Chapter 87
Destroy You in Minutes!
The voice attracted everyone’s attention and all eyes turned to it. Mu Jian-Feng walked into the auction hall under everybody’s gaze, accompanied by Jiang Xin.
"Who’s that old man?" someone said in a low voice, "He actually dared to stop President Huang’s bid? He doesn’t value his life."
"I’ve never seen that old man before. Where’s he from?" said someone.
"There’s going to be an interesting show to watch. Huang Yi-Hu put out the news that anyone who bid on plot thirteen would be going up against him. That old man looks like he’s gunning for plot thirteen. I’d like to see how Huang Yi-Hu deals with him," said someone quietly.
"Sigh. They must be outsiders who don’t know the situation here. He actually dares to fight with Huang Yi-Hu over land. He’s screwed," sighed someone.
The auction hall was filled with whispered discussion and the quiet atmosphere from earlier dissipated immediately.
Mu Jian-Feng ignored the whispering around him and his gaze swept over the seats, quickly spotting Xia Lei and Liang Si-Yao sitting in the corner. He nodded at them, then walked to the podium with large strides.
Before Mu Jian-Feng and Jiang Xin could get closer, the host asked tentatively, "This gentleman here, are you here to bid on plot number thirteen? If you are, please find yourself a seat and follow the procedure to place your bid."
"I am here for this piece of land but there is no need for me to sit. I’ll say a few simple lines and go," said Mu Jian-Feng.
What arrogance!
That one sentence of his made the auction hall quiet down again. All eyes went to Mu Jian-Feng again.
Huang Yi-Hu could not take it any longer. He stood from his seat in a huff and walked into the aisle, blocking Mu Jian-Feng and Jiang Xin’s way.
"Who are you?" Huang Yi-Hu tone was angry and threatening.
Mu Jian-Feng wrinkled his brows, "Who are you, then?"
Li Yu-Lan also stood and spoke loudly, "Mr Host, what is wrong with you? Weren’t you going to accept the bid already? Why have you stopped?"
The piece of land was valued at hundreds of millions and was worth even more but Huang Yi-Hu was suppressing his compet.i.tors to become the only bidder at 81,000,000. This was actually illegal and the host knew the reason behind why there were no other bids but he dared not offend him either. It was good then, that this old man had appeared at that moment and interrupted the bidding. The host was, of course, happy to suspend the bidding.
"This gentleman here seems to want to bid on this piece of land too. I have no reason to bar him from partic.i.p.ating," said the host.
Li Yu-Lan begun to get a little anxious, "He’s bidding on this piece of land too? Did he put down a deposit? Does he have the right to bid? Take it out for us to see!"
"Get out of my way!" Mu Jian-Feng was p.i.s.sed.
Huang Yi-Hu looked like he had no intention of budging, "Didn’t you hear? You should show us what right you have. If you have no right to bid then you’re just here to make trouble. In that case, please get out!" He pointed towards the door.
Xia Lei walked over with quick steps, "Is there a dog in the way, Elder Mu?"
"There is one blocking the way but it is just a mantis trying to stop a chariot. If this can stop me then I’d have lived for nothing," said Mu Jian-Feng.
Huang Yi-Hu did not take Mu Jian-Feng’s words seriously and he looked at Xia Lei with malevolent eyes as he said, "So it was you making trouble after all, punk. You overestimate yourself!"
"Get out of the way," said Xia Lei.
Huang Yi-Hu did not move; a curl of disdain appeared at the corners of his lips.
Xia Lei suddenly grabbed Huang Yi-Hu by his collar and pushed him violently towards the seats. Huang Yi-Hu was thrown onto the seats and landed in a dishevelled heap.
Huang Yi-Hu’s four bodyguards stepped forward.
The security guards and policemen on premises also came rus.h.i.+ng forward and the entire auction hall erupted in chaos.
"Quiet! Quiet! What is all this ruckus?" A male voice came from the podium. The voice was imposing and furious.
The chaotic auction hall quieted down.
"Isn’t that Mayor Hu Huo? He’s come too." Someone recognised the middle-aged man who had just walked up to the podium.
