Chapter 225 - 224: Trailed All the Way
"Wow, Mr. Lin, so Tianshu Manor is the Tianshu star of the Beidou Seven Stars. No wonder it sounded familiar the first time I heard it. I see," Chen Tianlong realized.
"Haha, yes, it seems you have a good eye, Chen Tianlong. Tianshu Manor is named after the Tianshu star of the Beidou Seven Stars. I’m not entirely sure why, but I’ve heard there’s a sacrificial altar in the manor, which is right at the sensitive spot of the Tianshu star."
Lin Batian shared what he knew with Chen Tianlong.
Indeed, Chen Tianlong was quite interested in this. Although he found it somewhat mystical, the things left behind by the predecessors must have their purpose and meaning.
"Who goes there?"
Suddenly, two men stepped out from behind the door. Clearly, they were gatekeepers or security of some sort. Seeing two unfamiliar faces, they quickly approached with iron rods in hand, looking somewhat wary.
"Hehe, we are friends of Tianshu Manor. Could you please inform Manor Master Sima Dong that someone named Lin Batian is here to visit?"
This was his wife’s hometown, so Lin Batian was extremely respectful regardless of the situation. It was a matter of respect for his wife.
"Damn, do you think you can just call Sima Dong’s name like that? No sense of propriety. He’s our manor master, do you know what that represents?" The young guard, a bit chubby, exuded a certain sharpness and slight arrogance.
"Oh, and what does it represent?"
Lin Batian asked with keen interest.
"Power, prestige, and status."
The young guard sized them up, noting that despite driving an Audi, they were likely just some nouveau riche, far removed from the likes of Tianshu Manor.
Not to mention the manor’s holdings, but simply the fact that every day, wealthy individuals come bearing gifts just to catch a glimpse of the manor master, seek advice, or get an autograph.
Evidently, these two were probably here to join in the excitement, so they surely needed to prepare a gift as well.
"Haha, understood."
Lin Batian took out a wallet from his briefcase and pulled out two thousand yuan, slipping it into the young guard’s hand as he said, "Young man, I really have urgent business with the manor master. Please make an exception."
Chen Tianlong, standing by, was speechless. This Sima Dong certainly put on airs. Even a son-in-law visiting couldn’t receive any special privileges, making it quite awkward.
It’s no wonder, since after Lin Batian’s wife, Sima Mei, died, Sima Dong held some resentment towards Lin Batian. After all, if it weren’t for him, Sima Mei wouldn’t have married off, become pregnant, and subsequently died.
And Lin Batian felt very guilty; his wife’s death was somewhat linked to him.
Back then, he was young and focused on the company’s affairs, traveling frequently. As a result, on the day of his wife’s difficult labor, he arrived only at the last moment, nearly missing the chance to see her one last time.
"Alright, I’ll go inform them, but I can’t guarantee whether the old manor master will see you," said the young guard, turning around and heading into the manor.
This left behind a tall, skinny middle-aged security uncle, still standing there. But these two men, Lin Batian had no impression of them; they must have come in the last couple of years.
About five minutes later, the same young guard came running out, sweat streaming down his face as he gasped, "Both of you... the manor master... invites you!"
His expression then became exceedingly respectful as he quickly stepped aside to let Chen Tianlong’s Audi drive in.
"Once inside, just keep going straight, the open-air parking lot is on the right," the guard hastily reminded.
Chen Tianlong smiled slightly, knowing that the guard must have received some directive, which made him so nervous. The two glanced at each other and smiled. After parking the car quickly, they began to walk inside.
Although it had been three or four years since he had last visited, Lin Batian still had vivid memories of the environment here. After all, it was filled with wonderful memories.
Back when he and Sima Mei were in love, they often had secret rendezvous in the manor at night, doing the things couples ought to do.
"Okay, Chen Tianlong, let’s hurry inside. Father-in-law must be anxiously waiting."
Lin Batian knew that no matter how heartless his father-in-law could be, he wouldn’t bear much hatred against a son-in-law, as it wasn’t entirely Lin Batian’s fault.
Outside the manor.
Profound Void’s black Ferrari had also arrived at the manor gate. They had already searched on Baidu during the journey that this was originally called Tianshu Manor, a very old manor whose master was a highly respected elder.
However.
What they didn’t know was that the most formidable thing inside wasn’t the wealth of the manor master, but the Black Panther Assassin Group controlled by Sima Dong.
The Black Panther Assassin Group had no major conflicts with the War Wolf Assassin Group led by Chen Tianlong’s third master, Ye Feng. Many years ago, they were one family; only Ye Feng knew what happened afterward.
Therefore, the existence of the Cheetah Assassin Group was the reason those dignitaries came to present gifts, clearly wanting to establish good relations, lest they get unexpectedly taken out.
If they had a good relationship with Sima Dong, perhaps when the time came for tasks, he might decline to take them.
After all, even among assassins, there’s a code of conduct; if they can take on a job, they only discuss the price. But if it goes against their principles, Sima Dong generally won’t accept it.
"Kong, it seems there are guards. We probably can’t go in blatantly," a henchman said.
"Damn, do you need to teach me? I’m not an idiot, of course I know what to do,"
Profound Void glared at the henchman, then drove the car to an empty spot and parked, saying, "Alright, everyone out of the car. We can’t get too close to the manor, especially since we don’t know what relationship Lin Batian has with Tianshu Manor. It’d be troublesome if we get discovered."
"Yes, understood."
The three henchmen said in unison.
"Okay, put on the masks, let’s start the operation."
As Profound Void spoke, they all put on their already prepared masks. After all, Lin Batian wasn’t an ordinary person, and if he noticed something suspicious, this kidnapping would likely fail.
Elder Hao had instructed them to capture him alive and then force him to sign over the company’s shares. This was the plan of Elder Hao from the Hao Family.
On the surface, the Hao Family seemed calm, but internally, the company’s upper management was like ants on a hot pan, extremely anxious.
Ever since the Baiyun Group’s project was snatched away by the Lin Group, the Hao family’s company started to lose its composure. Many clients gradually shifted their business to the Lin Group.
After the last financial crisis, the Hao Group’s stock market plummeted. Recently, they invested heavily in a bull market, initially making a big profit. Elder Hao, driven by greed, put most of the assets on the line, but the stock market crashed, nearly collapsing.
The Hao Family’s industry plummeted from its peak to the lowest valley overnight, leaving them with a funding shortage and causing an economic standstill, with the company facing the threat of bankruptcy.
In this critical moment, Elder Hao could only pin his hopes on kidnapping Lin Batian.