Lin Xiaotian glanced at his phone, his smile widening. "Ten seconds are up. If you can't give me a satisfactory answer, you'll face the consequences!"
Zheng Dewei's hesitation vanished, replaced by a determined look. "I can tell you right now, but can you guarantee my life after I speak?"
"Are you dreaming?" Lin Xiaotian sneered. He could have agreed, but there was no need. Even if he didn't, Zheng Dewei would be helpless and eventually beg to tell him.
"You've wronged me, and now I just want to know who's behind you. Are you trying to set conditions? Do you think you're special?"
With that, Lin Xiaotian flicked out another silver needle. It pierced Zheng Dewei, and the pain instantly doubled. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably. Even after the needle was removed, the agony spread. His facial muscles twitched like worms wriggling beneath his skin, a terrifying sight that startled everyone.
Lin Xiaotian's smile grew. "Old man, I gave you a chance, and you didn't cherish it. I don't need to listen anymore."
"When the foxes finally show their tails, even the most cunning can't outsmart the hunter."
"It's not worth it for you to get yourself entangled for them. But it's okay, I know you don't think so. Do you see me as someone easily fooled?"
"You think I'm easy to deal with, so you're trying to negotiate. That's not who I am."
Lin Xiaotian then turned away, walking towards the front desk. He casually took a menu from a waitress and said with a smile, "I'll order a few dishes for takeout."
The front desk staff looked at him with terror, their eyes trembling and fearful.
Lin Xiaotian's smile was evident. "Miss, why are you just standing there? Hurry and send the order to the kitchen. I'm waiting to go back. My wife is already hungry."
Upon hearing this, the staff instinctively glanced at Zheng Dewei, who was still kneeling on the ground.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and do as I say!"
Lin Xiaotian leaned against the counter, lit a cigarette, and kept his eyes on Zheng Dewei. A hint of amusement flickered in his gaze.
Zheng Dewei crawled over with difficulty, shouting in fear, "Lin Xiaotian, I'm sorry, I really know I was wrong."
"Please, give me another chance. I'll tell you who's behind me, but can we not do this in front of everyone? Otherwise, they won't let me off easily, and they might even kill everyone in my Zheng family."
"Please, spare me for now. I'll take you to a private room, and I'll tell you everything!"
Lin Xiaotian's smile deepened, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Alright, I can give you that chance."
He then sent a wisp of spiritual energy, and Zheng Dewei felt the pain lessen by more than half. Though he was still in agony, it was like heaven compared to before. He quickly got up, a look of relief on his face, and respectfully invited Lin Xiaotian to a private room upstairs.
Once inside, Lin Xiaotian's smile became more pronounced. "Okay, it's just you and me in here now. You can tell me directly. Who is behind you?"
Zheng Dewei immediately fell to his knees, sobbing. "I had no choice. He's a master from our Zheng family, but we're related by blood beyond five generations."
"I don't know what grudge he has against you, but he wants to use me to deal with you. At first, I didn't want to agree because I know how strong you are, and opposing you is a dead end."
"But that guy didn't care. He forced me to attack you, or he would kill me."
"If you don't believe me, I can show you some of our transactions. He said it in my office, so there's a short recording. My office has surveillance, and it captured everything. I've already put the video on my phone. Please take a look!"
He then took out his phone and handed it to Lin Xiaotian, his eyes pleading.
Lin Xiaotian took the phone and opened the recording. He frowned as he looked at the person on the screen. The man felt familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had seen him before.
"What's his name?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I know very little about him. He only told me he's from the Zheng family and was my elder. But he's younger than me, and he always made me call him 'Uncle'."
Zheng Dewei quickly added, "Lin Xiaotian, I'm not lying to you. You can check the surveillance, and you'll see that everything I've said is true. If even one punctuation mark is false, you can cut me into a thousand pieces."
Lin Xiaotian understood as soon as he saw the recording. Zheng Dewei wasn't lying. The person in the video had a condescending demeanor, and his murderous gaze could be felt even through the screen.
Seeing that Lin Xiaotian hadn't exploded, Zheng Dewei breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly said, "I truly didn't want to be your enemy. After the last incident, I've kept my distance and never appeared before you again. But he found me. I don't even know what your relationship is."
The more he spoke, the more wronged he felt, and he began to sob uncontrollably.
Lin Xiaotian said impatiently, "What's with a grown man crying on the floor? I haven't said I'm going to kill you. Since I've given you a chance, you should cherish it. You've done well this time."
"I hope you'll behave yourself after this incident. Otherwise, no one can save you. I mean it."