pjbooks Chapter 323 Undercurrents
Chapter 323 Undercurrents
After saying this, Master Lin didn't look at anyone else in the room again. He straightened his back and turned to leave.
Seeing this, the henchmen behind him exchanged glances for a few seconds.
He then spat several times in Ma Junjie's direction, muttering obscenities under his breath.
"Kid, you're lucky!"
"This isn't over yet. We'll see!"
After finishing their tirade, the group hurriedly followed Master Lin and marched out the door in a grand procession.
Lin Wei stood still, not following immediately.
Her gaze fell on Ma Junjie, and her beautiful eyes held a complex mix of emotions.
She shook her head, a hint of regret and pity in her eyes, then turned and walked briskly out the door.
"Hey, don't go! Holy crap, what do these people mean by this...?"
Ma Junjie pointed at their retreating figures, feeling frustrated and helpless.
Finally, he curled his lip and muttered a curse under his breath.
"That Mr. Lin is really something!"
"If you only say half of what you mean, you'll end up without a spouse."
After he finished cursing, he turned around and his gaze fell on Jiang Hao.
At this moment, Jiang Hao had slowly stood up.
Seeing Ma Junjie looking at him, Jiang Hao immediately forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.
His eyes were filled with gratitude and shame as he stammered his thanks.
"Ah Jie, thank you so much... thank you so much again. I... I'm really ashamed."
Ma Junjie waved his hand dismissively, stepped forward, and patted Jiang Hao on the shoulder with a reassuring gesture.
"Brother Hao, what are you talking about feeling ashamed of?"
"You should have heard what I just said; it was all the truth."
"No matter what, you'll always be my older brother. It's only right for your younger brother to step up when you're in trouble."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hao's eyes instantly reddened.
He had spent his whole life in the business world, and he had seen all sorts of deceit and betrayal. He had never been treated with such sincerity before.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Jiang Hao could no longer hold back his feelings.
He suddenly took a step forward, stretched out his arms, and hugged Ma Junjie tightly.
Ma Junjie was caught off guard by the hug and felt a little embarrassed.
What's even more embarrassing is that Jiang Hao hugged him quite tightly, and Ma Junjie felt as if he was being pressed against by some foreign object.
"Ahem..." Ma Junjie coughed awkwardly twice, then quickly reached out and gently pushed Jiang Hao away.
"Brother Hao, it's alright, it's alright now."
"Wait for my good news tomorrow. Once I've settled things with Master Lin, 500 million of your 200 million debt will be reduced, leaving you with 300 million. That will make things easier for you."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hao showed no joy whatsoever; instead, he sighed heavily.
He raised his hand to wipe the moisture from the corner of his eyes, his worry so intense it seemed impossible to dispel, and his tone urgent.
"Ah Jie, this matter is probably not as simple as you think."
After saying that, Jiang Hao gritted his teeth, as if he had made up his mind, and said, word by word,
"Ah Jie, forget it, you shouldn't go tomorrow."
Ma Junjie was taken aback and asked, "Why?"
Jiang Hao's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with heartache.
"Ah Jie...that...that heavenly paradise is hell!"
"I can't bear it... I really can't bear to see you jump into that hell!"
Ma Junjie was completely stunned when he heard this.
He frowned, looking at Jiang Hao with a puzzled expression, and asked,
"Brother Hao, what exactly do you mean? What hell or whatever? Are you trying to scare me?"
Jiang Hao shook his head vigorously, his face as heavy as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on him, and he didn't seem to be joking at all.
He lowered his voice, his tone deep.
"Ah Jie, you're new here, and there are many things you don't know about Dongguan. This place is a deep pool!"
Ma Junjie's curiosity was instantly piqued.
He raised an eyebrow, looked around, and said,
"Brother Hao, this is perfect, just tell me in detail."
"By the way, first of all, could you introduce this Master Lin to me? Who exactly is he?"
"Judging from the way you all looked just now, it seemed... it seemed like a lot of you were quite afraid of him."
Upon hearing Ma Junjie's words, Jiang Hao's eyes widened in astonishment.
He stared blankly at Ma Junjie for a few seconds before letting out a heavy sigh, his tone complex.
"Ah Jie, as they say, ignorance is bliss!"
"I'm afraid that in all of Dongguan, you're the only one who dares to talk back to him so openly and isn't afraid of him."
Jiang Hao paused, organizing his thoughts.
"Ah Jie, Master Lin's full name is Lin Zhenggang. He is the second uncle of Lin Wei from earlier."
