allonlinenovel Chapter 240 Why Did You Send Me Away?
Chapter 240 Why Did You Send Me Away?
Bartlett was getting on in years, with a full head of white hair mixed with a few strands of gold, and a similarly platinum-gold, slightly curled beard that extended from his chin to the base of his ears.
He had a scar on his left cheek that hadn't faded with the passage of time. Facing the wary and warning gazes of so many people, he laughed heartily, found a seat, and sat down without ceremony.
“Yes, I haven’t been to Juecheng for many years. The heads of the four major families, except for you, have all been replaced. However, Dunlop, you and I look somewhat familiar.”
Dunlop wasn't particularly pleased by his words; his eyes were full of wariness. "You're quite capable, managing to sneak into Juecheng without our knowledge and even barging into tonight's banquet."
“What kind of skill do I have? Besides, I have the conditions to attend tonight’s banquet, don’t I? The four of you know that recently, because of Ryan’s matter, one or two of you think I might be his accomplice, but I’m not stupid enough to go against the four of you. Wouldn’t I be courting death?” Bartwright said with a smile.
As a general, he exuded a strong aura of killing intent. Even when he smiled, one could not sense his kindness; instead, the smile carried a sense of solemnity.
“The best evidence that they’re not against us is that they’ve sent my uncle’s family to us,” Noah said.
Bartlett looked at Noah and said, "Fine, if they dare to come to me, I'll send them to you immediately."
He answered without hesitation and with great enthusiasm.
But none of the people present believed what he said.
Sera retorted, "Mr. Bartlett, I've heard that you've recently been using your seafaring connections to collaborate with some places on other continents."
“Patriarch Milne, you must have evidence to support your claims, not just make things up. Haven’t you checked my army’s annual military expenditure several times over? Where would the money come from to cooperate with people from other continents? Besides, I buy the oil that the ships need from you. Can that oil even supply the ships to other continents?”
“Bartlett, your answer was so smooth, as if you knew we would ask these questions and had prepared the answers in advance,” Dunlop said.
Bartlett remained composed. "I'm just stating the facts, because it's a fact that already exists, which is why I can answer you all so quickly."
Noah didn't ask anything more.
Bartlett's accounts to them appeared to be in perfect order, but the details of the unwritten accounts Ryan gave them were completely unknown to them.
Noah looked at the other three, who remained calm and seemed to have no intention of immediately questioning Bartlett.
To be honest, Noah didn't know how to deal with Bartlett either.
Bartlett is the second-highest-ranking official in the Union. If someone is killed without any evidence, the Union's loyalty to them will be shaken, and ordinary people will have more doubts and suspicions about them.
However, if a guy comes to your door, not killing him is like letting a tiger return to the mountains.
Of course, the Davis family couldn't bear the blame for killing Bartlett alone. Noah was waiting to see how the other three would react, but they were all waiting to see who would step in and take the fall.
“Honey, our conversation is getting boring. Go play somewhere else for a while, and I’ll come find you later,” Noah said to Qi Yuan beside him.
Qi Yuan frowned slightly and nodded, saying, "Okay."
Noah gave Asha a look, and Asha understood and followed behind Qi Yuan.
Seeing Noah call his people away, Dunlop said to Lina beside him, "Darling, you're pregnant, and the banquet will last a long time. If you can't take it, go home with the bodyguard first."
Lina was very obedient. She told Dunlop to come back early, then left a kiss on his cheek before leaving.
Receiving a kiss from his wife, Dunlop looked at Noah with a strange sense of pride.
Noah's eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, and his eyes asked: "You're proud of such a small thing?"
As the thought popped into his head, Noah felt a little silly. Why did he have to compare himself to others in this way?
His child is naturally reserved and doesn't dare to be too affectionate in front of others, but he's willing to do this or that in private!
Thinking about this made Noah feel much better.
Qi Yuan walked to a spot a little further away from Noah and the others, leaned against a pillar, and quietly watched the group of five. Qi Yuan asked, "Will they fight here?"
Asa looked around to make sure no one else was around and that Qi Yuan was talking to her before replying, "It shouldn't be. Tonight's banquet is different from other banquets. Tonight's banquet is mainly attended by officials from various regions of the Federation. Mr. Bartlett is a Federation official. If we kill him here, it might be difficult to appease the other Federation officials."
Qi Yuan remained silent, observing the assembled participants.
Indeed, officials and businessmen do have some differences in temperament.
"If they weren't going to fight, why did Noah send me away?" Qi Yuan asked.
Asa scratched the back of his head. "I don't know either."
