Zhou Chuanqian's smile remained unchanged. "Brother Lin, this time it was my fault. My people were clumsy in handling things, so I apologize. How about this? I'll compensate you at the original price for however much merchandise was damaged. Isn't this how we get to know each other? Right..." He leaned closer. "Our Second Department and your Third Department are both like one big brotherhood. We'll be seeing each other all the time from now on. Do me a favor and let this matter go, all right?"
"It's not all right." Lin Shuguang's gaze was calm. "The price is thirty million. No bargaining."
Zhou Chuanqian's smile froze on the spot.
The others seemed to draw courage from having their boss present. "It was only twenty million just now, and now you're demanding thirty million! This is extortion!"
"Brother Lin, you're joking, aren't you?" Zhou Chuanqian paused, forcing out a smile.
Lin Shuguang rose to his feet and said indifferently, "Thirty million is only the first condition. As for the second, whoever made a move earlier, step forward on your own. Each of you will sever one arm."
This time, Zhou Chuanqian could no longer keep smiling. He knitted his brows and snarled, "Lin Shuguang, don't push your luck! Is it so hard for me to speak nicely to you? Don't think that just because you dared to challenge Director Hong, you can disregard everyone else.
You're too green, understand? I'm showing you respect for the sake of the Third Department. If you leave now, I can let bygones be bygones! Otherwise!"
"Are you finished?" Lin Shuguang suddenly raised his head.
Zhou Chuanqian's heart jolted.
Lin Shuguang's voice was like thunder rolling across the heavens, overbearing and ferocious. "If you're finished, get on your knees!"
With a single step, the entire floor of the hall exploded with a thunderous roar and surged upward! Carrying a terrifying momentum, it sent a vast swath of shadow hurtling toward Zhou Chuanqian like a landslide sweeping across the sky.
Everyone's eyes widened.
The large slabs of stone mixed with earth had been flipped up and blasted apart with such ease beneath Lin Shuguang's kick. Just how terrifying was that power?
After a moment of stunned disbelief, Zhou Chuanqian was seized by fury at Lin Shuguang's audacity in attacking him.
"Courting death!"
With an angry shout, he formed hand seals.
The earth element seethed on the spot!
All the chunks of earth and stones shooting toward him stopped before his face. In the blink of an eye, they gathered into a gigantic war spear and viciously stabbed toward Lin Shuguang.
This sight brought delighted smiles to the faces of the shop assistants.
It was as if they had seen hope of victory.
After all, the terrifying shockwave brought by the war spear had already left them trembling to the core.
Huang Qisheng's heart clenched as well.
Yet in the next instant, he saw the war spear Zhou Chuanqian had condensed with all his strength get cleaved apart by Lin Shuguang's saber light as brutally as tofu! Broken stone and soil exploded outward!
At the same time.
Lin Shuguang's saber pushed through the dust flying in every direction, advancing without hesitation until he stood before Zhou Chuanqian.
With no regard for reason, he brought his saber down!
Zhou Chuanqian's eyes instantly widened, filled with disbelief.
This kind of strength!
"You!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Explosive booms and bursts of energy rang out madly across his body.
A mighty force seemed to crush every tendon and bone in Zhou Chuanqian's body. With a shrill scream, he was sent flying backward, smashing through countless counters along the way.
"Pfft—"
As blood sprayed through the air, the shop fell as silent as a barren graveyard.
Everyone stood dumbfounded.
Zhou Chuanqian had actually lost?
And lost so utterly?!
When the shop assistants looked at Lin Shuguang again, they all retreated in fear, as though they were looking at a humanoid beast—brutal, overbearing, and utterly unreasonable!
Clatter!
Lin Shuguang dragged Zhou Chuanqian, whose aura was weak and whose body was covered in blood, out of the ruins. "Do you understand now?"
"Don't... kill me!" Zhou Chuanqian's face was filled with terror, blood gushing from his mouth.
