Chapter 109: Chapter 90: Unexpected Game
"I’m planning to invest in an agricultural technology company and take it public in North America, but they don’t seem very willing."
The old man frowned. "An agricultural technology company? What’s its scale? Is there anything special about it?"
The middle-aged man quickly explained, "It’s a company that developed a low-cost artificial eel breeding technology. Li believes the company has potential. It’s valued at around two hundred million US dollars, so Li plans to strong-arm them into handing over their shares to gain a controlling stake."
"It seems I was overthinking things." The old man’s expression relaxed slightly. "In that case, have Vine take over as the general manager for the Greater China Region and continue Li’s work."
"Understood, Mr. David."
"Edward, our friend has been in Dubai. Go have a ’talk’ with him. Make him understand who the master of this world is."
The blond, middle-aged man, Edward, smiled and nodded. "No problem."
"No one in this world can refuse me." The old man casually loaded two buckshot shells, raised his shotgun, and fired.
BANG!
A short distance away, a foraging buck’s head exploded in a spray of blood, and it collapsed to the ground.
In the oak forest, a great flock of birds took flight in alarm.
The buzzing of the cicadas paused for a moment, then resumed its chorus, as if playing a dirge for a departed life.
"Mr. David, you’re an incredible shot. I won’t disturb you any further."
"Take my helicopter to the airport."
"Thank you, Sir."
In reality, David’s private estate was only a little over eighty kilometers from Los Angeles Airport, as it was located near Newport Beach in Orange County, part of the Greater Los Angeles Area.
A short while later, Edward, along with his assistant and bodyguards, arrived at the helipad on the west side of the estate. It was a small heliport, with five helicopters parked on the pad.
The private helicopter’s two dedicated pilots walked up to a Sikorsky S-76 and expertly flipped the various switches on the instrument panel.
Soon, Edward and his five companions were aboard the helicopter.
The helicopter’s rotor blades began to spin.
As the blades spun at high speed, they kicked up a violent wind and a deafening roar.
A dozen or so minutes later, the helicopter slowly lifted into the air.
Meanwhile, the estate’s butler had already instructed his subordinates to arrange for the helicopter’s landing at Los Angeles Airport.
Still hunting in the oak forest, David glanced up at the departing helicopter before continuing deeper into the woods under the protection of several bodyguards.
However, his composure was soon shattered.
The helicopter, having flown only about five kilometers, suddenly lost control and crashed into a forest.
And David saw the entire thing with perfect clarity.
"Shit!" he cursed. David lost all mood for hunting, tossed the shotgun to a bodyguard, and hurriedly got into a utility vehicle. "Back to the house."
"Yes, Sir." The driver, not daring to breathe too loudly, started the engine. Despite the urgency, he drove very smoothly.
Back at the manor.
The butler, his face filled with vexation, quickly explained to David, "Sir, I’ve already had people begin inspecting all the aircraft. Andrew has taken a team to the crash site."
"From now on, cancel all flights from the itinerary." David was now feeling a flicker of fear himself.
"Yes, Sir."
David walked into the dining room, patted the heads of three large dogs, then slammed a large apple pie onto the face of one of them, a golden retriever, and began to mash it in frantically.
"WOOF WOOF... WHIMPER..." The golden retriever, struggling to breathe, instinctively thrashed about, only daring to whimper and bark in agony.
After a moment, the golden retriever finally stopped struggling and fell to the floor, convulsing.
The black-furred and white-furred dogs nearby were so terrified they trembled, able to do nothing but lie prostrate on the ground.
David picked up a whip and viciously lashed the convulsing golden retriever. In no time, its pale skin was covered in bloody welts.
Jolted awake by the pain, the golden retriever began to howl in agony once more.
"WHIMPER... WOOF WOOF... ARGH..."
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
After whipping the dog for a dozen or so minutes, a panting David finally stopped. He threw the whip to the ground and left without a backward glance. "Arrange for lunch."
"Of course, Sir," the butler replied, his expression unchanged, as he waved a hand at several servants.
The servants, their faces equally calm, carried the battered and dying golden retriever away. They performed the task without a single superfluous movement or sound of surprise.
In another dining room on the second floor of the villa.
David sat on a sofa next to the dining table and made a call on his phone.
BEEP... BEEP...
"Hello, Sir. What are your orders?"
"Edward just had an accident. I need you to come back immediately and take over his work."
"OK. I’ll be there tonight."
"Mm."
After hanging up, David leaned back into the sofa, his expression uncertain. A shadow of doubt crept into his mind. ’An accident? Or was it targeted? Two incidents in one day... Is it really such a coincidence?’
Just as he was suspecting there might be more to these two incidents, he saw several servants setting food on the table. David suddenly frowned.
"Bain, have someone test this food."
The butler, Bain, understood at once. He then turned to the servants. "Take a third of all this food and eat it."
The servants broke out in a cold sweat, but they could only brace themselves and comply. They cut off a third of the steak, a third of the cod fillet, portioned out a third of the vegetable salad, and finally poured out a third of the wine, carefully consuming it all.
After watching the servants eat, David didn’t begin his meal right away. Instead, he waited for a dozen or so minutes. Only after seeing that the servants showed no ill effects did he speak.
"It’s fine."
"Yes, Sir. One moment, I’ll have them reheat it." The butler nodded and turned to instruct a servant to heat the food in the dining room’s microwave.
Startled by the day’s events, David was already becoming paranoid and jumpy.
