Zhang Boxuan trembled all over with fear.
He clawed at his throat until it was raw, but still couldn't vomit.
His voice cracked as he pleaded, "I know I was wrong, please let me go!"
He repeatedly kowtowed on the ground.
Mu Feng pulled out a cigarette and lit it, his voice calm as he said, "You're an adult. Since you know you were wrong, you must pay the appropriate price."
Zhang Boxuan tried to speak again, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
It was as if his internal organs were being ripped out.
A piteous howl escaped his lips.
"Please spare me!"
His pained groans continued.
Just as he was about to faint from the pain,
Mu Feng flicked out a silver needle.
A wisp of spiritual energy was injected through it.
"I can suppress the蛊虫 (gǔchóng -蛊 worms) in your body for ten days. After ten days, you can come back to me for the antidote. If you don't get the antidote, the pain you experienced today will continue indefinitely, until your internal organs are completely consumed."
That calm voice fell upon Zhang Boxuan's ears,
making his heart turn to ice.
The cessation of pain brought him no relief; instead, it plunged him into an abyss of dread.
"What must I do for you to let me go?" His voice was still laced with terror.
Mu Feng smiled faintly, "I have something for you to do, but I don't trust you."
"The pain you just felt is a small punishment."
"To be freed, it depends on your performance."
Resentment and anger warred in Zhang Boxuan's eyes, but the moment he met Mu Feng's gaze,
it was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over him.
All resentment vanished, leaving only fear. "Will you kill me once I'm no longer useful?"
Mu Feng smiled, "If you perform well, I will give you the antidote directly and restore your freedom."
"If you perform poorly, then prepare your affairs."
A sliver of hope ignited in Zhang Boxuan's heart. He knelt on the ground obediently, "I will do whatever you say. I will cooperate fully and will never disappoint you."
"I am satisfied with your attitude for now. Remember to maintain it."
"I will call you when I need you. You can leave now!"
Upon hearing Mu Feng's words,
Zhang Boxuan hesitated slightly, but dared not say more. He left in a daze.
The villa's hall fell silent.
Mu Feng turned his gaze, "What are you thinking about?"
Su Nianxue bit her red lip, then suddenly looked up, her voice trembling as she asked, "Grandmother must think Zhang Boxuan is dead. They might do something even more excessive."
"I know!" Mu Feng's face broke into a smile.
He walked over and pulled Su Nianxue into his arms.
"Don't worry, I've got everything under control."
"To deal with external threats, one must first secure the internal. If you want to develop the Su Corporation, you must first remove the malignant tumors."
"I know, but it's not that easy. I will think about it myself." Su Nianxue nestled tightly into his warm embrace, not wanting to leave for a moment.
At the Su family villa,
Old Mrs. Su's expression was as dark as water, and the atmosphere in the hall was extremely oppressive.
No one dared to breathe too loudly.
Just then, footsteps were heard.
Everyone's gaze turned.
A middle-aged man entered the villa, dressed in sportswear. He had clearly run in, a little out of breath.
Following him was a middle-aged woman, whose stunning beauty from her youth was still evident.
"Mom, why did you summon me here so urgently?"
Old Mrs. Su slammed her cane down heavily. "You two really live under a rock. Such a major family event has occurred, and you still have no idea."
Hearing this, Su Zhengqiang's face was etched with surprise. "Mom, what happened?"
"Didn't Nianxue manage the company well after taking over?"
"By the way, where is Nianxue?"
He was Su Nianxue's father, Su Zhengqiang.
"If it weren't for the trouble stirred up by your good daughter, my Su family wouldn't have encountered such a catastrophic disaster," Old Mrs. Su roared, her voice almost a shout.
Xu Junhua, standing beside him, added fuel to the fire, recounting all the events.
After finishing, she sneered, "Brother, because of your daughter's reckless behavior, our Su family is now facing an unprecedented calamity. You can't just stand by and do nothing about this, can you?"
"She's your own daughter. We can't reason with her. Look at this injury on my face; she hit me."
"And all of this stems from that brat Mu Feng."
Old Mrs. Su let out a cold snort. "I don't care what method you use, but Su Nianxue must personally go to the Zhang family and apologize. If the Zhang family doesn't forgive us, then your entire family will be kicked out of the Su family."
"Something like this happened?" Su Zhengqiang said incredulously.
"Do you think all of us are ganging up to lie to you? Is there anything about you worth lying to?" Xu Junhua taunted.
Everyone in the Su family knew that Su Zhengqiang was unambitious and content with mediocrity.
Hardly anyone took him seriously.
"Mom, don't be angry. We'll go find Nianxue now. We'll definitely give the family a proper explanation."
Su Zhengqiang said this and prepared to leave.
"Sign this!" Old Mrs. Su threw a piece of paper at him.
Su Zhengqiang quickly picked it up. Upon seeing its contents, he didn't think much of it and immediately signed his name.
"Nianxue definitely wouldn't do something so outrageous. It must be that brat Mu Feng causing trouble."
"I want to know the result by tomorrow morning," Old Mrs. Su's expression softened slightly.
After Su Zhengqiang and his wife left,
many people in the villa's hall revealed smiles.
Xu Junhua said ingratiatingly, "Mom, you have a plan. That little slut Su Nianxue doesn't respect us, but I don't believe she wouldn't respect her own father."
Old Mrs. Su cast a cold glance at her. "Are you so pleased with yourself?"
Xu Junhua's smile turned extremely awkward.
Tonight, they had all lost face and harbored a bellyful of resentment.
They were all waiting for the show to unfold.
In the quiet night, accompanied by the chirping of insects and birds,
Su Nianxue leaned quietly into a warm embrace, as if all her worries had been cast aside.
Listening to the strong heartbeat, her small face flushed slightly.
She looked up and saw his smiling gaze, immediately burying her face again, her voice trembling slightly as she said, "Don't go to another room tonight."
Mu Feng held her even tighter. "Aren't you afraid I'll do something rash?"
Su Nianxue remained silent, her breathing becoming nervously erratic.
But at that moment, urgent knocking sounded at the villa's door.