Zhang Lei was dazed by the punch, letting out a muffled cry.
He stumbled back a few steps, clutching his face, and aggressively demanded of Song Qiao, "Who are you? How dare you cause trouble here?"
He was used to being arrogant at the Sunshine Factory, where the workers, intimidated by his power, never dared to defy him. To be punched in public today by someone unexpectedly ignited his temper.
"The one who's here to take your life."
Song Qiao snorted coldly. Before Zhang Lei could react, he yanked him back and landed another punch on his face.
"How dare you bully my wife? You must be tired of living."
He had lost all reason, his fists raining down on Zhang Lei's face.
Within seconds, the deputy director's face was swollen like a pig's head, his eyes bruised and bloodshot, looking like he was related to a panda.
"It's you!"
Director Li, who had been stunned, finally snapped out of his shock and exclaimed, "Song Qiao, stop this instant! Do you know who you're hitting?"
He made to rush forward and separate Song Qiao from Deputy Director Zhang.
"Bang!"
Song Qiao delivered a swift kick, sending Director Li flying. He then coldly scoffed, "It seems the beating you got last time didn't teach you a lesson."
"You wait, I'll settle with you later."
While warning Director Li, Song Qiao didn't stop his assault. He efficiently pulled off Zhang Lei's belt and tightly bound his hands. Then, he raised his palm, ready to strike Zhang Lei's face.
"I don't care who he is. If he dares to lay a hand on my wife, I'll make him regret ever being born."
Since the director surnamed Zhang had dared to bully his wife, he was determined not to let this matter go unresolved.
Zhang Lei, having recovered from the initial shock of being beaten, felt a surge of fear. He threatened, "Boy, you're asking for death! I'll kill you!"
He never expected that Xia Xueqing, an ordinary factory worker, would have such a formidable husband.
Director Li struggled to his feet, his face contorted with malice as he said to Song Qiao, "You're hitting Deputy Director Zhang of Sunshine Factory. He's a major client cooperating with our factory."
"If this cooperation fails, your wife will be held responsible for the factory's losses."
"Think carefully. Causing commercial losses to the company is a violation of the law."
This seemed to be the only threat he could muster to make Song Qiao stop.
Xia Yuqing also hurried to Song Qiao's side, tugging at his sleeve and urging him to calm down. Although she desperately wanted to teach those two scoundrels a lesson, she worried that a moment of impulse might bring endless trouble to her family. Their daughter was still young; she couldn't let Song Qiao commit a crime because of this.
Song Qiao frowned slightly and hesitated, lowering his raised palm. He could ignore Director Li's nonsense, but he couldn't disregard Xia Yuqing's feelings. If his impulsiveness caused Xia Yuqing to be solely responsible for the factory's losses, it would be a heavy price to pay.
Seeing Song Qiao stop, Director Li felt a surge of triumph. He believed Song Qiao was hesitant. He immediately reverted to his arrogant demeanor and shouted hysterically at Song Qiao, "What? Are you scared?"
"If you're scared, then quickly kneel down and apologize to Deputy Director Zhang, otherwise..."
"Otherwise, what?" Song Qiao's voice turned icy. He found Director Li's audacity rather exasperating.
"Otherwise, this cooperation will be called off, and you won't be walking out of this room alive."
"By then, even if your wife begs to drink with us, we might not let her go."
Before he could finish speaking, Song Qiao lunged forward and slapped him across the face. A pig-like scream echoed, and blood, mixed with a few broken teeth, spurted from Director Li's mouth. Song Qiao had clearly held nothing back.
"You ungrateful wretch, you really think you're something?" His voice was chilling, his intent to kill Director Li now fully formed. This Director Li had repeatedly harassed Xia Yuqing; even a clay figurine would have lost its temper. Seeing Song Qiao hesitate, he had become arrogant, revealing his true, lecherous nature.
"You... you're looking for death! Believe it or not, I'll make you disappear from here today."
Director Li, emboldened by some unknown source, stared intently at Song Qiao and threatened him openly.
"Clap clap clap!"
Applause came from outside the door. Then, four or five burly men carrying weapons stormed into the private room. The one in the lead was Qi Yun, the person Song Qiao had just finalized a cooperation agreement with.
"Amazing! I haven't seen anyone this arrogant around here," he taunted Director Li for a moment before turning to Song Qiao with a chuckle.
"Brother Song, seeing you leave in a hurry, I guessed you'd run into trouble. So I brought some brothers to support you."
"I didn't expect to arrive right on time. How about you leave these two scoundrels to me? I'll cripple them for you."
As he spoke, he smiled and glanced at Director Li and Zhang Lei lying on the floor. Both men shivered. Qi Yun, accustomed to violence and rumored to have taken lives, made the temperature in the room drop several degrees. The atmosphere became frighteningly quiet.
Xia Yuqing, who had been worriedly watching, was now completely stunned. What kind of people had Song Qiao been associating with outside? First, there was Duan Kun, who extorted protection fees, and now Qi Yun, who seemed to cripple people as easily as drinking water. It all suggested that Song Qiao must have gotten involved in the underworld.
"Song Qiao, you've brought in people from the underworld! I think you really don't want your wife to work at the factory anymore."
After a moment of hesitation, Director Li gathered his courage and said, "Moreover, it's not just you who knows people from the underworld; I have connections too. If you dare to do anything to me today, think about the consequences yourself."
"Oh?" Qi Yun raised an eyebrow. "Give me a name. You'd better pray he can intimidate me, Qi Yun."
"Zhou Xiang, have you heard of Brother Xiang? He's my boss."
Seeing Qi Yun hesitate, Director Li secretly categorized him as a petty thug. With this thought, he regained his confidence and said arrogantly, "If you're scared, take your men and get lost."
Upon hearing the name, Qi Yun let out a chuckle and glanced at his subordinates behind him. They too were biting their lips, trying to suppress their laughter, looking at the arrogant Director Li as if he were a clown.