C28 Ling Loxi

Ye Luo had been relatively merciful; the four bodyguards were left with broken bones, not pulverized ones. He recognized that they were just carrying out orders. But given their aggressive stance, it was clear they had helped Xue Xianjiang bully others before. Breaking their limbs seemed fitting under the circumstances.

With the bodyguards dispatched, it was time to deal with the primary target.

Ye Luo stepped up to Xue Xianjiang, a wickedly charming smile playing on his lips. "You, what are you planning to do? I am Xue Xianjiang, a member of the Xue family. If you dare touch me, you're signing your own death warrant," Xue Xianjiang blurted out, his voice trembling with fear.

Li Yuanyuan, finally snapping out of her shock, added, "That's right! You're just a pampered pretty boy. How dare you lay a hand on my Brother Jiang? Do you think I'll—"

"Smack!"

Her threat was abruptly silenced by a sharp slap. Ziyuan had delivered the blow to Li Yuanyuan's face, sparing no sympathy, and sent her reeling back, almost collapsing to the floor.

"I've tolerated you for far too long. My boyfriend might be too noble to engage with you, but I certainly am not," Ziyuan stated coldly.

"You... you dared to hit me?" Li Yuanyuan, still woozy, managed to collect herself, her hand pressed against her swollen cheek, and charged at Ziyuan, ready to fight.

Ziyuan, without hesitation, landed a solid kick. Her high heels, striking with precision, connected with Li Yuanyuan's abdomen, eliciting a wince from anyone watching.

As Li Yuanyuan crumpled to the ground, Ziyuan quickly grabbed her hair and slammed her head down. "Keep quiet, you vile woman. If I hear another word, I'll tear your mouth apart."

Ye Luo drew in a sharp breath. Truly, a woman's wrath knows no bounds. Ziyuan was far more ruthless than he was. "No wonder she made a name for herself in the Martial Arts Realm in her previous life. She's got an iron will."

"All right, the bodyguards and the woman have been dealt with; now it's your turn," Ye Luo said with a grin, looking at Xue Xianjiang with a smile.

"No, don't hit me, I was wrong. How much money do you want? I can give it to you, just don't hit me," Xue Xianjiang pleaded in panic. Although he believed that with his background, he could easily crush the man and woman before him, he was currently at Ye Luo's mercy. His strategy was to play it safe for now and plan his revenge once he was free.

Ye Luo remained silent, simply reaching out to grasp Xue Xianjiang by the throat and hoisting him into the air.

"So you said you wanted me to have no foothold in Linhai?" Ye Luo asked.

"I, I..." Xue Xianjiang stammered, suspended in midair, his face flushed and struggling to breathe, feeling as though he might suffocate at any moment.

Suddenly, a foul odor wafted through the air. On closer inspection, a stream of yellow liquid was seen trickling down Xue Xianjiang's trouser leg.

Had he been frightened into wetting himself?

The onlookers murmured among themselves, incredulous. The man who had been so arrogant just moments ago had now urinated in his pants in front of everyone. What a profound humiliation.

Many in the crowd covered their noses and stepped back, their faces twisted in disgust and disdain.

Then, from a short distance away, the sound of footsteps approached. A group of well-dressed individuals, flanked by security guards, made their way toward the commotion.

"What's happening here? Who's causing trouble? Doesn't anyone care?" boomed a voice, both arrogant and angry.

The crowd parted as the newcomers approached. Leading the group was a man and a woman. The man, in his fifties, had eyebrows like sharp swords and exuded an air of authority, clearly someone of high status. The woman, in her twenties, wore a professional outfit that highlighted her shapely figure, her black hair neatly coiled atop her head, projecting efficiency and resolve. She was the epitome of a powerful woman, though her stunning face was etched with worry.

It was clear that these two were the leaders of the entourage.

It was clear that the individuals trailing behind them were following the lead of these two prominent figures. The appearance of the duo sparked excitement among the many employees of the Gloriana store, for they were none other than the top executives of their company.

The woman was Ling Loxi, the current President of Lingfeng International, and the middle-aged man was Hu Kui, the second-largest shareholder of Lingfeng International and also Ling Loxi's uncle. The entire mall where everyone was gathered belonged to Lingfeng International.

"Director Ling, Mr. Hu, you've arrived," the store manager said with palpable relief, as if she had just seen her saviors, and promptly went to greet them.

"What exactly happened here?" Ling Loxi demanded, her gaze sweeping over the four bodyguards lying on the ground and Xue Xianjiang, who was being held aloft by Ye Luo.

The manager, not daring to omit any details, hesitantly recounted the events that had unfolded. Ling Loxi's expression darkened as she listened. "If this gentleman was the first to show interest in the clothes and was ready to pay, how could you agree to sell them to someone else?"

The manager looked distressed. Under normal circumstances, she would adhere to a first-come, first-served policy, but Xue Xianjiang was a special case, someone their manager had emphasized the need to accommodate.

"Director Ling, that's Mr. Xue Xianjiang. Manager Liu had specifically mentioned..." The manager began to explain in a low voice to Ling Loxi.

Ling Loxi's frown deepened. Before she could respond, Hu Kui, who had been standing by her side, pointed at Ye Luo and barked, "What are you waiting for? Put him down! Causing such a scene here is utterly outrageous. Security! Where is security? Take this troublemaker down now!"

At Hu Kui's command, a swarm of security guards surged toward Ye Luo.

"Stop! Don't move!" Ling Loxi's voice rang out, commanding and sharp.

"Loxi, we can't let this kid get away with causing a ruckus on Lingfeng International's turf, especially after he's hurt so many. We need to set an example, or others will think we're a pushover," Hu Kui insisted.

"Exactly because this is Lingfeng International, we must thoroughly understand the situation," Ling Loxi countered firmly. "Lingfeng International will not tolerate disruptive or violent behavior, but we equally won't stand for abuse of power or bullying."

Upon hearing Ling Loxi's words, a fleeting look of surprise crossed Hu Kui's face, but he quickly masked it.

Ling Loxi, having finished speaking, approached Ye Luo. She glanced at him and noticed his gaze fixed on her, unguarded and intense. She could even feel the scorching intensity in his stare.

And scorching it was.

The moment Ye Luo laid eyes on Ling Loxi, he was spellbound and filled with excitement.

In his past life, aside from Ann Xin, there were two other women with whom Ye Luo had been involved, and Ling Loxi was one of them.

After Ann Xin's death, Ye Luo, in utter despair, had set out to Xiangshi Group with a knife, intent on avenging her by killing Gu Jun. Instead, he ended up broken and discarded in the wilderness, expecting to die and become prey to wild beasts. But fate had other plans, and it was Ling Loxi who rescued him, taking him into her home for three full years.

Those years had rekindled the dying embers of Ye Luo's spirit, allowing him to embark on the path of martial arts and ultimately seek his revenge.

Ye Luo had planned to seek out Director Ling tomorrow, after playing the role of Ziyuan's shield tonight. He hadn't anticipated an early reunion under such circumstances.

"If you don't release him, he might not make it. I own this mall, and I assure you, I will thoroughly investigate today's incident and determine who's at fault. You will have your explanation," Director Ling stated to Ye Luo, her voice calm but tinged with a cool detachment, perhaps in response to the levity she perceived in his gaze.

"Alright."

With a single word, Ye Luo complied and flung Xue Xianjiang three to four meters away.