Chapter 056: "Let Me Handle It"

“Yes, be careful!” Lin Tianzhen stretched out her chubby little hand, pointed at Tang Mubai, and burst into a stream of girlish laughter.

“Go on, go eat your meat.” Tang Mubai shot her an exasperated look and got up to beckon Xu Dalu to follow him into the room for a private discussion.

Xu Dalu realized at once that such topics were not fit for the dinner table. He followed Tang Mubai into the room, closed the door, patted his own head, and sighed. “I really am getting old; I speak without thinking these days, alas!”

“It’s probably just that you’ve been too busy lately,” Tang Mubai replied with an awkward smile.

Xu Dalu had to manage the restaurant, inspect the slaughterhouse in person, and prepare for the purchase. The sudden increase in workload had clearly drained him. Tang Mubai made up his mind to give him a strengthening and invigorating treatment tonight. As the most trusted elder in the group, Xu Dalu could not be allowed to fall ill. With him around, Tang Mubai could relax and roam as he pleased.

“Maybe you’re right,” Xu Dalu said, massaging his temples. He didn’t dwell on the subject but pondered aloud, “The man who came yesterday and told you to be careful—I think I’ve seen him before, but I can’t quite remember who he is.”

“He first asked who the restaurant was affiliated with, then told me to be careful. That means his real target is the restaurant—the mercenary group! Threatening me was just a side note.” Tang Mubai analyzed aloud. “From this angle, the man must have a grudge or bad blood with the mercenary group. Grandpa Xu, do you know if my father and his team made any enemies in the past?”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” Xu Dalu replied with a wry smile. “I only handled logistics back then, hardly ever got involved in outside affairs.”

“That’s all right. If you don’t know, maybe Uncle Lin does.” As he spoke, Tang Mubai took out his phone and called Lin Huafeng, quickly explaining the situation before finally asking, “Uncle Lin, who do you think could be holding a grudge against us?”

“Very few people,” Lin Huafeng answered after a brief silence. “Your father was always kind and avoided conflict. But your uncle—he made plenty of enemies!”

“My uncle?” Tang Mubai was surprised. “Are you saying this threat has something to do with my uncle?”

“Almost certainly,” Lin Huafeng replied with a sigh. “You know your uncle’s temper—he can’t stand the slightest provocation. A few words are enough to set him off, and he’ll start a fight on the spot, never holding back. If not for your father, that temper of his would’ve gotten him killed long ago!”

Tang Mubai could only sigh in silence. His uncle really was a powder keg, always ready to explode. Even at his age, he still stirred up trouble every day. In Tang Mubai’s memory, his uncle only ever listened to his father. As for everyone else—including his little cousin’s mother, his own aunt—everything they said went in one ear and out the other.

If someone his uncle had feuded with in the past was now coming after Tang Mubai, he wouldn’t be surprised in the least. Of course, understanding was one thing; he had no intention of taking this lying down.

“Uncle Lin, do you know who has the deepest grudge against my uncle?”

“I know a few,” Lin Huafeng replied. “Ask Uncle Xu what the man who warned him looked like yesterday.”

“Okay.” Tang Mubai looked up at Xu Dalu, put the call on speaker, and asked, “Grandpa Xu, what did the man who came to the restaurant yesterday look like?”

“Sharp, slanted eyes, a hooked nose, average build, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight,” Xu Dalu recalled.

“Uncle Lin, does that sound familiar?” Tang Mubai asked into the phone.

“Wait a moment,” Lin Huafeng replied, and then there was a burst of static.

After a while, Tang Mubai’s phone received a picture. Lin Huafeng’s voice came through again at the perfect moment, “Uncle Xu, is this the man?”

Tang Mubai opened the picture and showed it to Xu Dalu.

“That’s him!” Xu Dalu’s eyes widened in anger. “That’s the one—came into the restaurant looking for trouble! Huafeng, who is he?”

“Kou Xiaohui.”

“Kou Xiaohui?” Tang Mubai repeated. “Who is he?”

“He’s with the Qiangyuan Mercenary Group,” Lin Huafeng explained. “Qiangyuan is the group that’s clashed with your father’s ‘Miracle’ team the most. Kou Xiaohui is one of their key members—he’s the leader’s brother-in-law, just like your uncle was in your team. He’s sly and vicious, and he’s had several violent run-ins with your uncle. There was even a time he was nearly crippled. Ever since then, the grudge between him and your uncle escalated to the point where they’d both sooner see the other dead.”

“I see,” Tang Mubai murmured. “My uncle is gone now—so Kou Xiaohui intends to shift his hatred onto me?”

“I’d like to see him try!” Lin Huafeng’s voice growled cold from the other end. “Xiaobai, don’t worry. I’ll take care of this.”

“Thank you, Uncle Lin,” Tang Mubai said, his gratitude sincere, but his tone soon turned cold. “I’m not afraid if he comes after me. What worries me is if he goes after my little sister!”

“He wouldn’t dare!” Lin Huafeng’s voice was grim. “Don’t worry, Xiaobai. I’ll handle this. I’ll go straight to his brother-in-law and tell him to keep Kou Xiaohui in check. And if he doesn’t... hmph!”

The cold snort made Lin Huafeng’s stance clear.

Tang Mubai thanked him once more before ending the call.

If Lin Huafeng could resolve this, all the better. But if not, Tang Mubai wasn’t above sending Kou Xiaohui to join his uncle in the afterlife. He would never let anyone who threatened him or his sister live in peace.

With that in mind, Tang Mubai opened his computer and searched for information on the Qiangyuan Mercenary Group. He found that they had about the same number of members as “Miracle.” Their leader, Du Yuankui, was a Grade Seven Martial Artist. As for Kou Xiaohui, he wasn’t even a professional martial artist, just a Grade Eight specialist.

With such little strength between the brothers-in-law, Tang Mubai could deal with them easily if it came to that. Now it was up to Lin Huafeng to see what his intervention would achieve.

He memorized the relevant details about the Qiangyuan Mercenary Group and browsed the web for a while longer before heading out to reclaim the lost vitality.

Just as he started his car, his phone’s alarm sounded. He put in his earpiece and immediately felt a surge of excitement—good news again!

This time, it wasn’t from Chen Hai, but from a group of beastmen who seemed to be having an internal dispute. A rough voice, venting his frustration, rumbled through the bug into Tang Mubai’s ear.

“Am I wrong? Why should humans live in the city and enjoy everything, while we beastmen have to suffer out in the wild?”

“Shut up!”

“I won’t! Humans used to be our slaves—why should we...”

Bang!

“Go to your room and stay there. You’re not allowed out today!”

“Fine, fine, I’d love nothing more than to stay at the Xuanlai Hotel every day, enjoying gourmet food, fine wine, and beautiful women! Hahaha...”

Tang Mubai couldn’t help but laugh as well.

The Xuanlai Hotel, was it?

He’d be there right away!