“A venomous snake?”
Li Feng was stunned. He hadn’t expected Zhong Shuhui to describe Zheng Haoyuan this way, nor to regard him as more dangerous than Fu Yanxiong.
“Exactly, a venomous snake. Zheng Haoyuan is insidious, cunning, ruthless, and vengeful. From his actions over the years, he’s far more dangerous than Fu Yanxiong.”
Zhong Shuhui nodded and continued, “Young Master, by refusing to hand over those machines, you’ve offended him. He’s failed to deliver to Fu Yanxiong, so how could he let this go easily?”
“Then I’d like to see what Zheng Haoyuan’s capable of.” A glint of determination flashed in Li Feng’s eyes. Without this information, he might have been caught off guard, but now that he knew, it was different. He didn’t believe Zheng Haoyuan was that formidable.
“Young Master, you must not underestimate him,” Zhong Shuhui said urgently, seeing Li Feng’s lack of concern. “The president of the Fengyuan Group is Young Madam. Zheng Haoyuan couldn’t get the machines from her, so his target this time isn’t you, but Young Madam.”
She glanced at Li Feng and added, “Moreover, his sinister technique requires women to cultivate. With Young Madam’s beauty, even without the machine issue, he might have set his sights on her, especially now.
Zheng Haoyuan is unscrupulous. To find women for his cultivation, he’ll do anything. Though Young Madam has bodyguards, it’s easy to dodge an open attack but hard to guard against a hidden one. A venomous snake lurking in the shadows is impossible to defend against fully. Can you guarantee Young Madam’s safety?”
Li Feng’s face darkened. Zhong Shuhui’s words hit a blind spot. He had assumed Zheng Haoyuan would target him, not realizing that Hu Yuanyuan had been handling the matter all along. Zheng Haoyuan might not even know of his existence.
As Zhong Shuhui said, even with bodyguards, an open attack was manageable, but a hidden one was not. He couldn’t guarantee Hu Yuanyuan’s complete safety.
Li Feng didn’t doubt Zhong Shuhui’s words. If she called Zheng Haoyuan an unscrupulous venomous snake, even if exaggerated, it wasn’t far off. He wouldn’t underestimate such a person.
He had never imagined that what seemed like a minor issue could conceal such a massive crisis.
Guarding against a thief for a thousand days was easier said than done, and Li Feng knew he couldn’t manage it. Besides, he disliked this passive stance.
“From now on, Eagle Eye will closely monitor Zheng Haoyuan. The moment he makes a move, we strike first,” Li Feng said after a moment’s thought.
“Young Master, I think you’re still underestimating him,” Zhong Shuhui shook her head.
“How so?” Li Feng was taken aback. He knew little about Zheng Haoyuan, and Zhong Shuhui’s grave tone suggested there was more he didn’t know.
“Do you think Zheng Haoyuan is alone? Don’t forget, he’s backed by the Zheng family of Zhongyuan Province. Even if he’s not a key figure in the family, he could still mobilize their resources. In Tianhai City, do you know how much power the Zheng family has hidden? Eagle Eye, newly formed, can’t find out, and even the family’s intelligence network might not uncover it. The Zheng family’s status as a first-class family isn’t just talk.”
Pausing, Zhong Shuhui continued, “Moreover, those machines are likely wanted by Fu Yanxiong. What kind of support do you think he’s given Zheng Haoyuan? What if Zheng Haoyuan sends his men after Young Madam? Neither Eagle Eye nor the family’s intelligence network can fully grasp how many people Zheng Haoyuan has.”
Li Feng fell silent. Indeed, he couldn’t know how many men Zheng Haoyuan had. Without someone by his side to report his moves, how could he defend against him?
“Then what do you suggest?”
“Strike first,” Zhong Shuhui said firmly. “Only by taking the initiative can we resolve the trouble. Otherwise, we’ll remain passive and unable to defend effectively.”
“Strike first?” Li Feng’s body jolted, Zhong Shuhui’s words like a wake-up call.
Yes, why should he sit and wait? Why not take the initiative? If there were no grudge with Zheng Haoyuan, that’d be one thing, but now that conflict was inevitable, why not act first?
He had taken the initiative against the Black Stone Gang last time. Why not do the same with Zheng Haoyuan? Was it because of the Zheng family or Fu Yanxiong? Those weren’t reasons to fear. He, Li Feng, wasn’t afraid of either.
“Exactly, strike first,” Zhong Shuhui nodded. “Defending against Zheng Haoyuan is impossible to do perfectly. Young Master, don’t forget, beyond Zheng Haoyuan, you have bigger matters. Your real opponents are people like Fu Yanxiong. If you can’t even handle Zheng Haoyuan, how will you face them? If Song Zhiyuan heard that Zheng Haoyuan was walking all over you, what would he think?”
Though she said this, Zhong Shuhui had another motive: to test Li Feng. She wanted to see if he was worthy of her loyalty. His strength and the Black Hawk Team’s prowess were impressive, but she needed to gauge his ability to handle situations.
Zheng Haoyuan was the perfect test.
Li Feng gave her a deep look and said, “You’re right. I should strike first. Eagle Eye will fully monitor Zheng Haoyuan. I want to know his every move.” His eyes gleamed with resolve.
A flicker of intrigue passed through Zhong Shuhui’s eyes. “Rest assured, Young Master. Eagle Eye won’t let you down.”
She was curious about how Li Feng would deal with Zheng Haoyuan, but she didn’t ask. Her task was to monitor him and show Li Feng her capabilities.
A vassal chooses their lord, and a lord selects their vassal. While she tested Li Feng, he was testing her. Far from being displeased, Zhong Shuhui was pleased. This was the path of a true leader. She was confident that, though Eagle Eye was newly formed, it could monitor Zheng Haoyuan effectively.
“Anything else?” Li Feng valued Zhong Shuhui’s input. Having served Mu Chunfeng for so long, especially managing intelligence, the information in her mind was a treasure trove. Li Feng intended to claim it without hesitation.
He wanted to know more about Fu Yanxiong, Song Zhiyuan, Qin Feng, and especially the Emperor’s Pavilion, which had repeatedly tried to kill him.
But these were just thoughts. Zhong Shuhui hadn’t shared such intelligence, likely because Li Feng was still in her testing phase. Apart from Zheng Haoyuan’s information, she said little else.
Li Feng didn’t know her thoughts, but since she didn’t elaborate, he didn’t press. She had just joined him, and expecting her to share everything unreservedly was unrealistic.
He didn’t know that her loyalty stemmed from serving Mu Chunfeng, his mother, who had sent her to protect him. Otherwise, she might not have even warned him about Zheng Haoyuan.
Still, he believed that one day, Zhong Shuhui would share all she knew. That day wasn’t far off. For now, his focus was resolving the trouble with Zheng Haoyuan.
Unbeknownst to Li Feng, Zheng Haoyuan had already begun planning against Hu Yuanyuan.
