"What to do? You ask me, who the hell do I ask? Let me be honest with you, there are two possibilities in this situation. One is that Huang Yong gave prior instructions; don’t respond to anyone except for his contact. As for the other, maybe the group that went out got completely wiped out by those damn Zombies and can’t come back."

"So, Brother Lei, which possibility do you think is more likely?" Liu Yunpeng actually understood very well. No matter which of the two scenarios it was, he wouldn’t be able to find out the truth of the matter, and thus he couldn’t catch Huang Yong in the act.

"The second one!" Lei Jun lit a cigarette: "I just contacted the other side using the highest level of frequency. Unless Liu had special permission, anyone in the group who receives communication on this frequency must respond immediately, or they’ll face family discipline!" Lei Jun spoke casually, but in reality, he was covertly trying to sow discord between Liu Family father and son. He implied to Liu Yunpeng that Liu Fugui might be the mastermind behind it all.

Unfortunately, Liu Yunpeng didn’t think along those lines; he strangely asked Lei Jun: "Brother Lei, maybe those bastards followed Huang Yong’s instructions, kidnapped Li Huiru, and haven’t come back yet, right?"

Lei Jun squinted his eyes after hearing this, blew a smoke ring, and pointed at Liu Yunpeng’s head: "Little brother, use your brain, will you? What would be Huang Yong’s purpose for doing this? Oh, just to sleep with your woman and make you wear a green hat? Does that make sense? If this thing were exposed and Liu found out, do you think Huang Yong could leave the Factory alive? Not to mention, would his subordinates really be stupid enough to do such a shady thing for Huang Yong and end up stuck outside, unable to return to the Factory? In today’s world, who would be willing to risk their lives like that? Foolishness!"

Lei Jun’s words were harsh, essentially an insult to Liu Yunpeng, but the latter was not really paying attention to insult; he was simply frustrated at not being able to find a way to retaliate against Huang Yong.

Looking at Liu Yunpeng, whose face was full of bitterness as if he had swallowed a whole plate of bitter melon, Lei Jun stubbed out his cigarette, patted his shoulder, and said, "Little brother, things aren’t as bad as you think. You just want to teach Huang Yong a lesson, and that’s actually not difficult. You don’t need to make him out to be so complicated."

"Oh?" Liu Yunpeng looked up, his face full of anticipation, and humbly sought guidance: "Brother Lei, I’d like to hear more."

"Well, no matter how arrogant Huang Yong is, he’s just an outsider. In your words, he’s a dog raised by the Cheng Family, so his life and death are actually in your hands."

Lei Jun spoke effortlessly, but Liu Yunpeng didn’t feel confident in being able to threaten Huang Yong at all: "Brother Lei, you’re right, but you also know my father hasn’t given me any power!"

"Hmph, of course he wouldn’t. If I were him, I wouldn’t give it to you either. What can you do now? Just a kid."

"I..." Liu Yunpeng wanted to defend himself but found that other than indulging in pleasures, he indeed knew nothing.

"Alright, little brother, if you really want to curb Huang Yong’s arrogance, the first thing you need to do is earn your father’s trust. Huang Yong is so arrogant now because Liu is biased toward him. But if you, Liu Yunpeng, can do one or two things that gain Liu’s approval, then who do you think he’d choose to trust in the end, the outsider Huang Yong or his own son?"

Lei Jun’s words caused a ripple in Liu Yunpeng’s heart. Up till now, his methods to deal with Huang Yong were indirect and insignificant, but now Lei Jun’s suggestion was to face Huang Yong head-on, which certainly appealed to him.

However, earning Liu Fugui’s trust was easier said than done. He truly had no confidence in this matter.

Seeing through Liu Yunpeng’s thoughts, Lei Jun pressed on and encouraged him, "Yunpeng, you’re destined to be the successor of the Liu Family, and ultimately, the entire group will be yours to manage. So gaining Liu’s trust sooner is beneficial in every way. Otherwise, if you let Huang Yong continue to develop like this, pardon my frankness, your future looks bleak. Imagine if Liu got confused one day and handed the group over to Huang Yong, how do you think he’ll deal with you?"

Lei Jun’s words sent a chill down Liu Yunpeng’s spine, and he eagerly sought advice, "So, Brother Lei, what should I do? Honestly, I don’t know how to accomplish anything that would convince my father! "

"Sigh!" Lei Jun pretended to ponder: "That is indeed a problem. But don’t worry, little brother, there’s always a way. For now, you go back, and let me think about it. During this period, let’s stay in touch, rest assured, I’ll help you come up with a way to prove yourself."

"Thank you, Brother Lei!" Liu Yunpeng stood up to bow, but Lei Jun quickly pressed him down: "Don’t celebrate too soon, whether it works in the end is still uncertain. What you need to do now is adjust your mindset because once I figure it out, it’s up to you whether you’re brave enough to do it."

"I dare, Brother Lei, as long as I can prove myself in front of my father, even if I have to climb mountains of swords or plunge into seas of fire, I won’t bat an eyelid."

"Great, that’s the spirit we need." Though Lei Jun praised him outwardly, inside he was full of contempt, seeing you like this, forget about climbing mountains of swords or plunging into seas of fire, even if I tell you to go out and chop a Zombie now, you wouldn’t wet yourself — Amitabha Buddha.

"Yes, absolutely. Then, Brother Lei, I won’t disturb your nap, I’ll head back first."

"Alright, don’t forget to treat me to a meal if it all works out! I’ve had a taste of Liu Shi’s cooking today, and compared to the monotonous meals I have at the Factory every day, Liu Shi’s dishes are truly a culinary delight."

Liu Yunpeng patted his chest with a loud assurance: "Brother Lei, come on, as if it’s about one meal — if I manage to gain real power, treating you to good food and drink every day won’t be a problem!"

"Good! Let’s work toward that goal! Hahaha!" Lei Jun laughed heartily as he saw Liu Yunpeng off. As soon as he closed the door, his laughter ceased, and he began to seriously calculate the situation.

Standing outside the room, Liu Yunpeng looked up at the ceiling and reflected on Lei Jun’s last words, about earning his father’s trust. Right, his father had instructed him to finish reading those two volumes within two weeks. It seemed this time he had to put in some effort and strive to complete this task ahead of schedule. To pleasantly surprise his father.

With his decision made, Liu Yunpeng walked forward in high spirits, unaware of the figure standing by the window at the end of the corridor, whose gaze had never left him. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote your recommendations or monthly tickets to support the author, which would be the greatest motivation for me. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)