Chapter 130: The Last Supper

"I'll pay! I'll pay!"

Facing death, Old Xiao finally compromised. He transferred the money to Gu Xiangnan via his phone. Gu Xiangnan grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up from the ground. Patting the dust off him, he muttered, "Wouldn't it have been better to just do this from the start? Why put yourself through such misery?"

Tan Shaozhi hurried over to help Old Xiao away.

This incident served as a wake-up call for Gu Xiangnan. His home really wasn't safe. It would be best to send his younger sister and his godmother away; if he were alone in the villa, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone who came knocking.

Gu Xiangnan pondered and decided he should send them to his senior sister's place immediately. He dialed Su Hanyan’s number, but she informed him that she was away on a business trip. It turned out that Toshisuke Otsuka had transferred all the chain pharmacies under the Fuso Kampo Association to Gu Xiangnan, and Gu had entrusted Su Hanyan with their management.

Su Hanyan took this task very seriously. She had returned to the company overnight to hold a meeting, pulling out the company's elite to form a new team. Today, she had taken this team to the provincial capital to handle the handover of the pharmacies. Wang Mei, worried about her, had gone along, and Zhang Baolian had tagged along for the fun. They wouldn't be back for another day.

With Wang Mei away, Gu Xiangnan felt it was safer for his sister and godmother to stay by his side for the time being.

Zi Xiaoyin and Huang Ying cleaned up the garden. After clearing away the broken flower pots, a large space opened up in the yard. Zi Xiaoyin stared at the empty space, lost in thought.

"Little sister, what are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking, wouldn't it be a waste to have such a nice yard and not eat hot pot or have a barbecue?"

No sooner said than done, Zi Xiaoyin and Huang Ying went to buy groceries and returned to busy themselves with the preparations. Ever since she learned last night that the United States was planning a major move against Gu Xiangnan, Huang Ying had refused to leave.

Taking advantage of the time, Gu Xiangnan gave Zhang Hongmei another treatment. Her injuries had improved significantly, and she was even able to get out of bed and walk slowly.

"Xiao Nan, if it weren't for you, this old woman would have been dead long ago!"

Gu Xiangnan coaxed her softly, "Godmother, don't talk like that. You still have to see Xiaoyin get married! I'm a miracle doctor; I specialize in snatching people back from the King of Hell!"

Zhang Hongmei smiled and patted his hand. "I am so lucky to have you!"

As they spoke, Zi Xiaoyin came upstairs to call them for dinner. Gu Xiangnan carried Zhang Hongmei on his back, walked downstairs, and entered the yard.

A large round table had been set up in the courtyard, laden with all kinds of delicacies, and the hot pot was bubbling away. Beside it, a barbecue grill was set up, with Huang Ying grilling chicken wings and lamb skewers. Gu Xiangnan settled Zhang Hongmei into a chair.

Everyone began to bustle about, chatting as they added food to the table. Gu Xiangnan retrieved several bottles of high-end red wine from his home collection and opened them, pouring a glass for everyone.

Huang Ying checked her phone and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, this bottle of wine costs a hundred thousand!"

Zi Xiaoyin and Zhang Hongmei, usually frugal, were so startled by the price that they quickly set down their glasses. Zi Xiaoyin picked up the bottle and looked at it. "This bottle is 750 milliliters. That means it costs 134 yuan per milliliter. If I take a sip, it would..."

"If a sip is 30 milliliters, that's 4,000 yuan gone in one gulp!" Huang Ying covered her mouth in shock. Zi Xiaoyin was also too stunned to speak.

"Xiao Nan, you'll need money for many things in the future. We should be more thrifty," Zhang Hongmei said. Used to living a life of hardship, she wanted to save every penny for her daughter.

Gu Xiangnan said calmly, "Today, we finish it! If one bottle isn't enough, we'll open another! Godmother, Xiaoyin, don't worry. In the future, I will earn more money so you won't have to live a hard life anymore."

Zhang Hongmei was deeply moved, her eyes instantly brimming with tears. She said with relief, "This old woman still has savings. Don't worry about me; as long as you are all doing well, that's enough."

Everyone laughed and chatted, and the meal lasted until late. By ten o'clock, Zhang Hongmei was tired. Gu Xiangnan carried her back to her bedroom upstairs, helped her wash up, and tucked her in.

He then returned to the yard. Zi Xiaoyin and Huang Ying had both drunk quite a bit. Their faces were flushed as they leaned against each other, whispering.

"I'm so happy! I have a mother and a brother. I am the happiest little princess in the world." She sounded a bit tipsy.

Gu Xiangnan shook his head with a smile. He picked up a beer, sat in a rocking chair, and looked at the moon.

"I, I want to tell you a secret!" Huang Ying also seemed to be quite drunk, her speech slurred.

"What, what secret? Hehehe~~" Zi Xiaoyin giggled.

"Shh~~ I'm telling you, you can't tell anyone else! The US, the US, is going to... ugh~~~"

Just as she reached the crucial part, Huang Ying suddenly vomited. Gu Xiangnan quickly stood up, helped Huang Ying, and headed for the bathroom, fearing she might be sick again. Huang Ying was so drunk that she was stumbling. Finally reaching the bathroom, she leaned over the toilet and began to retch.

The owner of the villa next to Gu Xiangnan’s had been away on vacation for over a week. In the darkness, no one noticed that several burly men were standing on the roof of the otherwise empty villa.

These men had deep blue eyes and high bridge noses—they were all Westerners. Each of them had a leopard tattooed on their arm. The man in the lead had a slightly different tattoo; the leopard pattern was larger, and there was a streak of blood-red ink at the corner of the leopard's mouth.

He was Rex, the second-in-command of the Cheetah Mercenary Group.

Previously, their boss had sent people to assassinate Gu Xiangnan, but all had failed. The Diban family was pressing hard and had increased the bounty to 100 million US dollars. The boss wanted to eliminate Gu Xiangnan as soon as possible to claim the bounty before anyone else could move in. Therefore, he had sent his second-in-command, Rex, to lead the team personally, vowing to finish the job. They had even brought rocket launchers.

"Everyone, listen up! We must kill Gu Xiangnan tonight!" Rex issued the kill order.

"Yes!"

One of the men aimed at Gu Xiangnan's house and pulled the trigger on the rocket launcher.

"BOOM!"

A deafening explosion sent flames soaring into the night sky, illuminating everything. The man’s aim was poor, and the rocket missed its mark, slamming into the yard instead.

"Damn it!"

Gu Xiangnan, who was in the bathroom, was startled at first. A second later, he realized the sound had come from the yard.

Oh no! His sister was in the yard!

Gu Xiangnan’s figure blurred as he flashed into the courtyard. The cozy little yard had turned into a sea of fire, with scorching flames licking at everything. He looked toward where Zi Xiaoyin had been sitting. She wasn't there! And there were no bodies!

"Xiaoyin! Where are you?" Gu Xiangnan shouted, frantically searching for his sister in the inferno.

Suddenly, he saw a small figure huddled in the corner of the yard wall. It was Zi Xiaoyin! She was surrounded by raging flames and had nowhere to run.

"Xiaoyin, don't be afraid! Brother is coming to save you!"

*Whoosh!*

Another rocket, trailing sparks, headed straight for Gu Xiangnan. The subordinate had missed earlier, and a furious Rex had decided to take the shot himself. This rocket was aimed accurately, and Gu Xiangnan hurriedly dodged to the side.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

A barrage of rockets followed, one of which struck Zhang Hongmei’s second-floor bedroom.