"Miss Tu, you're quite the tough one," Li Chonglou said with a cold laugh upon seeing the situation.
This guy was a pure dandy, untouched by any major storms. Relying on his father Old Ghost's influence, he wreaked havoc daily, acting tyrannically. When trouble truly struck, his courage was smaller than a mouse's. He didn't even need to think of scaring words; he just collapsed. Of course, Li Chonglou wouldn't pity such effeminate folk. Though called Miss Tu, he wasn't a real woman.
"Kneel your way to the lobby. Make it proper," Li Chonglou commanded from behind him like a supervisor. "One, two, one, move!"
Tu Hong had never encountered anyone like this in his life. Everyone either fawned over him or kept a respectful distance. But Li Chonglou treated him like a plaything, an animal. Yet, his courage was shattered, his mind in disarray, and he didn't dare resist. He could only crawl on his knees, step by step, towards the elevator. The pain made him inwardly cry out for his mother, hoping someone would witness this and inform his father, Old Ghost, to bring people to resolve his predicament.
Coincidentally, this was exactly the effect Li Chonglou wanted. He had no perverse hobbies, nor did he derive any pleasure from tormenting such an effeminate figure. His sole objective was to let Old Ghost know his son was in his hands and to initiate a discussion. On his way, he had made up his mind. Either he wouldn't get involved in this mess, or he would see it through to the end. If he didn't resolve it once and for all this time, endless trouble would follow. He wondered if he could survive seeing Li Hanlong on Sunday. He had to ensure his family's security, no matter what happened. Once Old Ghost was dealt with, Ning Lang could dominate Yong'an, at least protecting his mother and Jiang Yuxin for the next few years.
"Gra-Grandpa, my knees hurt too much to move... Please, spare me, Grandpa..." As Tu Hong crawled into the elevator, his knees were already bloody, his face contorted in pain. His makeup was streaked, and he begged tearfully.
Seeing his pathetic state, Li Chonglou lost interest in tormenting him. He grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up. He saw the tight pants were torn with a large hole, flesh and blood a messy sight. After all, the concrete in the underground parking lot wasn't tile. For someone with Tu Hong's delicate skin, enduring this long was already an achievement.
"Call your dad and have him pick you up," Li Chonglou said indifferently, his playful mood gone. Then, dragging Tu Hong, he pulled him to the eighth-floor office.
Tu Hong felt as if he had been granted amnesty. Trembling, he took out his phone and dialed a number. As soon as the call connected, he wailed into the phone, "Dad... Save me..."
Right after he finished crying, Li Chonglou snatched the phone. A cold, deep voice came through, "Who are you? Let my son go. We can discuss how much money you want."
"I'm not a kidnapper, so why would I want money? Your son is in his own office. This isn't even house arrest," Li Chonglou replied, not foolish enough to be mistaken for a kidnapper.
"What do you want?" Old Ghost stammered for a few seconds.
"If you, as a father, don't teach your son properly, I'll teach him how to behave on your behalf," Li Chonglou stated calmly. "Why don't you come yourself and see how well I teach him?"
"Then I truly thank you. I'll be right over to thank you in person," Old Ghost's voice was already filled with malice. With a click, he hung up the phone.
Tu Hong collapsed on the floor, his expression flustered, his eyes filled with despair. As Li Chonglou stood up, he cowered, covering his head and screaming.
"Shut up," Li Chonglou glared at him with disgust, and the cries immediately ceased. He then lazily looked around the office. Jin Hong Tower, as the name suggested, was involved in finance, which essentially meant usury disguised as online lending. However, Tu Hong's office was decorated elegantly, completely out of sync with his personal demeanor. On a nearby antique shelf were many small items, all aged. There were bottles, jars, and fans by famous artists. Additionally, there was a cake of Pu-erh tea.
"What a treasure," Li Chonglou picked up the tea, smelled it, and then examined it thoroughly. Although he didn't know much about tea, he recognized the traditional Chinese characters and imprints on the packaging. It was likely raw Pu-erh manufactured in the early Republic of China era, at least a hundred years old.
"This... this tea was a gift from someone to my dad. They said it's over a hundred years old... If you like it, take it. It's yours," Tu Hong quickly offered. He thought about it carefully. Before meeting Li Chonglou, he had no deep-seated animosity that warranted this. He hoped that by gifting this tea, Li Chonglou would treat him kindly, at least until his father arrived.
"Kneel properly. Do you think one cake of tea will make me let you go? Consider it atonement," Li Chonglou said without any politeness. This tea was perfect for his senior sister. His senior sister loved tea, especially fine teas. Such a hundred-year-old, well-preserved cake of raw Pu-erh was an absolute rarity, not easily bought even with money. This cake alone made the trip worthwhile. He definitely couldn't be polite. As for the other items, though valuable, they didn't catch his eye.
Bang!
