Chapter 458: Struggling at Death’s Door
Cravenly clinging to life instead of braving death was always human nature. No one is unafraid when facing death. Certainly, the death of those who lay down their lives for a noble cause is much heavier than Mt. Tai. But more often than not, the death of the majority is lighter than a goose feather.
But then again, fear is very normal.
Regardless, as far as facing death is concerned, some show unperturbed expressions; while others are frightened out of their wits.
Ye Wentao didn’t want to die. He believed that good people would die young, while the scourges would last for millenniums. Hence, to him who had done too many evil deeds to count and had murdered more than once with his hands, he showed some compassion to those who were struggling and pleading miserably for mercy at the beginning; however, he had already become numb to it. Moreover, as his role changed, he suddenly realized how much despair and fear the people he had felt.
Regret! It was like a viper preying on his heart. Seeing and realizing his errors, the urge to repent emerged in his heart out of desperation.
With a cold and detached expression, Tang Xiu looked at him and lightly said, “Do you not fear disappointing your men if you say that? Take a look at them. Aren’t they like foxes who are sad at the death of a hare?”
Turning his head with a blank expression, Ye Wentao then saw his men looking at him with disbelief in their faces. A wave of regret immediately assailed him.
He then realized something. His pleading for mercy just now had turned their hearts cold.
"I…"
Ye Wentao opened his mouth, yet he didn’t know what to say.
“Let’s just wait!” Tang Xiu sneered. “Whether you can live or not; it will depend on the speed of your older brother’s arrival.”
After saying that, he lit a cigarette and took a few steps to the side. Leaning on a big tree, he no longer spoke.
Silently closing his eyes, thoughts swirled inside Ye Wentao’s mind. No one knew what he was thinking. Even his followers who had followed him for so many years didn’t know what he had in mind. Ten minutes later, Ye Wentao’s eyes finally opened, and took a few steps toward Tang Xiu.
“Tang Xiu, there’s no need to wait for my big brother. You can kill me now.”
Sensing something, Tang Xiu raised his head, his vision landing on Ye Wentao. He was surprised to find that the faint sinister aura inside Ye Wentao had unexpectedly disappeared without a trace. Though there was still a bit of fear in his eyes, they were now more determined and firm.
What exactly had happened?
Slightly frowning, Tang Xiu looked at him and asked, “Did you have a change of mind?”
“My current situation is much like those persecuted by me. I couldn’t comprehend it before, but now I can. Their fears, despair, it’s really… Ah, forget it. Just kill me if you want to! However, I have a request I hope you can allow before you kill me,” said Ye Wentao.
“Talking to me about conditions? Do you think you have the right?” Tang Xiu sneered.
“I’m not speaking about conditions. It’s a request, or you can say it’s a plead,” replied Ye Wentao as he shook his head.
“Say it,” said Tang Xiu.
Ye Wentao’s vision then landed on his men as he said unhurriedly, “I used to be a villain who committed all sort of crimes; bullying the weak and fearing the strong, as well as persecuting a lot of people. Even if you kill me today, I admit that I deserve punishment for those crimes. People like us have a saying: ‘We will have to pay for what we have done sooner or later’. Regardless, though my men are not good guys, most of them were only following my orders; they did those evil deeds because I instructed them to do so. Hence, as they have already been punished, I hope you can spare them and let them go. I promise you that they will definitely close their mouths about all that happened today.”
“Are you joking with me?” Tang Xiu raised his brows and sneered.
“No, I’m dead serious,” said Ye Wentao as he shook his head.
In a flash, Ye Wentao’s men had a change in their expressions. Their eyes were still filled with some disbelief, yet there was also an inconceivable expression in them. Never did they expect that Ye Wentao would say those words.
It had to be noted that ten minutes ago Ye Wentao was begging for mercy out of fear. Though he didn’t express it explicitly, his face vividly and thoroughly described what he had in mind. But now he was like a changed man after a little more than ten minutes? Why would he make such a decision?
Clapping, Tang Xiu said with a smile, “It seems you have just gone through a great awakening or something. Buddhists have a saying that one can become a Buddha if he lays down his butcher’s knife. I think you can leave your home and become a Buddhist monk if you don’t die today. Regardless, it’s impossible for me to kill you now. That big brother of yours, the Jindi Group’s Big Boss, is your backer, and he should have done tons of evil things all these years, no? Hence, I still need to clean him up, and make him pay the price as well.”
“DON’T!”
Ye Wentao cried out involuntarily, and exclaimed in fear, “Tang Xiu, my business has nothing to do with him! Though I can achieve success today due to my big brother’s help, he rarely got involved in my evil deeds. I know you’re very powerful, and I know that my big brother is not a good man either, but I hope you don’t clash with him.”
