Chapter 1198 — They Come Calling Again

How could Gou Huli possibly know that when Gu Mengyao said she had gone to the hospital, she had gone to have Yu Yuanyuan's mother's wounds treated? Gou Huli, however, took it to mean that Wei Zhao himself had been injured and admitted to the hospital!

Gou Huli drove swiftly back to the Xiao house, and the moment she stepped through the door she announced the glad tidings in high excitement: "Good news, good news!"

"Huli, what is it? What good news?" Watching Gou Huli's expression, Xiao Ji could more or less guess at something.

"The Great Hero has already stormed the Gu family — the Lion is dead, and Wei Zhao has been wounded and taken to the hospital! That Chu girl and that Chen girl are like they've swallowed gunpowder, both in a foul temper!" Gou Huli said gleefully.

"Is that so? Then Heaven itself favors our Xiao family!" Xiao Ji laughed heartily at the news. "Second Brother, let us go this very moment and find people to join us against the Gu Group!"

"Yes, indeed. You and I should go to the Gu Group now and have a talk with Gu Pengzhan. If he has the sense to see reason, he will hand over a share of his interests to us; if he does not, then we shall crush the Gu Group from the stock market! With all the alliances we have now, we need not even put up the money ourselves — I daresay plenty of people would be glad to carve up the Gu Group with us!" Xiao Ben said after a moment's thought.

In truth, ever since the Pi family's experts had taken up residence with the Xiao family, and as more and more lesser families came fawning and flattering, Xiao Ji and Xiao Ben had grown monstrously arrogant inside. They savored that feeling of standing high above all others, and so every time they recalled the humiliation they had suffered at the hands of the Gu family, their teeth would grind with hatred; they burned to wipe away the disgrace, yet had never found a fitting opportunity. Now the opportunity had come, and they would not let it slip.

Xiao Ji and Xiao Ben did not linger. They set off straight for the Gu Group; this matter could not be delayed — they had to act the instant the moment came.

Gu Pengzhan had not expected Xiao Ji and Xiao Ben to pay him a visit at such a time. He knew well enough of the Xiao family's return to power; at first he had feared the Xiao family would come seeking revenge, but after a stretch of time passed with neither side stirring, Gu Pengzhan had set his mind at ease.

Presumably the Pi family would not make an enemy of Wei Zhao without cause — there was nothing in it for them either — and so the Xiao brothers had made no move.

"Mr. Xiao, both of you — might I ask what brings you here?" The enmity between Gu Pengzhan and the Xiao family could never be dissolved; the two sides were enemies by nature, and so Gu Pengzhan would not speak with any courtesy. Today, one look at Xiao Ji's and Xiao Ben's faces told him these two had come with ill intent.

"Gu Pengzhan, thanks to you, our Xiao family very nearly went under!" Xiao Ji flung himself down rudely on the sofa in Gu Pengzhan's office and gave a cold snort.

"Mr. Xiao, had your Xiao family not been so greedy, things would never have come to this." Gu Pengzhan showed no anger. He was a man of considerable breeding; facing Xiao Ji's insolence, he merely smiled faintly.

"But Heaven blesses our Xiao family! Not only did we not go under — we flourish more with each passing day! How is it, Gu Pengzhan? Jealous, are you? Envious? Wahahaha!" Xiao Ji laughed in smug triumph.

"Say plainly whatever you have to say." Gu Pengzhan knew the Xiao brothers had not come here to boast; there must be some purpose behind it.

"Gu Pengzhan, do not imagine that because I did not come looking for you before, I had let you off! The reason I did not trouble you earlier was that I had no spare moment. I tell you plainly, the feud between our two families is a deep one!" Xiao Ji smacked the tea table before him and said in a harsh voice.

Gu Pengzhan frowned. He had not expected the Xiao brothers to come knocking at his door again after all these days, and from the look of them, they had come to make trouble, without a doubt. But what manner of courage had driven the Xiao family to such a move?

Could the backing of a mere two Pi family experts have made them this reckless? Yet if so, why had they not come to make trouble the moment those Pi family experts arrived, instead of waiting all this time?

"Mr. Xiao has perhaps forgotten the pain now that the scar has healed? So short a time, and you have already forgotten the lesson of last time?" After that affair, Gu Pengzhan had come to understand things: there are times when a man must be hard, and hard he must be; at worst, one stakes everything on a single throw. Wei Zhao could give all he had for the Gu family — what had he to hold back for?

"Gu Pengzhan, I do not mind telling you — we have come because of the business last time!" Xiao Ji sneered. "Gu Pengzhan, do not say I never left you a way out! You have two choices now. One: obediently hand over part of your assets to our Xiao family. Two: wait for our Xiao family and our partners to strike at you in the stock market!"

Gu Pengzhan frowned. Without question, Xiao Ji was opening his jaws wide as a lion, just as he had last time. Yet for Xiao Ji to make so nearly insane a move, he must have something to lean on; he would not come running here simply to spout such foolish words.

Assets were not something he could hand over merely because someone demanded them. So Gu Pengzhan only smiled faintly: "Mr. Xiao seems very sure of himself. Is it because of those two Pi family experts? But do not forget — the Pi family's experts were also driven off by Xiaoyi."

"Wei Zhao? Hahahaha! So you are still counting on Wei Zhao?" Xiao Ji looked at Gu Pengzhan with mockery and laughed aloud. "I do not mind telling you — the man you are counting on is in the hospital right now! The Great Hero has beaten him into the hospital!"

"In the hospital?" Gu Pengzhan was slightly taken aback.

"What? You do not believe it? If you do not believe it, call your patron Wei Zhao and ask him!" Xiao Ji said carelessly.

Gu Pengzhan's expression shifted. He understood at last why the Xiao family had suddenly come knocking again with their extortion — they had learned that Wei Zhao was wounded. Like last time, they had come to plunder while the house burned.

But Wei Zhao had been perfectly well — how could he have been wounded? And beaten into the hospital by some Great Hero? What would the Great Hero strike him for? Had it been the Pi family's experts who beat him, Gu Pengzhan would have found it a touch more credible — but where had this Great Hero sprung from all of a sudden?

Still, doubtful though Gu Pengzhan was, he picked up the phone and called Wei Zhao; from Wei Zhao he could learn the most accurate news.

"Xiaoyi, where are you?" Gu Pengzhan asked. Though he kept his tone even, the anxiety within him could not be suppressed.

"I am at the hospital!" Wei Zhao said. "What is it? Uncle Chu, why do you suddenly ask?"

"What! You are at the hospital?" Gu Pengzhan's heart lurched, and the tone of his voice changed as well! He had not expected Wei Zhao really to be at the hospital at this very moment! Much as Gu Pengzhan had cultivated his temper of late and grown far steadier, cold sweat now broke out on his forehead!