In the living room, a woman with a slightly protruding belly sat on the sofa, her hands tied behind her back, her feet also bound, and a piece of duct tape plastered over her mouth, rendering her completely immobile.
Near the woman sat a man.
At that moment, the man held an electronic lighter in his hand, tossing it idly. When he saw He Tianwang enter, the man smiled faintly and even let out a whistle.
"Who are you!" He Tianwang demanded angrily.
"Who I am isn’t important. What is important is how I can release your mistress," Fang Yi said with a smile.
He Tianwang felt a sudden shock. His adversary was evidently well-prepared, even aware of his mistress—and how had he entered?
But how the adversary had entered was no longer important. What mattered now was how to get him to leave.
He Tianwang had no intention of calling the police. He knew that since his opponent came prepared, he wouldn’t have the chance, and he dared not call the police.
He Tianwang was silent for a moment before striding over and placing a briefcase on the sofa.
"What is it you want from me, money, or something else? If you need money, I can immediately call the bank, and then..." He Tianwang tried to continue but noticed a mocking smile on his opponent’s face.
Fang Yi leisurely pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, then elegantly lit one with the electronic lighter. The smoke swirled around him, rendering Fang Yi’s face somewhat hazy and inscrutable.
"Mr. He, as I understand it, you’re quite fond of your mistress, and what’s more, she’s bearing your child. Let me first congratulate you—it may even be a boy," Fang Yi stated calmly and slowly.
Yet it was precisely this that imposed an endless pressure on He Tianwang.
"What exactly do you want!" He Tianwang glared at Fang Yi, teeth gritted, aware that his opponent must want something in return.
"Heh, alright, no more beating around the bush. Mr. He, sell me your shares in the Ren Group," Fang Yi said.
"That’s impossible!" He Tianwang roared in response.
"Impossible?" Fang Yi said, decisively and directly, "Then I’m sorry, Mr. He. Since you’re unwilling, you and your mistress and the child in her womb, you’ll never get to meet again."
He Tianwang was consumed with rage, feeling as if a fire was burning in his chest. He caught the pleading gaze of the woman and thought of his unborn child. After many barren years with his wife and finally having a woman bear his bloodline, could he tolerate the destruction of his own flesh and blood?
As Fang Yi approached his mistress, apparently drawing a knife, the resolute, even cruelly indifferent smile on his face tormented He Tianwang.
Just as Fang Yi’s hand reached toward the woman...
"Stop!" He Tianwang shouted.
But Fang Yi didn’t stop; instead, he grabbed the woman’s throat, a sneer at the corner of his mouth, before turning to look at He Tianwang: "So, Mr. He, have you come to your senses? You only have one chance—I hope, Mr. He, that you give the correct answer."
He Tianwang struggled to utter these words, then deflated like a punctured ball.
Leaving He Tianwang’s house, Fang Yi then went to the homes of the remaining two individuals. It was easy to enter their residences, and Fang Yi had come prepared, even bringing a gun for intimidation.
Of course, it was nothing but a toy gun!
After Fang Yi had dealt with all these matters, it was already the early hours of the morning. As he left the last person’s house, Fang Yi, listening to the incessant crying of that family, felt not the slightest pang of pity; his heart was as hard as iron.
In fact, from beginning to end, Fang Yi had not harmed a single family member of these three individuals, not even a drop of blood had stained the knife. Fang Yi had accurately pinpointed the weaknesses of Ren Tianqing’s three trusted aides, threatening each one without giving them a chance to collude.
That very night, Fang Yi had bought out the shares of these three individuals, purchasing them at market price, without taking advantage of these people. Perhaps he felt some guilt for using their families to threaten them.
"It seems I’m really suited for crime..." Fang Yi mockingly said.
Then, Fang Yi flung his sleeve and strode away, hidden within the shadows of the streetlight, his actions concealed and unknown to others.
That same night, Ren Tianqing finally noticed something was amiss. He hurried to the company and gathered his three trusted aides to thoroughly inquire what had happened.
However, in the end, only He Tianwang showed up; the other two made excuses for their absence. Ren Tianqing genuinely felt a surge of anger, and a profound sense of loss.
Ever since Black Water Alliance had been absorbed by White Tiger Alliance, one of his arms was, in effect, severed. Even those subordinates who had once been extremely respectful to him now dared to defy him. This gave rise to a faint sense of powerlessness in Ren Tianqing’s heart.
He Tianwang remained loyal, meeting with Ren Tianqing and revealing to him the details of the incident.
"Fang Yi!" In the end, Ren Tianqing coldly uttered this name.
Ren Tianqing was not a violent man; during his time battling in the business world, he relied on strategy and cunning. Thus, he did not make things difficult for his subordinates and allowed them to leave.
After He Tianwang left, Ren Tianqing sat slumped in his chair, looking disheveled and suddenly seeming a decade older.
"I’m not satisfied! Fang Yi! You think you can compete with me? Having weathered the business world for so many years, I refuse to believe I can’t defeat you!" Ren Tianqing’s eyes suddenly shot out two sharp glints, icy and foreboding.
That day, Fang Yi, unfazed, once again arrived at the CEO’s office to discuss matters with Shen Binnan.
Staring at Fang Yi, who seemed a bit of a rascal yet shrouded in mystery, Shen Binnan no longer dared to underestimate him.
"You didn’t cause any fatalities, did you?" Shen Binnan asked with a hint of concern.
Fang Yi glanced at her and said, "Miss Shen, do I look like someone who doesn’t take human life seriously?"
Shen Binnan looked at his clean and handsome face and said, "You don’t seem like it, but to say you’re kind-hearted, that I definitely wouldn’t believe."
Fang Yi inwardly sighed; his image had already solidified in this woman’s heart. Changing her perception would take considerable effort.
"Alright, we’ve secured the shares of Ren Tianqing’s three trusted aides. Ren Tianqing will surely go mad now, are you ready?" Fang Yi said. What he did last night was not only "fight fire with fire," but most importantly, to provoke Ren Tianqing.
Because for an old fox like Ren Tianqing, making him slip up was difficult; angering him was necessary.
A serious and solemn expression suddenly appeared on Shen Binnan’s pretty face as she said, "I’m waiting for his retaliatory strike."
With Black Water Alliance gone, those who had done Ren Tianqing’s dirty work were no more. The next step for an enraged Ren Tianqing would undoubtedly be to take drastic revenge on the stock market, and this was precisely the area where Shen Binnan excelled and had the utmost confidence.
As Fang Yi and Shen Binnan anticipated, that afternoon, the stock market saw a massive upheaval.
(Fourth update! Please vote and leave messages, thank you!)