Zhou Chenghai's honest face was devoid of its usual sincerity, replaced by pure rage and gnashing hatred.
"You've achieved your goal. Don't even think about continuing to run my antique shop."
"Today's mess was my own doing, and it hasn't cost you anything."
"You've already gained immense benefits. Spare me this time, and I can offer you some precious antiques."
Lin Xiaotian chuckled. "Old man, even if I don't spare you, you'll still have to obediently hand over everything to me."
"After all, once I have you cornered, what is it that I can't get?"
"All your possessions will be mine. Why should I let you go?"
Hearing this, Zhou Chenghai's expression shifted.
He had been hiding in the crowd earlier and knew that Li Tian, that coward, couldn't hold on. When he learned that Lin Xiaotian had him under control, he knew he had to rush back to hide some things and prepare to flee.
But he never expected Lin Xiaotian to be waiting for him here.
He knew Lin Xiaotian's methods were ruthless and that he would never let him off easily. He braced himself for what was to come.
He directly took out his phone, intending to make a call.
However, as soon as he raised his hand, Lin Xiaotian flicked a wisp of spiritual energy.
"Ah…"
A sudden, intense pain made him cry out involuntarily.
His phone dropped to the ground.
One of his arms was completely numb, his fingers trembling uncontrollably. It felt as if an electric current had transformed into the sharpest blade, piercing back and forth within his arm, causing cold sweat to bead on his forehead from the agony.
"What did you do to me?"
"Why does my arm hurt so much?"
"What do you want? Are you going to kill me?"
"This was just business competition. Although I used some underhanded tactics, I didn't cause you any real harm."
"If you lay a heavy hand on me now, you'll tarnish your reputation."
"Many people will suspect you of being a murderer."
As he spoke, Lin Xiaotian raised his hand and delivered a fierce slap across his face.
"Slap!"
The crisp sound of the slap echoed loudly.
Lin Xiaotian smiled. "Am I giving you too much face? Who gave you the impression that I'm easy to talk to?"
"I already said, once I have you, everything you possess will be mine."
"Although you didn't cause any damage to our shop, if you had succeeded, our Mingyue Pavilion would have been completely disgraced in this building."
"Then I would have also implicated other shops, leading to losses. If you had succeeded as planned, the losses for Mingyue Pavilion wouldn't have been a small amount."
"Even if you were to lose all your collections, it might not be enough to compensate."
"I'm giving you one last chance today. Are you going to pay compensation or throw yourself into ruin?"
Hearing this, Zhou Chenghai's anger flared.
The stinging pain on his face only intensified his rage. He gritted his teeth and roared, "Lin Xiaotian, even if I compensate those who suffered losses now, I won't give you a single cent."
"You blocked my door and slapped me. You've completely angered me. There's no room for negotiation between us."
"So what if I get beaten up when those people find out? Even the worst beating wouldn't kill me."
"But you're different. Your greed is beyond my imagination. You're not satisfied with a few precious antiques and still want all my collections?"
"You'd better give up on that idea!"
His roar alerted those inside.
They immediately rushed out. Upon seeing Zhou Chenghai, most of them wore expressions of amusement.
In their hands, they held one or two counterfeit items. Even if these things were worthless, they might be able to dupe someone and earn a substantial sum.
Who wouldn't want something for free?
However, a small portion of them wore expressions of extreme anger.
Their eyes blazed with fury.
"You old bastard, you still haven't run? It's about time."
"Honestly return the money you scammed us out of, and we might give you a chance to walk away. Otherwise, prepare for your reputation to be ruined!"
"Return our money!"
"Apologize to us, admit your mistakes, and compensate us with real antiques. Otherwise, with so many of us here, one kick from each of us might beat you to death."
Zhou Chenghai took a deep breath. He knew his reputation was utterly ruined.
But now, there was no need to hide anything, nor was there any need to compensate.
"First, you need to understand one thing: buying and selling in the antique street is a matter of mutual consent."
"If you get scammed, it's your own fault. You haven't been in the antique world for just one day, don't you understand this rule?"
"If you have the guts, beat me to death today. I will absolutely not give you any compensation."
"Moreover, even if I stand here and let you hit me, would you dare? I'm telling you, I have heart disease and a bunch of other ailments. If you injure me, you'll have to pay me."
"What era are we in? There's no such thing as 'the law doesn't punish the masses'."
Hearing this, the surrounding people were furious.
Some even couldn't resist the urge to act.
However, their friends held them back.
"Don't do it. The early bird gets the worm, but whoever acts first will be the one to suffer."
"Besides, this old man is right. What era are we in? Don't act rashly. We can't give him an excuse. We must get compensation, or we'll never be able to swallow this anger."
Seeing that the people around him didn't act impulsively, Zhou Chenghai breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew that those who could afford antiques were rarely simple people. They were all sharp-minded and wouldn't do anything rash on impulse.
These people had strong self-control.