Chapter 299: 295. Zhang Ran

Upon hearing Mu Yuan's words, Zhang Ran was surprisingly not angry; instead, he laughed and said, "That's right, what am I? I've actually fallen to this point, where the son of a dog that used to be by my side dares to bark at me."

Mu Yuan frowned. He didn't know what Zhang Ran meant by this, and he always felt that Zhang Ran was insulting him, yet he had no evidence.

Zhang Ran looked at Miao Lao and the group, seemingly thinking of something, and began to laugh again. This time, he dialed a phone number; he had possessed the number for a long time but had simply never called it.

The call connected, and a steady, magnetic, middle-aged man's voice came from the other side, "I am Mu Jinyuan, who is this?"

"It's me, Zhang Ran. Who else could it be?" Zhang Ran said with a chuckle.

Mu Jinyuan on the other end was stunned. He hadn't expected Zhang Ran to call him at this moment; he had originally thought it would take at least a year or two, or perhaps he would never receive a call from Zhang Ran in this lifetime.

Mu Jinyuan didn't know what to say for a moment, but then he heard Zhang Ran continue, "You don't think you've been cursed with a gu, do you?"

Mu Jinyuan's heart leaped, and his nerves tightened instantly, "Isn't it?"

"You're overthinking it. You've just done too many evil deeds, and the Heavens can no longer stand it, so they want to cut off your family line," Zhang Ran said with a chuckle.

"Zhang Ran, what exactly are you trying to do?" Hearing Zhang Ran's words, Mu Jinyuan knew this must be a lie.

However, at this moment, he was also certain that the reason his family had such difficulty with reproduction in their generation was likely due to Zhang Ran.

Zhang Ran's expression suddenly turned cold, "What am I trying to do? Why don't you ask your precious son what he is trying to do?"

"Xiaoyuan? What have you done to Xiaoyuan? Zhang Ran, I warn you, if you dare to..." Mu Jinyuan became nervous all at once.

Right now, apart from Mu Yuan, the only other male in their Mu Family was a boy just born to his younger brother.

But before he could finish his sentence, Zhang Ran said faintly, "What if I dare to? Do you dare to come over? Or should I go to Hong Kong right now? Have you prepared yourself?"

Mu Jinyuan felt as if his throat had been gripped, and he was unable to speak.

Did he dare to come to the Mainland?

Ever since he learned that Zhang Ran had returned, he truly had not dared to step foot into the Mainland, because he could not guarantee whether Zhang Ran would strike to kill.

If one were to say that people like Tian Yaohui were Zhang Ran's agents and partners back in the day, then he, Mu Jinyuan, was purely an employee.

Coupled with his family's reproductive situation in recent years and his knowledge of some of Zhang Ran's methods from back then, he actually felt increasingly fearful in his heart.

Back then, Zhang Ran did not follow the rules outside as he did in the Mainland.

However, Mu Jinyuan had become accustomed to a life of being high above others, and even if he was worried, he did not want to return to his former life.

Mu Jinyuan also knew that Zhang Ran was not necessarily prepared either, but he could not guarantee whether Zhang Ran would choose to go down with him—no, not go down with him, but rather destroy everything he had now, with Zhang Ran merely losing those things.

Because Mu Jinyuan knew that Zhang Ran did not just have him as a pawn; Tian Yaohui was Zhang Ran's pawn, and so was Meng He.

Therefore, Mu Jinyuan did not dare to gamble!

Hearing that Mu Jinyuan did not speak, Zhang Ran just smiled and then said, "Mu Jinyuan, to be honest, I really regretted it back then. If I had known you would produce such a thing, I should have been more ruthless and not left you any hope at all."

Mu Jinyuan collected his thoughts, suppressed the apprehension in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "What happened to Xiaoyuan?"

"What happened? Tsk tsk tsk, don't you know your son's temper? He asked me to kneel and apologize to him, saying it was ten thousand per kowtow," Zhang Ran said with a smile, though his tone was very cold.

At this moment, not only was Mu Yuan dumbfounded, but even people like Miao Lao felt their hearts leaping wildly.

Zhang Ran knew Mu Yuan's father, Mu Jinyuan, and it seemed he was not the least bit intimidated by Mu Jinyuan, or rather, he was completely in the superior position in terms of momentum.

Miao Lao's heart was in his throat; he felt he had made mistake after mistake.

Mu Yuan did not know if the person on the other end of Zhang Ran's call was truly his father, Mu Jinyuan, but he now had a bad premonition.

As for that beautiful woman, her legs were already trembling.

And Mu Jinyuan's heart sank to the bottom; he had not expected Mu Yuan to provoke Zhang Ran and even say such things.

Had he known this, he would never have let Mu Yuan go to the Mainland.

The reason he let Mu Yuan come to the Mainland was, first, because he knew Zhang Ran was in Shanghai, a great distance from Xiang Province, so he did not think Mu Yuan could coincidentally run into Zhang Ran.

Second, he wanted to verify his own suspicion: whether Zhang Ran had cursed them with a gu back then.

Mu Jinyuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found he could not say a word.

Threaten Zhang Ran?

He truly did not dare to right now; he feared that Zhang Ran would really use underhanded methods, just like their family's current situation—falling into a trap without even knowing it.

However, without him needing to speak, Zhang Ran opened his mouth, "Mu Jinyuan, it's not that I won't give you face. How about this: as long as you are willing to let your son leave just like this, I will let him go."

Zhang Ran's tone became somewhat casual, as if he truly did not care.

But the more this was the case, the heavier Mu Jinyuan's heart became.

Could Zhang Ran be that kind-hearted?

He, Mu Jinyuan, was the first not to believe it.

He also understood Zhang Ran's meaning: if Mu Yuan left Zhang Ran's presence safely now, Zhang Ran would not guarantee what he would be like after returning, or whether he would die at home for no reason after arriving.

"Since it was Xiaoyuan who didn't know better and offended Mr. Zhang, then Mr. Zhang may dispose of him as he pleases. However, I hope Mr. Zhang can let Xiaoyuan return in one piece," Mu Jinyuan said in a low voice.

If he had a few more sons, or even if his family had other heirs, he might have had a bit more confidence now.

"Are you threatening me?" Zhang Ran said with a chuckle.

Mu Jinyuan said calmly, "I wouldn't dare. However, this is a matter between the two of us and should not involve the child. Furthermore, I can guarantee that all the expenses Xiaoyuan has used over these years were all earned by myself; in other words, he has not used a single cent he shouldn't have."

"No matter what, he can be considered your junior. He offended you, so you can punish him however you like, but regarding our affairs, he is completely innocent."

Mu Jinyuan knew Zhang Ran's personality. Sure enough, upon hearing him say this, Zhang Ran sighed and said, "Very well, then I will teach him a lesson today in the capacity of an elder, and it will also serve to help him learn his lesson."