usually would take care of her first regardless of how pressing the matter was.
However, with his back facing the others, Gu Si's smile suddenly faded, and his eyes became dark and cold.