At this moment, the doors of the two Land Rovers opened, and several people jumped out, shouting:
"What does this mean? Is this how the John Wen family treats its guests?"
"We kindly came to see what was going on and wanted to help, and this is how we're treated?"
"These guys from Australia are so rude and have no manners!"
...
"Stop!" Ryusei, on the second-floor terrace, immediately shouted, her pretty face filled with murderous intent.
The bodyguards clearly listened to Ryusei more, and upon hearing the order, they immediately slammed on the brakes.
Frank couldn't help but turn his head, glaring fiercely at Ryusei, but he was helpless.
Liusha noticed his gaze and said coldly, "Frank, you're still too impulsive. Impulsiveness is the devil. If you continue to act so recklessly, you'll inevitably fail!"
At that moment, a young man, not particularly burly but exuding an exceptionally capable air, stepped out of the Land Rover parked at the back. He was about thirty years old, with a buzz cut, and deep, piercing eyes.
Looking at the surrounding crowd, he chuckled, "Is this John Wen's way of treating guests? I just happened to be visiting, but seeing the bright lights here, I was anxious because I knew Young Master Frank was staying here! I rushed over to see if there was anything I could help with, and this is the treatment I get! Tsk tsk!"
He shook his head repeatedly.
The burly men around him also expressed their disdain, saying that this foreign devil from Australia had no manners.
Frank roared, "You're clearly crocodile tears! Don't think I can't guess—this is all your doing! You're a despicable scoundrel, utterly shameless!"
"Where's the evidence?" The crew-cut man shrugged. "Young Master Frank, I think you understand better than I do that these kinds of statements require evidence. Without evidence, at best it's slander, at worst it's a crime!"
Frank gritted his teeth, about to grumble again, when Ryusei, on the back terrace, spoke up: "Guests are guests, Frank. Since they're here, let them in and have a good seat. Coffee or tea, we have both. Wouldn't it be better if everyone sat down and chatted, clarifying any misunderstandings?"
The crew-cut man looked up, his eyes lighting up, then laughed heartily: "That must be Miss Ryusei, right? Truly remarkable! Everyone says Miss Ryusei is the most outstanding of the younger generation in the John Wen family. It's an honor to meet you today! Much better than some of those who only know how to shout for violence."
And so, under Frank's burning gaze, these uninvited guests entered the very heart of the manor.
As for the fires, they had already been extinguished by the villa's bodyguards and staff. Strangely, the resort's management should have been aware of such a large fire, yet they remained silent and no one called the police.
And the John Wen family didn't even mention contacting the management.
In short, everything seemed to be understood without words.
Lu Chen, who had been watching from his guest room, now understood even more clearly.
The man with the buzz cut was none other than Du Ling, the head of Hong Qing Tang.
Lu Chen returned to the bedside. Xu Jiaqi sat up, her eyes wide, and asked, "Chen, is everything alright outside?"
Lu Chen shook his head, gently patted Xu Jiaqi's bottom, and said, "Those troublemakers have calmed down, but there's a good show going on. Jiaqi, I'm going to check it out, I'll be right back. Don't go, just sleep here and wait for me, okay?" As he spoke, his hand caressed her beautiful legs.
Xu Jiaqi deliberately said, "Why should I wait for you here? I'm going back to my room."
She sat up, ready to leave.
Lu Chen didn't speak, but simply blocked her way, giving her an extremely resentful look.
Xu Jiaqi tried to dodge him several times, but couldn't escape. Lu Chen's gaze made her uncomfortable. Helpless, she jumped back onto the bed, muttering, "You brat, hurry back!"
Lu Chen, pleased with himself, laughed and went out.
The building where Lu Chen was located was connected to the building where Liu Sha had greeted Du Ling and his group by an aerial walkway. Walking through the walkway led to the second floor. After passing through a short corridor, voices could be heard.
Following the corridor, a railing appeared. Looking down from the railing, one could see a luxurious and elegant living room.
Only three people were seated on the sofa: Du Ling on one side, and Liu Sha and Frank on the other.
However, many people were standing. Those behind Du Ling, and those behind Liu Sha and Frank, were all tense, as if a conflict might erupt at any moment.
Liu Sha was wearing a red robe, which, while still showing off her curvaceous figure, at least wasn't so revealing. For some reason, Lu Chen felt a sense of relief.
The three women were engaged in a heated exchange, some points sharply expressed, others more subtle, but Lu Chen's quick wit allowed him to grasp the gist of the conversation in no time.
Frank came to Yunzhou City this time with big business in mind. He'd spotted a plot of land, about 500,000 square meters, in the western suburbs of the city—a now-abandoned old industrial area. He planned to buy it through the John Wen family's branch in Fuhai Province and develop a second-tier Nice Park.
