Negotiation

"This is..." Lucen's face was full of astonishment.

"Your son's compensation," Tang Long said. "Let this matter end here, shall we?"

His tone was calm, even negotiating, yet Lucen felt an oppression as heavy as a mountain.

Lucen stared at Tang Long in shock, unable to believe that this affair had become entangled with a man so powerful in Haitong City, a man whose influence knew no bounds.

Boss Chai involuntarily took a step back, even signaling his men with his eyes to put away their weapons.

He realized he was utterly unqualified to be a part of the negotiations that would follow.

"Is that agreeable?" Seeing Lucen remain motionless, Tang Long asked again.

His tone grew sharper, pressing down on Lucen until he could barely breathe.

"Agreed..." Lucen forced out the word with difficulty, sweat beading on his forehead.

In that instant, a thousand thoughts flashed through his mind. No wonder his son had died at the foot of Longyue Group's building. No wonder the Special Service Bureau kept silent. No wonder he met obstacles everywhere...

Tang Long nodded, patted Lucen on the shoulder. "Don't blame me. Your son went too far. There's five million in cash here, a token of my regard. If you ever need anything, you can come to me..."

Lucen responded with a wooden "Mm," his whole being dazed and spiritless.

His son had gone too far?

Just what had he done?

"Who's Boss Chai?" Tang Long suddenly turned to the large group behind Lucen.

"I am..." Boss Chai answered instinctively, but at Tang Long's chilling gaze, he shuddered.

A terrible premonition seized him.

He was right to be afraid.

The next moment, Tang Long strode up, looked him up and down, and suddenly lashed out with a kick, driving his foot mercilessly into Boss Chai's stomach.

"Ah—" Boss Chai doubled over in agony.

But it wasn't over.

Tang Long seized him by the hair, slamming his knee up with force.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Boss Chai's entire face went numb, his mind buzzing, something warm trickling down his chin.

After a while, Tang Long released him, and Boss Chai collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud.

"That will be all," Tang Long said with a gentle smile to Lucen, his expression as warm as a spring breeze.

Then, Tang Long turned and got into his car. His people vanished swiftly.

As the Maybach sped away, Lucen's terror slowly twisted into fury.

Five million, just to buy his son's life.

What worth was this!

Did having money mean the law could be ignored?

In a fit of rage, Lucen kicked over several suitcases, spilling bright red banknotes across the ground.

"My son..." Lucen crouched on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

He now knew who the killer was.

But he was helpless, for he could never cross Tang Long.

Boss Chai crawled up with difficulty, clutching his stomach, limped over to Lucen.

"Mr. Lucen, the real culprit is that deliveryman," Boss Chai rasped.

Lucen stared at him in disbelief. After all Tang Long had done, he still suspected Lin Qi? Was he out of his mind?

Boss Chai pressed on, "If Tang Long had just come to deliver money, there'd be no doubt. But he beat me up as well—I'm a nobody to him, when did I ever offend him? Think about it. We were just about to go after Lin Qi, and suddenly Tang Long shows up. Isn't that too much of a coincidence...?"

With this prompt, Lucen felt a sudden clarity, but still puzzled, he asked, "But why would someone like Tang Long help a mere deliveryman?"

Boss Chai shook his head. "That I don't know, but Lin Qi's identity can't be as simple as it seems..."

Lucen let out a long sigh. "No matter who he is, we can't afford to provoke him."

Boss Chai wholeheartedly agreed.

With Tang Long's protection, there was nothing they could do against Lin Qi.

Late at night.

Special Service Bureau.

In the archives room, a young female agent was carefully reading through files.

Her name was Sun Xiaoyun. She had worked less than a year but was already well-known in the bureau for her diligence and stubborn sense of right and wrong, often openly challenging her superiors.

Yet, she had solved several cases in under a year, and her background was evidently substantial, so the leadership could do nothing about her.

In the bureau, she was both the toughest and the most untouchable presence.

At this moment, she was poring over the case file of Lu Hao's death.

Although the case had been ruled a suicide, she found many suspicious points and could not understand why the bureau had closed the matter so quickly.

For instance, if Lu Hao had committed suicide, why choose Longyue Group? And how could such a large company, with its comprehensive surveillance, leave no trace after the incident? Moreover, Tang Long and the bureau leaders had been seen together far too often lately...

Given all these doubts, Sun Xiaoyun placed serious suspicion on Tang Long.

She slowly closed the file, fingers lingering on the handcuffs at her waist.

She had made her decision: she would find the evidence and bring the true culprit to justice.