The Heir to the Seven Killers in the City

Chapter 44: The Conspiracy

It was the first time Lin Hao’s assistant had ever seen him lose his temper so badly, so he was at a loss, not daring to say much for fear of getting himself involved. Lin Hao fixed him with a stare that made the assistant break out in a cold sweat. “Call my daughter,” Lin Hao said. “Tell her and Qin Yu to come over right away.” Following Lin Xiaorui’s instructions, Zhang Xiaofei drove to the street where the fire was raging. The three of them got out of the car and walked over to the side of Lin Hao’s store. The fire was intense; several firefighters were still battling it but hadn’t managed to put it out yet. This was a jewelry store Lin Hao had opened after returning to Jiangcheng; it was by no means small. Lin Hao was a cautious man, and his security system was extremely thorough. In Lin Xiaorui’s view, anyone daring to rob the place would be asking for trouble. But logically speaking, even if a spark had ignited some gas, it should have been put out immediately. How on earth had this raging fire started? Just as Lin Xiaorui was pondering this, she received a call asking her and Qin Yu to go to Lin Hao’s office. Lin Xiaorui glanced at Qin Yu; she knew he had heard what was said on the phone. Qin Yu nodded in agreement, so Lin Xiaorui told the caller they’d go. Afterward, Qin Yu told Zhang Xiaofei to head home first, and he and Lin Xiaorui went to Lin Hao’s villa. Lin Xiaorui made her way to the villa with ease, rang the doorbell twice, and the assistant who opened the door glanced at the two of them before ushering them inside. Lin Xiaorui led the way and was about to head upstairs. “Miss, Mr. Lin said he has something to discuss with Mr. Qin Yu, so please go back to your room and wait for a moment,” the assistant said suddenly. Lin Xiaorui furrowed her brow. She didn’t know what Lin Hao’s intentions were, but she felt that if she stayed there, Qin Yu would be a little safer—and, most importantly, she herself would feel a little more at ease. “I’m not a stranger—why can’t I hear what they’re discussing?” Lin Xiaorui demanded of the assistant. “I’ll go,” Qin Yu said, pulling Lin Xinrui close to him, then whispered softly. Although Lin Xinrui wasn’t entirely willing, she had no choice but to agree. “Please, sir.” The assistant very politely led Qin Yu to Lin Hao’s room on the second floor, then closed the door. “Didn’t you say you were injured yesterday? I hope you’re feeling better,” Lin Hao asked with concern as he saw Qin Yu enter. Qin Yu knew this was just a polite formality, so he replied casually, “I’m feeling much better now. I wonder what Mr. Lin needs from me.” As he spoke, he sat down directly across from Lin Hao. “Yang Yong was sitting right here just a moment ago; I bet this seat is still warm,” Lin Hao remarked. “Yang Yong was here? What was he doing here?” Hearing that Yang Yong had been in this room a moment ago, Qin Yu suddenly felt a twinge of anxiety and asked in confusion. Lin Hao then laid out the entire story without holding anything back, including the full truth. As Lin Hao recounted it step by step, Qin Yu listened intently. He felt as though all the previous events had suddenly come together, forming a chess game of sorts—and he sensed that his former self had merely been one of the more powerful pieces in that game. “Why are you explaining all this to me so clearly?” Qin Yu knew that if Lin Hao hadn’t told him, he would have kept harboring doubts, but could he really have pieced all these events together on his own? Probably not. After all, how could someone caught in the middle of a chess game possibly fathom the entire board? “Because I want you to understand that we aren’t enemies,” Lin Hao said. He continued, “We could even become friends, couldn’t we? You’re smart and powerful, and most importantly, my daughter really likes you. You know, this morning she even came here specifically to beg me not to kill you—if I hadn’t agreed, she would have bled to death right there on the spot.” As Qin Yu listened to this, he swallowed hard, and the softest part of his heart was touched. He said, “Just tell me what you want me to do.” “Yang Yong is smart, but he miscalculated one thing: he didn’t realize I wouldn’t dare kill him. When pushed to the limit, I’m capable of anything,” Lin Hao said with a chilling smile. “You want me to go kill him,” Qin Yu asked. Lin Hao lit another cigar and said, “That’s exactly right. But you can’t do this alone. That Yang Yong may look like he’s flying solo, but he actually has a mercenary unit following him. So tonight, you’ll go with my men.” Qin Yu hesitated as he listened to Lin Hao’s words. Seeing his hesitation, Lin Hao added, “There are police lying in wait nearby. Once you capture Yang Yong—dead or alive—it’ll be a major achievement for you. Even if I do release that video, you won’t face any criminal charges. Besides, I’m a businessman; I wouldn’t do anything that isn’t in my own best interest.” Although Lin Hao put it that way, Qin Yu remained skeptical. He’d already experienced this old man’s ruthlessness firsthand—what about Lin Xiaorui? Back then, she’d nearly been killed alongside him. But he had no other choice, and besides, Yang Yong’s death wouldn’t hurt him either. So he nodded in agreement. “Forget about operating with your unit. I’ll go it alone. Your men will be responsible for luring away most of that mercenary group, and then I’ll be confident enough to kill Yang Yong,” Qin Yu said with a sigh of resignation. Hearing that Qin Yu had agreed, Lin Hao felt half as relieved. “Don’t mention this to Lin Xiaorui,” Qin Yu added. Lin Hao thought these guys were just kids after all—always caught up in romantic nonsense, blinded by love—but he didn’t say anything and agreed readily. After saying this, Qin Yu went downstairs to check on Lin Xiaorui. Knowing he couldn’t fool her, he didn’t mention what had just happened—except for the fact that he was going to kill Yang Yong that night. To him, ever since yesterday, Lin Xiaorui had become the person he intended to protect for the rest of his life—and she felt the same way about him. If she knew he was going on a mission that night, she would definitely follow him; even if she didn’t agree, she’d sneak along anyway. How could Qin Yu not be worried? After discussing these matters, Qin Yu left and headed home. He hadn’t told Zhang Xiaofei and his sister about this either, so the three of them enjoyed a delicious and cheerful dinner together. Zhang Qiqi asked a few questions about Lin Xiaorui, but, afraid of giving anything away, she kept her inquiries brief. Zhang Xiaofei, worried his sister might be too upset, also chose not to reveal the full truth to her. Before long, it was late at night. After making sure both of them were asleep, Qin Yu climbed out the window. The night in Jiangcheng was bright with neon lights and nightlife, yet there wasn’t much traffic on the roads. Qin Yu stole Zhang Xiaofei’s car and sped off toward the outskirts. He felt a surge of joy, thinking to himself that Yang Yong’s time had finally come!