Chapter 349: Unforeseen Circ.u.mstances
Shanghai Airport.
Even after they arrived there, Tang Wei still remained puzzled even after pondering for a long time as he followed Tang Xiu straight through the VIP pathway and then to the ap.r.o.n. Tang Wei was utterly shocked as he looked at the private jet in front, with two men and four women dressed as pilots and flight attendants standing under its ladder.
Nowadays, along with the growth and improvement in the living standard and the emergence of a large number of billionaires in the country, only bigwigs could afford to purchase private planes. As a scion from a big respected chinese family himself, he also knew a number of billionaires who owned private planes.
The limit was around 1500 individuals!
And he dared to guarantee that those powerful billionaires who owned private jets in the country would not exceed 1500. It had to be known that China was a great power, with a population of more than one billion. Thus, 1500 was a small number.
And speaking about it, how could Tang Xiu…
“Welcome, Mr. Tang. We submitted an application to take off to Shanghai Airport and they have already confirmed that we can take off in about 35 minutes.” The private jet pilot said respectfully.
“Alright, let’s go aboard!” Tang Xiu nodded.
Walking alongside Tang Xiu, Tang Wei still wore a shocked expression on his face as he asked whispered, “Brother, what’s all this about? Where did you get this jet?”
While climbing the ladder, Tang Xiu smiled and said, “I borrowed it from a friend of mine.”
“What kind of friend it is to be so generous? To think that he’d directly lend his private jet for you to use at will so casually?” Tang Wei said with an incredulous look, “Besides if my guess is correct, this private jet should also have been parked in Shanghai Airport, right?”
“This friend of mine is from Jingmen Island. I have had quite a lot matters to deal with recently, so I directly borrowed it. Regardless, I’ll give it back after I’m no longer busy.”
“Seems like your relations.h.i.+p with this brother is really great. This brother of yours is worth making friends with.” Tang Wei exclaimed in admiration.
Brother?
Tang Xiu was at a loss whether he had to cry or laugh, “Well, she’s a she!”
“Ugh, a woman?” Tang Wei was stunned and asked in disbelief, “Then, she and you…”
“A friend!” Tang Xiu replied straightforwardly.
Tang Wei slightly creased his brows. After thinking for a moment, he probed, “As far as I know, there are only a few families in Shanghai who own a private jet, and probably only two women among them possess a private jet. One of whom is the Madame of the Huang Family. But I’m afraid it’s very difficult to borrow it from her. Did you say she’s your friend? Could she be the succubus who came to our ancestral house in Beijing back then?”
“Huh?” Tang Xiu replied in an odd expression, “Succubus?”
“Yeah, that hag—Ouyang Lulu!” Tang Wei heavily nodded and said, “Barbaric, crude, supercilious, c.o.c.ky, and proud like a peac.o.c.k …”
Tang Xiu was at a loss whether he had to laugh or cry upon listening all the adjectives Tang Wei spouted. After they entered the cabin, he grinned and asked, “Do you and Lulu have a grudge or something?”
“Heck, it’s really her!” Tang Wei took a deep breath and forced a smile, “No, there are no grudges between us, but I did eat some losses in her hands. Of course, it’s not like I love to quarrel with women, to begin with. So I just let her off. Besides, our cousin—Chu Yi is her old cla.s.smate, and they have a good relations.h.i.+p. So I don’t want to shame her!”
“Actually, Lulu is a rather good person!” Tang Xiu laughed, “She’s not as exaggerated as you say, though. She’s indeed a bit unruly and naughty. Rather, she’s very clever and kinda easy to bully.”
Easy to bully?
Tang Wei was at a loss for words.
When the duo sat themselves down at the plane, Tang Xiu showed a standby hand signal to the four bodyguards who came with them before speaking, “Anyways, we didn’t talk back when Ouyang Lulu came to our ancestral home, but I can tell she likes you.”
Tang Xiu stared blankly for a moment and rolled his eyes.
He really didn’t get it. Why so many people like to guess and speculate? In Shanghai University, Yue Kai and Hu Qingsong said that Han Qingwu had a crush on him. Now, Tang Wei also said that Ouyang Lulu liked him. How come he himself didn’t know that he was so attractive and charming?
“Nah, stop talking nonsense! We’re just good friends and business partners.”
Tang Wei only gave Tang Xiu an enigmatic and unfathomable smile in response and then turned his head.
7:30 PM.
The private jet landed at Guangyang’s Guan City Airport.
Hearing the news that Tang Wei would come, Tang Yunpeng had arranged some people to fetch them. When Tang Xiu and Tang Wei came out of the airport with four bodyguards, a middle-aged woman with six strong men in black suits quickly greeted them.
“Little Wei!”
The middle-aged woman looked at Tang Xiu and then s.h.i.+fted her vision to Tang Wei as she said with a smile.
“Auntie Xue, how come you’re picking us up yourself?” asked Tang Wei with a smile.
“Guan City is a bit chaotic now. Your uncle is afraid that the Yao, Sun, and Yang Families would secretly send some people to deal with you. Ever since they began attacking us, we have already lost more than twenty people.” Said Xue Jie.
“It’s fine if it’s only the Yaos since they were always our enemy from the start.” Tang Wei scowled as he growled, “But I never thought that even the Sun and Yang Families dared to join the fray! This time, even if we have to risk a big loss, we must give them head-on blows.”
