Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

Chapter 1729: The Company Had an Accident

A major event happened in Song Jiang today. An escort vehicle of the Mingjiang Escort Company had disappeared without a trace!

If it was just an ordinary escort vehicle with banknotes, it would not cause any sensation. But the disappeared escort vehicle was escorting hundreds of millions of yuan in banknotes!

According to the regulations of the escort company and the bank, each escort vehicle could not send more than ten million banknotes at a time. But, this escort vehicle had sent hundreds of millions of banknotes!

If this escort vehicle had not encountered any problem and reported a safe exchange, it might not cause an uproar and no one would pay attention. But, this escort vehicle went missing! Consequently, it attracted people’s attention.

The topics on the Internet were also shifted to this. Initially, some suspected that the escort car was hijacked. Later, others speculated that there was a traitor in the escort company. Immediately, public opinion shifted to a one-sided situation!

Articles such as “Serious Management Problems in the Mingjiang Escort Company”, “Embezzlement By the Mingjiang Escort Company”, “Embezzlement of One Hundred Million Yuan By Deputy Captain of the Mingjiang Escort Company” and other news emerged straight away.

Many netizens started to question. Was it a coincidence that this car was escorting so many more banknotes? Was this a premeditated incident? In a way, this would reflect that the management of the Mingjiang Company was in chaos. There were problems with the management internally.

Moreover, it was actually the deputy captain of the escort team who embezzled the money. This more or less showed that the Mingjiang Escort Company team had a low overall quality and was filled with nepotism issues and employment of unsuitable workers.

In short, the Mingjiang Escort Company’s reputation instantly dropped to an all-time low.

Doubtful voices in society were also increasing. They had the opinion that it was simply an undue haste for a security company opened last year to be involved in the bank escort business. Were there any dark secrets behind this?

Jing Xiaolu was summoned from the school cafeteria by a phone call from Liu Huamei. Jing Xiaolu almost fainted on the spot when she heard that an escort vehicle from the company transporting hundreds of millions of yuan worth of banknotes had disappeared without a trace.

One hundred million yuan, how much was that!? Jing Xiaolu thought. With such an amount of money, if it really went missing, how many lifetimes will it take for me to pay it back?

On the way to the company, Jing Xiaolu overtook other cars while avoiding accidents and went straight to Liu Huamei’s office.

The company’s atmosphere was gloomy. It seemed that everyone knew about the bad news! In the eyes of the company’s employees, if those hundreds of millions of yuan were not recovered, this newly established escort company would inevitably be dragged down by the debt of hundreds of millions of yuan.

“Sister Huamei.” Jing Xiaolu did not even bother to knock on the door. She pushed open the door of Liu Huamei’s office and rushed in, “Sister Huamei, did you manage to contact Liu Xiaolei?”

“Xiaolu, you are here.” Liu Huamei gave a wry smile and shook her head. “No, we could not contact him even though we tried all sorts of contact methods. This person has disappeared from the face of the earth.”

“Have you called the police?” Jing Xiaolu’s heart froze when she heard Liu Huamei’s words. So, Liu Xiaolei had probably absconded with the money.

“We have reported it to the police but there is no news yet,” Liu Huamei sighed. She did not expect that the Mingjiang escort company she was managing would be exposed to the public like this!

Although the Song Jiang Ming Yang Security Company was the main contractor and she was only a subsidiary according to the contract, this incident had dealt a fatal blow to her no matter what!

This small company that she was managing was facing such negative press. Had it been a big corporation, the consequences would be beyond imagination. This would mean that there was little hope for her to compete for the Jiangyan Group’s CEO position. Her Cousin Liu Zhenan would never let this slip so easily.

Liu Zhenan was currently sitting proudly in the office, holding a cup of fragrant tea in his hand. He said to Liu Jifei standing beside him, “Have you made the necessary arrangements for Liu Xiaolei?”

“Appropriate arrangements have been made. He will be a stowaway from Bianhai City to Russia,” said Liu Jifei. “I have a friend in Russia who has connections with the underworld. He is there to support us…”

“En, don’t disclose anything.” Liu Zhenan nodded. “Jifei, you are my confidant. You should know. This time, I am staking it all on one bet. Hence, there cannot be any problem!”

