Movie/TV series: Starting with Ode to Joy, I opened my own private kitchen.

Page 97

Jiang Haokun's face turned extremely ugly. His lips trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with despair and anger. He gritted his teeth and said, "Su Chang, don't go too far! I already know I was wrong, can't you give me a chance? Don't forget, Jiang Lai is also a member of the Jiang family. If we tear off the mask, no one will look good in the end."

Su Chang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a disdainful smile. He said, "Jiang Haokun, are you seriously ill? I told you, I don't know what you're talking about, and why are you talking about Jiang Lai? Are you threatening me? Do you really think I'm easy to bully?" He continued to play dumb, not taking Jiang Haokun seriously at all.

Jiang Haokun's face grew even paler, his fists clenched tightly, and his body trembled slightly. His heart was filled with anger and despair; he knew he was in dire straits.

Hearing Jiang Haokun's rapid breathing, Su Chang felt a surge of satisfaction. He knew Jiang Haokun had no way out, so he decided to stop arguing with him, hung up the phone, turned it off, and went back to the classroom to continue explaining the competition's important points to his classmates.

In the chairman's office on the top floor of the Jiang Group, Jiang Haokun, seeing the shutdown notification sound coming from his phone, smashed it to the ground, shattering it into pieces.

(Zhao Le Zhao) His heart was filled with anger and despair, and he roared, "Damn Su Chang, if you won't let me live, I won't let you live either!" His eyes were filled with hatred, and his body trembled slightly with anger.

After venting for a while, Jiang Haokun took out a new cell phone from the drawer again. His fingers trembled slightly, as if he was trying hard to control his inner tension. He took a deep breath and dialed a number.

"President Jiang, how is it? Have you thought it through?" A cold voice came from the other end of the phone, as if a chill wind was blowing down Jiang Haokun's spine.

Jiang Haokun's face darkened, his lips pursed slightly, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes: "Wu Fei, I agree, but there are two conditions you must agree to, otherwise I will not agree." His voice was low and firm.

It turned out that the person on the other end of the phone was Wu Fei from Panshi Security Company. He had not left Shanghai, but had gone into hiding. Su Chang had ruined his years of planning, so how could he let Su Chang off easily? Therefore, he contacted the Li family and Jiang Haokun.

Jiang Haokun didn't want to join forces with Wu Fei before, after all, Wu Fei was completely insane. He actually wanted to kidnap all of Su Chang's women and Su Chang herself in order to seize Su Chang's assets and then kill Su Chang and his women.

Chapter 183 Conspiracy

The reason Wu Fei contacted Jiang Haokun was not only because the two had a grudge, but also because Jiang Lai was Su Chang's woman. This would make it easier for them to kidnap Su Chang and his woman, since Su Chang and his woman now had bodyguards around them, making it less likely for them to succeed.

This time, Su Chang directly rejected Jiang Haokun's pleas for mercy, and Jiang Haokun finally made up his mind to cooperate with Wu Fei.

Wu Fei smiled smugly on the other end of the phone. He knew Jiang Haokun had fallen into their trap: "Mr. Jiang, tell me, what are your conditions?" he said casually, seemingly unconcerned about Jiang Haokun's demands.

Wu Fei wasn't afraid of Jiang Haokun making demands. As long as Jiang Haokun made demands, it meant that Jiang Haokun had already joined their group. He was already wanted for treason and would be killed if caught. Now, all he wanted was to capture Su Chang and kill him and his woman. Whether he would fail or not was not on his mind.

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Haokun's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "First, Jiang Lai cannot be harmed; second, I want half of all of Su Chang's assets." His voice was firm and unquestionable.

Wu Fei's smile vanished instantly, his brows furrowing slightly as if he were considering Jiang Haokun's terms. After a moment, he nodded: "No problem, Mr. Jiang, I agree." His tone betrayed a hint of reluctance, but he knew now was not the time to haggle with Jiang Haokun.