Xue Jie bitterly smiled inside. Tang Wei might not be clear about the situation. But she, being the General Manager of the Starlight Group for several years, how could she possibly not know about the current situation? Let alone giving them a head-on blow, even protecting their own people was pretty problematic.
"Who is this?"
"He’s Tang Xiu, my younger cousin." Said Tang Wei promptly.
Xue Jie looked surprised. She carefully observed Tang Xiu before showing a trace of a smile, “I heard that the Tang Family had found their missing child. Anyhow, I didn’t expect you would come to Guan City, though. How do you do, Tang Xiu? I’m Xue Jie, the General Manager of the Starlight Group. You can call me Aunt Xue.”
“Brother, Auntie Xue is the sister of Uncle Tang Dong’s wife.” Said Tang Wei quickly.
Tang Xiu suddenly understood and called out, “How do you do, Auntie Xue!”
Nodding with a smile, Xue Jie then said, “Let’s go! Your big uncle is currently waiting in Red Maple Villa Complex!”
"Alright!" Tang Wei nodded.
More than twenty minutes later, as the car arrived at Red Maple Villa Complex, Xue Jie’s mobile phone rang. After she accepted the call and chatted with the caller, her face immediately turned grim.
Waiting until Xue Jie hang up the phone, Tang Wei then asked quickly, “Something happened, Auntie Xue?”
“The deputy director of our Starlight Group’s Finance Department has been seized by some people.” Xue Jie nodded and said, “It’s an intentional provocation from the other party, causing the deputy director to push the other party. And then… the other party acted like they were seriously injured and demanded compensation from the deputy director’s family.”
“Is this the Yao Family’s doing?” asked Tang Wei indignantly.
“The Yao Family is surely related to this.” Xue Jie said, “After all, at this juncture, only the Xue, Sun and Yang Families are the ones who will direct people to do so. Just now your big uncle told me to send some people to rescue this deputy director by any means necessary. The deputy director of our Starlight Group’s Finance Department knew the company accounts, and if the Yao Family gets our business secrets, it will be very detrimental to us.”
“Where did that Finance Department’s deputy director got caught?” asked Tang Xiu quickly.
“Changbu Town, the Earth Cabinet Factory.” Said Xue Jie.
“Shall we change our destination to Changbu Town?” asked Tang Wei.
“We’re going there now.” Xue Jie nodded and said, “We must rescue that deputy director in the shortest possible time. Additionally, your big uncle has also sent a group to Changbu Town as well.”
“Is the source reliable? Have our people looked into the information? We had better…” Tang Xiu suddenly asked.
Xue Jie looked at Tang Xiu and said, “The people who seized the deputy director told his family to deliver the compensation money there.”
“If my guess is correct, I’m afraid this is a trap.” Tang Xiu shook his head and said, “Nevertheless, it’s an open trap. We know that it’s a trap, but we still have no choice but to jump into into. I’m sure that the deputy director is not in Changbu Town’s Earth Cabinet Factory.”
“Care to tell the reason?” Xue Jie slightly creased her brows and asked.
“Since the other party wants to get the Starlight Group’s financial information from the Finance Department’s deputy director, they won’t let us save him that easily. Nevertheless, they clearly knew that we’d save him. So, even if he is bait, they won’t rashly take any risks like leaving the deputy director there. Hence, they sent us a message. That’s enough to lead us.”
Xue Jie squinted her eyes. Her being able to control the entire Starlight Group was due to her extraordinary wisdom and ability, to begin with. Thus, she had actually already thought of this. Only, she had no other way but to send people to Changbu Town.
“Tang Xiu, since you can infer this kind of possibility. Then, do you have any way around it?”
“It’s very simple. We must still go to Changbu Town. However, we must do things carefully.” Tang Xiu said, “We must first inquire about the internal situation of the Earth Cabinet Factory, and then devise a plan. Moreover, we have to mobilize all of our power in Guangyang to find the place where the deputy director is being held.” Said Tang Xiu.
Xue Jie smiled forced a smile and said, “Our intelligence network in Guangyang has been nearly cut off. Although we still have a lot of manpower, without knowing the complete picture, we’ll be just like headless flies scattered about, no?”
Tang Xiu was silent for a moment before he took out his mobile and dialed a cell phone number.
“Who am I speaking with?” a low and deep voice came out from the phone.
“I’m Tang Xiu. Gu Xiaoxue gave me your number.” Said Tang Xiu.
The other party quickly replied with an excited tone, “Gu Xiaoxue? The Little Boss of the Everlasting Feast Hall?”
"Yes!"
“Ah, I see. So you’re the new boss of the Everlasting Feast Hall, Mr. Tang, right?”
"Correct, it"s me!"
“… For you to look for me… you have a command for me?”
Tang Xiu asked, “Does your family have a intelligence network in Guangyang? I’ll have to trouble you to help me investigate something!”
“Which city?”
“Guan City!”
“I have a network there!”
“I’ll text you about the person I need you to investigate later. The man was captured, and the other party may have relations with the Sun and Yang Families. Please do bear mind that you have to keep your tracks hidden in this investigation.”
“Alright. I’ll rush to Guan City immediately. Wait for the news.”
“You don’t have act personally. It’s fine for you to send out the order. I’m afraid that I still have some things that might inconvenience you later.”
“No problem. It’s not a ha.s.sle at all. This is what we should do!”