Chapter 115: How Did the Grudge Begin
Chapter 115
"Indeed, we should buy a hat to shield from the sun. We should also get some Huoxiang Zhengqi water, but unfortunately, there's none here," Secretary Wang agreed.
"Then you should send someone to buy it," Ke Muning looked at him.
"All the bodyguards have been sent with my niece."
"You didn't keep even one for yourself?"
"No," Secretary Wang nodded calmly and said, "I'm not like Mr. Ke Muning. I don't have any enemies."
Ke Muning: "..."
After his moment of speechlessness, Ke Muning still waved over a bodyguard and assigned him the task of buying a hat.
The bodyguard was stunned, thinking for a moment that he had misheard. He couldn't help but stare at Li Xiaoya for several seconds before leaving to buy the hat.
Meanwhile...
Sheng Yuxiao poured a glass of water for Wei Wenjuan.
Wei Wenjuan said softly, "Thank you." Though his personality was sharp, he wasn't a fool. He knew that Sheng Yuxiao was being polite to him only for Xiaoya's sake.
"Mr. Wei, you're too kind. I originally came here to give Xiaoya a surprise..."
"But instead, you almost got a shock yourself, right?" Wei Wenjuan sighed, his brows furrowing tightly.
At this moment, Wei Wenjuan's phone vibrated.
He received a message from his brother asking where he had gone.
Wei Wenjuan immediately called him back, saying, "It's nothing, you don't need to come find me. Just stay hidden."
Of course, he didn't wait for Wei Wenqing's response before hanging up the phone. Then he raised his eyes to examine Sheng Yuxiao before him.
As early as the dinner with Zhou General, discussing how to kick out President Liu, Wei Wenjuan had witnessed Sheng Yuxiao's intelligence.
"Since you say Xiaoya is safe, I believe you," Wei Wenjuan's expression returned to calm.
"But safety is only temporary. We still need to bring her back," Wei Wenjuan said.
"Of course," Sheng Yuxiao's face looked a bit sour.
He asked, "How much do you know about this Ke Muning?"
"Real name unknown, real age unknown."
"Wait, does he use a fake name when signing contracts too?"
Wei Wenjuan laughed helplessly, only now realizing that although the young Mr. Sheng was clever, he was still a bit naive.
"What kind of business does Young Master Sheng think he's in?"
Sheng Yuxiao pursed his lips and said, "I see. What else?"
"He's paranoid, arrogant, a bit crazy, and obsessive in his actions..."
"Other people conduct business with some principles, but he doesn't care much for that. He's always surrounded by a group of men fresh off the battlefield."
Sheng Yuxiao pressed further: "What kind of battlefield?"
"As expected of Young Master Sheng." Wei Wenjuan first praised, then continued, "There are indeed differences between battlefields. But Young Master Sheng lives in China, so you might not be aware that there are several places abroad that are in constant war, called the imperial meat grinders. Ke Muning specifically recruits mercenaries who have survived these places."
In fact, Wei Wenjuan didn't need to explain too clearly. Sheng Yuxiao already knew what the so-called imperial meat grinders were.
"If they're mercenaries, that's still okay. At least they're not some kind of fanatical worshippers," Sheng Yuxiao said calmly.
"That's hard to say. Once, someone offended Ke Muning and was subjected to a special punishment."
Sheng Yuxiao frowned slightly, but his overall expression remained calm.
Wei Wenjuan immediately understood. Why was he so certain about Xiaoya's safety?
Was it because there was someone from the Sheng family among Ke Muning's people? And that person was very reliable? Definitely able to persuade Ke Muning?
"How did you become enemies?" Sheng Yuxiao asked next.
"Wei Lin actually knows more about this because at that time, my father's health wasn't good and he was rushed to the hospital twice in a row. From then on, Wei Lin tried to take over the family's first task - protecting a person under the guise of normal business activities. This person was a very important white glove."
Sheng Yuxiao exclaimed in surprise, "You're also in the PMC business?"
"What else should we do? Fight over territory and sell illegal goods like gangsters in movies? That's outdated. Our family has its own transportation lines and channels. Young Master Sheng should understand what that means, right?"
Sheng Yuxiao raised an eyebrow. It seemed the Gui family's business was even bigger than he had imagined.
It's just that the old man seemed to have intentionally tightened his "business empire" a bit. Probably due to both physical and mental reasons.
"Hmm, go on... This white glove had a very high status. In other words, protecting him should have been a very easy task. Because no one in their right mind would dare to provoke him. But... Ke Muning is a madman. For some unknown reason, this person offended Ke Muning, and Ke Muning pursued him relentlessly, openly killing him at a cocktail party."
"Wei Lin's first task ended up in such a mess, how could he accept that? In the name of not wanting to damage the family's face, he went to my father, demanding to teach Ke Muning a lesson."
"And my father actually agreed," Wei Wenjuan shook his head.
This was also why he had angrily criticized his own father on the phone earlier.
Although the Gui family had long since transformed and no longer operated as a traditional mafia, the family, the company, from top to bottom, still adhered to that set of operating logic in their bones -
To maintain the face of the main family, while also emphasizing brotherhood loyalty.
In modern society, still talking about settling scores and repaying grudges would only lead to countless feuds.
Why haven't they been able to find Wenyu's whereabouts all these years?
To put it bluntly, there were simply too many enemies...
Wei Wenjuan took a deep breath, suppressing his complex emotions and concealing his unsightly expression. He said, "I'm sorry, I lost my composure."
"Since that white glove had such a high status, Ke Muning should have been easily eliminated by your joint efforts," Sheng Yuxiao spoke up. "What unexpected event occurred?"
Wei Wenjuan helplessly spread his hands and said, "Ke Muning's luck was just too good. At that very moment, multiple criminal charges were exposed against this white glove. His former colleagues, of course, would no longer seek revenge for him. And his later successor maintained a very delicate relationship with Ke Muning."
"Later on, we messed up several of Ke Muning's business deals. With the back-and-forth, we thoroughly became enemies. More importantly, Ke Muning wants the Gui family's transportation lines."
Sheng Yuxiao massaged his temples, feeling that this matter was a bit beyond his scope.
The Sheng family and the Qin family were also mortal enemies, but within the framework of Chinese law, neither would think of resorting to violence. Although the battles in the business world were bloodless killings, they didn't need to guard against a group of desperate criminals.
"Actually, there's a good way to get out of this..." Sheng Yuxiao raised his face and said.
"Young Master Sheng has an idea?"
"You choose an appropriate time to leave this place."
"But Xiaoya..."
"If you leave, Xiaoya will only be safer."
"Why do you say that?"
Sheng Yuxiao said with a complex expression, "Because Ke Muning might not know who Li Xiaoya is or what relationship she has with you at all."
"But he clearly kidnapped..."
"Was it really a kidnapping?"
At this moment, a bodyguard knocked and entered, saying in a low voice, "Ke Muning's subordinates are on the move."
"Where did they go? Did they go to find Wenqing?" Wei Wenjuan's face darkened.
"Our people followed them..." As the bodyguard spoke, the walkie-talkie in his hand buzzed.
A voice came through from the other end: "Ke Muning's people entered a store... Oh, he's coming out, he's holding... he's holding a child's hat? With two flowers on it?"
Wei Wenjuan: ?
Who cares if there are flowers on it?
"Ke Muning's subordinate went to buy a bucket of ice cream and a cotton candy..." The voice on the other end sounded increasingly strange.
Wei Wenjuan suddenly came to his senses and said in an incredibly absurd tone, "...Bought for Xiaoya?"
Sheng Yuxiao interjected, "Are you willing to leave now?"