Xu Mu shook his head slightly. He had originally only planned to make a small investment — he didn't expect the returns to come so quickly.
"Damn it! Who are you people? Do you know who I'm with?"
Ma Feng's mouth had just been freed from several layers of tape, and he immediately started shouting.
But when he saw the scene before him, his face instantly turned pale.
He wouldn't have been afraid if he had been tied up by a bunch of well-dressed professionals.
But these men — fierce and rough-looking — terrified him.
"Brothers… I don't think I've offended you guys, have I?"
Ma Feng trembled as he looked around. Suddenly, he spotted Zhao Yan.
"Brother Yan!?"
Zhao Yan jolted in fear and quickly turned toward Lu Xueyao.
"Sister Lu, I don't know this guy!"
Ma Feng froze. Zhao Yan — one of the local crime bosses — had just called this woman Sister Lu.
Then… who on earth was she?
In his eyes, Zhao Yan was already a big shot in Jiang City.
"Then you go interrogate him," said Lu Xueyao.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Zhao Yan strode over and slapped Ma Feng across the face.
"Who the hell are you? Do I even know you?"
"Brother Yan, I'm Brother Pen's guy! Brother Pen works under Brother Four-Mao — and Brother Four-Mao works under you!"
Zhao Yan's expression darkened. "Four-Mao's subordinate?"
He walked to a corner and made a call. After hanging up, he bowed slightly to Lu Xueyao.
"Sister Lu, please wait a moment."
Lu Xueyao nodded lightly.
About ten minutes later, a fat, bald man with four small braids behind his head rushed in.
When he saw that the room was full of Jiang City's most notorious bosses, he nearly wet himself.
He turned toward Zhao Yan, head lowered. "Brother Yan, what's going on?"
"Your man?" Zhao Yan asked, pointing at Ma Feng.
Four-Mao turned and squinted at him, struggling to recall.
"Brother Four-Mao, it's me, Ma Feng! We sang together at KTV before!"
"Oh, right! He's with Little Pen."
Four-Mao turned back and laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, Brother Yan, he's one of my guys."
"Your guy offended Sister Lu," Zhao Yan said coldly.
"If you can't handle this properly, I'll cut off one of your fingers."
Four-Mao froze.
He turned and slapped Ma Feng hard.
"Damn it! What did you do!?"
"I—I didn't!"
Ma Feng's mind went blank. Then his eyes widened — could it be… that thing from yesterday?
"You won't talk? Fine, I'll just break your hand!"
Four-Mao roared. He didn't even know Ma Feng that well, maybe just recognized his face.
But because of this idiot, he was in trouble now — who could endure that?
"Brother Four-Mao! I'll talk! I took money on my own and slandered a company yesterday!"
Terrified, Ma Feng explained everything.
Two days ago, his father had died of illness.
During the funeral preparations, a man approached him.
He offered him one million yuan to frame a company — to say that his father died after taking their medicine.
Ma Feng had never seen that much money in his life, so he immediately agreed.
Yesterday, with a few accomplices, he caused a scene at Xu Corporation.
"You think you can spend that money and live?"
Xu Mu's tone dropped, his eyes cold. "I heard someone paid five million for your life."
"What!?"
Ma Feng's face went paper-white, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
Were they here… to kill him?
If anyone else had said that, he might have thought it was just a threat.
But these people — they really would do it.
"Brother Yan! Brother Four-Mao! Please save me! I don't want to die! I'll give you back the million!"
Tears welled in Ma Feng's eyes. He was only twenty — he didn't want to die yet.
Zhao Yan looked toward Lu Xueyao, waiting for her signal.
But Lu Xueyao merely glanced at Xu Mu beside her.
"The man who paid you — who is he? What does he look like?" Xu Mu asked calmly.
"He wore a suit… looked decent, around twenty-something…"
Ma Feng suddenly remembered something. "Oh! He drove a red Ferrari!"
Xu Mu frowned. Could it be… not Fang Chu?
He recalled that when Fang Chu came to see Li Yun, he was driving a Rolls-Royce.
But Lu Xueyao's eyes sharpened.
"Was he slick-haired? Thin build?"
"Yes! That's him!"
"It's Fang Chu!" she said coldly.
Xu Mu sneered — just as he suspected.
"How did he give you the money?" Xu Mu continued.
"I opened a new bank account that day — he transferred one million directly."
"Good. Later, you'll go live at Xu Corporation, confess publicly that you did it for money, and show the bank record."
Xu Mu leaned forward. "Be sincere. Maybe then, they'll let you live."
"Thank you, big brother, for your guidance."
"And hand over the dirty money — to Sister Lu," Xu Mu added.
"Yes, I'll do it right away."
Ma Feng nodded furiously. Money was one thing — his life was another.
Xu Mu and Lu Xueyao walked out of the warehouse.
"Xueyao, now that you're their boss, do you also collect protection fees?" Xu Mu asked.
"Brother Xu Mu! I hate bullies the most. I was bullied for years — I won't let them do that!"
She shook her head firmly. "We only earn from our pool hall, bar, and card room now."
"Reward and punishment must go hand in hand," Xu Mu advised. "Otherwise, they'll cause trouble sooner or later.
From that one million, take at least half — let them know who's boss."
As he spoke, Xu Mu opened his storage space and took out five gold bars, each worth 100 grams — totaling 500 grams.
He handed them to Lu Xueyao, pushing them into her hands.
"Brother Xu Mu, what are you doing?"
"You've helped me a lot. I can't let you work for nothing — besides, I don't lack money."
He placed the gold bars firmly in her palm. "You're a leader now. You should have something in your hands to keep things running."
[Favorability +20]
"That Fang Chu is such a bastard! Yesterday he even used a deepfake video to slander you, Brother Xu Mu! I knew he was scheming — I never believed him!"
Lu Xueyao angrily shoved the gold bars into her pocket.
"What deepfake video?" Xu Mu asked curiously.
Lu Xueyao briefly explained what had happened the day before.
Xu Mu was shocked. He hadn't expected Fang Chu to go that far — even digging up old footage of the villain Xu Mu beating people.
He could already imagine it: aside from Lu Xueyao, Zhao Yingying and Li Yun must have seen it too.
Not everyone was like Lu Xueyao — willing to believe in him so firmly.
Fang Chu had a convenient excuse — that Xu Mu's kindness toward them was just to possess them all.
And maybe… they would believe it.