Chapter 679 - Bait Taken

Xiong Zhi quietly watched every change in the expression of the man in front of her.

Even a man like him was still a father and could still feel a father's loss despite his evil deeds. He had unscrupulously killed others' loved ones before for his own interests, whether to secure business success or through illegal trading. 

Now, his retribution had come.

Xiong Zhi lowered her eyes indifferently. 

Too bad, she was not the right person to pity him nor offer him alms of comfort, because she had plans to make use of his bottled up emotions.

The more he burned in hell, the more that she wanted it.

Towards the enemies who had made her suffer hell, she would only be more cruel.

"I wonder what is the deal between you two. After you went to prison, he went all out and launched a multi-billion project, Univ One. This helped him win the fight for the successor in the Guan Empire. And guess what? He actually won. Did you help him with that?" Xiong Zhi turned a blind eye at Xiong De's grief and casually threw more pits for him.

Xiong De's eyes turned red with fury and grief, as well as an underlying torrent of remorse.

There was no reason for this woman to lie to him. 

He asked in a hoarse voice, "He won...? "

"Yes. He is the new chairman. If you don't believe me, you can check this…" Xiong Zhi already prepared the printed picture with the news where Guan Gao Huan was declared as the new chairman of the Guan Empire.

"After Headmaster Old Guan died, he won the fight for the successor and is now the current head. Tell me, did you help him kill Old Guan too like how you almost did to my grandfather?" 

Xiong De was stunned.

The old headmaster of the Guan family died..?

He was kept inside the prison where there were no television nor electric fans installed. He was naturally unaware of the happenings in the outside world.

He fell deathly silent. 

They failed to kill Old Xiong, so Gao Huan turned to his own grandfather?

His daughter, his poor daughter... He should have persuaded her not to be careless in front of that ruthless man! 

Xiong Zhi spoke more clearly and slowly. She fanned the doubts in Xiong De's hearts. 

"Though I wonder, why did he previously set his eyes on the Xiong family if he has the power to get the Guan family's heir position on his own. Do you perhaps have something that Guan Gao Huan needed? "

Xiong De: …!

Something that Gao Huan needed from him?

His frozen mind began to turn.

Suddenly, the Country E dealings that he had with Guan Gao Huan before came to his mind. It was a successful trade and if not for his imprisonment and his people's betrayal, it would have become a massive treasure hove. On the day where everything started to fall, he was suddenly cut off from that trade and could not use his connections and his men.

And Guan Gao Huan did not even contact him.

Xiong De slowed down.

He then caught up with Xiong Zhi's previous words. 

The multi-billion dollar project that Guan Gao Huan used as a winning chip to win the fight for succession in the Guan Empire...

Suddenly, it clicked in him.

His gloomy eyes darkened.

Although Xiong De knew that this woman was likely goading him, he could not deny everything, because they were all obvious in front of him who had dealt with Guan Gao Huan for a very long time.

Did that man plot against him so that he could get everything Xiong De owned in the underworld to fund his winning card?

Did he perhaps… expose the poison's existence to Xiong Zhi, just as Xiong Zhi had said?

Xiong De's lips trembled. His eyes reddened with a crazed light.

Did he get played like a fool in someone's hands?!

A thread seemed to snap somewhere.

"Ha… Ha! Ha!" Xiong De began to laugh crazily. 

He, Xiong De, who almost got the Xiong family with his own hands even without that bastard's help, actually lost everything and fell to this state because he got played in some ploy by someone of the same age as his daughter?!

"Guan Gao Huan! You bastard! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! How dare you use me! How dare you!!"

Xiong De howled like a crazed person. He cursed Guan Gao Huan to hell with maddened tears and reddened eyes.

Xiong Zhi simply watched him with cold eyes. 

If this man had been in the right state of mind in the first place, he would not have been goaded so easily. Obviously, the time he spent in the prison had made him very s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e and gullible. 

Seeing the person swallow the bone, a faintest smile slowly crept onto her lips.

******

Linfeng was standing outside the door of the officer's room. Since the rusty metallic door was not soundproofed, he could hear the conversation inside with his qigong.

Beside Linfeng was the officer on guard busily counting the cash bills in the envelope that Linfeng had brought early on.

Moments ago, Xiong Zhi requested to extend the visit to a more private room. Linfeng had long investigated, this kind of request was frequent in this place as long as someone had the money to put on the table. The more money they spend, the longer they could talk with the prisoner.

This was only possible in this kind of prison.

Even though Xiong De was on the red list and was not supposed to receive any special treatment, the warden allowed it after Xiong Zhi stated her name and paid him a large sum. It was also because Xiong De was a wimp in prison and would not pose any threat, so they dared to do it.

The background behind the young woman was something a mere officer dared not offend.

Inside the room, Xiong De's hands were cuffed onto the chair while his feet were strapped as well. He could not reach a distance longer than one meter. Across him on the other side of the table was the calm Xiong Zhi.

Xiong De's pungent smell was stronger without the screen. Despite this disgusting smell that could make stomachs turn, Xiong Zhi still chose to face him alone like this.

Because this would give this man more freedom to speak out secrets.

Xiong De's head was lowered. He looked lifeless after crying and laughing crazily in the visitor's area. He was unusually quiet now.

Finally, the dirty man started to speak.

"Did you bring me here to just let me listen to this silence? I know what you are doing. Riling me up like this… watching me as you extinguished my last hope..." 

Xiong De gritted his teeth. His eyes were bloodshot red. 

****

(A/n: In volume one, this dealing between Xiong De and Guan Gao Huan was the underground trade in 'Bahrain/Britain' which was then replaced in volume two as underground trading for 'Country E'. The names of the countries changed to country A. B, C etc to maintain consistency in the novel. )