Chapter 231 230: Bargaining

Tang Zhi was stunned when he saw her. "Sis, how are you walking around?"

Tang Shuang took off the gauze. "It's all better! This is incredible. It's only been such a short time..."

Mu Lin stepped forward to examine her. "It has indeed improved quite a bit, but you can't do any high-intensity exercise yet. Take it easy, you hear?"

Tang Shuang nodded. "Of course, I know! I'll definitely be careful when I walk! I've been cooped up for days, I'm bored to death. Just let me come out with you guys for a walk, please?"

Tang Zhi said, "But what we have to do later is a pretty big deal. It's not a good idea to bring you along."

But Tang Shuang retorted, "Bro, if I hadn't gotten hurt, would you have even come back? Do you even remember the last time you were home for a holiday?"

Tang Zhi was speechless.

His work was incredibly busy. A lot of tasks were piled up waiting to be done, and more kept coming in from time to time.

There was almost no room in his schedule to spend time with Tang Shuang.

It was sad enough that the siblings only had each other, but Tang Zhi was also trapped by his work, unable to get away.

She had truly been wronged.

Mu Lin patted Tang Zhi's shoulder. "It shouldn't be a big problem this time. After all, we're just making peace with Su Longfei. Bringing a family member along should be fine. It might even make the conversation more amicable, who knows?"

Hearing Mu Lin say this, and then looking at his sister's red-rimmed eyes, Tang Zhi sighed. "Let me be clear beforehand: no strenuous activity, take small steps when you walk, and if you get tired, tell me. I'll carry you!"

Tang Shuang burst out laughing. "Okay, okay, it's a deal! It's settled then!"

She was thrilled. "So where are we going?"

"The Celestial Phoenix Hotel," Tang Zhi replied.

Tang Shuang's eyes lit up even more. "Isn't that the most popular eatery around here? Won't that be awesome?"

Tang Zhi chuckled. "Yeah, it is pretty awesome."

Seeing his sister happy made him happy too.

"Miss Tang, order whatever you like. I'm paying," Mu Lin said with a smile.

Tang Zhi was only helping out to mediate between him and Su Longfei. If he also had to make Tang Zhi pay, that would be just awful.

"Yay!" Tang Shuang was delighted, but she didn't dare jump, so she just raised her hands and waved them a couple of times.

After checking the time, Tang Zhi led Mu Lin and Tang Shuang out the door.

Tang Zhi drove them all the way there.

Tang Shuang had wanted to drive, but Tang Zhi stopped her.

Even though the car was an automatic, it would still put a lot of pressure on her left foot.

Tang Shuang looked at Mu Lin with a wronged expression, but Mu Lin also supported Tang Zhi's decision.

Now she was completely exasperated.

After they arrived, they walked into the private room. The atmosphere was pleasant, full of chatter and laughter.

A moment later, a burly man with a strange smile playing on his lips walked over.

Tang Zhi immediately stood up. "Mr. Su!"

Su Longfei was Songyang's number one master, at the Peak of Grandmaster.

He was worthy of being called "Mr."

Tang Zhi introduced the two parties, and then everyone took their seats.

They were all very polite to each other, and the atmosphere was quite good.

Tang Zhi let out a breath. It seemed Su Longfei didn't want to make the relationship too tense either.

If any accidents were to happen, it would be difficult to explain.

The two sides chatted happily about everything under the sun.

Su Longfei even told jokes, making Tang Shuang roar with laughter.

After a few rounds of drinks, Tang Zhi raised his glass to Su Longfei. "Mr. Su, Mu Lin has had a small disagreement with you and wishes to resolve the conflict. That's why he asked me to arrange this meeting."

Mu Lin also raised his glass and looked at Su Longfei. From the looks of it so far, the man seemed rather conversational.

Su Longfei, however, did not raise his glass. Instead, he made a pressing-down gesture with his hand, interrupting Tang Zhi.

Tang Zhi asked in confusion, "Mr. Su, what is the meaning of this?"

Su Longfei said, "I've been around the block. I know who you can and can't afford to provoke. And Brother Mu Lin's strength, well, he truly belongs to the group you can't afford to provoke."

Tang Zhi's expression relaxed slightly. If Su Longfei was willing to show him respect, that was great.

Su Longfei continued, "However, someone wants Mu Lin dead, and they've offered a rather high price."

At the mention of price, everyone recalled that Su Longfei was obsessed with money. As soon as money was involved, he would disregard everything else.

Tang Zhi pressed, "Who is it? And what's the price?"

Su Longfei held up a few fingers. "This much."

