Chapter 566 — Making a Deal

"He didn't do it, did he? He wouldn't do something like that, would he?" Gu Mengyao sounded a little uncertain. After all, it was too vicious a thing to do, and deep down she did not believe Wei Zhao was that kind of person.

"Heh heh heh. Whether he did or not doesn't matter—Zhong Yongliang is finished this time, and he definitely won't be bothering Sister Yaoyao anymore!" Shen Yushu, however, did not care in the least. In her eyes, Wei Zhao ought to be ruthless toward his enemies, so that he could drive them all away for good.

"That may not be quite true. I've heard that losing a kidney doesn't kill you, does it?" Gu Mengyao frowned.

"I don't know about that either, but I read online that with only one kidney you can't—I don't know if that's true though," Shen Yushu said, blinking and grinning wickedly.

"Shu, don't use such indecent words!" Gu Mengyao blushed and scolded her.

"I didn't! I was only stating a fact—it wasn't me who said it, it was the internet." Shen Yushu looked aggrieved.

"Well, you're not allowed to say it from now on anyway. A girl who talks so indecently will never find a husband!" Gu Mengyao said sternly.

"Oh, who cares—I've got Sister Yaoyao to fall back on. Buy one, get one free, so somebody's bound to want the slightly more indecent one." Shen Yushu was unconcerned. "Don't they say that's what men like?"

Gu Mengyao ignored her.

"Zhong Yongliang is out of danger for the time being and is receiving treatment at the hospital. I'd like to organize the class to go visit him. Attendance is voluntary—those who don't want to go may stay in the classroom and study on their own," Teacher Liu continued. "I've already arranged for a bus, and it will be here shortly. Those who want to go, get ready now and come downstairs with me."

Truth be told, Zhong Yongliang was not especially well liked. He belonged among the bad students in the class, and many of the serious, hardworking students looked down on him. But last time he had organized a trip to the seaside for everyone, which had improved his standing considerably. They owed him a favor, and now that something had happened to him, it would not do to skip the visit.

So everyone set down their books, rose, and headed downstairs...

After Zhong Fabai left, Li Cihua sat in silence for a moment, then dialed An Liwen's number.

"Young Master An, do you know Zhong Fabai?" Li Cihua asked.

"Zhong Fabai? Never heard of him. A mahjong player?" An Liwen had just gotten rid of a rival in love and was celebrating at a hotel.

"No, he's a somebody. He has some influence in Songshan City. His son is Zhong Yongliang..." Li Cihua said.

"Zhong Yongliang?" Before Li Cihua could finish, An Liwen cut him off. "Brother Cihua, you're not calling to rake me over the coals, are you? But I can tell you this much—I'm the one who cut out Zhong Yongliang's kidney."

An Liwen's tone made Li Cihua pause. It seemed the hatred between Zhong Yongliang and An Liwen ran deep.

"Young Master An, that's not what I meant." Naturally, Li Cihua had no desire to offend An Liwen. "Young Master An, it's just that Zhong Fabai came to see me a moment ago, wanting to get some justice for his son..."

"Oh? Then what does Brother Cihua mean by this?" An Liwen asked indifferently.

"I have no stake in it myself. It's just that Zhong Fabai is working for Young Master Bing now, so with something like this happening, Young Master Bing will have to look into it..." Li Cihua was somewhat caught in the middle. He did not want to offend An Liwen—after all, behind the An family stood the Fire Wolf Gang—but he could not simply refuse to account for the matter of Zhong Fabai either.

"Oh, then let Young Master Bing come find me. I've been wanting to meet him." An Liwen spoke as though he could not care less. So what if he had cut it out? Even if the man was one of Young Master Bing's dogs, he had done it anyway. What of it? Would Young Master Bing really make an enemy of the An family over this?

After all, the Fire Wolf Gang was in no way weaker than the family of the figure behind Young Master Bing. If it truly came to a confrontation, it was impossible to say who would win.

"Young Master An, you misunderstand me!" Li Cihua was frustrated. What kind of mess was this? Who knew how Zhong Yongliang had managed to provoke An Liwen, and now here he was playing peacemaker. Yet the matter was not easy to mediate. He and An Liwen got along well, and there was no need to ruin their relationship over a Zhong Yongliang. He had no choice but to ask, "Young Master An, what exactly is the grudge between you and Zhong Yongliang, that you had to go this far?"

"I don't mind telling you," An Liwen said. He had never intended to hide it, and he repeated to Li Cihua the recording he had heard from Wei Zhao. "He kidnapped my childhood sweetheart. You think I'd let him off?"

"That much is true. Zhong Yongliang did go too far," Li Cihua sighed. If it really was as An Liwen said, then teaching Zhong Yongliang a lesson was hardly unjustified—only now that the conflict had arisen, it would be difficult to smooth things over. "We still have to give Zhong Fabai an explanation. I say we hand Wei Zhao over. That brat was plainly trying to stir you up, to use your hand to get rid of Zhong Yongliang! He is Gu Mengyao's personal guard, so naturally he would not allow a bomb like Zhong Yongliang to remain at Gu Mengyao's side."

"I know that, but Wei Zhao is my informant. Handing him over like this—that does not sit well, does it?" An Liwen said mildly.

"I will give up another tenth of our business. Will you give Zhong Fabai an explanation?" Li Cihua gritted his teeth. Zhong Fabai was still genuinely useful now and could not be slighted for the time being, so Li Cihua had no choice but to resort to this.

"It is settled, then. Have Zhong Fabai call me." An Liwen laughed inwardly. What did it matter to him whether Wei Zhao lived or died? This was merely a way of squeezing Li Cihua a little. Once he learned that Wei Zhao was nothing but a personal guard, An Liwen had never truly taken him seriously; he had only meant to use him to glean a bit of news about Gu Mengyao.

Before long, Zhong Fabai's call came through, and he demanded bluntly, "Young Master An, may I ask how my son offended you, that you should strike so ruthlessly?"

It seemed Li Cihua had not said much—only told Zhong Fabai that An Liwen was responsible, and left the specifics for him to ask about himself. And Zhong Fabai had of course heard of An Liwen's reputation: once one of the Four Young Masters of Songshan, now the man who called the shots for the An family in Songshan City, with the Fire Wolf Gang standing behind him.

So Zhong Fabai did not dare shout and bluster. He suppressed his anger and asked An Liwen the reason for his attack.

An Liwen had already struck a deal with Li Cihua, so he was naturally in no hurry now, and he laid out the reasons he had moved against Zhong Yongliang. Who was An Liwen? One of the Four Young Masters of Songshan, a personage of considerable standing, whose name rang far louder than Zhong Fabai's own.

So when An Liwen put it that way, Zhong Fabai truly had no temper left to show. His own son had kidnapped the man's childhood sweetheart and uttered all those vicious threats. Anyone would be angry at that—let alone one of the Four Young Masters of Songshan.