Chapter 96

Zhou Chong received a letter with only two sentences: "Uesugi Koji intends to harm us. Come to the port quickly!"

The handwriting was elegant, and Zhou Chong immediately recognized it as Xie Lingyun's. The last time they had destroyed the Uesugi Trading Company, Uesugi Koji had managed to escape, which had left Zhou Chong feeling uneasy, always worried that Uesugi Koji might be hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge. He never imagined that his fears would now come true.

Concerned for his own safety, Zhou Chong did not dare to delay. He left the Zhou residence and immediately found the brothers on duty, instructing them to inform Wangcai and Fugui to increase the security around the Zhou residence and to ensure that no strangers could enter the premises.

After giving these instructions, Zhou Chong immediately hired a carriage and rushed to Qingcun Port in the southeast of Songjiang. He wanted to see Xie Lingyun as soon as possible and find out the details about Uesugi Koji. When he got off the carriage, he saw the same ship that he and Xie Lingyun had taken to Shuangyu Port.

Seeing the familiar ship at the port, Zhou Chong quickly walked over. However, this time, it was not the bald, scar-faced Uncle Hei who came to greet him, but a young man he did not recognize. Zhou Chong followed the young man onto the ship and saw Xie Lingyun standing on the deck, her gaze as calm as ever.

"What's going on? Where is Uesugi Koji now? Is your information accurate?" Zhou Chong immediately asked a series of questions as soon as he boarded the ship.

In response to Zhou Chong's questions, Xie Lingyun calmly replied, "We have received reliable information that Uesugi Koji has gathered a group of people to harm us. They are now hiding near the coast of Songjiang and have already sent people to gather information about our families. If we don't act soon, they might take the risk of landing and directly attacking our homes."

"Damn it!" Zhou Chong's face turned green with anger. If Uesugi Koji and his men really attacked his home, his own life would be a minor issue, but what would happen to Zuo'er, Duo'er, and Aunt Wang? The thought of it made Zhou Chong furious, and he wished he could tear Uesugi Koji apart with his bare hands.

Seeing Zhou Chong's angry expression, Xie Lingyun smiled calmly and said, "Actually, you don't need to worry too much. Songjiang is not Shuangyu Port, and it won't be easy for Uesugi Koji to cause trouble in the city. Besides, our Xie family has some influence in Songjiang, and we have our eyes on their every move. I also have a plan to deal with the situation."

Hearing Xie Lingyun admit that the Xie family had such significant influence in Songjiang, Zhou Chong was somewhat taken aback. If this were true, then his and his family's safety would be entirely in the hands of the Xie family.

However, this thought only flashed through his mind. In his view, the Xie family was still his business partner, especially since he had not yet fully shared the soap formula with them. Therefore, the Xie family had no reason to harm him.

"Since Miss Lingyun has a plan, I am relieved. But I wonder how the Xie family intends to handle this?" Zhou Chong asked with a smile.

However, Xie Lingyun did not immediately answer Zhou Chong. Instead, she turned to Aunt Shui, who was standing behind her, and instructed, "Aunt Shui, have the sailors set sail. We are going to Dayang Island." She then turned to Zhou Chong and said, "Mr. Zhou, let's talk in the cabin!"

Zhou Chong was a bit surprised that Xie Lingyun had not consulted him before setting sail, but he still followed her into the cabin. After they were seated, Xie Lingyun finally spoke, "Actually, before you arrived, we had already made a plan to deal with Uesugi Koji. The plan is simple: lure the snake out of its hole. The ship we are on has already been spotted by Uesugi Koji's men, and when you came, their spy saw you board my ship. Now, if we pretend to go to Dayang Island to inspect the construction of the soap workshop, they will definitely take the bait!"

Hearing that Xie Lingyun had already made such a complete plan without informing him, Zhou Chong felt somewhat displeased. After all, this matter concerned his safety, but the Xie family had not notified him in advance and had even decided to use him as bait. Although Xie Lingyun was also going with him, he felt that the Xie family had not shown him the respect he deserved.

Despite his displeasure, Zhou Chong did not show it. After all, his relationship with the Xie family was good, and he did not want to ruin it over such a small matter. Xie Lingyun seemed not to notice Zhou Chong's displeasure, chatted a bit, and then asked him to rest in the cabin while she went out to make arrangements.

As Xie Lingyun left, Zhou Chong found himself sitting in the cabin, feeling bored. He finally stood up, deciding to go to the deck to enjoy the sea breeze and see how Xie Lingyun was making arrangements.

However, just as Zhou Chong opened the cabin door, he was immediately blocked by two burly men. One of them said, "Mr. Zhou, my lady has instructed us that the enemy might attack at any time. For your safety, please stay in the cabin!"

