336: Chapter 335 Reactions from All Sides After Zhang Yu's Arrest (Part 2)

Meanwhile, Chu Weimin, who was on Hong Kong Island, was waiting anxiously when he received a phone report from his bodyguard, A-Long.

"Boss, something happened! The situation isn't right!"

The voice that exploded from the receiver carried a distinct tremor. A-Long's panic surged into Chu Weimin's ears like an electric current. He sat up straight abruptly, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his phone. "What are you panicking about! Speak clearly!"

"It's like this," A-Long's voice was lowered to an extreme, but he couldn't hide his urgency. "I was following those two women from the Security Bureau today. When they parked at Modu University, I secretly planted a bug in their car. This afternoon! This afternoon, I clearly heard that woman named Ye Qingcheng on the phone, saying, saying that Zhang Yu had been arrested! And there's more! A lot of special police officers came to the Security Bureau Modu Branch and handcuffed a whole crowd of people!"

"What did you say?!" Chu Weimin was struck as if by a thunderbolt. He sprang up from the sofa, his phone banging against his ear with a 'clatter'. His voice was trembling. "Are you sure you didn't hear wrong? Zhang Yu was arrested?!"

"It's absolutely true!" A-Long's voice became even more urgent. "Ye Qingcheng also said on the phone that Li Bing, the director of the Security Bureau Modu Branch, has also been detained by the Modu police and is currently being held at the General Bureau! Boss, this is definitely not false!"

"How could... how could this be..."

Chu Weimin stumbled back two steps, his back hitting the floor-to-ceiling window with a dull thud.

Outside the window was the brilliant night view of Hong Kong Island, but the reflection on the glass was his face, pale as paper.

He pressed his hands against the cold glass, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the force, and muttered to himself, "How could the Dragon Country Security Bureau move so quickly? It's only been a few days... With Zhang Yu's strength, how could he be captured by the Security Bureau so easily?!"

"Boss, I heard that it seems it wasn't the Security Bureau who caught him. It was Qin Yi; he helped the Security Bureau catch Zhang Yu. It seems that only after Zhang Yu was caught did the police immediately take control of Li Bing," A-Long added.

"Qin Yi... damn it, it's this Qin Yi again!" Chu Weimin gritted his teeth as he spat out the name, his teeth grinding with a clicking sound.

"Boss, are you okay?" A-Long's voice was cautious, testing the waters.

Chu Weimin took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging panic, and grabbed his phone to ask, "What about Dong Yudong? Is there any movement at Hongtai Construction? Have you been watching him today?"

"I, I was just focused on watching the Security Bureau people today and haven't contacted Secretary Dong yet..." A-Long's voice became even more panicked. "I'll call him right now!"

"Don't!" Chu Weimin interrupted immediately, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling. "Wait first! No news at this time might be the best news. Don't call rashly; if we get watched, we'll be completely exposed!"

"Then... then what should we do next?"

"What to do..." Chu Weimin repeated, as if muttering to himself. After pondering for a moment, he continued, "Like this, don't act rashly. Just keep watching Dong Yudong. The equity transfer of Hongtai Construction cannot stop." Although Chu Weimin said this, he couldn't hide his lack of confidence. "If there's nothing else, hang up first. Report immediately if there's a situation."

Hanging up the phone, Chu Weimin slumped into the sofa, his brows furrowed into a tight knot, his very breathing trembling.

He closed his eyes, his mind feeling like it had exploded—Zhang Yu and Li Bing being arrested almost simultaneously, this was definitely a trap set long ago!

Could it be that the Security Bureau had been setting a trap from the very beginning? Was Zhang Min's death fake? Was all of this a performance for Li Bing? All to make Li Bing lower his guard, and finally round them all up in one fell swoop!

"Ye Qingcheng... what a ruthless scheme you've orchestrated!"

Chu Weimin opened his eyes abruptly, his eyes filled with gloom, but it was immediately replaced by panic. "But if that's really the case, could Zhang Min have already betrayed me? Has my identity already been exposed?"

Once this thought popped up, he couldn't sit still anymore.

