flstandardbreds Chapter 2068 Using the guise of a congratulatory gift to carry out a deadly attack!
Chapter 2068 Using the guise of a congratulatory gift to carry out a deadly attack!
The moment the oil paper package was unfolded, Li Xiangnan's gaze, like that of a hawk, locked onto the crooked yet shocking engravings on the mung bean cake.
His fingertips brushed over the deep and shallow engravings, each word like a red-hot branding iron, searing his nerves.
"Mid-term five", "Half an hour later", "Backyard", "Grand Ceremony", "Forced", "Do Not Approach".
Six phrases, fourteen characters, without conjunctions or embellishments, yet they paint an extremely perilous picture.
In particular, the phrases "coercion" and "stay away" convey a blatant threat and warning.
Li Xiangnan's breathing faltered slightly, but his brain began to work at an unprecedented speed.
All the previous doubts and fragmented information were instantly illuminated, connected, and integrated as if by a bolt of lightning!
The snippets of conversation that Song Ziming overheard—"etiquette," "backyard," "cooperation"—were no longer meaningless fragments.
The five families hastily gathered, their attitudes strange. Zong Wangshan's irritability, Qian Houjin's fear, and the low-key cooperation of the Liu, Hou, and Yan families—all of this had a clear direction.
The top five will arrive in half an hour. The gift they bring is no ordinary congratulatory gift, but a special tool that could force the Li family to comply, and might even cause substantial harm or enormous public pressure!
The target, of course, is the backyard, and Grandma!
They plan to use this gift in public to forcefully create chaos or establish an irrefutable fact, compelling the Li family to open the door, forcing the grandmother to appear, and demanding to know the whereabouts of the account books!
"Don't approach" was the most straightforward warning Qian Houjin could give under extreme fear and limited conditions. That great gift was not to be touched, much less approached, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable!
Is this a warning to me personally? Or to the Li family?
Was it a bomb? Poison? Radioactive material?
Or is it some kind of recording that will be played in public once opened? A photograph? Evidence that reveals a shocking secret?
Whatever it may be, the coercive nature of this move and the "stay away" warning indicate that this is an extremely insidious and ruthless plan that disregards all moral boundaries and may even endanger the safety of everyone present!
What ruthless methods, what a vicious scheme!
The lower five players drawing fire and creating chaos in front are just setting the stage. The real fatal blow comes from the middle five players who are hidden deeper and have higher status!
Instead of directly attacking, they prepared poisoned bait, intending to use the guise of a congratulatory gift to carry out a deadly attack!
Li Xiangnan's fingers tightened slightly as he held the mung bean cake, his knuckles turning white. A chill ran up his spine, but it was quickly replaced by an even more intense and determined anger and fighting spirit!
Did they intend to use such despicable means to pressure my grandmother at my daughter's one-month celebration?
dream!
"Wu Mao, you did a great job, thank you for your hard work!" Li Xiangnan composed himself, patted Wu Mao on the shoulder, and gave him a grateful smile.
"Brother Nan, you're too kind, it's my pleasure! I'll get back to work now!" Knowing that he still had things to do, Wu Mao exchanged a few pleasantries and hurriedly ran back into the central courtyard.
“Brother Nan, this…” Song Ziming also saw the inscription clearly. He gasped and looked at the pastries from side to side, his face filled with shock and lingering fear. “Qian Houjin really leaked the core information! That old bastard is bold and ruthless! Fortunately, we were prepared and bribed him, otherwise… the consequences would have been unimaginable!”
Li Xiangnan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions, his eyes sharp as knives: "He's not just brave, he's shrewd enough to know which way is the way out! This pledge of allegiance carries considerable weight!"
He glanced at the mung bean cake: "Keep this safe. It's evidence, and also Qian Houjin's way out!"
Song Ziming nodded solemnly.
