novelThe gentlest and also the most vicious
| ← Ch.197 | Ch.199 → |
From the perspective of this group of people who had come to deal with the bald Bro Kun, there was really no need for this fight at all. There were more than forty men surrounding them. They could all surge forward simultaneously at just a single command.
Zhong Wusheng clearly understood this point as well as the current situation.
Thus, this 'one minute' was actually already intrinsically unrelated to that unlucky bunch of the bald Bro Kun's. They were just like 'wooden dummies' whom Zhong Wusheng had beaten up as a show to the group of second gens on Xu Tingsheng's behalf.
Beneath all these sources of pressure, Xu Tingsheng's face might indeed be too tender. He had spoken, but the other party had hesitated, even having displayed signs of resisting...
As long as it was not one's own power, there was ultimately still the possibility of being taken lightly by others at the end of the day, whether it was the other side or your own.
The thoughts of the bald Bro Kun's gang could simply be overlooked. In a certain sense, at this point in time, they had already 'folded and left the table'.
However, how the people on their side viewed things was still of the utmost importance. This would affect their appraisal and evaluation of Xu Tingsheng's and the Xu Family's methods, thus also affecting their attitude in their future interactions.
When A and B cooperated and all A's power stemmed from B, A would have no status, no value.
Perhaps amongst those who were on their side, there had been some who hadn't been so close before who had just been snickering inwardly earlier, waiting to see how Xu Tingsheng would clean things up.
Zhong Wusheng mopped them all up for him.
He said on his behalf: Even though we aren't based in Yanzhou, the Xu Family can still easily settle things ourselves.
Xu Tingsheng quickly understood Zhong Wusheng's intentions. While the appearance of Zhong Wusheng's group today was outside of his predictions, it had actually turned out to be beneficial.
Today, the position of Xu Tingsheng and the Xu Family rose non-stop in the eyes of this group of second gen that was based in Yanzhou and its vicinity, even far surpassing the actual situation.
Xu Tingsheng felt that when he invited these people over to show his gratitude a couple of days later, he could bring up the third plan in the Xu Family's blueprints then. He intended to go into land, go into properties.
As someone who had been troubled over a single flat for an entire lifetime in his previous life, also having personally witnessed the housing boom over the span of a decade back then, it would be impossible for Xu Tingsheng to willingly let this go, not getting involved with it at all.
However, this was too difficult an aspiration, especially in Yanzhou where Xu Tingsheng's capabilities, be it in terms of money or connections, were just completely insufficient for him to get involved with this bunch of people.
This bunch of people possessed sufficient background. There were those whose families were in officialdom or business as well as those 'incompetents'. Being incompetent caused them to act boldly, their supposed incompetence causing them to be desperate to prove themselves...
Therefore, they really could not be any more suitable.
Therefore, as soon as Xu Tingsheng demonstrated sufficient capabilities to convince them in all the relevant areas, being desperate to succeed, they would surely give it their all.
Xu Tingsheng ceased his ponderings, still having things to handle now.
There might be some with broken or fractured bones amongst those who had collapsed, but the squinty-eyed man clearly wasn't one of them. Even though his forehead was broken, his entire face full of blood, just this injury alone would not render him incapable of 'getting over there'.
He staggered up rather dizzily, coming forward.
"And you."
As Xu Tingsheng pointed, the men who felt that they hadn't done anything major hurriedly got out of the way, revealing the devilishly enchanting woman hiding behind them. She knew that there was no way she could get out of this one.
"Bro Kun... save me."
The woman's face was pale, her entire body shivering as she pleadingly begged the bald Bro Kun for help.
Bro Kun turned away, not looking at her. There wasn't a real relationship between them, just that of money and the flesh. Everything today had been caused by her, was completely her fault. Bro Kun himself felt like giving her two good slaps... moreover, this was surely also going to hurt him.
The woman sobbed piteously as she came forward as well.
The two of them stood in front of Xu Tingsheng. Of these two people, one of them had extended a hand and touched Xiang Ning, while the other had arrogantly and overbearingly refused to let the matter end just like that, almost harming Xiang Ning and even kicking Xu Tingsheng himself.
"Do you still remember what you just did? Really, you deserve it. Let's have it like this. Put your hand on her shoulder. You, put your hands around his neck and press them tight. You definitely will not let go, " Xu Tingsheng said.
The women trembled as she did as she was told. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tightly clenched her teeth that were quivering unconsciously in fear.
This scene and this atmosphere were even harder to bear than beating someone up directly, because it felt more oppressive, more terrifying.
