The chiming of the bell silenced the entire banquet, making it as still as a graveyard.
"Sending a bell" sounded like "sending off the deceased," a major taboo at a birthday banquet.
It was no wonder there had been so many obstructions outside; it was this heavy, significant bell.
Bai Lian, being young, might have been alright.
But upon seeing the bell, Madam Bai exploded with anger: "Bai Xi, are you deliberately here to cause trouble today?!"
Bai Xi raised an eyebrow: "You should have realized that when I walked through that door. If you're only asking now, aren't you stupid?"
Madam Bai never expected Bai Xi to speak so bluntly: "You, you, you... you are utterly unfilial! How could our Bai family produce a viper like you, a white-eyed wolf? What are Bai Qing and Lin Yun, to have raised such a..."
Before she could finish, a lollipop shot out, hitting Madam Bai directly on the mouth.
The force was considerable, knocking out a porcelain crown she had recently had fitted. Blood gushed forth.
She had long possessed a strong will and was not easily angered, otherwise, she wouldn't have let Zhou Wen put on such a performance before her earlier. However, her parents could not be insulted by this scum before her.
Her eyes turned cold as she said, "What right do you have to mention my parents?"
Madam Bai clutched her mouth in pain, but the steadily flowing blood could not be stopped.
Bai Ji was stunned: "Bai Xi, you little beast, how dare you hurt your grandmother like this! You are simply..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was lifted into the air. Turning his head, he saw a man in black fitted clothing gripping his neck and hoisting him up from behind, like a little hen awaiting slaughter.
His vicious words were stuffed back into his mouth, leaving only his eyes wide with terror.
The man in black fitted clothing asked, "Please, Eldest Miss, give your orders."
Bai Xi stated calmly, "Madam Bai is advanced in years, and Bai Qian is in the Security Bureau, making it difficult to care for her. Find a nursing home for her and ensure she is 'well looked after.' As for Bai Ji, Wang Hui has filed a lawsuit against her for transferring marital assets. She now owes Wang Hui three million six hundred and seventy thousand. Wang Hui has arranged for her to work at the Hong Ge nightclub to repay this debt. Send her there."
She had originally intended to let them slowly witness hell. Since they were in such a hurry, she could only send them to their doom sooner, lest they continue to sow chaos on earth.
The man in black fitted clothing responded, "Yes!"
With that, he grabbed them and prepared to leave.
Everyone was utterly shocked.
They had initially assumed Bai Xi had come to trouble Bai Lian because of Zhou Wen.
But clearly, that was not the case!
She was causing trouble for Madam Bai and Bai Ji, her own aunt and grandmother!
A young man asked, "What's going on? Is there something I don't know about?"
A middle-aged woman, with wide eyes and a look of disdain for Bai Xi, exclaimed, "Has this Eldest Miss of the Bai family gone mad? To treat her elders like this, no prestigious family, let alone an ordinary one, would dare to take such a woman!"
An elder in a suit with white hair looked on with a hint of mockery: "Heh, this matter involves much more than it appears. I can only say that this aunt is not a real aunt, and this grandmother is not a real grandmother. I clearly remember the farce years ago when Madam Bai brought her two children to demand the Bai Corporation from Bai Qing."
"Since we don't know the full story, it's best not to get involved. This is the Zhou family's territory..."
This remark undoubtedly jolted Madam Bai and Bai Ji.
They screeched and wailed, "Misfortune within the family, such misfortune! The Bai family has produced such a rebellious, unfilial descendant."
"Help, help! Mr. Zhou, Mr. Zhou, save us!"
Bai Lian recovered her senses before Zhou Wen. Her eyes were red, and trembling like a startled rabbit, she clutched Zhou Wen's hand, "Brother Wen, save my grandmother and aunt!"
Zhou Wen had initially thought Bai Xi had come for him, but to his surprise, that wasn't the case. It was one thing that she didn't even spare him a glance despite his kindness to Bai Lian. But to make such an ugly scene directly in front of him, completely disregarding his dignity, was unbearable.
He finally became enraged: "Bai Xi, what exactly do you want! This is Zhou family territory, who allows you to run wild here?"
Bai Xi ignored him completely and turned to leave.
Zhou Wen, however, would not tolerate such disregard. He stepped forward, intending to grab her arm.
But before he could get close, he was pinned to the ground by a man in black fitted clothing, unable to stand.
In that moment, everyone was stunned.
The Bai family was merely a declining noble family, so they were not considered significant. Moreover, Bai Xi had already reclaimed the Bai Corporation, so the entire Bai family was now effectively under her control.
Whatever she wished to do to her own family members was their business. As long as no lives were lost, others had no right to interfere.
However, they never expected Bai Xi to act within the Zhou family's premises, and to subdue none other than the Zhou family's future heir.
Instantly, all the Zhou family's bodyguards swarmed forward, imposing and robust, holding black batons, clearly enraged: "Release our young master, or none of you will leave this place alive today."
The man in black fitted clothing looked at the bodyguards, who appeared formidable, with a dismissive expression: "Eldest Miss, shall we act?"
Let alone their Bai God, even they themselves could easily deal with these bodyguards. He truly didn't know where their courage came from, to be barking at Bai God here.
It was just that recently, the Eldest Miss had reunited with her family and seemed to be in a good mood, too lazy to bicker with them. They truly thought of themselves as someone important.
Bai Xi raised a finger slightly.
Over a dozen men in black fitted clothing moved out. Empty-handed, in less than a moment, they had all the bodyguards subdued on the ground, unable to get up.
Zhou Wen stared at the scene before him, his eyes wide.
The last time he saw Bai Xi dealing with Bai family bodyguards, he had simply attributed it to the Bai family's limited financial strength and their bodyguards' lack of prowess.
But his own bodyguards were hired at great expense from Qian Feng's Security Bureau. He never expected them to be like a pile of fruits and vegetables, easily slaughtered, before Bai Xi's subordinates.
Were these people all transferred from the Dark Department?
And was Bai Xi's so-called Dark Department influence actually established by finding a leader within the Dark Department to rely on?
The thought that Bai Xi had left him because of a Dark Department leader made his pride feel like it was being ground into the dirt by Bai Xi, his tightly clenched teeth drawing faint drops of blood.
Zhou Wen roared, "Bai Xi, you are utterly lawless! Do you know the consequences of offending my Zhou family?"
Bai Xi frowned slightly and slowly walked over to Zhou Wen, who was still pinned to the ground. She glanced at him indifferently: "I never like to involve the innocent, nor do I like to stir up trouble unnecessarily. I believe I have shown sufficient respect to your Zhou family. Today, I didn't lay a hand on your future wife. What more do you want?"
Her original intention today was to deal with all the Bai family members together.
This naturally included Bai Lian.
However, for the sake of the Zhou family, and for the good work Director Qian Feng of the Security Bureau had been doing for her, she decided to deal with Bai Lian after she had given birth to the Zhou family's bloodline.
She hadn't expected Zhou Wen to be so unappreciative of her goodwill.
Her patience was not limitless.