Lin Jiatao

"His parents were ordinary workers. They died in a car accident when he was little." The confidant closed the file expressionlessly. "He was raised on state welfare. No background, no special experiences."

"That kid probably still thinks he managed to intimidate me..." Lin Jiatao sneered, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "Still too young!"

"Heh..." The confidant chuckled.

"But what happened today still taught me a lesson!" Lin Jiatao frowned. "Our foundation is still too weak. Even some kid dares to lean on the Li family's power to beat my son and slap my wife, while I can only swallow it."

The confidant raised his brows, pondered for a moment, then said with grave solemnity, "Boss, just say the word, and I'll have guns firing at Li Family Mansion."

There was not a trace of falsehood or hypocrisy in those words.

Lin Jiatao shook his head coldly. "Old Han, we've risen to a different level, so our methods need to change too. The old ways of openly fighting with blades and guns are outdated. We should think differently!"

Tongzhou could accommodate one top-tier Li family and one top-tier Bai family, but it could no longer accommodate a third top-tier Lin family." Lin Jiatao explained, "If we want to establish ourselves completely, one of those two top families has to fall and make room for us. The Bai family has people in the official circle. We can't touch them, and we can't afford to..."

"So within the next three years, there will inevitably be a battle between us and the Li family! Rather than scrambling when the time comes, we might as well start now and quietly weaken the Li family's wings."

"You mean..." The confidant frowned.

"Li Guodong is old. His son is useless, and the only one with any real ability is his daughter. The one destined to carry the Li family in the future is Li Ruobing! And this Su Rui, if he's given time, will definitely become Li Ruobing's powerful support. Before that happens, we need to crush him in the cradle!" Lin Jiatao's tone was icy, his words dripping with mercilessness.

What he was considering now was no longer the matter of Lin Tianyou being beaten, or even the Lin family's damaged reputation. He was considering Tongzhou's development over the next few years and its ever-changing situation.

He knew exactly who his enemies were.

"Boss, aren't you thinking too highly of him?" the confidant asked doubtfully. Su Rui's file was utterly unremarkable. "Just him?"

"I've never misjudged anyone!" Lin Jiatao paused, then continued, "This Su Rui is no simple man."

The confidant nodded. He trusted his boss's judgment. Lin Jiatao had clawed his way up from the very bottom to where he was today, relying not only on courage and opportunity, but also on exceptionally sharp insight.

"Go. Get this done as soon as possible... Find two professionals. Money isn't an issue!" Lin Jiatao instructed. He had a faint premonition that if Su Rui was not eliminated quickly, he would inevitably become a serious threat in the future!

"If we move against him now, won't it make Li Ruobing suspicious?" the confidant asked.

"Doing it now is precisely what won't make Li Ruobing suspicious." Lin Jiatao said, "In Li Ruobing's eyes, Su Rui and I have already reconciled tonight. There's absolutely no reason for us to provoke her again! If something happens to Su Rui now, we'll be the least suspicious ones!"

Lin Jiatao said decisively, "We stand on different sides. We're destined to become enemies in the future. Rather than waiting for him to grow strong, we should deal with him cleanly and decisively now!"

His tone was chilling!

This was Lin Jiatao, a man who had risen step by step from a lowly street thug to an Underworld Boss and even the head of a wealthy family.

Earlier, in the conference room, he had been able to change his expression in an instant, acting intimate with Su Rui and bowing his head in submission.

Yet the moment he turned around, he became ruthless and decisive, boldly setting his plans in motion!

"I understand." The confidant smiled. "I'll make preparations right away!"

"Go on. I'll grab something to eat with your sister-in-law, then head back to the hospital..." After arranging the matter, Lin Jiatao gave a few more instructions and checked his watch. "It's this late already. Why haven't those people come back yet?"

"Who?"

"The old soldiers from the security company. I sent them out to grab Su Rui, but they've been gone all day without a trace. They haven't even returned a single call..." Lin Jiatao found it a little strange, but did not pay much attention to it. Those veterans had their own way of doing things, and it was not convenient for him to ask too many questions. "Fuck, I'm cutting their pay next month. Their efficiency is terrible!"

