Chapter 55: Eliminating the Root

Lin Xiao didn’t return to Yuan Yu’s home. Instead, he ventured toward another location, Song Tianxing’s residence.

The moment Lin Xiao discovered Song Tianxing had employed people to kill him, he effectively condemned Song Tianxing to death in his heart. So, after extinguishing Wang Lin, he set his course on Song Tianxing, ready to eliminate him as well.

To truly cut the grass, one must pull out the roots—only then is the problem gone for good.

In essence, all problems traced back to Song Tianxing.

Although Le Zhenglan had previously alluded to Song Tianxing’s identity, she didn’t offer specifics. Therefore, Lin Xiao acquired detailed information about Song Tianxing from Old Jin.

Song Tianxing’s father, Song Nianhua, was a prominent businessman in Jinghai City. Having initially built his fortune in real estate, he later expanded into various fields, including education. His assets amounted to billions, and he boasted a wide network across both the criminal underworld and legal realms.

This was exactly why Song Tianxing was able to establish connections with Wang Lin.

Nevertheless, prior to this, Song Tianxing had only engaged in minor dealings with Wang Lin’s subordinates. Although Wang Lin was aware of this, he didn’t bother with such trivialities due to his own status. However, when Song Tianxing plotted to kill Lin Xiao, Wang Lin viewed it as an excellent opportunity and decided to step in.

He had two primary objectives: one was monetary gain, and the other was to ingratiate himself with Song Nianhua, Song Tianxing’s father.

But little did he expect that this golden opportunity would ultimately cost him his life.

Once he received detailed intelligence about Song Tianxing from Old Jin, Lin Xiao didn’t hesitate for a second.

He had already eliminated numerous influential figures, leaders of international mercenary organizations, heads of notorious drug cartels, and even leaders of small nations. How significant could a mere businessman be?

As for Le Zhenglan’s previous suggestion that he could reach out to her if Song Tianxing troubled him, Lin Xiao didn’t even entertain the thought.

Aside from the fact that Lin Xiao wasn’t one to readily seek help, Song Tianxing was after his life. Involving Le Zhenglan would certainly result in the situation being handled via legal channels, which wasn’t his preferred approach.

Lin Xiao’s philosophy was simple: If you don’t provoke me, I won’t provoke you. But if you dare to provoke me, I will retaliate.

Since Song Tianxing was intent on killing him, he had to die.

“So this it is.”

Lin Xiao stood in front of a villa with a glint of murderous intent in his eyes. The lights in the villa were still on.

***

Song Tianxing was awake. His mind was in a state of extreme excitement as he occasionally checked his phone.

“Why haven’t I heard anything yet? Didn’t they say it would be resolved quickly?” Frustration filled Song Tianxing’s face as he paced restlessly. He was desperate to see Lin Xiao’s lifeless body.

“A low-life dares to compete with me? I’ll make sure he has no place to rest in death. And Yuan Yu, you wretch, wait your turn. After this trash dies, you’re next.”

Song Tianxing was pacing back and forth in his room.

As Song Tianxing’s restlessness peaked, his phone rang unexpectedly.

Jumping to grab the phone, Song Tianxing quickly asked, “How did it go? Is it done?”

“Haha, you can rest easy, young master Song,” Old Jin’s boisterous laughter echoed from the other end of the line. “Your target has been dealt with by us. How about you come to confirm it tomorrow morning?”

“Hahaha, good, very good!” Song Tianxing laughed maniacally, overjoyed. “Dare to cross me? Dare to steal my woman? Now you’re dead without a burial place, hahaha.”

After ending the call, Old Jin quietly cursed under his breath, dismissing Song Tianxing as a dead man in his mind.

Old Jin wasn’t concerned with Song Tianxing’s fate, even though Song Tianxing’s father was Song Nianhua, especially without any tangible evidence against him. Hence, Old Jin wasn’t worried.

What truly terrified Old Jin was a physically formidable individual like Lin Xiao, a formidable adversary who could single-handedly come to kill him.

Just as Song Tianxing was brimming with excitement, Lin Xiao had already silently infiltrated the villa’s underground garage, tampering with Song Tianxing’s red Ferrari.

Lin Xiao’s actions were so covert that not even a professional could spot that he’d tampered with the car, let alone Song Tianxing.

Once Song Tianxing drove that car the following day, his fate was sealed. As much as Lin Xiao preferred simpler and easy methods like a direct assassination, it would bring along a complex cleanup.

Song Tianxing was not Wang Lin, a mere bigwig of the underworld, hidden in the shadows.

The police would likely welcome Wang Lin’s death, chalking it up to yet another case of underworld infighting. They wouldn’t bother wasting resources on a deeper investigation.

However, Song Tianxing was different. He was a high school student at Guanglai High and the son of a renowned businessman. His death would send ripples through society.

If Lin Xiao killed Song Tianxing in plain sight, it wouldn’t just invite police scrutiny, it could also drag Yuan Yu into the mess, given that Song Tianxing had framed her earlier in the day.

This was a situation Lin Xiao was determined to avoid at all costs. Everything he did, he did to ensure Yuan Yu and her mother could live peacefully, without any disruption.

Hence, Lin Xiao decided against an open confrontation, opting instead for a more subtle approach, arranging a car accident. Even the call from Old Jin to Song Tianxing was made at Lin Xiao’s behest, to allay his suspicions and prevent unforeseen complications.

Once everything was in place, Lin Xiao quietly exited the underground garage.

Standing outside the brightly lit villa, a cold smirk crossed his face as he looked back one last time before disappearing into the night.

About thirty minutes later, Lin Xiao returned to Yuan Yu’s home.

Yuan Yu was still up, sitting on the sofa.

“Little Yu, why didn’t you go to bed yet?” he asked, surprised.

Hearing Lin Xiao’s voice, Yuan Yu looked up and flashed him a smile, “I just couldn’t sleep. I was waiting for you, Big Brother Lin.”

“Don’t wait up for me next time. You should sleep early; your final year of high school is quite demanding.”

“Alright,” Yuan Yu nodded. She looked up at him, worry etched on her face. “Big Brother Lin, you need to be careful. We’ve made a serious enemy of Song Tianxing. Knowing him, he won’t let this go without retaliation.”

“Song Tianxing?”

Lin Xiao studied the worry etched on Yuan Yu’s face, and understanding dawned on him. She was concerned that Song Tianxing had acted tonight, seeking revenge.

“Don’t worry, I can handle myself, you know that. Now go to sleep; you have class tomorrow.”

Naturally, Lin Xiao wouldn’t directly tell Yuan Yu that Song Tianxing’s days were numbered.

“If you say so.” Yuan Yu had no choice but to set her inner worries aside. She nodded. “Then, I’ll go to bed.”

“Yes, off you go.”

As Yuan Yu rose and made her way to the bedroom, she suddenly turned back and softly asked, “Big Brother Lin, if you’re going to be late coming home in the future, could you let me know?”

Caught off guard, Lin Xiao felt a warm sensation in his heart. “Understood. I’ll call next time. Get some rest now.”

With a sweet smile, Yuan Yu waved at Lin Xiao, wished him goodnight, and then disappeared into her room, closing the door behind her.

Lin Xiao returned to his room and took out his phone. He dialed a four-digit number. A robotic voice answered, prompting him for an access code. The moment he entered it, the call disconnected without another word.