Tao Yi, though anxious about what Zhang Lei might say, quickly opened the door. As expected, it was Ziyue.
"Hey, Sister Yue, haha... Thanks for your trouble," Tao Yi greeted with a forced smile, noticing Ziyue's cold expression.
Ziyue remained indifferent, ignoring Tao Yi's words, and walked straight inside.
"You haven't even taken off your shoes, Sister Yue..." Tao Yi said helplessly, watching her walk past.
Ziyue acted as if she hadn't heard, her beautiful face still covered with frost. She walked straight to the living room and sat on the sofa. Only then did she casually kick off her shoes and fling them towards the door.
Zhang Lei, witnessing this, felt awkward and returned to the sofa.
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Zhang Lei sat on the left side of the sofa, while Ziyue took the right.
Tao Yi didn't like this tense atmosphere but knew better than to try to break it. He continued setting up a makeshift bed on the floor for Zhang Lei and Lin Lin, trying not to pay too much attention to Ziyue, even though he desperately wanted to know what had happened with Ling Qing and her group. He knew Ziyue was still upset and asking now would be pointless.
"What are you doing?" Ziyue unexpectedly broke the silence.
Tao Yi quickly raised his head and answered, "Making a bed for my friends."
Ziyue nodded slightly and continued watching TV, her expression still as cold as ice.
Seeing Ziyue engrossed in the TV, Zhang Lei seized the chance to excuse himself, "I'll go check if Lin Lin is awake."
With only Tao Yi and Ziyue left in the living room, Tao Yi felt an urge to speak but was unsure how to start. He couldn't help but steal glances at Ziyue.
"If you want to look, just look openly. I can feel your sneaky glances," Ziyue remarked.
Startled, Tao Yi exclaimed, "Ah!" But he noticed that her tone was a bit softer now, giving him a chance to ask about what had happened today.
"Sister Yue, what did you do to Ling Qing and her group? You didn't kill anyone, did you?" Tao Yi asked cautiously.
"Relax, I said no one died, so no one died," Ziyue replied casually, not taking her eyes off the TV.
Tao Yi frowned. Something didn't feel right. "But what did you do to them? Did you beat them up badly?"
"You ask too many questions. I said everything is fine. Those two can leave tomorrow. When I say there's nothing wrong, there really is nothing wrong!" Ziyue's tone grew impatient, her eyes slowly returning to their icy state.
"Alright, alright, I didn't ask anything," Tao Yi replied, seeing the tension rising again. He realized he wouldn't get more information from her tonight. After setting up the bedding, he decided to tell Zhang Lei and Lin Lin about their sleeping arrangements.
"Thank you for today, Sister Yue," Tao Yi said as he went towards the bedroom.
"Yeah," Ziyue nodded, a sly smile appearing briefly on her lips as Tao Yi turned his back.
Ziyue was working on a plan she'd been thinking about for a long time. She didn't want anyone to know that whenever Tao Yi got hurt, she felt the pain too. She didn't want him to realize it either. Tao Yi might not be stupid, and he could sense something was wrong eventually. So, she had a plan, and it was now in motion.
As for Lin Lin and Zhang Lei, Ziyue couldn't care less about them. And soon, they were going to face a big problem of their own...
---
On the seaside of Xuanwei City, inside a luxurious villa, a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance but an unusual demeanor was on the phone. Beside him stood a handsome young man in white, his expression slightly cold.
"They were found on the street? What's going on? Send all the doctors, send them all!" The middle-aged man's tone grew more agitated, and he slammed the phone down.
"Rush! Get the car, Wen'er Bar," the man ordered.
The white-clothed man quickly left to carry out the order.
---
In Dongcheng District, Wen'er Bar was buzzing with energy. The place was packed with all sorts of colorful-haired delinquents and small-time thugs.
But as two men entered, the atmosphere in the bar turned quiet. No one needed an introduction to know who these two men were. Their mere presence and aura were enough to make the thugs feel small and insignificant.
Once the two men entered the bar's inner room, someone finally whispered to a companion, "Who are they? They look so impressive..."
