C99 I Want to Apologize to You Who Do You Think You Are?!

Lin Chen sighed at the sight of Lee Chen's arrogance.

He had no intention of duping the man, but Lee Chen's insistence on taking a stand for Zhao Xue'er left him no choice.

"Tomorrow, you're coming with me to the antique market," Lin Chen said, rising slowly and addressing Lee Chen with a serious tone.

Lee Chen's face tensed, his eyes flashing with anger. He knew exactly what Lin Chen was plotting—to make him the fall guy again and profit handsomely from it.

"Do you really think you can push me around that easily?" Lee Chen glared at Lin Chen, his words edged with resentment.

"Just drop the 'but', and your statement would be accurate," Lin Chen replied with a nod, as if stating the obvious.

To Lin Chen, bullying Lee Chen was a trivial matter, whether in A City or the capital.

"I'll go to your spicy neighbor's!" Lee Chen burst out.

"Think you're something special, do you?"

"I'm not going to the antique market with you tomorrow. What are you going to do about it?"

In a fit of rage, Lee Chen started hurling insults like a fishwife.

His last experience at the antique market was a stain on his reputation.

And now, before he could even settle the score with Lin Chen, the man was looking to dupe him again. It was more than he could stand.

"Refuse the antique market, and you might end up missing limbs—or worse," Lin Chen warned, his eyes glinting coldly.

His gaze then shifted to Zhao Xue'er.

"Do you have any idea what happens when you anger me?"

Zhao Xue'er shivered under the weight of Lin Chen's unmasked murderous intent, her complexion ashen.

She realized he wasn't joking; he was deadly serious.

"Bullying a defenseless woman, what kind of person does that make you?"

"Lin Chen, just because others fear you doesn't mean I, Lee Chen, do."

"If you don't apologize to Miss Zhao today, I..."

Lee Chen's blood boiled as he saw the fear Lin Chen's threats had instilled in Zhao Xue'er.

He advanced two steps and positioned himself directly in front of Zhao Xue'er.

But before he could finish speaking, Lin Chen's foot lashed out, striking him with force.

In a flash, Lee Chen's body, weighing over 100 kilograms, was sent hurtling through the air, slamming into the ground with a thud. A stream of crimson blood spilled from his mouth.

The abrupt turn of events left everyone at the scene slack-jawed in shock.

Had Lin Chen consumed the heart of a bear and the courage of a leopard?

After all, Lee Chen was the scion of the capital's prestigious Lee family. Was Lin Chen not fearful of their retribution?

"Damn you, I'll fight you with everything I've got!"

Lee Chen, sprawled on the ground, was seething with pain and rage.

To be publicly thrashed by Lin Chen was an affront not just to him, but to the entire Lee family of the capital!

Moreover, to suffer such humiliation in front of Zhao Xue'er...

If he didn't reclaim his dignity, how could he ever win her over?

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Lee Chen had barely managed to rise when Lin Chen's palm quivered.

Several silver needles whizzed through the air, striking Lee Chen's chest with pinpoint accuracy.

"These are the Soul Return Needles."

"If you don't receive my treatment within 24 hours, you'll bleed from every orifice and meet your end," Lin Chen stated coolly, not even bothering to look back.

Soul Return Needles? Bleeding from every orifice and dying within 24 hours?

Lin Chen's declaration sent a shiver through Lee Chen and everyone present.

Just who was this man, and how could his methods be so merciless?

Ignoring the astonished stares around him, Lin Chen seized Zhao Xue'er's delicate, snow-white neck.

With a gentle but firm grip, he lifted her into the air.

Zhao Xue'er struggled against the overwhelming strength encircling her neck, but Lin Chen's grip was unyielding, like a vice.

No matter how much she fought, it was futile.

As the suffocating pressure intensified, a deep fear welled up in Zhao Xue'er's eyes.

In the past, even when he found her disagreeable, Lin Chen would do no more than deliver a slap to her behind.

But now, simply because she had sent Lee Chen to cause trouble, Lin Chen's intent seemed deadly.

"I haven't even begun to settle the score with Ann's Group yet."

"You come forward on your own accord. Do you truly believe I wouldn't dare to take your life?"

Lin Chen's eyes were icy as he addressed Zhao Xue'er.