The most important thing right now was to determine if the Security Bureau's reach had extended to Hongtai Construction.

He scrambled to grab his phone, his fingers trembling so much that he pressed the wrong numbers several times; the digits on the screen seemed to be dancing. Only with great difficulty did he manage to dial Dong Yudong's number.

"Pick up the phone! Dammit!"

The phone rang four or five times before it was answered. Dong Yudong's voice was calm, without a ripple. "Good evening, Chairman. This is Dong Yudong."

Chu Weimin gripped the phone tightly, his knuckles turning white. He took a deep breath to keep his tone as steady as possible. "Yudong, how is the situation in Modu? Is the equity transfer of Hongtai Construction going smoothly?"

"Chairman, I was just about to report to you." Dong Yudong immediately began to report on the equity transfer plan discussed with Wang Ming, from asset evaluation to process milestones, speaking with clear logic.

But Chu Weimin had no intention of listening; his mind was full of thoughts like 'Has Zhang Min confessed?' and 'Will I be targeted?'.

Dong Yudong spoke for two or three minutes, while he just responded half-heartedly with "Mm," "Good," "Follow your plan." Before Dong Yudong could finish, he hurriedly changed the subject. "By the way, regarding Zhang Min, did the Security Bureau go to check again today?"

"The Security Bureau people haven't been back since they left in the morning. I guess they didn't find any clues." Dong Yudong's voice remained calm.

Chu Weimin's heart relaxed slightly, and he pressed further. "Then, regarding the Joint Investigation Team stationed at Hongtai Construction, is there any new gossip?"

"The Joint Investigation Team has always been handled by Lawyer Zhou Qian; Lawyer Wang Ming has not participated. There hasn't been any news coming out so far."

"How is Hongtai Construction now? Can it still operate normally?" Chu Weimin's voice tightened a bit more.

"After the Joint Investigation Team arrived, except for a few key municipal projects that are still being rushed, all other projects have stopped, and personnel have been withdrawn. However, when I talked to Wang Ming this afternoon, he said the investigation team should be leaving soon—after all, Hongtai has a new owner, and with so many jobs and tax revenues involved, the city government won't keep blocking it indefinitely."

After listening to Dong Yudong finish, Chu Weimin perfunctorily gave a couple of instructions to "push the equity transfer as soon as possible," and then hurriedly hung up the phone.

But after putting down the phone, the panic in his heart didn't decrease; instead, it grew heavier—from Chen Mo's arrest, to Zhang Min's "death," and then to Zhang Yu and Li Bing being caught, this series of events was like a net, tightening more and more.

Was Zhang Min alive or dead? Had she betrayed him? He was now completely in the dark.

Chu Weimin stood up and paced back and forth in the living room anxiously, the phone in his hand being gripped until it was burning hot.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. "No, I still have to find Smith and sound him out. If it really comes to it, I'll have to sacrifice the pawn to save the king!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately found Smith's number in his contact list and pressed the call button with trembling fingers.

...

At this moment, in the banquet hall of the Hyatt Hotel in Ginza, Japan, the light of the crystal chandelier spilled onto the resplendent champagne tower.

Smith was holding a glass of Burgundy red wine, chatting and laughing with several businessmen in suits, but the corner of his eye was always keeping an eye on the surroundings—as the head of the Morgan Group in the Asia-Pacific region, he would not let himself be completely immersed in the relaxation of social interaction.

Suddenly, his private assistant Lisa walked over quickly in high heels, clutching a phone in her hand. She leaned over and lowered her voice in his ear, "Boss, Chu Weimin from Chus Investment on Hong Kong Island is calling, saying there is an urgent matter."

Smith's fingers holding the wine glass paused slightly, and his brows furrowed imperceptibly.

He showed a polite smile to the businessmen around him and apologized in fluent Japanese, "Sorry, excuse me for a moment, I have an urgent call to handle." After saying that, he turned and walked towards the open-air balcony at the end of the banquet hall while holding his phone.

