Chapter 103: Captured

Arriving at the manager’s office on the third floor, Wang Feng saw Li Wensheng and deliberately wore a look of panic, then stood up and said with a forced smile, "Xiao Wu, what brings you here?"

"You know exactly why I'm here," Li Wensheng said coldly.

Wang Feng’s expression of panic deepened. He hurriedly instructed the man who had led Li in, "Jianzhuang, you may leave."

After the man stepped out, the panic on Wang Feng’s face vanished instantly. He smiled and said, "Hero, it is all in your hands now."

Seeing Wang Feng start to walk toward the door, Li Wensheng quickly added, "Wait, stay for two more minutes so as not to arouse suspicion. Also, we need to put on a show when you leave."

Wang Feng stopped at once, looking regretful. "Yes, of course. That was my oversight. It would look suspicious if I left so soon."

Li Wensheng sat on the nearby sofa and asked casually, "Are you prepared?"

"Everything is ready. I’ll leave in the middle of the night. There are people from the Iwai Mansion at the Lido Ballroom who will take over my position; they will know soon enough, and once they do, they’ll stop watching my house."

Wang Feng bowed deeply with his hands cupped, then straightened up and said, "Hero, thank you. Without you, my head would have been on the chopping block within days."

"Enough. You’ve likely guessed what I’m planning. This is a case of mutual benefit."

"Regardless, Hero, without your help, I would surely be a dead man."

Li Wensheng didn’t bother to respond. Seeing this, Wang Feng dropped the subject and pulled a key from his pocket, handing it to Li.

"Hero, I have nothing else to offer as a token of my gratitude, save for a house. It’s a small courtyard behind the East Garden Hotel on Avenue Joffre, house number 506. It isn’t worth much, but please, accept it. I imagine you could use a place to stay when things get difficult."

Li Wensheng had originally intended to refuse—he already had safe houses—but upon hearing "Avenue Joffre," he changed his mind.

Taking the key, a thought crossed his mind. "Is this the place you are currently living in?"

If it were Wang Feng’s current residence, he couldn't accept it. His upcoming operations would inevitably lead the Iwai Mansion to investigate Wang Feng, and they would soon discover he had fled. Even if the Iwai Mansion didn't seize the property, it would be logged in their case files. A house recorded in the Japanese files was no place to live; it would be far too dangerous.

"No, I bought this place over half a year ago. Back then, before the war broke out, my aunt and uncle were planning to move to Shanghai to make a living. My parents passed away early, and they raised me. I wanted to show my gratitude by buying this courtyard for them. Alas, who could have known? The war broke out just as they arrived in Shanghai. Before I could even meet them, they were killed by stray bullets. The house has been vacant ever since."

"Very well, I will accept the house."

Seeing Li Wensheng pocket the key, a smile immediately bloomed on Wang Feng’s face.

***

Bang!

"Ma Xiaowu, I’ll be waiting for Mr. Gao to return and give me an explanation!"

Wang Feng threw the door open and stormed out of the office in a rage. After walking a few steps, he stopped, turned around, and shouted at the office.

"An explanation? Wang Feng, you betrayed Mr. Gao! The fact that he hasn't had me kill you is already a mercy for old times' sake," Li Wensheng said, stepping to the doorway with a cold voice.

"That was a ruse! I never betrayed Mr. Gao!"

Wang Feng’s acting was superb; the indignation, helplessness, and panic were all perfectly portrayed.

Adhering to Ma Xiaowu's persona, Li Wensheng said nothing, merely staring at Wang Feng coldly.

Seeing this, Wang Feng let out a long, helpless sigh and walked toward the stairs in a daze, muttering to himself, "If I had known it would come to this, I never should have taken over the Lido Ballroom! If I had known, I never should have come to Shanghai; I would have been better off staying in my hometown."

Once Wang Feng’s figure disappeared down the stairs, Li Wensheng called out to the two men in the corridor who had been stunned by the argument, "Bring everyone to my office!"

Seeing Li Wensheng return to the office, the two men exchanged glances before heading downstairs to gather the staff.

Li Wensheng had called everyone together only to ensure the Iwai Mansion would quickly learn that someone had replaced Wang Feng. Once they arrived, he simply stated that he would be managing the Lido Ballroom and that everything should proceed as usual, then dismissed them.

Jianzhuang, who had guided him earlier, had already told everyone about Ma Xiaowu’s arrival, creating a preconceived notion. Combined with the report from the two men in the corridor about the argument, no one doubted that Li Wensheng was anyone other than Ma Xiaowu.

Once they left, Li Wensheng had nothing to do, so he sat on the sofa to rest.

The Lido Ballroom stayed open until 4:00 AM. It would look strange to leave early on his first day of managing, so Li Wensheng sat in the office until closing time before leaving with the day’s earnings in hand.

At 4:00 AM, the streets were deserted. Li Wensheng carried the briefcase of money and headed across the street.

Just as he reached the other side, his eyes flickered. He slowed his pace, then turned and headed toward the right.

After a few steps, Li Wensheng ducked behind a large pillar.

A few seconds later, footsteps echoed.

Listening to the rhythm and gauging the distance, Li Wensheng lunged out after two seconds, grabbed the head of the man who had just reached the pillar, and slammed it against the stone.

Bang!

Using only thirty percent of his strength, the man merely ended up dizzy.

After the man’s head struck the wall, Li Wensheng balled his hand into a fist and struck the chest of the second man.

Bang. The man retreated several steps, his face twisting in pain, before joining the others in swarming Li Wensheng.

There were over a dozen of them.

By using only thirty percent of his strength and deliberately suppressing his reaction speed to match that of an ordinary person, while using only one hand, Li Wensheng was hit several times.

After taking a few blows, he dodged clumsily, but realizing these men had no intention of stopping, he dropped the briefcase of money at his feet and slightly increased his speed and power.

Once he let go, he was still not moving like a tiger among sheep, but he was unstoppable.

Circling the pillar to prevent them from swarming him, Li Wensheng took them down three at a time.

Within two minutes, everyone was lying on the ground.

At that moment, two beams of light cut through the dark as a sedan drove toward them.

Seeing this, Li Wensheng immediately bent down to grab the briefcase and began to run.

With his speed deliberately suppressed, the car pulled alongside him before he could reach the mouth of the alley ahead.

"Mr. Ma, please stop." The rear window rolled down, and a woman in her thirties with an alluring charm pointed a pistol at him.

Li Wensheng stopped at once. He truly didn’t want to fight anymore; had that group not kept attacking, he would have surrendered long ago.

As Li Wensheng stopped, the car halted. The woman opened the door and stepped out, still holding the pistol.

"Mr. Ma, your skills are truly impressive. Thirteen agents couldn't even stop you." She didn't dare get too close, leaning against the car with a beaming, charming smile.

"Save your breath. I will never betray Mr. Gao!" With that, Li Wensheng closed his eyes.

"Hehe, Mr. Ma, if you were truly willing to die for that Mr. Gao, you wouldn't have stopped just now," the woman said with a triumphant laugh.

Li Wensheng opened his eyes, glared at the woman in feigned shame and anger, then closed them again.

The woman didn't waste any more breath trying to break 'Ma Xiaowu's' spirit. After a moment, the thirteen agents who had been knocked down shuffled over.

Under the woman’s orders, they pulled a length of rope from the trunk, bound Li Wensheng, and shoved him into the car.

The woman then climbed in, and ordered the driver to head back to the Iwai Mansion.