Xu Tingsheng's most vicious side, a side of him that no one had ever seen before... as it was revealed, it felt very wrong, very 'uncomfortable'.
"Tingsheng, you shouldn't and can't do things like this."
Zhong Wusheng stopped Xu Tingsheng's hand that was clutching the baton, preventing him from moving.
"Brother Zhong makes sense. Tingsheng, let's have it like this. Leave what comes after to me. I'm still rather more used to things like this."
The one who had walked out and spoken was Wu Kun. While he wore a proper suit and looked refined, these forty odd people who were currently here were all his. He was a special exception amongst this bunch of people, not having any second gen background at all as he was involved in both legal and covert industries. In his early thirties, just based on his personal power alone, he had risen up to this position from the very bottom. His competence, methods, character and way of dealing with things had caused many proud second gens to willingly address him as bro.
Xu Tingsheng had always viewed this person with the utmost importance, because he was the 'least simple one' of them all. Sometimes, he was the even the one whom Xu Tingsheng was the least willing to interact with. Fang Yuqing had spoken of quite a few of his 'exploits' before. The viciousness and ruthlessness within was not something that those arrogant, overbearing younglings who would bully others once in a while just based on their number could compare to.
After talking to Xu Tingsheng, Wu Kun turned to the bald Bro Kun, saying, "Bro Kun and I work in the same line but differently, originally already having had some things to settle between us, just that there hadn't been the time earlier. We can settle it all at once today. Right, Bro Kun?"
A single phrase of 'work in the same line but differently' was already sufficient to explain the relationship between the two.
By the time the bald Bro Kun saw Wu Kun walk out to take over the matter, he knew that he was in for even greater, worse trouble this time. He would rather face Xu Tingsheng, for he knew that however viciously Xu Tingsheng acted, there would still be some limit to it at the end of the day. Still, this was not so for Wu Kun.
"No, no. With you here, it's you who are Bro Kun, " He said.
The bald Bro Kun and this Wu Kun were not on the same level at all.
"That's how it is then, " Wu Kun turned and said to the excited second gens, "You guys should leave as well. You should avoid getting involved in things like this as much as possible. Leave the rest to me."
One of Wu Kun's underlings entered through the outer ring of people, coming to Xu Tingsheng's side and informing him, "Bro Xu, a girl outside just asked us why Mr Xu still isn't coming out yet."
Hearing this, Xu Tingsheng indicated for Zhong Wusheng to release his grip before saying, "Let's leave it like this then. I'll be troubling Bro Kun here. Also, thank you, everyone. I'll treat you all to a meal as thanks later on."
Apart from Wu Kun's people, everyone else prepared to leave.
"Bro Zhong, I'll contact you tonight."
Xu Tingsheng turned and began walking away.
"Alright."
Zhong Wusheng sighed in relief. Xu Tingsheng had still desisted in the end.
A step later, Xu Tingsheng suddenly turned back around.
The baton in his hand smashed down towards the tip of the woman's nose.
Crack!
"Argh!"
"Ahhh."
As everyone thought that he had already ended things there.
Left hand, broken.
Then, Xu Tingsheng took his leave.
......
"Then, do you like Mr Xu?" Su Nannan was still asking Xiang Ning.
"I don't! He's so old, " Xiang Ning adamantly retorted.
"He's only five years older than us."
"Five years..."
Should five years be considered old? It depended on how old they were. If Xiang Ning was currently eighteen, twenty or even older, perhaps this gap wouldn't be big at all. It was only because she was currently just fifteen years old that such a feeling had arisen.
Meanwhile, Xu Tingsheng felt like this as well. She is still so young, while I am so old. He still viewed and interacted with the fifteen-year-old Xiang Ning with the mentality of a 31-year-old, thus formlessly also exacerbating this feeling of Xiang Ning's.
Xu Tingsheng walked over. His earlier performance had actually been wrought by numerous emotions. There were his feelings of guilt, torture, pain, and responsibility from this period of time, as well as the pain, fury and worry that had been caused by this incident itself.
All these emotions combined had caused a most vicious Xu Tingsheng to appear.
Now that his emotions had been vented completely along with that final blow, as Xu Tingsheng walked towards Xiang Ning now, his entire face was filled with the warmest, tenderest of smiles.
Xu Tingsheng feared that Little Xiang Ning might have been scared by the day's events.
He didn't know that in truth, what had actually happened today that would influence the future the most was that it was when Little Xiang Ning had finally began to consider for the first time: Does Uncle like me? Do I like Uncle?... Five years-is that too old?
| ← Ch. 197 | Ch. 199 → |