Chapter Twelve: So That's How It Is

Xiao Cheng offered no explanation for his confidence in wiping out the Qinglian Gang; he had no interest, and besides, some matters were not for an old man of this level to know.

“You only need to understand that I have the power to kill you right now. Now, I have a few questions for you.”

“Yes, sir, ask anything you wish. I’ll answer everything truthfully.”

Though the old man secretly looked down on Xiao Cheng, he knew his life was now in Xiao Cheng’s hands.

Xiao Cheng nodded, quite satisfied with the old man’s cooperation.

“First, tell me—where did you get those CML2 tablets?”

This was what intrigued Xiao Cheng most. As far as he knew, he was the only person in all of Shanghai who could get his hands on this drug; others likely hadn’t even heard of it. Yet now, these tablets had appeared before him and nearly been used on his sister-in-law.

If this drug were to flood the market, it would be catastrophic, leading to unimaginable consequences. The drug was too ruthless—directly inducing hallucinations in women, making them experience near-lifelike illusions, and, worse, leaving them unaware of being drugged. Afterward, they might even fall in love with their assailant. This was a complete violation of the moral bottom line of humanity.

Though he had committed all manner of misdeeds in his previous life, he was no longer the same person. His master had always taught him: “To put oneself in another’s shoes is the heart of the Buddha; do not do unto others what you would not have done to yourself.” He never understood before, but now, after his sister-in-law was targeted, he felt a rage he could hardly contain. What about the women he’d drugged in his previous life? How did their families feel?

Looking back, he realized how much evil he had truly done; it was no wonder people despised him.

“This drug is extremely rare. If you want, I still have a few tablets left—I can give them to you, hoping you’ll let bygones be bygones.”

The old man thought he had seen through Xiao Cheng’s intentions. After all, what man wouldn’t desire such a miraculous drug?

But Xiao Cheng simply laughed—a laugh that sent a chill down the old man’s spine. He had no need for such a thing; he had far superior drugs, and an entire bottle at that.

“Don’t waste my time!”

Xiao Cheng immediately pressed down on the old man’s arm and twisted; the old man’s arm drooped limply, his shoulder joint dislocated in an instant. Sweat beaded on his forehead from the pain. The four burly henchmen nearby shifted restlessly, but none dared to act.

Only now did the old man finally understand—he had run into a truly ruthless character today. One wrong word and his arm was gone. Judging by Xiao Cheng’s practiced movements, he either knew human anatomy extremely well or had dislocated countless arms before.

“This drug came from the boss. The boss doesn’t have much either—just over a dozen tablets. I was given five.”

“What’s your boss’s name?” Xiao Cheng hadn’t expected the old man to betray his own boss so easily; clearly, loyalty was not his strong suit.

“People call her the Black Widow.”

The Black Widow? Xiao Cheng was taken aback. That nickname sounded so familiar, as if he’d heard it somewhere before. If he had ever crossed paths with her, it must have been eight years ago—so long ago he couldn’t recall. When he had the time, he would ask the Black Widow herself where this drug had come from.

The old man thought Xiao Cheng would be startled at the mention of that name. The Black Widow was infamous in both the underworld and the legitimate world, known for killing without a trace; anyone of consequence in Shanghai knew of her. But Xiao Cheng only hesitated for a moment, then dismissed it entirely.

“Next question: How much did Qiao Yifeng pay you to do this?”

The old man, knowing exactly what Xiao Cheng meant, answered without hesitation: “Two million. I didn’t know she was your sister-in-law. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have dared even if I had ten times the guts.”

He was telling the truth. He’d assumed Fang Yujia was just some well-connected widow, a beautiful woman wasting her prime by not remarrying. Who could have guessed she had such a formidable brother-in-law? Had he known, he wouldn’t have helped Qiao Yifeng for five million, let alone two.

Xiao Cheng hadn’t expected Qiao Yifeng to be so generous—two million upfront, clearly determined to possess his sister-in-law. But what puzzled him was why his sister-in-law, who had always been cold to other men, would agree to come here with Qiao Yifeng today.

“Do you know what excuse Qiao Yifeng used to lure my sister-in-law out?”

“Yes. From what I heard, it had something to do with her company’s distributors all returning goods and refusing further cooperation…” The old man repeated everything Qiao Yifeng had said.

If Xiao Cheng didn’t understand now, he’d truly be a fool.

“Xiao Guowei, you treacherous rat!”

Now he finally understood. Xiao Guowei and Qiao Yifeng had colluded to put on this act, with the Qinglian Gang as mere supporting players. Scoundrels and hypocrites were bad enough, but nothing was worse than a traitor within the family. To use such means against his sister-in-law was utterly intolerable.

A fine plan, indeed—one gets the woman, the other gets the company, both profiting.

Sensing the cold aura radiating from Xiao Cheng, the old man instinctively swallowed hard.

Xiao Cheng shot him a frosty look, then slammed his fist into the old man’s chest. There was a sickening crack—several ribs were broken, though it was impossible to tell how many.

“This is just interest on what you owe my sister-in-law. Also, clean up the two corpses in the restroom. I don’t need to teach you how, do I?” With that, Xiao Cheng tossed the old man to the ground.

Twisted in agony, the old man curled up like a shrimp, blood streaming from his mouth. Hearing Xiao Cheng’s words, he nodded desperately, only now realizing that two of his subordinates had been killed by the man before him.

Only when Xiao Cheng had disappeared did the old man manage to struggle to his feet, wiping sweat from his brow, suddenly looking years older.

“Third Master, what should we do?” A burly man helped him up, speaking in a low voice.

“Hmph! Does he really think the Qinglian Gang is so easily bullied? He even boasted he’d wipe us out! Call Sister Qinglian.”

The old man’s face twisted with malice, but then he sneered coldly. As long as Qinglian remained the gang’s boss, they feared no one. The “Sister Qinglian” he mentioned was, naturally, the infamous Black Widow. Few knew the true name of the gang’s leader, so he had given Xiao Cheng only her nickname, not her real name.

Hearing him mention Sister Qinglian, the four burly men exchanged gloating looks, clearly confident in her abilities.

“Sister Qinglian!”

“Oh, it’s you, Third Brother. What’s the matter?” The voice on the other end was so sweet and melodious that, on first hearing, one might mistake her for a teenage girl.

“There’s been trouble at the club—someone made a scene, killed two of our men, broke several of my ribs, and even threatened to wipe out the Qinglian Gang.” The old man, now completely stripped of his former airs, sounded like a bullied child seeking help.

“Really? I’ll be right there.” The woman’s tone was calm and languid, betraying not the slightest hint of emotion.

Hanging up, the old man looked almost exhilarated—he hadn’t expected Sister Qinglian to come in person. Now he could rest easy; with her here, that brat was as good as dead. He had to admit, Xiao Cheng was strong, but he was no match for Zhuo Qinglian.

“You lot, keep an eye on that brat. Don’t let him leave. If he tries to go, tell him I insist on hosting him as an apology!”

The four burly men accepted the order with excitement and hurried off.