“Relax, Brother Nan. Even If you have a problem, I can’t run away,” Liu Jifei said. “So, no matter what, I will arrange it properly… But, there is one thing. I am not sure whether to say it…”

“Jifei, I told you. You are my confidant. What is there to hide?” Liu Zhenan rebuked.

“Then, Brother Nan. I’ll just say it. Don’t be angry…” Liu Jifei hesitated and said. “Actually, no secret can be sealed permanently. If you want to permanently end your problems, there is only one way…”

“One way? What do you mean?” Liu Zhenan was slightly distracted. But, then his face changed slightly, “Jifei, what you are trying to say is…?”

“Indeed.” Liu Jifei nodded when he saw that Liu Zhenan had understood. “Only dead people can’t speak. Only you and I know about this secret. You and I are in the same boat. None of us have a death wish. But, Liu Xiaolei is different. I can’t trust this person…”

“But, this is murder! It’s illegal…” Although Liu Zhenan was a bit crooked, he had not yet developed a ruthless heart. He was a little frightened when he heard that Liu Jifei was about to murder someone…

“Brother Nan, those who do great things never bother with trifles 1,” Liu Jifei said. “There is a saying that goes no poison, no great man 2. Brother Nan, in order to achieve the great cause, you can not leave behind any ticking time bombs!”

“But… I have never done anything that involves murdering someone…” Liu Zhenan was a little hesitant.

“Planning a heist on an escort vehicle is also a capital offense. Brother Nan, you have to think clearly!” said Liu Jifei hurriedly.

“But… These are two different things…” Liu Zhenan was still a little hesitant.

“Brother Nan, think about it. If Liu Xiaolei cannot control his feelings and returns to China in the future, then the cat will be out of the bag. You and I would be spending the rest of our lives in prison!” said Liu Jifei. “Moreover, as for this matter, you don’t need to worry about it, Brother Nan. As long as you agree, I will deal with everything! Who can find out if you kill people on the high seas?”

“This…Okay…” Liu Zhenan hesitated for a moment and finally nodded. Liu Jifei is right. No poison, no great man. If this matter is exposed, it would be a fatal blow to me.

“Brother Nan, I’ll arrange it.” A savage look flashed through Liu Jifei’s eyes.

……

“Brother Pu, the boss has new instructions. During the smuggling, we will be doing something on the boat. Your people do not have to worry about it, okay?” A bald macho man said while stuffing a stack of banknotes to a man called “Brother Pu”.

Brother Pu looked at the banknotes in his hand, glanced at the bald man and slowly nodded, “I will make further arrangements with my men.”

“I knew that Brother Pu is the most reasonable!” When the bald man saw that Brother Pu had received the money, he was relieved and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

This bald man was Li Zhan, Liu Jifei’s faithful follower. He was a ruthless man who used to be a fugitive in the past. Later on, he met Liu Jifei and saw his opportunity. He knew that despite his ruthlessness, he was still an insignificant person without any patron or background. They were not worth mentioning.

Only by relying on a strong patron could he live a good life and have a successful career. Therefore, Li Zhan resolutely turned to Liu Jifei. Although he somewhat looked down on Liu Jifei in his heart, Liu Jifei belonged to the highest level of people that Li Zhan could access.

Li Zhan could not get close to anyone more powerful than Liu Jifei. When Liu Jifei successfully used flattery to become Liu Zhenan’s confidant and gain his favor, Li Zhan felt that his intuition was excellent and he did not follow the wrong person!

Once Liu Zhenan came to power, Liu Jifei would be a hero and his status would rise. Although Li Zhan knew that following Liu Zhenan benefited him more than following Liu Jifei, he was a smart person, not a fool.

He did not think that Liu Zhenan would put him in an important position even if he switched his allegiance. Unlike Liu Jifei, he had no place in Liu Zhenan’s heart at all.

If Liu Jifei harbored a grudge against him in his heart and said a few bad words in front of Liu Zhenan, it was obvious who Liu Zhenan would believe. So, Li Zhan did not expect anything else. He felt that it was already good enough that he could follow Liu Jifei and mingle well with him.

