"Crash!" He Lei forcefully pushed the window open to the bottom, allowing the bitterly cold wind to rush into the room. The howling north wind instantly blew a path through the scattered smoke.

Liu Yunpeng took several deep breaths of fresh air, feeling a sense of relief. The cool breeze cleared away the awkwardness of his earlier smoke-induced coughing.

"Hey, Brother Lei, I asked the kitchen to prepare a few dishes at noon. I’m not sure if they’ll suit your taste." At this moment, Liu Yunpeng had none of the arrogance typical of a spoiled rich kid. He carefully placed the prepared dishes on the table, waiting for He Lei’s comments.

The quality of Liu Shi’s cooking was unquestionable. Having been chosen by Liu Fugui to take care of his family’s meals for years, his skills were naturally exceptional.

Putting aside the taste, just the appearance and aroma of the dishes were enough to make He Lei feel the urge to move his chopsticks.

One should not accept rewards without merit. He Lei, holding a cigarette with his eyes slightly narrowed, stared at Liu Yunpeng for a moment and asked in a deep voice, "Brother Liu, what’s the reason for your visit this time?"

Liu Yunpeng nodded, sighed deeply, and slowly picked up the special Moutai that had already been opened. He poured a small cup for both himself and his counterpart, then said with a troubled expression, "Sigh, Brother Lei, you might not know, but my girlfriend, Li Huiru, didn’t come home all night since yesterday. She’s missing."

He Lei thought to himself that this kid was indeed here for this matter, but what did it have to do with him? Could it be that he suspected it was his doing? He Lei remained expressionless and said, "Really? How could that be? Didn’t the factory implement entry and exit controls? I can’t even get out; how could your woman?"

"Heh!" Liu Yunpeng’s eyes suddenly became sharp. He abruptly raised his head to meet He Lei’s gaze and said, "Brother Lei is right; if even you can’t get out, how could she? But someone said she had a handwritten pass signed by my dad. The crucial thing is, upon final examination, it turns out this pass is a forgery."

"Nonsense!" He Lei slammed his hand on the table, sending the dishes nearly toppling over. "Who? That bastard must have a death wish to forge Liu’s handwriting. He must be tired of living."

Liu Yunpeng thought He Lei was genuinely angry and was secretly pleased with how smoothly things were progressing.

Unbeknownst to him, He Lei was merely putting on a show for him. He Lei knew exactly who this reckless person was, but to lure Liu Yunpeng into doing his bidding, he needed to slowly draw him into a trap.

"Who else could it be? Brother Lei, can’t you see?"

He Lei continued to feign ignorance, while Liu Yunpeng, seeing this, became a bit anxious and said, "Brother Lei, this factory is so big, who else besides my dad can manage all the affairs here, big or small, but..."

"Ahem!" He Lei suddenly coughed loudly, interrupting Liu Yunpeng. Ignoring the other’s puzzled gaze, he pulled a square device from his pocket and pressed a button. A red indicator light lit up. After all this, He Lei explained, "A jammer. Careful, walls have ears!"

Liu Yunpeng finally realized that the other party was blocking the room’s listening devices: "Brother Lei, so there’s listening equipment in your room?"

He knew the factory had surveillance devices, but he never expected a senior official like He Lei would have such equipment in his room. This was really...

He Lei downed his drink in a gulp, "Every room in the factory has listening equipment. Previously, I wasn’t worried about being monitored, but ever since Huang Yong took power, have you noticed I’m restricted to the factory every day? So I’m afraid the monitoring of this house has been reactivated too."

It seemed He Lei was not as simple-minded as people said. Liu Yunpeng initially thought of him as a fool, but never considered that the opponents he faced in the past were beyond what Liu Yunpeng could comprehend.

Perhaps in front of Huang Yong and Liu Fugui, He Lei might seem exposed and without secrets. But in front of Liu Yunpeng, he was definitely an old fox who had roamed the streets for years.

Upon hearing the name Huang Yong, Liu Yunpeng felt his blood boil. He too grabbed his cup and drank it down, slamming it onto the table with a loud "bang!" He shouted angrily, "Brother Lei, the person I’m talking about is this bastard Huang Yong! He’s the one who took my woman!" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Liu Yunpeng’s chest rose and fell erratically, like an old bellows wheezing "huffing, huffing!" But in contrast, He Lei seemed unperturbed, leisurely picking peanuts and slowly munching one by one. With crisp "crunch, crunch" sounds, he inserted unemotionally, "Hard to believe, I may not like Huang Yong much, but knowing him, I don’t think he’d dare do something like this."

Faced with He Lei’s indifferent attitude, how could Liu Yunpeng not be anxious? The fact that He Lei seemed to be defending Huang Yong made him want to hit him to check if he had a fever or something.

Unfortunately, it was He Lei he was dealing with. If he did that, it would be lighting a fuse. He knew that with He Lei’s explosive temper, if he enraged him, he wouldn’t care about Liu Yunpeng’s identity as "Liu Fugui’s son."

Moreover, he was there to form alliances, not to argue or pick fights.

Refilling both their cups, Liu Yunpeng gestured for a toast, and He Lei acknowledged it without even raising his eyes.

Once they had both drunk, Liu Yunpeng suppressed his rising anger and said patiently, "Brother Lei, one can never be too sure, especially with men. Lust is a sharp blade. I can’t say for sure, but my woman is of top-notch figure and looks, so Huang Yong may have become lustful. Also, even if it wasn’t him, maybe it was his men, yet he refuses to admit it, insisting my woman forged it herself. Isn’t that just blatant lying?"

He Lei nodded subconsciously. Seeing He Lei’s response, Liu Yunpeng gained momentum and continued, "Moreover, last time representatives from the factory came, and they got into a conflict with me. They even slapped me, so of course I fought back. But guess what? Huang Yong was right there, and not only did he not help, but he also mocked me, saying not to delay his important duties. Brother Lei, does this sound reasonable? Who does he think he is? The lord of the world? Dammit, isn’t he just a dog raised by the Liu Family? Now even a dog dares speak like that to its master. If we let this go on, there’s no end to it!"

Dog! He Lei’s eyebrow twitched lightly, unnoticed by Liu Yunpeng, who didn’t realize that by calling Huang Yong a dog, he was indirectly saying everyone in the factory, including He Lei, whom he was trying hard to win over, were dogs raised by the Liu Family. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)