Facing the Zhu family's retainers, Zhou Yu merely smiled faintly and then made his move.
*Bang—*
"Ah!"
These retainers were utterly incapable of fighting back against Zhou Yu!
It was like cutting watermelons. Zhou Yu blazed through them, a flash of sparks and lightning. Pulling Zhu Ling'er along, he soon reached the Zhu family head.
"You're finally here..."
The Zhu family head was on the verge of tears. Heaven knew he had been frantically trying to devise a way to stall for time just moments ago. Zhu Rong was not easily fooled. If he stalled too obviously, Zhu Rong would surely realize that something had happened at Luofeng Yuan. Thank goodness Zhou Yu had brought Zhu Ling'er in time!
"I apologize, I'm a little late."
While dealing with the martial artists, Zhou Yu still managed to spare a moment to apologize to the Zhu family head.
The Zhu family head shook his head and immediately waved his hand, blowing a whistle. Instantly, those who had been ambushing inside the company jumped out and launched an attack on Zhu Rong's men!
For a time, the entire company was like a battlefield, utterly chaotic. The Zhu family head, taking advantage of the confusion, pulled Zhou Yu and Zhu Ling'er and headed for the exit.
"Dad, where are we going?" Zhu Ling'er asked in surprise.
The fighting was still ongoing behind them. If they left now, wouldn't that be inappropriate?
The Zhu family head took a deep breath, glanced back, and said, "You two go first. Zhu Rong and his men are no match for me!"
"Don't let them take you hostage!" Zhu Ling'er suddenly understood. The Zhu family head feared that if she were present, she would be captured by Zhu Rong again and used to threaten him!
Just as the Zhu family head was about to step out of the conference hall, Zhou Yu tugged at him.
"Zhu family head, no need to rush."
"I'll protect Ling'er here."
These words made the Zhu family head stop in his tracks. He looked at Zhou Yu with a grave expression and confirmed, "Can you do it?"
Zhou Yu didn't speak, merely nodded. If only Zhu Rong's men were in the conference hall, Zhou Yu might still get injured protecting Zhu Ling'er. However, now that the Zhu family head's men were also present, if Zhu Rong's men tried to capture Zhu Ling'er, they would be seeking death!
The Zhu family head pondered for a moment and then nodded forcefully, "Alright, then you two stay!" With that, he immediately returned to the conference room.
Inside, a fierce battle was already underway. Seeing Zhou Yu arrive with Zhu Ling'er, Zhu Rong and his group indeed moved closer, attempting to capture Zhu Ling'er!
"Overestimating yourselves!" Zhou Yu snorted coldly, and with a raise of his hand, he dealt with the approaching attackers.
Zhu Rong, standing behind the man Zhou Yu dealt with, watched his subordinate's tragic state and immediately halted, trembling all over!
"You had people lock Ling'er up?" Zhou Yu narrowed his eyes, his gaze scanning Zhu Rong from head to toe like a scanner. His demeanor was akin to a coiled leopard sizing up its prey!
Zhu Rong felt a chill run down his spine, his teeth chattering. He immediately shook his head, "No..."
"It was him!" Zhu Ling'er exclaimed before Zhu Rong could finish. Zhu Rong's face immediately turned ashen.
Zhou Yu lunged forward and grabbed Zhu Rong directly. His tiger-like grip clamped down on Zhu Rong's trachea, slowly lifting him until his feet dangled in the air.
"You deserve to die!" Zhou Yu gritted his teeth, thinking of Zhu Ling'er's bound state earlier that day, and spat out the words. It was a pity that now was not the time to kill Zhu Rong. Otherwise, Zhou Yu would have made him pay with his life!
"Zhu Rong has been captured! Lay down your weapons, and I'll spare your lives!" The Zhu family head, seeing from afar that Zhu Rong had been apprehended by Zhou Yu, had a flash of inspiration and shouted.
Instantly, the tense situation came to a halt. All eyes, as if tangible, converged on Zhou Yu.
"You're quite obedient," the Zhu family head muttered with dissatisfaction. These were originally the Zhu family's men, and they should have obeyed the Zhu family head. Yet, now they were all Zhu Rong's followers, colluding with that scoundrel Zhu Rong in an internal family conflict! If he had a weaker heart, he would have drawn his sword and sent them all to their deaths.
However, the Zhu family head considered that these men were martial artists cultivated using the Zhu family's resources. To kill them all now would be a significant loss, wouldn't it? Furthermore, with so many martial artists lost, the Zhu family would be severely weakened, leaving them vulnerable to other families in Jiangnan City who might harbor ulterior motives and seize the opportunity. The Zhu family would be in peril! It was with these thoughts that the Zhu family head refrained from taking drastic action.
Seeing that the martial artists had stopped fighting, he ordered them to be bound. He then walked over to Zhu Rong. Zhu Rong's face was already turning blue and purple from Zhou Yu's grip, and his limbs thrashed weakly in the air, appearing to be on the verge of death. The Zhu family head stood before him, his expression complex.
"Was it necessary?" Seeing that the Zhu family head had something to say to Zhu Rong, Zhou Yu released his grip. Freed from the constraint, Zhu Rong fell to the ground, clutching his throat and gasping for air.
Once he had recovered somewhat, Zhu Rong heard the Zhu family head's words and abruptly raised his head, sneering, "Why wouldn't it be necessary? You're living a life of luxury in that position, so of course, you think it's not necessary!"
Hearing this, the Zhu family head was even more bewildered. He was well aware of the other members of the Zhu family. It had always been a matter of "the more you work, the more you get." Those with ability who worked in the company received more shares and thus more dividends. Those without ability, while not earning as much, could still live decently on basic family dividends. How could it be that in Zhu Rong's words, they were living such a meager existence?
"Heh, we're all members of the Zhu family. Why do you get to live in the old mansion's grand villa, while we have to cram into Luofeng Yuan?"
"Why can you spend money lavishly without batting an eye, while we have to be so stingy?"
"It's all because you hold the position of family head!"
"Are kings and generals born into nobility? It's time I had a turn in that position!" Zhu Rong rasped, revealing his long-held grievances. That's right. He had always felt this way!
The Zhu family head was so incensed he nearly laughed. Why? Because he was of the main lineage! Because this family fortune was built by the Zhu family head's father and grandfather! If these collateral branches felt dissatisfied, they could have always started their own ventures instead of living in Luofeng Yuan. If Zhu Rong had chosen that path, the Zhu family head would have respected him more.
But Zhu Rong used the Zhu family's resources to cultivate martial artists, and at the same time, he blamed the Zhu family head. His intentions were truly wicked!
"It seems you have nothing good to say."
"Take him away, and we'll hold the ancestral hall ceremony today!" The Zhu family head sneered and turned to leave, no longer bothering with Zhu Rong's frenzied state!
Apart from Zhu Rong, all the men he had brought with him were also captured without exception. They were all to be bound and taken back to the Zhu family's old mansion, awaiting the ancestral hall ceremony and the family's discipline!