The stout boss's eyes widened in disbelief. What had just happened had shattered his perception of the world.
"How... how is this possible?"
"What was that thing just now?"
A playful smirk flickered across Lin Xiaotian's face. "Of course, it's a treasure. What this young master gives away is bound to be incredibly precious."
"But you should be more worried about yourself."
"And you want to use me to stir up trouble? Have I given you too much leeway?"
As his voice fell, he took a step forward, his figure dissolving like mist. In the next instant, he appeared before the stout boss.
His hand descended.
"Slap!"
A crisp slap echoed.
The stout boss didn't even have time to react before he was sent sprawling to the ground.
Lin Xiaotian casually took the weapon from his hand.
"I told you long ago, this thing is less than a fire poker in front of me."
"You still want to make a move on me? You must have some misunderstanding about me."
Lin Xiaotian said with a half-smile, his grip suddenly tightening. The weapon was crushed into a metal ball and tossed casually in front of the stout boss.
The stout boss's eyeballs nearly popped out, his gaze filled with an almost unbelievable shock.
His heart churned like a stormy sea.
"I'm sorry..."
Before he could finish his words, Lin Xiaotian slapped him across the face again.
"Is 'I'm sorry' all it takes?"
"Think about what you were about to do. If I killed you right now, would you feel wronged?"
The stout boss's vision swam with stars, his eyes darkening, but his face was filled with even greater terror.
"I can compensate you. You need raw jade. I just received a new shipment. I can give you all of these raw stones."
"Please spare my life. I truly know I was wrong, and I will never make the same mistake again."
"From today onwards, I'll get as far away as possible and never appear before you again."
"Please, give me one chance!"
He was genuinely terrified now. Lin Xiaotian had shown no mercy when dealing with his subordinates, killing them instantly. Yet, Lin Xiaotian's face remained calm and composed.
If he were to kill him, it would probably be as easy as a single slap.
A cold smile touched Lin Xiaotian's lips. "It's not impossible for me to spare you."
"I'm not interested in your raw stones. If I want to get some jade, I can just go to a gem-gambling shop."
"What you're telling me is useless. What I want to know is who is behind you."
"Don't tell me there's no one, or if I'm unhappy, you might die a very miserable death."
Looking at Lin Xiaotian's smiling face, the stout boss inexplicably felt as if his inner thoughts were completely exposed. He couldn't help but shiver.
Lin Xiaotian said with a half-smile, "I'm giving you a chance, and you'd best cherish it, or you won't be able to bear the consequences."
"Your eyes have already betrayed you."
"Whether there's someone else pulling the strings behind you, you know very well. I don't need to repeat myself a second time, do I?"
The stout boss's eyes showed clear hesitation. He didn't know if he should reveal the person behind it. If he spoke of that person's existence, he might not even be able to leave this city before being thrown into the water to feed the fish.
But if he didn't speak, he might never have the chance to speak again.
As he was caught in his indecision, Lin Xiaotian slapped him across the face.
"I gave you a chance, but you're useless. I can't be bothered to ask anymore. I think it's better for people like you to die."
"After all, a fox will always show its tail. He will definitely make another move. I can still find him then."
The stout boss reacted and quickly tried to shout.
However, before he could utter a sound, several silver needles from Lin Xiaotian's hand pierced his body.
At that moment,
The stout boss felt as if countless knives were slicing his flesh.
The intense pain made him cry out in agony.
As soon as the sound escaped his lips, Lin Xiaotian inserted another needle into him, and the sound abruptly ceased.
"Enjoy it slowly. This pain will accompany you until your death."
"To prevent you from disturbing others, I've temporarily sealed your ability to speak."
A mischievous smile played on Lin Xiaotian's lips. After inserting the needles, he stood up and turned his gaze to Ye Wantong.
Ye Wantong was biting her red lips, her eyes filled with tender affection.
"Girl, don't look at me with those eyes. It makes me feel like you're lusting after my body."
Ye Wantong glared at him, a blush creeping onto her pretty face, and directly asked, "You said there was someone behind this guy?"
"It's not just him targeting me, but someone else wants to make a move on me too?"
Lin Xiaotian nodded with a smile. "Girl, there's no need to overthink this. He's just a businessman dealing in raw stones. Without sufficient profit, do you think he would resort to such drastic measures?"
"Don't forget, your Ye family isn't some small, insignificant household."
"He's risking offending the entire Ye family to capture you. It's obvious someone is behind him."
"Only substantial profit could make him take such a risk."
Ye Wantong's brows furrowed. "I've been busy with the jewelry store lately and haven't offended anyone. Who could it be?"
Lin Xiaotian smiled. "That's something you need to ask yourself. Don't you know who your enemies are?"
Ye Wantong thought carefully and then shook her head. "I really can't think of anyone. Why don't we ask that guy?"
"He looks like he's in a lot of pain right now. He should honestly confess, shouldn't he?"
Lin Xiaotian chuckled. "Does he look like he wants to say anything?"
"It's not like I didn't give him a chance. Even if he spoke now, I would spare him. Look how stubborn he is; he has no intention of speaking."
Ye Wantong's brow furrowed. "Since he doesn't want to say, then forget it. I'll be careful in the future and won't be fooled by them again."
"Something like what happened today will never happen a second time."
"And I'm even more curious about the lethal jade pendant you gave me earlier. What's its purpose? Why did it block that bullet for me just now?"
"You can't say you don't know about this, can you?"
Lin Xiaotian smiled. "Girl, even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. You just need to know that this is a true treasure, but it's not without its limits. It can only withstand three bullets at most."