"Him? Haha, you just saw the most legendary figure of Xuanwei City, Liao Hong."
"Oh my God! He's my idol!"
The two men who entered the bar were indeed Liao Hong, the man who had just been on the phone at the seaside villa, and Xue Yuechong, a young protégé he held in high regard, even more so than his own son, Liao Jiaxing. There were reasons for this favoritism; Xue Yuechong was no ordinary person.
After entering the bar, Liao Hong and Xue Yuechong navigated through several rooms before finally arriving at a deeply hidden basement. They walked through a long corridor and eventually entered a spacious, well-lit room. The room was filled with seven or eight people and equipped with the most advanced medical devices, surpassing even the most prestigious hospitals in Xuanwei City.
"Father, Uncle Qing is still inside," said a young man in black who immediately approached upon seeing Liao Hong. This was Liao Jiaxing, Liao Hong's son.
Liao Hong, frowning, walked straight ahead, seemingly ignoring his son. "Inside?" he asked casually.
"Yes," Liao Jiaxing nodded, staying close behind his father, occasionally glancing at Xue Yuechong with a hint of respect.
At that moment, a man in a white coat came out of the room. Upon seeing Liao Hong, he hurried over and said, "Brother Hong, you're here."
"How is Ling Qing? What's his condition?" Liao Hong couldn't hide the anxiety and tension in his eyes, revealing how important Ling Qing was to him.
The man in the white coat hesitated before replying, "Well…"
"Stop stalling and tell me!" Liao Hong's impatience grew, his tone becoming more agitated, bordering on anger.
"Brother Qing… might be a fool for the rest of his life," the man finally said.
"What?!" Liao Hong felt a wave of dizziness; his steps faltered, and he nearly stumbled.
The man in the white coat sighed helplessly and nodded, confirming, "Yes, I'm afraid so, Brother Hong."
But Liao Hong wasn't an ordinary person. In just a few moments, he managed to regain his composure, his voice cold and steady as he asked, "Jiaxing, what exactly happened?"
"Well… this is how it happened…" Liao Jiaxing, hearing his father's tone, dared not delay. He quickly recounted everything, from his subordinates being injured by Lin Lin to his decision to seek Ling Qing's help because he didn't trust his own men.
Throughout Liao Jiaxing's recount, Liao Hong remained deep in thought, his brows furrowed.
"Father, I think it's definitely that woman named Lin Lin. We should send people right away..." Liao Jiaxing interjected, hoping to show his wit.
"Shut up," Liao Hong's voice was cold as he turned to look at his son, his eyes even colder. "If I see you acting this useless again, don't call yourself my son. Have you seen the profiles of those two kids? Do you think two ordinary people could have done this to your Uncle Qing?!"
After speaking, Liao Hong stopped contemplating and opened the door to the inner room.
Inside, the room was also filled with medical equipment. Ling Qing lay on the bed in the middle. His face was beyond bruised; it was distorted beyond recognition. His body was covered in blood, and the sight was so shocking that even Liao Hong was surprised that he was still alive.
Suppressing his grief, Liao Hong searched through Ling Qing's pockets, finding only a phone that was shattered beyond use.
Xue Yuechong, who had been following behind, frowned at the brutal methods used and was curious about Liao Hong's actions.
"Uncle Hong, what are you doing?" Xue Yuechong asked.
"Ah Qing was always very cautious; he never let his guard down, no matter how simple the matter seemed. Look at this hole," Liao Hong pointed to a small hole in Ling Qing's pocket. "This wasn't made by accident. All his pants have a hole like this, positioned right over the phone's camera."
Xue Yuechong suddenly understood Liao Hong's actions.
"The phone is destroyed beyond repair. I think it's not those two kids Jiaxing mentioned but someone deliberately targeting Ah Qing!" As Liao Hong spoke, he pried out the memory card and handed it to Xue Yuechong.
"Check it and see if anything was recorded."
"Yes, sir." Xue Yuechong immediately took out his phone and inserted the memory card.