"Got it!" Ming replied cheerfully. With swift, clean movements, both ears were soon severed and thrown, bloody, onto the ground.
Xing Yuan chuckled lightly, checking her watch with a pleased expression. "The guests are almost here! We have some appetizers, Ming, so a little extra effort, please!"
Ming's eyes lit up, and he took the two ears into another room.
In less than three minutes, Wang Yu Bei knocked and entered. His gaze immediately fell upon the bloodied figure hanging in the room, his expression turning extremely grim.
"Have you gone too far!" he demanded angrily.
"Mr. Wang, please sit! Don't be so agitated, or you might die even faster!" Xing Yuan said with a casual, lazy smile.
"Let him down!"
"Not yet! But if Mr. Wang is willing to sit down, I might consider it," Xing Yuan said calmly, crossing her arms.
Wang Yu Bei, blinded by rage, paid no heed to Xing Yuan and walked directly towards the disfigured man, intending to free him himself.
Xing Yuan let out a displeased snort. A dagger shot from her hand, landing precisely on the man's arm, narrowly missing his throat and ending his life.
"Take one more step forward, and he dies."
Wang Yu Bei's face turned ashen. After glaring at Xing Yuan for a moment, he retreated a step and silently sat down in his designated seat.
"It would have been better if you did this earlier. Your subordinate wouldn't have had to endure another cut," Xing Yuan taunted with a smile.
"Ming! Where's the dish I ordered?" Xing Yuan called out to the other room.
"Coming," Ming's footsteps echoed the call.
He then emerged with a dish that appeared to be pig ears.
"Mr. Wang, please try! Ming's culinary skills are not for everyone," Xing Yuan said enthusiastically.
Wang Yu Bei remained silent, his face grim, studying Xing Yuan as if trying to decipher her intentions.
"I want to take him with me," he said in a low voice.
"Certainly!" Xing Yuan nodded, appearing amenable to negotiation. She then gestured, "It was not easy to invite the busy Mr. Wang. You wouldn't refuse to give me some face, would you? Eat this dish, and then you can take him."
Meeting Wang Yu Bei's suspicious gaze, Xing Yuan smiled again. "What? Afraid I've poisoned it?"
Wang Yu Bei frowned, his expression conflicted, but he eventually picked up his chopsticks. Watching him, Xing Yuan's mood brightened, her fingers dancing on the tabletop.
"What is it?" Wang Yu Bei seemed to sense the strange atmosphere and asked instinctively.
Xing Yuan glanced to the side. "Ming! Please tell Mr. Wang the name of this dish."
Ming chuckled twice, a hint of mischievous delight in his voice. He whispered like a demon, "Sir! This dish is called 'Ming's Created Human Ears'."
Human ears! Wang Yu Bei froze, then quickly realized what it was and began to retch.
"Sir! There's no need to waste your effort. I've added a special seasoning. You won't be able to vomit it up," Ming said with a polite smile.
"You!" Wang Yu Bei was enraged.
"What is it?" Xing Yuan asked innocently, feigning ignorance. "Mr. Wang, why look at me like that? I didn't force the dish into your mouth."
"Don't worry! I always keep my word. You can take him now."
"Aren't you afraid I'll hunt you down? You know, I'm the local boss here."
"Heh!" Xing Yuan scoffed coldly. "Do you think I can only rely on you for things here? It was just a matter of urgency before, forcing my hand!"
"Besides, I can end your life at any moment. Perhaps you don't realize, but my people are watching you constantly. This is just a warning! Next time, I believe they won't hesitate to replace you if they have to kill you. After all, there are plenty of people in this world more capable than you."
Xing Yuan stated it plainly, without any pretense. She had reassigned some of her elite personnel, more than enough to replace Wang Yu Bei. Furthermore, his duplicity had thoroughly displeased her.
Wang Yu Bei's face was grim. He wanted to say something, but fear kept him silent. Before today, he had believed the underground fight club was still under his control. But upon arriving, he realized the ownership had changed hands at some point. He trusted Xing Yuan's capability. Despite his outward success, his life was not easy, as his subordinates plotted against him, and superiors intended to bring in newcomers for training. Moreover, all his assets truly belonged to that ruthless organization. If not for his consistently top performance, he would have been forced to submit long ago. He still possessed a sliver of conscience, but these people might not be as "kind" as he was.
Ultimately, he relented. "Please rest assured, I will manage my subordinates properly from now on."
Xing Yuan nodded and glanced at Ming. Ming immediately understood and turned to call two people from outside. They then lowered the bloodied man and carried him out. Wang Yu Bei followed closely, leaving soon after.
Once everyone had gone, Xing Yuan frowned in annoyance and checked her phone. Her sister seemed to still be busy, not even sending her a message. Her "cheap" younger brother had even said hello to her! It was all their fault! What were they doing? No! She had to go back and check the surveillance to see where her sister was! Was she in danger?
Xing Yuan hurried away, leaving behind only a command for them to await her orders, and that other matters were at their discretion. Most of these people were newly trained recruits. Although they had been brainwashed since childhood, the majority viewed the mercenary corps as their faith, not her personally. Therefore, Xing Yuan did not fully trust them. If not for her reliable subordinates being swamped with her strategic deployments and unable to assist her, she wouldn't have taken such a risk. Her individual strength was too weak.
As Xing Yuan thought this, she seemed to forget that she simply wanted to live a normal life. Yet, she habitually planned her fallback. With her current preparations, she wouldn't fear a confrontation with the police.
Was Ling Chen Yue called away because the results of the last operation were in? Indeed. Among the low-level thugs discarded as pawns, a few had overheard something. He himself couldn't confirm its truthfulness, but under the temptation of a reduced sentence, he confessed everything he knew.
"That day, the boss was drunk and bragged to us about his impending rise to prominence... telling us to congratulate him in advance. Most of us knew about this."