Lu Chen knew about Nice Park; it was the world's largest chain of theme parks, with numerous locations around the globe. It had different levels, from the smallest to the largest—Level 3. Even a Level 3 Nice Park would cost hundreds of millions to build.
This Frank wanted to build a Level 2 one; he'd probably have to come up with at least a billion yuan—definitely deep pockets!
Meanwhile, Du Ling also had his eye on that prime location. He wasn't planning on a theme park, but rather a large commercial district, including a shopping mall, commercial streets, food streets, residential and commercial areas, and all the necessary supporting facilities.
In fact, that investment wouldn't be any smaller than Frank's.
This leader of Hongqing Hall is quite wealthy! This was a battle between two tigers, and Frank seemed to have the upper hand, as he appeared to have better connections in official circles, with several high-ranking officials supporting him, making it easier for him to acquire the land.
Therefore, this greatly displeased Du Ling.
When those men in black stormed in and set fire to things, although Du Ling would never explicitly say so, Lu Chen could easily guess that it was Du Ling giving Frank a warning!
The message was clear: Frank, you think you can take that land from me so easily? Even if your Nice Disneyland project succeeds, watch out, I'll burn it down!
Du Ling was indeed ruthless; while ordering his men to set the fire and escape, he immediately came to offer his condolences. In fact, his words were full of threats.
"Young Master Frank, I won't lie to you, but in Yunzhou City, many people have a serious xenophobic mentality, especially towards foreigners. If you don't believe me, I can give you some data to show you examples of how foreigners, including Japanese, Germans, and Americans, have been rejected when trying to do business in Yunzhou City over the years."
Du Ling, with his legs crossed, said with a forced smile, "I reckon that the fire prevention visit was a warning to you not to do anything reckless! Although I admire your Nice Disneyland, it's very beautiful, but building it on our territory might lead to the same situation later! That would be serious."
Frank jumped to his feet: "Du Ling, if you dare to be so audacious, let me tell you! I have connections in your country from the city level to the central government. Be careful, you might face annihilation!"
"Utter disaster? I'm terrified!" Du Ling revealed a ferocious, beast-like grin, chuckling, "Young Master Frank, I'm genuinely terrified, so I wouldn't dare burn your things, not even a single hair. I'm just kindly reminding you. Please don't bite the hand that feeds you!"
His tone betrayed a deliberate fear, but it was all arrogance.
A small-time Hongqing Hall was no match for the John Wen family, which wielded considerable influence worldwide.
However, firstly, Du Ling had powerful backers; secondly, the investment plan for Nice Disneyland was drafted by Frank himself, and its success would be an achievement he could report to the family. However, this had nothing to do with the family's development direction, so it wouldn't actually receive much support from the family.
Therefore, Du Ling felt completely confident in his ability to control the situation.
Ryuse, who had been listening intently, spoke up: "Why can't we have a win-win solution? Mr. Du, I know you are very capable and influential, and you are also aware of our strength. If we cooperate, it will definitely be a powerful alliance, creating an even more brilliant future!"
Upon hearing this, Frank and Du Ling simultaneously uttered three words: "Impossible!"
Then, they exchanged a glance. Frank's eyes were filled with anger, while Du Ling's were icy cold.
A powerful alliance—easier said than done. Their investment areas were completely different, and each had their own agenda. It would be a miracle if they didn't clash, let alone a win-win situation!
Du Ling said, enunciating each word clearly, "To put it bluntly, I'm taking that land. I'm going to build my business brand there. If Young Master Frank is interested in investing in Yunzhou City, don't worry, I'll support you. I'll help you find another piece of land."
"Bullshit!" Frank roared, "I'm taking that land too! Paradise, I'm determined to have it! Du Ling, don't think you can do anything to me just because you're the tyrant of Yunzhou City! I can call my friends in the officialdom to deal with you anytime!"
Du Ling sneered, "Oh ho, who doesn't have a few friends in the officialdom? If you've got the guts, call the army to wipe me out!"
As he spoke, he remembered someone. It was this person who had actually brought in the army and wiped out Caishentang, a force comparable to his own Hongqingtang, overnight. That thunderous strike was too powerful; that person was a true king.
Fortunately, he wasn't an enemy of that person; they were friends.
This situation left Liu Sha feeling distressed. She didn't want to get involved in this kind of thing, but Frank was still her brother, no matter what. Just as she was racking her brains, a slow, leisurely voice suddenly drifted over from above:
"There are too many commercial centers and shopping malls now, Lao Du, the competition is fierce! You should have done your research, right? In the entire Yunzhou City, there are seven large commercial centers alone!"