At an intersection several hundred meters away, a black rolls-royce lay quietly in wait within the shadows of the trees.
Xu Zhi leaned back against the leather seat, the cigar between his fingertips glowing with a faint crimson light.
He checked his watch, a confident, determined smile playing on his lips.
He trusted Xiao's abilities; within half an hour, he would have several hidden pinhole cameras installed in Jiang Cheng's Courtyard House.
Indeed, although he hated Jiang Cheng to the bone.
He wasn't an idiot; he wouldn't be so foolish as to send people in to kidnap him or take him out directly.
Since Jiang Cheng had powerful forces backing him, he would secretly film the situation inside his home.
One day, he would surely capture evidence that could destroy Jiang Cheng.
Just as Xu Zhi was contemplating various insidious schemes, the sound of rhythmic, uniform footsteps came from outside the car window.
The dull thuds against the ground caused Xu Zhi's heart to tighten.
He looked up sharply to see dozens of men in black had surrounded the car at some unknown point; their figures were lethal, and their movements bore the iron-blooded discipline of soldiers.
Even the light from the car's headlamps was completely blocked by them.
Xu Zhi's Bodyguards reacted instantly, pushing the doors open to get out, their hands gripping the batons at their waists.
However, before they could even speak, both of them were swiftly pinned down, their wrists locked behind their backs, unable to move.
Seeing this, a wave of panic instantly surged within Xu Zhi.
No way... could Jiang Cheng have found out?
No, that shouldn't be possible...
Those people had never failed a mission before...
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Xu Zhi pushed open the car door and straightened his back, feigning composure, though his voice betrayed a faint, imperceptible tremor.
"Who are you? What do you want? Do you know where this is? This is Kyoto! You dare surround my car?"
The man in black at the lead said nothing, simply stepping aside to clear a path.
Wang Sheng, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, strolled out from the shadows, his leather shoes clicking crisply against the bluestone pavement.
He glanced at Xu Zhi's pale face, flicked his ash, and gave a roguish smile. "President Xu? What a coincidence. My Young Master said that since you've flown all the way here from Peng City, he should invite you for a cup of hot tea. Will you do us the honor?"
Xu Zhi's face instantly turned the color of pig liver, but he forced himself to maintain the air of the son of the richest man.
He stiffened his neck and sneered, "Tea? No need. My Xu Family has a reputation to uphold in Kyoto. If word gets out that you treat guests like this, won't it sound bad?"
Hearing this, Wang Sheng let out a scoff and raised a hand to brush some dust off his sleeve.
His tone was flippant, yet it carried an indisputable sense of pressure.
"President Xu, you shouldn't say that. Not just anyone is qualified to drink our Young Master's tea. If you won't do us the honor, then we'll just have to 'invite' you inside."
As soon as Wang Sheng finished speaking, it was as if Xu Zhi had been poked in a sore spot. He violently broke free from the men in black holding him and pointed at Wang Sheng's nose, cursing loudly:
"What kind of thing are you? You're nothing but a dog begging for scraps at Jiang Cheng's side! You think you're worthy to speak to the eldest young master of the Xu Family? If you know what's good for you, get lost now. Don't let your presence foul my sight!"
The moment those words were spoken, the surrounding air instantly chilled. The men in black under the corridor, who had been keeping their eyes down, all looked up at Xu Zhi simultaneously, the coldness in their eyes almost tangible.
Wang Sheng wasn't angered. He stubbed out his cigarette, crushing the butt between his fingertips, a frigid smile curling on his lips.
He paced forward two steps, the sound of his leather shoes on the bluestone particularly piercing.
"A dog? I am a dog, that's right—but I am Young Master Jiang's dog. So what if your father is the richest man? In this territory of Kyoto, if Young Master Jiang wants to crush you, it's as easy as crushing an ant. Even if I, this dog, bite you today, do you think Young Master Jiang would even blink? Even if I pin you down and beat you right now, with one word from Young Master Jiang, your 'richest man' father would have to hold his nose and accept it."