Xia Lei looked at the clean-cut middle-aged man and thought, ‘So that’s the major. He looks like a teacher but he has an imposing voice.’
Huang Yi-Hu crawled from the seats, fuming, but he had to keep his anger in check in front of Hu Huo. The gaze he turned on Xia Lei, however, was full of killing intent and he seemed to be more than happy to stab Xia Lei a few times.
"I do apologise, Elder Mu," said Hu Huo into the microphone, "I was delayed by something and couldn’t get here earlier."
Mu Jian-Feng
Hu Huo and Mu Jian-Feng shook hands on the stage, looking cordially polite.
Below the stage was completely different scene. Practically everyone was trying to guess the ident.i.ty of Mu Jian-Feng and some were also trying to guess who the young man who had flung Huang Yi-Hu to the ground was.
"Punk, who is he?" Seeing Mayor Hu Huo and Mu Jian-Feng shake hands warmly, Huang Yi-Hu lost some confidence and started to feel a little afraid.
Xia Lei sneered, "Why, weren’t you being very arrogant earlier? You know how to be afraid now?"
"Afraid?" Huang Yi-Hu said, "I, Huang Yi-Hu, have never known the shape of the word ‘afraid’."
"You mean He Lao-Qi, don’t you?" said Xia Lei.
"You’ll die." Huang Yi-Hu’s voice carried a heavy threat.
Xia Lei laughed, "Of course I’ll die, but I’ll definitely die after you do. Your days are numbered."
At that moment, Mu Jian-Feng walked to the microphone on the stage and opened a doc.u.ment which Jiang Xin had handed to him. He started reading slowly, "The auction for Hai-Zhu City’s plot number thirteen has been temporarily cancelled because of special circ.u.mstances. This piece of land is now requisitioned by China Industrial Group for the purpose of building a manufacturing enterprise related to national defense…"
The entire auction hall was silent.
Who could protest when a government-owned enterprise used this sort of reason to procure land?
Don’t even talk about Huang Yi-Hu, even the Gu clan would have to step aside!
Mu Jian-Feng had not yet finished reading the doc.u.ment but Huang Yi-Hu’s face was already ashen. His wife and himself had ruined relations.h.i.+ps with Hai-Zhu surface bosses and invested heavily the past few weeks for this piece of land. They’d thought that their efforts would bring them a handsome profit but it had all been for naught!
Huang Yi-Hu and Li Yu-Lan glared at Xia Lei. The two of them were so mad that they would be more than happy to rend Xia Lei’s flesh and drink his blood!
Xia Lei, on the other hand, looked rather carefree. He smiled, "Boss Huang, don’t forget our bet. I’m still waiting to bring you to my friend’s grave and have you kneel and kowtow."
Huang Yi-Hu ground his teeth quite audibly.
Just then, Mu Jian-Feng finished reading the doc.u.ment and he added one more line into the microphone, "Mr Xia, please come up."
Xia Lei went up the stage.
Liang Si-Yao followed Xia Lei for two steps, then wrinkled her brows and said awkwardly, "Go on, Chairman Xia. I… have to go to the ladies."
"Okay, come back right after," said Xia Lei.
Liang Si-Yao walked towards the restrooms.
Huang Yi-Hu suddenly shot a look at his bodyguards and they fell in behind him.
Xia Lei went onstage and greeted politely, "h.e.l.lo Elder Mu, Mayor Hu. What do you need me for?"
Mu Jian-Feng laughed, "You tell him, Little Hu."
Hu Huo handed a thick doc.u.ment envelope to Xia Lei and said, "This is the certificate for the right of use of plot number thirteen. It’s yours now. Afterwards, you’ll have to go to the Land Bureau to pay the fee of one million and you can then build your machining plant."
One million for a piece of land worth hundreds of millions – Xia Lei had done it.
"Thank you. Thank you, Elder Mu. Thank you, Mayor Hu." Xia Lei was very moved.
Mu Jian-Feng laughed, "What thanks? You only have the right to use the land, not to sell or transfer rights. If you want to sell it off you’ll have to spend a fortune to make it happen. I won’t let you off."
