Chapter 149: The Third Young Master Wants to See You

Inside the hospital room.

Wu Long huddled in a corner, trembling violently.

'I wonder how much longer I have to live like this.'

His entire body was currently covered in minor scratches.

An itch! An intense, maddening itch!

Guo Lei stood guard at the door. Every time Wu Long tried to rush out, Guo Lei would coldly intercept him.

"You stay here quietly until Mr. Mu gets back. Understand?"

'Not even a chance to surrender. This is infuriating!'

CLOMP. CLOMP. CLOMP.

The sound of heavy, stern footsteps echoed from down the hall, and Guo Lei instinctively became guarded.

'Those aren't the footsteps of anyone I recognize. Who could it be?'

Guo Lei looked up, but before he could get a clear look, he sensed a blur arcing toward him.

The next moment, he was sent flying, landing limply in the hallway with faint breath.

His other men also fought back desperately, but they were powerless against such overwhelming force and were quickly knocked unconscious, one after another.

Hearing the commotion, Wu Long fearfully peeked his head out of the hospital room.

He didn't dare stick his head out too far. With Mu Lin backing him, Guo Lei had become ruthless; he'd beat Wu Long senseless the moment he saw him peeking out.

The beatings had left him with a psychological scar.

But the scene in the hallway left him utterly stunned.

'How did it end up like this?'

They were all down.

A few men Wu Long didn't recognize stared at him.

"What are you looking at? Get changed. The Third Young Master wants to see you."

There was only one "Third Young Master" Wu Long knew: the third son of the Di Yang Li Clan.

'Li Tianxiang is here?'

'A pity I've been locked up all this time; I had no idea he was here.'

Wu Long said, "The Third Young Master is in Anhua? What a pity I couldn't be there to greet him personally!"

"Cut the crap and get changed!"

Wu Long quickly complied. He put on a sharp suit and even combed his hair.

Most importantly, he shaved the thick beard from his face.

It made him look much sharper.

But the fiery itch all over his body was unbearable.

"Brother, do you have any alcohol?" Wu Long asked pitifully.

"I just saved you, and you're already asking for booze? Believe it or not, I could just kill you right here."

"Brother, you don't understand. My body is in agony, like a thousand ants are gnawing on me. Without alcohol to numb the pain, I can't last another second!"

The man thought for a moment, then pulled a metal flask from his jacket and handed it to Wu Long.

"Here. A pint of hard liquor. Should be enough, right?"

Wu Long took a swig and sighed. "It's not easy for you either, brother. Working for the Third Young Master and you don't even get good liquor, just this rotgut. How pitiful."

He had unwittingly struck a nerve. The man sighed and waved his hand dismissively.

"Just say a little less. The Third Young Master won't be happy if he hears this."

As the two walked side by side, a sense of mutual sympathy grew between them.

Guo Lei struggled to lift his head. Seeing him, a cruel smirk touched Wu Long's lips.

"Buddy, can you do me a favor and finish him off? I'm completely drained of strength; I don't think I can manage it."

"He's your problem. If you want him dead, you kill him. Besides, isn't it better to let him go and snitch? He works for that Mu Lin, doesn't he?"

"Let them gather, so we can slaughter them all at once!" The man added, clenching his fist tightly.

But Wu Long had no strength to kill anyone at the moment. He could only walk up to Guo Lei and start punching and kicking him.

Unfortunately, he was too weak. His blows served only to humiliate Guo Lei.

"That's enough. The Third Young Master is getting impatient."

Wu Long had no choice but to hurry after them.

Trembling, Guo Lei propped himself up and called Mu Lin.

Mu Lin was still at Huangshang Huang, drinking with the Liu Family. The atmosphere was quite pleasant.

The more they drank, the more Liu Yiming felt that Mu Lin was no ordinary person. Even the general manager, Lao Wang, hadn't left yet.

As the general manager, Lao Wang was normally the busiest person in the hotel, with countless matters requiring his approval. Yet today, he had stayed the whole time, pleasantly keeping them company.

'What does this mean?'

'In any case, Liu Yiming knew he himself didn't have that much clout. That old coot Lao Wang was definitely staying this long to chat on Mu Lin's account, all to curry favor with him.'

Liu Yiming gained a whole new appreciation for Mu Lin's influence.

Mu Lin's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, thinking he would have hung up if it were anyone else.

But the name on the screen was actually Guo Lei.

A bad feeling suddenly washed over Mu Lin. He feared there had been an unexpected development concerning Wu Long.

"Sorry, I need to take this."

Of course, no one would object. He immediately turned and stepped out.

