CHAPTER 978: CHAPTER 978: CONFRONTATION BETWEEN BROTHERS

This matter wasn’t hard to figure out. Su Yongzhen considered all the forces in the city, and in the end, ruled them out one by one.

Because he had little to no interaction with those people, and there was no point of conflict between their interests, it was unlikely they would target him first.

If it were the police, they would have taken him in as well. But his men were taken while he remained untouched, which didn’t follow typical procedures.

In the end, Su Yongzhen focused his suspicions on Xiang Yu. That morning, Xiaoxuan had come to see him, suggesting they should leave first. He didn’t agree, and now this happened. There was a 90% chance Xiang Yu was behind it.

Thinking of this, a surge of anger rose in Su Yongzhen’s chest. He grabbed a cup and slammed it to the ground with a crash.

He respected Xiang Yu, and Xiang Yu had promised to let everything develop naturally. But now, to detain his men like this—what kind of move was this?

Clenching his teeth, he started walking outside, intent on demanding an explanation from Xiang Yu. But as he reached the doorway, he halted.

He knew Xiang Yu. If Xiang Yu had acted this way, there must be a reason. Could it be he feared Su Yongzhen’s growing strength?

Taking a deep breath, Su Yongzhen sat down on the sofa and began to think.

With Xiang Yu’s level of power, it didn’t seem logical for him to fear Su Yongzhen. Could it be he was doing this for his own good?

Su Yongzhen’s mind was in turmoil, uncertain of what to do. The men who had been taken had always been by his side; they were very close to him.

There was no way he would just sit by and watch someone take his people away.

Finally, he stood up, prepared to confront Xiang Yu.

At that moment, Xiang Yu and a few others were in the office.

Wang Ze, sitting across from Xiang Yu, said, "Boss, everything’s been handled. There’s just one person we can’t locate. We’ve scoured the entire city but haven’t found him."

"Keep searching. That person must be found," Xiang Yu said with a furrowed brow.

Wang Ze acknowledged the command but didn’t press further. In fact, he had already deployed men to continue searching.

Off to the side, Xiaoxuan, looking worried, said, "Brother, Su Yongzhen will definitely figure out it was us."

The matter was obvious. Unless one was a complete fool, anyone would deduce it was Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu merely nodded and said, "Let him figure it out, then."

While they were chatting casually, the office door was suddenly flung open.

A strikingly handsome young man walked in. It was none other than Su Yongzhen.

With a dark expression, he looked noticeably displeased.

When Wang Ze and the others saw him, they stood up and moved to the side. Xiaoxuan and Tie Zhuzi also followed suit, taking their seats off to the side.

They all understood that Su Yongzhen must have come to discuss something important with Xiang Yu.

Su Yongzhen paid them no heed and sat directly across from Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu didn’t speak first, simply leaned back on the sofa and watched him.

"Brother Yu, I have something to ask you," Su Yongzhen said directly.

"About your men?" Xiang Yu replied without hesitation.

Su Yongzhen was momentarily stunned; he hadn’t expected Xiang Yu to admit it so readily.

Nodding, he looked at Xiang Yu with confusion. Similarly, Wang Ze sitting to the side was puzzled. If Xiang Yu was going to admit it so bluntly, why was the operation conducted in secrecy?

With a faint smile, Xiang Yu said indifferently, "Those men are unreliable. Once this matter blows over, I’ll let them go."

Frowning, Su Yongzhen said, "How do you know they’re unreliable? These men have been with me the entire time; I know them well. They’re loyal, and I’ve already made it clear to them not to speak out of turn."

It was clear Su Yongzhen firmly believed in his perspective.

Xiang Yu’s face remained expressionless as he stared at Su Yongzhen, saying nothing more.

Su Yongzhen was Xiang Yu’s brother, and Xiang Yu had already done all he could for him. He didn’t want to explain further.

Feeling unease under Xiang Yu’s intense gaze, Su Yongzhen finally asked, "Brother Yu, when will you release them?"

"After the dust settles," Xiang Yu replied.

Su Yongzhen seemed visibly unsatisfied. He sat there, unwilling to leave and unwilling to speak further.

"You can go now," Xiang Yu said after a while.

Su Yongzhen paused briefly, then stood and walked toward the door. But as he reached it, he turned back to Xiang Yu and said, "I know these men; they would never betray me."

With those words, he turned and left. His meaning was clear. If Xiang Yu was doing this for his own good, he should release those men. They would remain brothers afterward. But if Xiang Yu had ulterior motives, then their friendship was over.

Xiang Yu watched impassively as Su Yongzhen left. When the door clicked shut, he slumped back into the sofa as if drained of all strength.

A deep sense of fatigue washed over him.

Sitting nearby, Wang Ze saw Su Yongzhen leave and quickly stood up, intending to ask Xiang Yu about the situation.

But before he could speak, Xiaoxuan grabbed his arm and shook his head. Tie Zhuzi also stayed silent, and the three walked out together.

Once outside, Wang Ze exploded, growling through gritted teeth, "What’s wrong with the boss? Su Yongzhen said all that—why didn’t he explain himself?"

Xiaoxuan and Tie Zhuzi exchanged a look but said nothing, each retreating to their rooms to rest.

"You two..." Wang Ze started, but seeing their silence, he felt stifled and almost nauseous with frustration.

"If the boss doesn’t have the heart to act, then I’ll take care of it for him," Wang Ze muttered before storming downstairs.

After leaving Xiang Yu’s office, Su Yongzhen didn’t go far. Instead, he found a nearby teahouse and sat down.

He had made himself clear: If Xiang Yu still saw him as a brother, then he would release his men. But if Xiang Yu wanted to sever ties, then there was nothing more he could do.

For now, he decided to wait for news. About half an hour later, a sense of unease suddenly crept over him.

Su Yongzhen had once been an assassin and possessed a sharp intuition for danger. He felt an unnerving stillness settle around him, one that sent chills down his spine.

Without hesitation, he bolted toward the door and charged outside. He trusted his instincts; in life-and-death situations, there was no room for carelessness.

But just as he swung the door open to make his escape, two men lunged at him with their fists raised.

Su Yongzhen reacted quickly, leaping back into the room. He kicked the door hard, trying to shut it behind him.

The two men kicked the door simultaneously from outside, slamming it open with sheer force.

Being outmatched in strength, Su Yongzhen was shoved backward by the impact.

"Who are you?" Su Yongzhen shouted.

But the two attackers didn’t respond. Instead, they charged at him again.

Su Yongzhen knew he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. These two were clearly skilled fighters. He stepped back, then lashed out with a powerful kick toward one of them.

The man swiftly dodged, and in that split second, the other attacker swung at him. Su Yongzhen evaded to the side and immediately leaped further away.

He didn’t plan to engage in a prolonged fight; his sole intent was to seize an opportunity to escape. Su Yongzhen was agile and a seasoned combatant.

Facing two opponents, he wasn’t confident he could win, but escaping was another matter entirely...