Manipulative Harem God

Chapter 159 Tricking Zhao Hongyan! (2)

Zhang Wei, "Have you ever heard about the tragic fate of the Queen Bee?"

Song Shoushan furrowed her brows, slowing her steps, clearly intrigued. "Tragic fate? But she's a queen, how could her fate be tragic?" She asked, clearly skeptical.

Zhang Wei smiled faintly, reminiscing about a distant scene from the past. "It is indeed tragic—the moment the queen bee is unable to lay eggs, she is suffocated and killed by her own kin."

"What?" Song Shoushan turned to him with an initial look of surprise, but that soon shifted to understanding. She realized that nature's rules could be quite different from human concepts.

Undeterred, Zhang Wei pressed on, curious about her perspective. "What do you think we can learn from it?"

Song Shoushan, taken aback at first, raised her brows, then burst into laughter. "Never reincarnate as a queen bee!" she joked, finding a lighthearted way to avoid answering.

Zhang Wei laughed heartily, the sound echoing along the path before he began to unfold his thoughts. "Nature imparts its lessons to those who diligently observe... Similar to the queen bee, human kings and queens often find themselves betrayed by those closest to them the moment they extend their hand in benevolence."

"In fact, it's a quintessential facet of human nature—betrayal emerges from those who are near, not from the foes we perpetually guard against. Our own allies, friends, and loved ones, they're the ones who betray us when they cease to recieve personal gains, whether it's the allure of money or the solace of emotional support."

Song Shoushan's face turned more contemplative, a shadow of seriousness casting over her features. Then, she playfully wrinkled her nose and quizzed, "What's this got to do with me?"

Why did Zhang Wei's gaze seem so fixed on her, as if his words carried a hidden message meant solely for her?

Zhang Wei's smile turned bittersweet as he gestured to the side mirror of a car parked just ahead of them, "See them? They belong to the Red Scorpion gang, an gang affiliated with your father. They've been following our steps for the past few minutes. If my guess isn't wrong, their target is you."

He let out a resigned sigh, casting a pitiful glance at Song Shoushan.

"!?"

Song Shoushan followed his gaze, and upon catching a glimpse, she froze slightly. There were more than eight people tailing them, all bearing a menacing appearance, each displaying a faint scorpion tattoo on their hands.

"Keep moving, or they'll get suspicious," Zhang Wei advised, giving her a gentle pat on the back.

Song Shoushan gulped nervously and continued her steps, walking alongside him, both pretending as if they hadn't noticed the group discreetly trailing behind them.

Song Shoushan felt a weight in her heart, realizing that her parents' relationship wasn't as amicable as she had assumed.

She never expected her father to send people after her. Earlier, Zhao Hongyan had given her a warning, but she dismissed her mother's concerns as paranoia.

Now, she couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness, wondering why her family was caught up in such a situation.

'Why is he doing it!?' She cursed in her mind, slightly frustated and scared.

Was Song Pojun unhappy with another woman he had cheated on her mother with?

What did he truly want? The questions swirled in her mind, leaving her feeling lost and confused.

_____

"Brother, are you sure he's the one?" a man with a scorpion tattoo on the back of his hand inquired.

The man nodded emphatically, confirming, "He's definitely the same bastard. Out of nowhere, he barged into our place a few hours ago and started beating us randomly!"

His words caused four other men to display equally ugly expressions, as they too had been on the receiving end of Zhang Wei's apparently unprovoked aggression.

"Don't worry, brother, we'll teach him a lesson. Let's see how he fares against each and every one of us!"

"Yes, how dare he attack our faction!"

"The bastard's asking for a beating!"

"Disable his hands and legs!"

Just then, a wise voice interjected, "Brother, think again. This is the Mansion Row; everyone here holds considerable power. Should we really go through with this?"

But another voice quickly silenced the cautious one, "Coward! Are you still afraid when even the mayor supports the gang?"

Instantly, the expressions of everyone changed, realizing that with Mayor's backing — what really did they need to fear?

One of the reasons they could live in this place unbothered was because the city's mayor belonged to the Song family and wasn't taking any action against them.

Their determination intensified as they thought of this powerful backing. Now, they were more than eager to beat Zhang Wei and exact their revenge. After all, he was the one who had provoked them first.

"... What should we do?" Song Shoushan whispered quietly, tightly holding onto Zhang Wei's hand, feeling a growing fear from the people following them.

She was just an ordinary, sheltered high school girl, with no experience in dealing with these kinds of situations.

She couldn't maintain her composure like Zhang Wei, and was slightly terrified.

Thoughts raced through her mind, 'Are they here to kill us?' she pondered, trembling with worry. Her perception of the underworld was shaped by a very sinister image, associating it with ruthless killers.

In reality, murders weren't that common, even in the underworld. More often, they'd resort to breaking legs and arms or resorting to less-lethal means, like tossing individuals into the ocean, should the need arise.

Zhang Wei, on the other hand, was grinning, feeling that the plan was going even better than expected. He patted Song Shoushan, reassuring her with a kind and confident smile.

"Don't worry, I'm right here with you," Zhang Wei's confident words had a captivating effect on Song Shoushan, leaving her momentarily dazzled.

Before long, she shook her head, snapping back to the grim reality of their situation. However, those brave words from Zhang Wei continued to resonate within her.

She couldn't help but constantly steal glances at his face, wondering, 'Has he always been this courageous?' Her thoughts were drenched in admiration.

Zhang Wei was skillfully accomplishing multiple objectives, hitting two birds with one stone. His cunning plans were so manipulative that even the system seemed to acknowledge his prowess.

One of his goals for today was to make Zhao Hongyan believe his account of Song Pojun, her husband, targeting their daughter.

Another objective was to naturally create a positive impression on both the mother and daughter.

These young gangsters were unwitting pawns in his scheme.

Unfortunately, they remained unaware, walking unwittingly into their own doom.