Chapter 1277: Let Bygones Be Bygones
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
The door into Tian Long’s room was pushed open, and Tian Donghua was sitting face to face with Tian Long. The two people were talking, seemingly blissful. It looked like both people really enjoyed this warm and sweet moment. It seemed that they did not have such a harmonious conversation for a long time.
Seeing Yang Ming and Sun Hongjun push the door open and walk in, Tian Long was slightly surprised. He didn’t expect Sun Hongjun to appear in his room at this time. The atmosphere in the room became a bit overcautious in a short while.
Tian Long knew that although Yang Ming forgave him, Sun Hongjun would hold hatred in his heart toward Tian Long. At this moment, he had lost his power and became an outright prisoner. So even though Yang Ming had made a promise, if Sun Hongjun were unwilling to let him go, most probably Yang Ming wouldn’t come into conflict with Sun Hongjun. Hence, Tian Long’s heart was still very nervous.
“Brother Jun…” Tian Long’s address of Brother Jun was from the heart. He was really in fear and trepidation unlike before when he was speaking entirely in a sarcastic tone with Sun Hongjun.
“Tian… Uncle Tian, Uncle Sun has come to see you.” Yang Ming was about to call him Tian Long, but after thinking about it, he still called him Uncle Tian. After all, he had to respect Tian Donghua. Moreover, Yang Ming was also preparing to send Tian Long over to Africa as a military adviser, so he was respectful.
However, this “Uncle Tian” made Tian Long very moved. He looked at Yang Ming and looked at Sun Hongjun again. His eyes glinted a little as he pouted his lips, but he suddenly stood up and knelt on the ground. Since the rope on his body was untied, he could move freely. Of course, if Yang Ming wanted to help him, he wouldn’t be able to kneel down. But Yang Ming left him to do what he wanted to reduce the grudge in Sun Hongjun’s heart.
“Brother Jun, Mr. Yang, I know that I have made an unforgivable mistake. It is all my fault for being obsessed with power. I don’t dare to ask for Brother Jun’s forgiveness at this moment. I just hope that you don’t vent your anger on my child, Donghua…” Although Tian Long wanted to live, he must give up something under the circ.u.mstances. If Sun Hongjun really held a grudge against him, then Tian Long could only sacrifice himself.
Sun Hongjun was stunned to see Tian Long suddenly kneel on the ground. It was then followed by a shock. Tian Long had followed Sun Hongjun for so many years, but he had never done such things before. Sun Hongjun knew that Tian Long was a steel-willed man; Tian Long would not arbitrarily kneel down to others. At this moment, Tian Long knelt down before him. This also expressed his feelings to protect his son.
“Forget it…” Sun Hongjun was still holding a grudge about Tian Long’s affairs, but when he saw Tian Long kneel down, his anger dissipated by a lot. He waved his hand and said, “Yang Ming, Tian Donghua, you two go out first. I have something to talk to Tian Long about.”
Although Tian Donghua had some concerns that Sun Hongjun would harm his father, his father was guilty too, so he couldn’t say anything more. Even if Sun Hongjun changed his mind and wanted to kill Tian Long, then Tian Donghua couldn’t say anything more.
Therefore, Tian Donghua just smiled bitterly and helplessly. He looked up at Yang Ming, but he saw Yang Ming nod to him in comfort, so the two walked out of the room together.
“You can get up too, Tian Long.” Sun Hongjun looked at Tian Long on the floor and raised his hand.
“Brother Jun, if you don’t promise me, I won’t get up!” Tian Long said, “If you are not satisfied, I will commit suicide to plea my sin!”
Tian Long’s words made Sun Hongjun dumbfounded. It was true that he still had some dissatisfaction with Tian Long, but Yang Ming had already talked with him before, and the two had reached a consensus.
It could be said that Sun Hongjun could only get over it after seeing the financial resources displayed by Yang Ming. As he looked back now, the Donghai Sun Family’s property was really nothing, so Sun Hongjun didn’t hold too much hatred against Tian Long.
“Yang Ming intends for me to handle the private island’s affair fully and build the island into a world-cla.s.s resort. Are you willing to be my military adviser?” Sun Hongjun’s expression became stern as he asked Tian Long.
