Wen Tingli had to clamp a hand over her own mouth to keep from crying out.

The sight was too shocking, too heart-wrenching — she couldn’t even be certain Lu Shicheng was still alive.

Two men went over to check carefully, and one of them suddenly flinched back in fright.

“He’s awake!”

“So he’s awake, so what are you screeching about?!” Qiu Lingyun glared and cursed.

Third Master Lu waved a hand, and the beam of light slowly moved up from Lu Shicheng’s chest and abdomen, then, in an instant, fixed on his face.

Lu Shicheng, blinded by the light, couldn’t open his eyes.

Third Master Lu signaled for his men to move the light away from Lu Shicheng’s face a little.

For the first few seconds, Lu Shicheng lay utterly still on the ground, making him look like a lifeless, withered leaf.

Before long, he began, with great difficulty, to turn his head to survey his surroundings.

At this movement, Wen Tingli’s palm nearly dug into her own flesh — she was certain Lu Shicheng was badly hurt, because with every slight shift, he had to pause and breathe silently for a long while. The back of his head also seemed injured; the collar of his shirt at the back of his neck was soaked entirely red.

Finally, Lu Shicheng slowly raised his head to look toward Third Master Lu, at his feet.

There was no excess of expression, yet that single glance was enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.

Someone stepped out from behind Third Master Lu and viciously grabbed Lu Shicheng’s chin. “What are you looking at? Third Master, want me to teach him a lesson?”

Third Master Lu waved a hand unhurriedly. “Step back, all of you — I have a few words for him.”

Once everyone had dispersed, only Third Master Lu and Lu Shicheng remained in the yard.

A gust of wind blew past. Third Master Lu, his face dark, wheeled his chair closer to Lu Shicheng.

Lu Shicheng lay on the ground, breathing faintly, yet his eyes remained fixed steadily on Third Master Lu.

Third Master Lu gave a light sneer. “I hate it most when you look at me like that — even as a child, you always had this scrutinizing look whenever you watched your second uncle and me, it used to give me the creeps. But every time I sensed something was off and turned to look, you’d just lower your head and play with your toys, the picture of an obedient child. To be able to feign that so well, you fooled us for over ten years! If we’d known you’d already guessed the truth, do you think you’d have lived to adulthood? If we’d removed you, this root of future trouble, back then, would your second uncle and I have suffered so badly at your hands!”

As he spoke, Third Master Lu began pounding his own legs in frustration — his two legs seemed like a pair of dead wood, giving off a hollow “thump, thump” sound.

Lu Shicheng laughed silently.

There was delight in that smile, and mockery, and provocation — but not the slightest trace of guilt.

This expression struck Third Master Lu like a knife. His face darkened, and he pulled a gun from his jacket pocket, aiming it at Lu Shicheng.

“Do you think I won’t kill you right now?!”

Far from showing the slightest fear, Lu Shicheng’s smile only deepened — pure, undisguised contempt and derision.

A muscle twitched at Third Master Lu’s temple, then he gave an eerie chuckle. “No — killing you right now would let you off far too easily. The old man’s seal is still in your hands, and there are still matters at the factories and banks to be handed over. I’ll let you live a couple more days yet — once I’ve taken back everything that rightfully belongs to me, then it won’t be too late to announce your death to the world.”

He leaned forward, studying Lu Shicheng’s face with great interest.

“You must hate your Third Uncle down to the bone. But what good does hating do? Lose, and you have to accept it!”

His shoulders shook as he laughed, laughing through and through.

“Look at you — everyone says you take after your mother, but I’ve always thought your expression is the spitting image of your father’s. Especially that look in your eyes just now — your father used to size your second uncle and me up exactly the same way!”

The moment he mentioned Lu Shicheng’s father, naked hatred and envy surfaced in Third Master Lu’s eyes.

“Yes, he was born of the principal wife, while your second uncle and I were the despised bastards from Nanyang that everyone looked down on. He had every advantage of timing and circumstance — by rights, he should have been satisfied. But no, he insisted on acting the elder brother, meddling in our affairs at every turn. That year, your second uncle and I just wanted to do a bit of business of our own, and your father accused us of disgracing the Lu family’s reputation, and insisted on reporting it straight to father!”

