novelraw Chapter 146 Negotiation
Chapter 146 Negotiation
Li Fengche's smile froze on his face.
The air suddenly became quiet.
The silence wasn't peaceful; it was the deathly stillness of the last second before a storm. The entire banquet hall seemed to have been put on pause; even breathing was hushed.
Gu Yanshen stepped forward.
He walked slowly, his leather shoes landing on the marble floor with a sound that seemed to pound on everyone's heart.
"President Li, if you let me take them away, we'll leave peacefully."
His voice was very calm, as if he were just talking about how nice the weather was today.
"If you don't agree..." he paused, "then we'll see if we can't leave, or if your bottom line gets exposed."
Li Fengche's hand slowly clenched, his knuckles turning white, and the veins on the back of his hand bulging. He stared at Gu Yanshen, his eyes churning with complex emotions—anger, fear, and a hint of panic that he was trying hard to suppress.
"Gu Yanshen, you broke the rules." His voice was very low, so low it sounded like crumbs squeezed out from between his teeth. "If I were afraid of you, I wouldn't be able to survive here."
Gu Yanshen's gaze was calm, so calm it was unsettling. There was no anger, no threat, only the composure of someone who had weathered many storms. He looked at Li Fengche as if he were watching a child trying to stop a chariot with a mantis's arm.
Then he slowly picked up his phone.
The screen lit up, and it was particularly dazzling under the light.
"President Li, I know how skilled you are at this." His tone remained calm, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself. "If you don't let us leave, I'll have someone send it out right now. Everything on your island will be exposed instantly. Do you think those people you've controlled for so many years will still help you deal with it? Or rather, will they even have the ability to help you deal with it?"
Li Fengche's expression changed; it was a chill that emanated from his very bones, an instinctive reaction to having his vital point gripped.
"How did you bring your phone in here?"
Gu Yanshen raised an eyebrow, his expression carrying a hint of sarcasm, as if to say: What do you think?
"Of course I have my own way."
He put away his phone and took another step forward. Even though he was alone, and even though this was Li Fengche's territory that he had cultivated for many years, the aura emanating from him made him seem like the master of this space.
"I said," he softened his voice, as if offering a way out, "if you agree, we'll leave each other alone. If you don't agree, I don't mind playing along."
Li Fengche's gaze began to wander.
He was weighing his options, calculating, desperately searching for the most advantageous fulcrum. His gaze swept over Gu Yanshen, over the people being controlled behind him, and finally landed on another person.
----Song Zhihe.
Li Fengche's lips slowly curved into a smile.
"Are you trying to scare me?" His voice regained some confidence, even carrying a hint of triumphant smugness. "What if her things are exposed?"
Gu Yanshen's brows twitched slightly.
It only lasted for a moment.
"I have plenty of her videos and photos saved here." Li Fengche's smile grew wider and wider, as if he had finally found a bargaining chip to turn the tables. "President Gu, aren't you worried that the whole world will be watching? Your fiancée's acting skills aren't just limited to the screen."
Song Zhihe's face instantly drained of all color.
Her delicate face turned deathly pale, her lips trembled slightly, and she seemed drained of all strength, swaying precariously. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but nothing came out; she could only stand there helplessly.
Gu Yanshen turned his head and glanced at her.
That glance was very short.
But he reached out and gently patted the back of her hand.
"My fiancée's matter," his voice was steady, as if announcing an undeniable fact, "is between the two of us. Mr. Li need not concern himself with it."
Li Fengche was stunned for a moment.
He clearly hadn't expected Gu Yanshen to react this way.
"Perhaps," Gu Yanshen withdrew his hand, looked at him again, and even had a faint smile on his lips, "you could check how much stuff is left on your computer?"
Li Fengche's expression changed completely.
"Gu Yanshen!"
His voice was almost a shout, echoing in the empty hall and startling the surrounding guests who turned to look.
"Don't mess with me!"
Gu Yanshen looked at him.
His gaze was as calm as a stagnant pool, unfathomable.
"I don't want to be your enemy." His voice was very soft, almost like a sigh. "I said, I just want to leave with my people."
Li Fengche stood still.
His hands clenched and unclenched, unclenched and unclenched again. His gaze swept across Gu Yanshen's face, trying to find a flaw in that calm and composed expression. But he found nothing.
If those details fall into Gu Yanshen's hands, everything he's built up over the years will be ruined. But if he lets them go, he'll be forever controlled by Gu Yanshen.
This was something he couldn't tolerate.
He slowly raised his hand.
He made a gesture to the person behind him.
Lu Xiran stood behind Gu Yanshen the whole time.
She was completely blocked, only able to vaguely see what was happening behind her through the narrow gap between Gu Yanshen and Li Fengche. She saw the gesture just as it was made.
A person stood in the shadows.
The man emerged from the corner, moving slowly, like a hunter lurking in the shadows, finally waiting for his chance to strike. His right hand hung at his side, holding something in it.
It was pitch black.
----That was a gun.
Something exploded in Lu Xiran's mind.
She didn't have time to think about anything. No consequences, no fear—those thoughts didn't even have time to flash through her mind. Her body acted before her consciousness could.
She rushed out from behind Gu Yanshen.
Stand in front of him.
In that instant, time seemed to be drawn into a vacuum. All sounds disappeared, and all images slowed down.
She saw the man's finger on the trigger.
She saw the expression on Li Fengche's face change from astonishment to ruthlessness.
She could feel Gu Yanshen's burning gaze.
Gunshots rang out.