Hearing Meng Guangyu's words, the thugs' spirits lifted. They brandished their weapons and charged at the masked man, one after another.
"Kill this bastard!"
The one at the forefront had already raised his cleaver and swung it towards the masked man's arm.
This strike would surely sever an arm.
To their utter surprise, the masked man dodged the attack with a mere sidestep. Then, he casually flicked his hand and struck the attacker's abdomen.
The seemingly nonchalant blow sent the man flying backward.
Those behind him swarmed forward.
But to their astonishment, the masked man's strength far surpassed theirs. In a flurry of movements, he evaded every single attack without being hit.
Moreover, the masked man's casual gestures were enough to unleash immense power.
He truly possessed the aura of a lone guardian against a multitude, an unyielding barrier.
The thugs fell one by one, their strength dwindling. They lay on the ground, groaning in agony, clearly having suffered severe beatings.
Meng Guangyu began to panic. He had never expected the masked man before him to be so formidable.
"How is this possible?" Meng Guangyu couldn't comprehend it. "How can one person be this strong?"
By the door, Xiuluo chuckled and said, "Do you think you can comprehend the power of the Dragon Warlord?"
Dragon Warlord?
Meng Guangyu swallowed hard, a sense of unease creeping in.
He had initially dismissed the masked man as an imposter, but seeing his true might now, he was starting to believe. If he were a fake, he couldn't possibly possess such immense power.
"Is he really the Dragon Warlord?" Meng Guangyu stared at the masked man, his eyes vacant.
Simultaneously.
A troop of soldiers marched in formation from the end of the corridor, each holding a rifle. This time, they were not blanks, but fully armed soldiers!
Xiuluo commanded, "Take all these scoundrels who dare to trespass into the Warlord's office into custody!"
"Yes!!!"
The soldiers cuffed the thugs and escorted them away, one by one.
Witnessing this, Meng Guangyu's panic intensified.
He could no longer discern truth from falsehood, but even if it were a charade, these people were not to be trifled with.
Meng Guangyu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Alright, alright. I was wrong. You don't need to put on this act anymore. Let's stop here. I will compensate for any losses I've caused. You just need to let me go."
"Let you go?" Xiuluo burst into laughter. "At this point, you're still daydreaming? Those who offend the Warlord shall be killed without mercy!"
Xiuluo bowed towards the masked man and said, "Meng Guangyu broke through the gate, a crime of immense magnitude. I request the Warlord to issue a punishment order."
The masked man spoke in a low, resonant voice, "Execute him on the spot!"
Whoosh—
It was exactly as Xiuluo had said.
Daring to openly storm the Warlord's office and lead an assault on the Warlord was a crime punishable by immediate execution.
Xiuluo waved his hand. "Kill!"
Kill?!
Meng Guangyu trembled and stammered, "Enough! Are you crazy? Even an act has its limits! Is impersonating a Warlord so amusing? If you let me go, I won't pursue this. But if you dare to kill me, this matter will escalate. Not only will the law punish you, but the real Warlord will also bring you to justice!"
Xiuluo let out a cold sneer.
Even now, he couldn't grasp the situation.
He said, "You still think we're fake? Meng Guangyu, it can only be said that your death is not in vain. Guards, carry out the execution!"
A soldier immediately stepped forward and pressed the muzzle of his gun to Meng Guangyu's temple.
Bang!!!
A gunshot echoed. The bullet pierced Meng Guangyu's skull and embedded itself in the wall.
Meng Guangyu didn't even have time to scream before he bled out on the spot, thoroughly deceased. His body thudded to the ground, his life extinguished.
Xiuluo said, "Take the body away."
"Yes!"
Two soldiers stepped forward and carried away Meng Guangyu's corpse.
Seeing this scene, the other thugs were utterly terrified. They had never witnessed real gunfire, let alone an execution. Several were so scared they couldn't even walk.
Xiuluo said to the masked man, "Reporting to the Warlord, Meng Guangyu has been executed."
"Mhm."
The masked man turned away, uttering no further words, and simply gazed out the window in silence.
...
Meanwhile.
Jiang Lan returned to Xunrong in high spirits. Signing a cooperation project with the Warlord meant immense profits in the future.
However, she soon received another pleasant surprise.
Her secretary rushed in, unable to contain her laughter, and said, "Manager Jiang, your enemy has been executed!"
Enemy?
Executed?
Jiang Lan was bewildered.
The secretary immediately brought over her laptop and showed Jiang Lan the news. An official announcement had been made: Meng Guangyu, leading a group of men, had broken into the Warlord's office and attempted to attack and kill the Dragon Warlord. He was executed on the spot!
This...
If it weren't for the official announcement, Jiang Lan would have found it hard to believe.
"How could this happen?" Jiang Lan couldn't understand.
Although Meng Guangyu was barbaric and overbearing, he couldn't possibly be foolish enough to confront a Warlord.
Wouldn't that be like a moth flying into a flame, a suicide mission?
The secretary exclaimed excitedly, "Who cares why! Anyway, that Meng Guangyu was so detestable, always causing trouble for us. It's good he's dead!"
At this moment, He Zhizhou walked in.
As he walked, he analyzed, "I saw the news too. Based on my interactions with Meng Guangyu these past few days, I understand his character. This man is arrogant, unruly, and lawless. When he negotiates projects, he only accepts deals that bring profit, never losses. Anyone who causes him to lose money, he goes after them."
He paused and continued, "Unfortunately, at this investment conference, Meng Guangyu spent a large sum of money on that prized Arabian horse, only to achieve nothing. He must have been furious and decided to seek retribution from the Warlord."
Jiang Lan listened, utterly speechless.
She said, "Are there really people this foolish in the world? That's the Dragon Warlord! And he thought he could bring down a Warlord? Is he insane?"
He Zhizhou shrugged. "Perhaps there's more to it than meets the eye."
Indeed, there were hidden depths, but they couldn't fathom them.
Everything was within Lu Ming's precise calculations.
Knock, knock, knock.
Lu Ming gently knocked on the door and walked in slowly. He had removed his mask and shed his Warlord attire, reverting to his ordinary identity.
He smiled and said, "I saw the news too. Meng Guangyu's attack on the Warlord failed, and he was executed on the spot. Xiao Lan, congratulations. First, you secured a cooperation project with the Warlord, and now your enemy has been killed for his foolishness. It's truly a double celebration."
"Uh..." Jiang Lan smiled faintly.
It was indeed a double celebration, but everything felt incredibly strange and peculiar.
Everyone else couldn't figure out exactly what had happened.
Only the actress Shen Ziyi in the corner knew the truth of the matter. She was fully aware of Lu Ming's true identity and that he was the Dragon Warlord.
It was all a scheme orchestrated by Lu Ming.
It was Lu Ming who offered Jiang Lan the cooperation project, and it was Lu Ming who planned Meng Guangyu's downfall.
This man was terrifying!
Shen Ziyi turned her face away, daring not to look at Lu Ming again. Every time she thought of the noble, unparalleled identity hidden beneath Lu Ming's seemingly ordinary face, she felt goosebumps.
She would never provoke this man again.