Sending Liu Xiaolei to Russia this time would be perfect for demonstrating his loyalty to Liu Jifei and Liu Zhenan. The idea to kill Liu Xiaolei was something he suggested to Liu Jifei. Otherwise, with Liu Jifei’s temperament, he would not do something so ruthless decisively.

Chapter 1730: Conspiracy Against Mingjiang

Liu Xiaolei, Liu Xiaolei, you were a pawn. From the day you walked into Liu Zhenan’s office, you were doomed to today’s result.

Li Zhan looked at the yearning on Liu Xiaolei’s face and sneered.

“Brother Li, I have already packed up. When will I be on the boat?” Liu Xiaolei was a little nervous and looked at his watch. After all, he had committed a big crime and would be subject to the death penalty if he was caught.

“We are just waiting for Brother Pu’s boat. Don’t worry. You can definitely leave today,” Li Zhan said softly.

“That… Brother Liu promised me money before. It shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Liu Xiaolei asked a little uneasily.

“Rest assured that you won’t miss a single cent. They will remit it to your Russian account in batches via online transfer,” said Li Zhan. “Brother Liu wants you to help keep the secret and not abandon your benefactor upon achieving your goal.”

“That’s good. I am just asking…” Liu Xiaolei was relieved when he heard Li Zhan’s words. They also made sense. I have to help Liu Zhenan and Liu Jifei keep their secret. But, I don’t need to be afraid that they would cast me aside after accomplishing their goal. If they failed to honor their original promise, then since I’m facing the danger of the death penalty, I will just bring them down with me.

“The boat is here. Let’s go.” Li Zhan glanced at the text message on his mobile phone, then looked up and walked towards the port.

Liu Xiaolei followed quickly. From now on, he would no longer stay in his hometown. When he thought about the things that he did, Liu Xiaolei did not regret it. He could leave a little money for his younger brother and he could pay for his old father’s illness. His sacrifices were worth it.

Moreover, he was not in such a wretched state. At least, he had plenty of cash on hand. Once he arrived in Russia, he could live a good life under the protection of the Chinese gang. This thought lifted the gloom in his heart.

Alas, he never knew that from the moment he boarded the ship, his feet would never touch land again.

……

“Everything went well.” Liu Jifei received a text message from Li Zhan. He felt relieved, and said to Liu Zhenan at his side, “Brother Nan, Li Zhan has got rid of Liu Xiaolei.”

“Very good.” Liu Zhenan also sighed with relief. “No one else knows?”

“At the time, only the Snake Head Gang was present. They are the ones who are responsible for the smuggling in border town,” said Liu Jifei. “These kinds of people do not stick their nose into others’ business.”

“That’s all right.” Liu Zhenan nodded, picked up the phone and was ready to trouble his younger sister, Liu Huamei.

Everything was taken care of. It was time to show his capabilities. Liu Zhenan dialed Liu Huamei’s mobile phone.

Liu Huamei frowned when she saw the caller ID on her mobile phone. She did not want to answer the call. At this moment, even though she had not answered Liu Zhenan’s call, Liu Huamei knew what Liu Zhenan wanted to do even if she only used her toe to think.

In the end, Liu Huamei still answered the phone. She was not a person who avoided trouble. Anyone who avoided responsibility whenever a problem arose would never achieve great things.

“Hey, elder brother,” Liu Huamei answered the phone.

“Huamei, I heard that something went wrong at your end? What went wrong? Grandpa is interested to know!” Liu Zhenan brought up Grandpa Liu Jiangyan in the first breath.

“Brother, your source of news is very well-informed?” Liu Huamei said coldly. She long knew that Liu Zhenan never had good intentions. But, she did not expect that he would be so impatient and blurt out everything as soon as the phone was connected.

“Haha,” Liu Zhenan let out a laugh. “The Internet is already buzzing. I’m not considered well informed.”

Liu Jifei’s men were the ones who published the lopsided public opinion demeaning the Mingjiang Escort Company on the Internet. How could Liu Zhenan not know?

