Chapter 161: The Wind Rises (Please Subscribe and Vote!)

In the First Reception Room, Lu Kun and Chu Weiping were getting along famously.

“Lawyer Chu, I’m leaving this matter entirely in your hands.” Lu Kun rose and gave Chu Weiping a half-bow.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly accept such a gesture. Everyone in the business knows that I, Chu Weiping, take people’s money and do their bidding. I’m not worthy of such a grand courtesy from you, Boss Lu. You’re far too polite!” Chu Weiping slipped the money into his briefcase, carefully drew the zipper shut, and said with a broad smile.

...

“Boss Lu, you go ahead and attend to your business. I’ll make sure this is handled beautifully.” Chu Weiping thumped his chest in assurance.

“Very well. I’ll have Little Li see you out.” Lu Kun escorted Chu Weiping to the office door, then called for his assistant, Little Li, to accompany him.

...

“Hello, Bamboo Pole. I need you to tail someone.” Lu Kun immediately returned to his desk and made a call.

“Brother Kun, just say the word. Who am I following?” On the other end, Bamboo Pole—the so-called Honest Man—sprang up from the sofa the instant he received Lu Kun’s call and hurriedly answered.

Of the Stone’s six chief enforcers, Honest Man Bamboo Pole was the least formidable in a fight and had the most forgettable appearance. Yet in Lu Kun’s eyes, he was actually the most outstanding of the lot.

Bamboo Pole was exceptionally quick-witted, one of the rare members of the six who made a habit of using his brain instead of relying entirely on muscle, as the others did.

“She just left the Hua Kun Holdings office building.

“She’s a woman of around forty, but she’s taken good care of her face and figure. The woman practically reeks of promiscuity. You won’t have any trouble recognizing her.”

After thinking for a moment, Lu Kun gave him a description.

Honest Man Bamboo Pole: “...”

“Brother Kun, what exactly do you want to know?” As the least honest of the six chief enforcers, Bamboo Pole’s eyes shifted, and he immediately understood. He hurriedly asked the question.

“I want you to arrange round-the-clock surveillance. I want to know where that woman goes over the next few days and whom she meets. Of course, if you can obtain recordings or footage of her conversations with other people, that would be even better.” Lu Kun smiled faintly.

“Consider it done. I’ll have the brothers handle it properly. Don’t worry, Brother Kun!” Bamboo Pole thought it over for a moment before answering.

“Remember, if you get hold of any recordings or videos, hand them to me immediately. I don’t want anything unexpected happening. As for the rest, record it as completely as possible and bring it all back to me later.” Lu Kun lowered his voice.

“Understood.”

After hanging up, Bamboo Pole immediately began assigning people and setting up surveillance.

He was somewhat puzzled as to why Brother Kun had gone out of his way to have him follow a middle-aged woman who looked so wanton. But he knew that completing the assignment came first.

Whether the woman happened to be Brother Kun’s latest change in taste and intended mistress was none of his concern. It was not his place to meddle.

...

Lu Kun greatly admired Bamboo Pole’s ability to get things done.

The man was a promising seed. With a little cultivation, he could become someone of real worth. When faced with difficulties, he knew how to think for himself and find a solution, unlike the other chief enforcers, whose thinking was terrifyingly simple.

The inner world of those other men could probably be summed up like this:

There was no problem a single punch couldn’t solve. And if there was, then use two.

Lu Kun: “...”

Although Lu Kun still had an intelligence department at his disposal, when it came to personal matters, he now preferred to draw on the forces under Stone.

As the Hua Kun network’s influence continued to grow and more eyes turned toward it, Lu Kun had long since decided to split off the intelligence department and transform it completely into Hua Kun’s commercial intelligence and investigation division.

The portion that was cut away would then go deep underground, specializing in collecting the dirt of those who needed watching. Only by holding leverage over them could he make them wary...

...

Lu Kun returned to his office and buried himself in the documents on his desk.

Brrring. Brrring.

“Hello, who’s this?” Lu Kun leaned his neck back and stretched, asking with mild disinterest.

“It’s me, Kunzi.” Stone’s voice came heavily through the phone.

“Oh? What do you want?” Lu Kun thought for a moment, puzzled.

“The wind is rising.” Stone paused, his tone even.

Lu Kun froze. It took him a long while to remember that Stone must be referring to the matter involving Xie Sanbiao. His expression changed at once.

“Stone, we absolutely cannot be the ones charging ahead in this matter!”

