“Old man?” Brother Long frowned, quickly covering his mouth and making a zipping motion after realizing he’d let something slip.
Xu Xiaoyou lowered her gun and long whip. “Didn’t you invite me into this game first? Isn’t it a bit late to say all this now, Mr. Roman?”
“Is she talking to the boss?”
The surrounding thugs had various expressions, whispering amongst themselves. Judging by her demeanor, she seemed to know their powerful boss behind the scenes,
And had they reached some secret agreement?
“I underestimated you, Miss Xu. They are merely my subordinates, acting on orders. How about you don’t make trouble for them anymore?”
The old man’s voice was slow and heavy, accompanied by bouts of violent coughing. Even through the curtain, his frail breath could be felt. This Roman didn’t seem as fierce and cruel as rumored; instead, he resembled an ailing patient on the verge of death.
“You say ‘don’t make trouble for them’ and I just won’t?” Xu Xiaoyou gave a cold laugh, flipping her wrist, and the raven-blue gun barrel twirled with it. “Then how do we account for your earlier offense towards me?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone present changed. The scent of gunpowder that had just dissipated in the air quickly condensed again.
“You invited me to this place, yet you were slow to appear and even had your subordinates test me. Well, are you satisfied with my performance?” Xu Xiaoyou said slowly.
“But I am very dissatisfied, and next, I intend to teach these useless subordinates of yours a lesson.”
As the girl’s gaze swept over them, a chill ran down everyone’s spines. Scarface’s throat gurgled as he tried to speak, but Brother Long pressed his head down. The man who had been roaring and acting aggressively earlier now seemed like a different person, his posture lowered, his expression cautious and respectful.
Since this girl could speak with the boss as an equal, even openly questioning him, it meant her status in the underworld was far superior to theirs. Any interruption from them at this moment would be considered overstepping.
“Miss Xu, I formally apologize to you.”
Xu Xiaoyou closed her eyes and pondered for a moment, marveling that the other party would go to such lengths for a pampered and willful girl.
“Of course, I don’t have time to quibble with you. Tell me, what do you need me to do, and...:::
”
Xu Xiaoyou’s tone rose.
“What do I get after it’s done?”
The words of instruction echoed through the room, a heavy atmosphere permeating the air. Everyone’s expressions were somewhat downcast. They had all followed the ‘Roman’ for many years, including Xiao Liu. Many of them hadn’t exactly been miserable before, but their situations were certainly not good. Struggling for survival, not knowing where their next meal would come from, was common.
It was the old man who pulled them out of the shadows, granting them freedom, food, and dignity.
The old man’s increasingly low and slow voice lingered in everyone’s ears, many words touching their hearts. Some of the younger guards felt a lump in their throats, tears falling uncontrollably. Xu Xiaoyou listened in silence, tapping her fingers on the back of her hand, an invisible abacus clicking in her mind.
Upon leaving the steel plant, Xu Xiaoyou walked to a patch of weeds outside the compound and pulled out the hiding figure of a man. Heisenberg’s mask was long gone, his glasses shattered. Beneath the mask, he looked like a meek, ordinary middle-aged man, burdened by family, living a quiet, law-abiding life day after day.
“I have a terminal illness. The doctor said I’ll die in two months. Before I die, I want to avenge my daughter. I want to do something more.”
Heisenberg stood disheveled in the weeds, truly looking like a vagrant, his face covered in dust, even under his fingernails and along the edges of his shoes. Not far away, numerous Eight-Spider members were searching for him. His lips trembled, his voice laced with a tremor as he pleaded with the golden-haired girl before him.
“Please, I want to do something more before I die.”
Xu Xiaoyou patted the man’s shoulder. Instead of making things difficult for him, she said, “I don’t approve of your methods, and I detest your vengeful mindset. Your approach will drag many innocent people into this. I’ve never believed that fighting evil with evil is the right thing to do.”
“But I still need to warn you.”
“Your choice of location is too outdated; the investigators will find it quickly.”
With that, Xu Xiaoyou left without looking back.
