Chapter 118: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

Chapter 118: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

“Long, you mean that whenever we get a lot of customers, those people immediately rush in to inspect the place?” Ye Feng listened carefully as Ma Long explained what had happened. A problem suddenly occurred to him. Weren’t inspections supposed to be random? How could they happen so coincidentally every time?

“That’s more or less it. And they always arrive incredibly quickly. We never have a chance to stop them.” Zhang Wei, who was in charge of security, thought for a moment before continuing. “They show up at exactly the right time, and we don’t even have time to react. But they’re supposedly here for an inspection. If we tried to stop them, we’d only be asking for trouble.”

“Oh? It seems the problem here is getting worse and worse. And I think this is clearly being done deliberately. Have any of you noticed any unusual vehicles outside recently?” Ye Feng asked after some thought. If those people could arrive so quickly, they must have been prepared in advance. There couldn’t be that many coincidences.

“No, we haven’t. Our cameras can only monitor a few meters around the club. We have no way of seeing the other areas, especially the small corners,” Ma Long said awkwardly. After Ye Feng pointed it out, he also began to feel that something was seriously wrong.

“Brother Feng, are you saying that those people have been watching us directly? Whenever our customers increase, they rush in and launch a surprise inspection?” Zhang Wei asked after hearing Ye Feng’s analysis, as though he had suddenly realized something. Otherwise, there was no way those people could move so quickly.

“Mm. I suspect that’s exactly what’s happening. It seems we’ve been targeted.” Ye Feng could not help sighing inwardly. On the surface, the provincial capital appeared calm and peaceful, but beneath it, undercurrents were surging. The city was full of hidden powers and was far more complicated than it seemed.

Everyone sighed when they heard this. As the saying went, one feared not a thief who stole from you, but a thief who kept you in mind. And now that the police were watching them, things had become truly troublesome. Damn it—he had no idea who was trying to make things difficult for him.

“Then what do we do now, Brother Feng?” Ma Long was already at his wit’s end. Damn it, those people must have accepted someone else’s bribe and were deliberately targeting the Chenlong Club. If they had come openly, like Wu Tianlin’s men before, he would not have been afraid. He had no fear of a straightforward confrontation. But now, armed men were keeping an eye on them, and that was a far more serious problem.

“Heh. As for how to solve it, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Let’s do this first. Chu Yun, you and Zhenhua, Chen Xiang...” Ye Feng lowered his head and began making arrangements. He also called Huang Shan and asked her to bring the company employees to the club that evening for a gathering, with everyone receiving a fifty-percent discount.

“A fifty-percent discount? Ye Feng, are you running a fever?” Huang Shan nearly fainted from shock. Was Ye Feng joking? Those were club prices. If everything were half-price, the club would hardly make any money at all.

“No, I’m perfectly healthy. Consider it a small favor for Sister Shan. I have a plan. Once everything is done, I’ll treat you to dinner as thanks,” Ye Feng said seriously. To pull this off, he naturally needed Huang Shan’s help. The customers under her management represented an enormous source of business.

“Hehe, there’s no need to be so polite with me. All right, no problem. Everyone has been busy with work lately and could certainly use a good rest. It’ll be nice to let them relax for a change!” Huang Shan agreed cheerfully. She had been so occupied with work that she had not taken the employees out to have fun in quite some time.

At six that evening, Huang Shan entered the Chenlong Club with dozens of smiling employees from her company. Ma Long politely came forward to welcome her. Some of the other customers noticed the commotion and immediately looked over, only to discover that the head of the Huang family company had arrived. No wonder the club owner had personally come out to receive her. The difference between people could truly be maddening.

“Oh, President Huang, welcome! It’s been quite some time since your last visit. Where have you been making your fortune lately?” Ma Long greeted her with a smile. They had already agreed that everything had to appear perfectly normal, especially in front of the employees of Huang’s company.

“Hehe, Boss Ma, you’re teasing me. It’s the same as always—just a little business here and there!” Huang Shan replied modestly.

The people nearby who had been listening with pricked ears nearly fainted. A business empire as large as the Huang family’s was being described as “a little business here and there”? Then who in the world could be considered a real businessman? Good heavens, that was truly hurtful.

“Haha, this way, President Huang!” Since Huang Shan had brought quite a large group, Ma Long arranged for them to sit in the main hall. However, he quietly told her that Ye Feng was waiting for her in their usual place.

Huang Shan’s delicate body trembled slightly, and her cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She remembered what had happened in that very place—how she had used her mouth to pleasure that shameless man. The thought alone was enough to make her feel unbearably embarrassed.

As night gradually fell, more and more customers began arriving at the Chenlong Club. Most of them were members. That afternoon, Ma Long had sent out a message announcing that, to thank everyone for their support, the club would offer an additional twenty-percent discount that evening. Naturally, everyone thought it was wonderful news. They quickly made their preparations and began heading to the club.

Still, quite a few people remembered what had happened there recently and were too uneasy to come.

Several dozen meters from the Chenlong Club stood a small flower garden, with a tree-lined path running along its edge. Three vehicles were parked there, each filled with people. One of them was a white police car. Several men sat inside, including the leader from the previous night. He held a pair of binoculars and muttered, “Damn, quite a few customers have come to the Chenlong Club again tonight. Looks like this place really is doing pretty well.”

“Yeah. We’ve been inspecting it carefully these past few days, but we haven’t found a single problem. Even I find it strange,” said a sharp-looking young man beside him uneasily. Although he felt a little sorry for the Chenlong Club, orders had come from above. As a people’s police officer, he had to obey.

“What’s so strange about it? It only proves that this club is hiding its secrets very well. That’s why we need to remain vigilant at all times. We also need to conduct surprise inspections regularly. Only then will we have a chance of finding evidence. The leaders have given their orders, so they naturally have their reasons. All we need to do is carry them out properly. Understood?”

“Yes, understood!” the others answered in unison before continuing to wait attentively for orders.

What the leader never imagined was that he had already been targeted, and that the others were making preparations to deal with him. While he waited, he smugly imagined where he would go to have fun after completing the night’s mission—perhaps somewhere to drink and enjoy the company of women.

He thought of the woman from the previous night. She had been quite attractive, and her skills in bed had been excellent. Her mouth, in particular, had been remarkably skillful.

The memory of the previous night made the leader’s body grow hot with desire.