378 Mysticism (1/2)
When Ren Xiaosu, who had already deemed the Zong Consortium as an enemy, heard a vehicle approaching, his first thought was that the Zong Consortium must have sent someone to ambush Wang Shengzhi's convoy. This was probably because they wanted to prevent Stronghold 178 from building close ties with the Central Plains.
One by one, the members of Wang Shengzhi's convoy drew their weapons from the vehicles' trunks. Meanwhile, Zhou Yinglong got up barehanded.
Ren Xiaosu glanced at Zhou Yinglong and determined that the burly man from the Northwest was definitely a supernatural being. Otherwise, Zhang Jinglin would not have sent him here alone, nor would Zhou Yinglong not grab a weapon when facing a possible enemy attack.
However, when the Zong Consortium's convoy finally approached, it surprised them. The moment the people in the vehicle got out, they immediately expressed that they were not carrying any weapons with them. The leader of the group was an unfamiliar young man.
A few people dressed in chef's attire jumped out of the cars behind them. They were carrying some pots and pans, while some even carried portable gas stoves.
The young man said with a smile, ”Good evening, everyone. I'm the Zong Consortium's Zong Xiang. I heard all of you wanted to have a taste of our Zong Consortium's delicacies, but since you can't go to our stronghold due to your schedule, I've brought my chefs out here instead so you can get to enjoy authentic food like caramelized potatoes, Hundred Blossoms Chicken, and roasted whole goat.”
When Ren Xiaosu heard this from inside the vehicle, he sneered. The Zong Consortium was clearly eager for everyone here to die, yet they pretended to be really welcoming.
Before Zong Cheng revealed his intentions, he had acted really warm and hospitable too. But in the end?
Even now, Ren Xiaosu could not understand why Zong Cheng would attack them. This was what Ren Xiaosu was most furious about.
Looking at this young man named Zong Xiang, Ren Xiaosu was very sure that he and Zong Cheng had a close relationship. He was considering if he should kill Zong Cheng on the spot. But what would he do after killing Zong Xiang? That would not be enough to sate his fury.
Ren Xiaosu needed to make sure the entire Zong Consortium was destroyed. Just killing Zong Xiang alone would not erase his hatred.
Ren Xiaosu was even considering intentionally creating a conflict between Wang Shengzhi, Zhou Yinglong, and the Zong Consortium. For example, killing Zong Xiang and framing it as though Wang Shengzhi and the others had made the move. But if he did that, they would not be able to return to the Central Plains safely, right? These people had saved his life, so he could not do that.
Ren Xiaosu took a slow, deep breath to calm himself down. He wanted to gain the support of Wang Shengzhi and Stronghold 178 to use their power to seek out the best opportunity to destroy the Zong Consortium.
As the saying went, slap not a smiling face. Even Zhou Yinglong was not saying anything at this moment.
After the food was prepared, the aroma spread throughout the entire campsite. Zong Xiang asked the chef to cut him a slice of mutton. He grabbed it and put it into his mouth. ”Let me taste it first for you all…. Mmm, it's cooked. The meat is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, so please enjoy it. I won't disturb you any further and hope that you'll have a pleasant journey in the Northwest.”
After saying that, Zong Xiang actually left with his men.
The taste test seemed more like it was to prove to Wang Shengzhi and the others that the food was not poisoned.
When Zong Xiang departed, Zhou Yinglong spat on the ground. ”What good can possibly come of a hyena trying to please you?”
Wang Shengzhi smiled and said, ”Why do you hate the Zong Consortium so much?”
”When Commander Zhang left the stronghold, the Zong Consortium loved throwing themselves at Stronghold 178, and even secretly sent their people behind the walls. That ended with the news in Stronghold 178 always getting leaked in advance.” Zhou Yinglong said with a dark expression, ”This group of hyenas kept fighting for power and benefits in Stronghold 178, creating a foul atmosphere in the organization. It was only later on that we found out the Chief of Staff was actually a bastard son of the Zong Consortium. Commander Zhang was quite upset after he found out about this. Since then, Stronghold 178 stopped accepting outsiders. That was mainly to prevent people with ulterior motives from infiltrating the stronghold.”
”How did you guys learn he was an illegitimate son of the Zong Consortium?” Wang Shengyin asked.