Li Chonglou’s eyes turned cold, and just as he was about to act, he noticed that the person who alighted from the car opposite had no killing intent.
A man in a suit politely approached the car. First, he bowed apologetically, then he came to the window.
“Hello, our boss would like to invite you over for a moment. Please rest assured, it won’t take up too much of your time.”
Li Chonglou’s thoughts raced, and finally, he nodded.
Following the man, Li Chonglou entered a coffee shop and went up to a private room on the second floor.
“Hello, Mr. Li. I am Shaojie’s butler. I hope you can forgive me for inviting Mr. Li here without prior notice; there is a reason for this.”
“He Shaojie?”
The old butler nodded. “Yes, the He Shaojie you are looking for.”
“Oh,” Li Chonglou looked at the old butler with interest, waiting for him to continue.
Seeing Li Chonglou’s calm demeanor, the old butler not only secretly admired his courage but also felt more confident in his unauthorized decision.
Thus, the old butler stopped beating around the bush and stated the purpose of his visit directly.
“Our Shaojie was originally an ambitious and sunny person, and his performance at the company surpassed many seniors. Our老爷 (old master) had even decided to hand over the He Group to Shaojie for management.
“However, three years ago, one day, Shaojie was diagnosed with a terminal illness at the hospital. Alas, at such a prime age to receive such news, how many could endure it? Shaojie, disheartened, left home for a period of time.”
“During that time, no one knew where Shaojie went or what he experienced. We only knew that after half a year, Shaojie returned with a man. Not only did he call the man his master, but he also claimed that his terminal illness had been cured…”
The old butler recounted He Shaojie’s story like an old tale. Li Chonglou listened silently and quickly understood what was going on.
It turned out that after He Shaojie’s six-month disappearance and return, his entire personality had changed significantly. The previous He Shaojie was diligent, ambitious, and gentle. After his return, he became paranoid, self-centered, and even cold-blooded.
However, apart from these changes, his abilities had not diminished; instead, they had increased. He had also learned a formidable style of traditional martial arts, which made the old butler both fond of him and frustrated.
“So, I came to find you because I hope you can forgive our Shaojie this once and stop looking for him. I promise you, tomorrow morning, I will take Shaojie away and go abroad.”
Seeing the old butler’s sincere gaze, Li Chonglou remained unmoved.
He understood the old butler’s intention, but it was clear that the old butler did not understand the obsession of a martial artist.
Li Chonglou said softly, “I’m afraid I cannot grant your wish.”
The old butler’s expression immediately changed. He felt he had been sufficiently sincere and had shown enough goodwill. He couldn’t understand why Li Chonglou was still being so aggressive.
Li Chonglou explained, “Old sir, please don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I’m not giving your young master a chance, but you don’t understand your current young master.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s very simple. Even if I agree to leave today, your young master will absolutely not leave Qin Province with you. Instead, he will continue to provoke me through other means, or even harm my loved ones. What do you think, can I agree to your request?”
As Li Chonglou spoke, he stood up and walked towards the door.
The old butler struggled with his expression for a long time but ultimately did not speak further. Based on his current understanding of He Shaojie, it was highly likely that things would unfold as Li Chonglou had predicted.
“Alas.”
The old butler sighed deeply, his entire demeanor slumping, as if he had aged considerably in an instant.
At this moment, Li Chonglou’s voice echoed from the doorway.
“However, I promise you, if possible, I will spare his life.”
The old butler was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at the doorway, but Li Chonglou was long gone. The old butler couldn’t help but give a wry smile, “Young people nowadays are truly getting crazier, one after another. It’s hard to say who is truly sparing whom.”
The old butler recalled the moments when He Shaojie had made his move before. The speed and power were simply beyond his comprehension.
The old butler shook his head, dispelling the images, and muttered, “He’s also a good person. I hope it won’t…”
After Li Chonglou left the coffee shop, the people who had blocked his car were gone. This time, Li Chonglou reached the International Building without any hindrance.
Li Chonglou had some understanding of the He Corporation. Although it wasn’t among the top three in Qin Province, it didn’t mean it wasn’t strong. Qin Province was not its core base; in the north, the He Corporation’s reputation was among the very best.
In Qin Province, the He Corporation was like a dragon coiled among local snakes. Many people wanted to ally with the He Corporation for business ventures, but as far as Li Chonglou knew, all attempts had failed.
There was a saying in the martial arts world: the He Corporation, apart from its own territory, never interfered with other forces, always maintaining a neutral position.
Li Chonglou was initially puzzled when he learned that the He Corporation was the mastermind. It wasn’t until he heard the old butler’s words that he roughly understood why the habitually neutral He Corporation would engage in such activities.
However, for Li Chonglou, the background of the other party was not important. What mattered was whether they were enemies.
Li Chonglou walked directly into the International Building. After confirming the floor of the He Corporation at the front desk, he took the elevator.
However, as soon as Li Chonglou reached the floor, he saw a middle-aged man dressed in a black cloth outfit standing there.
Dressed like this in such a place was undeniably peculiar, but Li Chonglou’s mind suddenly recalled someone the old butler had mentioned.
The man whom He Shaojie had brought back and called master.
“Follow me. Shaojie is waiting for you on the rooftop.”
The ordinary-looking middle-aged man glanced at Li Chonglou, then turned and walked to a golden express elevator, pressing the button.
The two golden elevator doors opened with a sound. The middle-aged man stepped in first, then looked back at Li Chonglou.
Li Chonglou smiled slightly, feigning ignorance, and followed him.
The man did not speak during the ascent. When the elevator doors opened again, the man stepped out first, then walked to the side and sat down, adopting a posture of waiting to watch a good show.
And directly in front of Li Chonglou, a young man was appraising him with great interest.
As soon as Li Chonglou stepped out of the elevator, he heard the young man speak, “I assume my butler has already told you my name.”
Li Chonglou raised an eyebrow. He Shaojie continued, “When people get old, they should rest. Otherwise, becoming an immortal who refuses to die is quite annoying. You probably feel the same way, don’t you?”
Li Chonglou looked at He Shaojie, who had a cold and indifferent expression, and could not find any trace of the former He Shaojie described by the old butler.
As He Shaojie stretched his limbs, he continued, “You actually arrived much faster than I anticipated. Perhaps those few pieces of trash were too useless.”