Chapter 356: Root them out!

Wang Lei instantly flew into a rage, spitting as he cursed: "You bitch, looking for death?! I'll fucking cripple your man first today, then take care of you! You're so pretty, playing with you will definitely be fun!"

As soon as Wang Lei's words fell, he snatched a gleaming machete from a henchman's hand, gripping the hilt tightly, his steps staggered but fierce, he lunged straight at Lin Yuan!

The dozen or so burly men behind him saw Wang Lei move, and immediately joined in shouting, waving steel pipes and baseball bats, they swarmed thickly toward the two, the air thick with menace.

Lin Yuan instinctively moved to shield Zhao Yuyan behind him, but just as Wang Lei's machete was about to strike, Zhao Yuyan suddenly lifted her hand, pulling a dark object from the hidden pocket at the waist of her black dress—a black pistol gripped in her slender hand, its barrel steadily aimed at Wang Lei.

Zhao Yuyan's eyes turned icy in an instant, without a trace of panic, her gun hand steady, she coldly barked: "Everyone, stand still! Anyone who takes another step forward, I'll shoot directly!"

The air instantly grew oppressive and cold.

Wang Lei and the gang of henchmen all froze.

Wang Lei and the dozen or so henchmen stood frozen in place, first staring blankly at Zhao Yuyan's gun in her hand for two seconds.

Then the ferocity on Wang Lei and the others' faces instantly turned to mockery, a ripple of cold laughter erupting across the empty parking lot.

Wang Lei clutched his stomach laughing, the machete still on his shoulder, eyes full of disdain: "Scare me with a toy gun? You bitch, do you think I'm easy to intimidate?"

Before his words even landed, a 'bang' gunshot suddenly exploded—Zhao Yuyan's finger pulled the trigger, the bullet striking precisely the blade of the machete in Wang Lei's hand.

The piercing clang of metal on metal rang out with sparks flying, the gleaming machete snapped in half at once, the upper half clattering to the ground with a 'dong' and kicking up fine dust.

Wang Lei felt as if thunder had exploded in his ears, a buzzing roar that deafened him, his hand gripping the broken hilt shaking uncontrollably!

Wang Lei's body went limp and he fell to his knees with a 'plop', cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

The henchmen beside him were utterly terrified, their steel pipes and baseball bats clattering to the ground in a clatter, none daring to step forward.

After the henchmen exchanged glances, they too dropped to their knees in a chorus of 'thuds', heads bowed low, not daring to breathe.

Wang Lei knelt on the ground, his eyes locked on the woman's gun still faintly smoking, his heart seized with shock and terror!

This fucking… it's actually a real gun??

The henchmen beside him also completely broke down, some trembling all over, some instinctively shrinking back…

Everyone was terrified! This, nowadays this is a peaceful society—Yanxia bans guns! How could a real gun appear, just who is this woman?!

"Now, do you still think this is a toy gun?" Zhao Yuyan lightly pressed her red lips, sneering coldly.

At this moment, even Lin Yuan beside her was a bit dazed.

He never imagined that this crazy woman Zhao Yuyan would actually dare to fire a gun.

Wang Lei knelt on the ground, his forehead hitting the floor with a 'thud-thud', he kept begging: "Miss! I was wrong! I was blind to dare provoke you, please spare my life, I'll never dare again!"

Wang Lei was truly terrified, repeatedly kowtowing to the woman begging for mercy!

"Miss, today is my fault! I'll take my brothers and scram! I will never disturb your date again!"

Wang Lei said, about to usher his brothers away in retreat!

This woman has a gun, we can't afford to provoke her!

But Zhao Yuyan's gaze was like an icy blade, instantly locking onto him, her voice devoid of warmth: "Did I let you go?"

Zhao Yuyan stepped forward in her black stiletto heels, each click of the heel on the ground feeling like a hammer striking Wang Lei's heart.

Zhao Yuyan stopped before Wang Lei, bent down to stare at him, her tone laced with bone‑chilling mockery: "What did you just say? To cripple Lin Yuan, then take care of me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Yuyan lifted her foot, the stiletto heel of her black high heel crushing down hard onto Wang Lei's palm splayed on the ground, the heel sinking into his flesh.

"Ah—! My hand!" Wang Lei let out a heart‑rending scream, his body curling up from the pain, cold sweat pouring down like broken beads.

Zhao Yuyan did not lift her foot; instead she added more pressure, simultaneously raising her gun, aiming at Wang Lei's thigh—'bang!' a gunshot rang, the bullet whizzing past his pant leg and striking the concrete nearby, spraying shards of stone.