A satisfied smile appeared on Jiang Haokun's face, but his heart was filled with conflict. He knew he was colluding with a force like Wu Fei, and if this were discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable. But now he was backed into a corner; only by eliminating Su Chang could the Jiang family survive. He silently prayed that everything would go smoothly.

“But, Mr. Jiang, Su Chang will be returning to Shanghai tomorrow. When will you start making your move on July 727th?” Wu Fei’s voice broke Jiang Haokun’s thoughts again.

Jiang Haokun's eyes sharpened, and he gripped his phone tightly as if he wanted to crush it: "I'll contact Jiang Lai right away. Are your people ready?" His voice was full of urgency. Since the cooperation had been decided, they should avoid any unforeseen complications and act as soon as possible. After all, the Jiang Group was losing money every second.

Wu Fei nodded: "Our people are ready. Once they arrive at the designated location, you can rest assured, none of them will escape." His tone was filled with excitement, as if he could already see the dawn of success.

Jiang Haokun hung up the phone, his heart heavy. He knew he was about to embark on a path of no return, but to save the Jiang Group, he had no other choice. He sat silently in his chair, pondering his next plan…

After thinking for a while and feeling that there were no loopholes in the plan, Jiang Haokun dialed Jiang Lai's number.

"Lai Lai, your brother knows he was wrong. Could you please plead with Su Chang for me and ask him to spare the Jiang family?" Jiang Haokun said urgently, his brows furrowed and his eyes revealing a hint of anxiety.

“Jiang Haokun, you should have thought of this day when you contacted those dozen or so companies to attack Su Chang’s company. Now you want me to plead for you? Don’t you think it’s too late?” Jiang Lai’s voice was filled with anger and disappointment. Her brows were tightly furrowed and her lips trembled slightly.

It turns out that on the day Su Chang left Shanghai, Jiang Haokun contacted more than a dozen companies without hesitation and launched a fierce attack on Su Chang's company, using all sorts of methods.

(ccdj) If Zheng Fangxiu hadn't made prior arrangements, Su Chang's company would likely have suffered huge losses. When Jiang Lai learned of this situation, she immediately called Jiang Haokun and asked him to stop the operation. However, Jiang Haokun ignored her words and continued to attack Su Chang's company as he pleased.

Jiang Haokun remained unmoved by Jiang Lai's words. He knew Jiang Lai too well; he knew she was a soft-hearted person.

So he decided to play the family card and try to move Jiang Lai: "Lai Lai, I know I was wrong, but the Jiang Group is not just mine. It is also a company that our parents worked hard to build. Can you bear to see our parents, who are so old, still living on the streets?" Jiang Haokun's voice was full of pleading, and his eyes revealed his guilt towards his parents and his expectations for Jiang Lai.

Hearing Jiang Haokun's words, Jiang Lai's heart softened. She thought of the love and sacrifices her parents had given her, and those warm memories flooded her mind, gradually bringing tears to her eyes. She fell silent.

Jiang Haokun could sense that Jiang Lai's attitude was softening, so he immediately pressed his advantage and pleaded, "Lai Lai, my request isn't high. Just help me arrange to meet Su Chang, and I'll apologize to him with a meal. I'll accept whatever punishment he wants, as long as he lets the Jiang Group off the hook." His tone was full of urgency and sincerity, and he gripped his phone tightly with both hands, as if afraid that Jiang Lai might suddenly change her mind.

"I'll give it a try, but I can't guarantee anything." Jiang Lai's voice still carried a hint of hesitation; she was conflicted.

On the one hand, she didn't want to see her parents suffer; on the other hand, she was afraid that Su Chang would be disappointed in her, since Su Chang had always told her to be mindful of her status, and she felt completely uncertain about herself.

"Lai Lai, I reckon it'll be hard for you to persuade Su Chang on your own. How about I treat you and Su Chang's women to dinner tonight? I'll apologize to them first. If they all forgive me, I believe Su Chang will agree too," Jiang Haokun continued, offering Jiang Lai more suggestions.

