Travel through Hong Kong variety shows, starting with unlocking all kinds of beauties.

……

Before the bodyguard could finish speaking, the air in the private room seemed to have been sucked out.

Dong Tianbao's award-winning acting skills were on full display once again, with a bewildered expression that seemed to indicate he had just stumbled upon some juicy gossip.

The teacup in Li Huanggua's hand hovered in mid-air, as if it had suddenly become incredibly heavy. It slipped from his grasp and fell onto the table, splashing tea all over him. He slowly turned to look at the bodyguard, his voice surprisingly steady, "Say that again!"

"Mr. Li... Mr. Li... the young master was kidnapped on his way home after working overtime. The kidnappers were all armed with submachine guns, and all the bodyguards in the car were taken down. They only took the young master with them..."

Li Huanggua felt as if all her energy had been drained, and she collapsed onto the stool.

Then he glared fiercely at Dong Tianbao.

Dong Tianbao, with an expression of watching the drama unfold, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.

"Mr. Li, why are you looking at me like that? You don't think I did it, do you?" Dong Tianbao said calmly. "Do you think I'm short of money? Or do you think my current status requires me to do something like this?"

Li Huanggua stared at him for three seconds, her lips twitched, but she swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

He turned to his bodyguard and said, "Go outside and wait."

The door to the private room was closed.

The remaining two people sat facing each other, separated by a round table with the transfer agreement and tea set on it.

"Mr. Dong, about my son..."

"Your son is your son, and I am me. You don't actually think I, Dong Tianbao, would use people as bargaining chips in business, do you?" Dong Tianbao flicked his cigarette ash. "What will people in the underworld think of me if word gets out?"

Li Huanggua was silent for a moment, then picked up the photos and video recorder brought by the bodyguard.

He turned on the still somewhat bulky video recorder, and the screen lit up instantly, showing a video of about twenty seconds.

He clicked on it, and the image showed Li Daju sitting in a plastic chair, his face filled with panic, shouting:

"Dad, save me! They want two billion in cash. Old bills, not consecutive serial numbers. Two days. Please don't call the police, they'll really kill me. I don't want to die..."

Li Huanggua turned the video camera screen towards Dong Tianbao.

Dong Tianbao glanced at it, not even raising an eyebrow: "What do you mean? Mr. Li still suspects me?"

"I didn't say that."

"That's what you really think." Dong Tianbao stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and leaned forward slightly.

"Mr. Li, your son has been kidnapped. Your first reaction is to suspect the business partner you're talking to."

What does this mean? It means you know in your heart that you've recently made quite a few enemies. And it's not just me.

He paused, then reached out and pushed the transfer agreement for the Grand Court Building back onto the table.

"Since you don't trust me, then there's no need to discuss this business."

"We'll talk about that after you rescue your son."

After finishing his sentence, Dong Tianbao got up and left.

The moment the door to the private room closed, the stubbornness that Li Huanggua had been maintaining crumbled by half an inch.

He picked up the cup of tea that had spilled across half the table, his fingertips trembling, the tea rippled, but he didn't drink a drop and put it down again.

He used the handkerchief handed to him by his bodyguard to wipe the water stains off his trousers, his movements so slow it was as if he was delaying something.

"Boss, should we head back first?" the bodyguard asked in a low voice.

"I won't go back." Li Huanggua's voice finally cracked a little. "A-Zhong, you've been with me the longest. Tell me the truth, how likely was Dong Tianbao's doing with A-Ju's affair?"

Bodyguard Ah Zhong, his eyes lowered, said, "Boss, what Dong Tianbao just said... it really doesn't sound like it. Someone of his rank wouldn't resort to such underhanded tactics."

Li Huanggua closed his eyes, his back teeth grinding together.

He firmly believed that this matter was definitely related to Dong Tianbao, and that he was inextricably involved.

But now, even if we had evidence, we wouldn't be able to do anything about Dong Tianbao, let alone have any.

After all, his son was still in their hands.

"Two billion," he murmured, "old notes, not consecutive serial numbers, two days."

This person has a thorough understanding of his group's financial statements.

As long as they withdraw these funds, all the projects the group plans to undertake will be stalled.

At that time, I will definitely sell my assets, projects, stocks...

He suddenly opened his eyes, pulled out the bulky video recorder, and played the twenty-second video again.

The panic on Li Daju's face on the screen didn't seem fake, but Li Huanggua had been in business all his life and had seen too many dramas where it was hard to tell what was real and what wasn't.

He pressed the pause button, freezing the moment Li Daju finished saying, "I don't want to die yet..."

"Call the bank and request cash. Two billion, old banknotes, not consecutive serial numbers, have it all ready by tomorrow evening."

"Boss, with such a large sum of money, what about the banks and the board of directors...?"

"Just say I want to acquire a building, cash payment. Have the finance department issue the necessary paperwork overnight. I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!" Li Huanggua stood up, paced back and forth a few times, then added, "Also, have someone keep an eye on Dong Tianbao."

"yes!"

Ah Zhong acknowledged and left.

The private room was completely empty.

Li Huanggua stood alone by the window, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the glass in a rapid and disordered rhythm.

Two billion wasn't a crippling blow to him, but the other party clearly understood the difficulty of gathering the old currency in two days. This kidnapper was either a shrewd businessman or had a mole planted within his ranks.

It's impossible for there to be a mole.

He went through the list of business partners who had broken ties with him in recent months—real estate, docks, construction permits… The list grew longer and longer, but in the end, they all came down to the same name—Dong Tianbao.

"Ah Zhong, take me back, and while you're at it, call Ah Zhuang and ask him to come to Banshan."

……

"Brother-in-law, are you sure it was Dong Tianbao who did it?"

"There's an 80% chance it's him. He's testing my limits right now..." Li Huanggua lost his composure from the Hilton suite, his face now filled with a cold smile.

"Brother-in-law, should we call the police?" Zhuang Jiajun, Li Huanggua's brother-in-law, asked.

"Calling the police is useless. Half of the police in Hong Kong are on his side, and there's no evidence."

"Just talk to the Governor of Hong Kong..."

Before Zhuang Jiajun could finish speaking, Li Huanggua shook his head and rejected the idea, "No, the mainland is keeping a close eye on things right now. If we're exposed, we won't get a share of the spoils, not even a drop in the bucket."

"Brother-in-law, do you mean to fight evil with evil?"

"Yes, that's why I called you here."

"I think I'm being watched, so I'll have to rely on you to step in. Don't skimp on the money; a generous reward will surely attract brave men. I don't believe Dong Tianbao can control everything in Hong Kong," Li Huanggua said.

"Which company should we look for?" Zhuang Jiajun nodded and then asked.

After thinking for a moment, Li Huanggua said, "Old Wan and Shui Fang, let them find the evidence and the people first."

"Are those two families suitable? Rumor has it that Tung Hing and Hung Hing have a long-standing feud. The water room isn't a problem, but the relationship between Lao Wan and Li Shutang is ambiguous, so they might not be reliable!" Zhuang Jiajun analyzed before speaking.

"Ah Zhuang, you're familiar with the underworld. Do as you please; money isn't an issue."

……