After speaking, Wang Sheng tilted his chin toward the men behind him and said in a flippant tone:
" 'Invite' the Eldest Young Master Xu to the side hall to wait. Remember, don't let him get any bumps or bruises. Our Young Master Jiang is still waiting to have a good 'tea' with him."
Xu Zhi's face turned shades of blue and white at these words. His chest heaved violently, and he raised his hand to strike Wang Sheng's face.
But his wrist was only halfway up when it was gripped tightly by the man in black beside him; the force was so great his bones ached.
The Bodyguards under the corridor also took a half-step forward in unison, the dark muzzles of their guns vaguely pointed at him as a lethal aura rushed toward him.
The Bodyguards behind Xu Zhi tried to struggle but were immediately pinned with their arms twisted behind them, groaning in pain.
This scene caused his rationality to snap back into place instantly.
If he really caused a scene here, there was no telling how much he would suffer, and in the end, he wouldn't even have a shred of dignity left.
He gritted his teeth, violently shook off the hand holding him, glared fiercely at Wang Sheng, and snorted with a stiff neck.
"I'll go! Don't think you can stay arrogant for long!"
Looking at this display, Xu Zhi's face went from white to green. Knowing he couldn't escape today, he could only grit his teeth and sullenly head inside.
As he walked further in, Xu Zhi's heart sank deeper and deeper.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary old Courtyard House, the walls even possessing a touch of antiquity, but he never expected the security inside to be worlds apart from the outside.
Just as he entered the gate, he caught a glimpse of people standing in the shadows under the corridor out of the corner of his eye; they were actually clutching rifles.
It seemed this Jiang Cheng was at a much higher level than he had imagined.
The moment he stepped into the main hall, Xu Zhi's pupils contracted sharply.
His heart seized violently, and his brain exploded with a loud "buzz."
No way?! Xiao and the others had carried out hundreds of missions without ever stumbling, yet they were taken down by Jiang Cheng so quickly this time?
He saw Xiao and his group, their faces beaten black and blue.
With blood still trickling from the corners of their mouths, they were kneeling miserably on the cold bluestone floor.
Their heads were hung extremely low, not even having the courage to look up.
Seeing this, Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow and let out a tsk of feigned surprise.
He turned to the Security Team nearby and barked in mock anger, "Didn't I tell you to handle them gently? How did you end up making them look like this?"
The security members immediately bowed and scraped, their faces plastered with fawning smiles as they offered a lame excuse.
"Cap... Captain, we're really sorry! It was too dark tonight, we couldn't see the path clearly, so we were a bit heavy-handed. Pl... please don't take offense."
As soon as these words were out, the surrounding men in black couldn't help but let out low chuckles.
Xu Zhi's face turned so green it looked like it could drip ink. He glared death at the kneeling Xiao and the others, his eyes full of warning.
Sensing that fierce gaze, Xiao slowly raised his head, his eyes swirling with intense hatred like poisoned blades, wishing he could carve two holes in Xu Zhi's body.
But upon meeting Wang Sheng's half-smiling gaze, he abruptly lowered his head again, his jaw clicking as he ground his teeth.
Veins popped on his clenched fists, yet he could only swallow all his resentment and indignation back into his stomach, not daring to say a single word.
Xu Zhi was escorted to a chair in the side hall, but before he could even get comfortable, he felt ill at ease all over.
The bluestone floor radiated a chill, and the men in black under the corridor stood guard without blinking, their gazes like tempered ice, making his skin crawl.
He checked his watch three times. The minute hand had slowly crawled past half a circle, yet let alone a glimpse of Jiang Cheng, he hadn't even seen a cup of hot water.
A surge of anger shot up his spine. Xu Zhi stood up abruptly, about to lose his temper, when he was swept back by a sharp glare from the man in black nearby.
He sat back down, gritting his teeth, his fingers irritably tapping the table; the thumping sound was particularly jarring in the quiet side hall.
After waiting another ten minutes or so, Xu Zhi finally reached the end of his patience and roared at Wang Sheng by the door, "Where is Jiang Cheng?! He invited me for tea, so where is he!"