Chapter 135: A Lesson to Remember

Lin Xiao remained unmoved, disregarding Le Fangyun completely. Not a single word from this pampered young master held any weight to him.

In Lin Xiao’s view, it would be a true anomaly for a young master like Le Fangyun, who had never faced hardship, to swallow his anger after suffering two major setbacks.

If he allowed Le Fangyun to walk away unscathed this time, he feared the young man would take it as a sign of weakness, assuming Lin Xiao lacked the guts to stand up to him. Le Fangyun would undoubtedly return with even more underhanded tactics for vengeance.

So Lin Xiao resolved to teach Le Fangyun a lesson he’d never forget.

This way, the next time Le Fangyun planned any sort of retaliation, he’d have to consider whether he could bear the consequences of failure.

From Lin Xiao’s icy demeanor, Le Fangyun sensed that no mercy would be extended his way. His heart sank, and clenching his teeth, he turned and ran.

However, he only managed a few steps before a sharp pain erupted in his back, and he tumbled forward, falling flat on his face.

Le Fangyun attempted to rise, but a foot from Lin Xiao pinned him back down.

Seizing the collar of Le Fangyun’s shirt, Lin Xiao hoisted him upright and delivered a resounding slap that left five distinct finger marks on his face.

Having never been struck by anyone in his life, Le Fangyun was shell-shocked. The sting on his cheek served as a brutal wake-up call to what had just transpired.

“You dare hit me?” Le Fangyun roared in disbelief, his voice tinged with rage and humiliation. “You insignificant worm, you dare lay a hand on me? You’re done for! Mark my words, you’re a dead man! Nobody can save you now!”

Struggling and shouting, Le Fangyun appeared taller and seemingly more robust than Lin Xiao. Yet with a mere flick, Lin Xiao neutralized all of Le Fangyun’s strength.

With another cold snort, Lin Xiao slapped him again, this time on the other cheek.

“Are you going to be obedient now?”

The second slap quenched the fire of Le Fangyun’s fury. It finally dawned on him that he was utterly powerless against Lin Xiao.

The icy glare from Lin Xiao’s eyes instilled in Le Fangyun a disturbing illusion that Lin Xiao wouldn’t hesitate to end his life.

“You can’t kill me!”

Le Fangyun was gripped by panic. His high-standing reputation as one of Jinghai City’s elite young masters was shattered in an instant as he screamed in sheer terror.

“What do you think you’re doing? I’m warning you, this is illegal!”

At those words, Lin Xiao gave an ironic smirk. The irony of a spoiled, arrogant young man who had just shown utter disregard for human life now invoking the law was too absurd to ignore.

Seeing Lin Xiao’s mocking smile, Le Fangyun’s fear intensified.

“Lin Xiao, you can’t kill me,” he stammered, his voice tinged with panic. “I’m from the Le family of Jinghai City. My uncle is the mayor. If you lay a finger on me, you’re finished.”

“Silence,” Lin Xiao retorted, his voice icy, as if each syllable were wrapped in frost.

Though inwardly surprised, Lin Xiao reasoned it made sense. Someone as brash as Le Fangyun must have a strong backing. Still, it did catch him off guard.

Reading the situation, Le Fangyun quickly shut up. He now understood that his life hung by a thread, held by Lin Xiao. Any further defiance would likely end in disaster.

However, he inwardly vowed that should he escape Lin Xiao’s grip this time, he would make him rue the day he crossed paths with him.

Le Fangyun averted his eyes, concealing the deep-rooted hatred simmering within.

“Listen up, Le,” Lin Xiao began, his voice colder than ever. “Consider these two slaps your first and last warning. Don’t test my patience or cross my limits. If you dare to provoke me again, you’ll face consequences far worse than a couple of slaps. Do you understand?”

“I get it,” Le Fangyun managed, suppressing his indignation.

Lin Xiao gave Le Fangyun a penetrating look before finally letting go.

He didn’t really expect Le Fangyun to heed his warning. Releasing him had nothing to do with Le’s family background, which, although surprising, wasn’t intimidating.

Jinghai City might be a significant place within Jiangnan Province, but it was still just one city among many. In the past, Lin Xiao had risked offending the son of an even higher-ranking official just to protect an ordinary soldier. That official’s status was at the provincial level, far above a mere city mayor.

Lin Xiao was willing to take that risk; offending a city mayor was insignificant by comparison. He released Le Fangyun primarily because it would be too blatant to kill him in such a public setting. This wasn’t a lawless battlefield but a society governed by rules and laws.

With his freedom restored, Le Fangyun said nothing more, turning swiftly to make his exit.

The moment he turned around, Le Fangyun’s face twisted in a grimace, his eyes turning as malevolent and icy as a venomous snake. He couldn’t bear to linger at this place a second longer, feeling that each additional moment only intensified the humiliation gnawing at him.

Just when both Lin Xiao and Le Fangyun were about to leave, suddenly, the flickering of colorful police sirens broke the air, as two squad cars pulled up at the entrance of Longhua Mall.

Almost immediately, several police officers exited the vehicles, swaggering with their batons in hand. Leading them was a portly middle-aged man adorned with two stripes on his shoulders–Zhao Cheng, the Captain of the Public Security Brigade in Jinghai City’s central district.

The sight of Zhao Cheng seemed to invigorate Le Fangyun, who instantly regained his arrogant demeanor, shedding all traces of his earlier panic.

“Captain Zhao, Captain Zhao, over here!” he exclaimed, frantically waving his arms.

Zhao Cheng’s eyes soon fell on Le Fangyun. Aware of his significant standing, Zhao had always been eager to ingratiate himself with Le Fangyun and saw this as an opportunity.

So, when he received Le Fangyun’s urgent call, he rushed over without delay.

Seeing Le Fangyun’s enthusiastic gesture, Zhao Cheng quickly scurried over, his face twisted in a subservient smile. “Young Master Le, what seems to be the problem?”

“Arrest this scum,” Le Fangyun declared haughtily, pointing at Lin Xiao.

It was only then that Zhao Cheng took notice of Lin Xiao. After sizing him up and noting the obviously high-end suit Lin Xiao had just purchased, Zhao Cheng’s face showed a flicker of hesitation.

Having reached his rank of Public Security Captain, Zhao was no fool. He knew well who could be provoked and who should be avoided.

Had Lin Xiao been dressed in plain attire, Zhao would have acted without a second thought, carrying out Le Fangyun’s order. But Lin Xiao’s expensive suit led him to believe this might be a feud between affluent young heirs, giving him pause.

Sensing Zhao Cheng’s hesitancy, Le Fangyun sneered, “Captain Zhao, don’t be fooled by his clothes. This waste is nothing more than a measly bodyguard.”

“A bodyguard?” Zhao Cheng’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He took another glance at Lin Xiao, his mind now at ease.

If Lin Xiao was merely a bodyguard, then the situation would be straightforward to handle.

He was well aware that bodyguards often dress impressively, as they reflect upon their employer’s image.

Reassured by this thought, Zhao Cheng grandly gestured toward Lin Xiao. “Handcuff him!”