Chapter 545: Panicked and Confounded

With a bitter expression, Ouyang Lei explained about the situation he found after returning tonight, and then said, “The account books were actually kept here for a few years, because I think this place is the safest and most covert place. Who would have thought…”

“Who would have thought?” Ouyang Wenzhen angrily yelled. “Who would have thought that a thief would appear here, huh? I thought you were a cautious and prudent person. I didn’t expect you to… You really tick me off! If we can’t retrieve the account books or the records are exposed, Ouyang Family will suffer a huge blow. Even those who have been eyeing us will surely strike at that time!”

“What are we going to do then, Father?” Asked Ouyang Lei with a panicked expression.

Taking a deep breath, Ouyang Wenzhen tried to calm his anger and said, “What to do, you ask? I must first find that thief who stole the account books even if I must turn the whole Jingmen Island upside down. The most important of all is to find and get those account books back. Also, inform all those in-charge of our gray businesses to immediately suspend their operations. Destroy everything that must not be exposed, and tell them to lay low!”

Repeatedly nodding in response, Ouyang Lei thought deeply for a while and then asked, “Do we inform Lulu about this? Tell her to suspend the operations of her Paradise Club’s business?”

“Is there any records related to the Paradise Club in your account books?” Asked Ouyang Wenzhen in a deep voice after pausing for a while.

“None, but I’m afraid…” Ouyang Lei shook his head.

Ouyang Wenzhen nodded, “Then, inform her! Although the Paradise Club was established by Lulu, it’s also an industry belonging to the Ouyang Family. Now that our account books are lost, if someone were to make a fuss about anything related to our family, I’m afraid each and every of our businesses will be targeted by them.”

“I understand.” Ouyang Lei nodded and forced a smile. “Today was really strange. Tang Xiu came uninvited to the charity banquet, and the young master of the Yao Family—Yao Xinhua fell into a strange comatose state. And now this happened in my own place… This feels… abnormal…”

“What is this abnormality you’re speaking about?” Ouyang Wenzhen frowned.

The previous scenes flashed inside Ouyang Lei’s eyes. As though recalling something, he immediately took out his mobile phone and called Tang Xiu. He was left extremely depressed upon finding that his phone was turned off.

“Father, I’m going to the Everlasting Feast Hall,” said Ouyang Lei in a deep voice.

“What are you gonna do there?” Asked Ouyang Wenzhen.

“I suspect that the burglary and the stolen things here must be related with the Everlasting Feast Hall. Precisely speaking, it must be related to Tang Xiu,” said Ouyang Lei.

“Why do you say that?” Asked Ouyang Wenzhen.

“The bizarre incidents that took place today, I think all of them have something to do with Tang Xiu, for he suddenly came to attend the charity party today,” Ouyang Lei said. “I was planning to take him to you after the banquet ended, only to find that he had left early on. You should also know the relation between the Yao and Tang Families. And the place where Yao Xinhua fell into a comatose state, it was precisely the innermost corner’s rest area where Tang Xiu was staying. Also, I still clearly remember that Tang Xiu told a young man next to him to memorize my face because I always call him s my prospective brother-in-law. He gave the young man one night to do something and even said to make me see him tomorrow morning.”

With a strange expression, Ouyang Wenzhen inquired, “You always call Tang Xiu your future brother-in-law?”

“Yeah, that’s what I call him.” Ouyang Lei said with an awkward expression. “It’s because of Lulu. She’s so adamant and vehemently says that she must marry Tang Xiu. She even gave up and left the Paradise Club and took all of her money to Shanghai, to open a restaurant manor or something. Her purpose was so clear that it can be tacitly understood. Hence, I thought of Tang Xiu not as an outsider, treating him like a close relative.”

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Wenzhen was at a loss between laughter and tears, “That’s really ridiculous! The prospective future son-in-law of the Ouyang Family? I myself have never seen him, is this what you’re supposed to do? Whether your younger sister likes him, that’s her business, but you of all people can’t force him to marry Lulu. If what you said is really true, then it may be Tang Xiu who made this prank to troll us. In this case, I’ll accompany you to the Everlasting Feast Hall. After meeting him it will be very clear to us whether Tang Xiu is really the one behind it.”

“But father, is it really appropriate that a prospective future father-in-law to see his prospective son-in-law? It’s fine going by myself. I’ll drag him over and you can ask him whatever you want.”

“You still have the guts to joke at this time? You know how important those account books are to our Ouyang Family, don’t you? Stop saying rubbish and follow me!” Ouyang Wenzhen chided.

One o’clock in the night, a dozen cars stopped at the outermost gate of the Everlasting Feast Hall. Four stalwart men with cold expressions looked at Ouyang Lei, who came out of the car, and said in a cold voice, “Mr. Ouyang, the Everlasting Feast Hall is not opened for guests at this time. If you want to dine here, please come back tomorrow morning.”

“I didn’t come here to dine, I came to find Tang Xiu,” said Ouyang Lei.

The stalwart man knitted his brows, “Have you made an appointment?”

“No, but I have a very important matter that I need to speak with him.” Ouyang Lei shook his head. “I must see him immediately.”