"Ann's Group? Settling scores?"

"Lin Chen, if you're intent on killing me, spare me the litany of excuses!"

Zhao Xue'er, momentarily taken aback, then glared at Lin Chen, her eyes brimming with anger.

"You're clueless about Ann's Group?"

Lin Chen's eyebrows arched in surprise as he questioned her.

Judging by Zhao Xue'er's demeanor, he was convinced she wasn't deceiving him.

As the adage goes, every wrong has a wrongdoer, every debt has a debtor. If Zhao Xue'er had no hand in the Ann's Group affair, he had no grounds to pursue her further.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Releasing his hold, Lin Chen watched as Zhao Xue'er plummeted to the ground, her coughs erupting fiercely.

"Lin Chen, do what you will—kill or carve me up."

"But don't think for a second you can shame me like this!"

"And remember, if you don't finish me off today, I swear I'll be the one to end you!"

Zhao Xue'er, mustering her strength, rose from the ground and bellowed at Lin Chen.

"Smack!"

No sooner had Zhao Xue'er finished her tirade than Lin Chen's hand struck her backside with a resounding slap.

The sound of the slap rang out, unmistakable and clear to all present.

A short distance away, Lee Chen's eyes reddened with emotion.

This was the woman he desired, now publicly humiliated by Lin Chen.

What would people whisper behind his back if he pursued her now?

Would they call him desperate?

Would he be seen as cherishing a woman Lin Chen had disgraced in full view of an audience?

"Return to your father and inform him that once I'm done with my current affairs, I'll be settling up with Ann's Group."

He was utterly unmoved by Zhao Xue'er's mix of shame and fury.

Instead, he calmly issued a reminder.

"Settle the accounts with Ann's Group? With my father?"

"Lin Chen, what exactly are you plotting?"

"When has my father ever crossed Ann's Group?"

"You can't just make baseless accusations!"

Zhao Xue'er's gaze fixed on Lin Chen's serene face, a shiver running through her.

Compared to the public humiliation of getting her butt slapped by Lin Chen, she was far more concerned about this particular issue. After all, if things went south, Lin Chen's temperament was such that he might very well kill her father.

"Whether I'm slandering you or not, why don't you just ask your father?" Lin Chen taunted.

Let's not even get started on the debacle Sun Hao orchestrated with Chairman Lee and Zhang Changsheng at the new factory. Ann Lan was first subjected to threats, insults, and a barrage of rotten eggs and spoiled vegetables, followed by the intimidation of an array formation. Had Lin Chen not been there, it's unthinkable what might have happened.

And afterward, Zhao Feng didn't just fail to recognize his error; he actually encouraged Sun Hao to take a shot at seizing control of Ann's Group. With all that in mind, how could Lin Chen possibly let Zhao Feng off the hook?

"I..." Zhao Xue'er stammered, her expression flickering uncertainly.

Remembering her father's recent distracted behavior and now hearing Lin Chen's words, a sense of foreboding washed over her.

Lin Chen paid no attention to Zhao Xue'er. Instead, he turned to address the others in the room with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Earlier, it seemed there were quite a few voices cheering on Lee Chen to beat me senseless. Now, let's have you step forward one by one. If you show some spine, maybe we can talk this out."

At Lin Chen's words, a number of people in the room visibly shuddered and quickly bowed their heads. With Lin Chen's swift retribution against the young master of the capital's Lee family and Zhao Xue'er's narrow escape from death, not to mention the obliteration of the Sun family, those who had backed Lee Chen now wished they could smack themselves. What was the point of their earlier bravado? Now they were facing the wrath of a formidable adversary, and whether they could even leave the hotel unscathed was up in the air.

"Oh, you all had quite the nerve to shout before, didn't you?" Lin Chen mocked. "But now, what's this? You're all like jellyfish, too spineless to even own up?"

"Well then, if you're not willing to come forward, I'll have to call you out myself." Lin Chen smacked his lips, his face etched with contempt.

Such a pitiful bunch, he thought. It was a good thing Ann Lan hadn't bothered to show up.

"Hey, little bro, you think you might be getting a bit ahead of yourself?"

Yet, as Lin Chen was gearing up to call them out individually, a resonant voice gradually filled the air.