449: Chapter 283: Interrogation!

449: Chapter 283: Interrogation!

Lu Ban Mountain.

Lu family’s old mansion.

The corpulent Lu Qingshan collapsed onto a massive recliner, his heavy breathing accompanied by the bubbling sounds from the nutrient tank behind him.

Lu Yu stood in front of him, silent.

“Bubble, bubble…”

Lu Qingshan, as if he had just woken up, opened his eyes and measured Lu Yu with muddy eyes, his voice hoarse, “While I’m not dead yet, you tell me, what exactly does Tang Fei want to do?”

“It isn’t about what Tang Fei wants to do, but what the Monitoring Bureau and the Royal Family want to do.”

“And what do the Monitoring Bureau and the Royal Family want?”

“To destroy the Lu family,” Lu Yu said expressionlessly.

Lu Qingshan’s gaze instantly turned fierce, those aged, decayed eyes surprisingly emitting a frightening glint.

Since the founding of the Phoenix Empire, the bloodiest, most brutal, most devastating case with the widest involvement and the most killings was the “Tang Destruction Case.”

Hearing the words “destroy the Lu family,” even Lu Qingshan, the Lu Family Master who had faced life and death uncountably and remained as stable as Mount Tai, felt a chilling fear.

Who would want to meet the same fate as the Tang Family?

Who would want to follow in the Tang family’s footsteps?

“Is this your plan?”

Lu Qingshan knew that his son would stop at nothing for the sake of avenging his unjustly deceased friends and brothers.

To escape the Royal Family’s hiring by running to the perilous Old Land and disappearing without a trace for over a decade, uncertain if alive or dead.

It was only with great effort that Lu Zhiyong had brought him back, yet he was still consumed by vengeance.

He had changed his son’s surname to continue the bloodline of the Tang Family.

To overthrow the Zhong Royal Family, inserting Tang Fei into the Monitoring Bureau to stab at the Lu family…

indeed, it was something he could do.

Because he knew that once the Royal Family made a move against the Lu family, they would definitely find ways to strike back.

At that time, wouldn’t this vast family naturally stand by his side, becoming allies in the same trench?

The past him was him, and the Lu family was the Lu family.

But after this, wouldn’t the Lu family become the Lu family he desired?

Lu Qingshan knew his son’s nature too well; vengeance was his priority, family came second.

To abandon his daughter and not inquire about her for over a decade, yet still expect him to care about the entire Lu family?

That was also why he suspected Lu Yu’s involvement in this matter.

Lu Yu’s brow furrowed slightly, a hint of sarcasm on his face: “I can arrange for Tang Fei to enter the Monitoring Bureau, but how can I arrange for the Monitoring Bureau to strike against the Lu family?

The Monitoring Bureau is Yan Wenli’s, it belongs to the Royal Family…

such a big move, can a small squad leader decide that?”

“You’re still angry about the past?”

“Angry?” Lu Yu shook his head and said, “The Zhong Family, aligning with various forces, moved against the Tang Family, the Lu family, fearful of being implicated, chose silence…

I’m not angry.”

“What makes me angry is that at that time we shouldn’t have constantly conceded, we shouldn’t have dismembered ourselves.

At that time…” Lu Yu’s eyes flashed fiercely, his eyes reddening as he said, “we should have struck first.”

“I thought that by dividing, dispersing, weakening, we could reassure the Royal Family, make them see us as loyal and honest officials.

Instead, it gave them the opportunity to strike us when we were down, to take our lives.”

“They never thought of reconciling, never considered sparing your life.

What they wanted was to prune the branches, to ensure you never had another chance to rise and threaten their power…”

“To cut down a big tree and nurture several small ones.

Once those small trees grew, they would cut down those grown trees again.

That is the Royal Family; that is the Zhong Royal Family’s Emperor’s Mindset.”

Lu Yu looked at Lu Qingshan and said, “I know you suspect me of manipulating behind the scenes, wanting to drag the Lu family into the game…

If I really did that, I would tell you directly.

At this point, what reason is there to hide anything?”

“But this isn’t my doing.

Zhong Daolong wanted a dagger, and Tang Fei happened to be the most suitable one…”

“When faced with the Royal Family’s oppression and squeezing, how would you choose?

Like the Tang Family back then, keep enduring and yielding until there’s no retreat, then be utterly crushed and exterminated?”

“Bubble, bubble…”

“Bubble, bubble…”

The father and son stopped talking, only the breathing tube on Lu Qingshan’s nose continuing to make sounds with the nutrient tank’s breathing.

After a long while.

After a long while.

Lu Qingshan looked at Lu Yu and asked, “So, you knew about this from the beginning?

Did you already know Tang Fei’s real intention of entering the Monitoring Bureau?”

“Yes,” Lu Yu answered honestly.

“Why didn’t you stop it?” Lu Qingshan shouted furiously, “That’s your son, my grandson…

Why let him be this dagger?

Why let him do such dangerous things?”

“Do you not know that a slight misstep could lead to utter disaster?”

Lu Yu, with sinister eyes, said fiercely, “Did he have any other choice?”

“Why would there be no other choice?

He is my, Lu Qingshan’s, grandson; even if…

even if I can’t let him acknowledge his ancestry openly, I could still ensure his lifetime of peace.