Jiang Lai found Jiang Haokun's words quite reasonable, so she nodded in agreement. A hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes as she thought, "This is the only way I can try."

"Alright, I'll ask them what they think. If they agree, I'll let you know later." Jiang Lai's voice was somewhat low.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Lai Lai." Jiang Haokun immediately expressed his gratitude, his face full of thanks, but a sly glint flashed in his eyes. Jiang Lai didn't reply and hung up the phone directly.

Jiang Haokun put down his phone, his expression instantly changing as he coldly chuckled, "Su Chang, just you wait and see. After tonight, let's see how arrogant you can still be."

The corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a smug smile.

Meanwhile, at Villa No. 8 in Dongshan, after hanging up the phone, Jiang Lai thought for a moment and then called the girls in Shanghai.

Guan Juer, Chen Nanxing, Gao Wenruohan, Yang Tao, and Xu Li had very simple ideas. Upon hearing Jiang Lai's invitation, they hesitated only briefly before agreeing. After all, they knew how conflicted Jiang Lai was recently because of the Jiang family's affairs, and they were willing to help if it could be resolved quickly.

Although Andy and Tong Wei agreed, they still decided to ask Su Chang's opinion. If Su Chang agreed, they would go; if Su Chang disagreed, they would definitely not go.

Su Chang's phone was already switched off. When Cui Tianqi told Su Chang about this after class, Su Chang immediately sensed that something was wrong.

His brows furrowed tightly as he thought to himself, "Jiang Haokun's attitude was so tough before, how could he suddenly go to apologize to my women? There must be something wrong here."

Su Chang's alarm bells went off, so she made a phone call to Zheng Fangxiu.

"Young Master, what are your orders?" Zheng Fangxiu asked impatiently as soon as the call connected, her voice revealing a hint of respect.

"Big sister, Jiang Haokun is inviting my women to dinner. Go and find out if Jiang Haokun has made any recent moves, and who he has been in contact with. Tell Liang Dawei to immediately increase the protection for my women. No matter how many people are left in the Fiery Shield Security Company, transfer them all over there." Su Chang's tone was serious and firm, his brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes flashed with worry.

"Yes, young master, I'll take care of it right away." Zheng Fangxiu immediately sprang into action upon hearing Su Chang's instructions. Her steps were hurried, and a serious expression appeared on her face.

"Boss, what happened?" Seeing Su Chang standing there with a furrowed brow after hanging up the phone, Cui Tianqi cautiously leaned over to ask. Her voice was soft, tinged with concern, and her gaze was fixed on Su Chang's face.

Upon hearing Cui Tianqi's words, Su Chang immediately came to his senses. He simply shook his head and didn't say anything more. He decided to talk to Cui Tianqi after everything was completely over; now was not the time to confront him.

Seeing that Su Chang remained silent, Cui Tianqi felt somewhat disappointed, but she could only continue to silently accompany Su Chang. A hint of helplessness flickered in her eyes as she stood quietly to the side.

Not long after, Zheng Fangxiu called.

“Young Master, we just found out that after Jiang Haokun called you, he dialed an unknown number and the call lasted quite a while before he called Madam Jiang Lai. We can’t find anything else for now. As for the Fiery Shield, General Manager Liang has sent Chief Instructor Xiong Kuohai to lead a team there.” Zheng Fangxiu’s voice was tinged with tension.

"An unknown number?" Upon hearing Zheng Fangxiu's report, Su Chang's brows furrowed even more. A sense of unease welled up within him, as if something was about to happen. His fingers gripped his phone tightly as he considered his next move.

"Young Master, should we inform the ladies to cancel this trip?" Zheng Fangxiu sensed that something was amiss and asked. Her voice betrayed a hint of worry, and her eyes were filled with concern.

Su Chang was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "Except for Jiang Lai, have all the ladies cancel their trips and move to a safe place for me to protect, but do not disturb Jiang Lai."

