“You two, explain this to me. What happened?” Feng Hengyi was in a complete rage. If they weren’t in China, he might have killed a subordinate to vent his fury. “Why did Kang Gu jump ship? Did one of you offend him, or is there some other problem?”
“He trained alone every day. We gave him the best training conditions. Whatever sparring partners he wanted, we basically provided. His nutrition was top-tier. Since he joined our club, no one ever had a falling out with him,” Qian Zheng spoke up.
Qian Zheng was now an executive at Haoyu Sports.
Though still in university, he had already started working.
Haoyu Sports had fully acquired the Starshine Club, and Feng Hengyi appreciated Qian Zheng’s abilities, investing considerable resources in his development.
Qian Zheng had lived up to expectations, developing well. Beyond his daily training, he managed Haoyu Sports’ affairs efficiently, contributing greatly to the department.
When Feng Hengyi was angry, Qian Zheng could still speak a word or two.
“Then tell me, what exactly happened?” Feng Hengyi looked at Qian Zheng coldly.
Qian Zheng shivered internally and quickly said, “From my intelligence these past few days, Liu Long’s Dragon Club poached him. Originally, Liu Long couldn’t move him, but Su Jie stepped in and seemed to use some method to make Kang Gu agree to jump ship, terminate his contract with us, and sign with their club. We’ve already filed a lawsuit, contesting the validity of Kang Gu’s departure, and we’re also suing him for fraud.”
“Su Jie again.” Feng Hengyi looked at the broken table and kicked it again, smashing it to pieces.
No one dared make a move.
“Kang Gu doesn’t care about material things or the people and matters around him. Clothes, food…he doesn’t mind any of it. The only thing he cares about is training and cultivation,” Qian Zheng said. “If I’m not mistaken, he didn’t jump ship for money or material gain. Su Jie must have used words to bewitch him.”
“I know.” Feng Hengyi had already guessed roughly what had happened.
This time, Haoyu Sports had suffered a severe loss. Kang Gu was Feng Hengyi’s most important chess piece…his plan for the sports department was to win national championships first, then go international, reach the world level, and become a fighting king. That way, Kang Gu would not only be a money-maker for Haoyu Sports but also wield enormous influence, driving the entire industry.
Moreover, Kang Gu was easy to control…he had no material desires, and as long as he could train every day, he did whatever Feng Hengyi said.
Not that Kang Gu was truly obedient…he simply didn’t care about life’s details.
Even imprisonment wouldn’t bother him, as long as he could train in prison.
“The priority now is the lawsuit…through litigation, force Kang Gu to return, or make Dragon Club pay massive compensation,” Qian Zheng said.
“What good is compensation?” Feng Hengyi said. “I want the person. He’s crucial to my plans. Without him, Haoyu Sports can barely operate. Zhou Chun, what do you think we should do?”
“I can have someone stage a car accident, cripple Kang Gu so he can never fight again,” Zhou Chun suggested…his first instinct was always dirty tricks. Two years ago, he’d tried to use a scam to sign Su Jie, only to have it backfire.
“A car accident is too easy on him.” Feng Hengyi said. “Those who betray me, who betray Haoyu…there’s only one path: death. You don’t need to concern yourselves with this. The lawsuit is a legal matter…handle it on the surface. I have a better solution in private.”
With that, Feng Hengyi walked out, leaving the others to clean up the mess.
*****
Night.
In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts.
Feng Hengyi met the black-masked figure again.
“Before we could act, Su Jie acted against me. If we don’t kill him soon, there’ll be serious trouble,” Feng Hengyi said.
“I know. He poached Kang Gu…your most critical asset at Haoyu Sports.” The black-masked figure seemed to have all the intelligence. “Kang Gu is a product of Odell’s training, and a long-term one. He’s extraordinarily talented and easy to control. You planned to make him your public face, even win the world fighting championship. It was a good move…but now it’s someone else’s move.”
“I’m not here to discuss causes. The priority is how to reverse the situation,” Feng Hengyi said coldly.
