Chapter 75 - The Mafia Kings Awakening - Jealousy (4)
He felt a chill run across his spine. The years of training had honed his intuition to detect when anybody specifically stared at him. He would feel it in his bones. He shut his eyes and maximized his focus on his hearing.
Mo Huojin smiled. "Come out the four of you. I know you want to talk to me."
As he expected, four figures slowly crept out of the shadow and faced him. The four men stood in four different directions, keeping him covered within a perimeter and blocking his exit.
Mo Huojin said, "May I help you?"
Once again, they were the same four men who had the task to keep an eye on Lihua. As soon as Lihua left, they contacted the other members of Shadow Eagle to follow her home while they captured Mo Huojin here.
The leader coldly said, "Come with us."
Mo Huojin smiled. "May I know the reason?"
"No. We have orders to bring you to a certain someone. No questions asked. It is in your best interests to come with us without doing anything funny."
His three subordinates pointed his gun at him. "Don't you dare move an inch or we have the liberty to kill you here right now."
Mo Huojin kept silent with a thousand scenarios running through his mind.
Are they related to the Mafia King? It seems that way. Then does that mean that they got a sniff of Song Jia's investigation?
He squinted his eyes.
That cannot be the case. I was careful. But then why would they target me otherwise?
"Don't think anything funny, buddy. You are thinking something and it's in your best interests not to."
Mo Huojin said, "I am just wondering who you are. I don't seem to have offended anybody recently."
"You have offended somebody and that is why you are in trouble. Just shut your trap and come with us."
Mo Huojin didn't have much choice. In fact, he found this as a good chance.
"Alright then. Take me to the man who I have seemingly offended. I am sure it is just a misunderstanding."
---
The moment when Mo Huojin stood in front of Wei, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression was when he felt that it may be indeed related to Song Jia.
But he wasn't worried about himself.
Song Lihua...if this is really about Song Jia, then is Song Lihua here too?
He took a quick and discreet scan of his surroundings but didn't find her anywhere.
Maybe they still have their suspicions only on me.
Wei was apathetic the whole time as he had propped his elbow on the armrest and stared straight at him without much change in his expression. But beneath his indifference, he held a storm in his heart that refused to calm down.
Mo Huojin didn't back down from the staring competition either. He challenged him head-on.
Jiang Wei. The only man left for me to investigate and whose chances of being the Mafia King are the highest, Mo Huojin thought.
He smiled. "CEO Jiang. What a pleasure to meet you again. I am sorry we couldn't talk much at the bar. But this is sure one nice way of greeting me to continue our conversation."
Wei didn't respond.
"Such insolence!"
One of the four men kicked on his knee and forced him to kneel. "Don't talk to Boss unless he allows you to or there will be no next time!"
Mo Huojin didn't bother with the pain that shot up in his knee.
There was silence for a long time before Wei finally parted his lips to speak. "What is your motive in approaching Lihua?"
Mo Huojin slightly narrowed his eyes.
historical
Song Lihua? Why is he asking about her?
"I don't understand, CEO Jiang."
"You understand it very well," Wei quietly said, "Why are you meeting her so frequently these days is what I want to know."
Mo Huojin failed to grasp the context of this conversation. He thought he would grill him about Song Jia, but here he was asking about her sister.
He slowly asked, "And why do you want to know that?"
The leader kicked him in the stomach hard. "Don't dare question Boss! You will only answer you piece of shit!"
Wei raised his palm that signaled him to retreat. The leader respectfully took a step back.
Mo Huojin held his stance. Wei said, "I have every right to know. She is my woman after all."
This was the first time that there was a visible change in Mo Huojin's expression. The words rang in his ears.
"Your woman? Who?"
"Lihua."
Huh?
Mo Huojin was dumbstruck. "Excuse me? Who is your woman once again?"
Wei felt irked at that question, but more at his disbelief as if he was lying. "I don't repeat myself."
Mo Huojin's head was spinning in confusion.
"Song Lihua is your woman as in your girlfriend?"
He said nothing. But Wei's silence led him to believe that he was agreeing to it.
Wait a minute. How is this possible? I know she likes Jiang Wei but his girlfriend? She never said anything like that. Plus...it feels as if she doesn't know about this.
This is hell confusing. Is she really dating Jiang Wei? If that is so, then is she hiding her relationship from everyone? Is that why she refuses to believe his possible connection to the Underworld?
But if she is dating him hypothetically, then why is he asking me these questions? He can just ask Song Lihua and clarify everything. And why would someone like Jiang Wei be interested in Song Lihua? Especially if it would be true that he is connected to Song Jia.
But still, Song Lihua's behavior doesn't seem to match with what he is saying..
Wei vacantly stared at him, expecting his answer. Mo Huojin asked, "What did she say about me?"
"Friend," Wei responded with one word.
Mo Huojin smiled. "That is right. I am her friend. Is it wrong for friends to meet?"
Wei tapped his index finger on the armrest unable to answer. His dark eyes narrowed as he said, "I don't accept this. I don't like this."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Stop meeting her. Don't approach her anymore."
"Sure CEO Jiang would also have a lot of friends, right? Some men, some women. Don't you meet your friends?"
"No friends. No women," he calmly stated.
Mo Huojin raised his brow.
Does he mean to say he has no friends and especially no women friends?
"Apologies, CEO Jiang. I am sad to know about this. But that doesn't mean that Song Lihua cannot have friends. You live your life a certain way. She has her own way too. You cannot dictate your way of living on to her. Song Lihua won't like you for that."
Wei slightly stiffened. He tilted his head and observed him.
"I am not stopping her. I am stopping you."
Mo Huojin rapidly blinked his eyes.
This man...He is just playing with words. So he doesn't want us to meet, but he doesn't want his good image in front of her shatter either.
He asked, "Why do you want to stop me? Isn't she your girlfriend? So what are you afraid of? You are the esteemed CEO of Jiang Industries. I am just Mo Huojin."
The four men from Shadow Eagle shot a threatening glare at him. They had their guns almost ready to shoot a hole in his head.
How dare he accuse the Boss of being afraid of him? He is the Mafia King! Like hell he would be scared of a peasant like you!
Wei didn't show any change in his stance, but his words managed to shake him. Yes, even if Lihua was his woman, he couldn't get the assurance that she was only his. Ever since Mo Huojin came into the picture, they have only drifted apart from each other. The confidence within him was trembling.
Some unknown emotions constantly raged his heart, making him feel frustrated. Anger was a part of it. But he couldn't understand what were the other feelings making him so disconcerted and threatened. He couldn't grasp why he felt insecure. He constantly compared himself to Mo Huojin, trying to figure out what was lacking in him.
He was the Mafia King. He never compared himself to other people because he was never taught to do that. As the man who sits at the very top of the chain and rules the Underworld, he was always told that others compare themselves to him and feel envious, not the other way around.
But for the first time, it happened. Against an average police officer with an average background, Wei questioned himself for the first time. Unknown to him, it was slowly taking root in his heart.
Anger and...
"I just don't like it. That's why I will stop you," Wei said.
Mo Huojin stared at him. "Are you jealous of me, CEO Jiang?"