Chapter 109: Visitors from Jiangnan!

“Where are you, Xie Donglin?” Qin Mu’s voice rang out sharply, like thunder crashing down with irresistible force, numbing the eardrums of everyone present, almost deafening them.

Xie Tingting felt it most acutely, as if transported back to a few days ago, crushed beneath Qin Mu’s command of “Stand up,” nearly brought to her knees by his power.

“I…I…” Xie Donglin lay on the ground, his head covered in blood, dazed from a single palm strike by Qin Mu. He stammered a few words before another sharp slap echoed through the air.

Smack!

Pain flared across Xie Donglin’s face as he was once again slammed to the ground.

“I ask you again, where were you, Xie Donglin, when she was in trouble?”

Xie Donglin was speechless.

Smack!

Without a word from him, Qin Mu’s palm struck again and again—one strike after another, twenty times in a row.

Each blow struck with tremendous force, ravaging half of Xie Donglin’s face, flesh torn and blood spilled everywhere.

Qin Mu glanced at his right hand; the white glove was soaked in blood. Without hesitation, he removed the glove.

The onlookers thought Qin Mu had finally stopped.

“Bring me another pair,” Qin Mu said coldly.

Wu Mu quickly handed him a fresh pair of white gloves.

Everyone’s eyes widened as Qin Mu slipped on the new gloves and stepped forward toward the barely conscious Xie Donglin.

This—this was going to kill him!

“Stop! You’re going too far!” someone shouted.

“Deputy Xie is from the city—who are you, a nobody, to discipline him?”

“Exactly! This is out of line—publicly assaulting a city official is unacceptable anywhere!”

Those siding with Xie Donglin could no longer stand by silently and had to speak up.

This young man was unbearably arrogant.

The Jiang Alliance’s sudden rise twenty years ago had sparked much suspicion.

But who dared to publicly challenge them like Qin Mu did?

Instead, many clamored to join the Jiang Alliance.

Before these voices could grow louder, Fu Yantu stepped forward from behind Qin Mu.

This elderly man, seated in the place of highest honor and outranking Xie Donglin, surprisingly stood in support of Qin Mu.

Then Zhang Feng came forward.

Undoubtedly, Zhang Feng’s move represented Bureau Chief Chen’s backing.

These two men symbolized Jiangcheng’s two greatest authorities.

They said nothing, merely scanning the crowd with sharp eyes.

Those caught in their gaze felt an immediate chill of intimidation.

This was tacit approval of Qin Mu’s actions!

“We came here as guests to celebrate. If you don’t welcome us, we’ll leave. But what’s the meaning of beating people at will?” Xie Tingting finally spoke up.

Seeing they couldn’t overpower Qin Mu by force, she resorted to moral pressure.

Assaulting guests was disgraceful by any standard.

“Tell me, who has ever brought something like this to celebrate?” Qin Mu turned, pointing to the infamous plaque Xie Tingting had someone carry in earlier.

Giving such a plaque as a gift—did they even dare call it a celebration?

They should feel lucky not to be driven out!

Xie Tingting’s face instantly darkened.

Qin Mu shook his head, chuckled coldly, then looked down at the dying Xie Donglin with an expression void of any emotion.

“Still not going to speak?”

“I don’t mind revealing what you once did to the world.”

At Qin Mu’s words, Xie Donglin coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. “I…I’ll speak.”

“I, Xie Donglin, and the entire Xie family stood idly by twenty years ago, condoning the Jiang Alliance’s actions. We did nothing to stop them, resulting in that woman’s death.”

“I, Xie Donglin, hereby solemnly apologize!”

Bloodied and supported by several men, Xie Donglin barely managed to stand.

Trembling, he bent forward deeply in apology.

“Let’s go.”

After apologizing, his mouth, shattered from the beatings, struggled to squeeze out words.

“Before leaving, Qin Mu will reciprocate with a gift.”

Qin Mu spun and kicked the infamous plaque into the crowd.

“Carry this back and hang it on your Xie family’s gate!”

This wasn’t reciprocity; it was retaliation.

From now on, the Xie family would openly declare themselves infamous.

“Yes,” Xie Donglin nodded weakly, desperate to leave the scene. Staying any longer would mean losing all face.

As they prepared to leave, Qin Mu called out one last instruction from behind.

“Remember, three months from now, when the orioles sing and the grass grows, the entire Xie family is to don mourning clothes at her grave.”

Hearing this, Xie Donglin nearly stumbled and fell.

Not only had this young man humiliated him so thoroughly, but now he demanded that the dignified Deputy Xie wear mourning attire on the anniversary for that woman who had become Jiangcheng’s laughingstock for twenty years?

“If you refuse, then just stay here and don’t leave.”

Qin Mu flicked his finger, releasing a streak of white light like a horizontal blade that slashed across Xie Donglin’s other half of the face, instantly drawing more blood.

The searing pain jolted Xie Donglin awake. He nodded repeatedly, his dignity as a deputy utterly shattered.

“I understand…”

Limping, Xie Donglin limped away from the scene.

After they left, the tense atmosphere in the banquet hall finally dissipated.

“Lin Qingxue, after today, move the Lin Group’s operations to Baidi City and expand without restraint.”

Qin Mu had always trusted the Lin family deeply. After today’s events, he regarded them as his own. Good fortune must first be shared with those closest.