Everyone looked closely, and Tang Zhi breathed a long sigh of relief.

Five fingers. Was that about five million?

As a Grandmaster, Mu Lin wasn't necessarily short on this kind of money. He could even double it without issue.

"Five million?" Tang Shuang asked tentatively.

"Sis, your imagination is a bit lacking," Tang Zhi said, teasing his sister in earnest.

"How far would five million even get you? It's obviously fifty million! But with his strength, isn't that amount like pocket change to him?"

Su Longfei shook his head again. "It's five hundred million. If Mr. Mu gives me five hundred million, I'll drop the matter. Give me a billion, and I'll tell you who's behind the hit on you."

Tang Zhi's expression suddenly turned very ugly.

How could Mu Lin, a self-made man, be worth so much money?

Why go through all this trouble?

Tang Zhi said, "Mr. Su, isn't this going too far?"

Su Longfei laughed.

"Too far? Tell me, how is it too far? This is clearly a great deal, fair and square."

"After all, life is priceless!"

Tang Zhi said, "But making peace with Mr. Mu would be beneficial for you, too! One less enemy, no need for a life-and-death battle, and so on and so forth."

Su Longfei said slowly, "You're not wrong, but there's one thing you've probably forgotten to take into account."

Mu Lin narrowed his eyes. "And what might that be? Please, do tell."

Su Longfei smiled faintly. "My Martial Dao also needs to be improved. How could I possibly let go of a target as strong as Mr. Mu?"

This... this...

Hearing this made Tang Zhi's scalp tingle.

"Mr. Su, I must also remind you, Mr. Mu is in the Grandmaster Realm, while you are only at the Peak of Grandmaster. The gap between the two is truly immense. Don't go courting death!"

Tang Zhi warned, enunciating every word.

"Hahaha!" Su Longfei threw his head back and laughed. "Well said, well said!"

"Oh, Tang Zhi, Tang Zhi. Did you really think I agreed to your invitation because of your cultivation level? Or just because you're some minor clerk from the Military Suppression Bureau?"

Tang Zhi's face was grim. Su Longfei continued, "No, no, no. I simply wanted to see Mu Lin sooner."

Mu Lin just smiled and took another sip of wine. "Mr. Su, you flatter me. I'm not that strong."

"This wine isn't bad!"

"If you like it, you can take a few bottles with you," Su Longfei said. "I'm one of the owners of the Celestial Phoenix Hotel. I can make that call."

Mu Lin smiled. "Alright, thank you."

"Mr. Mu, why not consider offering a billion? I'll tell you who the mastermind is!"

Mu Lin laughed. "I haven't been down the mountain for long. The number of my enemies who are still alive can be counted on one hand. I don't necessarily need you to tell me who they are. I probably know better than you do."

"Besides, even though I can afford it, I don't have money to burn. I'm not going to pay you for a truce. If we're going to settle this, let's settle it with our fists."

"Aren't you supposed to be Songyang's most famous Martial Fool, Mr. Su? What's the matter, scared to fight?"

'How can Mu Lin just spout nonsense like that?' Tang Zhi thought. 'Isn't he just pushing the situation towards confrontation?'

He grabbed Mu Lin. "Mr. Mu, be careful! You've said too much!"

Then he added hastily, "Mr. Su, Mr. Mu has had too much to drink. Please don't take it to heart."

Mu Lin clapped a hand on Tang Zhi's shoulder. "Tang Zhi, thank you for your concern. But actually, this Mr. Su never intended to negotiate in good faith from the very beginning. He's just been messing with us and stalling for time."

Tang Zhi couldn't wrap his head around it. 'Is he a club hostess? Getting paid by the hour?'

"Stalling for what?" Tang Zhi asked.

Mu Lin said, "Why don't you ask him yourself."

Tang Zhi turned his head. "Mr. Su, is what Mr. Mu said true? You have no intention of negotiating at all?"

Su Longfei laughed heartily. "That's right. I indeed have no intention of negotiating. The only reason I pretended to agree was to lure Mu Lin here and wipe you all out in one go."

Seeing Su Longfei lay his cards on the table, Tang Zhi slammed his hand on the table in alarm and tried to stand up, but his body suddenly went limp, and he couldn't summon any strength.

"This..." He was an experienced man and instantly realized he had most likely been poisoned.

"You poisoned us! You have no honor as a Martial Artist! You even run a martial arts school—how can you face the students who admire you?"

Su Longfei roared with laughter. "That's right, I'm a villain. So what? In any case, none of you are walking out of here alive."