Chapter 43 - His brother or an imposter?

After a hearty chase, Li Xun had finally managed to capture Tang Huang who was ready to fly away from the country after taking the first flight. He was dead tired when his brother finally returned to Hong Kong. He was a little happy that now that his brother was home, he could finally get some rest. Never in his wildest dream would he pray again for his brother to leave Hong Kong!

When Li Zhiqing climbed out of the plane, Li Xun had already walked there to greet him and to report to him. Li Xun was blinded momentarily when his gaze settled on Li Zhiqiang before his vision adjusted back. His brother... was he smiling? Was he really smiling? When was the last time his brother smiled? Perhaps, never.

"Where is he?" Li Zhiqiang asked; his voice was not as cold as it used to be. There was no darkness surrounding him. No devils hovering over his head. No fire encompassing him as a whole. He didn't look like a devil anymore. Instead, he looked-he looked like a normal human!

What the hell did happen? Li Xun was astonished. Was it really his brother? Or was it some imposter?

"In the bas.e.m.e.nt"

"Good work" Li Zhiqiang tapped his shoulder and walked away with a smile.

D-Did his brother praise him? How could this happen? No, he was sure. It was not his brother anymore. His brother must have died and someone else must have reincarnated in his body. Or there might be a demon who would have possessed his body. While Li Xun mind was brimming with crazy possibilities, Li Zhiqiang stopped, looked over his shoulder and said:

"Stop zoning out. Come along. We have a criminal to interrogate"

"Y-Yes brother", Li Xun snapped out of it and followed his brother down.

On their way suddenly a big white tiger pounced on them. Li Xun's heart almost jumped out of his throat. He placed a hand over his chest and breathed deeply to calm himself. He could never get used to that big scary tiger. He didn't know why his brother kept such a ferocious creature around.

"Behave." Li Zhiqiang pushed him down and stroked his fur. Li Zhiqiang had been gone for two days without even meeting him before his departure.

Babur roared loudly. He looked angry.

"How about it? We arrange a treat for you"

Babur's eyes twinkled as if he was contemplating. Then he lowered his head and roared quietly as if giving his consent.

Li Xun couldn't understand how his brother understood him. But soon he walked forward and Babur trailed behind him quietly. Just as Li Xun passed by him, suddenly Babur roared loudly making him jump in fright. After scaring Li Xun witless, he resumed walking behind Li Zhiqiang while wagging his tail happily as if he was laughing at Li Xun.

This pet of his brother took delight in bullying Li Xun. And poor Li Xun couldn't do anything but quietly endure. Heatless! Just like his brother.

When they neared the bas.e.m.e.nts, shouts could be heard.

"How dare you do this to me? Do you know who I'm? My uncle is Tang Liuwei. He wouldn't spare you once he realizes what you did to me! All of you would die! Let go of me. Call your master! I demand to see him! Once your master realized who my uncle is, he would immediately release me while begging for my forgiveness."

Soon the door opened and Li Zhiqiang walked in, with a ferocious tiger and his brother.

"You...", Tang Huang was ready to throw all sorts of insults but his eyes landed on that huge tiger who looked as if he was licking his lips while staring at him. He gulped and said somewhat politely.

"Do you know who I'm? Your men must have made some sort of mistake. Release me right now and I promise I would forget that it ever happened"

Li Zhiqiang walked to the couches and comfortably fell on them. His steady eyes looked at the middle-aged bulky man.

"You are Tang Huang. Aren't you?" Li Xun asked.

"Yes, but..."

"Then we don't have the wrong man"

Li Zhiqiang coldly glanced at him before resting his hand at Babur's neck, stopping him from making a move.

"Now you will answer every question my brother asks without any delay. One wrong answer and you lose one finger", Li Xun said.

"How can you...", before he could complete a man hit him in the back, making him fall. He writhed in pain on the floor. Two men grabbed his arms, forcing him on his knees and making him face Li Zhiqiang who was leisurely sitting on the couches as if they were having a casual discussion.

"Who are you guys?" Wang Hiang looked around in fear. He had known that much by now that these people were not normal. They were not scared of 'Tang Liuwei' name. That meant they must be more powerful than him. But how could he have offended someone so powerful?

His question was totally ignored.

"Were you the one who bribed those chefs into poisoning Jing Lihua" Li Zhiqiang's strong, cold voice reverberated across the room.

While Tang Huang shivered, Li Xun sighed in relief. Now he could feel with his scary demeanor that his brother was indeed his brother and no some imposter.

"I-I..." Tang Huang didn't know what to say.

Just then a man stretched his arm and brought a knife.

"I'm telling I'm telling! Please!"

Li Zhiqiang raised his hand and the man stopped.

"It was me. I had bribed those chefs. I had been planning it for a long time. The restaurant owner... I had paid him well and asked him to sell the restaurant to Jing Lihua at a low price. Knowing that sooner or later she would visit the restaurant to check its service so they would have a chance to slip the poison in her food. But once she recovered I was anxious that she would find out. So-So I got the chefs and the previous owner killed." Wang Huang was so scared for his life that he blurted out everything.

Silence.

"I've told you everything. N-Now please let me go."

"What was your motive behind it?" Li Zhiqiang was silent. Babur was growling impatiently.

"I-I... If Jing Lihua would have died, as the closest member of the family, her company would have fallen in my hands."

"Is this all?"

"Y-Yes"

Suddenly, a man brought the knife and made a deep cut along his finger. The knife dipped into his flesh and red blood surged out. Tang Huang cried out and his face twisted in terror.

"No! Stop! I'm telling you the truth! No, please! It was Wu Junjie! He had named a few European subsidiaries to me! Please, let me go now!"

Li Zhiqiang put his hand off Babur and walked out of the room. Others followed. Once they stepped out, Babur pounced at Tang Huang.

From inside the room, screams could be heard. Horrible noises of flesh tearing. And the occasional roars of a tiger. But no one turned back to save him.

"Brother, there is a call from the director of the hospital. He says it's urgent."

Li Zhiqiang picked up the call.

"Mr. Li, Ms. Jing is here. Somehow she realized what the medicines were for. I swear, it was not the hospital. We had given her medicines in different packs so that she wouldn't get suspicious. She must have run a test to identify them. What should I tell her now?"

Li Zhiqiang lips tilted up into a smile. His JingJing was sharp. Difficult to deceive. He liked that.