The evening breeze blew by, carrying the hustle and bustle of Ginza. Smith leaned on the carved railing and put the phone to his ear, his tone carrying a touch of deliberate laziness, "Mr. Chu is quite energetic, not resting at this hour?"

Chu Weimin had no energy to exchange pleasantries with Smith now, and said urgently, "Mr. Smith! Something terrible has happened!"

Chu Weimin's voice was as hurried as if it had been scorched by fire; one could feel his panic through the receiver, "I just received news that the Dragon Country Security Bureau has arrested Zhang Yu! Even Li Bing, the head of the Security Bureau Modu Branch, has been detained by the police!"

"What?"

Smith's voice instantly sank, his languor completely vanished, and his hand gripping the phone tightened involuntarily, "Is the intelligence accurate? Chu, this is not something to joke about."

"It's absolutely true! The person I sent to tail them heard Ye Qingcheng say it over the phone personally!" Chu Weimin's voice carried a hint of a sob, "Mr. Smith, I feel that staying in Hong Kong Island is probably no longer safe. Do you think I should return to the US to lie low for a while?"

Smith took a deep breath, his fingertips tapping lightly on the railing as his brain raced—Zhang Yu was a key pawn for Hongmen in Modu, and Li Bing was an informant planted by Hongmen in the Security Bureau. That these two were caught at the same time could not possibly be a coincidence.

This operation by Dragon Country against Hongmen was a bit too smooth.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and kept his tone as steady as possible, "Chu, I know you are anxious, but the more anxious you are, the easier it is to make mistakes. There is an old saying in Dragon Country: 'Haste leads to chaos.' Stay in Hong Kong Island for now, don't move, and wait for my news."

"Yes, yes, Mr. Smith. I will wait for your news."

After hanging up, Smith dared not delay. The situation in Dragon Country was changing too quickly; one slight misstep, and Morgan's layout in Dragon Country could very well be completely lost due to Hongmen's failure.

He took out another encrypted phone, swiped his fingers quickly across the screen, and dialed the number labeled "Liu Chuanzhi."

The phone rang five times before it was answered. An old and cautious voice came from the other side, kept extremely low, "Mr. Smith? Is something the matter so late at night?" The person answering the phone was none other than the head of the Liu Family of Qingcheng—Liu Chuanzhi!

"Old Mr. Liu, I'm truly sorry, I hope I didn't disturb your rest?" Smith's tone was deliberately intimate, "I just received news that the weather in Modu seems to be quite bad recently? So I wanted to ask you, Old Mr. Liu, do we need to make some adjustments to our previous layout? To minimize potential losses?"

"Haha, Mr. Smith, your news is certainly well-informed." Liu Chuanzhi's laughter contained a hint of imperceptible probing, "To tell you the truth, I only received the news half an hour ago—indeed, the weather in Modu is about to change."

Speaking of which, before Smith could respond, Liu Chuanzhi shifted the topic, his tone carrying deep meaning, "However, whether it will be a thunderstorm, a heavy rainstorm, or just a gust of wind that passes by, it's hard to say for now. If you, Mr. Smith, want to hedge your risks, you should make plans early while the weather is still unclear. Otherwise, once the weather really changes, it will be difficult to leave."

"Haha, thank you for the reminder, Mr. Liu." A sharp glint flashed in Smith's eyes, and he followed up, "By the way, you mentioned earlier that your grandson—Liu Qing—was to be drafted into the Security Bureau. I wonder what the situation is now?"

"When the country has a need, the younger generation of our martial arts families must naturally support it with both hands. Tomorrow morning, Qing'er is going to report to Modu." Old Mr. Liu's voice softened, "When Qing'er was in the US, thanks to Mr. Smith for taking care of him. If you come to Dragon Country in the future, our Liu Family will definitely host you properly."

"Haha, Mr. Liu, you are too kind. Friends should look out for each other." Smith agreed with a smile, but he had other plans in mind—Liu Qing entering the Security Bureau might become a new Breakthrough.

