C1 The Family Ban Had Been Lifted

Slap!

The sound of a resounding slap echoed through the opulent private room of Diamond KTV. A young waiter stumbled, nearly crashing into the door frame, his cheek instantly marked with five distinct finger prints.

"Xia Ming, have you lost your mind? What business is it of yours if customers are getting cozy? You actually hit Boss Cui with a wine bottle. Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea of the consequences of crossing Boss Cui?" the furious supervisor scolded into his walkie-talkie.

Regaining his balance, Xia Ming continued to shield the woman behind him, who was dressed in a short skirt. She wore an off-white blouse, her skin was porcelain, her long hair flowing, and she carried an air of elegance. Yet, her look towards Xia Ming was tinged with complexity and a hint of resignation.

Xia Ming, a waiter at Diamond KTV, was responsible for delivering drinks and fruit platters to the luxury suites. Moments earlier, he had witnessed several corpulent businessmen attempting to grope the girl. Clutching a broken wine bottle, she pleaded and retreated until she was cornered.

The men had disarmed the girl of her broken bottle and were about to forcefully seize her when Xia Ming, enraged, grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it onto Boss Cui's hand!

Boss Cui's hand was split open, blood gushing out, as a doctor attended to the wound, wrapping it in bandages.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Xia Ming didn't address the supervisor's rebuke, instead fixing a resolute stare on the men in the KTV. "If any of you lays a hand on her, I'll fight you with everything I've got."

His piercing gaze was venomous, unsettling anyone it landed on.

Boss Cui rose from the sofa, brandishing his bandaged hand, and with two quick strides, he delivered a vicious kick to Xia Ming's abdomen. "Who the hell do you think you are? Boss Lin is here to drink with us; who needs your permission? Just so you know, even if I decide to take her right here, she wouldn't dare utter a word of protest!"

"Boss Cui, please, take a moment to cool off. Rest assured, today you'll get the outcome you desire," Manager Huang soothed, his face contorted into an obsequious grin as he tried to placate Boss Cui.

Boss Cui was a heavyweight in River City's real estate scene, with dozens of properties under his belt. He had connections that spanned both the legitimate and underground worlds, making him a revered figure in the city. Even the local TV bigwigs treated Boss Cui with the utmost respect.

One couldn't afford to displease such an influential figure without risking serious consequences!

Xia Ming found himself seated abruptly on the floor, looking up at Boss Cui, who towered over him with a smug and domineering air, like a monarch surveying a lowly subject.

"You dare!" Xia Ming scrambled to his feet and reached for the beautiful woman behind him, "Shuyu, let's go home!"

The unexpected move caught Boss Cui, Manager Huang, and the others off guard, prompting a burst of raucous laughter.

"Haha, let her go with you? Fine by me, but I'd like to see if Boss Lin has the guts to leave. She wasn't coerced into drinking today; Miss Lin willingly invited us, right?" Boss Cui exchanged a self-satisfied glance with the other men, who nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. Miss Lin's company is facing a 50 million shortfall. Join us for a drink and secure a 50 million investment. It's a bargain! After all, it's just a drink; it's not like she'll lose a limb, haha!"

Another bald boss joined in, "Kid, Miss Lin is River City's top beauty. What right do you have to take her away?"

Xia Ming halted, his gaze intense as he stared down the men lounging on the sofa. "Why? Hmph! Because she's my wife! Isn't that reason enough?"

Xia Ming's declaration hung heavily in the air, drawing everyone's attention to the stunning Lin Shuyu behind him.

Lin Shuyu's eyes betrayed a flicker of conflict before she finally shrugged off Xia Ming's grip, "Xia Ming, can you please stop causing a scene?"

Hmm?

So, was Xia Ming actually the downtrodden husband of River City's most beautiful woman?

"Hah... Miss Lin, is this the loser you're married to? Rumor has it that Old Master Lin found him in a trash heap. Haha... River City's most exquisite beauty wed to a beggar! Now we finally get to meet him in person. Come on, turn around, let's all take a good look..."