A battered GL8 suddenly drove in from the distance.

"Those Bastards spent all day accomplishing nothing. How the hell did they even wreck the car?" Lin Jiatao cursed with a frown as he strode out of the company lobby.

Less than a hundred meters from the company gate, the GL8 did not slow down. Its exhaust pipe roared, belching out a cloud of thick smoke.

In the driver's seat, the Flat-top Youth wore a look of struggle, gripping the large black handgun tightly in his hand.

Crash!

The GL8 suddenly slammed on the brakes and stopped by the roadside less than twenty meters from Lin Jiatao. The window rolled down.

Lin Jiatao was just about to walk over.

Then suddenly.

A pitch black gun barrel extended from the window.

Lin Jiatao's body instantly froze.

"Lin Jiatao, look up!"

Bang!

The gunshot rang through the streets beneath the nine o'clock night sky.

The GL8 sped away in a swirl of dust!

"Ah!" Lin Jiatao staggered and fell straight to the ground.

Blood poured from his left leg, instantly staining the ground red.

At a street corner, Su Rui heard the muffled gunshot and curled his lips into a smile. He then started the car and drove away beneath the pounding music.

From beginning to end, there had never been any reconciliation between Su Rui and Lin Jiatao.

Lin Jiatao knew that Su Rui was Li Ruobing's man and that they would inevitably stand opposed in the future. Su Rui knew that too, but more importantly, he knew exactly what kind of person Lin Jiatao was.

Treacherous and cunning, cruel and ruthless, holding grudges over the slightest offense!

Before gaining power, he could humble himself and endure like a Wild Dog. But once he had strength, he would strike with lethal force, leaving no chance to react!

Today, he had been forced to lower his head under the Li family's power. But once the Li family could no longer suppress him, his retaliation would surely come with unimaginable ferocity and cruelty!

Lin Jiatao could never become Su Rui's friend, nor could he become Li Ruobing's support.

He was an enemy.

He harbored ambitions of replacing the Li family and becoming Tongzhou's foremost wealthy family!

Lin Jiatao was far more dangerous, and far more difficult to deal with, than Li Ruobing's stepmother.

Without the Li family's help, the current Li Ruobing could never be Lin Jiatao's match. It was not that Li Ruobing lacked ability, but that Lin Jiatao's age and experience far surpassed hers.

If things had continued along the original course, perhaps the Li family really would have become down and out in a few years, only to be replaced by the Lin family!

But things were different now...

"Messing with my future wife's family, Lin Jiatao... You should go lie low in the hospital for a while." Su Rui smiled with his eyes. "Once I've put Ruobing in the position of the Li family's Queen, I'll play with you again."

Yes, Lin Jiatao was indeed immensely ambitious, and his methods were vicious yet clever.

But before Su Rui, all of it was nothing more than a child's clumsy game. He thought he had hidden himself perfectly, but he had no idea what kind of existence his opponent truly was.

The gun belonged to Lin Jiatao.

The man belonged to Lin Jiatao too.

Even if the Flat-top Youth was caught, it would not lead back to Su Rui.

Just as Lin Jiatao had said earlier, to outsiders, the two sides had already reconciled. Su Rui had no reason whatsoever to provoke him. If something happened to Lin Jiatao now, no one would connect it to Su Rui.

As for a motive or someone pulling strings behind the scenes... heh, that was even more of a joke.

Could the Flat-top Youth tell the Criminal Police Team that he shot Lin Jiatao because he had attacked Su Rui earlier, been subdued afterward, and feared that Su Rui would cripple him?

Even if he dared to say it, would anyone dare believe him?

Those who had not experienced Su Rui's terror firsthand would never know it.

When it came to dark methods, cruelty, and viciousness, Lin Jiatao did not even qualify as an elementary-school beginner before Su Rui!