"I'll pay you double if you can keep up with that car!" Yang Chun dangled the bait.
The driver kept his pace. "This car is my life. I won't risk it for a few extra bucks."
Understanding that high rewards breed courage, Yang Chun slapped two hundred-yuan bills on the dashboard. "Add two hundred!"
Greed sparked the driver's ambition. He floored the accelerator, and the engine roared like a lion, shaking the entire car. In the Mitsubishi, Li Xinjian also maxed out his speed, but the SUV lost its edge on the smooth, high-grade highway. "Damn it, next time I'm getting a race car!" he muttered.
In her Ferrari, Liu Mei cranked up the laser sound system and drove even more stylishly, the car zipping along like a jet ready for takeoff. The rhythmic beat of disco music fueled the spinning wheels with adrenaline. At a well-lit intersection, Liu Mei decided to end the cat-and-mouse game. She suddenly spun the car around, leaving the Santana taxi and the Mitsubishi SUV scrambling behind her.
Both the taxi and the SUV made quick U-turns, pushing their engines to the limit to chase the Ferrari. The headquarters of Haizhou Pharmaceuticals towered in the night, its European-style facade illuminated as brightly as day. The Ferrari, like a marathon champion, reached the finish line first. Liu Mei hopped out and briskly walked into the building.
The Santana taxi arrived shortly after. Yang Chun leaped out and ran into the lobby, shoving aside the questioning security guards. Moments later, the Mitsubishi SUV arrived. Li Xinjian stepped out, pulling out his phone.
At the elevator, Yang Chun counted the rapidly changing floor numbers on the display. It stopped at the fifteenth floor. Reinvigorated, he entered another elevator. Li Xinjian rushed through the lobby, reaching the elevators just in time to see Yang Chun's ascent. He drew his gun.
On the fifteenth floor, Yang Chun stepped out into a maze of hallways, feeling momentarily lost. He quickly chose the right path, hugging the wall. The empty building was eerily silent, with only Yang Chun's footsteps echoing in the corridor. Suddenly, a group of burly security guards appeared, twisting his arms behind him. Lights blazed on. Without a word, they shoved him into a conference room.
A massive overhead light cast a harsh glow on the oval conference table, starkly contrasting with the surrounding darkness. Guo Xiaopeng sat at the head of the table, flanked by two bodyguards. Liu Mei, Fei Jingwei, Lin Xiaoliang, Wang Jingfei, and other core members of Haizhou Pharmaceuticals sat on either side, silently and coldly scrutinizing the intruder.
Yang Chun, maintaining his composure, even smiled slightly. He sat down uninvited at the opposite end of the table, casually lighting a cigarette.
After a moment of silence, Guo Xiaopeng coldly asked, "Who are you?"
Yang Chun laughed mockingly. "You killed my brother, and you still don't know who I am?"
Guo Xiaopeng was taken aback. "Your brother?"
"You're a man of the underworld, Guo. Stop pretending!" Yang Chun slammed the table. "Cut the act!"
Guo Xiaopeng frowned in disgust. "This is the headquarters of Haizhou Pharmaceuticals, not a place for street thugs to cause trouble. You're facing the leaders of a major high-tech enterprise, not your kind."
Yang Chun flicked his cigarette onto the carpet, pointing at Guo Xiaopeng. "Cut the crap! Don't put on airs in front of me! Why did you kill my brother?"
Guo Xiaopeng leaned back in his chair. "Your brother died tragically. You should go to the authorities, not cause trouble here. China is a country of law. I don't know you. Leave."
Yang Chun shot to his feet, shouting, "You don't know me? You must know Lin Xiaoqiang. How did you take over Haizhou Building? You ordered this bitch Liu to eliminate all your rivals? Dream on!"
Lin Xiaoliang, holding a paper cutter, looked tensely at Guo Xiaopeng. Liu Mei and Wang Jingfei remained expressionless, cold as ice. Guo Xiaopeng, unfazed, gestured to the guards behind Yang Chun. "Enough. Escort this man out."
Before the guards could move, Yang Chun swiftly drew a gun, aiming at Guo Xiaopeng. "I'll take you down!"
Before he could fire, Li Xinjian and a team of police burst in, swiftly disarming Yang Chun and pinning him to a chair.
Guo Xiaopeng's eyes gleamed with a knowing smile.
The sudden police intervention eased the tension in the room. Li Xinjian examined Yang Chun's gun, smiled, and tucked it away. Wang Jingfei watched impassively, as if the unfolding events had nothing to do with her. Li Xinjian ordered his team, "Take him away!"
Yang Chun, smirking at Guo Xiaopeng, was escorted out by the police.
Fei Jingwei approached Li Xinjian, shaking his hand earnestly. "Thank you! Thank you, officers, for preventing a tragedy."
Li Xinjian responded courteously, "Just doing our job." He nodded to Guo Xiaopeng. "Please continue your meeting."
Fei Jingwei and Lin Xiaoliang saw Li Xinjian to the door, and the security guards withdrew. Guo Xiaopeng remained seated, his face stern.
Returning to their seats, Fei Jingwei and Lin Xiaoliang noticed the tense atmosphere and fell silent. Under the harsh light, the core members of Haizhou Pharmaceuticals sat upright, silent. Guo Xiaopeng, without changing his posture, spoke as if to himself, "In the early stages of capital accumulation, some crude methods are inevitable. Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller did it, and so did Bill Gates when founding Microsoft. It's not surprising." He suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp, and intensified his tone, "But everything this Yang fellow said is a baseless slander against me and Haizhou Pharmaceuticals!"
Wang Jingfei, meeting Guo Xiaopeng's intense gaze, nodded slightly, her eyes inscrutable. Guo Xiaopeng continued, "Apart from our Hong Kong representative, Miss Wang Jingfei, everyone here is a veteran and pillar of Haizhou Pharmaceuticals. Our journey of hard work is open and honest, reflecting our sweat, dedication, wisdom, and life experiences. We have a clear conscience! We must cherish the noble reputation and image of Haizhou Pharmaceuticals as we do our lives. This is the soul of our enterprise, the foundation of our success. I hope all of you will be loyal crew members of this 'Noah's Ark' and work together to reach the shores of victory."
Moved by Guo Xiaopeng's heartfelt speech, Liu Mei's face flushed with admiration, tears welling up in her eyes. The others were also deeply touched by Guo's sincerity.
Even Wang Jingfei couldn't help but be moved by Guo Xiaopeng's passionate declaration.
On the coastal highway, a convoy of police cars led by the Mitsubishi roared past, lights flashing. The Mitsubishi suddenly braked hard, pulling over. The other cars followed suit, and the officers jumped out. Yang Chun, sandwiched between two officers in the back seat, stared intently at Li Xinjian in the front.
Li Xinjian, cigarette dangling from his mouth, pulled out Yang Chun's small, intricate gun. He gently pulled the trigger. With a "pop," a blue flame shot from the muzzle.
Li Xinjian lit his cigarette, then tossed the toy gun to Yang Chun in the back. "Fun to play with, but don't use it to scare people. It's illegal. Last year, a drunk used one to threaten passengers, claiming he'd hijack a plane. Got six months in jail. I'm letting you off today. Be careful. Get out."
The officers uncuffed Yang Chun and shoved him out of the car, slamming the door behind him. The convoy sped off, leaving Yang Chun bewildered in the darkness of the wilderness.