Chapter 89: Only When the Truth Is Seen Clearly Does One Realize One’s Own Presumption

After finishing his rebuke of Zhang Zilin, Director Cao wasted no time. He hurried to Ling Xiao’s side and bowed deeply.

“Mr. Ling, you’re here?”

Director Cao’s behavior left everyone present utterly stunned.

But what shocked them even more was that Ling Xiao did not even deign to acknowledge him, still absorbed in his phone call.

That was, after all, a bureau chief from Jiangzhou. Yet Ling Xiao simply ignored him so completely? Good heavens, was this boy trying to overturn the heavens?

Lin Yixuan’s beautiful eyes were filled with complicated emotions.

Only then did she seem to finally understand Ling Xiao’s words.

“I kill people, and it’s not against the law.”

She had thought he was joking. But at this moment, she finally realized just how terrifying he truly was.

This was the real meaning of overwhelming power.

Compared to that, what were Zhang Zilin and the Zhang family worth?

Ling Xiao kept talking on the phone as though he could never finish.

So long as he did not stop, Director Cao did not dare straighten his back even a fraction.

The entire second floor of the restaurant fell silent, save for the sound of Ling Xiao speaking on the phone.

For a moment, the scene became eerily strange.

The most desperate of all was undoubtedly Zhang Zilin. As time ticked by, the pressure in his heart grew heavier and heavier.

Sweat the size of beans dripped down patteringly.

It was pure torment.

After about five minutes, Ling Xiao finally finished his long call.

He put away his phone and cast a faint glance at Director Cao.

“You’re here?”

Director Cao’s back was already on the verge of breaking, yet he dared show not the slightest displeasure.

“Yes, Mr. Ling. This was all a misunderstanding today. I didn’t know it was you...”

Ling Xiao waved a hand, cutting him off.

“Save the nonsense. He said he would break all my limbs. Handle it.”

Director Cao swallowed hard, then nodded.

“I... I understand!”

As soon as the words fell, he swept a hand.

“Men, take Zhang Zilin away. Break his limbs and throw him into the river to feed the fish!”

Zhang Zilin’s face instantly turned as white as wax.

“No—! Uncle Cao, I was wrong, Uncle Cao! Don’t kill me! Please, for my father’s sake, spare me!”

He scrambled over on his knees, but Director Cao kicked him flying at once.

“Get lost! You idiot. You actually dared provoke Mr. Ling and almost dragged me down with you. Killing you would be letting you off lightly!”

“What are you standing there for? Why haven’t you dragged him away yet?”

“Yes!”

Director Cao’s men immediately hauled Zhang Zilin off. His miserable screams rang out without end.

“Uncle Cao, Uncle Cao, please spare me. Sob... I don’t want to die yet!!”

The voice grew farther and farther away, yet no one on the entire second floor dared utter another word.

All eyes were fixed on Ling Xiao—the refined-looking young man who seemed so gentle, yet whose depths were impossible to fathom.

Director Cao turned back and flashed Ling Xiao an ingratiating smile.

“Mr. Ling, are you satisfied?”

Ling Xiao nodded.

“At least you have a little sense. Get lost.”

“Right! Of course. Mr. Ling, please enjoy yourself. If anyone else dares disturb you, just say the word. I’ll make sure he regrets ever being born!”

With that, Director Cao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and hurried off.

Everyone could clearly see that when he went downstairs, both legs were weak and unsteady; he had to lean on the stair railing with his arm to make it down.

This only made everyone revere Ling Xiao even more.

Lin Yixuan stared fixedly at Ling Xiao, ripples trembling in her eyes.

“Mr. Ling, I have to say, you keep completely refreshing my understanding of you.”

“Oh.”

Ling Xiao merely replied with a cool, indifferent sound.

If it had been before, Lin Yixuan would surely have been unable to resist pouting at him again. But now she knew he had every right to be arrogant.

She smiled brightly and tucked the loose hair at her forehead behind her ear.

That fleeting radiance was enough to make hearts flutter.

If not for Ling Xiao, anyone else would surely have fallen for it.

“Mr. Ling, I want to date you.”

Ling Xiao said coolly, “You already said that once.”

“This time is different.”

Lin Yixuan smiled serenely.

“This time, I’m the one pursuing you. Please give me a chance to pursue you.”

“I’ll say it again: my standards are a bit high. You can’t reach them.”

Lin Yixuan could not help feeling somewhat helpless.

After all, her beauty was the capital she had always used to look down on the masses; otherwise, she would not have qualified to become such a top young sensation.

Yet with Ling Xiao, she kept running into setbacks again and again.

Could it be that Ling Xiao’s taste was the same as a foreigner’s?

But even in foreign eyes, she was still the type of woman who was born beautiful.

As she was puzzling over it, Ling Xiao had already risen to his feet.

“My girlfriend is here to pick me up. Eat by yourself.”

“Girlfriend? Hey! Mr. Ling, are you just going to ignore me like that? Hey!”

She hurriedly put on her mask and glasses and chased after him, but when she reached the bottom of the stairs, she stopped in her tracks.

At the entrance stood a graceful and gentle beauty.

She looked a few years younger than Lin Yixuan, yet her looks were in no way inferior.

Even more rare was the air about her—soft and refined, elegant and virtuous, yet still carrying a dignified poise fit for a great household.

Placed side by side, Lin Yixuan already felt somewhat ashamed of herself.

If not for her celebrity aura, she might already have been completely eclipsed by the girl before her.

In a daze, the girl had already linked her arm through Ling Xiao’s and gotten into a BMW.

Watching the taillights recede into the distance, Lin Yixuan could not help but let out a self-mocking smile.

“So my beauty and fame, the things I was so proud of, were nothing more than my own conceit. How laughable. I should have known long ago that a man like him would never have ordinary women around him.”

With a sigh, she shook her head and dialed a number.

“Hello, Sister Zhang, come pick me up. I’m at...”

...

In the car, Mu Yiren could not help asking in confusion, “Ling Xiao, why did you come here?”

“Someone asked me to come and treat them.”

“Oh, I see. I haven’t eaten yet, so I just ordered some takeout. Do you want some?”

Ling Xiao frowned slightly.

“These things have no nutrition. You’d do better to eat them less in the future.”

Though he said that, he still helped Mu Yiren open each container one by one.

Mu Yiren stuck out her tongue.

“I was just too busy! I signed a pile of contracts this morning, and now I still have to go discuss the company’s image spokesperson.”

“Can’t your subordinates go and handle it?”

“The publicity department has already picked someone. I just need to go over and make the final confirmation.”

“If you keep doing things like this, you’ll work yourself to death and still never grow the company. You should make better use of talent.”

“I know. I’m still young, so I need to learn more. Once I’ve learned enough, I’ll hand more things over to the others, and that will put my mind at ease.”

“Fine, then I’ll let that excuse pass for now.”