The middle-aged man was dressed in luxurious clothing. He wore a perfectly tailored suit, made of a special material that rivaled the most advanced combat suits in terms of defensive capability.
Two bodyguards with powerful life forces followed closely by his side. This man was Joel Pedro, a man of the new order and the Fengyu Merchant Guild’s biggest partner.
Once dependent on the Fengyu Merchant Guild, he had risen to prominence by becoming their chief distributor.
"I can testify." Joel Pedro spoke loudly, “The Fengyu Merchant Guild once asked me to handle the transfer and sale of strategic supplies. Kong Xue personally told me that these materials could bring in massive profits and that I would receive a generous cut. But I refused. Later, I secretly investigated the matter and uncovered the Fengyu Merchant Guild’s smuggling routes...”
These words caused an uproar among the surrounding crowd. A wave of shocked exclamations followed.
Kong Xue stared in disbelief at her former partner and questioned him, “What nonsense are you spouting? When have I ever done such a thing? Why... why are you framing me?”
Joel Pedro simply smiled calmly. He offered no explanation whatsoever. His only goal was to publicly shame them and further tarnish the reputation of the Fengyu Merchant Guild.
Si Xingyun was trembling with rage. "You ungrateful, despicable worm."
"I merely followed the laws of the city and stood up against wicked merchants like you." Joel Pedro retorted sharply.
The voices of discussion around them grew louder and louder. The crowd, unaware of the full truth, now looked at Kong Xue and her husband with eyes full of contempt.
A trace of despair appeared on Kong Xue’s face. She had thought herself decisive enough when she chose to abandon everything. Who would have expected the other side to close in with such urgency and venom? This was no longer a business competition. It was complete and utter annihilation.
Zheng San and the other employees of the Fengyu Merchant Guild had also come to realize that the situation was beyond saving. They did not regret being part of the Fengyu Merchant Guild, for Kong Xue and her husband had always treated their staff with great kindness. They simply turned their resentful eyes toward Li Xiaofei, who stood silently at the side.
It was this man who had offended someone he never should have. Now, he had brought disaster upon the Fengyu Merchant Guild. The onlookers around them were also pointing and whispering about Li Xiaofei. The news had been spreading like wildfire, so many people had come to understand the whole story.
"You really are a harbinger of misfortune." Joel Pedro looked at Li Xiaofei with the smug smile of a victor. He couldn’t help but mock him, “If it weren’t for you, the Fengyu Merchant Guild wouldn’t have collapsed so quickly.”
Li Xiaofei didn’t bother to hold back as he slapped Joel Pedro across the face without hesitation. He was now strong enough that his movements were lightning-fast. The two bodyguards behind Pedro didn’t even have time to react.
By the time they lunged forward a moment later, Li Xiaofei struck them in the same manner, sending them flying with two casual-looking slaps.
"You... you actually dared to attack me in public, you—" Joel Pedro, having regained his senses, pointed at Li Xiaofei with a face full of shock and venom.
But before he could finish his sentence, Li Xiaofei buried a foot in his abdomen.
Pedro instantly doubled over like a shrimp scalded in boiling water. With a choking sound, he vomited a mouthful of blood.
Two sharp snapping sounds followed.
Pedro let out a pig-like screech of agony. His legs were now bent at grotesque angles, with snow-white shards of bone piercing through flesh. Only then did Li Xiaofei stop. He pulled out a white handkerchief and wiped his hands as if they had been soiled by something truly filthy.
Captain Zhou and the Guard Captain beside him roared in fury at almost the same time. The armored officers of the Internal Affairs Bureau instantly unsheathed their blades, swords, and rifles, surrounding Li Xiaofei in a tight circle.
The gleaming weapons and the black muzzles of the rifles were all aimed squarely at him.
"If there is any resistance, execute him on the spot," Captain Zhou shouted loudly.
Countless eyes landed on Li Xiaofei as if looking at a desperate, reckless fool. Or perhaps as if they were looking at a harbinger of calamity.
At that moment, the sound of soft footsteps echoed faintly in the air. A fair and gentle hand reached through the cold early spring air and gently clasped Li Xiaofei's hand. The girl whose beauty was admired throughout Chongque City stood firmly by Li Xiaofei’s side.
She wore the same white long dress from the day they first met. It was like a robe woven from silver snow, untouched by even the slightest dust. Only now, the bangs she once wore had been swept slightly to the side, revealing her smooth, fair, and full forehead. Gone was the innocence of a young girl, replaced by a striking, mature brilliance.
She tilted her head slightly to look at Li Xiaofei and gave him a radiant smile. It was just like before. Li Xiaofei’s heartstrings trembled. If his feelings for Sikong Xue in the past had been driven more by desire than affection, then in this moment, he knew, he would never be able to forget this girl for the rest of his life.
He held Sikong Xue’s fair, jade-like, cool hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He said nothing more. In this moment, silence spoke louder than words.
"What are you all standing around for?!" Captain Zhou shouted harshly at the hesitant armored officers. "Take him down! I said take him down! No matter who he is, just—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a cry of alarm rang out behind him. The crowd seemed to ripple. Captain Zhou frowned impatiently as he turned. But then he froze. Shock appeared on his face, as his eyes widened. But the shock swiftly turned into panic and fear.
He saw the crowd parting like flowing water, revealing a clear path. And on that path, a figure was moving forward on his knees, shirtless, with thorny branches strapped to his back.
It was An Daoqing. The Deputy Director of the Internal Affairs Bureau, An Daoqing. The very man who had orchestrated this entire series of events. The man who had sworn to make Li Xiaofei kneel at his office door, who vowed to destroy both the Fengyu Merchant Guild and the Exploding Star Gang.
He, who once seemed destined to shine with boundless brilliance was now disheveled, bare-chested, burdened with thorns and crawling on his knees.
In that instant, one could hear countless breaths drawn in all at once, as if the entire crowd was sucking the air out of the world. Kong Xue and Si Xingyun stood frozen. The former turned to look at Li Xiaofei almost by instinct.
The young man standing shoulder to shoulder with my precious daughter, didn’t he say not long ago that he would make An Daoqing come kneel at the gates of the Fengyu Merchant Guild and apologize?
An utterly absurd thought suddenly surfaced in Kong Xue’s mind.
No. Impossible. It couldn’t be because of him. This is just... coincidence.
Kong Xue instinctively shook her head, but for some reason, that absurd and unbelievable thought seemed to grow more and more real. Under countless eyes, An Daoqing crawled expressionlessly to the gates of the Fengyu Merchant Guild. He didn’t utter a single word.
He kowtowed. A heavy, forceful kowtow. The sound was like a thunderous drumstick crashing down on everyone’s hearts.