Although the two men spoke politely, their tone left no room for negotiation. Zhou Chong finally felt something was amiss and coldly said, "I am your lady's guest, not a prisoner of the Xie family. Move aside!"

The two men, however, remained unmoved by Zhou Chong's words. They even crossed their arms, showing their strength. In their view, although Zhou Chong was not short, he looked very thin and weak, and they could easily knock him down with one punch.

Although Zhou Chong was confident he could take down these two men in three seconds, the ship belonged to the Xie family, and there were at least dozens of people on board. Even if he were very skilled, he could not take them all down. Moreover, if someone like Uncle Hei appeared, he would be no match.

Thinking this, Zhou Chong suppressed his anger, slammed the cabin door shut, and his face turned dark. Even if he still trusted Xie Lingyun, he now realized that the Xie family had ulterior motives.

In fact, Zhou Chong was already quite cautious. He liked to think things through before acting, and although he was not weak in martial arts, he never showed it easily, reserving it for critical moments. However, he had not anticipated that the Xie family, who had been his allies just a few days ago, would suddenly turn against him. He was both angry and frustrated, but no matter how much he hated it, he could not resolve the current crisis.

To be fair, this was not entirely Zhou Chong's fault. In his previous life, although he had experienced many things, he was just an ordinary person and had never been involved in the intricate power struggles between factions. He also did not understand the cruelty of such conflicts. Moreover, Xie Lingyun had always helped him, which made him overly trust the Xie family and never suspect that they would suddenly turn against him.

"Xie Lingyun!" Zhou Chong gritted his teeth, his face twisted with rage. He now wished he could kill this cunning woman with his own hands. He had trusted her so much, only to be deceived and put in a situation where his life was at her mercy. This was what Zhou Chong hated most about Xie Lingyun.

At the same time, on the deck, Xie Lingyun looked out at the sea, with Aunt Shui standing quietly behind her. After a while, Xie Lingyun asked, "Aunt Shui, are Uesugi Koji's men following us?"

"Miss, the fast boat just reported that the small boat following us has sent a signal, and several cargo ships have appeared from the northeast. Although they look like Ming Dynasty merchant ships, the people on board are acting suspiciously. They must be Uesugi Koji's men," Aunt Shui reported, bowing her head.

Xie Lingyun nodded and then instructed, "Good. Have the sailors maintain this speed and prepare the ambush ships along the way!"

"Yes, Miss!" Aunt Shui replied, but she hesitated before speaking again, "Miss, should we deal with Zhou Chong now to avoid any trouble?"

"Shut up!" Xie Lingyun interrupted her sharply, her eyes shooting a terrifying glare at Aunt Shui. "Aunt Shui, I respect you as an elder who has been with my father, which is why I have you by my side. But you not only told my father about Zhou Chong, forcing me to make a decision, but now you are also interfering with my plans. It seems you do not respect me as your lady at all?"

"I dare not, Miss!" Aunt Shui, frightened by Xie Lingyun's anger, immediately knelt down and explained, "I only did this to ensure everything goes smoothly. According to Lord's plan, after killing Zhou Chong and Uesugi Koji, we can claim that Zhou Chong was killed by Uesugi Koji. This will cause chaos in the South China Sea Trading Company, and we can take the opportunity to吞并他们……"

"Enough! You don't need to use my father to pressure me. I am in charge of this matter, and I don't need your advice!" Xie Lingyun interrupted Aunt Shui again. For some reason, just thinking about killing Zhou Chong made her feel incredibly restless.

Seeing that her lady was not listening to any suggestions, Aunt Shui sighed and silently turned to leave.

The Xie family's spies had not missed Uesugi Koji and Ise Rikon's plot against Zhou Chong. After learning about it, and with Aunt Shui informing Xie Lingyun's father about Zhou Chong, her father came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone: eliminate the mad dog Uesugi Koji and also get rid of the potential threat of Zhou Chong. Of course, some people would suspect the true cause of Zhou Chong's death, but as long as the Xie family insisted that he was killed by Uesugi Koji, no one could do anything about it.

Holding the ship's railing, Xie Lingyun recalled her father's strict orders before she left. She felt a sense of helplessness. Although she was the only daughter and the sole heir of the family, her father was even stricter with her. She had always lived in his shadow and never dared to disobey his commands. This time, her father wanted to eliminate the threat of Zhou Chong, and even though she was reluctant, she had to carry out the order herself.

PS: Some readers in the book review section have commented that I am being too harsh on the protagonist and that Xie Lingyun is too cunning. This is really unfair. Although this chapter seems to have put the protagonist in a dire situation, the protagonist will not die. The next part will be the protagonist's chance to turn the tables. I hope you don't give up. Your support is my greatest motivation!

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