"Based on seniority and experience, he's widely recognized as the second-in-command in Dongguan's underworld!"
"The second-in-command of Dongguan?" Ma Junjie belatedly realized, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Brother Hao, I really didn't realize Master Lin had such a powerful background!"
"By the way, he's the second-in-command, so... who's the top boss?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hao subconsciously looked around.
After confirming that there was no one else around besides himself and Ma Junjie, he cautiously leaned close to Ma Junjie's ear.
He uttered two words in a voice barely audible to the two of them.
"Guo Biao".
"Guo Biao?" Ma Junjie repeated the name instinctively upon hearing it.
He was familiar with this name.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Hao quickly put a hand to his mouth in a "shh" gesture, his eyes filled with panic.
He quickly stopped him.
"Ah Jie, keep your voice down! Don't call him by his name like that!"
"In Dongguan, this name is taboo; if it gets out, it could bring death upon you!"
Ma Junjie, however, curled his lip indifferently and continued,
"Brother Hao, I know this Guo Biao."
"Last time I had a fight with Zhang Qiang outside, he came over, and I met him in person."
"By the way, isn't Red Sun KTV the place Guo Biao owns?"
Jiang Hao nodded with a bitter expression, his voice weak and listless.
"Yes, A-Jie."
Jiang Hao's eyes dimmed, and his tone was filled with helplessness.
"Ah Jie, that's why Red Sun blatantly steals my customers, and I can only swallow my anger and do nothing about it."
"With Guo Biao protecting them, how dare I go against him? That would be like an egg hitting a rock, courting death!"
Upon hearing this, Ma Junjie was instantly filled with rage.
He clenched his fists and cursed angrily.
"Damn it, this is outrageous! Just because they have power, they think they can act so arrogantly?"
"Brother Hao, Guo Biao is blatantly engaging in monopolistic practices, isn't there anyone who can stop him?"
Jiang Hao shook his head slightly, a bitter smile on his face, and said,
"Ah Jie, you've really asked the right question. Before this, there was indeed someone who could keep him in check. But now... heh!"
"Now... Guo Biao can be said to have absolute power in Dongguan, and no one can rival him."
Ma Junjie's curiosity grew, and he pressed for more information.
"Brother Hao, what happened before? Why isn't it working now?"
Jiang Hao stared into Ma Junjie's eyes, his expression becoming extremely serious.
"Ah Jie, before this, the underworld of Dongguan City was divided into three factions."
"Besides the second brother, Lin Zhenggang, there was another third-in-command in Dongguan City, named Lin Hu. Back then, the second brother Lin Zhenggang and the third brother Lin Hu, working together, could barely keep the eldest brother Guo Biao in check. However..."
At this point, Jiang Hao suddenly stopped, frowned, shook his head, and looked hesitant.
"But what?" Ma Junjie pressed, his heart pounding in his chest.
Jiang Hao took a deep breath, a flicker of fear in his eyes.
He stared at Ma Junjie and spoke clearly, word by word.
"However, Lin Hu is dead."
"Dead?" Ma Junjie's heart skipped a beat, and an incredulous look appeared on his face.
Seeing Ma Junjie's surprised look, Jiang Hao suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"Ah Jie, do you know who this Lin Hu is?"
Before Ma Junjie could answer, Jiang Hao lowered his voice and answered his own question.
"Lin Hu is Lin Wei's father and Lin Zhenggang's older brother!"
"What?!" Ma Junjie exclaimed in shock.
He suddenly remembered that Lin Wei had mentioned that her father had been kidnapped and murdered years ago.
I never imagined that Lin Wei's father was once the third-highest-ranking official in Dongguan.
Like father, like daughter; no wonder Lin Wei has such a domineering personality.
Ma Junjie couldn't help but gasp and let out a long sigh.
It seems that this seemingly prosperous and peaceful Dongguan city, with its outward appearance of singing and dancing, is actually a place where undercurrents are surging and tensions are high.
He remained silent for a few seconds, suppressing his shock, then looked at Jiang Hao again and asked,
"Brother Hao, now you can tell me why you didn't recommend I go to Heaven on Earth tomorrow?"
Upon hearing the words "Heaven on Earth," Jiang Hao trembled violently, his face turning deathly pale.
His eyes widened, and his pupils continued to dilate.
As if they had seen something extremely terrifying, their voices became uncontrollably hoarse.
"Ah... Ah Jie, that place... that place is a true den of dragons and tigers, a place of no return!"
"I bet Mr. Lin, he definitely... he definitely wants you... sigh!"