58: Chapter 58 The Cause of Cui Xiuming's Death

The night at Huake Mountain Villa was much quieter than the previous visit.

The boisterous noise of the banquet had long since dissipated, leaving only security personnel patrolling everywhere.

As soon as Liu Zijun's car entered the gates of Huake Mountain Villa, before he even turned off the engine, he was surrounded by over a dozen security guards.

The security captain leading them held up a flashlight, its beam shining directly into Liu Zijun's face, and shouted in a firm tone, "Get out of the car! Submit to inspection!"

Several people behind him quietly reached for their waists, the black grips of handguns faintly visible in the night.

The Peninsula's gun control regulations were always a mere formality on the private estates of these chaebols.

Liu Zijun was wearing a silver mask. He pushed open the car door, the gaze in his exposed eyes extremely cold and sharp.

He didn't raise his hand to block the flashlight shining on his face, but simply looked at the security captain calmly.

"Put them away. If you really make a move, you'll just be seeking your own deaths."

"Isn't Jeong Hyun-bin waiting for me? Tell him to come out."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an intense sense of pressure.

The security captain froze for a moment, then was provoked by this arrogant tone. Just as he was about to order them to act, he saw Liu Zijun's figure move slightly, appearing before him in an instant.

He didn't even see the other's movement before his wrist was gripped tightly, causing the flashlight to drop to the ground.

"You..."

The security captain's face turned pale from the pain, and the others drew their guns one after another, pointing them at Liu Zijun.

Just then, the sound of running footsteps came from inside the villa.

Jeong Hyun-bin appeared, having changed into a black suit, followed by two personal bodyguards, running out quickly.

"aishiba! Everyone fucking stop, don't go looking for death!"

The madness from before was gone from his face; his eyes were very clear, and a meaningful smile played at the corners of his mouth.

He looked at Liu Zijun and the mask on his face, a touch of fanaticism in his eyes!

"As expected, your reputation is well-deserved. Seeing you again today, you're as sharp as ever."

Liu Zijun released his grip, straightened up, and fixed his gaze on Jeong Hyun-bin.

"You're more sober than I imagined. Done playing the fool?"

Jeong Hyun-bin smiled and stepped aside, making an inviting gesture.

He added, "Madness is just a disguise to protect oneself. This isn't the place to talk. Please, come inside."

Liu Zijun didn't hesitate and followed Jeong Hyun-bin into the villa.

Passing through the empty banquet hall, the mess on the floor had already been cleaned up.

The two walked to a closed office at the end of the banquet hall. Jeong Hyun-bin motioned for the bodyguards to stay outside and personally pushed open the door.

Seeing the bodyguards' hesitant expressions, Liu Zijun gave a mocking smile.

"Just wait outside. If he really made a move, all of you—including me—would have been dead long ago!"

The office had no windows, only a ceiling light illuminating the space. A large mahogany desk sat in the center, and a landscape painting of Changbai Mountain hung on the wall.

Jeong Hyun-bin motioned for Liu Zijun to sit on the opposite sofa. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and pushed one toward Liu Zijun, saying directly, "Should I still call you Mr. Liu Zijun? You must be curious how I recognized you."

"Two years ago, I went hunting in Africa with my family elders and encountered an attack by local militants. The ones who saved us then were people from the God Hunter Organization."

"The leader wore a silver mask and was incredible; it took him only a few minutes to deal with all the militants."

He added before leaving,

"Beneath the God of Hunting, none can escape."

"That voice was identical to your voice tonight in the banquet hall."

"Most importantly, when you took off your mask as you were leaving, I caught a glimpse of your face from inside a car."

Liu Zijun picked up the glass but didn't drink, his fingertips merely rubbing against the rim.

"So you intentionally played the fool just to confirm my identity?"

Jeong Hyun-bin admitted frankly, "Exactly! I know the God Hunter Organization operates in secrecy and never reveals itself easily. And you, the God of Hunting of the God Hunter Organization—Gu—just happened to appear on The Peninsula."