“What?!” Tian Long raised his head and looked at Sun Hongjun in disbelief. He had already betrayed Sun Hongjun in this way. Sun Hongjun actually let bygones be bygones and disregarded his former hatred. He even still entrusted Tian Long with great duty. This made Tian Long surprised suddenly.
“What? Are you unwilling?” Sun Hongjun asked and snorted.
“I’m willing. Of course, I’m willing!” Tian Long was certain that there was no problem with his hearing. Sun Hongjun really let him go to Africa to help him build the island.
“If you are willing, why don’t you get up?” Sun Hongjun smiled and kicked Tian Long’s *ss to let him quickly get up.
Tian Long knew that Sun Hongjun really forgave him this time. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be saying this. He quickly got up as he expressed his grat.i.tude, “Brother Jun, I have made a mistake before. You can rely on my performance in the future.”
“Don’t be too overconfident. If you don’t work hard enough, I can still kill you!” Sun Hongjun did not forget to threaten. “Don’t forget that is Yang Ming’s world!”
“Yes…” Tian Long replied in fear and trepidation.
Once Sun Hongjun unloaded the burden in his heart, he no longer thought about what Tian Long had done before, and he began to talk to Tian Long openly about his future ideas. As the saying goes, people who do great things do not stick to trifles. Sun Hongjun’s present status had changed from the hundred million in a.s.sets to an island leader. His viewpoint had widened too.
Tian Long remembered this lesson, and he never dared to have any second thoughts. It seemed that Yang Ming’s strength was far from being able to be challenged by him.
At noon, Zhang Jinguo had booked a table for a banquet. Yang Ming did not mind the previous grudges and invited Tian Long to the table. Since Yang Ming had set the tone, there was no hostility to Tian Long, including Sun Jie.
However, Tian Long himself was embarra.s.sed.
The meal went in a harmonious and friendly atmosphere, but it was noticeable among the silence that the grudges between them could not be relieved in just a moment.
But fortunately, everyone was hungry, so they didn’t care much. Tian Long and Tian Donghua didn’t eat well last night while Sun Hongjun, Sun Jie, and Sun San didn’t eat much either. Hence, this feast was finished off very soon.
After they were full, Yang Ming said to Tian Long, “Uncle Tian, I want to talk to you alone.”
Tian Long looked at Yang Ming with some doubts. He had already talked with Yang Ming before. He didn’t know what Yang Ming was going to speak to him about at this time, but in any case, he had to go since Yang Ming asked him. He had no choice but to get up and say, “Okay, Mr. Yang.”
“Just call me Yang Ming. Mr. Yang is a bit awkward.” Yang Ming smiled and waved his hand. “In any case, Tian Donghua and I are still in the same generation. I’m not used to you calling me as such.”
“As you wis.h.!.+” Tian Long did not insist. He knew that Yang Ming was not very concerned about these details; Yang Ming valued one’s heart, not this hypocritical etiquette.
This time, Yang Ming didn’t take Tian Long to his previous room, but they came to the place where he talked to Sun Hongjun, which was Tian Long’s former office. However, this time, Yang Ming became the owner here.
After entering the room, Yang Ming sat in the boss’ chair behind the desk while Tian Long stood by like a guest.
“Take a seat, Uncle Tian. You don’t have to be too polite. The past incident has pa.s.sed. I don’t want to pursue anyone’s responsibility.” Yang Ming made an inviting gesture.
Tian Long nodded and didn’t entangle with the pleasantries. He sat on the sofa next to Yang Ming and said to Yang Ming, “Mr… Yang Ming, what’s the matter? Just tell me.”
“It’s about your behind-the-scenes boss.” Yang Ming asked, “Tell me what you know.”
“Okay.” When Tian Long heard that Yang Ming asked about this matter, he also let go of it in his heart. In fact, he was afraid that Yang Ming would change his mind now. As long as Yang Ming did not change his mind, he would answer what Yang Ming wanted to ask. He would definitely say everything he knew without reserve!