In the corridor of the Life Elegy Hospital in Star of Art, a flamboyant male lawyer with a sweeping side fringe pushed a blue-haired girl in a wheelchair, explaining relevant legal knowledge to her. His bright pink smoking jacket and shiny small leather boots were very noticeable.
The television in the upper right corner of the corridor broadcast the day’s news: the artist had descended once again yesterday, this time on the stage of Queen’s Park Square. This descent lasted for only a very brief moment; by the time the association detected the terrifying fluctuations, it was already too late.
Two thousand audience members, including female singer Britney, died within two seconds of the artist’s third descent. No visual records were left at the scene, only wailing echoes that lingered over the Queen’s District for a long time.
The patients and staff in the corridor watched today’s news with concern, a heavy and oppressive atmosphere filling the air. Yet, Jim, the legal consultant pushing Tang Xin into the elevator, continued to explain professional legal knowledge with relish.
“You know, Miss Tang, the hyenas in the family all want a slice of Dream-Chaser Media, that big cake. And from what I understand, your previous contracts with artists have many loopholes. If those guys discover them first and exploit these holes, according to the Starry Movement, Article 423 of the contract law...::: In short, the entire media company will be like a block of hollowed-out cheese, shiny on the outside, but rotten, absolutely rotten on the inside, understand?!”
“Mr. Jim, please keep quiet in the elevator,” Tang Xin said hoarsely. “I’ll listen carefully. There’s no rush.”
After many days of recovery, she was barely able to engage in basic daily conversation.
“That’s not important!” Jim raised his voice. “Understand the situation, Miss Tang Xin. You were the one who sought help from the Winter family. If it weren’t for Mr. Ayin’s friendship with me, I wouldn’t want to deal with this mess. Do you know how many people in the family are eyeing this big cake? No matter what I do, I’ll offend a lot of people!”
Besides them, there was also a pregnant woman, two preschool teachers, and several children in the elevator. After the man’s roar,
The timid children cried out in fright, their noisy wails giving Jim a headache. After the elevator reached the new floor, he yelled for everyone to leave.
“Get out, all of you, get out! You’re not welcome here. This is a hospital invested in by the Winter family, and she is the young miss of the Winter family.
You can’t afford to delay her affairs!”
The other people in the elevator, intimidated by this, squeezed out in a rush, fearing trouble. Tang Xin sighed softly, placed the freshly folded paper crane into the little girl’s hand, and ruffled her messy hair.
The little girl, who had been crying moments before, quickly stopped when she met the girl’s deep, peaceful blue eyes. Her tranquil and graceful demeanor made her instinctively drop all unease and vigilance, reaching out a small hand to caress Tang Xin’s face.
‘This big sister is so pretty, and her hair is so long.’
The little girl picked up her teddy bear and, while being led away by the preschool teacher, kept looking back, curiously observing the beautiful big sister with such extraordinary temperament.
After leaving the elevator, Jim cautioned Tang Xin not to speak indiscriminately later, while carefully avoiding stepping on the girl’s long blue hair spread across the floor.
The two arrived at the room at the end of the long corridor. Jim didn’t push the door open, but instead asked again, solemnly,
“Are you truly certain you want to rely on the family’s power?”
“Once you become involved with the family, the intricate roots of various factions within it will entangle you. To the family, you are merely an outsider. Have you truly considered the complex and dangerous vortex you will fall into?”
“Once you become involved with the family, you will no longer be Tang Xin, but will face your future life as Sevia. Perhaps you will never escape the family’s brand, and you will bear a price no one can imagine.”
Tang Xin lowered her eyelids. Having been through so much hardship, this Flower of Winter was no longer as delicate as it appeared. Each petal bloomed with resilience, speaking of unyielding spirit.
For her, taking this step was no different from tearing open countless bloody scars of the past and laying them bare before her.
She had already imagined the countless scorn, doubts, ridicule, insults, and accusations she would face, and how arduous her future path would be. But she had long since made up her mind.
Tang Xin smiled faintly. “Yes, this is my own decision.”
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