Xia Lei chuckled, "That won’t happen. Definitely not."
Hu Huo looked at Xia Lei and spoke cordially, "Mr Xia, I’ve heard some amazing things about you from Elder Mu. I did not initially agree to it when Elder Mu first talked about procuring this piece of land. When I heard that it was to be used to build a company for our own local talent, and to process parts that could only be imported from Europe and America, I agreed immediately. I’ve thought it over and if I sold that land to developers to build condominiums, it would only bring the government a bit of profit but if I hand it to you to build your machining plant, it would bring a long-term benefit. I am optimistic about you, young man. Work hard and strive to turn your company into a world-cla.s.s international enterprise."
His words were all positive and Xia Lei was very touched by them. If there were more men like Hu Huo and Mu Jian-Feng in leaders.h.i.+p positions, China’s dream would not be just a dream.
"Go, boy. Do what you need to do," said Mu Jian-Feng.
"Yes. Goodbye, Elder Mu. Goodbye, Mayor Hu," said Xia Lei politely.
"Right, Mr Xia, remember to look for me if you have any problems," said Hu Huo.
Xia Lei nodded, "Yes. Thank you, Mayor Hu."
Xia Lei walked off the stage. Hu Huo smiled, "This boy’s not bad. He is modest and polite."
Mu Jian-Feng’s lip curled, "Oh, you haven’t seen his stubborn side. I think he’s an ox who doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. However, our country needs more oxen like him. Haha."
The land auction continued but Huang Yi-Hu and Li Yu-Lan were in no mood to hang around. They left their seats and went down the aisle towards the doorway of the auction hall.
Xia Lei strode over, "Stop right there, Huang Yi-Hu."
Huang Yi-Hu looked back at Xia Lei and spoke fiercely, "Punk. Don’t anger me now."
"Have you forgotten our bet? You didn’t get plot number thirteen so according to our bet, you have to go with me to my friend’s grave and kneel and kowtow," said Xia Lei.
"Bet?" Huang Yi-Hu sneered, "I did sign a written pledge but it was in jest. You can sue me if you’re not happy."
Li Yu-Lan added, "I advise you to know your place and don’t overreach. Oh, that’s right. You should go see your girlfriend. She’s taking quite a while to go to the ladies. She couldn’t have got into some accident, could she?"
Huang Yi-Hu laughed coldly.
Foreboding reared its ugly head in Xia Lei’s heart. He grabbed Huang Yi-Hu by the collar, "If you dare touch her I’ll kill you!"
"Let go. Let go or I’ll call the police." Huang Yi-Hu glared at Xia Lei.
Xia Lei let go of Huang Yi-Hu and dashed to the washrooms.
Huang Yi-Hu and Li Yu-Lan exchanged glances and followed.
Past a corridor and around a corner, the scene that met his eyes made Xia Lei stand still, flabbergasted.
Huang Yi-Hu’s four bodyguards were scattered on the floor, each of them sporting a b.l.o.o.d.y noses and swollen face. Liang Si-Yao was calmly was.h.i.+ng her hands in the restroom, as though the men on the ground were part of the scenery.
"You’re here." Liang Si-Yao saw Xia Lei and greeted him with a smile.
Xia Lei came to his senses and asked, "Are you… okay?"
Liang Si-Yao glanced at the four bodyguards on the floor and said with disdain, "Them? They’re not even up to par. If we weren’t in a government building I’d have broken their teeth."
Xia Lei was speechless.
At that moment, Huang Yi-Hu and Li Yu-Lan rounded the corner and their faces drained of colour when they saw the four bodyguards on the ground. The couple looked at sweet, thoughtful Liang Si-Yao like she was Medusa or G.o.dzilla or some sort of monster.
Liang Si-Yao walked over and pointed at Huang Yi-Hu right in the nose, "I am surnamed Liang. Remember that. My father is Liang Zheng-Chun, tenth descendant of Wing Chun. I am not afraid of you. You think you have a lot of people? My dad can make one call and the street will be full of his disciples! You dare to meet us on the battlefield? We will destroy you in minutes!"
Huang Yi-Hu said nothing but he was sweating buckets.