He let out a cold laugh. “I truly can’t understand — what more could he possibly have wanted? He was the future head of the family; once he formally took over, your second uncle and I would have had to live at his mercy! And yet he still had to make things difficult for us at every turn — if he showed us no mercy, he can’t blame us for showing him none either!”

Lu Shicheng, expressionless, propped himself up on both arms, trying to drag himself outward, but he was clearly badly wounded, managing to move only half an inch at a time.

Third Master Lu wheeled after him unhurriedly, then, suddenly turning, the wheel of his chair happened to roll right over Lu Shicheng’s fingers.

Lu Shicheng’s face instantly went white as paper, but he couldn’t cry out, forcing himself to bear it in silence.

Wen Tingli trembled all over watching this, but reason told her that if she rushed out recklessly now to save him, she too would lose her life. No, she had to wait for the right moment.

But the scene was simply too cruel to bear watching. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

“Does it hurt?” Third Master Lu’s tone turned unusually pleasant. “I always suspected you weren’t really mute. It’s just the two of us now — if it hurts, go ahead and cry out. If you’re willing to beg your Third Uncle for mercy, and sincerely kowtow three times to apologize to me on your father’s behalf, I’ll spare your life.”

Dead silence filled the yard. Third Master Lu sneered. “When it comes to stubbornness, no one in the Lu family can match you.”

He clapped his hands, pleased.

The group of men rushed back in.

“Watch him closely. Kuang Zhilin still hasn’t fallen into our hands — today and tomorrow are the critical battle. Make sure we’ve got extra men on this, no room for any slip-ups.”

“Rest easy, Third Master.” Qiu Lingyun said loudly. “I’ve already posted four men at the intersection, and there’ll be four more left at the factory. Besides that, my father will bring more men over the moment he’s done with his business. I guarantee you — tonight, not even a fly will get in here. Kuang Zhilin is the main event tonight — Gang Leader Cao has already personally led men over there. Third Master, you should head over yourself to back up Gang Leader Cao.”

Third Master Lu considered this for a moment, then asked, “Has Hall Master Qiu found a doctor to come by?”

“Rest assured, my father’s already arranged for it. Before this is over, we mustn’t let this brat die.”

Third Master Lu didn’t respond to this, instead suddenly sweeping his gaze toward the top of the wall. Wen Tingli broke out in a cold sweat at once, but fortunately, Third Master Lu’s gaze didn’t linger on the wall, sweeping instead over the treetops along the wall’s edge, scanning carefully all around before returning his attention to Lu Shicheng on the ground.

“Don’t be fooled by how quiet he is — when it comes to scheming against people, he’s utterly ruthless. Don’t let your guard down for a second.”

Hearing this, Qiu Lingyun immediately came forward with rope and bound Lu Shicheng around a dozen times, then gagged his mouth with a strip of cloth, before dusting off his hands and standing up. A few of the lackeys laughed, “Deputy Hall Master, aren’t you being a bit too careful? He’s already gravely wounded, is it really necessary?”

“Better safe than sorry.”

At this, Third Master Lu shot Qiu Lingyun a look of approval. “It’ll be hard work for all of you tonight.”

Everyone worked together to lift Third Master Lu’s wheelchair into the car, started the engines, and the group left the factory.

Qiu Lingyun instructed the men beside him, “Drag him into the warehouse.”

Several men opened the door and switched on the light, placing Lu Shicheng in the farthest corner of the warehouse.

Four men sat sprawled about on the ground.

After sitting in silence for a while, Qiu Lingyun slapped hard at his own arm and cursed, “So many mosquitoes in this rundown place — it’s not even one o’clock yet, if we have to sit here all night, we’ll be bitten to pieces. You two go out and buy some mosquito coils, and pick up some liquor and midnight snacks while you’re at it.”

The two exchanged a glance — buying mosquito coils was the excuse, but liquor and snacks were the real goal.

“Deputy Hall Master, there don’t seem to be any decent late-night eateries around here.”

“Quit whining!” Qiu Lingyun pulled a box-style pistol from his waistband. “If there’s nothing nearby, why not look a little farther? My father will be here soon — with me watching over things here, what could possibly go wrong? You lot never hesitate for a second when it comes to murder and arson, yet you dawdle over trivial things like this.”

