C14 At the Lucky Hotel

"Why are they here?"

"These two are regulars at the shop. They sometimes need a hand with things in the community. It's no big deal for me, and I get to make a little extra on the side!"

Hearing Di San say this, Zhang Luo realized that the three of them had a solid relationship.

"Find out exactly where they'll be acting tonight, and bring your men there!"

Though Di San was somewhat confused, he agreed nonetheless.

"How many guys will we need tonight? I'll get things set up ahead of time."

Di San entered the private room where Yang Ming and Lin Kai were seated. Usually, getting people from Di San cost a pretty penny. Why was Di San offering his help unsolicited today?

The plan was already a sure bet, and with the backing of Di San's men, not even a female spy could escape.

After the three raised their glasses and drank, the plan was set in motion.

Lin Kai first called Yang Yuan to invite her to dinner that evening to discuss the loan.

Yang Yuan needed to invest a significant amount of capital upfront to start the construction; without it, the project couldn't begin.

The full amount wouldn't be transferred to her, and she didn't have the necessary funds, so she had to consider taking out a loan. Lin Kai mentioned he had the resources, and Yang Yuan readily accepted the dinner invitation.

She had been dismissed from her role at Exbought, but Yang Ming had personally come to apologize to her today. She was confident that she would soon return to her position at Exbought.

In the evening, with the backdrop of the setting sun, the coastal town of Zruhpus was exceptionally serene.

In the dining room of the Auspicious Hotel, Lin Kai sat at the most secluded table with Yang Ming and Yang Miao beside him. Yang Ming pulled a small white pouch from his pocket and handed it to Lin Kai, who uncorked the red wine and poured it into the decanter.

He then discreetly added the contents of the pouch to an empty wine glass, and the three of them laughed heartily, toasting and drinking deeply.

"Come in!"

Lin Kai called out upon hearing a knock at the door.

Two sharply dressed men entered. This operation was Yang Ming's brainchild, so why didn't he recognize these two?

"Who are these gentlemen?"

Yang Ming had meticulously planned this opportunity, and any slip-up would mean failure. He had to proceed with caution!

"Don't worry, I hired these two to act!" Lin Kai was aware of Yang Yuan's attention to detail. Without a convincing performance, she might see right through the act.

"Mr. Lin has certainly thought of everything!"

At that moment, Zhang Luo arrived with Di San and nearly a hundred others, all taking their seats in the private room surrounding Yang Ming.

"Tonight, eat your fill, but no drinking—Mr. Zhang is picking up the tab!"

Di San had settled his men, and noticing the quiet from the next room, Zhang Luo texted Yang Yuan: "Stay away from the alcohol!"

The corridors of the Auspicious Hotel were eerily quiet. After parting ways with Liu Xiao, Yang Yuan made her way to Lin Kai's private room.

"Why are you here?" she asked in astonishment upon seeing Yang Ming and Yang Miao.

"Today, Mr. Lin introduced us to the head of the Zruhpus bank, who, aware of the government's support for our project, has decided to greenlight a loan for the Yang Group."

Yang Yuan took her seat without suspicion, knowing that the loan would also benefit Exbought.

But she sensed the dinner was more than it seemed. Yang Ming likely wanted to mend their strained relationship, and she was open to reconciliation if he showed willingness to compromise.

After sitting down, Yang Yuan noticed Zhang Luo's message. Was there a problem with the wine?

"Let's toast to our future collaboration!" Lin Kai suggested, lifting his glass, hoping to wrap up the dinner quickly.

Everyone raised their glasses, turning their attention to Yang Yuan.

Holding up a cup of tea, she declared, "I'm abstaining from alcohol today. Please allow me to toast with tea instead."

"Miss Yang, that's not quite right. Do you realize how complicated our bank's loan application process is?" chided a man in a suit.

"Fine, I'll drink just a little," she conceded.

Unbeknownst to them, Zhang Luo and Di San were eavesdropping on the conversation.

Upon hearing his wife agree to drink, Zhang Luo discreetly signaled to Di San's men outside.

They had a plan in place. As Yang Yuan lifted her glass and the group prepared to drink, the door burst open, and Di San's men poured in, catching Yang Ming and Lin Kai completely off guard.

"What are you guys doing?" Lin Kai demanded furiously.

Yang Yuan hesitated, setting down the wine glass she was about to sip from.

Yang Ming gestured frantically at the people by the door, signaling them to make a quick exit. Di San's underling had chosen the worst possible moment to show up.

"Isn't this the right time to come in?"

Idiots! The deal isn't done yet. Who are you planning to carry out?

The plan had been clear: once Yang Yuan had too much to drink, Di San's guys would carry her to bed. But the current situation was infuriating Yang Ming and Lin Kai to no end.

Finally losing his patience, Yang Ming exploded, "For the love of God, are you rushing in here to make a mess?"

"So when should we come in?"

It was obvious to everyone that Yang Ming was livid, but these were the lines Zhang Luo had taught them.

"Damn it, when do you think you should come in?" Yang Ming spat out, his hand raised in a threatening slap.

"Now's the time!"

Di San was nowhere to be seen, but Zhang Luo made his way through the crowd.

"Why are you here?"

Yang Yuan was taken aback. She hadn't informed Zhang Luo about her dinner with Yang Ming. He had texted her, warning against alcohol, and now he had unexpectedly turned up at the meal.

Yang Ming, however, remained composed. "Today's the day we settle all accounts!"

"You've walked right into the line of fire; don't blame me for what happens next! Get him!"

Yang Ming gestured to Di San's men with a commanding wave.

"Who are we hitting?"

Zhang Luo stood before Yang Ming, turning to address the crowd behind him.

"Hit him!"

The leader understood Zhang Luo's intent immediately. They were here to deal with Yang Ming, and in a flash, a dozen men pushed their way in.

"You're not Di San's men?"

Yang Ming, now coming to his senses, had already taken several hits.

How could Yang Ming recognize all of Di San's subordinates? He could only surmise that these weren't Di San's orders.

Besides Yang Ming, two others posing as bank employees were also on the receiving end of the beating. A dozen men were more than enough to handle one.

Lin Kai watched the unfolding chaos, contemplating an escape through the window as he glanced outside.

"This is the damn 16th floor!"

Turning around, Zhang Luo was already standing before him.

Zhang Luo casually grabbed the red wine from the decanter and said, "Today, I'm going to teach you a lesson on behalf of your father!"

He forced Lin Kai's mouth open and poured nearly an entire bottle of red wine down his throat. As soon as he finished, the alcohol hit Lin Kai hard, and he could barely stand.

The red wine was initially intended for Yang Yuan. Concerned that the drug might not be potent enough, he had chosen a particularly strong wine, but ended up drinking it all himself.

Yang Miao was so terrified that she collapsed on the floor, covering her eyes with her hands. Zhang Luo escorted Yang Yuan to the adjacent private room and instructed Di San to watch over her while he handled the situation.

"Take these two upstairs," Zhang Luo ordered, pointing at Yang Miao and Lin Kai.

"They need to go to the hospital!" he said, observing Yang Ming and the two men in suits, their faces bloodied from the beating.

Grabbing the glass of red wine from in front of Yang Yuan's seat, he was determined to uncover whatever scheme Lin Kai was plotting.