The sound of the door breaking startled everyone.
They all turned their heads in unison and saw Qin Tianyou and his group charging in, their hearts pounding with alarm.
The imposing presence of Qin Tianyou and every member of the Raptor Squad, radiating a murderous aura, struck a chord of fear.
The overwhelming scent of iron, blood, and brutal combat assailed them, making these second-generation heirs, born with silver spoons and raised in wealthy, influential families, feel profoundly uncomfortable.
Many felt a sense of suffocation.
"Everyone, cover your heads and crouch down! Anyone who dares to move will face the consequences!"
Qin Tianyou strode forward, his face cold and impassive, like a killing machine forged in fire and blood. His indifferent gaze made it terrifyingly clear that he harbored a murderous intent.
Yuan Liangping's face turned ashen.
He had had dealings with both the Raptor Squad and Qin Tianyou before and knew they were not to be trifled with. He had no intention of provoking them.
Yet, despite not seeking them out, they had come to him.
And in such a brutal fashion!
He was in the midst of dealing with local influential families, and this outburst would undoubtedly damage his reputation. Where would he be able to save face?
"Qin Tianyou, what do you think you're doing?"
Despite his fear and apprehension towards Qin Tianyou and the Raptor Squad, Yuan Liangping could no longer tolerate this blatant aggression. He stood up and shouted a question.
Qin Tianyou glanced at him without a word.
Two team members stepped forward, forcefully pushed him onto the tea table, knocking over teacups and drenching his head with tea.
Yuan Liangping's face flushed with extreme humiliation and anger.
Dai Yunsen and others also cried out in protest, but they were either forced to the ground or directly hit with rifle butts.
Jiang Shaolong and Su Yingxia, the married couple, both turned deathly pale, their bodies trembling.
They immediately thought of the assassin.
Jiang Shaolong, in particular, having been held in solitary confinement by the Raptor Squad for several days, was all too familiar with them.
The moment he saw Qin Tianyou, his heart was seized by terror.
Why, when he had merely hired an assassin to kill Chen Fan, that useless nobody, had the Raptor Squad been alerted?
It was just like the last time when he had tried to poison Chen Fan!
All he could do now was pray that Qin Tianyou wasn't here for him.
But the outcome filled him with despair.
Qin Tianyou walked directly to him, leaned down, his eyes icy and filled with an infinite killing intent.
Jiang Shaolong was on the verge of wetting himself.
"Take him away!"
Seeing Jiang Shaolong's quivering form, Qin Tianyou lost interest in further intimidation and waved his hand.
Two team members stepped forward and dragged Jiang Shaolong away as if he were a dead dog.
Jiang Shaolong looked pleadingly at Yuan Liangping and cried out, "Brother Yuan, Brother Yuan, save me!"
Yuan Liangping watched the scene unfold, his heart pounding with dread. He roared, "Do you have no respect for the law? Do you truly believe that carrying weapons gives you the right to act with impunity?"
"The people have granted you the right to bear arms, not to turn them against your own citizens!"
"I will lodge a protest with the military command, to have these riff-raff who abuse their power and disregard the law stripped of their uniforms!"
Qin Tianyou looked at Yuan Liangping and smiled. He approached him and said in a chilling tone, "Yuan Liangping, is it? You're quite arrogant!"
He then stared intently at Yuan Liangping and spoke sternly, "It has been investigated that an infamous international assassin, codenamed 'Blood Moon,' was hired by certain individuals with ulterior motives to carry out assassination activities in Hangjiang."
"This matter concerns national security and is under the full jurisdiction of the Raptor Squad. Anyone involved will be dealt with under the charge of threatening national security!"
His voice was like iron, filled with palpable menace.
"There is concrete evidence indicating that Jiang Shaolong and the assassin Blood Moon traveled in the same vehicle and had close ties. He will now be taken in for questioning!"
"Young Master Yuan, I hope you are not involved in this matter. Otherwise, no matter who you are or what your status, we will investigate thoroughly, and no one will be able to protect you!"
With that, Qin Tianyou turned and left.
"Disperse!"
At the command, the team members withdrew decisively and without delay.
Yuan Liangping's heart raced violently, consumed by dread and anxiety.
Su Yingxia, standing beside him, was equally shaken, her chest heaving.
The aura and presence of these men were terrifying, like unsheathed swords, their targets utterly vulnerable.
As Jiang Shaolong was taken away, she not only offered no protest but felt a sense of relief.
She too knew that Yuan Liangping was the one who had hired Blood Moon!
Her face remained deathly pale, but her gaze immediately shifted to Yuan Liangping.
"Damn it, they're too arrogant!"
"It hurts so much! Damn those riff-raff! I've never been treated like this in my entire life!"
"Scared to death! Waving a piece of straw like a general's order, threatening national security! A bunch of thugs are now in charge of national security? Who are they trying to scare?"
"..."
The other young masters, including Dai Yunsen, also gasped for breath and began to curse.
They had nearly wet themselves in fear and now sought to vent their frustration with foul language.
However, their gazes towards Yuan Liangping had shifted.
Among these young masters were those who lived a life of debauchery, only interested in eating, drinking, and playing.
But there were also shrewd individuals who met their elders' expectations and were destined to inherit family businesses.
Jiang Shaolong being taken away from Yuan Liangping's room was not a simple matter.
This Young Master Yuan might be in trouble himself.
Of course, it was also possible it was just a coincidence... but this incident alone, until it was resolved, was enough for them to distance themselves from Yuan Liangping.
No one asked further questions; they all took their leave.
"Young Master Yuan, we'll be going now. We'll be in touch later!"
"Young Master Yuan, about what happened just now, let's discuss it when Miss Chen arrives. Haha!"
"..."
Dai Yunsen and the others quickly departed.
Yin Qian of Xingyao, however, remained calm. After a brief remark, she left the auctioned items and her entourage.
The momentum that had been built up by leveraging the news of Miss Chen's arrival in Hangjiang had evaporated just like that!
Just like the last auction, the venue had been disrupted again!
But at this moment, Yuan Liangping could not concern himself with that. His heart was filled with extreme worry and unease; anger was secondary.
He naturally could not rely on a pampered young master like Jiang Shaolong to grit his teeth and refuse to incriminate him.
Given Qin Tianyou's background and his uncompromising style of handling matters, he felt extremely insecure.
"Young Master... Young Master Yuan, they took Shaolong away. What should we do?"
Su Yingxia asked frantically and with a lost expression, "Will... will he be alright?"
"How would I know if he'll be alright..."
As soon as Yuan Liangping spoke, he looked at Su Yingxia's delicate face and changed his tune, saying, "Yingxia, don't worry. Let me think about it!"
He forced himself to remain calm, telling himself to approach the situation with composure, analyze the circumstances, and consider countermeasures.
Jiang Shaolong's apprehension indicated that Qin Tianyou had indeed uncovered the connection between Blood Moon and Jiang Shaolong.
In fact, this was what he had deliberately planned earlier, intending for Jiang Shaolong to take the blame after Chen Fan was killed.
But Blood Moon had not only failed but was also directly killed. His plan to frame Jiang Shaolong had backfired spectacularly.
Jiang Shaolong would not be able to hold out for long before confessing everything.
Taking a deep breath, Yuan Liangping immediately stood up and said, "Sister, go get the car. We're going to the airport now!"
In any case, he couldn't stay at the hotel. He needed to meet up with Xu Shengqing first.