After hanging up, Smith leaned against the railing, his brows furrowed, connecting all the information: Zhao Lintai leaving Modu, the people Hongmen planted in Dragon Country—Chen Mo, Zhang Min, and Zhang Yu—as well as the Security Bureau mole Li Bing, these people had all been caught one after another...

Smith vaguely felt that Dragon Country's blatant operation against Hongmen this time did not seem to have a simple purpose; there might be an even greater scheme behind it.

However, he couldn't figure out what this scheme was for the moment.

"Boss, why are you standing here in a daze?" Lisa walked over with two glasses of champagne, reached out to take his arm, and handed him one, "Did something happen?"

Smith came back to his senses, took the champagne, and took a sip. The cold liquid slid down his throat but couldn't suppress the heat in his heart, "I just received news that the weather in Modu, Dragon Country is about to change. I'm thinking about whether to hedge my risks early or take advantage of the chaos to make a profit."

"Change the weather?" Lisa blinked, looked up at the starry sky above, and looked confused, "Is it a typhoon? The weather forecast said a typhoon would pass through Tokyo. It wouldn't change course to Modu, would it?"

Smith was amused by her innocence and gently rubbed the wall of the glass with his fingertips, "I heard a saying recently, and now that I think about it, it makes quite a lot of sense."

"What saying?"

"The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish!" Smith's eyes suddenly became sharp, like a hawk eyeing its prey, "The waves in Modu this time are not small. Who knows, the 'fish' hiding inside might be very fat."

Lisa still didn't understand, but she was sensible enough not to ask further. Smith patted her on the butt, his tone carrying an unquestionable decisiveness, "Book two tickets to Modu for tomorrow, the earliest flight."

"Ah? Fly to Modu?" Lisa paused for a moment, then quickly nodded, "Okay! Do you need me to notify the Modu representative office to arrange for a pickup?"

"No need." Smith shook his head, his gaze looking towards the east, as if he could pierce through the night to see the lights of Modu, "Let's go and see for ourselves whether the weather in Modu will really change."

"I'll go book the tickets now!" Lisa walked away, swaying her hips, leaving Smith standing alone on the balcony.

He took out his encrypted phone and dialed the number of Morgan Group Chairman Will James, reporting the situation in Modu and his own plan one by one.

"Since you have decided to go to Modu to take a look, then go." James's voice came through the receiver, carrying the composure of a cunning old fox, "Remember what I said before; if necessary, you can secretly help Dragon Country, but you must do it discreetly. You must never let the old guys in the consortium know that it was us who betrayed Hongmen."

"Understood! Then I won't disturb your work, Chairman."

After hanging up, Smith immediately called Chu Weimin's number back.

As soon as the call was connected, Chu Weimin's anxious voice came through, "Mr. Smith! What's the situation? Should I return to the US?"

"Chu, don't panic." Smith's tone carried a confident smile, "Things are not as bad as you think—I have already booked tickets to Modu for tomorrow. Do you want to go with me?"

"Fly, fly to Modu?" Chu Weimin's voice sounded as if he had been strangled, carrying incredible terror, "Mr. Smith, you aren't joking, are you? Going to Modu now isn't that walking right into a trap?"

"Walking into a trap?" Smith chuckled, his tone full of ambition, "There is a saying in Dragon Country: 'Find life in death.' The more dangerous a place is, the safer it often is. Modu is now like the center of a storm, but within the danger, there might be the opportunity we want. Haven't you always wanted to return to Modu and take back what belongs to you? If you just slink back to the US like this, let alone getting your things back, whether Mr. James will spare you is another question."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds. Chu Weimin's breathing came through the receiver, heavy and hurried. He knew he had no other choice and could only fight to the death.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, his voice carrying the ferocity of burning bridges, "Fine! I'll go with you! At worst, it's just death. Find life in death! Mr. Smith, see you in Modu!"

"Excellent. Chu, see you tomorrow then!"

Smith hung up the phone and downed the remaining red wine in his glass. The crimson liquid slid down his throat, and his eyes glinted with excitement—he was not only going to avoid this storm in Modu, but he was going to actively enter the game. He wanted to see just how many "fat fish" he could catch in this storm!