"Thirty million. Not a single cent less! And as for those who made a move..." Lin Shuguang's cold gaze swept over the shop assistants, who were silent as cicadas in winter. "Each of you will sever one arm. If even one person is missing, everyone will share the consequences. I'll do it myself!"
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly dropped three degrees.
Some of the shop assistants began urging one another. "Liu Jun, I know you made a move. Hurry up and admit it, or don't drag us down with you!"
"And Hu Zexiong, you made a move too!"
As everyone pointed fingers, screams rang out one after another.
A hefty sum of thirty million also appeared in Lin Shuguang's account.
He patted Zhou Chuanqian's face. "Keep your eyes open from now on. Try laying a finger on my people again."
Zhou Chuanqian was already like a dead dog, sprawled limply in a pool of blood.
Only after Lin Shuguang left with Huang Qisheng did the shop assistants scream and rush over. "Boss, are you all right?"
"Boss!"
After dealing with the matter with ease, Lin Shuguang took Huang Qisheng to a restaurant. He also called Cao Chao and asked him to come over for a meal.
While they waited, Huang Qisheng was filled with emotion.
What had been as difficult as ascending to heaven for him had been resolved with astonishing ease in Lin Shuguang's hands.
In the end, this truly was a world where strength reigned supreme!
"Sir, I'm sorry for the trouble today." Huang Qisheng felt somewhat guilty.
Lin Shuguang waved it off. "There's no need to worry about whether it was troublesome or not. I know what happened. This wasn't your fault."
Cao Chao knocked and entered the room.
Huang Qisheng hurriedly rose to welcome him, but Cao Chao hardly dared put on airs. He closed the door and smiled, indicating that Huang Qisheng needn't be so formal.
Lin Shuguang did not rise. He merely gestured for the two of them to sit.
He told Cao Chao about what had happened with Zhou Chuanqian.
Cao Chao frowned slightly. "Indeed, most people in the bureau know that Yisheng Business is connected to Zhou Chuanqian. But rest assured, sir. Zhou Chuanqian isn't anyone important. Besides, he was clearly in the wrong and acted dishonorably this time. I'll report it to the bureau when I get back and take the opportunity to give him a warning."
Lin Shuguang nodded. "I don't care whether he'll try to retaliate against me. I just don't want Old Huang to be tripped up behind the scenes after I leave. That's why I called you here—to ask you to help him. It won't put you in a difficult position. Just make your stance clear, so that no other blind fool comes looking for trouble later."
Cao Chao hurriedly pledged his loyalty. "Sir, you're flattering me. What's difficult or not difficult about it? It's only right that I handle matters for you. Rest assured, Boss Huang will have my protection from now on. And forgive me for saying so, Boss Huang, but you really are something. I told you before that you could come to me if anything happened. Why did you go there on your own and take a beating for nothing?"
Huang Qisheng's face flushed red.
In the end, he still had not managed to break free from his old mindset as a businessman. Thus, he was always excessively cautious around a martial artist from the Special Management Bureau like Cao Chao.
Seeing this, Lin Shuguang said, "Old Huang, Cao Chao is one of us. You can trust him."
Huang Qisheng hurriedly rose. "I'll remember that. I was in the wrong this time, so I deserved the punishment." He picked up his wine cup and drained it in one gulp.
Because of Lin Shuguang's words—"one of us, someone you can trust"—Cao Chao was overjoyed. His tireless devotion over all this time had not been in vain. Winning Lin Shuguang's recognition was far more stirring than completing a mission for the bureau.
After all, even Director Lu Honglu had said that given enough time, Lin Shuguang would certainly become a Grandmaster.
Once he had the chance to work for a Grandmaster, even Hong Baiqing would have to lower his proud head when he saw him and respectfully address him as sir.
Lin Shuguang added, "I'll leave for Demon Capital the day after tomorrow. If anything happens, have Cao Chao keep an eye on things. If he can't resolve it, come to me. You can act without restraint. There's no need to be timid or cautious when working by my side!"
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