Chapter 368: I happen to know a bit of martial arts

Gao Qiming slammed his palm on the desk, the glass ashtray on it buzzing from the shock, and said sarcastically.

No money? Then your life!

Lin Yuan sat in his chair, unmoving, his fingertips lightly tapping the desk, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Oh, Director Gao, your life is worth some money; if you really have no money, trading your life for it isn't impossible.

After hearing that, Gao Qiming suddenly gave a low laugh, his voice full of malice, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

You've misunderstood, haven't you?

What I meant was, no money? Then I can take your life.

Lin Yuan's smile didn't fade, "Director Gao, are you playing the ruffian?"

Then I'm not leaving; we should stay and have a proper talk.

Gao Qiming snapped the drawer shut with a "pa", leaned back in his boss chair, crossed his legs and swayed slightly, then said coldly.

Oh, how do you want to talk with me?

Should I tie you up and throw you to the dogs, or toss you into the Huangpu River to feed the fish?

He didn't give Lin Yuan a chance to speak, suddenly shouting at the door with a rough, fierce voice.

Come here!

Not even a minute later, the office door was burst open, a dozen or so security guards rushed in, each gripping a rubber baton.

They stood in a line, glaring at Lin Yuan with fierce eyes.

Lin Yuan's gaze slowly swept over the guards, he curled his lip in a cold smile and said, "Huh, quite a show of force."

You owe money and don't pay, yet you call all these thugs to back you up? Director Gao, are you planning to abandon reason entirely?

Gao Qiming leaned back in his boss chair, his fingers playing with the silver lighter on the desk corner, the flame whooshing up before he snuffed it out, his eyes full of contemptuous smirk.

I won't reason with you; what can you do about it?

This Gao De Building is my turf; I'll do whatever I want!

Lin Yuan slowly rose from his chair, moved his wrist slightly, his joints emitting a faint "crack-crack" sound.

He calmly said, "If Director Gao won't listen to reason, then I also know a bit of martial arts."

Gao Qiming's face instantly turned cold and mocking; he flung the lighter onto the desk with a "pa", his voice suddenly rising.

Get him! Break this brat's arms and legs, make him remember for life the consequences of opposing me, Gao Qiming! I'll take full responsibility if anything happens!

As Gao Qiming's roar fell, the security guards at the office door surged forward to flank him!

A black mass of guards charged forward!

A dozen or so people packed into the cramped space, black shadows stacking layer upon layer like a rising flood threatening to swallow Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan didn't dodge; he thrust his right leg back, his heel kicking the knee of the guard behind him!

Ugh—!

The guard screamed, dropping to his knees as his kneecap cracked, pain making cold sweat bead on his forehead.

The guard on the left who had just grabbed Lin Yuan's sleeve felt his left leg sweep across, force enough to overturn a table.

His toe struck the guard's stomach directly; the guard flew out like a torn sack, hitting the desk corner and curling up in pain.

The guard raising his baton didn't stop; as the tip neared Lin Yuan's head, he suddenly ducked and lifted his right leg upward.

His toe struck the guard's chin; the guard flung backward, his head hitting the wall with a "thud" and passing out instantly.

The guards behind kept surging forward; Lin Yuan turned, alternating his kicks, each landing precisely on a guard's vital spot.

Some guards were kicked out the door, slamming hard into the hallway; others hit the filing cabinet, shaking the metal case loose.

Papers scattered everywhere, cups shattered, the office filled with the guards' wails and the dull thuds of bodies colliding.

Dozens of men surrounded Lin Yuan, yet none could get close; instead they were repeatedly knocked down, the floor soon littered with groaning guards.

The few remaining guards who dared not step forward trembled as they gripped their batons, their eyes full of fear at the sight of Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan stood in the middle, his trousers dusted with a bit of gray, his eyes icy cold as he swept over the remaining guards, exuding full pressure.

Gao Qiming's pupils shrank sharply!

Just who is this guy?!