"As for Jiang Lai, have Xiong Kuohai take a few men to personally protect her. I'll be returning to Shanghai later, and I want to see what tricks Jiang Haokun is up to." His eyes gleamed with determination; if Jiang Haokun dared to make any improper moves, he wouldn't hold back.

Chapter 184 A Timely Appearance

"Yes, young master, I'll make the arrangements right away." Zheng Fangxiu didn't try to persuade him any further. She understood Su Chang's temperament, but she still needed to remind Liang Dawei to protect Su Chang well.

After hanging up the phone, Su Chang instructed Cui Tianqi, "Tianqi, go to the airport."

"Okay, BOSS!" Cui Tianqi replied and walked towards the parking lot with Su Chang.

At 7 p.m., Xiong Kuohai drove Jiang Lai to a private club in the suburbs of Shanghai. As soon as he got out of the car, his sharp, eagle-like eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. When he saw the cars parked at the entrance of the club, a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

Apart from a few Cadillacs, the rest were all inexpensive vehicles, including several vans, which were clearly out of place in the atmosphere of a private club.

Xiong Kuohai frowned deeply, realizing that something might be wrong. He quickly waved to the cars behind him, and more than a dozen burly bodyguards immediately got out of the cars as if facing a major enemy, quickly took out batons, and surrounded Jiang Lai's car, their faces full of vigilance.

Jiang Lai noticed that Xiong Kuohai hadn't opened the car door, and a sense of unease crept into her mind. She opened the door herself and got out. Seeing the bodyguards' actions, she frowned slightly and said with displeasure, "What's going on? Why are you all so nervous?"

Xiong Kuohai's expression turned serious. He frowned and said in a low voice, "Madam Jiang Lai, something is wrong. Please go back to the car." As he spoke, he shielded Jiang Lai with his body, while his eyes kept darting around.

Jiang Lai ignored Xiong Kuohai's attempts to stop her and walked straight into the club, muttering, "What's wrong? I'm here to have dinner with my brother. What could possibly happen? You're making a mountain out of a molehill."

Xiong Kuohai watched Jiang Lai's retreating figure, shook his head helplessly, and sighed. Jiang Lai was the lady of the house, and there was nothing he could do, but the current situation did indeed worry him. He could only quicken his pace to follow behind Jiang Lai, while giving the bodyguards behind him a look, signaling them to remain vigilant.

When they arrived at the door of the private room, everyone except Jiang Lai and Xiong Kuohai was turned away.

Xiong Kuohai could only whisper to the other bodyguards, "Be careful, if there's any trouble inside, rush in immediately." The bodyguards nodded in agreement, their hands gripping their batons tightly, ready to deal with any potential danger.

When Jiang Haokun saw that only Jiang Lai and Xiong Kuohai had entered, his brows furrowed, and a look of confusion appeared on his face. He looked at Jiang Lai and asked, "Lai Lai, why are you the only one here? Where are the others?"

Jiang Lai casually replied, "I came from the villa. They left the company after get off work and should be on their way."

"Then let's wait a little longer. Have some coffee first." Hearing Jiang Lai's words, Jiang Haokun felt that it made sense, so he picked up a cup of coffee and handed it to Jiang Lai. Jiang Lai didn't stand on ceremony and took the coffee and started drinking it. Xiong Kuohai didn't even have time to stop her.

After waiting for another half hour, Jiang Haokun finally couldn't sit still any longer. His brows furrowed tightly, and a hint of anxiety appeared in his eyes. He asked Jiang Lai, "Lai Lai, what's going on? Why haven't they arrived yet?"

Jiang Lai was also a little puzzled. She pursed her lips slightly, wondering why the other girls hadn't arrived yet. She took out her phone and muttered, "I'll call and ask."

Just then, the door behind Jiang Haokun suddenly opened, and a muscular man with a small mustache led several men dressed in black who looked like thugs into the room.

