On the screen, the man and woman continued moaning loudly in bed, locked in a heated struggle—but in the real world, the senior executives of Tianyao Group sat in stunned silence, their faces grim.
Chairman Li Tianyao, in particular, was utterly dumbfounded.
At first, he'd assumed Qin Xiu was merely trying to take advantage of the situation. Now he finally understood—this wasn't opportunism. This was revenge.
Although Li Tianyao wasn't entirely clear on the exact nature of the relationship between his son, Li Jiaming, and Tian Suqing, he knew Tian Suqing had done a great deal for their family. He'd even harbored suspicions about their connection—but he never imagined someone had actually recorded concrete evidence of it.
Still, Li Tianyao was no greenhorn. Having weathered decades of business storms, he was a wily old fox. His eyes darted quickly, and without hesitation, he grabbed the pen holder from the table and hurled it at Li Jiaming. Leaping to his feet, he began beating his son mercilessly, roaring, "You good-for-nothing! How dare you disgrace our family like this!"
Li Jiaming didn't dare dodge. He simply lowered his head and endured the punishment.
Li Tianyao wasn't just putting on a show—he struck with genuine fury. Within moments, Li Jiaming's eye socket cracked open, blood trickling down from the corner of his eye.
Seeing the blood, several executives quickly stepped in to restrain Li Tianyao. They all understood he was performing this spectacle for Qin Xiu's benefit—hoping to appease him so the matter of the shares might still be negotiable.
Though Li Tianyao's heart ached for his son, compared to the massive financial losses at stake, a few bruises meant nothing.
Once the executives pulled him away, the performance concluded. Li Jiaming accepted a tissue handed to him by an uncle and quietly dabbed at the blood on his face, head still bowed.
Qin Xiu watched the entire scene in silence, then broke into slow, deliberate applause. "Bravo. Chairman Li—decisive, impartial, truly formidable."
"My apologies, Qin Xiu," Li Tianyao said, bowing his head in shame. "I never imagined I'd raise such a disobedient son. This is a disgrace to our family—and my failure as a father."
"No need to apologize, Chairman Li," Qin Xiu replied smoothly. "Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is how one makes amends afterward. And I believe my earlier proposal—repurchasing the shares at the original issue price—is a perfectly reasonable form of restitution."
Qin Xiu gave Li Tianyao no room to maneuver. He steered the conversation right back to his demand.
Li Tianyao opened his mouth but found no words. He'd gone so far as to beat his own son in front of everyone—yet Qin Xiu remained utterly unmoved, his stance as uncompromising as ever.
Seeing Li Tianyao's silence, Qin Xiu smiled faintly. "Since you're not responding, I assume you're refusing. That's fine. In that case, I'll just choose another option."
As he spoke, Qin Xiu unbuttoned his black suit jacket and slowly reached inside.
Every breath in the room froze.
Rumors about Qin Xiu and Tian Suqing had spread like wildfire among S City's elite. Everyone had heard the stories—how Qin Xiu was a monster who'd crawled out of a battlefield overseas, risen from piles of corpses.
A man like that, hardened by war and bloodshed—whatever he pulled from his jacket wouldn't be candy. It would be something lethal.
His message to Li Tianyao was crystal clear: refuse, and your son dies here.
Even if Li Tianyao believed he could later use the murder as evidence to send Qin Xiu to prison and have him executed, what good would that do once his only son was already dead?
"Qin Xiu—I agree! We'll repurchase at the original issue price!" Li Tianyao cried out without hesitation.
Faced with the choice between money and his only heir, Li Tianyao chose his son without a second thought. Money could be earned again—but Li Jiaming was the sole continuation of the Li family line.
The other executives fell silent upon hearing his concession.
Qin Xiu gave a subtle nod to Wu Feng behind him. Wu Feng immediately pulled a contract from his briefcase. "Please sign here, Chairman Li."
Li Tianyao let out a heavy sigh and signed his name with a flourish.
With that signature, Tianyao Group was no longer solely under Li family control. Qin Xiu now held a voice—and power—in the company.
After verifying the signature and fingerprint, Qin Xiu tossed the contract carelessly to Wu Feng, then reached back into his jacket—not for a weapon, but for a pack of cigarettes.
The room exhaled in collective shock.
Qin Xiu pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, lit it, and smiled. "I was just about to light a smoke and think over what kind of compensation I should ask from you, Chairman Li—when you suddenly agreed. That only deepens my respect for you."
Li Tianyao's face turned ashen. Bitterness choked him, but all he could manage was a strained smile.
"Now that business is settled, I won't overstay my welcome. Goodbye, Chairman Li."
Qin Xiu moved to extinguish his cigarette—but there was no ashtray on the table. So, before the stunned eyes of everyone present, he calmly pressed the burning tip directly onto the back of his own hand, snuffing it out without flinching. Then, expression unchanged, he stood and extended his hand toward Li Tianyao.
Still reeling from the humiliation of being outmaneuvered and losing his shares, Li Tianyao numbly shook Qin Xiu's hand.
"If you're afraid of me," Qin Xiu murmured, his voice low and cutting, "then don't try to play games with me."
Li Tianyao's eyes widened in shock. He looked up—Qin Xiu's face remained perfectly composed, smiling as if he'd said nothing at all.
But Li Tianyao knew he hadn't imagined it. Those words were a threat—delivered with chilling precision.
Staring at the fresh, smoldering cigarette burn on Qin Xiu's hand, even the seasoned Li Tianyao couldn't help but swallow hard.
This man really was a madman.
Outside the Tianyao Group headquarters, Qin Xiu's smile vanished the moment he stepped through the doors. His expression turned blank as he walked forward—until a raindrop landed on his suit.
He looked up. The sky, once clear, was now shrouded in dark clouds, a light drizzle beginning to fall.
Another drop was about to hit his face—when a black umbrella appeared above him, shielding him from the rain.
"It's raining, Mr. Qin," came Wu Feng's voice from behind.
"Hmm. You always think ahead," Qin Xiu replied.
"You're incredible, Boss Qin," Lu Qicheng chimed in admiringly. "Just pulling out a pack of cigarettes scared those old bastards half to death! I swear, even if I'd pulled a real gun, it wouldn't have had the same effect."
Qin Xiu's lips twitched slightly. "Really?"
"Absolutely! Back in the war, I remember you telling us how you walked alone through the desert and made it back alive. I knew then you weren't ordinary. And sure enough—you not only got all our brothers home safely, you even brought the weapons back with you. Now you've made everyone who ever wronged you pay the price. You're honestly the most impressive man I've ever met."
Faced with Lu Qicheng's praise, Qin Xiu simply gazed up at the overcast sky and offered a quiet, fleeting smile.
Made them pay the price?
Yes. He'd made every single one of them suffer. From now on, no one would ever hurt him again.
As for love—he'd lost all interest. Tian Suqing had shattered his trust in women completely.
He'd keep their marriage in name only. They'd live out their lives in mutual solitude—that was fine.
At the thought of Tian Suqing, Qin Xiu suddenly paused.
Come to think of it… how was she doing? It had been about fifteen days since he last saw her.
He'd cut off all communication devices in the manor and even installed signal jammers. She had no way to reach the outside world—trapped like a prisoner, confined to that house day after day.
Was she breaking down by now? Starting to regret what she'd done?
Qin Xiu suddenly felt a keen curiosity to find out.
"Mr. Qin, head back to the office?" Wu Feng asked as they got into the G-Class.
"No rush," Qin Xiu said, a flicker of excitement lighting his eyes.
"Let's go to Bayview Manor first."