The ferocity that had been on Gao Qiming's face shattered instantly, leaving only pure astonishment; his eyes locked on Lin Yuan, full of disbelief.

On the floor lay a dozen or so guards in disarray, some covering their eyes, some curled at the waist, their cries rising and falling; Lin Yuan merely had a bit of dust on his trousers, not even a bead of sweat on his brow.

Lin Yuan slowly lifted his gaze, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Is that all you've got?

He stepped forward half a pace, his voice not loud but carrying a heavy pressure.

Director Gao, your people don't seem enough for me to fight.

Lin Yuan raised his hand, moved his wrist slightly, joints emitting a faint "crackle", the motion full of nonchalant provocation.

Any more? Call a few more up; my bones and muscles aren't even warmed up yet.

Gao Qiming felt his throat tighten from those words, opened his mouth but couldn't utter a syllable, only feeling a chill rise up his back along his spine.

He had thought Lin Yuan was just an ordinary debt collector, that shouting a few guards would scare him off; he hadn't expected the opponent to be a tough nut, with a dozen people unable to get close.

Gao Qiming, his eyes reddened by the mockery, snatched the desk phone and roared into it.

The backup security squad downstairs! All of you come up! Beat this madman to death!

A muffled reply came from the receiver; he slammed the phone down with a "pa", stared hard at Lin Yuan, his eyes full of desperate ruthlessness.

Not even half a minute later, the office door was nearly wrenched off its hinges as twenty or so people in black security uniforms surged in, gripping extendable batons, advancing on Lin Yuan with a menacing presence.

Lin Yuan sidestepped, swung his right leg outward, his toe precisely striking the guard's knee side; the guard fell with a "thud", his baton flying from his hand.

The guards behind rushed forward, some grabbing arms, some kicking legs, hoping to trap Lin Yuan with sheer numbers.

Yet Lin Yuan moved like a fish through the crowd, his left foot kicking one guard's abdomen, his right foot thrusting into another's chest; before long, seven or eight guards clutched their stomachs and collapsed to the floor.

The remaining guards saw their companions falling one after another, their movements obviously hesitating, but Gao Qiming shouted from behind, "Anyone who retreats gets lost," so they could only brace themselves and rush forward.

Lin Yuan stopped holding back, putting more force into his kick; the guard he kicked slammed directly into the wall, slid down and remained motionless for the rest of the afternoon, and the wails in the office became even more frequent than before.

After another two minutes, the number of guards lying on the floor doubled; the few left gripped their batons, standing in place, too afraid to move, their eyes full of fear.

Lin Yuan brushed off the dust on his pant leg, about to mock Gao Qiming, when a piercing siren suddenly sounded from downstairs, growing closer and closer.

Lin Yuan was taken aback.

A few minutes later, a large group of police officers in uniform burst into the office!

The police officers rushed in, saw the guards scattered all over the floor and the chaotic scene, and all furrowed their brows.

The lead police officer pulled out his ID, waved it, and said in a deep voice, "We're from the Dragon Well Police Station; we received a report that someone is causing violence here."

Gao Qiming immediately stepped forward, his face instantly shifting to an aggrieved expression, pointing at Lin Yuan and shouting loudly, "Officer! It's him! He's from the Su Group, here to violently collect debts from our company!"

"Our company and the Su Group are merely normal partners; there's no overdue payment at all. He maliciously framed us, claiming we owe him money! And as soon as he arrived, he started beating people—look how many are injured on the ground!"

Gao Qiming spoke while pointing at the groaning guards on the ground, his face full of grievance.

It turned out that just earlier, Gao Qiming had secretly had the company's legal team call the police, taking the opportunity to sue Lin Yuan.

At that moment, when the police arrived, Gao Qiming instantly switched to victim mode.

He's really good at pretending.

The police officer turned his head to look at Lin Yuan, his eyes questioning, "Is what he said true? Why did you resort to violence?"

Just as Lin Yuan was about to explain, Gao Qiming immediately cut him off.

