"Fire!" Liu He shouted coldly.
Crack! Crack!
The sound of bullets being loaded echoed continuously in everyone's ears. All the soldiers fired their rifles into the air in unison, the whistling bullets sounding as if they were about to tear everyone's eardrums apart.
The entire grand hall seemed to shake a few times!
Those ferocious thugs instantly went weak at the knees, and some were so frightened they wet themselves on the spot...
Lord Long's mind went completely blank, leaving only a single thought: "It's over..."
With thousands of guns aimed right at them, they couldn't possibly fly away even with wings!
Bai Xining was also dumbfounded. How had so many soldiers suddenly appeared here?
"Sir," Liu He walked over respectfully to greet Xiao Zining, bowing at a ninety-degree angle as he asked, "how should these fellows be dealt with?"
Xiao Zining gave a calm, dismissive wave. "I am merely an ordinary, public-spirited citizen. As for how to handle this specifically, you must all decide for yourselves."
"However, Tianlong Manor has committed countless atrocities. Whatever needs to be cleaned up should be cleaned up."
Liu He immediately understood.
It seemed this great figure had no desire to expose his true identity.
"Then we thank this gentleman very much for providing us with such valuable clues."
"Tianlong Manor is guilty of countless crimes, especially their leader Wang Long, who deserves to die all the more!"
"No mercy—kill them all!"
Following Liu He's order, all the soldiers pointed their rifles in unison at Lord Long and the numerous thugs still lying on the ground!
"Spare our lives..." Lord Long no longer possessed his previous arrogance. "I was wrong!"
"I am willing to turn over a new leaf. I beg you all to spare my life!"
The others also cried out for mercy one after another.
Many had already collapsed to the ground in terror, a reeking stench of urine emanating from their crotches...
Xiao Zining said indifferently, "Don't scare my wife's neighbor's child."
"Xining, let's go too." With that, he picked up the two children and walked away directly.
Liu He respectfully cleared a path, cold sweat already beading on his forehead.
Xiao Feng left last. Before departing, she turned back to instruct Liu He, "My master's meaning is... show no mercy."
How dare these wretches make a move against the Sovereign's wife and child, and still expect to live?
Liu He shuddered. "Understood."
After everyone else had cleared out.
Liu He's eyes turned icy, and he gave the order, "Do it now!"
Cries of agony rang out one after another, and a thick stench of blood filled the great hall...
Liu He walked step by step toward Lord Long.
"Officer Liu! No, please don't kill me, I am Wang Long..."
"Spared me this once, and all my wealth will be yours—all of it!"
With all four limbs broken, Lord Long lay on the ground, pleading with hopeful eyes.
Liu He glanced at him coldly and said, "Wang Long? Even if the gods descended today, you would still have to die. Who told you to offend that person! You actually dared to touch his family—what incredible audacity!"
"Hiss—" Lord Long drew a sharp breath. Could it be that Liu He came to wipe them out precisely because of that fellow just now?
Now, his bowels were filled with regret...
Liu He drew his dagger and violently plunged it into Lord Long's chest. Lord Long struggled a few times, his eyes staring wide, before he went completely still...
Outside Tianlong Manor.
Bai Xining still patted her chest with lingering fear. "Thank goodness those garrison troops arrived in time today, otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable..."
"By the way, why did you suddenly come here? Didn't I tell you I was fine?"
Xiao Zining smiled affectionately. "I had a bad feeling, so I rushed right over. From now on, you are not allowed to trick me like this. It's really worrying."
"Hmph." Bai Xining felt sweet inside, though she said aloud, "Who wants you to worry?"
"And why did all those soldiers, and even Officer Liu, show up? Furthermore, Officer Liu seemed utterly terrified of you..."
Doubt was written across Bai Xining's face.
Chapter 24: To the Hospital!
"You imagined it."
Xiao Zining had already prepared his excuse. "Still, it is true that I provided the intel. They had wanted to make a move against Tianlong Manor for a long time, and this time Lord Long and his men simply walked right into the crossfire."
Hearing this, Bai Xining thought it sounded plausible and nodded.
Indeed...
Xiao Zining had vanished for several years, the Xiao family had gone bankrupt, and even Xiao Zining's parents had jumped to their deaths...
Given his current status, how could he possibly rub shoulders with someone like Officer Liu?
What she felt just now must have been her imagination.
"Daddy, Mommy, Big Brother's head is burning..." Doudou suddenly looked up and said.
The two of them were instantly startled.
"He's running a fever." Xiao Zining immediately touched Haohao's head, his gaze turning grave. "We must take him to the hospital immediately."
Bai Xining's face also filled with heartache as she tightly grasped Haohao's hand.
