Chapter 113: Let Her Go

"Sigh, why is there another one looking to die?"

"This guy must be from out of town. If he were a local in Huaizhou, who would dare offend Boss Xiao?"

"He's so young, yet so brainless. If he dies, he has only himself to blame."

"He has no choice. Didn't you hear that girl say he's a live-in son-in-law? He probably relies on his wife for meals. He must have been forced into a corner to come out and act like this."

The diners watching the commotion whispered among themselves. Xiao Sa’s face was incredibly grim, looking dark and sullen. To be provoked so brazenly on his own turf—if he didn't deal with this ruthlessly, wouldn't everyone think they could walk all over him in the future?

Xiao Sa's henchmen were quick to catch his mood. Seeing their boss's expression, one of them cursed angrily, "Damn your mother! You brat, you dare to be this arrogant in front of our boss? I’m going to kill you!"

The lackeys were about to rush forward, but Xiao Sa, after a moment's thought, held them back.

Xiao Sa sneered coldly, his face dark, "Kid, I’ll give you one more chance."

"You can choose: either kneel down and knock your head on the floor one hundred times, or repeat what you just said. Take your pick."

Xiao Sa’s voice was icy, causing the diners to tremble upon hearing it. Even the veteran brothers who had followed Xiao Sa for years frowned; it was clear he was truly enraged. They hadn't seen their boss this angry in a long time. However, they knew Xiao Sa was a man of his word—if Hong Yu really knelt and kowtowed, he might actually let him go.

*Humph! Consider yourself lucky, brat!*

The henchmen thought to themselves. Seeing Hong Yu step forward, they assumed he was about to kneel. But to their surprise, Hong Yu walked right up to the bodyguards, pushed them aside with force, and shoved them out of the way.

"What the f*ck are you doing?"

Hong Yu’s sudden move pushed the henchmen past their breaking point. When they had grabbed Zhang Yi earlier, they had only used their hands, not weapons. Now, they drew their weapons—knives, clubs, and bats; they had almost every kind of weapon imaginable.

Even Xiao Sa was stunned for a moment, but he gestured for his men not to act rashly yet. He could kill Hong Yu whenever he wanted, but with so many people watching, if he couldn't even make this kid buckle, how could he ever show his face in public again?

Seeing Zhou Teng standing to the side with a mocking, spectator-like expression, Xiao Sa frowned and asked, "I told you to say it again, you..."

Suddenly, Hong Yu lunged forward with incredible speed. Before the two henchmen could return to their positions, Hong Yu seized the opening and darted directly in front of Xiao Sa.

"Damn it, what are you doing!"

Xiao Sa scrambled backward, while Zhou Teng, who had been standing next to him, scrambled to save his own skin, sprinting toward the rear.

"Nothing much, just borrowing you for a moment!"

As Hong Yu spoke, his hand was already clamped around Xiao Sa's throat. Xiao Sa attempted to throw a punch at him, but having been a boss for so many years, his physical fitness was not what it used to be. The punch missed entirely, and his neck remained firmly in Hong Yu’s grip.

"Stop! Don't you dare do anything reckless!"

"Damn it, if my boss loses even a single hair, I’ll make your entire family pay with their lives!"

"If you want to die, think about your family! If you’re smart, let our boss go, and we won't go after your kin."

"Let go immediately, or you're a dead man!"

Xiao Sa’s henchmen were both enraged and terrified, shouting threats. Zhou Teng, having tripped during his retreat, was pushed away when the young woman tried to help him up.

"Damn it, this is all because of you, you bitch!"

"If anything happens to Boss Xiao, I’ll sacrifice you to appease him!"

Zhou Teng cursed, then walked toward Hong Yu and Xiao Sa. He was furious—he had never been this angry before. But seeing his old friend held hostage, he had to suppress his rage. "Little brother, let’s not blow this out of proportion."

"I give you my word of honor: as long as you let Boss Xiao go right now, I will personally guarantee your release."

Hong Yu sneered. Anyone who believed the words of a man like Zhou Teng would have to be an idiot.

Seeing Hong Yu’s skepticism, Zhou Teng gritted his teeth. "I am a man of my word. Everyone present can bear witness. Not just you—as long as you do as I say, all of you can leave."

Zhang Yi, who was still kneeling on the ground, was overjoyed. "Hong Yu, what are you still thinking about? Since Boss Zhou has said so, hurry up and let go!"

Hong Yu couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind; in his eyes, someone like Zhang Yi deserved whatever was coming to him.

Xiao Sa, also fearing for his life, chimed in, "Little brother, both Boss Zhou and I have given our word. What else is there to worry about?"

"Don't worry, if we go back on our word, we won't be able to show our faces in Huaizhou ever again."

But these empty promises couldn't fool Hong Yu. To men like them, oaths were as casual as meals, and since he wasn't a famous figure, nobody would care if he were killed.

Hong Yu thought for a moment and said, "Letting you go is fine, but you must let my wife leave first."

Boss Zhou frowned. "That’s not a problem, but if your wife leaves and you still don’t release Boss Xiao, what then?"

Hong Yu sneered, tightening his grip on Xiao Sa’s throat. "Heh, do you really think you have any room to negotiate right now?"

"Do as I say immediately, or I wouldn't mind drawing some blood from this guy."

"No, no, no, little brother, don't be impulsive!" Zhou Teng panicked. He quickly persuaded him, then turned to Lin Shuyu. "Miss, we were just joking earlier, trying to scare you. Now that things have escalated like this, it’s not good for anyone. Please, advise your husband."

From the moment Hong Yu struck to the current standoff, less than a minute had passed. Lin Shuyu was completely bewildered. Hearing Zhou Teng’s plea, she urged, "Hong Yu, let go quickly. If you do this, the consequences will be dire."

Hong Yu smiled. "It's fine. Just listen to me and leave first."

"No!" Lin Shuyu retorted angrily. "If you don't leave, I won't either. If something happens to you, I will never forgive myself."

Chen Yingying became anxious. "Sis, what are you doing? If we don't leave now, we really won't be able to get out later!"

Seeing Lin Shuyu standing her ground, Chen Yingying dragged her toward the exit. Wang Qi, seeing an opportunity, helped Chen Yingying, and Zhang Yi, no longer kneeling, scrambled to his feet and ran away as soon as he saw no one was stopping him, disappearing in a flash.

Now, only Hong Yu remained. Calculating that Lin Shuyu and the others had been gone for about three minutes, Hong Yu sneered, "I’m taking this guy out now. If you don't want him dead, don't follow me."

Zhou Teng’s face was grim. "Little brother, don't go too far."

"Heh, what if I am going too far?" Hong Yu sneered. "Unless, of course, you want him dead."

Zhou Teng narrowed his eyes. Xiao Sa, currently being held hostage, wasn't one to just give up. Unsure if Hong Yu would actually let him go once they were outside, he gritted his teeth and signaled Zhou Teng with his eyes.

Receiving the signal, Zhou Teng prepared to rally his men to charge together.

"What are you all doing here?"

Suddenly, a man in his sixties walked in. He possessed an extraordinary presence, accompanied by several Black bodyguards. One look was enough to tell he was no ordinary person.

Zhou Teng’s eyes widened in shock. "Boss Liang... you... why are you here?"

The man who had arrived was none other than Liang Zhanpeng—the King of Huaizhou.