Chapter 322: Disposal

However, wishful thinking remained nothing more than a delusion.

Just as Fang Tianping thought he was about to succeed, a large hand suddenly shot out from the side and slapped him across the face.

The crisp sound echoed through the room. Fang Tianping’s lunging body was instantly knocked to the floor. Teeth mixed with blood flew from his mouth. His vision exploded with golden stars, and half his face went numb. Terror surged to its peak as he let out an ear-piercing scream.

The sound was so grating that Huang Xinyu frowned and instinctively covered her ears.

But Fang Tianping’s cries didn’t last long. Lin Xiao delivered another slap to the opposite side of his face.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Lin Xiao rained down seven or eight consecutive slaps, transforming Fang Tianping’s once-handsome face into a swollen, grotesque mess. His cheeks puffed up like steamed buns. He was unrecognizable.

As her initial shock faded, Huang Xinyu recalled how Fang Tianping had just tried to harm her. Rage flared in her chest, and she couldn’t resist kicking him several times.

“Spare… spare me…” Fang Tianping whimpered, covering his face with trembling hands.

The front of his pants darkened as the pungent smell of urine filled the air. He was frightened to the point of wetting himself.

Huang Xinyu wrinkled her brows in disgust, spat, and turned to leave the bedroom.

Lin Xiao remained expressionless, as though he hadn’t heard Fang Tianping’s pleas.

Fang Tianping might look pitiful now, but it was fear driving his desperation, not genuine remorse.

A man like Fang Tianping would never truly repent. Even if spared today, he would harbor resentment and lurk like a venomous snake, waiting for the chance to strike again. The only way to end the threat was to crush him completely—body, mind, and spirit—until he was incapable of ever causing harm again.

Lin Xiao preferred to eliminate Fang Tianping outright. It would have been the simplest solution.

But Huang Xinyu had objected.

It wasn’t out of concern for Fang Tianping’s life—his fate was of no consequence to her.

Her concern was for Lin Xiao himself. She didn’t want him to stain his hands with more blood.

In the end, Lin Xiao relented.

The deciding factor was that Fang Tianping posed little real threat. Besides, it was enough to ensure Fang Tianping spent the rest of his life behind bars with the evidence Huang Xinyu had gathered.

But while the death sentence was spared, punishment was inevitable.

Lin Xiao grabbed Fang Tianping’s arm. Fang Tianping’s eyes widened in horror as he realized what was coming.

With a single twist, Lin Xiao snapped Fang Tianping’s arm. A bloodcurdling scream tore from his throat as he thrashed like a fish out of water, desperately trying to break free.

But no matter how fiercely he struggled, Lin Xiao’s grip was unyielding, solid as a mountain.

Without pause, Lin Xiao raised his foot and stomped down on Fang Tianping’s leg.

The bone shattered instantly.

Now down an arm and a leg, Fang Tianping’s face contorted in agony. His eyes rolled back, and he screamed until his voice grew hoarse. He wished unconsciousness to claim him.

“Shut up, or I’ll kill you,” Lin Xiao snapped, flinging him to the floor in disgust.

His voice was so cold, so sharp, that Fang Tianping shuddered violently. He hastily clamped his remaining hand over his mouth, stifling any further sound.

“Good. Now, I have some questions for you. I ask, you answer. Immediately and truthfully. Hesitate or lie, and today becomes your death anniversary.”

Lin Xiao sat down on the edge of the bed, towering over Fang Tianping like a judge passing sentence.

Fang Tianping nodded frantically, his neck nearly snapping from the speed.

“Five years ago, during the Linjin City demolition project…”

Lin Xiao’s tone remained icy as he fired off one question after another.

Fang Tianping’s eyes widened in horror. Each question cut deeper, exposing his countless misdeeds over the years.

He realized that admitting to these crimes would seal his fate—lifetime imprisonment at best. However, in the face of Lin Xiao’s overwhelming presence, denial was not an option.

The fear Lin Xiao instilled was absolute, crushing any thought of resistance.

By the time the interrogation ended, Fang Tianping lay limp on the floor, drained and soulless. His eyes were vacant, as though his very spirit had been torn from his body, leaving behind an empty shell.

Lin Xiao spared him no further attention. He rose, stepped over the broken man, and walked out into the living room.

“Xiao Xiao, did you get everything?”

Huang Xinyu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the distant city lights. Without turning around, she asked, “Did he confess to everything?”

“Yes. He admitted it all.”

Lin Xiao retrieved a voice recorder from his pocket and handed it to her. A faint trace of killing intent laced his voice.

“Sister Xin, those three are irredeemable scum. They deserve death. Why not let me finish them off?”

“Xiao Xiao,” Huang Xinyu said softly, finally turning to face him. Her bright eyes locked with his. “You’re not the same person you once were. Violence can indeed solve problems, but you can’t rely on it for everything. I don’t know what kind of life you led before, but standing before me now, you’re not a machine built for killing. You’re a living, breathing person.”

“But they deserve to die.”

Without a word, Huang Xinyu took Lin Xiao’s bandaged hand, gently caressing it before pressing it to her chest. The gesture was undeniably intimate, but her gaze remained pure and unwavering.

“They do deserve to die,” she admitted. “But if there’s a better way to resolve this, why resort to killing? I’m not asking you to change who you are. I know you have your principles and limits. But…” Her voice softened. “I just can’t bear to see you hurt anymore. Not just me. Caixing and Little Yu feel the same. You mean so much to us. Please, don’t put yourself at risk. We can’t afford to lose you. Okay?”

Lin Xiao stiffened, then slowly nodded in silence.

“Let me decide this time,” Huang Xinyu said with a gentle smile. “Those three don’t deserve the mercy of a quick death. A lifetime in prison will be far more torturous. For them, that’s worse than dying.”

Her smile deepened, warm and soothing.

“In the future, if you truly wish to kill someone or pursue any path you choose, I won’t interfere. But remember this, there are people in this world who care for you. If you get hurt or something happens to you, it would break our hearts.”

Lin Xiao opened his mouth, but words failed him. In the end, all he could manage was a single word:

“Okay.”

Huang Xinyu smiled, spreading her arms and wrapping them around Lin Xiao’s waist. Resting her cheek against his chest, she murmured:

“You’re heading back tomorrow. Let me indulge myself tonight, just this once. After all, you’re the one that little rascal Caixing has her heart set on. I can’t compete with her.”