Xiao Feng immediately opened the car door, and Xiao Zining hesitated not a moment before picking up the two children and getting into the car...
Downtown Hospital.
When Xiao Zining and the others arrived at the hospital, there was still a long queue waiting.
"You go sit down for a while. I'll hold Haohao and wait in line to get a number," Xiao Zining said. "You're tired too, get some rest."
Seeing Xiao Zining acting with such care, Bai Xining felt a warmth in her heart and nodded slightly.
After standing in line for a full thirty minutes, Xiao Zining finally secured a number.
Having paid the registration fee, they headed straight for the pediatrics department.
"Such a long line again, what a headache!" Bai Xining said, burning with anxiety.
"It's fine, just wait a little longer and it'll be our turn." Xiao Zining was anxious as well, reaching out to touch Haohao's head once more with a look of distress.
There were simply too many injuries on Haohao's body.
Some of those wounds were already starting to infect, which was why he had developed a fever.
At this thought, a bellyful of fury surged up in Xiao Zining!
Those scoundrels at Tianlong Manor truly deserved to die a thousand deaths for laying hands even on such a young child.
His own child was only this small, yet forced to suffer such torment—damned be the lot of them!
If not for the fact that the children and Bai Xining were present earlier, he would have hacked those wretches to pieces with his own hands!
"Daddy, we're not in a hurry. Haohao is a little man, I'm not afraid." Haohao looked up, blinking at Xiao Zining.
His dark eyes were filled with resilience.
"Good! Haohao is a little man!" Xiao Zining felt immense relief. Haohao truly was a sensible child; at such a tender age, he already knew how to protect his younger sister, and his character was staunch and resilient.
Far surpassing ordinary boys.
This was precisely why his heart ached so much...
All of this had been forced upon him by circumstance!
Children of the same age were still enjoying the protection of their parents, while he had to bear such heavy pressure at such a young age!
This only strengthened his determination to properly compensate the three of them!
During the years he was away, they had truly suffered far, far too much...
Time slipped away quickly.
Finally, it was Xiao Zining's turn.
The attending physician on duty was a female doctor with a melon-seed face, high cheekbones, and thin lips. She wore a stern expression, giving off a mean-spirited vibe.
Xiao Zining began, "Doctor, hello, my son—"
"Snap!" The female doctor slammed her ledger shut and said in an unkind tone, "Off duty. If you want to see a doctor, go somewhere else."
"You—" A trace of anger flickered in Xiao Zining, and he frowned slightly. "What kind of attitude is this? Besides, it's not even time to get off duty yet."
"There are still twenty minutes until quitting time, but I'm tired. Can't I go use the restroom and then knock off immediately? Is that a problem?" The female doctor sneered.
"Do doctors not have human rights?"
"Must doctors be subjected to your moral kidnapping?"
"Idiots!"
With that, Liu Xuan rolled her eyes at Xiao Zining and stood up.
Her attitude filled not only Xiao Zining with rage, but also the people waiting in line behind him.
Xiao Zining felt Haohao's forehead; it was getting hotter and hotter, fueling an even greater blaze of anger within him. Was this wretch even fit to be a doctor?
"Is that your attitude?"
He demanded coldly.
"That's my attitude, so what? Unhappy? Go ahead and sue me! Do you even have the clout to pull it off?" Liu Xuan laughed disdainfully. "What kind of dirtbag do you think you are?"
"Even if you knelt before me today, this old lady wouldn't treat him!"
Chapter 25: Bullying the Weak with Power!
"Very well." Xiao Zining nodded slightly. "I hope you keep that backbone of yours."
Liu Xuan wore a look of utter contempt.
Talking as if he were someone important?
Good for nothing!
Her father was the director of this hospital, so with him backing her up, who was she afraid of?
"Please, hurry up and go file a complaint against me! Just some stinking loser, actually thinking you're somebody?"
Go complain and see if anyone gives you the time of day!
"Why don't you take a piss and look at your reflection in it?" she unsparingly mocked.
"Such a lack of medical ethics!"
"Is someone like this even fit to be a doctor?"
"This is infuriating!"
The crowd waiting in line behind them was also furious, voicing their indignation one after another.
Liu Xuan let out a cold huff. "Shut your traps, all of you! If you're so capable, go to some other hospital. Why come here?"
Most people who came to this hospital couldn't afford private ones.
What were they putting on airs for?
She had never looked down on these people with anything but disdain, and consequently couldn't be bothered to pay them any mind.
"Get lost! All of you get out of the way! If you waste any more time with my son, I'll skin you alive!" an arrogant and tyrannical voice rang out.
The crowd was forcefully shoved aside!
A jewelry-laden, wealthy matron with a vicious look on her face pushed everyone in the line out of her way, while a man behind her hurried forward carrying a chubby little boy.
