C3 Burning a Hole

"Humph! You? Are you missing a few brain cells? If you're hungry, that's fine, but I have to go upstairs to discuss a deal with Lin Mengyao. After that, I can set up ten tables for you, and you can sit here and eat to your heart's content." Chen Shuhao snorted, a fleeting shadow of darkness crossing his eyes.

Today was the big day – the wedding!

He was about to claim Lin Mengyao!

The decline of Lin Quansheng's family was so severe that even the grandmother who missed the wedding couldn't have imagined this.

Chen Shuhao was determined to create chaos at the wedding ceremony!

"Scoundrel! If you dare to bother Mr. Chen again, watch me – I'll slap you as your future mother-in-law!"

Lee Wanqing quickly intervened, then turned to Chen Shuhao with a smile, "A guest should be treated as such. Please excuse my nephew's lack of manners; he's had too much to drink. Don't hold it against him, Mr. Chen. I'll make sure he comes by to apologize later. Mengyao, aren't you going to get ready? You need to have a talk with Mr. Chen."

Lin Mengyao watched it all unfold, a deep sadness welling up inside her.

Was this the state of her family? Subjected to humiliation at her own wedding banquet and forced to apologize?

"Mom, please, no more. He's already in this state; let's not be cruel to him..." Lin Mengyao pleaded, her eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions, making her look quite pitiable.

Mr. Chen keenly caught the tenderness in her gaze.

"Well, well, well, if you negotiate with me looking like that, I might consider offering you a project worth over 50 million yuan."

The room was filled with astonishment.

At that moment, Lin Qing began to regret his decisions. If he could marry Lin Mengyao off to Chen Shuhao, he could get a slice of that 50 million project!

Meanwhile, Tang Hao was lost in thought. She had been treated so poorly, yet he was still preoccupied with his own issues?

Her goodness reminded Tang Hao of his sister. "Mengyao, can you tell me what you really want to do right now?"

"I think we should kick him out..."

Lin Mengyao responded instinctively, puzzled by the other person's statement.

No sooner had the words left her mouth than a sharp crack echoed through the room!

A resounding slap filled the hall as Tang Hao stood up and sent Chen Shuhao, who was feigning ignorance, flying with a slap. Two ice needles, so swift that they went unnoticed, pierced his legs.

Silence.

A silence as heavy as death.

Tang Hao, the man everyone treated like invisible, had the audacity to strike Chen Shuhao!

Lin Mengyao had entertained countless thoughts.

She had even contemplated suicide if she were to be molested that night.

Yet, she was dumbfounded by Tang Hao's unexpected slap. No, she was bewildered.

Her hand tightened reflexively.

"Why did you hit him?"

Chen Shuhao's legs went numb, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, his face swelling and reddening.

"Don't be shocked. A troublemaker at someone else's wedding is like a rabid dog; everyone wants to drive him out but fears getting bitten, so no one dares to do it," Tang Hao said, holding the woman's hand and offering a calm explanation.

He had realized during dinner that the mission assigned by his superiors was still incomplete, and he was in the dark about their intentions.

He had indeed left the mental hospital.

But that was the director's doing, and he hadn't yet received any instructions from his superiors. At this juncture, it wouldn't be wise to openly search for his sister.

The reason was simple.

He had crossed someone so formidable that even the organization had to show some respect, and that person could have eyes and ears anywhere.

Of course.

Had it not been for Lin Mengyao's kindness, which had stirred memories of his past, he wouldn't have given the Lin family a second thought.

"Tang... Tang Hao... Have you lost your mind?! Do you know who Mr. Chen is? How dare you hit him? Someone come and help Mr. Chen up!" Lin Qing called out, rushing to Chen Shuhao's side to curry favor.

But Chen Shuhao's legs were as heavy as lead, and he struggled to get up.

He collapsed to his knees once more, leaving Lin Qing fraught with worry.