“Reversing it is simple: help me gain control of Hedao Group. Our comrade has already infiltrated Mingxia Group and is slowly gaining power there. When that happens, the two largest companies in the country will be ours. With that combined force, Kang Gu, Dragon Club, Diandao Martial Arts…they’ll have no chance,” the black-masked figure said.
“What?” Feng Hengyi’s eyes turned cold. “I knew the organization sent someone into Mingxia, but I didn’t know who. It sounds like you have concrete intelligence. Why not share it?”
“I don’t have the authority to know that either. I obtained the information through special internal channels…of course I won’t tell you,” the black-masked figure said. “Su Jie already knows my identity and is moving against me. The reason he hasn’t acted these days is that he’s wary…afraid we’ll join forces to kill him. And you know why we haven’t acted: Su Jie is still dangerous. If we attack together, he might take one of us down with him…and you don’t want to be that one.”
“So now we can’t afford to worry about costs?” Feng Hengyi said. “You’ve been thinking about how to kill Su Jie without paying a price. Have you come up with a plan?”
“One more thing you should note: if it were just Su Jie alone, we could handle it. But if his father Su Shilin joins, it’s different,” the black-masked figure said. “There’s something you may not know…your brother Feng Yuxuan tried to force himself on Su Muchen, but was stopped by a man in a dragon mask.”
“I actually knew about that. I just never mentioned it,” Feng Hengyi said. “You’re saying the man behind the dragon mask from twenty years ago is Su Shilin?”
“Exactly. He also has a life-or-death battle with Zhang Hongqing. Two bored men, fighting to the death, seeking their own destruction,” the black-masked figure said. “I think they’re foolish, but I won’t underestimate their strength.”
“Since you know, I’ll be honest…I suspected it too. That’s why I haven’t moved against Su Jie. Now it’s two against two. We may not have the advantage. In fact, if we two face those two father and son, we’d probably lose,” Feng Hengyi said.
“Exactly,” the black-masked figure said. “So we must catch them isolated and pick them off one by one. The best time is when Su Shilin goes abroad for his life-or-death battle with Zhang Hongqing…he won’t be able to protect his son then. That’s when we strike.”
“To think that two years ago, I could have killed that kid with one punch at two-tenths power. Now he’s our enemy. If I’d known, I would have killed him then and there,” Feng Hengyi said.
“No one can predict the future,” the black-masked figure said. “Our advantage now is our vast network…we can see their every move. Kang Gu is a minor matter. Even your Haoyu Sports layout is just a disposable pawn in my eyes.”
“What’s your plan? I know you’re even more eager to eliminate Su Jie than I am,” Feng Hengyi said. “If I’m not mistaken, Su Jie will come after you soon. Don’t forget…he’s been quiet these days, training hard. He’s also afraid of us joining forces.”
“He’s training hidden weapons. If it were boxing, he’d be no match for either of us…so this is the right path. He’s practicing needle-type hidden weapons, inherited from Gu Yang. The Judgement Gu Yang’s heart-piercing nail is a masterpiece,” the black-masked figure said. “I know all of this. I haven’t been idle either…I’m targeting him at every turn. Rest assured, in time, I alone can deal with him.”
“Are you about to break through to a new realm?” Feng Hengyi’s body tensed.
“Correct.” The black-masked figure’s tone was relaxed, as if looking down on Feng Hengyi. “I’ve essentially broken through already. I just need time for my physical capability to grow. During this period, I’ll rest and cultivate, preparing for the final explosive growth. Once my realm is fully consolidated, dealing with Su Jie won’t be difficult.”
“Then I’ll wait and see.” Feng Hengyi suddenly relaxed, not making a move against the black-masked figure, his attitude shifting. No one knew what he was thinking.
“You’re quite patient,” the black-masked figure said. “The acquisition of Haoyu Film and Television by Hedao Group is at its final stage. I want it completed within three days. You need to push it forward within Haoyu Group. Once it’s done, my position in Hedao Group will be more secure. Haoyu Film and Television will naturally fall under my management.”