“Is that so?” Liu Huamei asked indifferently.

“Huamei, brother is not criticizing you! When Liu Xiaolei made a big row at the head office, I warned you in advance. I was afraid that this person harbored resentment in his heart. I warned you to pay more attention to him. You see. You didn’t bother. Are you okay now? Finally, some problems happened?” Liu Zhenan said with a sigh. “Huamei, you are still too young!”

Liu Zhenan was very pleased now. His “foresight” was now a bargaining chip on his way to the top. As for Liu Huamei, she inadvertently let this matter become public despite his reminder. It was conceivable that even if Grandfather Liu Jiangyan continued to spoil her, he would not consider her as his successor. After all, the fate of the group was not something to joke with. Even if Liu Huamei was somewhat capable, capability alone was not enough for the person at the helm of the company. A capable person could start a business. There would be no problem. However, sometimes, running a business was more important than starting one!

It seemed that Liu Huamei was not the best candidate to run the business in her current state.

“Brother, are you calling now just to say this? If so, then I’m sorry. I’m busy here and I don’t have time to chat with you.” Liu Huamei’s tone became stiff.

“That is not the case. Huamei. Listen to your elder brother’s advice. You still have too little experience. At the next board meeting, I will suggest to grandfather to let you continue your studies at school. You can take over company affairs when you successfully complete your academic studies.” Liu Zhenan was no longer talking nonsense with Liu Huamei. Since Liu Huamei had refused a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit 3, Liu Zhenan was prepared to shred all pretenses of cordiality. Anyway, this day would come sooner or later.

“Sister Huamei, who called? Why are you so angry?” Jing Xiaolu asked as she was concerned watching Liu Huamei heave with anger.

“It’s nothing. It’s my elder brother.” Liu Huamei shook her head. “He wants to use this problem to attack me at the next board of directors meeting. It seems like he finally cannot hold it in.”

“I see…” Jing Xiaolu knew that she could not get involved as this was Liu Huamei’s family dispute.

“My elder brother just brought up Liu Xiaolei’s matter and said that he reminded me before to pay attention to Liu Xiaolei. Now, something bad really happened to Liu Xiaolei, which confirms his foresight. This time, Ai…” Liu Huamei felt mentally and physically fatigued.

I have already been exiled to Song Jiang, but Liu Zhenan still kept alert and did not let go of any opportunity to strike me.

“Liu Xiaolei…” Jing Xiaolu frowned. “Sister Huamei, your words just now gave me a strange feeling.”

“What kind of feeling?” Liu Huamei asked.

“Sister Huamei, can you tell us whether there are any secrets between Liu Xiaolei and Liu Zhenan?” Jing Xiaolu hesitated and said. “I have always felt that there is something fishy about this matter. It is just an unexplainable feeling.”

“Oh?” Liu Huamei mused. “Xiaolu, do you mean that my brother is involved in Liu Xiaolei’s matter?”

“I don’t know if Liu Zhenan is involved and I’m not sure, but I think that Liu Zhenan seemed to know before that Liu Xiaolei wanted to misappropriate the banknotes in the escort vehicle,” said Jing Xiaolu. “This is because I remembered the call he made to you earlier to get you to pay attention to Liu Xiaolei. We know Liu Zhenan’s personality. He will not be so kind. So, I always feel that this thing is a bit wicked.”

“Xiaolu, now that you mention it, I feel this way too. Is it true that my brother is involved in Liu Xiaolei’s matter?” Liu Huamei’s brows gradually tightened. If Jing Xiaolu’s guess is true, then… Liu Huamei did not know whether to cry or laugh. Her elder brother had concealed such a big thing in order to deal with her!

“We can’t be certain if it is true. We will see how it goes.” Jing Xiaolu sighed and pointed to the window. “Let’s get rid of the problem we have now. The reporters are jam-packed inside the company downstairs. They are asking to interview us to understand the truth behind this affair.”

1 Never bother with trifles: To not pay attention to something insignificant.

2 No poison, no great man: A great man has to be ruthless.

3 Refused a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit: To hesitate to do something until forced to do even more.