Whoever dares to touch my grandson, I will have them shattered to pieces.”

An obese old man, as immovable as a mountain, lay on a gigantic wheelchair, his life sustained by a breathing tube connected to a nutrient reservoir behind him.

Every breath he took might be his last, as if death could claim him at any moment.

Yet, such an old man insisted on gruesomely dismembering people…

It seemed absurd.

Yet, Lu Yu did not doubt it for a second.

Despite the Lu Family’s low ranking among the nine major families, he understood the true foundation and strength of his family.

One Lu Ban Mountain could fill an army of a hundred thousand.

Many thought this phrase was just flattery from opposing forces, a curse in disguise.

But to Lu Yu, such views severely underestimated Lu Ban Mountain…

The outside world could only see what was on the surface of Lu Ban Mountain, yet what lay hidden beneath it remained unknown to the public.

Apart from the core direct members of the Lu Family, nobody else would possibly have the chance to pry.

“It’s not just Tang Fei; others are involved too,” Lu Yu spoke, “Zhong Daolong is gathering power to secure a smooth succession for Zhong Tianque, clearing obstacles by frequently sending him abroad to attend various important events…

For some reason, he has accelerated his pace.”

“The wrath of the emperor, corpses of a million.

The nine major families, either surrender their power or be executed.

No other choices exist.”

“Do you know the reason?” Lu Qingshan asked.

“Zhong Tianque ambitions high but lacks ability, desperately trying to cater to higher expectations, imitating others, but he is merely a counterfeit.

His capabilities aren’t even a tenth of his father’s.

Zhong Tianyi is short-sighted, narrow-minded, not even comparable to his brother.”

“Zhong Daolong has two sons and a daughter, only Zhong Yu Xiu Xue is insightful and clever, treating people with sincerity.

Unfortunately, she is a daughter.

Zhong Daolong would never pass down the Dragon Cauldron to her.”

“He desires his sons to inherit power, but he fears their inadequacy might lead to the nine major families overshadowing them, making the monarch’s path difficult, heralding the decline of the royal family.”

At this, Lu Yu’s face showed scorn as he spoke, “The Zhong Family isn’t new to these kinds of actions; they always had such ‘excellent’ traditions.”

Lu Qingshan nodded, acknowledging his analysis.

He knew his son was astute and learned, or he wouldn’t be named alongside Tang Li as the ‘Two Gems’ of the Empire.

“Can we extract Tang Fei from the situation?” Lu Qingshan asked, “Your risky strategy has me worried for his safety.”

“Having entered the game, how could he possibly withdraw easily?

His position was personally decided by Zhong Daolong and Yan Wenli; even if I wanted to, they would not agree.”

“This is outrageous!” Lu Qingshan shouted angrily, “If anything happens to my grandson, I will spare none.”

Lu Yu was unfazed by the threat, his gaze firm as he faced the old man, asking, “The royal family has already made their move.

How will the Lu Family respond?”

Lu Qingshan pondered for a moment before gesturing with his hand, “You go down first.

I will discuss with your third uncle and then make a decision.”

His third uncle was Lu Dongsheng, the Minister of the Mechanical Department of the Phoenix Empire, also the Lu Family’s most publicly prominent figure.

During this critical moment of survival for the family, careful deliberation was indeed necessary.

Lu Yu nodded and turned to leave.

“Huff huff…”

The old man breathed vigorously again.

“Unfortunate family circumstances.”

He knew his son had helped intensify the situation.

For the sake of revenge, he wouldn’t hesitate to drag the nine major families to their doom.

Including the Lu Family.

——

Monitoring Bureau.

In the interrogation room, Tang Fei entered with a cup of coffee and placed it in front of Lu Yunhang, smiling, “Dean Lu, please have some coffee.

Your favorite Xiangshan espresso.”

Lu Yunhang eyed Tang Fei coldly and asked, “How do you know I like this?”

“When I led a search in your office, I saw a steaming cup of coffee on your desk, probably just brewed and yet to be drunk.” Tang Fei chuckled, “I asked around, and someone knew the type of coffee.

So, I decided to refill it for Dean Lu.”

Lu Yunhang silently admired the young man’s shrewdness but could not discern his true intentions.

Bringing him to the Monitoring Bureau after publicly humiliating him, did he really think a cup of coffee would win his favor?

“I’ll pass on the coffee.

I’m not accustomed to drinking others’ brews,” Lu Yunhang spoke, “If you have something to say, get on with it.

I need to get back to work.”

“Knowing that Dean Lu’s time is precious, let’s start then,” Tang Fei grinned as he sat down across from Lu Yunhang, opened his notebook, and asked, “Is the Raptor Light Armor an exclusively designed military product developed by the Mechanical Design Institute?”

“Yes,” Lu Yunhang nodded.

“Did the Mechanical Design Institute sign a cooperation agreement with a civilian weapon production company called Black Hole to manufacture and produce a civilian version of the Raptor Light Armor?”

Lu Yunhang eyed Tang Fei skeptically, thinking, Gongshu Wuyu runs Black Hole.

Was it really only because Gongshu Wuyu wanted to undermine him while he was away, and that’s why he relentlessly pursued even at the cost of offending the entire Lu Family?

Could it really be just that?

Only that?