Wang Lei's howl cut off instantly, his body frozen in place; the next second a warm liquid streamed down his pant leg to the ground, his pupils dilated, his face turned deathly pale—clearly he had pissed himself from fright.

The henchmen nearby, still not recovered, were terrified by this sight, shaking all over, heads bowed even lower, not daring to take a breath.

Lin Yuan stepped forward two paces, his voice cold as he questioned: "Wang Lei, you brought people to block my apartment building—what exactly do you want? And how did you know my address?"

Wang Lei, pressured by Lin Yuan's aura, grew even more panicked, trembling all over, lips quivering, his voice breaking as he confessed: "It… it was Lu Chengyu who told me! He said you live in this building… letting me come here to get revenge on you… you stole my position… I had nowhere else to turn, I hated you, so I came to retaliate… yes, yes, sorry, it was my fault…"

Lin Yuan hearing the three words 'Lu Chengyu' knitted his brows, his eyes gaining a deeper chill, then he pressed on: "And those henchmen with steel pipes and machetes—where did you round them up from?"

Wang Lei buried his head almost to the ground, his voice a tiny mosquito hum, not daring to look up at Lin Yuan:

"'They… they are my older cousin's lackeys, they usually hang around with my older cousin in the underworld; I begged my older cousin for days before he agreed to let these men help me…'"

Wang Lei said this and then began kowtowing to Lin Yuan nonstop, his forehead striking the concrete with a muffled 'thud-thud', he kept pleading: "Director Lin, I was wrong! I truly know my mistake, please spare my life, I'll never bother you again, I'll take my men and leave right away!"

Zhao Yuyan snorted coldly from the side, stepped forward in her stiletto heels, cutting off Wang Lei's pleading, her tone full of mockery and ice: "You say you'll leave just like that? Come and go as you please? Do you really think we're easy to bully? If I today pull out a gun and get my hands dirty, wouldn't that be terribly embarrassing?"

Zhao Yuyan knew exactly what was going on—

People like these jianghu types are small‑minded and hold grudges; if you let them go lightly they'll surely bear a grudge and may later retaliate with sneakier tactics—you have to nip it in the bud to eliminate future trouble.

She crouched, eyes playful: "You can leave if you want—right now call your older cousin and have him come in person to ransom you; he must show up himself."

Zhao Yuyan paused, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the gun pouch at her waist, her threat unmistakable: "If you try any tricks, or if your older cousin doesn't come, I'll blow you away with a single shot right now—saving us the hassle of dealing with you later."

Wang Lei froze stiff with fear, his kowtowing motion halted, his face paler than before, lips trembling, he could barely get out a sentence: "I… I'll call, I'm calling my older cousin right now, please don't shoot…"

Wang Lei's hand gripping the phone trembled uncontrollably, fingertips whitening from pressure; as he dialed his older cousin, his voice shook so badly it was almost incoherent: "Big… big cousin, save me! I'm being held captive downstairs at Shidai Gongyu Lou, they're demanding you come in person to ransom me, or else… or else they'll attack!"

On the other end, the older cousin hearing the words 'been captured' exploded, his rough voice crackling through the earpiece, full of menace: "Who dares mess with my brother? You wait! I'm bringing my brothers over right now—watch me not tear that bunch apart!"

Before Wang Lei could say another word, the older cousin hung up!

……

Twenty minutes later, downstairs at Shidai Gongyu Lou.

Five minivans pulled up in a line, screeching to a halt with a 'gaga'—the tires' harsh scrape on the ground instantly shattered the evening's calm.

The older cousin, Wang Tian De, wore a black leather jacket with the collar open, revealing a gold chain around his neck; he stepped one foot out of the car, his buzz‑cut face full of menace, the dragon tattoo on his forearm coiling with his movement, his aura imposing.

Behind him, the minivan doors clanged open, more than twenty lackeys poured out in single file, gripping batons and steel pipes, they lined up neatly behind Wang Tian De, forming a black‑wall of people, their presence terrifying.

Wang Tian De scanned the parking lot, his gaze instantly locking onto Wang Lei kneeling on the ground with blood seeping from his forehead—his fury surged up with a 'whoosh'!

Wang Tian De strode forward two steps and roared: "Damn it, who dares lay a hand on my brother Wang Tian De? Step forward! If I don't break your legs today, I'm not a Wang!"

Zhao Yuyan stood beside Lin Yuan, her black dress swaying slightly in the evening breeze; facing the showdown, her face showed no panic, she merely lifted her chin coldly, her voice clear and weighty: "Me."