He changed the subject and said quite candidly, "I've investigated you. You appeared at a funeral and then came to SM Entertainment to work as a bodyguard, all for Choi Sulli of f(x)."

Liu Zijun's gaze turned a few degrees colder. "You've certainly investigated thoroughly."

Jeong Hyun-bin smiled, his words carrying the confidence of a chaebol.

"On The Peninsula, as long as you're willing to pay the price, there's nothing that can't be found."

"But don't worry, I have no interest in Choi Sulli, and I really am just a fan of Im Yoona. On this point, we have no conflict of interest at all."

He put down his glass and leaned forward. "That waste Choi Jae-ho thought that by giving me Choi Sulli and Im Yoona, he could trade for the support of the SD Group. It's simply laughable."

"When he and the Cui Family behind him got into trouble, they had already become abandoned pawns."

"He is merely a meeting gift I'm presenting to you."

Liu Zijun raised an eyebrow. "You've already dealt with him?"

Jeong Hyun-bin's tone was flat, as if he were discussing something trivial.

"Since it's a meeting gift for you, it will naturally be handled cleanly. Before long, he should become shark bait."

Liu Zijun gave a soft huff, his finger lightly tapping the edge of his mask. "What do you want?"

He looked at Liu Zijun and stood up abruptly, sincerity in his eyes.

"I know the power of the God Hunter Organization. Weapons, intelligence, funding—as long as you need it, you lack for nothing."

"What I want is simply a partnership with the God Hunter Organization!"

"No! Not exactly a partnership."

"I want to become the God of Hunting's representative on The Peninsula, helping you handle affairs within the territory. In return, the God Hunter Organization needs to provide the necessary support when I inherit control of the SD Group."

Liu Zijun fell silent, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest of the sofa.

He hadn't expected Jeong Hyun-bin to be making such a calculation.

"Aren't you afraid the God Hunter Organization will refuse? An SD Group doesn't count for much in the eyes of the God Hunter Organization."

Liu Zijun spoke slowly, his eyes full of scrutiny.

Jeong Hyun-bin smiled confidently. "I'm not afraid. The famous Gu, who led people to blast open the gates of the Faith Organization, suddenly came to our tiny Peninsula."

"The comebacks of Son Ye-jin, Choi Sulli, Im Yoona, and T-ara cannot happen without the support of local forces."

"And with the assistance of the SD Group, their development would be much easier."

He paused and dropped a bombshell.

"Although I don't know why you value the deceased Choi Soo-myung so much, I have some information about him that you will definitely be interested in."

"Choi Soo-myung was admitted to Seoul National University in 2007, but he resolutely went to serve in the military."

"Returning to Seoul in 2010, he offended someone from the TJK Group and was directly assigned to the Peacekeeping Forces and sent abroad."

"After returning to Seoul again in 2012, the TJK people struck once more, and not long after, Choi Soo-myung was in a car accident."

Jeong Hyun-bin felt a sudden explosion of frigid aura from Liu Zijun, but his heart was filled with heat; he knew he had bet correctly!

"Very well! This news of yours is enough to buy your life! The TJK Group? Who was it?"

A smile appeared on Jeong Hyun-bin's face.

"Lee Ryuk-hee of the TJK Group is arrogant and ruthless. He had his sights on Choi Sulli long ago. He got rid of Choi Soo-myung, but he never expected to cross you."

Liu Zijun picked up the glass and took a sip of whiskey. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, but it made his thoughts even clearer.

"TJK Group, Lee Ryuk-hee..."

Liu Zijun put down his glass and said in a calm tone, "The God Hunter Organization doesn't easily cooperate with others. I've seen your sincerity, but whether to cooperate or not isn't something I can decide alone."

Jeong Hyun-bin wasn't surprised and nodded.

Just then, Liu Zijun's phone rang.