Wu Hao felt dazed, his entire being reeling. He touched his burning cheek and stammered, "You, you hit me?"
Without a word, Lu Ming followed up with another shoe sole, striking the other half of his face.
*Slap!*
A crisp sound echoed, instantly swelling Wu Hao's face.
"Ow, it hurts so much!"
Wu Hao finally came to his senses, clutching his face, wincing in pain. He never imagined Lu Ming would actually hit him.
More importantly, no one else had expected Lu Ming to be so impulsive.
Su Ru's intention was to secure the Su family's shares while also finding a path to survival, gaining maximum benefit at minimal cost.
But before Su Ru could devise a plan, Lu Ming had severed their escape route with two slaps.
Su Ru was both anxious and angry. Lu Ming had driven her mad when they were opponents, and now that they were teammates, he was still making her angry!
Jiang Mengxin was also troubled.
While she knew Wu Hao was not a good person and deserved to be hit, surely there was a time and place for it!
This was precisely when they needed Wu Hao's help. If they hit him, how could they escape? Would they all die when Xiao Changshan arrived?
Wu Hao pointed at Lu Ming and cursed, "You dare hit me? Fine, I won't help you now, even if you beg me!"
"Help your grandmother!" Lu Ming retorted without hesitation, kicking Wu Hao several meters away. He rolled several times on the ground.
"Ouch," Wu Hao cried out, then yelled, "I came here to help you with good intentions, and you hit me? The Su family deserves to be wiped out! You just wait, Xiao Changshan will be here soon, and I'll see how you die?!"
"Still blabbering?"
Lu Ming picked up his shoe and walked towards him, scaring Wu Hao into scrambling away and fleeing into the outer corridor.
As he ran, he cursed, "A bunch of blind fools, just wait for your death!"
Lu Ming chased after him with the shoe in hand.
The scene was both comical and absurd.
Su Wanran, Jiang Mengxin, and Su Ru, the three women, followed them out. The situation was chaotic. What should have been a negotiation had devolved into a farce.
Wu Hao stumbled all the way to the first-floor lobby and out the main door.
Just as he ran out, he saw a vast crowd approaching from a distance. He rubbed his eyes and looked closely, realizing it was none other than the Northern Emperor!
Xiao Changshan had arrived with his large contingent!
Wu Hao was ecstatic.
He waved his hand and shouted, "Emperor Xiao, here, hurry!"
Seeing the approaching army, everyone in the Su family grew tense. Ordinary employees hid, cowering in corners, not daring to show themselves.
Su Wanran and the others, however, went to the main entrance to face Xiao Changshan head-on.
Life or death was at stake today!
The army arrived.
Xiao Changshan walked to the front of the crowd, squinting as he surveyed them. He wanted to identify the Dragon Warlord, but no matter how he looked, he couldn't discern anything.
Perhaps the Warlord was too discreet and hadn't shown himself?
Others didn't know Xiao Changshan's thoughts, assuming he was observing his opponents, preparing for battle.
Before the Su family members could speak, Wu Hao rushed forward to Xiao Changshan and said obsequiously, "Emperor Xiao, I've already helped you lure them out. This bunch of dogs deserves death a thousand times over! Hurry and order your men to shoot them all!"
"Hm?"
Xiao Changshan glared at him. "What are you? Do I need you to dictate to me?"
Wu Hao quickly fell silent.
Xiao Changshan continued, "You lured them out? Heh, do you really think this Emperor is a fool? You clearly intended to take advantage of the situation, but they refused to comply, and you became enraged. Now you want to use me to get revenge, to kill with a borrowed knife. What do you take me for, someone you can order around?"
Wu Hao was shocked. He never imagined his words would provoke such displeasure from Xiao Changshan.
He immediately knelt and kowtowed, "I dare not, I truly dare not."
"You've already done it, what is there to not dare?"
As he spoke, Xiao Changshan drew his pistol, loaded a bullet, and pointed the muzzle at Wu Hao. "You shall be punished!"
Immediately, a 'bang' echoed.
The bullet pierced Wu Hao's thigh, causing him to collapse instantly, clutching his leg and crying out in agony.
What a loss.
Wu Hao had intended to extort a hefty sum from the Su family, but instead of making money, he got shot! He had suffered a massive loss.
The Su family members were even more surprised.
They had expected Xiao Changshan to attack them without a second thought. Instead, Xiao Changshan had dealt with their aggressor first.
However, given Xiao Changshan's demeanor, the Su family's prospects seemed grim.
What the Su family didn't know was that Xiao Changshan was even more tense and afraid than they were at that moment!
Because he knew the Dragon Warlord was at the Su family's residence, Xiao Changshan didn't dare to act rashly. His visit was merely a formality, and he had no intention of actually attacking the Su family.
Moreover, he had to put on a convincing act to avoid punishment from Elder Fan.
He couldn't offend the Warlord, nor could he disobey Elder Fan's orders. The pressure on Xiao Changshan at this moment was immense.
He shot Wu Hao to alleviate his tension. Poor Wu Hao had no idea this would be the outcome.
*Hoo—*
Xiao Changshan took a deep breath.
He looked at the Su family and said, "Actually, I have always held your Su family in high regard. Fruits from your family are my favorite. Originally, I had no intention of dealing with you. But unfortunately, your family's actions were too extreme and angered Elder Fan. I have been ordered by Elder Fan to suppress your family, so please don't blame me."
These words were entirely for the Warlord's ears.
He, Xiao Changshan, was innocent. All blame would fall on Fan Wentao. If anyone was to be blamed, it was Fan Wentao!
Following that.
Xiao Changshan raised his hand.
The gunmen behind him raised their machine guns, aiming them at the Su family members. The moment Xiao Changshan lowered his hand, they would open fire.
It seemed the Su family was doomed.
Yet, the one most tense at this moment was not the Su family, but Xiao Changshan!
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, soaking his clothes.
If he accidentally lowered his hand at this crucial juncture and actually shot the Su family members, it would enrage the Warlord, and Xiao Changshan feared he would die without even knowing how.
Deep breaths, deep breaths.
As the most critical moment arrived, Xiao Changshan had to devote all his energy to performing this act perfectly.
The sky was overcast.
Everyone present was eerily silent, unable to utter a single word.
The Su family awaited the arrival of death, while Xiao Changshan waited for a voice, a voice that would save both the Su family and himself!