Answering the call, Mu Lin asked, "What happened?"

Guo Lei said, "Mr. Mu, it's bad! A group of people came and took Wu Long! My men were injured!"

"How serious are the injuries? Were there any deaths?" Mu Lin pressed.

Guo Lei replied, "No, nothing like that."

"Go to the Holy Medicine Hall for treatment. Tell Elder Zhao to put everything on my tab."

"Yes! Thank you, Mr. Mu!"

"But Mr. Mu, there's one more thing. I overheard them saying something about a 'Third Young Master' wanting to see Wu Long. I think this Third Young Master must be someone important. You should probably be on the lookout."

'Third Young Master?' Mu Lin recalled what Lao Wang had just said about the Li Family of Di Yang City. 'Could it be that Third Young Master?'

After hanging up, Mu Lin immediately called Divine Doctor Zhao.

"Elder Zhao, some of my men will be coming by for treatment shortly. I'll have to trouble you. Just put the cost on my tab."

Divine Doctor Zhao agreed readily, thinking, 'Mu Lin is really something else. It's only been a few days, and he already has his own men.'

"Of course, of course. I understand," Divine Doctor Zhao said.

Mu Lin pocketed his phone and hurried back inside.

Lao Wang asked, "Mr. Mu, was it something urgent? With fine wine and beautiful women at your side, you still had to step out to make a call?"

Mu Lin replied, "Just a trivial matter, nothing worth mentioning."

After a moment's thought, however, he couldn't help but ask,

"Manager Wang, is there any connection between the Anhua Li Family and the Li Family of Di Yang?"

He asked because the fact that this Third Young Master specifically wanted to see Wu Long, of all people, made him very suspicious.

He wondered if there was another reason, besides corporate competition, for Wu Long's relentless targeting of the Li Family.

For example, that he had been acting on instructions from the Di Yang Li Family.

Lao Wang thought for a moment before quickly shaking his head. "You've got to be kidding. The Di Yang Li Family's enterprise is massive. What is the Anhua Li Group worth in comparison...? Other than sharing the same family name, I doubt the two are related."

Liu Yiming asked, "Mu Lin, what's wrong?"

Mu Lin said, "The Third Young Master of the Di Yang Li Family is making a move against the Li Group. I think it's too much of a coincidence."

The atmosphere in the room instantly dropped to a freezing point.

This wasn't something that could be laughed off.

If this was true, one wrong move could lead to the Li Group's destruction.

"But they're from the provincial capital... a powerful clan with a lineage stretching back a thousand years. God knows how much power they've accumulated. It's utterly hopeless..."

"Not only is every scion of the Li Family exceptional, but they also use their wealth to recruit top experts. The strength they've amassed is not to be underestimated."

"They have a say in all matters, big or small, within Nanjiang Province..."

Liu Yiming couldn't hide the admiration in his voice as he spoke. His Liu Family had been operating for a hundred years and was deeply entrenched in Anhua, but their power had never managed to extend beyond the city.

Alas, while fortune played a part, the other factor was that these great families were simply too deeply rooted to compete against.

After a moment, Mu Lin asked, "Is the Lin Family of Di Yang also famous?"

He thought of Lin Tian.

Lao Wang nodded. "Quite famous."

Liu Yiming added, "The Lin Family's strength isn't bad, but they fall short compared to the Li Family. They've botched several projects in a row, and some people hold a significant grudge against them."

Mu Lin's eyes narrowed. "I see. Everyone, let's drink."

They drank for a while longer, then Liu Qizhou suddenly blurted out, "Mu Xiaoyou, if you want to know about the Lin Family, you should ask Patriarch Zhou. He knows much more than my father and I do."

After all, the Zhou Family's main power base was in the government, so they were naturally well-informed about matters in the provincial capital.

Lao Wang was so startled he almost dropped his cup. 'What is Patriarch Liu implying? Don't tell me Mu Lin has ties to the Zhou Family as well? This is insane!'

'To have two of Anhua's most powerful families waiting on him... What an incredible honor.'

Mu Lin thought about it and realized it was a good idea. He immediately left his seat to make the call.

Zhou Qianfan declined the call. Mu Lin called again.

After the third attempt, Zhou Qianfan finally answered.

"Mu Lin, what's so urgent that you had to call three times?"

"Uncle Zhou, this matter is extremely important. I had no other choice..."

He quickly explained the situation, and Zhou Qianfan immediately grew vigilant.

It was indeed no small matter.

"Hold on, I'll have someone investigate..." After a moment, Zhou Qianfan said, "The connection is a deep one!"