Having sent the two lackeys off, Qiu Lingyun turned to the one remaining. “A’Sheng, go stand guard outside — I’ve got a couple things to ask this Lu fellow.”

A’Sheng scratched his head, got up, and retreated outside.

Once everyone else had cleared out, Qiu Lingyun sauntered over to stand in front of Lu Shicheng, saying with a mirthless smile, “Never thought I’d see the day, Lu Shicheng, that you’d end up like this.”

Not a sound came from the ground. Qiu Lingyun crouched down and poked at the gold watch on Lu Shicheng’s wrist with the barrel of his gun, his expression a mix of envy and resentment, clicking his tongue before grabbing a fistful of Lu Shicheng’s collar.

“Your kung fu’s supposed to be pretty good, isn’t it? Get up and give me a good beating like last time! Don’t just lie there like some homeless dog.”

At this shake, blood suddenly trickled from Lu Shicheng’s nose, his face turning deathly pale.

Qiu Lingyun paused, then cursed, “Fine, play dead then.”

Even so, he had no choice but to toss Lu Shicheng back onto the ground, but unwilling to let it go at that, he leaned in and asked in a low, menacing voice, “Tell me honestly — have you slept with Wen Tingli or not?”

Though Lu Shicheng’s eyes remained closed, his brow furrowed slightly.

Qiu Lingyun sneered. “One try and I’ve already got you figured out. Curse you, no reaction — mention her name, and there it is. Makes sense — if you weren’t going to meet her tonight, you wouldn’t have walked right into our trap. If you hadn’t already fallen for her, why would you keep bailing her out again and again? Tell me — how many times have you slept with Wen Tingli? Speak! Don’t play dead!”

Then he suddenly gave a lewd chuckle.

“Doesn’t matter if you don’t tell me — I’ll go find out for myself by checking her out personally later.”

That laugh was utterly filthy and shameless.

Lu Shicheng’s eyes suddenly snapped open, his gaze so sharp it sent a chill through Qiu Lingyun.

Qiu Lingyun spat, “Want to kill me, huh?! You think you can still protect Wen Tingli? You’re about to die yourself!”

He stood up and kicked hard at Lu Shicheng’s shin.

Lu Shicheng clenched his teeth and closed his eyes.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Qiu Lingyun was thoroughly pleased with himself. “Aren’t you supposed to be so tough? Let me tell you something — you owe me this. Wen Tingli and I grew up together — if it weren’t for you and that Meng fellow butting in, she’d have been my wife long ago!”

After that kick, Qiu Lingyun cursed his way over to the other side and picked up an iron rod lying on the ground, coming back with a cold laugh.

“Guess heaven really does have eyes — now that you’ve fallen into my hands, it’s time to settle the score for that humiliation you put me through last time.”

With that, Qiu Lingyun raised the iron rod high, aiming for Lu Shicheng’s shin and swinging it down.

Lu Shicheng’s expression changed, and he forced himself to roll over, struggling to drag himself toward the door.

“Trying to run?” Qiu Lingyun sneered, raising the iron rod again. “I don’t want much — just to break both your legs! Either way, you’re covered in injuries already, no one will be able to tell which wounds are new!”

Putting his full strength into it, the iron rod whistled through the air.

This blow, if it landed, would surely break Lu Shicheng’s leg.

Just then, quick as lightning — bang! — the iron rod fell from Qiu Lingyun’s hand with a crack.

Qiu Lingyun stared blankly at his own wrist.

The next instant, he saw a great gush of blood streaming from his wrist, and felt a chill run through him. “Gun! Gun! Who’s there!”

Screaming, he fumbled clumsily to pull his own gun from his waistband, but his right hand had no strength left, and his legs had gone weak too. Terrified of taking a second bullet, he clutched his wrist and staggered toward the front door.

“Someone, help! A’Sheng, A’Sheng, there’s an ambush here!”

A’Sheng outside had already rushed in with his gun drawn, but just then, a second shot fired from the direction of the window, striking him accurately.

Then came a third shot — this one struck Qiu Lingyun square in the backside.