“The five most powerful people in the North Continent are sitting there. The content of their conversation is not something that others can easily overhear. Mr. Noah probably doesn’t want you to hear too much and become a target for some people.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Qi Yuan turned around and saw Xie Li. He was somewhat surprised, "Priest Xie Li, are you able to attend such a banquet?"
Sherley smiled slightly. "My teacher, the bishop of the church, was supposed to be at the banquet tonight, but he is getting old and his health is not as good as it used to be, so I am the only priest who can attend tonight's banquet."
The church in Juecheng is supported by the four major families. As messengers of God, they invited a bishop to the banquet tonight simply to tell God about their faith in Him.
To show that he was different from others, Shirley wore the simple and plain robes of a church priest.
"It's truly unexpected that I could meet someone as pure as Priestess Sheri in this banquet filled with the stench of money and corruption," Qi Yuan praised.
Sherley smiled and said, "Mr. Qi Yuan, you seem out of place at this banquet, don't you? Mr. Qi Yuan, look, the President is here too."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yuan immediately looked over.
This was the first time he had met the federal president of the North Continent, and he was very curious about what the other party looked like.
But when you actually see what the other person looks like, it's not surprising, because the other person also has white hair and looks like they are almost 90 years old. Although they look kind and gentle, their hands trembled when they spoke.
With such a person as president, Qi Yuan had good reason to doubt whether his thinking was up-to-date and whether he could react quickly in a crisis.
Just as I was thinking this, suddenly, a loud bang rang out in the room.
The seemingly gentle and kind president suddenly stiffened up like a puppet and collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The bodyguards of the four major families instantly stood in front of their patriarchs to shield them from the bullets.
As the first bullet rang out, an even more astonishing explosion and the sound of bullets leaving the gun echoed through the banquet hall.
The sounds of panic drew screams and chaos from the guests.
People had no idea where the bullets were coming from, and they didn't even know where to hide. In an instant, their companions were shot and fell to the ground.
Xie Li suddenly grabbed Qi Yuan's hand and said sternly, "Mr. Qi Yuan, come with me!"
Without uttering a single unnecessary word, Xie Li pulled Qi Yuan towards the emergency exit.
In the chaos, Qi Yuan looked back several times and saw Noah, under the protection of bodyguards, heading to a safe place, while there were many people taking bullets for him.
Of course, it was because the guests felt that the four major families were the safest place at that time, so running towards them was the right thing to do.
But soon guests discovered that there was a safety exit on their side, and the crowd surged toward them like bees swarming from an attacked hive.
Qi Yuan was bumped hard on the shoulder, and Xie Li's grip on his hand loosened. By the time Qi Yuan came to his senses, Xie Li and A Sha had been separated by the panicked crowd.
Suddenly, a slightly familiar voice, panting heavily, shouted, "Mr. Qi Yuan, please come with me, I know a safe place!"
Before he could even see who it was, Qi Yuan was grabbed by the sleeve of his clothes and pulled away.
The crowd was in a panic, with bullets and screams echoing behind them.
Qi Yuan could only see that the man in front of him was an obese blond man. From behind, he had no idea who this person was, but the voice sounded somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
The other person dragged him away from the chaotic crowd, pushed open a door and ran out; behind the door was the hotel's parking lot.
The fat man, panting heavily, squatted on the ground after running all the way.
Qi Yuan finally saw his face clearly. He was the mayor of Gangdia. What was his name again? He didn't ask.
Mayor Gangdia, having caught his breath, was about to speak when a gunshot rang out in the distance, startling him. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he realized the gunshot was still far away.
He looked at Qi Yuan, a kind smile spreading across his chubby face.
“Mr. Qi Yuan, it seems like we won’t be safe here for long either? My car is here, let me take you to a safe place.”
"Do you have a gun?" Qi Yuan asked.
Mayor Gangdia's expression changed. "No, we don't have any guns on us. Mr. Qi Yuan, let's go quickly."
"Thank you. I don't know if the patriarch is safe right now. I'll wait here a while and go in to check once the commotion inside has calmed down."
It was indeed much safer outside than inside; the gunshots and explosions were coming from inside the house.
Qi Yuan thought that Sera was going to make a fortune from the bet between Sera and Noah.
But who exactly was this person at such a tightly guarded banquet? And how did they manage to break in?
Qi Yuan was worried about Noah's safety, but he also wanted to get firsthand information here. So, he planned to find a hiding place later and wait for the danger inside to subside.
Unexpectedly, a click sounded as the safety of the gun was released.
Qi Yuan looked toward the direction from which the gunshot had come, and there stood Mayor Gangdia, pointing a gun at him.