Era: You're asked to cook a home-style dish, but you cook Wellington.

Inside the hospital, Mr. Cai was staying in a deluxe single room, with two bodyguards standing at the door to protect him.

"Mr. Cai, it's so kind of you to bother you so late."

Gao Yang entered the ward carrying gifts without being stopped in any way.

Mr. Cai's condition was completely different from what was rumored; he was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper.

"Xiao Gao is here, come and sit down."

He took off his glasses, poured a cup of tea for the two of them, and looked at them with a smile.

"Your reputation is very bad."

Gao Yang accepted the teacup handed to him by Mr. Cai and responded with a smile.

"No, no, I'm sorry to trouble you, Mr. Cai, to play along with me in this charade."

Yes, this food poisoning incident was a staged act by Gao Yang and Cai Lao.

Gao Yang and Su Wanqing anticipated that someone would definitely make a move during the trial operation, and it would definitely be one of the most inconspicuous apprentices.

Of course, the one who was taken away was also arranged by them, and Old Master Su knew this.

As for those who were actually going to take action, they probably wouldn't dare to act rashly after seeing that Mr. Cai was poisoned. They should be hiding in the crowd now, waiting to be checked one by one.

"But the Su family is about to face quite a storm, isn't it?"

Old Cai looked at Su Wanqing.

Su Wanqing smiled calmly and said, "Scraping the bone to remove the poison will inevitably be painful for a while, but it can save the whole family."

Upon hearing this, a hint of approval flashed in Old Cai's eyes. He put down his teacup and gently tapped the table.

"You're a woman of great courage. Internal strife within the family has always been a chronic problem. Taking this opportunity to clean house is indeed a long-term strategy."

He paused, his expression becoming slightly more serious.

"However, I've heard some rumors that this time, it's not just the corrupt elements within the Su family that are targeting you; the forces in the capital are also involved. This time, it's mainly aimed at me, so you can start from there."

Gao Yang's eyes darkened, and he exchanged a glance with Su Wanqing. Just as they had guessed, the mastermind behind everything was still that force in the capital.

Su Zhaoyang was nothing more than cannon fodder pushed out, and this feigned poisoning was just the first step in the enemy's elaborate scheme.

"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Cai. We will be more vigilant."

Gao Yang responded softly, his fingertips gently stroking the rim of the cup.

"This time, we troubled you to cooperate with our act in order to lure the snake out of its hole, make the people hiding in the shadows lower their guard, and completely eliminate the internal troubles of the Su family. However, the other party will definitely have even more ruthless tricks later."

"It's alright. It's nothing for my old bones to cooperate with a little act. The key is that I can help you."

Old Cai laughed heartily, his eyes full of clarity.

"The apprentice was arranged in advance by you, and the statements and evidence are all under your control. I have also spoken to the police station, so there will be no trouble afterward. I will also have people clarify the rumors circulating outside."

"However, it seems your island will be unable to continue operating during this period."

Su Wanqing felt a warmth in her heart and bowed to express her gratitude.

"We owe our success to Elder Cai's help. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to capture Su Zhaoyang so easily. The Su family will always remember this kindness."

"It was just a small favor."

Mr. Cai waved his hand, his tone resolute.

"That force has big ambitions and has been trying to nibble away at the Yuncheng family's business. I have an old acquaintance with the Su family patriarch, so naturally I will not sit idly by. If there is anything I need to do in the future, please feel free to ask."

After saying that, he looked at Gao Yang.

"Kid, your cooking is delicious. I hope I'll have the chance to eat it again sometime."

Gao Yang replied, "Don't worry, Mr. Cai, it's definitely possible."

The three discussed the details of how to deal with public opinion and investigate the person behind the scenes before Gao Yang and Su Wanqing got up to say goodbye.

As I stepped out of the hospital, night had already enveloped the entire city, and a cool evening breeze carried away the fatigue of the past few days.

…………

Beijing.

A secluded private mountain resort.

The man, dressed in a plain Tang suit, sat steadily by the pond, holding a fishing rod, with a Cohiba fish between his fingers slowly emitting blue smoke.

His eyes were lowered, obscuring his expression, yet he exuded an aura of commanding authority.

There was no movement in the pond for a long time.

The black-clad subordinate standing beside him bowed his head, pondered for a long time, and then spoke softly.

"Boss, don't worry, everything's taken care of. That old bastard from the Cai family has finally fallen. He's in the hospital recovering, and his condition is quite serious."

"The Su Family Island project has completely ruined its reputation and cannot be reopened in the short term. Su Wanqing has really suffered a major setback this time."

Upon hearing this, the man's lips curled into a sinister smile, but he still didn't look up. His gaze remained fixed on the calm water, and his voice was lazy yet ruthless.

"Oh? It's going more smoothly than I expected. A young girl and an arrogant brat dare to try and take our territory. The Su family's assets should have been ours all along."

"It's just a pity about Su Zhaoyang. He's a member of a collateral branch of the Su family, yet he was so easily used as a pawn and ended up as a discarded pawn."

His subordinates echoed him in hushed tones.

"It's just trash. It's only good for paving roads. Once it's no longer useful, we can just throw it away."

The man spoke casually, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"What I want has never been a Su Zhaoyang, nor is it to ruin a small island project. What I want is to completely destroy Su Wanqing, make the Su family lose all say, and then take over the industries in Yuncheng."

In fact, he had long had his eye on the Yuncheng market, and the Su family, as the leading family in Yuncheng, was the biggest obstacle.

The island project spearheaded by Su Wanqing is key to the Su family's transformation, and also a thorn in his side that he must remove.

This time, by using Su Zhaoyang to launch an attack and then targeting Cai Lao, they killed two birds with one stone: ruining the reputation of the Su family's project and suppressing the Cai family's power.

"What's the next step? Should we strike while the iron is hot and get someone to further fuel the public opinion fire to completely crush the Su family's project?"

His subordinates immediately sought instructions.

The man finally raised his head, a shrewd glint in his eyes, and gently shook the fishing rod before speaking in a deep voice.

"No rush. Rushing into a corner will only expose our true intentions. Let's hold back and observe the movements of the Su family and Elder Cai. The calmer things seem, the more suspicious they are."

"That girl Su Wanqing is not that simple, and that kid Gao Yang is no ordinary person either. He can keep the kitchen under control and deal with Su Zhaoyang."

He had a vague feeling that things were going too smoothly.

Having experienced so much in his life, how could Cai Lao be so easily outmaneuvered? Su Wanqing and Gao Yang shouldn't have fallen into such a passive position so easily either.

Are you worried it might be a scam?

His subordinate frowned slightly.

"Better safe than sorry."

The man stubbed out his cigar, his tone grave.

"Send people to keep an eye on the hospital, on Su Family Island, and on Gao Yang and Su Wanqing's every move. Report any suspicious activity immediately. Contact the remaining collateral branches of the Su family and continue to cause trouble for Su Wanqing. I want to see how long they can hold out."

"Yes! I'll take care of it immediately!"

His subordinate bowed and withdrew, and the poolside returned to silence. The man looked at the water again, his eyes filled with determination.