Chapter 124: You Have Only Yourself to Blame!

Qin Mu held the fat man’s hand for nearly half a minute, only releasing him when the man was in such agony that he nearly fell to his knees in supplication. As soon as Qin Mu let go, the residual force caused the man to tumble backward onto a chair and table, looking utterly disheveled and pathetic.

The fat man sat on the floor, staring at Qin Mu with wide, incredulous eyes, trembling with a mix of fury and disbelief. He could clearly feel the terrifying strength in Qin Mu’s grip; had he wished, he could have shattered the man’s hand with ease. This youth, who looked to be at most in his twenties and hardly muscular, how could he possess such power?

"What kind of ridiculous rule is that? I've never heard of it," the fat man muttered, rubbing his wrist for a long time before adding with a sinister sneer, "Everything produced by White Emperor City is not for sale to members of the Jiang Alliance? Does this person even have any idea what percentage of the Jiang City market the Jiang Alliance holds? Without us, it’s questionable whether you can even keep this business running!"

"I just made it up," Qin Mu said, taking a piece of paper from Wu Mu, using it to casually wipe his hand, and tossing it into the trash.

Seeing this, the fat man flew into a rage. Was he implying that his wrist was dirty? How dare he! The influence of the *Jiang City Daily* was immense; countless powerful figures constantly sent him gifts and curried favor, begging him to publish promotional articles for them. Didn't he see the sea of reporters present, all of whom were wary of offending him?

"A new rule? Who do you think you are?" the fat man scoffed, his face twitching as he challenged him.

Qin Mu didn't answer directly. Instead, he countered, "I believe you just said that if I, White Emperor City, dare not let you take my products for testing, it must be because they are laced with drugs and stimulants?"

"That's right! You're selling at such low prices and refusing to let me take them for analysis—there’s definitely something fishy going on!" The fat man was smug, convinced that he held the moral high ground.

But his argument was laughable. Just because White Emperor City chose to sell at prices affordable for common people, it had to be adulterated?

"Someone, come here!" Qin Mu called out toward the backstage area.

Immediately, a team of doctors wearing white coats and surgical masks emerged. They pushed sophisticated, portable medical instruments before them; even a layman could tell by the quality that these were top-of-the-line devices.

"What are you doing?!" The fat man felt a sudden surge of panic at the sight of the doctors.

"Didn't you say my medicine contains narcotics? Since you just consumed over a dozen of them, why don't I have my doctors give you a physical examination to check, hmm?" Qin Mu asked with a light smile.

"No way! Just because you say so? Who do you think I am?!" The fat man refused instantly without a second thought. It wasn't that he felt too noble for them to touch him—it was that he was terrified.

A few days ago at a nightclub, he had gone on a wild binge with several hostesses, taking a massive dose of drugs that kept him awake and hyper for nights on end. A blood test would reveal his drug usage in an instant. If the public found out that a prestigious reporter from the *Jiang City Daily* was a drug addict, his reputation would be ruined forever. So he refused point-blank; after all, what could they really do to force him?

But as the fat man thought this, he saw Qin Mu don a pair of white gloves and suddenly lash out with a palm!

*Slap!*

The blow struck the fat man squarely on his bloated face. His layers of fat rippled under the impact, and a bright red handprint appeared instantly. The sheer pain left the man dizzy. Given his heavy padding, such a blow shouldn't have hurt, but Qin Mu’s strike felt as though it bypassed the flesh, striking deep enough to nearly shatter his cheekbone.

"You, you...!" The fat man clutched his face, pointing at Qin Mu and stammering.

Qin Mu clapped his hands together and said sternly, "Didn't you just say that White Emperor City's refusal to be tested was a sign of a guilty conscience? Now that you're afraid to be examined, isn't that a guilty conscience too?"

The fat man, stunned that Qin Mu had actually dared to strike him, couldn't find the words to respond.

"I..."

"Draw his blood!" Qin Mu commanded, his voice brooks no dissent. "Show the results to everyone from start to finish!"

Did these media vultures really think White Emperor City was a soft target to be bullied? The doctors moved immediately, pinning the fat man down, drawing a vial of blood, and inserting it into the machine. The process was conducted in full view of the crowd, leaving no room for deception.

Once the blood was drawn, the fat man wilted like a withered blade of grass. His face turned deathly pale, and he collapsed to the ground, his strength drained. Moments later, the results were ready. A document was passed around, and everyone craned their necks to get a look.

There, in black and white, it read: *Drug content: severely exceeds limits.*

The levels were far higher than what a dozen pills could have produced. The only explanation was that the fat man had been a long-term addict even before arriving.

"How disgusting!"
"I'm writing a report on this the moment I get back—a reporter from the *Jiang City Daily*, and he's a drug addict!"
"Damn, wasting samples while being a junkie? I hate people like this the most!"

Those who had already despised the fat man began to lash out at him. Knowing he had lost, the fat man scrambled away in disgrace, fleeing as fast as he could to escape the humiliation of staying any longer.

"Now, is there anyone else who harbors doubts about the products of White Emperor City?" Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back, his voice booming across the room.

Silence fell instantly. No one dared to utter a word of dissent.

Jiang Zheng had been a mere low-level employee before this; representing the entirety of White Emperor City to the public for the first time, she had been visibly nervous. Many reporters had secretly mocked her stiff performance, thinking, *They let a little girl like this be the spokesperson for a massive enterprise like White Emperor City?*

But Qin Mu was different. The new master of White Emperor City had, with a single appearance, brought an overwhelming pressure to the room and made short work of the unruly fat man.

"Since there are no more issues, let’s continue," Qin Mu said with a wave of his hand. Today’s meeting was intended to train Jiang Zheng and the other staff; he was merely here to hold the line.

After Qin Mu left, the crowd finally exhaled, though they were now filled with a deep sense of reverence. With a master as sharp and formidable as this, how could White Emperor City not rise to the top?

...

After escaping White Emperor City, the fat man finally managed to stand straight as he scrambled into his car.

"Why are you out so soon? Wasn't there a follow-up interview?" the driver asked, confused by the man’s state.

"Screw that! Forget the interview! Just drive!" the fat man cursed. Every time he thought of the way Qin Mu had humiliated him in public, he wanted to tear him to pieces.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"To the Yuan family estate!" the fat man hissed through gritted teeth.

The driver’s expression shifted, turning instantly tense. The Yuan family? They were one of the top three families in the Jiang Alliance! Not daring to ask more, he slammed on the gas and headed toward their destination.

Ten minutes later...