About ten minutes later, the office door was kicked open. A middle-aged man in a Tang suit, with sunken eyes and a sinister gaze, stormed in with his entourage. Behind him followed over a dozen fierce-looking bodyguards. Two of them had bulging waists, likely carrying handguns. Although firearms had been banned for many years, those involved in society always had ways and means to acquire them.
"Dad..." Tu Hong, who had been kneeling respectfully on the ground, immediately crawled on his knees to the middle-aged man's feet upon seeing him. He hugged his thigh and broke down crying again. The man was Tu Gui, the overlord of the West City, known as Old Ghost.
"Get up!" Tu Gui's pupils contracted. He clearly showed concern, but he didn't reveal it in front of others. Once Tu Hong stood up, he saw his son's bloody knees, and a murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He looked at Li Chonglou, who was sitting in the office chair, and said grimly, "No matter who you are, or who sent you."
"There is no one in Yong'an who dares to lay a hand on my son who has yet to be born."
"You dare to teach my son on my behalf? Today, I will help your parents collect your corpse!" With a wave of his hand, the bodyguards behind him lunged at Li Chonglou. Unfortunately, their movements were pitifully slow in Li Chonglou's eyes.
Snap! Before anyone could get close, Li Chonglou slammed his palm on the desk. A ballpoint pen from the pen holder shot up high. The next moment, after being brushed by Li Chonglou's hand, the pen became an arrow from a drawn bow, embedding itself into the shoulder socket of each bodyguard. The room was in chaos, everyone falling to the ground, their cries deafening. The two bodyguards suspected of carrying guns were particularly targeted, with a pen stuck in each shoulder socket, five inches deep. They instantly lost the ability to raise their arms, let alone pull a trigger.
"You... Who exactly are you?" Witnessing this, Old Ghost's face changed drastically. He couldn't help but retreat several steps, his expression twitching. In all his years in Yong'an, he had never encountered someone with such terrifying skills as Li Chonglou. This was like a Xianxia novel. He immediately felt he had underestimated the situation. Someone who dared to confront his son alone and call him wouldn't be simple. He had been cautious, bringing guns, but the guns were rendered useless before they could even be used.
"He... He's Ning Lang's man!" Before Li Chonglou could answer, Tu Hong yelled from behind Old Ghost. Hearing this, Old Ghost's eyes narrowed. His guard actually relaxed slightly, "Ning Lang can find an expert like you."
"Tell me, what do you want from me?" Ning Lang had an irreconcilable blood feud with him, but for so many years, they had been at peace because a powerful figure behind him acted as a deterrent. If Ning Lang dared to cross the line, this powerful figure would annihilate his entire family, leaving no survivors. This was his confidence. The unknown was the most frightening. Not knowing Li Chonglou's background, he feared this person might act rashly. But upon hearing that Li Chonglou was Ning Lang's man, his fear subsided considerably.
"I have a sister who was pressured twice by loan sharks in Qin Zhou," Li Chonglou replied calmly. "As far as I know, you own that company."
"That's the first reason."
"Secondly, not long ago, I was almost killed by a car on the road. The person who hit me was sent by your son."
"You tell me why I'm here."
Hearing this, Old Ghost's face turned a mixture of green and white. He looked at Tu Hong, who was now weeping uncontrollably, and the latter could only nod.
"Rebellious son!" Old Ghost gritted his teeth in anger. Ning Lang dared not touch him, and similarly, he dared not touch Ning Lang. This was an agreement. Tu Hong had people attempt to kill Ning Lang's man without his consent. If they had succeeded, it would have been one thing, as it wasn't Ning Lang himself. But now that they had come to seek justice, they were entirely in the wrong. Even he, as a father, couldn't find any reason to defend his son.
However, Old Ghost, having been an overlord for many years, cupped his hands and said, "Brother, my son was in the wrong first. I apologize on his behalf."
"As for the branch company in Qin Zhou, whether it's mine or not, I will repay the money for your sister."
"Furthermore, I offer three million as a token of my apology."
"Shall we let bygones be bygones?" These words were a mix of firmness and gentleness. It had to be said that Old Ghost's methods were impressive; he wouldn't have been a boss for so many years for nothing. Even with justification on his side, it was difficult to pursue the matter further after hearing such words.
Unfortunately, he had misjudged his opponent. Who was Li Chonglou? He had endured one lifetime of hardship and been reborn for a second time. How could he be morally blackmailed or swayed by words and benefits? His intention was clear: to make Old Ghost withdraw from Yong'an's underground forces, resolving the issue once and for all. Compared to that, these benefits were negligible.
"I stand here, and you can use money to resolve our differences, but what if I had died in that car accident?" Li Chonglou retorted. "Open guns are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against."
"How do I know that one day on the road, I won't be hit by a car again?"
Old Ghost was a smart man. Upon hearing this, he knew his offer was not satisfactory. His eyes darkened as he asked, "Then what do you want?"
"I want you dead!" Li Chonglou's words were earth-shattering. Everyone present, including the injured bodyguards groaning, froze like statues. The entire room fell into a deathly silence.