“This behind-the-scenes boss… I have already known him for quite some time, but I didn’t have a close connection with him!” Tian Long said, “We met at a party through a friend’s introduction.”
“What friend?” asked Yang Ming.
“It was President Hua. President Hua introduced him to me at that time.” Tian Long thought about it and said, “Yes, you’re right. It is him!”
“President Hua?” Yang Ming frowned and asked, “Which President Hua?”
“President Hua of the Hua Jewelry Company!” Tian Long added.
“It turns out to be him!” Yang Ming suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Previously, when Tian Long said it was President Hua, Yang Ming was shocked and subconsciously thought of Zhou Jiajia’s mother! Yang Ming’s subconscious mind did not want the behind-the-scenes boss to have anything to do with Zhou Jiajia’s mother. As long as it was not her, then it didn’t matter if it were another person.
However, what baffled Yang Ming was that the person who introduced Tian Long to the behind-the-scenes boss was actually President Hua of Hua Jewelry Company! Yang Ming knew who this person was as he had met this person at the dinner table with Sun Jie during a meal. It was a man who looked very insidious. It was said that he also instigated Guo Jianchao to have Guo Jianchao drug Sun Jie!
After that, the second time Yang Ming saw President Hua was at Liu Weishan’s birthday party. It was also just a face to face meeting during that moment without speaking to each other; they just pa.s.sed by each other. Then, Yang Ming never saw this person again.
Yang Ming did not expect President Hua to have contact with the behind-the-scenes boss. But now, it seemed that this behind-the-scenes boss had actually attended some social activities in the upper cla.s.s. He no longer looked so mysterious in Yang Ming’s imagination. At least, Tian Long had seen the behind-the-scenes boss.
“Just continue.” Yang Ming recollected his thoughts and said to Tian Long.
“Okay!” Tian Long nodded. “This is the case. After seeing the behind-the-scenes boss, I have never seen him again, not until the beginning of this year. This behind-the-scenes boss took the initiative to look for me, wanting to cooperate with me!
He provided me with a lot of money to let me bribe Sun Hongjun’s men to achieve the purpose of controlling his company. I do not know how he got the weaknesses of Qu Daming and Liu Chan to blackmail them. He had both of them collaborating with me. Liu Chan and Qu Daming were responsible for embezzling from your company, and my task was to get Brother Jun’s company…”
“Right, did these two people come to you for shelter?” asked Yang Ming.
“Yes, these two people have come to me for shelter, but these two guys have been exposed. They have no great use, so I gave them some money and let them flee,” said Tian Long.
When Yang Ming heard that two people had already fled, Yang Ming didn’t care about them anymore. The two men were just insignificant followers. Since they fled, Yang Ming would just let them be. Yang Ming nodded and said, “Go on.”
“I don’t understand the behind-the-scenes boss’ intention. I don’t know why he had to make a move on your company in Song Jiang. But, since the boss asked, I can only do it.” Tian Long said, “But I also know that the two insignificant followers, Liu Chan and Qu Daming, can’t stir up any big waves. I remembered that Jidun City is also your business, so I thought of joining forces with the Sui Family in Mount Jing to act against your business!
“Jidun City used to be the Sui Family’s territory, but it was controlled by you by force. It made Sui Yuejin very angry, so we hit it off. The Sui Family, Qu Daming, and Liu Chan dealt with your company, and I dealt with Sun Hongjun myself…”
“Sui Yuejin is dead. Does this have anything to do with you?” Yang Ming listened to the story, which was similar to what Sui Yuejin said, so he asked.
“What!? Sui Yuejin is dead? When did he die?” Tian Long was stunned.
Looking at Tian Long’s expression, it did not seem fake. Yang Ming knew that this had nothing to do with him, so he said, “On the night before yesterday, Sui Yuejin was shot and killed just in the Sui’s Group building in Mount Jing.”
Sui Yuejin was Mount Jing’s celebrity. Mount Jing had probably blocked the information from everyone over there. This matter would not be announced until things had progressed. Tian Long was too busy to care about these things these past few days. Otherwise, even if there was no news, Tian Long should have also learned about this from other sources.
“Who did it?” Tian Long’s face stiffened as he asked.
