Chapter 474: Chapter 303, Royal Family!

Revenge!

Everything was for vengeance.

Hatred blinded his mind and eroded his body.

He had become a vessel for revenge, capable of receiving only one command: avenge.

For revenge, he could sacrifice everything.

Family, clan, lover, children, including himself.

No, or rather, it was because he had lost these things that he was determined to seek revenge with all his might.

Selfish, narrow-minded, malicious, unscrupulous, he would stop at nothing…

The whole world could criticize him, but Tang Fei could not.

Because what he did was not only for himself but also for Tang Fei.

This was what Tang Fei owed him, and what the now vanished Tang Family owed him.

Without the old man, there would be no Tang Fei, no everything they had today.

To live was to have hope.

Tang Fei understood the old man, and he felt for him.

He looked at the old man and comforted him softly, “Don’t worry, we’ll be able to do what we need to do… I promise you, I swear to you.”

“Okay.” The old man calmed down, looking at Tang Fei with a face full of relief, “You’re a striving one… I believe that if this task is given to you, the chances of success would be higher than if I were to do it myself.”

“You’re more rational, better at judging the situation, and utilizing relationships from all sides… Even your knees are softer than mine, able to bend.”

Tang Fei curled his lip, not in a good mood, “I don’t think that’s a compliment.”

“It really is a compliment,” said the old man, his eyes deep as they looked at Tang Fei, with the voice of someone who had been through it all, “To succeed, one must know when to bow and be willing to bend. That’s not servility; it’s courage.”

“If I’d understood this when I was young, perhaps… perhaps things would’ve turned out much better than they are now.”

“I see you’re pretty damn pliable around those little mistresses and lonesome widows, like a glue stick… stretchable and bendable, able to pull off any position.”

Irritated and feeling his dignity challenged, the old man forcefully justified himself, “That’s not it… Isn’t it just that I have a soft heart? I can’t stand to see these poor ones suffer.”

“Think about it; in that dog-eat-dog place, those women can’t carry loads or do hard labor… What are they supposed to eat? What will they wear? What will they use?”

“Somehow I am still a seven-foot-tall man, an iron-boned and steel-sinewed adult male. If my life is a bit easier than theirs, I’ll help out as much as I can…”

“You delivering grain and meat is all well and good, but why are you always holding these ladies’ hands?”

“Oh, they know I’m learned and wise, so they come to me for fortune-telling… When I touched Widow Wang’s hand, I knew right away that her marriage wouldn’t last…”

“Widow Wang’s husband has been dead for seven or eight years; she’s already a widow… How could that last? You need to predict that?”

“But I was spot on with Li Chunhua; she’s not getting any sex…”

“Her husband is hunting in the Henshan Region, and a wild boar bit off the lower half of his body… Is sex even possible?”

“Well, I didn’t predict wrong then, did I?” the old man asserted confidently. “I told them that the economic outlook for the next few years is grim, and advised them to store up more grain and meat… That’s not wrong, is it?”

“Pick anyone in the Henshan Region at random, even a fool, and he’ll know that times won’t be good, and that to survive, you need to store up grain and meat…”

“That’s impossible. Could Er Gunzi say something like that?”

Tang Fei felt a throbbing in his temples, grinding his teeth as he spoke, “He’s mute.”

“Heh heh heh…” The old man looked at Tang Fei with a cheeky grin, “You’re getting more and more impatient with me. Is it because you think you’re on easy street after getting cozy with the Princess in New Star and that this old man is no longer of use to you?”

“Yes, I admit it. The Princess’s thighs are fine and white, and her body is soft and cuddly… comfortable to hold…”

“Can you be serious?” Tang Fei cut off the old man’s fantasy, scolding him.

“Am I wrong? Isn’t the Princess comfortable to hug?”

Tang Fei thought it over seriously and nodded in agreement, “Indeed, it’s quite comfortable.”

The old man’s sleazy smile immediately turned lecherous, and he asked in a low voice, “How far have you two got? Have you slept together? Getting in bed with Zhong Daolong’s daughter would be a small victory in our greater cause. It’s a sure win.”

“If we can turn the uncooked rice into a cooked meal… heh heh heh, that would be even better… Just imagine what it would do to Zhong Daolong when he finds out his precious daughter has been bedded by Tang Li’s son. Wouldn’t he have a stroke?”

Seeing the old man’s excited face, Tang Fei reminded him, “Wipe your drool.”

“Sorry, very sorry, I just can’t control it when I think about happy things…” The old man put away his smiling face, and looking at Tang Fei, said, “Consider my suggestion, it’s not a bad one. Kill several birds with one stone.”

“First of all, we haven’t gone that far. Holding hands, a little peck on the lips we’ve had, but we haven’t slept together.”

“Second, even if I did sleep with Phoenix, it would be because our feelings are true, not because of any other factor.”

The old man squinted at Tang Fei, asking, “Have you told Phoenix about your past?”

“No.”

“And the help she offered you, have you refused it?”

“No.”

“What’s the difference then? You hide your past but exploit Phoenix’s feelings for your own purposes…” The old man looked at Tang Fei and asked sternly, “How are you different from the kind of people you talked about? Aren’t you doing what I hoped you would?”

…

Silence.

After a while, Tang Fei spoke, “Perhaps we should try to see each other less.”

“That might be for the best.” The old man nodded in agreement, “I’m not a good person, and neither are you. So, it’s only natural that you see your own reflection in me.”

