Ethan Wu spoke seriously. Though Isabella had paid him to help her brother, he figured he should assert a bit of authority as the "brother-in-law." There was a long road ahead, after all, and he had to think about the future.
"Come on, he's my brother, and that makes him your brother, too. We're all family here. I already slapped him, so if you have a solution, just say it," Isabella nudged Ethan's shoulder, a slight hint of playfulness in her tone.
Of course, it was all part of the act, but Isabella genuinely wanted to protect her brother. Given that the authorities had already gathered substantial evidence, she couldn't think of a way to save him on her own.
"This kid doesn't see me as his brother-in-law," Ethan said, giving Isabella a sidelong glance.
"Don't be like that," Isabella pleaded softly. She gave Ethan a discreet pinch out of sight, a reminder that she had paid him.
Although, to be fair, she'd only paid him for the intel—not for solving the problem.
"Brother-in-law, what are you saying? Of course, you're my brother-in-law!" Tyler Li suddenly broke into a broad, almost excessively warm smile. Standing up, he offered Ethan a cigarette, saying with a fawning tone, "I was in the wrong earlier. Please, forgive me. I was just worried that some punk might try to fool my sister. Not saying that's you, of course. You're impressive, and you're perfect for my sister…"
A real man knows when to bend. Tyler was no fool; he knew he'd been betrayed and needed all the help he could get.
Ethan watched as Tyler, now almost bowing, handed him a cigarette. With a slight smile, he accepted it, but instead of smoking, he placed it on the table.
He didn't smoke. Taking the cigarette was simply a way of accepting Tyler's apology.
"Smoke less," Isabella chided Tyler. "That stuff will kill you, and no amount of money will save you. How many times do I have to tell you?"
Tyler didn't dare argue back.
"First, you need to get rid of Hunter Xie. He knows too much about your operations. Once he's gone, your business will be cleaner," Ethan began.
Tyler, who had just sat down, froze.
Hunter Xie was a distant relative of the Xie family, and whenever he was around Tyler, he acted subserviently, calling him "brother" and constantly trying to ingratiate himself. However, he was still part of the Xie family, and if something were to happen to him…
"Damn it! He dared to cross me!" Tyler slapped his thigh, his expression fierce. He realized that dealing with the consequences of killing Hunter Xie was far preferable to the predicament he currently faced.
"You're aware that Hunter Xie is a drug user, right?" Ethan asked.
Tyler nodded. He knew. Drugs were a strict taboo in prominent families, and he had never touched them himself, but he was aware that Hunter Xie had been using for years.
"Hunter Xie has a mistress who lives in Villa 17 at Lotus Pond Manor in Qing City. He often goes there to use drugs with her. Send someone to Qing City… and he'll 'overdose,' yes?" Ethan suggested.
Tyler's eyes widened gradually, and then he grinned. "Right, right, Brother-in-law's got it right!"
When it comes to killing, an "accident" is usually the method of choice. If Hunter Xie were to overdose, the Xie family would likely keep it quiet, preferring to cover it up rather than investigate further.
"Second, all the evidence is consolidated in one person's hands. Once you get it and destroy it, you'll be safe," Ethan continued.
"Leo Liao?" Tyler asked.
"Exactly. He was transferred here specifically to take you down, and he's the one holding the consolidated evidence."
"Fine, I'll deal with him," Tyler growled, clenching his fists.
"Deal with him? Are you out of your mind?" Ethan immediately retorted. "He's the deputy chief. Do you want to make things worse? Let me warn you—don't touch any of the investigators!"
"Then… what do I do?"
"Steal it."
"Steal?"
Tyler looked utterly baffled. How was he supposed to pull that off? He didn't know where the evidence was, and even if he investigated, he might not have enough time.
"Unit 501, Building 3, Second Alley, Willow Street. In the master bedroom closet, there's a hidden safe. The code is 571564. That's where the evidence is stored. Since taking you down is a classified mission, to avoid leaks, that's the only copy of the evidence. Send someone to retrieve it and destroy it."
Tyler was stunned.
Even Isabella looked at Ethan with an unusual expression.
He knew every detail—even the safe's code!
"Third," Ethan continued, "the Crown Entertainment Club needs to close temporarily. You'll have to wait until things completely blow over before reopening."
"That's easy enough; I can close it today," Tyler said.
"No, you can't just shut it down outright. That would raise suspicions," Ethan cautioned. "I'll give you the specifics later on how to handle it."
"Fourth," he added, "you need to explain everything, in detail, to your grandfather—especially your dealings with Hunter Xie. Be sure to make everything clear!"
Tyler's face turned grim, looking extremely uncomfortable. "I don't know if that's a good idea. My grandfather…"
He was worried his grandfather would break his legs.
"The Wei family is behind this operation. While your family and the Wei family are fairly matched, they've found an opportunity and are taking advantage. They're using this chance to strike at your family. Your grandfather has to be informed. Understand?"
"The Wei family…" Tyler murmured.
While most prominent families had harmonious relationships, the Li and Wei families were an exception, having been enemies for years. At one point, they had gone to all-out war, with several family members from both sides ending up in jail.
Peace only came after the two patriarchs stepped down from power. However, even in recent years, skirmishes still occasionally broke out, with the Wei family currently holding the upper hand. This was one of the reasons Tyler's grandfather was so insistent on marrying Isabella to Dylan Ding: the Li and Ding families could join forces against the Weis.
"I get it. I'll speak with my grandfather," Tyler said with a nod. This was clearly more than just a simple issue; it involved a power struggle between two powerful families.
Big problems were handled, but there would still be smaller ones, and only his grandfather could address them swiftly.
"Don't mention me," Ethan said.
"Huh?" Tyler seemed not to understand.
"When you report to your grandfather, don't mention me," Ethan said, taking Isabella's hand in his. "As far as he knows, my relationship with Isabella is unknown. If he finds out about me, it won't benefit either of us."
"Understood. I'll say I figured it all out on my own," Tyler agreed.
Ethan nodded.
"So, Brother-in-law, about the club's closure…" Tyler inquired, now looking genuinely deferential.
"That depends on how much you're willing to sacrifice," Ethan replied.
"I'm willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means tearing the whole place down!" Tyler declared.
"Then you should…" Ethan began, but his words were interrupted by a ringing phone.
Tyler's face darkened. Everyone around him knew not to disturb him when his sister was visiting. He glanced at the caller ID and hung up, turning back to Ethan with a smile. "Go ahead, Brother-in-law."
The phone rang again.
"What the hell's your problem?" Tyler snapped, answering the call.
"Boss…" Tyler's trusted aide spoke hesitantly, forced to deliver his report.
The anger drained from Tyler's face, replaced by shock, his eyes widening as he listened.
A major incident had just occurred!
"How much have we lost? Two hundred million? Alright… I'll head over immediately!" Tyler hung up and turned to Ethan and Isabella. "Sis, Brother-in-law, please wait here for a moment. There's an issue at the casino that I need to check on."
With that, he hurried toward the door.
"Was it Mr. Shen from Fortune Aluminum?" Ethan asked from his seat.
Tyler stopped in his tracks and looked back, his face filled with shock.
Ethan was right. He knew exactly what was happening.
"Let's go. We'll go take a look together," Ethan said, standing up.
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