“It seems Qian Houjin has completely sided with us now!” Li Xiangnan narrowed his eyes and lit a cigarette. “With him in the west wing, at least we can keep those four guys from the lower five from making any rash moves. It also gives us an extra pair of eyes and ears! Zimo, go tell the person listening through the back window to keep listening, but pay close attention to whether Qian Houjin has any chance to pass on more details, such as whether we can find out what that big gift is, or any noteworthy details about the top five students!”
"Understood!" Song Ziming replied immediately.
Seeing Wang Defa walking quickly over, Li Xiangnan waved and explained in rapid succession, then instructed, "Make some more arrangements in the courtyard..."
He lowered his voice and whispered a few words to Wang Defa, outlining several extremely discreet and even somewhat unexpected arrangements.
Wang Defa's eyes lit up as he listened, nodding repeatedly, his fat face filled with a mixture of sternness and excitement.
"Remember, be quick and stealthy. Don't alert them. Once you're ready, wait for my signal!" Li Xiangnan gave his final instructions.
"Don't worry, I'll handle things perfectly!" Wang Defa patted his chest and turned to leave.
Li Xiangnan then looked at Song Ziming: "The defenses in the front and middle courtyards need to be adjusted! The people from the Fifth Rank of the Central Army are bound to be of very high status, and their demeanor will be even more upright, making them even harder to stop! Tell our people to send their gifts directly to the side room next to the east wing, separate from the previous gifts. It's closer to the front courtyard, making it easier for us to control and inspect them! Have the Song family guard it, and no one is allowed to approach!"
"What if they insist on showing it to the public later?" Song Ziming asked.
“Then tell them that we have the procedures in place! If they insist on breaking the rules, then they are deliberately causing trouble, and Old Master Jiang and Old Master Yu will not be trifled with!” Li Xiangnan sneered. “Of course, this is a last resort. Try to use the rules and procedures to push them back! Be polite, give sufficient reasons, and stick to the bottom line!”
"Understood, we should respond to any setbacks!"
"Also, have Sun Jie keep an eye out for any unfamiliar faces, especially those who seem to have status but aren't on our list. The top five are likely mixed in with the ordinary guests. Once you spot them, mark them immediately and follow them closely, but don't alert them!"
"Yes!"
A series of instructions were quickly issued. Li Xiangnan's brain was like a sophisticated computer, rapidly adjusting the entire defense and counterattack system based on the intelligence sent by Qian Houjin.
After arranging everything, Li Xiangnan said to Song Ziming, "You keep an eye on things for now, I'll be leaving for a while!"
Song Ziming understood immediately, knowing that Brother Nan must have some important arrangements, and solemnly replied, "Understood, I'll take care of things here!"
Li Xiangnan nodded, said nothing more, turned and quickly crossed the central courtyard, his figure disappearing through the moon gate leading to the backyard.
No one knows what arrangements he made or what foreshadowing he laid in the heavily guarded core area of the backyard during his hasty departure.
Only Zhang Long and Zhao Hu, who were guarding near the Moon Gate, felt slightly at ease when they saw Nan Ge's unusually cold and resolute eyes when he went in, and the sharp glint in his eyes when he came out, as if he had everything under control.
Time slipped away silently in the tense atmosphere.
More and more guests arrived in the front yard, and the noise and chatter grew louder and louder.
The banquet seemed poised to begin at any moment.
The west wing remained silent, with only occasional whispers escaping from it.
Li Xiangnan reappeared at the Intermediate People's Court, his face now showing his usual composure and calmness, even with a perfectly appropriate smile.
Only a few core members, including Song Ziming and Wang Defa, could sense the undercurrents and vigilance beneath his calm surface from his casual gait and eyes.
The agreed-upon half hour seemed to be almost up.
An invisible pressure permeated the air.
Just as Li Xiangnan finished talking with Miao Zhijie, Liu Zhiyuan, and Xing Chunlai, and was about to go to the accounting table to check again...
At the front gate, Cui Xingjian's voice, which had long since become hoarse from shouting, rang out again.
"Yanjing—the Ye, Chen, Wang, Lu, and Han families have arrived!"