After that, the light bulb above the warehouse was also shot out.

These shots came in quick, clean succession, plunging the surroundings into darkness in an instant.

Qiu Lingyun and his companion scrambled about in panic — the gunman hidden somewhere in the dark wasn’t just an excellent shot, but unusually decisive and composed as well. Driven by pure survival instinct, they had no choice but to crawl outside despite their agony, shouting for help at the top of their lungs.

But their cries for help didn’t last long — both passed out from the severity of their wounds.

The warehouse fell silent once more. A few figures quietly leapt down from above the window.

Half an hour later, several cars pulled up from outside.

“Huh, why hasn’t Lingyun turned the lights on?” the man in the lead called out. “Lingyun? Lingyun?”

As he kept calling, Qiu Dapeng suddenly sensed something was wrong, and drew his gun from his waistband with a grim expression, slowing his pace, edging cautiously toward the warehouse door, before crying out in shock. “Lingyun! Lingyun! Wake up! Who dared do this!”

Amid a chaos of footsteps, countless beams of light shot through the darkness. A group of men rushed after Qiu Dapeng to check on the two men on the ground, while another group, guns raised, cautiously entered the warehouse, only to retreat moments later, faces pale.

“Not good! Hall Master Qiu! Lu Shicheng’s gone!”

Lu Shicheng gazed hazily at the thick fog before him.

All around was pitch black, and he couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality. Ahead, a lamp floated, as if guiding him forward. He stumbled along, and, before he knew it, arrived at an extremely bright place — his own body had become very small, and someone was holding him tightly.

“Don’t look back, watch out for the kidnappers catching up.” He recognized the voice at once as his mother’s. She was carrying him, running in fits and starts, her voice filled with fear.

He heard himself crying softly.

“Papa… where’s Papa? Why isn’t he coming?”

“Papa, he — he’s negotiating with the bad men, back there.” His mother sounded very sad, tears falling like a broken string of pearls onto his collar.

He didn’t dare speak, because he remembered those few sharp cracks just now, like firecrackers at New Year’s — after that, his father never appeared again, and his mother’s body had started trembling only after that sound.

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.

“Mama, why did those people keep us locked up so long? I didn’t do anything bad, Shicheng’s been good, I want to go find Papa.”

But his mother seemed to hear something, and clapped a hand over his mouth, looking around anxiously, then, without a word, scooped him up and ran in another direction — toward a large tree with a hollow in its trunk, though it was so small it could only fit someone tiny like him.

“They’re driving cars, we won’t get far.” His mother said, trembling. “Good boy, hide in here for now. Whatever you hear next, you mustn’t make a sound, understand?”

Terrified, he clapped his own hand over his mouth, but after only two seconds, he couldn’t help crying and reaching out his small hand. “Mama, I want Mama.”

His mother forced him back into the hollow, saying urgently, “Mama’s not joking. Listen to me — if you make a sound later, you’ll never see Mama again. Once it’s quiet outside, come out quietly, run one li in the direction opposite the sun, and you’ll find fishermen and a village — only then can you shout for help. Xiaocheng is so good at math, tell Mama, what’s the phone number at the mansion?”

He choked out the number through his tears, yet still clung tightly to his mother’s neck. “I don’t want to be apart from Mama.”

His mother suddenly slapped him.

He was stunned — it was the first time his mother had ever hit him.

Then, eyes red, she clapped a hand over his mouth and warned through gritted teeth, “Make another sound and you’ll die! Listen to Mama — those bad people will try every trick to lure you out, but the smarter and braver a child is, the less likely he is to fall for it! As long as you stay obediently quiet, Mama will come find you soon! This is all a test for you — you mustn’t call out, and you mustn’t come out! Do you understand!”

He nodded through his tears, and his mother pressed a deeply reluctant kiss to his forehead, then resolutely turned and ran off in another direction.

As she ran, she called out ahead of her, “Shicheng, Shicheng! Give me back my son!”

Before long, a car arrived.

“There she is! Over there!”

He curled up in fear in the hollow of the tree, tears falling nonstop — it was only then he learned that a person could cry without making a sound.

From a distance came the voices of several men.

