Chapter 161: The Whereabouts of Nanrong Gang

Entering the conference room, Zhong Wei had already arrived. Sitting in front of him were two men, both around thirty years old, with crew cuts, wearing crisp suits, meticulous and exuding a tough aura.

Ling Chen sized them up and nodded inwardly. Even after leaving the military, ex-servicemen still maintained a rigorous style and absolute compliance with orders, which is why many large corporations preferred to hire them for security.

Upon seeing him approach, the two men promptly stood up, behaving very politely.

"Have a seat," Ling Chen grinned. "You are all Captain Zhong’s old comrades and our own people. No need for such courtesy."

"Ling Chen, let me introduce you. This is Song Xiong. He used to be a communications soldier in the military, recognized for his outstanding performance with three second-class merit medals and one first-class merit medal. And this is Lu Haifeng, a special forces soldier with rich combat experience. He has participated in numerous external missions, and the military wanted to retain him as an instructor, but personal reasons led him to choose discharge."

Ling Chen said with a smile, "Since both of you caught Captain Zhong’s eye, there’s definitely no question about your capabilities, and I trust you. However, our first security team, though under the security department, acts more like private bodyguards. Moreover, with the chairman’s personal safety being threatened recently, there are certain risks involved. Both of you need to think it over clearly."

"Mr. Ling, rest assured, Captain Zhong has already made things very clear to us. We wouldn’t be here otherwise," replied Lu Haifeng earnestly.

"That’s good to hear. Since neither of you have objections, on behalf of Hongyu Group, I welcome you aboard."

During the conversation, the meeting room’s door was pushed open, and a young man with gold-rimmed glasses peeked his head in timidly.

"Excuse me, is this where the interview is taking place?"

Seeing him, Ling Chen’s lips curved up slightly; wasn’t this the guy he just ran into in the restroom?

"You’re in the wrong place. This is the security department’s interview. The room next door is where your interview should be," Zhong Wei hinted.

"I’m sorry for the interruption," said the young man, his face slightly red, as he hurriedly retreated.

Ling Chen found it amusing; how could such a grown man be so timid like a woman?

After sorting out the recruitment matters, Ling Chen was about to return to his office when his pocket suddenly vibrated with the ringing of his phone.

Upon seeing the caller ID, Ling Chen’s heart lightened – it was Hu Fei.

"Hello, Fatty, have you recovered from your injuries?"

"I’ve been fine for a while now. Are you guys free tonight? Let’s go out for dinner to celebrate my narrow escape. Plus, I have something to tell you."

"Alright, you set the time and place, and Old Tang and I will be there."

In the evening, after dropping off Nanrong Wanqing at home, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan drove to a small restaurant.

This small restaurant was tucked away in a side alley by the road, with rather basic surroundings. When they entered, there were few diners inside, who appeared to be local laborers based on their attire.

The only private room in the restaurant had already been reserved by Hu Fei, who was sitting at a greasy round table fiddling with a bottle of his own Moutai.

Tang Yuan complained, "I say, Fatty Hu, you’re worth at least ten million, yet you invite us to this place for dinner? Isn’t that too stingy? After all, I am your lifesaver."

Hu Fei glared. "Am I that petty? Let me tell you, despite this restaurant’s poor conditions, they serve the most authentic boiled fish in East Sea City. If it weren’t for my relationship with the owner of this restaurant, you wouldn’t even get the chance to taste it."

"Don’t take Old Tang seriously; he’s just got a loose tongue," Ling Chen laughed. "We aren’t fussy about the place, as long as there’s good food."

"Come on, this is the treasured Moutai I’ve kept. Fill everyone’s glasses," Hu Fei said eagerly as he poured the liquor for them, and then he picked up his cup and sipped it contentedly.

While waiting for the dishes to arrive, Ling Chen asked, "Didn’t you say you had something else to tell me?"

"You didn’t remind me; I almost forgot. Remember you asked me to look for someone named Nanrong Gang, right? I’ve used quite a few resources, and I haven’t let you down."

Ling Chen’s eyes sparkled. "Where is he?"

Hu Fei pointed downwards with his hand.

"What do you mean?"

"That Nanrong Gang has already been buried."

"Dead?" Ling Chen’s face was filled with surprise and disbelief. "Are you sure he’s dead?"

"Do I look like I’m lying to you? Absolutely sure." Saying so, Hu Fei pulled out an envelope from his pocket and tossed it on the table. "Look for yourself."

Ling Chen tore open the envelope; there were several photographs inside, one of which was of an old man in his sixties or seventies, with a wrinkled face, bald head, white beard, and a malnourished appearance.

Just by looking at his face, he bore some resemblance to Nanrong Yong.

Another photo was of a graveside tombstone, detailing the old man’s death, which happened three years ago.

"He has been living abroad all these years, never returning home. According to the information I’ve gathered, he lived a hard life abroad, relying on government assistance," Hu Fei stated.

Ling Chen nodded, put the photos back in the envelope, and asked, "Does he have any descendants?"

"None. He lived alone abroad all these years, with no wife or children. Although he was married when he was young, they divorced before he went abroad, no children then. I wanted to look up his ex-wife for you, but with all these years passed, aside from a name, there’s nothing, don’t even know what she looks like, too difficult to track."

"No need to look into that."

With that, Ling Chen furrowed his brows and thought to himself.

Last time, Nanrong Yong told him in person that the person behind the threats to Nanrong Wanqing was Nanrong Gang. But now Nanrong Gang had died, and judging by his life abroad, he couldn’t possibly have afforded to hire the Snake King.

Being amongst the top ten on the assassin list, the Snake King’s fee wouldn’t be low, at least several million.

If it wasn’t Nanrong Gang orchestrating everything from behind the scenes, then who could it be?

Probably only Nanrong Yong would know.

Soon, a big pot of boiled fish was brought into the room. The owner of the restaurant, a man in his forties with yellowish complexion and an honest look, someone who has endured hardship.

"Boss Hu, enjoy your meal. Call me if you need anything."

"Alright, Liu, you go ahead."

Fatty Hu whispered to them with a mysterious smile, "You guys don’t need to ask, come on, let’s eat while it’s hot."

After the meal, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan couldn’t stop praising the taste of the boiled fish. Both were seasoned foodies, having eaten all around from south to north, domestically and internationally, yet agreed that the small restaurant’s dish was even more authentic than those crafted by so-called top chefs.