“No, I see your reflection in myself,” Tang Fei looked at the old man, “I’m afraid I’ll become another you.”

The old man’s expression froze for a moment, then after a long silence, he patted Tang Fei’s shoulder, “It won’t happen. I won’t let you become another me. I won’t allow such a thing to happen.”

“What’s the difference? Aren’t I doing exactly what you expect of me?”

“It’s different,” the old man shook his head, saying, “You and I are different…”

——

Imperial Mansion.

The golden building soared into the clouds, giving off an aura of vulgar opulence or perhaps opulent vulgarity.

Tang Fei stood in the lobby, speaking to the security guard at the gate, “Hello, we’re from the Monitoring Bureau, here to see the owner of the top floor.”

Tang Fei didn’t mention a specific floor, nor did he name the owner.

But every security guard knew who he was there to see.

That was because half of Phoenix City knew that the top floor of the Imperial Mansion was inhabited by Yu Bainian.

Yu Bainian belonged to the Yu Family, one of the nine major families, and held another identity—that of the Imperial Family, true royal kin.

Although Empress Yu Sineng had passed away many years ago, Zhong Daolong’s affection for her remained deep, and he had not remarried.

Furthermore, the two sons and one daughter that Yu Sineng bore had all come of age; the Eldest Prince, Zhong Tianque, was the Crown Prince, the rightful heir to the throne.

Zhong Tianyi, though more carefree in disposition, was also extremely close with his maternal family.

Phoenix was, needless to say, named “Zhong Yu Xiu Xue” by the Empress, signifying the shared treasure of both families.

Some would joke that the Imperial Family was half surnamed Zhong, half Yu.

Half the Dragon’s blood was from the Zhong Family, and the other half was from the Yu Family.

Aside from the Zhongs, those with the surname Yu were esteemed.

It was this reason that allowed Yu Bainian to establish the six-hundred-ninety-nine-story Imperial Mansion on the highly prized Phoenix Avenue.

He rented or sold the floors below but kept the top floor with the best view for his private residence.

When the security guards heard Tang Fei was looking for Yu Bainian, the dozen or so dispersed around the lobby immediately began to convene.

They wore well-tailored white suits, standing tall and imposing, with a formidable presence.

“What do you want with Mr. Yu?” the security chief Ling Lei glanced at Tang Fei and his colleagues with an unfriendly eye and asked, “Do you have an appointment?”

Lin Hai lifted the electronic arrest warrant they had prepared in advance and declared, “We have an arrest warrant from the Monitoring Bureau, please cooperate with our work.”

“Sorry, if you don’t have an appointment, we can’t let you through,” Ling Lei stated.

Unlike security guards hired from security companies, these were house guards and Dead Pools trained by the Yu Family.

They were born for the Yu Family, and they would die for the Yu Family.

They shared both honor and disgrace and could also be described as a community of shared interest.

“Look carefully, this is an arrest warrant from the Monitoring Bureau…” Lin Hai pushed the electronic warrant in front of Ling Lei and said angrily, “If you don’t step aside, you’re obstructing our law enforcement, a criminal act. We can imprison you in the Monitoring Bureau’s prison at any moment.”

Ling Lei pushed the displayed electronic warrant aside with a sneer, “Sorry, we can’t read. Without Mr. Yu’s permission, no one is allowed up.”

Tang Fei looked meaningfully at Ling Lei and asked, “Are you saying Mr. Yu’s word is bigger than the law?”

“I’m not sure if the law is big, but we only listen to Mr. Yu’s word.”

“How about this…” Tang Fei didn’t want to lose his temper with a bunch of security guards, and proposed in a negotiating tone, “Give Yu Bainian a call and see if he agrees for us to go up?”

After a moment of contemplation, Ling Lei turned and went to the corner to make a phone call.

Soon enough, he returned.

Ling Lei looked at Tang Fei, his demeanor even more hostile than before, and said, “Mr. Yu says, whether you’re from the Monitoring Bureau or a brothel… go back where you came from. You’re not welcome here.”

Tang Fei squinted his eyes and smiled, asking, “Did Yu Bainian really say that?”

“Yes,” Ling Lei responded, “Could there be any doubt in Mr. Yu’s word?”

Tang Fei turned around and asked, “You all heard that, right?”

“We heard it,” his colleagues who had accompanied him replied.

“Did the body cameras catch that?”

“Captain, it’s all recorded.”

“Alright, everyone turn off your body cameras,” Tang Fei instructed.

Although they didn’t understand his intentions, their trusting collaboration during this time led them to promptly turn off the body cameras they were carrying.

Only then did Tang Fei cheerfully turn to Ling Lei, saying, “Why don’t you call Mr. Yu again, tell him we have business…”

Before he finished speaking, his body disappeared from where he stood.

By the time he reappeared, he was already in front of Ling Lei.

His fist slammed toward Ling Lei’s face.

Ling Lei had been waiting to hear Tang Fei beg for mercy and had not expected an attack without finishing his sentence.

He wasn’t unprepared, but Tang Fei’s move caught him completely off guard.

This was the Imperial Mansion, the territory of the Yu Family.

Yu Bainian liked to throw parties, frequented by countless dignitaries and celebrities.

Everyone treated them politely, afraid to show any lack of manners or decorum.

But a little captain from the Monitoring Bureau… he dared to do such a thing?

To resort to violence without a word? Did he have a death wish?

He had been careless.

At the critical moment, there was no chance to dodge…

Bang!

With a powerful punch, Ling Lei’s body flew high into the air.