“Ran fast enough, didn’t you — where’s just you alone, where’s your son?”

His mother said bitterly, “He was taken by your accomplices!”

“Nonsense!”

His mother burst into loud sobs. “You already got the money — what more do you want? Your accomplices, dissatisfied with their share, are planning to use my son to squeeze his grandfather for more! They just left, they can’t have gotten far — please, I beg you, go get my son back for me!”

“Don’t listen to her nonsense — I bet that kid’s hiding somewhere in this grove. Hey, little young master, your mother’s in our hands. Don’t come out soon, and watch us eat your mother alive.”

He panicked at this, and nearly crawled straight out of the hollow, but the stinging pain on his cheek suddenly reminded him of his mother’s slap.

Mama had said — if he made a sound, he’d never see her again. Mama had never lied to him before.

Right then, a crisp sound rang out from the grove — like the sound of a slap across a face.

“Listen — if you keep hiding and don’t come out, we’ll beat your mother to death.”

Several times, he wanted to crawl out regardless, but his mother’s warning seemed to have turned into an invisible rope, pulling him back into the hollow again and again.

“As long as you stay obediently quiet, Mama will come find you soon!”

Right, they must be lying to him — a person cries when they’re in pain, but there was no sound of his mother outside at all. Maybe Mama had already escaped.

He clenched his teeth, tears blurring his eyes, hugging his knees, not daring to move.

After a while longer, the group left, and outside grew unusually quiet.

No human voices, not even the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. It seemed the whole world had nothing left in it but him.

An unprecedented terror overcame him, and he could no longer bring himself to obediently stay in the hollow as his mother had told him. He scrambled clumsily out to find his mother.

Sure enough, there wasn’t a single soul in the grove.

There was a large patch of dark red liquid on the ground. Mother was gone. Those bad people were gone too.

He crouched down in panic, staring at that red patch, wanting to cry, but it was as if something invisible had blocked his throat, and suddenly, no sound would come out at all.

Panicked, he got up, still crying without a sound, searching everywhere for his mother, until, searching and searching, he suddenly remembered his mother’s instructions.

“Run one li in the direction opposite the sun. Run! Run! As long as you’re good, Mama will come find you soon!”

He put his head down and ran. Not long after he started running, the sound of a car came from behind — those people had come back.

“Little young master, no use running, your mother’s looking for you.”

He didn’t dare respond even once.

But they still caught up with him.

At that moment, that firecracker-like sound rang out again by his ear — but this time it came from the opposite direction, and it was the man in the car behind who let out a scream.

A large group of people came from ahead, led by several familiar faces.

“Young Master Cheng.” Several cars pulled up quickly beside him, and someone scooped him up into a car.

He struggled with all his might, extreme anxiety churning a wave of nausea in his stomach.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.” A middle-aged man held him tight, comforting him. “Good boy! Where are Young Master and Madam?”

Mama, Mama, save Mama. He shouted in his heart, but however loud he shouted, not the slightest sound would come from his throat.

He began to tremble all over, struggling free to jump down from the car and search for his mother.

He hadn’t shouted randomly — his mother should have kept her promise and come find him too.

But his mother broke her promise. However far he searched, he never saw her again.

Suddenly, the scene before him went dark, and everything around him turned into an unfamiliar factory building.

Lu Kejian sneered in his ear.

“So that’s why you hate us so much — to avenge your parents?”

“That whole affair was arranged so flawlessly — when exactly did you figure out it was me and your second uncle?”

Then it suddenly shifted to Qiu Lingyun’s begging and screaming. “There’s an ambush, help!”

In the darkness, a figure came rushing swiftly toward him.

His vision had long since grown blurry, but he vaguely sensed the person approaching was familiar.

“Bang bang bang bang—”

That wasn’t firecrackers. It was gunshots.

“Mr. Lu, Mr. Lu.” Someone was calling out anxiously, quietly.

It was her!

His heart was suddenly seized by a vague worry, and he reached out to push her away.

Forget about me, run!

But his hand grasped only empty air.

He jolted awake in a cold sweat, hurriedly opening his eyes, and heard someone beside him say, filled with joyous surprise.

“Mr. Lu, you’re awake.”