Boss Cui beckoned the crowd with the excitement of someone who had stumbled upon a new discovery. At once, someone brightened the lights, and the room was bathed in a warm glow.

Lin Shuyu's lips twitched into a sheepish smile. "Boss Cui, you're teasing! Xia Ming isn't a beggar. He was simply injured at the time and happened to faint near a pile of trash!"

Xia Ming glanced at Lin Shuyu, sighing internally. Was she defending him or just saving face?

Regardless, she had endured much over the years. And with the cover of being the Lin family's son-in-law, Xia Ming had enjoyed a few years of tranquility.

A decade earlier, when Xia Ming turned fifteen, his family had disowned him. Leaving the family behind, he was ambushed by his cousins and severely injured in River City, collapsing in a heap of trash. Fortuitously, he was rescued by the Lin family patriarch and later married to Lin Shuyu.

Three years into their marriage, they were husband and wife in name only. Lin Shuyu hadn't allowed Xia Ming to lay a finger on her, but he remained deeply appreciative of the Lin family.

But seeing his wife humiliated before his eyes was more than Xia Ming could bear.

Boss Cui waved dismissively, giving Xia Ming a sly look. "That's beside the point. The real question is... Miss Lin, shall we continue our drinks today?"

Lin Shuyu sighed deeply to herself. "Yes, let's keep drinking! Xia Ming, please step outside. I'm just having a few drinks with Boss Cui. I can handle myself!" Lin's Group was facing a financial shortfall, and if they couldn't come up with 50 million in the next three days, Lin's might very well go under.

The Lin's Group was her grandfather's legacy, and before passing away, he entrusted the company to Lin Shuyu. She was determined not to let it fail on her watch, which is why she steeled herself to join Boss Cui and the others for drinks at the KTV.

Lin Shuyu never expected to run into Xia Ming at the place where he worked, especially not when Boss Cui was getting handsy...

Though she married Xia Ming to honor her grandfather's wishes, they were husband and wife in name, which made things somewhat uncomfortable.

Seeing Lin Shuyu's slender shoulders, Xia Ming's heart ached for her. This woman had too many burdens to bear. "Shuyu, it's only 50 million... I can help you!" he said gently.

Xia Ming's offer only served to infuriate Lin Shuyu. "Help me? That's easy for you to say. How exactly can you help me? With 50 million, what are you going to do, rob a bank? The best thing you can do for me right now is to leave! Don't worry, I won't do anything to dishonor you!"

"I..." Xia Ming began, but Boss Cui cut him off with a sneer, "Idiot, didn't you hear your wife? She told you to scram!"

Xia Ming's face turned a livid shade of blue as he glared at Boss Cui's smug expression. "Old scoundrel!" he shouted, grabbing a wine bottle from the table, ready to strike Boss Cui again.

The supervisor nearby jumped in alarm and yelled to the security guard at the door, "Quick, get over here and throw him out!"

The crowd hastily escorted Xia Ming out. While the security guard had him restrained, Boss Cui, still not satisfied, landed a few more punches on Xia Ming, taunting, "You think you can hit me and get away with it? Just wait. Today, your wife will be on her knees begging me. What can you do about it? Nothing but watch, haha..."

Once Xia Ming was ejected, the supervisor assured Boss Cui with reverence, "Mr. Cui, please continue. I assure you there will be no further interruptions."

...

The security guards, knowing Xia Ming, loosened their grip once they were outside.

Xia Ming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and checked his phone as it chimed with a message. Reading it, he found, "Xia Ming, congratulations. The family's ten-year ban has been lifted. You now have access to all the family's resources, including financial and martial support up to the Heaven Grade!"

Has the family ban finally been lifted?

Hmph!

Xia Ming swiftly dialed a number, "Elder Pang, I require Huang-level support. Dispatch someone to the Diamond KTV's luxury suite right away. Someone's after my wife..."