"Officer, don't believe him! He just wants to violently force us to sign unfair terms; if we refuse, he resorts to violence!"

A few of the guards on the ground chimed in, "Exactly! He was the one who struck first! We were just trying to stop him, but he went all out!"

The police officers crouched to examine the injured guards; some had swollen knees, others bore clear shoe prints on their chests—it was clear they were badly hurt.

Lin Yuan looked at the scene before him and finally understood.

These police officers were clearly biased toward Gao Qiming.

They gave Lin Yuan no chance to explain at all.

"Huh? Dragon Well Police Station, right? So… you're deliberately protecting Gao Qiming? Want to help him?" Lin Yuan said coldly and sarcastically.

"Outrageous! We enforce the law fairly and reasonably—what right do you have to question us? You've injured so many people, yet you still dare to make excuses?" The officers snapped angrily, "If there's anything, go back and investigate with me; we'll talk after taking a statement!"

Lin Yuan stopped explaining; striking people was a fact, and Gao Qiming was clearly colluding with these police officers, plus the guards' testimonies.

Lin Yuan couldn't explain it clearly right away.

The lead officer stood up and told Lin Yuan, "No matter what, the fact that you assaulted people stands—come with us to the station to cooperate with the investigation."

Gao Qiming stood aside, feigning sincerity, saying, "Officer, you must give our company justice! We're victims too…"

But his eyes couldn't hide his glee.

The lead officer pulled a pair of handcuffs from his waist; the metal chains clinked with a sharp 'click,' especially piercing in the noisy office.

He stepped forward, giving Lin Yuan no chance to resist… and directly grabbed Lin Yuan's wrist, cuffing him with the handcuffs!

Lin Yuan's wrist tensed instinctively, but he didn't struggle; his gaze remained cold, fixed on Gao Qiming.

Seeing this, Gao Qiming couldn't conceal his delight; he smoothed his crumpled suit cuff and slowly moved closer to Lin Yuan.

He deliberately lowered his voice and whispered near Lin Yuan's ear:

"Do you know why those 20 million won't be repaid?"

Gao Qiming paused, seeing Lin Yuan not turn his head, the corner of his mouth curling into a sinister smile, and continued in a low voice: "Heh, because I tampered with the contract in advance."

Lin Yuan's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, and his fingers clenched quietly.

"This contract is a problem left behind by Lu Chengyu of your Su Group's Wind Control Department."

Gao Qiming deliberately emphasized the three characters 'Lu Chengyu,' as if showing off that he had seized the opponent's weak point.

"Back then, Lu Chengyu didn't examine the contract carefully, and I tampered with it in the cooperation agreement."

His voice grew softer, yet each word was crystal clear as it drilled into Lin Yuan's ear, thick with mockery.

"So now I'm exploiting the contract's loophole to justifiably avoid repaying the debt."

Hearing this, Lin Yuan finally understood the whole situation.

It turned out that this overdue amount was entirely the trouble caused by Lu Chengyu.

Now Lu Chengyu is essentially passing the buck to Lin Yuan.

Gao Qiming stepped back half a pace, then circled to face Lin Yuan directly, his eyes full of teasing, as if he were looking at a trapped animal.

"And you, having injured so many of my people, just wait to rot in prison."

He snorted, the provocation in his voice almost spilling over.

"Heh, I won't let you get out."

Gao Qiming's words were so quiet that the police officers didn't hear them.

Of course, even if the police had heard, they would pretend not to have.

Because they're essentially in the same boat.

Gao Qiming lifted his eyes, glanced at the nearby officer, a fleeting hint of suggestion flashing in his gaze, then turned back to stare at Lin Yuan.

Gao Qiming whispered near Lin Yuan's ear:

"The people from the Dragon Well Police Station will make you know what punishment crime deserves!"

After saying that, he deliberately patted Lin Yuan's shoulder, the force neither light nor heavy, but full of humiliation.

Lin Yuan finally spoke, his voice low but laced with undisguised coldness: "You think this settles it?"