"You...!"
The people all glared with blazing anger at this middle-aged matron.
"What, what?!" She put her hands on her hips and glared coldly at the rest of them. "A bunch of dirt-poor ghosts, want to square off with me? Get lost, all of you!"
"You really have no manners," a young girl frowned and scolded angrily.
"Slap!"
The matron-like woman lashed out with a direct slap across the face. "Little slut, who do you think you're talking about? Believe me, I'll ruin you! My husband is the vice president of the Fengcheng Chamber of Commerce, so you'd better watch your mouth!"
Covering her face, the young girl was wronged to the point of tears, but upon hearing the words "Fengcheng Chamber of Commerce," she dared not speak another word.
The other party's background was simply too massive.
Not someone an ordinary person like her could afford to offend.
The middle-aged man strode over with an arrogant expression and gave a cold command, "Apologize to my wife."
That haughty and overbearing posture filled the surrounding onlookers with boiling rage, yet none dared to speak up. Who made society the way it was?
Having money and power truly allowed people to do whatever they pleased!
"Slap!"
The middle-aged matron lashed out with another backhand slap. "Are you deaf? Apologize!"
The young girl couldn't help but cry. In all her years growing up, she had never suffered such unfair treatment; these two people were simply going too far...
Though others wished to help, the opposing party wielded too much power—how could they dare?
Bai Xining couldn't bear to watch. "You two are going too far. You cut in line, shoved people, and even hit a young girl, yet now you're turning things upside down and demanding an apology from her?"
"Isn't this bullying people too much!"
She was filled with indignation.
The girl's plight reminded her of the unequal treatment she herself had suffered over the years, naturally stirring a sense of pity in her heart.
"Yo!" The matron sneered, putting her hands on her hips and walking right up to Bai Xining. "What, little bitch, are you trying to stand up for her too?!"
"I'll beat you right along with her!"
"Let you see what going too far really means!"
With that, she raised her hand and fiercely swung a blow down toward Bai Xining's face!
Before Bai Xining had time to react, she could only watch helplessly as the slap descended...
"Who gave you the gall to lay a hand on my woman?!"
A thunderous roar echoed out as a powerful hand directly grabbed the matron's raised arm!
"Get lost—"
With another fierce shout, Xiao Zining gave a light push, sending the matron's bloated, corpulent body tumbling directly to the ground where she landed flat on her back...
Chapter 26: Haughty and Arrogant!
The matron made a public spectacle of herself on the spot.
A roar of laughter erupted from the crowd.
She struggled a few times, but her body was simply too heavy, and she couldn't get up no matter what.
"You, you!"
The flesh on her face twisted into a knot, her lungs practically bursting with fury. This fellow actually dared to humiliate her like this; she would definitely make him regret it!
She was a prominent socialite and matron of Fengcheng!
And yet she had been humiliated to this degree by this fellow!
"Mrs. Zhang!" Seeing this, Liu Xuan, who had just been sitting at the ticket window, cried out in alarm and rushed over to painstakingly help her up.
This was the wife of the Chamber of Commerce's vice president!
Where did this fellow get the dog's guts to treat Mrs. Zhang this way?
Meanwhile, Zhang Yong's face was painted with fury.
His icy gaze locked onto Xiao Zining. "You're courting death?!"
Ever since he stepped into Fengcheng's upper crust, no one had ever dared show them such disrespect.
Xiao Zining said indifferently, "She's still breathing after moving against my woman—I've already shown considerable restraint."
Had this happened anywhere else, this fat woman would already be a corpse.
Who dared bully Xiao Zining's woman?
"Scoundrel!" Liu Xuan shouted angrily. "Do you know who is standing before you? He is Vice President Zhang of our Fengcheng Chamber of Commerce! You poor wretch, tired of living, are you?"
"How dare you provoke President Zhang and Mrs. Zhang? Kneel down immediately, slap your own face, and kowtow in apology, or else I'll make sure you can't even walk out of here!"
She berated them with an attitude of lofty superiority.
Zhang Yong said with chilling coldness, "You two, come over here! Kneel down! Kowtow! Let my wife vent her anger, and I'll graciously give you one chance."
Pointing at them like a fox leveraging the tiger's might, Liu Xuan scolded angrily, "Why aren't you crawling over here yet?"
Bai Xining's expression grew grave; she hadn't expected matters to escalate to this point.
The Fengcheng Chamber of Commerce!
They held a pivotal and weighty position in Fengcheng's business circles!
And this man was Zhang Yong, the vice president of the Fengcheng Chamber of Commerce...