"Damn it! How dare you hit me! What the hell is wrong with my legs?" Chen Shuhao, reeling from the blow, felt his head buzz. As he came to, he was horrified to realize that his lower body was completely paralyzed, devoid of any strength in his legs—as if he'd been paralyzed for years, as if he had no lower body at all.

Tang Hao watched the scene unfold, a faint smile playing on his lips. "See that? You insult me without even knowing my name? What separates you from a stupid dog?"

"Stupid dog?"

The room erupted in shock.

Surely, he must be out of his mind. Was he unaware of Lin Qing's standing?

Did he not realize that Chen Shuhao could ruin their whole family with just a few words?

"You're insane! Who cares what your name is! Get down and apologize to Mr. Chen right now!" Lin Qing's face was a portrait of desperation.

Tang Hao had truly crossed the line with Mr. Chen this time.

Even Lin Mengyao was sweating bullets, at a loss for words to defuse the situation.

"Don't apologize, just get me to a hospital! Now!" Chen Shuhao, ashen-faced and frantic, had no time to squabble with a madman—he couldn't afford to lose his legs.

For someone of his stature in the Chen Group, becoming a cripple would mean a fate as grim as the Lin family's—utterly ruined.

Revenge on Tang Hao could wait. Once his legs were healed, he'd deal with Lin Mengyao right in front of this lunatic.

Lee Wanqing, dumbfounded, hurried to assist.

Lin Quansheng, seated in his wheelchair, remained silent, his gaze empty.

Only Lin Mengyao retained some semblance of composure. As she watched Lin Qing and the others help Chen Shuhao away, a spark of insight flickered in her eyes as she turned to Tang Hao.

She might not understand the full picture, but that didn't stop her from suspecting the truth. How could a single slap leave a man paralyzed?

The household was in chaos, and soon Chen Shuhao was whisked away.

As for when the wedding banquet concluded, Lin Mengyao was too dazed to recall.

Lin Quansheng had remained silent, helplessly watching everything unfold. As Tang Hao led Lin Mengyao upstairs, he sighed, "I hope you'll treat Mengyao well. In this lifetime, I've let her down too much..."

"Why are you even speaking to this madman? If Mr. Chen's leg hadn't acted up, he surely wouldn't have spared our family tonight. What are we going to do now?" Lee Wanqing's face was etched with anxiety as she glared at Tang Hao, her eyes filled with hostility.

This madman had brought disaster upon their household from the moment he stepped through the door. It seemed their family's future would be anything but easy.

Tang Hao's lips curled into a cold smile upon hearing their conversation.

They were old enough to know better, yet they still pushed their daughter into harm's way. After all, the matriarch of the Lin family ruled with an iron fist, leaving them with no other choice.

Even as Lin Mengyao faced mistreatment, she still considered the well-being of others.

And they were still preoccupied with the idea of living comfortably. Wasn't that tragic?

"Scoundrel! Hold it right there! Who gave you permission to go upstairs?" Lee Wanqing's anger grew by the second. She confronted Tang Hao, scanning the room before grabbing a broom, ready to confront him.

She was determined to make it clear to Tang Hao that the Lin family would not tolerate any wrongdoing, especially not provoking a prodigy like Chen Shuhao.

How would their family continue to stand in Jaafmont?

Before long, they might be ousted from the circle of elites.

At that moment, Lin Quansheng spoke up in a somber tone, "Madmen don't get punished for murder. If you, his mother-in-law, provoke him and he kills you, our family will become the laughingstock of Jaafmont!"

"This..."

"I'm so furious!"

"We can't go on like this. Oh God, please save our family. We haven't committed any sins in this life!" Lee Wanqing, overwhelmed with frustration, threw down the broom and collapsed onto the sofa, bursting into tears.

Who could cope with having a family member with a mental illness?

Lin Quansheng was already ill, and with Tang Hao added to the mix, what would become of their family's future?

"Perhaps you should be grateful that you have a compassionate daughter and a wise husband..." Tang Hao remarked calmly as he ascended the stairs.

"Madman! Madman!"

Lee Wanqing's heart was breaking over the plight of her family.

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