"No need to ask anymore, you've definitely been found out." Wu Fei's voice was icy, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Wu Fei!" Just as Jiang Lai was confused, Xiong Kuohai suddenly cried out in surprise. His eyes widened, filled with shock and anger.

"Xiong Kuohai, long time no see!" Upon hearing Xiong Kuohai's exclamation, Wu Fei's face revealed a smug smile, his eyes gleaming with cunning.

"Madam Jiang Lai, let's go!" Xiong Kuohai knew perfectly well that Jiang Haokun was cooperating with Wu Fei. His face became extremely tense, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on his forehead. He grabbed the still bewildered Jiang Lai and was about to run outside.

"Xiong Kuohai, do you think you can leave here today?" Wu Fei sneered, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes, and waved to the men behind him. The men in black behind him pounced on Xiong Kuohai and Jiang Lai like hungry wolves.

When Xiong Kuohai went to pull the door open, he found it locked from the outside, and the sounds of fierce fighting could be heard coming from the doorway. He inwardly groaned. He tightly shielded Jiang Lai in a corner, gripping his baton firmly, ready to face the onslaught of the men in black.

Jiang Lai finally realized what was happening. Her face turned pale, and her eyes flashed with anger. She yelled at Jiang Haokun, "Jiang Haokun, you bastard! I'm your own sister! How dare you lay a hand on me!"

Jiang Haokun's expression was extremely complicated, his heart filled with contradictions and struggle. He desperately wanted Wu Fei to stop, but when he saw the look in Wu Fei's eyes, he knew there was no way to stop it. Moreover, now that things had been exposed, he might not even be able to protect himself. At this moment, he could only pretend not to hear Jiang Lai's curses and stand there silently.

And so, Xiong Kuohai protected Jiang Lai in the corner for about ten minutes, his body covered in wounds, yet his eyes remained sharp, as if telling the enemy that he would not fall easily. He knew his chances of survival were slim, but he still held Jiang Lai tightly, with only one thought in his mind: he must protect his lady!

Jiang Lai's eyes were red, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam. She regretted being so willful and disobeying Xiong Kuohai. At this moment, her heart was filled with self-blame and helplessness; she could only watch helplessly as Xiong Kuohai was injured while protecting her.

Just then, a man in black was kicked in from outside and crashed into the group of men who were attacking Xiong Kuohai.

Wu Fei's face darkened the moment he saw the person who flew in, his eyes revealing a hint of surprise and anger. He looked towards the door, and Jiang Haokun quickly looked over as well. Upon seeing the person, Jiang Haokun exclaimed, "Su Chang!"

After Su Chang walked in, he ignored Wu Fei, Jiang Haokun and his group, and his gaze fell directly on Xiong Kuohai and Jiang Lai. When he saw that Jiang Lai was alright, he breathed a sigh of relief, patted Xiong Kuohai on the shoulder and said, "Old Xiong, you've worked hard! Leave the rest to me."

Xiong Kuohai knew he was no longer able to fight. A helpless smile appeared on his face as he said, "Boss, I'm fine. Take care of yourself." His voice was weak, but full of determination.

·· ··Requesting flowers··· ········

"You're Su Chang?" Wu Fei looked at Su Chang with a sinister expression, his eyes filled with hostility and provocation.

"You are Wu Fei?" Su Chang looked at Wu Fei calmly, his eyes revealing confidence and composure.

"All of you, charge!" Wu Fei had confirmed that the person approaching was Su Chang. He personally led the charge towards Su Chang, believing that capturing Su Chang would be the key to turning the tide. His movements were swift and fierce, as if he intended to kill Su Chang.

Su Chang remained calm; a slight, disdainful smile played on his lips. He charged directly towards Wu Fei and the others, his movements fluid and natural, each action brimming with power and skill.

Jiang Haokun had a bad feeling again. He remembered the first time he encountered Su Chang and how he had taken down Su Chang's bodyguard. His heart was filled with fear and unease. He wanted to run away, but he found that his legs would not obey him.

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