Chapter 236: Wang Tianshuang
"By the way, I looked into this hotel's background. Gongsun Long isn't the real owner. He's just a steward, a front man put in place to manage the hotel publicly."
Bai Zhi murmured to Zhou Fan, her eyes on the hotel in front of them.
"Oh? Who's the one behind him?" That was unexpected. It reminded Zhou Fan of the last time Zhang Long had initiated things, when Gongsun Long wanted his help saving someone.
"Qiao Yingfei, the second son of the Capital City Qiao Family. According to my intel, although Qiao Yingfei's mother isn't the official wife of the Qiao Family's Patriarch, she comes from an impressive background herself and is deeply in love with the Patriarch, Qiao Jin. That's why Qiao Jin funded Qiao Yingfei to open a hotel of this scale."
As Bai Zhi followed Zhou Fan slowly into the hotel, she heard his question and began to explain in a low voice. It was a habit of hers. Whenever she arrived in a new place, she would use her connections to covertly investigate the local powers and influential figures, all to make her own operations smoother.
"Not bad. Looks like your years in Dark Night haven't been for nothing," Zhou Fan said with a nod, making sure to tease her. His words made Bai Zhi want to drive a knife into his kidney.
"You must be Mr. Zhou? The young master is waiting in the private room. Please, come with me!" When the pair arrived on the seventh floor, a middle-aged woman was already waiting by the elevators. She spoke respectfully upon seeing Zhou Fan and Bai Zhi.
Zhou Fan didn't speak, just smiled and nodded. Bai Zhi's pupils, however, contracted slightly as she watched the middle-aged woman walk.
As a professional assassin and an expert in her own right, Bai Zhi instantly determined that the middle-aged woman was a master. Moreover, the power in the woman's legs had to be immense.
"Young Master, Mr. Zhou has arrived!" The woman went to the door of the private room, knocked gently, and made the announcement in a low voice. She then pushed the door open and gestured for Zhou Fan and Bai Zhi to enter.
"Mr. Zhou, you are a hard man to find. I've been in Nanjiang City for quite a while, hoping to pay my respects, but unfortunately, you've been away." As Zhou Fan entered, Wang Tianshuang slowly turned from the window, greeting him with a smile. Standing behind him was a middle-aged man: Uncle Fu.
And the woman who had led Zhou Fan and Bai Zhi there was, of course, Auntie Fu.
"What can you do? I'm just a mortal man, tied down by worldly affairs," Zhou Fan said lightly as he and Bai Zhi took their seats at the table.
"Mr. Zhou, I presume you know why I'm here, yes?" Wang Tianshuang, unbothered by Zhou Fan's attitude, sat down gracefully after Uncle Fu pulled out his chair. He picked up his glass of red wine, took a small sip, and leveled his gaze at Zhou Fan.
"I'm not entirely sure. Why don't you enlighten me?" Zhou Fan shook his head, a faint, unreadable smile on his lips. He studied the man before him—this Wang Tianshuang who bore a striking resemblance to Wang Tianhao, not just in looks, but even in his aura.
'He'd like to see what this brother of Wang Tianhao, who dared to come to Nanjiang City with only two people in tow, could possibly have to say.'
"Very well, allow me to be frank." Of course Wang Tianshuang knew Zhou Fan was playing dumb, but he kept the smile on his face, picked up his napkin, and dabbed his lips with the air of a gentleman.
"My name is Wang Tianshuang. My older brother, Wang Tianhao, and I are half-brothers from the same father. He was always very good to me growing up. This time, my brother met a tragic end here in Nanjiang City—at your hands, Mr. Zhou. As his younger brother, it is my duty to come here and demand an explanation. Furthermore, when my brother's mother—that is, the First Madam—heard I was coming, she gave me a specific command: either kill you, Mr. Zhou, or bring you back to the Capital City Wang Family."
Wang Tianshuang spoke in a slow, deliberate tone. Leaning against the doorway, Auntie Fu subconsciously took a step forward, cutting off the path to the exit. Uncle Fu also took a single, almost imperceptible step to the side. With Wang Tianshuang, the three of them now formed a tactical triangle, linking them into a single, coordinated unit.
Zhou Fan registered their movements perfectly but remained utterly unfazed. His eyes stayed fixed on Wang Tianshuang, and the corner of his mouth curled into a knowing, meaningful smile.
"So, Eldest Young Master Wang, are you planning on making a move? With just the three of you, though, I'm afraid that might be difficult." Zhou Fan spoke slowly, then picked up the wine glass before him and drained it in a single gulp, the picture of nonchalance.
"Indeed. We cannot defy the First Madam's command. However, Mr. Zhou, you are mistaken on one point. It isn't three people. It's seven."
Wang Tianshuang stared directly into Zhou Fan's eyes and said softly, "A few days ago, the First Madam sent another message to press the matter. But you, Mr. Zhou, were not in Nanjiang City. She assumed I was stalling and dispatched five more masters from the Capital City. Right now, I imagine they're just getting on the elevator."
"Oh? Your math is quite good, Eldest Young Master Wang!" Zhou Fan said with a meaningful smile. This was the second time he had addressed Wang Tianshuang, the younger master of the Wang family, as "Eldest Young Master."