As the gunshot rang out, Cui Zhe's left ear immediately filled with a sharp ringing, and the left side of his face was splattered with blood. The crooked lawyer stood frozen, not dodging or reacting, his face turning pale as his brain went blank. His body stiffened, his breathing shaky, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the driver standing to his left fall straight to the ground.
"He's someone you brought in. Do you know that he's also one of Chu Zhiqing's people? Hmm?" Chu Haoran spoke as he raised the gun and shot, his eyes never leaving Cui Zhe.
Cui Zhe's eyelids twitched uncontrollably, and in an instant, sweat appeared on his forehead. After a brief moment of mindless blankness, he suddenly snatched the gun from Chu Haoran's hand and fired several more shots at the not-yet-dead driver. He emptied the magazine, his finger still pulling the trigger as if the act hadn't fully satisfied his anger.
Chu Haoran took a deep breath and lightly patted Cui Zhe's shoulder with a faint smile. "Next time, be more careful with what you do."
Cui Zhe angrily shook off Chu Haoran's hand and shouted, "You suspect me, don't you? Chu Haoran, I always thought you treated me as a brother! You've been on guard against me all this time, haven't you? D*mn it! It's just hiring a driver, you think I need to check his whole ancestry? Do I need to give him a political background check too?!"
Chu Haoran remained calm, his lips curled slightly as he replied, "Ah Zhe, you know that I'm about to get involved in the Chu clan's internal struggle. I can't afford any mistakes. My real opponent is my uncle, and if we're not careful, we'll both end up dead—miserably, understand?"
Cui Zhe's breathing was heavy, glaring at Chu Haoran without speaking.
"Clean up this mess," Chu Haoran ordered, "and after you're done, go handle Ye Yongsheng's lover and cousin. Give them a nice gift. Before tonight, I want the signed acquisition contract in my hands."
With that, Chu Haoran turned and walked away.
Cui Zhe watched his familiar yet suddenly distant figure leave, feeling a chill in his heart. Moments later, he cursed under his breath, "Chu Haoran, screw you!" But Chu Haoran didn't stop. He got into his Cullinan and drove off alone.
The windshield wipers swung back and forth furiously, seemingly trying to deny the rain's ability to blur the view, yet each time they cleared, the rain would still blur the window again. Chu Haoran, the eldest son and grandson of the Chu family, had a cold look in his eyes, filled with a mix of emotions.
After cleaning up the scene, Cui Zhe, filled with anger, drove the bodyguard's car towards Ye Yongsheng's house. On the way, he sent out a WeChat message.
At the same time, in Phoenix Villa.
Lin Hao was sitting on a rocking chair under the veranda, leisurely sipping tea from a cup in one hand while casually operating his phone with the other. Expertly switching to an alternate system on his phone, he sent a WeChat message and then switched back.
Just then, Chu Muhan walked into the courtyard holding an umbrella.
From a distance, Lin Hao spotted the beautiful police officer and immediately stood up, pretending not to notice her, and hurriedly started walking towards his room.
"Hey! Why are you running? Do you think I'll eat you alive?" Chu Muhan frowned, quickening her pace.
Lin Hao froze in place, then awkwardly turned to face her, smiling sheepishly. "Miss Chu, you're here."
With a stern expression, Chu Muhan walked up to him and asked, "How's my grandfather today?"
"He's getting better," Lin Hao replied.
The two stood facing each other. Chu Muhan stared intently at Lin Hao's face, while he lowered his head slightly, staring at the puddles by her feet, watching the raindrops create ripples. The scene had an almost comical feel, like a bandit eyeing a poor scholar.
"You're like a block of wood... Move!" Chu Muhan grumbled as she pushed past Lin Hao and entered the elder's room.
Lin Hao pouted and muttered, "Tomboy..."
In a commercial center in the southern part of the city, three Outlanders were parked at the entrance of the underground garage. Chu Yuxuan sat inside the middle car, frowning at a message from his second brother that simply read, "Suspicious."
Sitting beside him, Li Bin, looking out the window at the commercial building, nervously swallowed and asked, "Are we robbing the mall today? In broad daylight? I mean, there are a few jewelry stores inside, but there are tons of security cameras and guards!"
Ignoring his brother's message, Chu Yuxuan put away his phone and smiled at Li Bin. "Scared?"
Li Bin chuckled nervously and shook his head. "No, no, no! With you here, I'm not even afraid of robbing a bank!"
Over the past few months, following this "robbery professional," Li Bin had truly seen some action. However, they had mostly targeted illegitimate businesses. Legitimate establishments like this mall had always been off-limits, per Chu Yuxuan's strict orders. Today's target puzzled him.
Chu Yuxuan didn't bother explaining. Moments later, Fourth Brother sent a message: "All set, let's go."
Chu Yuxuan took a breath and said, "Drive into the underground garage, building four."
With that, he put on a hat and mask, and the guy in the front passenger seat, Fifth Brother, did the same. Li Bin gulped and grabbed the walkie-talkie. "Everyone, head to the garage of building four. And for the last time, put on your hats and masks—don't make me remind you again!"
Chu Yuxuan glanced sideways at him, smiling. "Bin, you're really getting the hang of being a leader."
Li Bin grinned awkwardly. "Well, I've learned from the best..."
Soon, all three cars pulled up under building four, and the entire crew stepped out in unison, each donning black baseball caps, black masks, and white gloves.
Fourth Brother, who had scoped out the location earlier, was similarly dressed and had knocked out two thugs, who lay unconscious at his feet. He glanced at Chu Yuxuan before leading the group towards a small, narrow iron door behind him.
The door didn't look like much, likely leading to a storage room.
"Not robbing the stores upstairs? What's Chu really planning?" Li Bin thought to himself, puzzled, but he waved for the others to follow.
"Bang! Bang!"
Fourth Brother wasted no time, pulling out a gun and shooting twice at the door's lock before kicking it open.
What appeared to be a tiny, unimpressive door concealed a massive underground casino, complete with rows of gambling tables and slot machines. The place resembled a factory warehouse more than a storage room.
Li Bin immediately understood and excitedly shouted for his men to charge in.
Due to poor ventilation, the casino was filled with smoke. As the gamblers heard the gunshots, they froze, only to see a group of masked robbers storming in the next moment!
Within seconds, the casino erupted in chaos, with gamblers screaming and running in all directions.
Li Bin pulled out a small handgun and fired three shots into the nearest slot machine. "Calm down! Stay quiet, and we'll only take your money! Just squat down and keep your hands on your heads!"
Everyone immediately fell silent and obediently crouched down.
Li Bin smiled in satisfaction, waving his hand and yelling, "Brothers, grab the loot!"