Growing impatient, Zhang Yong instructed Liu Xuan, "Call some people over here and subdue these two fellows!"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Acting like a pug, Liu Xuan nodded and bowed repeatedly before immediately punching a number into her phone.
"I'll give you five minutes," Xiao Zining said coldly, eager to see what kind of tricks these fellows could pull.
He hadn't expected that in a place like a hospital, there would still be so much scum hiding in the corners!
This Liu Xuan was unworthy of being a doctor!
He gave a calm instruction: "Xiao Feng, look into the backgrounds of these fellows."
Clack, clack, clack!
Quickly!
A middle-aged man with a gloomy expression hurried over, leading a large group of people.
Every single one of them looked menacing and aggressive.
"Dad, you're finally here! This fellow actually dared to make trouble here! And what's more, they offended Mr. and Mrs. Zhang..."
Liu Xuan rushed to speak first.
The newcomer was none other than Liu Tao, director of the central hospital. Upon seeing Mr. and Mrs. Zhang, he also put on a flattering, ingratiating smile. "Mr. Zhang, how would you like these fellows handled?"
"Make them kneel for me!"
"Kowtow and apologize!"
"And from now on, blacklist them! They are never to step foot inside the central hospital!"
"Hold them down right now, this lady wants to slap their faces herself!"
Before Zhang Yong could even speak, the matron viciously cut in.
"Right!" Liu Tao gave a sycophantic smile. "Whatever Madam wishes!"
With a grand wave of his hand, he ordered, "Seize them and make them kneel and apologize to Mr. and Mrs. Zhang!"
"Hold on."
Xiao Zining spoke with utter detachment. "I'd like to ask, exactly who gave you the guts to act like this?"
Judging by his appearance, his position of authority in the hospital wasn't low either. Yet his actions were more barbaric than those of bandits, filling Xiao Zining with exceptional rage.
Such scum actually qualified to remain inside a hospital?
"I am the director of this hospital! I have this power!" Liu Tao declared overbearingly.
He beckoned imperiously.
The men behind him lunged forward directly, attempting to pin down Bai Xining and Doudou to force them to their knees—an extremely overbearing act completely devoid of reason.
A surge of anger rose to Xiao Zining's chest. "You're courting death."
He stepped forward.
With a sweep of his leg!
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
Every single one of them collapsed to the ground screaming, their leg bones completely shattered.
"Hiss—"
Liu Xuan, Mr. and Mrs. Zhang, and everyone else around them were completely dumbfounded!
This fellow was actually this capable in a fight?
Holding Haohao, Xiao Zining closed in on Liu Tao step by step, his gaze icy to the extreme!
"You! You... impudent!" Liu Tao's face was filled with panic. "If you dare touch a single hair on my head, you're dead. This is a crime..."
Before he could finish his sentence!
With a loud bang, Xiao Zining planted a kick squarely into his chest!
With a single kick, Liu Tao's ribs cracked and blood surged upward. As he went flying backward, he spat a mouthful of blood, looking as if his breath was about to cut out...
Silence descended upon the entire hall.
"People like you are unworthy of remaining in such a sacred place as a hospital."
With a single downward stomp, Liu Tao let out a wail, his face mangled and bloody, his nasal bones and facial structure completely crushed...
"The director has arrived!"
Someone suddenly shouted. Following the sound, a stern-faced elderly man with a gloomy expression could be seen hurrying over, flanked by a large contingent of hospital executives.
The moment they caught sight of the stern elderly man, Liu Xuan and the Zhang couple acted as if they had found their savior, glaring fiercely at Xiao Zining and the others.
"The director is here!"
"You're finished!"
Chapter 27: A Resounding Slap
The director walked forward with a gloomy face, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Director!"
Liu Xuan greeted him with great agitation. "This fellow is making trouble here and even dared to beat my father! My father is a director here in this hospital!"
"Faced with someone disrupting order like this, Director, you must make him pay the price!"
She wore the expression of someone who had suffered the gravest injustice imaginable.
"Director—" Liu Tao also burst into tears. "You must uphold justice for me!"
"Insolent wretch!"
To everyone's shock, the director shouted angrily and lashed out with a direct backhand slap—*crack!*—sending Liu Xuan reeling and buzzing in the ears!
She was stunned right on the spot!
Everyone else was left gaping foolishly as well...
"I'll settle accounts with you later!" Shoving her rudely aside, the director led the group of hospital executives on quick strides right up to Xiao Zining.
"Greetings, Mr. Xiao!"
Under the shocked gazes of everyone present, the director bowed ninety degrees, his voice filled with utmost reverence!
"Greetings, Mr. Xiao—"
Behind him, all the hospital executives bowed in unison, their voices resounding and neatly synchronized!
Everyone's mind felt as though it had just detonated.