I was in a meeting when someone knocked on the door. Normally, that only happened when something serious was going on.
But right now, the biggest issue in the company was the conflict between Zeng Rou and the five elders of the Zeng family. Under such circumstances, no one should be disturbing this meeting.
Before entering, Zeng Rou had made it clear that unless it was an emergency, no one was to interrupt her.
When the knock came, the five elders immediately exchanged delighted looks. They knew who it must be. As long as this person arrived, their plan would succeed—and the troublesome person before them would finally be dealt with.
"I'll open it," said the eldest of the Zeng family, hurrying to the door. Just moments ago, he'd been worried that Xia Tian might target him next. But hearing that knock suddenly put him at ease.
When he opened the door, a man in formal attire entered. He looked ordinary, with glasses and a calm expression.
"What is it?" Zeng Rou frowned. She didn't recognize him.
"Mr. Wang asked me to deliver this information to you," the man replied, walking toward her with a stack of documents.
The five elders smiled. They knew this must be the killer sent by Liusha.
"Wait." Xia Tian's voice cut in, his tone carrying a faintly wicked smile as he walked toward the suited man.
The five elders stiffened. The man was already so close to Zeng Rou, but now this unexpected variable had appeared.
If this young man knew about Liusha, he couldn't be an ordinary person.
They watched anxiously as Xia Tian approached the man step by step. Their hearts pounded—they wished they could become the killer themselves and finish the job on Zeng Rou before things went wrong.
"I'm curious," Xia Tian said with a faint smirk. "Do all your company's employees wear military leather shoes to work?" He lightly tapped the stack of documents.
"Military leather shoes?" Everyone turned to look at the man. Company employees wearing military shoes?
The man instantly realized he had been exposed. His right hand moved toward the document, and in a flash, a dagger appeared, thrusting straight at Zeng Rou.
"Someone's trying to kill her!"
But before the blade could touch her, two fingers caught it mid-air. No matter how hard the killer pushed, the dagger wouldn't move another inch.
The man from Liusha quickly retreated, pulling a gun from his waist.
The five elders' faces lit up. At such close range, not even a god could save Zeng Rou. Once she was dead, they could easily seize her shares.
The killer fired as he backed away.
But the gun didn't go off.
He pulled the trigger again and again—still nothing.
"Looking for these?" Xia Tian tossed several bullets onto the floor, one after another. He had already removed them when he approached earlier. His movements had been so fast that the killer hadn't even noticed.
The man froze.
He was a third-rate assassin, and Xia Tian had completely outclassed him. Liusha didn't yet realize how strong Xia Tian had become, but it wouldn't be long before they did. When that happened, they would send a second-tier killer—those were the real professionals, skilled with sniper rifles, explosives, and far more than just daggers and pistols.
"How... how is this possible?" the man stammered, staring at Xia Tian in disbelief.
In an instant, he understood the gap between them. If Xia Tian could disarm him without a sound, he could also kill him without a sound. The killer turned and tried to flee.
"Did I say you could leave?" Xia Tian smiled. The man's legs buckled, and he dropped to his knees. Xia Tian kicked him sharply in the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious.
Just then, the security guards finally arrived.
"What should we do now?" Zeng Rou asked.
"Call the police," Xia Tian said calmly. "Then have the guards secure the door. The meeting's not over." He turned toward the five elders.
"Ahem," said the eldest elder hurriedly. "Given what just happened, perhaps we should end the meeting for today."
"End it?"
In a flash, Xia Tian was in front of him, lifting the man by the collar with one hand. "It seems you're not the one who decides that."
"What are you doing? Zeng Rou, tell him to stop!" the man shouted in panic.
"I'm going to beat you," Xia Tian said, smiling faintly. He threw the elder to the floor and punched him hard in the limbs. Soon, the other four elders—second, fourth, and fifth—were also on the ground, groaning in pain.
When the five of them were piled up like a pyramid, Xia Tian barked, "Who else?"
"I'll give you one chance," he said coldly. "Sell your shares to Sister Rou and surrender to the police when they arrive. Otherwise, you already know what I'll do next."
He looked at them sharply. "Of course, you can tell the police I beat you, but ask around—who would dare testify for you?"
The room fell silent.
"Weren't you all so talkative a moment ago? Didn't you have plenty of reasons and excuses?" Xia Tian said, scanning the room. "In front of me, fists are the only truth."
Zeng Rou looked at the shareholders. "Does anyone have any objections?" she asked.
Originally, she had planned to deal with the five elders over the course of three days, but now that they had been subdued, she could resolve the matter much sooner.
"No objections. We've always supported Ms. Zeng."
"That's right. Ms. Zeng has dedicated herself to the company for years. We have no reason to oppose her."
"We'll follow Ms. Zeng's lead."
One by one, they voiced their agreement. None of them wanted to offend the dangerous man standing before them.
"Then I propose that, from today onward, Xia Tian will serve as the company's general manager, overseeing all departments," Zeng Rou announced.
"Sister Rou, I don't know anything about management, and I'm not interested in it," Xia Tian frowned.
"It doesn't matter. You don't need to know. Just take the salary—twenty thousand yuan a month. But if the company ever faces a crisis, you'll step up. How about it?" she asked with a small smile.
"Sister Rou, you really know how to bargain. You're buying me off for just twenty thousand a month?" Xia Tian shook his head helplessly.
"Do you all agree?" Zeng Rou asked the others.
"Agreed," they said in unison. Hiring a top-tier fighter for twenty thousand yuan a month was a bargain.
Soon after, the police arrived. Someone had already explained that a killer had attempted to assassinate Zeng Rou but had been subdued.
As the conference room door opened, Xia Tian froze for a moment—then frowned in disbelief.
"You again?"