<h4>Chapter 1194: Chapter 1201: Hong Family Banquet (Part 5)</h4>


    Ren Chong secretly gritted his teeth with hatred. He knew Ling Chen was deliberately picking a fight. However, with Hong Wei standing nearby watching him, he dared not make any rash moves. Taking a deep breath, Ren Chong said in a deep voice, "I’m sorry, it was my fault earlier, I shouldn’t have doubted you."


    Ling Chen smiled and nodded, saying, "It’s good that you know you’re wrong. Since you’ve sincerely apologized, I won’t hold you responsible. But I have a word of advice for you: don’t cause trouble out of nothing in the future, otherwise, when you really stumble, it’ll be toote to regret."


    "Alright! Remember Mr. Ling’s words and be on your way." Hong Wei waved his hand, and Ren Chong dared not linger any longer, leaving the banquet hall with a few young men in tow. Watching Ren Chong and his group depart, Ling Chen’s lips curled into a slight smile as he let out a coldugh.


    This scene was caught by Hong Wei, who curiously asked, "What is Mr. Lingughing about?"


    "It’s nothing," Ling Chen replied ndly, "I just hope they get home safely."


    Upon hearing this, a faint, imperceptible cold gleam shed in Hong Wei’s eyes. "Mr. Ling, as the host of the banquet, I apologize for what just happened. I hope you won’t take it to heart."


    "Mr. Hong, you’re too polite. As you just said, I’m a magnanimous person and won’t fuss over such trivial matters."


    "That’s good." Hong Wei smiled and said, "I have other guests to attend to, so I won’t disturb you further. Enjoy your time." After saying this, Hong Wei smiled at Nanrong Wanqing and the others, then turned around with his subordinates and left.


    "You, send a few people to protect Ren Chong and make sure you safely escort them home. Did you hear me?" Before his own people, Hong Wei looked stern, his eyes and words carrying a trace of cold severity, devoid of the friendliness from earlier.


    "Mr. Hong, could they be in danger?"


    "Ling Chen is not a simple person; he might very well cause trouble for them. In any case, it’s better to be safe than sorry."


    "Yes, I understand. I’ll send someone over immediately."


    Meanwhile, Ling Chen picked up the phone, dialed a number, and said, "Did you see those guys? ... Alright, get someone to deal with them, and remember, leave no traces, so they can’t trace it back to us."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen turned to Nanrong Wanqing and the others, chatting with them casually, as if nothing had happened.


    Before attending the banquet tonight, Ling Chen had made thorough preparations. He had installed a miniature camera on his cor, capturing every situation in the banquet hall. The main purpose of this was to collect intelligence and information.


    So, Tang Guolun on the other end of the phone knew exactly who Ling Chen was referring to.


    Half an hour flew by, and Ling Chen checked the time; it was already past nine o’clock. However, this banquet showed no signs of ending. On the contrary, from everyone’s high spirits, it seemed there was even more fun to be had.


    "Ling Chen, why don’t we head back?" Nanrong Wanqing suggested, "Staying here is pointless, just a waste of time."


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, ready to respond, but at that moment, someone hurriedly walked into the banquet hall and whispered a few words in Hong Wei’s ear. It was unknown what the person said, but Hong Wei’s expression changed as he quickly turned his gaze to Ling Chen. As their eyes met, Ling Chen gave a slight smile, but Hong Wei showed no reaction, leading his people out of the banquet hall.


    "Chen, what are you looking at?" Nanrong Hao asked.


    "Nothing." Ling Chen stood up and said, "Let’s go; we can head back now."


    Exiting the banquet hall, Ling Chen noticed Hong Wei and his people standing outside, their expressions grave, discussing something unknown. Hearing footsteps approaching, Hong Wei turned his head, looked at the approaching Ling Chen, and walked forward with wide strides.


    "Mr. Ling."


    "Mr. Hong." Ling Chen asked with a smile, "What are you doing outside?"


    "I just received a message that Ren Chong and a few others were ambushed halfway, with a few dead and one seriously injured."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen feigned surprise and asked, "Who would do such a heinous act? Mr. Hong, have you caught the culprits yet?"


    "Not yet," Hong Wei stared into Ling Chen’s eyes, speaking meaningfully, "But Beijing is my territory. No matter who it is, if they dare to act recklessly on my turf, I won’t let them leave Beijing alive."


    "Well said, we must not let the culprit go unpunished. I hope you can apprehend them soon, Mr. Hong. Unfortunately, my capabilities are limited; otherwise, I’d surely lend my full support. Anyway, we need to head back, so we won’t disturb you any further, Mr. Hong. Until next time."


    Watching Ling Chen and the others enter the elevator, Hong Wei slightly furrowed his brows, his gaze sharp.


    "Mr. Hong, it must have been Ling Chen. Why not just arrest him?" one of the security personnel in a suit asked.


    "Do you have any evidence to prove it was him?"


    The man in the suit chuckled coldly, "Mr. Hong, since when do we need evidence to do our jobs?"


    Upon hearing this, Hong Wei couldn’t help butugh, nodding, "It seems you haven’t wasted your years with me; you’ve finally learned something. Give the order to keep Ling Chen under 24/7 surveince. I want to know his every move."


    "Yes, I’ll arrange it immediately."


    After dropping off Nanrong Wanqing, Zhu Xiaozhu, and Tang Shiyun at home, Ling Chen headed straight to the rented apartment. Throughout the journey, Ling Chen changed cabs several times, making a detour for over an hour. From the moment he left Mingquan Hotel, he noticed someone tailing him, but they were too inexperienced to sessfully monitor him.


    Entering the rented apartment, everyone was present except for Tang Guolun and Jiang Yunkai, who were busy. Zhu Qing sat alone at the corner, holding a knife and wiping its blood-stained de with a cloth. It was Zhu Qing who had acted earlier. Given their limited manpower, aside from Zhu Qing’s skills, Tang Guolun and Jiang Yunkai’s abilities were not suitable for such ambush operations.


    Ling Chen’s judgment proved urate; while Zhu Qing might not rank on the Earthly List, her profession as an assassin made her adept at surprise attacks. Coupled with some special stealth techniques from the Zhu Family, she could hold her own even against Earthly List masters.


    "Lady Zhu, thank you for your hard work tonight."


    Ling Chen’s voice reached her, and Zhu Qing nced up at him without saying a word, refocusing on her knife.


    Seeing that she was unwilling to engage, Ling Chen shrugged, unwilling to make a fool of himself. He turned toward Tang Guolun and asked, "Have you gathered any intel?"


    Tang Guolun nodded and said, "You wouldn’t believe it until you see it. Hong Wei is involved in numerous businesses, with illegal activities making up more than half. Drug trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking... just with what I can find, there are over a dozen counts. With these charges alone, he could be executed a hundred times over."