"Wait!" Yu Shiting didn't let Song Tianyao make a move, but instead instructed Uncle Shui, "My future son-in- Yu Shiting can't appear in public looking like this. Take him to the back to wash his hair and change his clothes, and have the kitchen bring over the bird's nest soup."
Uncle Shui, who had remained silent since entering the room, nodded and led Song Tianyao outside. Once they were out, Yu Shiting watched Song Tianyao's retreating figure with a cold smile, muttering to himself, "Trying to use my goddaughter as a cover? If I, Yu, couldn't even make something out of a fake, wouldn't I be laughed at?"
As he spoke, he picked up an extra pawn from the chessboard and gently stroked it. "These pawns all think they're the protagonist, but they don't realize they're just pieces to be sacrificed. Song Tianyao, let me see if you're a pawn or the protagonist?"
Chapter 525
"Tan Jingwei! I curse your ancestors for eight generations!"
At Liao Donggui's home, having not slept all night, Liao Donggui listened to Chen Liang's account of the whole incident on Queen's Road and suddenly stood up with a loud roar. The dark spots on his face and the hairs on them trembled violently with his facial muscles, like a large fly ready to take flight at any moment. Although he had lived in the south for decades, first in Shanghai and then in Hong Kong, Liao Donggui still couldn't help but speak in his hometown accent when he got excited, and this time was no exception.
Chen Liang's emotions were more stable than Liao Donggui's. The journey back to the Liao family from the Cloud Palace Hotel had given him ample time to calm down. He spoke slowly and deliberately, a stark contrast to his boss.
"Don't be so hasty, boss. Tonight, the Harp Restaurant almost turned into a chaotic mess, with Big Tin Yi involved. It's hard to say who's behind it all. We can't just assume it's Tan Jingwei; what if it's not him and we've wrongly accused an innocent person?"
"If Tan Jingwei is a good person, I'm a saint!" Liao Donggui cursed a few more times, pacing anxiously back and forth in the room. "We all know who Big Tin Yi Song Tianyao ended up in Tan Jingwei's car. Isn't it obvious who the mastermind is? We've made a fool of him! Luckily you didn't do anything, otherwise we would all have had to throw him out as a scapegoat, and then he would come back to seize our assets. That's how Old Zeng ended up! I was wrong! It's not that Old Zeng asked for too much, it's that this Tan guy is too vicious! Every single one of these bastards is a piece of cake!"
Liao Donggui's features were contorted, making him look extremely ferocious. Chen Liang knew that his boss was afraid.
Although Liao Donggui had boats and money, he was still far inferior to the Big Brother like Yu Shiting. Since Tan Jingwei was able to kill Zeng Chunsheng and seize his property, he could easily use the same trick to swallow Liao Donggui's business and even his life.
Chu Xiaoxin claimed that the Justice of the Peace was ordered to kill, which wasn't entirely wrong, but it paled in comparison to Tan Jingwei. No matter how prestigious the Justice of the Justice of the Peace title was, he wasn't Britain. Tan Jingwei, on the other hand, was a legitimate official, sent by orders from Taiwan. In comparison, he seemed more like someone ordered to kill, resorting to any means necessary and acting with impunity.
Although Chen Liang didn't make a move tonight, his presence at the Harp Restaurant meant he was already involved, and there was no way he could back out now. Tan Jingwei's ability to watch them act without intervening or warning proved he coveted Liao Donggui's wealth and even his life. Chen Liang had considered this, and Liao Donggui naturally had as well. Despite his fierce verbal attacks, he was undoubtedly terrified, fearing he would suffer the same fate as Zeng Chunsheng.
The incident happened so suddenly that Liao Donggui couldn't think of any useful solutions besides cursing. Chen Liang coughed and reminded him, "Boss, can't you contact your fellow villagers in Taiwan? Could you ask them to put in a good word for you? Tan Jingwei can't refuse to give anyone face, can he?"
"It's no use; distant water can't quench immediate thirst. Tan Jingwei is like an imperial envoy now; by the time our fellow villagers get their favors, we'll be fed to turtles long ago."
"How about we go find Boss Yu? After all, we're all from the Shanghai Gang; he can't just stand by and watch us die. If Mr. Yu puts in a word, we can definitely get out of this predicament."
"No way!" Liao Donggui shook his head. "I'm not as good as you when it comes to fighting, and you're far from being as good as them in terms of brains. Neither of those paths will work. I'm not from Shanghai people, so no matter how much I try to get closer to them, there's always a barrier between us. We can have fun together all the time, but when something happens, you can't count on them. Besides, there's no smoke without fire. Everyone's saying that Song Tianyao is going to become Yu Shiting's son-in-law, and I think it's probably true. They're not on the same page; they won't genuinely help us. In this world, it's not just tigers that eat people; old foxes don't eat vegetarian food either."
So what do you mean?
"Let's see how things develop first. Don't go out these next few days. Mobilize all the brothers and defend our home. We can't let ourselves die like Old Zeng, without knowing why. Song Tianyao and that Tan guy are bound to have a fierce battle. As long as they can't spare us, we'll have a chance. I'm in the shipping business; they can't just trap me! Once things calm down, we'll go to Taiwan to find my fellow countrymen. Even if it's just to do some small business, we won't risk our lives."
Chen Liang understood that Liao Donggui's words implied he was preparing to flee. Learning from Zeng Chunsheng's experience, Liao Donggui lacked confidence in Tan Jingwei's methods and was no match for him, so running Thirty-Six Stratagems was the best option. However, he also knew that no matter how many compatriots he had in Taiwan, starting from scratch there would certainly not be as comfortable as living in Hong Kong. Chen Liang couldn't help but feel a little regretful and tentatively asked, "Do you think Tan Jingwei is destined to win?"
"I haven't thought that way. I can't figure out Song Tianyao, so I can't predict whether he or Tan Jingwei will win. But their wins or losses have nothing to do with us. No matter who wins, we won't benefit."
What do you mean by that?
"A tiger is one that can fight a tiger, and whichever tiger occupies the mountain will eat the sheep. Tan Jingwei is ruthless, and Song Tianyao may not be any better. Since he has his eye on shipping, he won't let us go. The best outcome would be for them to perish together, but we can't put all our eggs in one basket. It's always good to be prepared."
"Don't worry, boss, I've got everything covered. Whether he's a Party-State official or a local bigwig, he'll have to think twice before trying to swallow us whole!"
Liao Donggui had enough confidence in Chen Liang's abilities and loyalty. Seeing that Chen Liang had agreed, he stopped asking questions and paced around the room, muttering to himself, "Song Tianyao, Tan Jingwei... they should be separated by now. If only I knew who they were with. They must have someone behind them. Song Tianyao has joined forces with Yu Shiting, and who has Tan Jingwei found as an accomplice?"