“Heh.” Stone gave a soft laugh. “Relax. I won’t get too deeply involved.”

“Good. We operate on the right side of the law. We can’t let ourselves get entangled in too much trouble. Matters like this are better left to the people above us. We can quietly lend a little support from the shadows; there’s no need to rush into the line of fire.” Lu Kun breathed easier and continued.

“I passed the information up through my uncle. I handled it very carefully, so no one should be able to trace it back to us. If this succeeds, my uncle might even have a chance to climb another rung.” Stone chuckled on the other end.

“Your uncle? Isn’t he serving as a deputy bureau chief in Gui’an?” Lu Kun asked in confusion.

“Haha, he was transferred to Nanming City at the beginning of the year and became deputy captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade.” Stone laughed heartily.

“Oh?” Lu Kun scratched his head. Stone’s uncle had certainly moved quickly. He had only been promoted to deputy bureau chief the year before last, and now he had become deputy captain of Nanming City’s Criminal Investigation Brigade.

Had he climbed aboard a rocket? His rate of promotion was almost comparable to that of Liu Dexin.

Still, Liu Dexin was ultimately the local authority—the man who governed an entire area. Stone’s uncle could not compare with him in that regard.

Even so, the Criminal Investigation Brigade had always been a lucrative post, with plenty of opportunities to line one’s pockets. Anyone hoping to strike it rich would find no shortage of chances.

An ordinary person could not easily reach such a position. It took more than a simple reputation for outstanding ability.

“Come on, it cost quite a bit. I poured all the spending money you gave me into it.” Stone explained.

So that was it.

Lu Kun understood at once. To put it plainly, this sort of thing was a matter of paving the way with money.

And it was not merely a feature of the present. Even in later generations, buying official positions and cultivating connections remained commonplace. There was nothing particularly shocking about it.

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Money can always be earned again. If you don’t have enough, just ask your brothers!” Lu Kun said with a smile.

“Heh heh, my uncle says the same thing. An official’s cap is worth far more than money—it’s genuine hard currency.” Stone crowed smugly before continuing. “As for asking you for more money to grease the wheels, that won’t be necessary. My uncle says a promotion that comes too quickly can leave the foundation unstable. He wants to spend a few years consolidating his position first. Then he can gradually recover the money he put into it.”

Lu Kun could not stand Stone’s habitual self-satisfaction, and he had no interest in asking how much money had been poured into the scheme. He hurriedly steered the conversation back.

“Since your uncle has passed this up to the people above him, we shouldn’t get too deeply involved. As for the brothers under you who took part in the investigation and evidence-gathering, it would be best to send them somewhere out of sight for a while.”

“Fine. I’ve more or less figured out Xie Sanbiao’s background by now. He really is deeply rooted. If we get on their radar, we probably won’t come out of it well.

“As for sending the brothers away to lie low, my uncle already mentioned it to me. I’m planning to divide up some money tomorrow and send them off to keep their heads down.” Stone sighed on the other end.

“...” Lu Kun.

“So you called me because you want money?” Lu Kun frowned.

Stone spread his hands toward the receiver. “I told you, I’m a little short lately...”

“All right, but it’s not a gift. Remember to pay me back when you have the money.” Lu Kun made light of it.

“Don’t worry. Once we pull this off, whether or not we manage to completely bring down Xie Sanbiao, my uncle will still be able to pocket a considerable sum. I’ll definitely have the money to repay you then.” Stone’s voice held a sly smile.

“Not bad, you rascal. You’ve worked the whole scheme out beautifully! First you spend money to get your uncle promoted, then you immediately hand him a major achievement so he can secure his position. And on top of that, he gets to rake in a large sum and recover the money he invested. Tsk, tsk, tsk...” Lu Kun clicked his tongue in admiration.

“How about it? Doesn’t it feel like you have to look at me with new eyes after three days apart?” Stone asked with a sheepish laugh.

“I’ll bet you anything that idea wasn’t yours.” A glint flashed in Lu Kun’s eyes as he chuckled.

“Hey, you’re getting frighteningly perceptive! It was my Sweetie’s idea.” Stone scratched his head, sounding extremely pleased with himself.

“Sweetie? Your new lover?” Lu Kun teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course not. By Sweetie, I mean my Hui.” Stone rolled his eyes over the phone.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk... Men in love really are like randy boars.” Lu Kun laughed.

“Go to hell, you...” Stone cursed with a laugh.

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