“If I knew, I wouldn’t ask you.” Yang Ming shrugged. “Let’s move on with the behind-the-scenes boss.”
“Alright, the behind-the-scenes boss said that as long as I promised him a condition afterward, he would provide me with financial a.s.sistance free of charge.” Tian Long said, “I didn’t care much and immediately agreed with him. Later, when I was almost successful, I couldn’t help but ask the behind-the-scenes boss about what he wanted me to do. However, the behind-the-scenes boss said that he didn’t think about it yet. Under my questioning, the behind-the-scenes boss added that if I can help him catch Yang Ming, he will not ask me to do anything again!”
Most likely, this is the behind-the-scenes boss’ real intention. It’s not that he hadn’t thought about it yet, but rather, he said it as such deliberately to Tian Long. Yang Ming thought about it, but he didn’t expose it. He said instead, “Then, you wanted to deal with me?”
“Yes…” Tian Long was somewhat troubled. “I thought of your relations.h.i.+p with Tian Donghua, and I wanted to use this relations.h.i.+p to lure you in, but I didn’t think that Tian Donghua would reveal my secret… But now that I think about it, even if you were lured in, I may not be able to deal with you. I will be caught by you the same as today, and my martial art will be broken by you…”
“I see.” Yang Ming had a general understanding of the behind-the-scenes boss’ plan. Although it felt incredible that the behind-the-scenes boss could find Tian Long to deal with him, it was most probably because the behind-the-scenes boss repeatedly failed to make a move on Yang Ming. He didn’t know what to do, so he thought about saving the nation with a devious path [1]. The financial support for Tian Long was simply a drop in the bucket for the behind-the-scenes boss. It was dispensable, so the behind-the-scenes boss did not have to offer anything.
“Since you have seen the behind-the-scenes boss, do you have any photos of him?” asked Yang Ming.
“I really don’t…” Tian Long shook his head helplessly. “When I first met him, I didn’t think of taking a picture of him. When I met him later on, he was very careful. He didn’t let me have any chance to take pictures of him.”
“I will find a professional painter in a while to have him draw a portrait according to your oral description!” Yang Ming could only think of this method.
Although he didn’t get many valuable clues from Tian Long’s mouth, it was gratifying that Tian Long had seen the behind-the-scenes boss. With that portrait drawn, Yang Ming could judge whether he had seen the behind-the-scenes boss. At the very least, he would know himself as well as the enemy.
The first person Yang Ming thought of was Captain Yang of the police station. Captain Yang often investigated criminal cases. He would often look for experts to draw portraits based on eyewitnesses. Therefore, the people introduced by Captain Yang must be more professional.
Thinking of this, Yang Ming dialed Captain Yang’s phone.
“Captain Yang, it’s me, Yang Ming.” Yang Ming reported his ident.i.ty straightforwardly.
” Oh ? Mr. Yang, h.e.l.lo!” Captain Yang didn’t know why Yang Ming suddenly called. He naturally said politely, “What is Mr. Yang’s command?”
“It is like this. Do you have experts adept in drawing portraits on your side? I need to draw a portrait of a suspect based on the description from an eyewitness,” said Yang Ming.
“I see. I have experts in this area. Where are you? I will have them go now!” Captain Yang heard Yang Ming’s words, and he naturally thought Yang Ming must be executing an important task for his investigation. So, he didn’t dare to ask more.
“How about I look for you?” Yang Ming knew that there was an expert at Captain Yang’s side, and he was relieved. He could bring along Tian Long to the police station in the afternoon.
“Captain Yang of the Munic.i.p.al Council?” Tian Long asked curiously after Yang Ming hung up.
” En , it’s him. He has an expert in portraits. I will take you there in a while,” said Yang Ming.
Tian Long was more and more curious. Yang Ming’s power seemed to be far beyond his imagination! It was reasonable if Yang Ming had a broad network of people in Song Jiang, but when it came to Donghai, he seemed to have more connections than Tian Long.
“Is President Hua still in contact with you now?” Yang Ming suddenly thought of that President Hua. He didn’t know what role he played in the whole thing.