“Now you know that I’m powerful, eh?” Asked Tang Xiu with a sneer.
Nodding heavily, Ye Wentao emphasized his reply word by word, “I know that you are very strong; more powerful than any martial arts expert I have ever heard about. Even our country’s top special forces pale in comparison with you. I don’t know who you really are, neither do I know how strong your background is, but I hope we can stop this here and now. I’m in front of you. Just kill me if you want to.”
Tang Xiu fell into silence. He had been observing Ye Wentao’s expression and found it firm and calm. Even his heartbeat was normal. It was highly unlikely that he spoke those words out of hypocrisy.
“Let’s wait!”
Finally, Tang Xiu made a decision.
“What else are you waiting for, Tang Xiu?” Ye Wentao asked loudly. “I’m me; my older brother is himself. He has never offended you, no?”
“He didn’t offend me indeed, but I wanna know what kind of man he is,” said Tang Xiu indifferently. “If he’s like you, I don’t mind conveniently killing him. For better or worst, it can also be considered as eliminating a threat to the people.”
“You…”
Furious, Ye Wentao then looked at the man who was holding a mobile phone behind him, and said in a deep voice, “Call my older brother! I want to talk to him.”
“You had better stay put if you don’t want all of your men to be massacred!” Said Tang Xiu without being salty or insipid.
Ye Wentao was dumbfounded, and his henchman’s neck shrunk. His fingers that were about to press the call button turned stiff, and he helplessly looked at Ye Wentao and Tang Xiu, fear and trepidation covering his whole face.
Time passed by. As Chi Nan then arrived with six experts from the Everlasting Feast Hall, Tang Xiu secretly shook his head. He just realized that the distance from the Everlasting Feast Hall to this place was actually not far. It took only 20 minutes by car at the most.
“Boss!”
“Boss!”
Chi Nan came before Tang Xiu and reverentially called out. The six experts lined up in a row and respectfully called out as well.
Stunned and dumbfounded, Ye Wentao never dreamed that Tang Xiu, who was only a freshman at Shanghai University, turned out to really have subordinates. Furthermore, through the six experts’ steady and firm footsteps, he could tell with his keen eyes that they were not your ordinary Tom, Dick, and Harry. Each and every one of them was probably a genuine Kung Fu master with real skills.
Nodding at them, Tang Xiu spoke, “Let us wait here first. There’s still some people coming. After I got them solved, you will deal with the dead bodies that are left behind!”
“There’s only be one way to solve it thoroughly, Boss,” said Chi Nan.
“You mean…” said Tang Xiu sharply.
“Kill them all,” said Chi Nan coldly. “I will assign some subordinates to transport their dead bodies and ship them out of Shanghai tonight, and then rent a ship and throw them into the sea to feed the fish.”
Hiss…
Ye Wentao and his men couldn’t help but gasp. Disbelief filled their eyes as they couldn’t fathom that, to their surprise, a beauty such as Chi Nan turned out to have a heart as malicious as snakes and scorpions. There were dozens of people here! If they killed them all, how ruthless would that be? They originally thought that Tang Xiu was already extremely cruel and merciless, yet it turned out that his subordinates were even worse!!!
“Murdering them all and destroying their dead bodies is indeed the best solution to the problem. But too much killing won’t do you any good in the future,” said Tang Xiu as he shook his head. “Let’s wait! Wait until the most important person. If I like his behavior, this issue will be settled all at once. But if they are aggressive and arrogant, then we’ll kill some of their leaders and the rest will be decimated. Furthermore, I believe that those who live today will definitely not dare to reveal anything about this matter.”
“How can you be so sure, Boss?” Asked Chi Nan, surprised.
“These people all have families, I believe.” Tang Xiu sneered. “If they dare to open their mouth then they must prepare to have their families killed. Do you think they will dare to be smart tongue and then have their families ruined?”
Thinking about it for a short while, Chi Nan then nodded and said, “You’re right, Boss. Anyhow, I’ll send someone to thoroughly investigate the families of these chaps. Whoever dares to trouble us, even if he and his family were to run to foreign countries, I’d still have the means to track and kill them.”
“Like I said, the aftermath is yours to handle,” said Tang Xiu.
“Consider it done!” Chi Nan nodded.
Both of them didn’t conceal their conversation from Ye Wentao and his men. As a result, as they heard their conversation, they felt a chilling coldness in their necks.
At present, Tang Xiu’s true identity was still oblivious to them, yet they felt even more dread toward the cruel and merciless Chi Nan. Hence, they made up their minds that even if someone were to put a knife on their necks, they must never say anything about today’s matter.
Ten minutes later, Ye Wenhe arrived with dozens of big men wearing black suits and quickly rushed into the New Dream Renova Company. As they came to the backyard, his face changed dramatically when he saw the scene there.