The stalwart man shook his head and replied, “I’m sorry. If you don’t have an appointment, I can’t allow you to enter. Please come back again tomorrow morning if you have something to speak to him.”

“If it wasn’t for Tang Xiu turning his mobile phone off, did you think that I’d come here personally?” Ouyang Lei was incensed. “Don’t bulls.h.i.+t me. Contact him immediately and tell him that I have something important that I need to see him about. Also, tell him to come to see me.”

The stalwart man shook his head and said, “Even though I want to inform the Boss, but he hasn’t come back yet, so I can do nothing about it.”

“Tang Xiu hasn’t come back yet?” Asked Ouyang Lei.

“Yes!” The stalwart man nodded.

“Tang Xiu hasn’t come back, but Gu Xiaoxue should have come back by now, right?” Asked Ouyang Lei.

“Our Little Boss isn’t back yet as well,” said the stalwart man.

“You’re lying to me, aren’t you?” Ouyang Lei angrily yelled. “Tang Xiu is my future brother-in-law. He’ll become a family member of our Ouyang house. Now, I have important things that I need to see him about, and yet you guys are obstructing me. Tang Xiu will definitely punish you later. Allow us to pa.s.s immediately, we must go inside.”

“This…” The stalwart man naturally knew that Ouyang Lei was Ouyang Lulu’s biological brother, and was also aware that the relations.h.i.+p between Ouyang Lulu and his Boss was out of the ordinary. Even the relations.h.i.+p between the Little Boss—Gu Xiaoxue and Ouyang Lulu was akin to sisters.

“What’s up here?”

The patrol team of the Everlasting Feast Hall arrived, as a middle-aged man whose rank was slightly higher came forward and asked in a deep voice. The stalwart man then explained the situation, and even said the relations.h.i.+p between Ouyang Lei and Tang Xiu.

The middle-aged man looked at Ouyang Lei with a smiling face and said, “Mr. Ouyang, properly speaking, I shouldn’t reveal the whereabouts of my Boss. But since you’re not an outsider, then I might as well tell you. Our Boss and Little Boss are currently sailing to the sea tonight, and I don’t know when they’ll return.”

“They are going to the sea?” Ouyang Lei frowned. “What are they doing so late at night at sea?”

The middle-aged man shook his head, “That I don’t know! But what I just told you is the truth.”

Ouyang Lei fell into silence for a while before he walked back to the car and reported the situation to Ouyang Wenzhen, as the latter then finally said, “a.s.sign someone to stay and wait for Tang Xiu. Report immediately once he comes back. As for us, let’s go back first.”

“Understood!”

At this time, amid the groove of trees a few tens of meters away from the gate, Yang Le clammed a toothpick on the corner of his mouth, as a faint smile outlined on his handsome face. He had indeed spent quite some time and energy to find Ouyang Lei’s residence and ‘did’ something there. The result seemed to be very good as it even made Ouyang Lei bring a lot of people and come here so late at night.

Pity that Tang Xiu has already gone to the sea, though. Ouyang Lei, even if you come back early tomorrow, I’m afraid you still won’t be able to see him. Hahaha... just agonize for a while!

Yang Le muttered to himself and then disappeared into the woods with a grin.

However, just as he had left for half a minute and was not across the woods yet, a large hand stretched out from behind a tree and grabbed his neck from the back.

“If you don’t want to die, then stay still.”

A deep and low voice sounded behind Yang Le.

Despite being strong mentally, Yang Le was still scared out of his wits and shocked due to the sudden incident. He was very confident in his skills, more so toward his topmost ability in hiding and concealment. But he didn’t expect that he, who was always extremely alert, didn’t sense the slightest presence of the opposite party.

“No, don’t misunderstand me!” Yang Le’s voice somewhat s.h.i.+vered as he raised his hands in an instant. “I’m Tang Xiu’s friend, a VIP guest of the Everlasting Feast Hall.”

Whoos.h.!.+ Whoos.h.!.+ Whoos.h.!.+

Three ghostly figures flashed, and the iron-clamping hand was removed from the back of Yang Le’s neck. These three experts of the Everlasting Feast Hall were the ones on patrol duty and surrounded Yang Le in the middle of a triangle battle formation. One of them scrutinized Yang Le before he cupped his fist and said, “Mr. Yang, I’m sorry. But the Everlasting Feast Hall has a rule that it’s not allowed to stroll out of the accommodations area in the middle of the night. It’s just that your stealthy movements back then made us unable to find you earlier.”

Yang Le rubbed the back of his neck. He sized up the three men with a scared and frightened look, and then forced a smile and said, “What are you people in the Everlasting Feast Hall? Monsters? I’m a famous G.o.dly thief, yet I feel that after meeting you guys, all of you are more suitable than me in this sneaking about business, no?”

“Sorry!” The big man replied once again.

Squeezing out a bitter smile, Yang Le waved his hand and said, “Before Tang Xiu left, he told me the many customs of your Everlasting Feast Hall. Forget it, since you forbid me to stroll around late at night, then I’ll go back to sleep. Remember not to tell anyone about me, though.”

“I understand!” The big man nodded.