Qing Muye's words brought tears of gratitude to Shi Ran.
In a desperate situation, having someone stand by her and protect her like this, offering her a sliver of warmth, was like igniting a light in her world.
"Th-thank you, Sis... brother-in-law."
Having always called Qing Muye "Mr. Qing," Shi Ran felt awkward even saying "brother-in-law" after the sudden change in address.
"Alright, then you and Xiao Si handle things here, and then you can move into Ye Se Apartment," he said, beckoning Lu Yanming over. He then turned to Shi Ran and said, "Yanming and I will be leaving."
"We're going now." Lu Yanming waved at Shi Ran, cast a meaningful glance at Tang Si, and then turned to leave with Qing Muye.
In the vast office, the beaten men were groaning in pain on the floor, their cries exceptionally grating.
If they had been thinking of how to bully Shi Ran just fifteen minutes prior, they now only wished to beg Shi Ran for their lives.
After all...
They never in a million years expected Shi Ran to be able to alarm several of the big figures in Lan Cheng by herself!
And Qing Muye had even asked Shi Ran to call him "brother-in-law"!!
"Miss... Miss Shi, I'm sorry, we were blind and didn't recognize your status. Please spare us."
"Wuwu... sorry, sorry..."
"We offended you greatly, but you're magnanimous and don't hold grudges against trivial people. We beg you to forgive us."
"Damn it, Donkey, how did you investigate? You said Shi Ran was just an ordinary person."
"Ouch, my back, it hurts... Damn it, how could I... how could I know Shi Junrui's sister was so capable!"
...
The men complained, shifting blame or begging for mercy.
With Qing Muye and Lu Yanming gone, Shi Ran no longer knew how to face Tang Si, and now she felt even more flustered.
Tang Si's gaze remained fixed on Shi Ran. Seeing her panicked and helpless state, his heart also began to race.
He withdrew his gaze, turned, and walked to Li Heizhi, who was pinned to the ground. His polished black leather shoes stepped on Li Heizhi's foot, and the toe ground down. Even with the slightest pressure, Li Heizhi trembled in pain, his face instantly turning pale and bloodless. "Ahhh, it hurts, it hurts, Mr. Tang, spare me, spare me!"
"IOU!"
Tang Si spoke the two words concisely.
"In... in the first drawer on the left of the desk, ouch... it's in a notebook, it's there."
Li Heizhi gritted his teeth in pain, howling as he spoke.
One of the bodyguards standing nearby immediately went to the desk, opened the drawer, and searched for a moment before finding an IOU. He walked to Tang Si and asked, "Mr. Tang, is this it?"
Tang Si took the IOU, scanned the handwriting, and finally saw the name 'Shi Junrui' at the bottom, along with a thumbprint.
He folded the IOU in half and put it away.
Li Heizhi continued to beg, "Mr. Tang, the IOU has been returned to you. Oh, and the money, that 500,000 yuan, no, that's wrong, all the money the Shi family gave me, I will return it all to the Shi family. Mr. Tang, spare me, Mr. Tang!"
"Don't worry, I won't kill you," Tang Si said in a flat tone. He then addressed the bodyguards and said, "Take them back to the underground garage of Si Ji Cheng."
These men were all subordinates of Qing Muye, and Tang Si knew them, as they also knew Tang Si.
His words were Qing Muye's command, and they naturally complied.
"Yes, Mr. Tang, please rest assured." The lead bodyguard nodded in response.
Tang Si nodded slightly, then turned, walked to Shi Ran, and handed her the IOU, asking, "Is this it?"