Chapter Fifty-Six: Are You Here to Make a Joke?

“Pour it for him!”

Upon hearing Qin Mu’s command, the silent Wu Mu strode over to Gao Sheng, tilted Gao Sheng’s head back with one hand, and, with the other, forcefully shoved the bottle into his mouth.

“Gulp! Gulp!”

Gao Sheng’s eyes widened in terror as the fiery vodka flooded his throat. Unable to bear it, he tried to spit some out, but, with his head tilted back, the liquor only flowed down again, choking him until he could barely breathe, wishing for death.

To the others watching, the scene was sheer torture, cruel beyond words.

Yet Qin Mu’s face remained unchanged; his gaze swept calmly over the rest at the table.

These men had all been relentless in their toasts, mocking Jiang Zheng when she couldn’t drink anymore, so they were equally culpable.

“Will you drink yourselves, or shall I do it for you?”

The moment he spoke, the business owners didn’t hesitate. They rose, grabbed their bottles, and poured the liquor down their throats.

Having witnessed what happened to Gao Sheng, none dared to think twice.

“Now it’s your turn.”

Qin Mu turned to Han Qingqing.

Han Qingqing didn’t dare move a muscle. She wasn’t like these business owners—if she drank a whole bottle of vodka, she’d surely end up in the hospital for a stomach pump.

“It was Boss Gao—no, Gao Sheng—who forced me!”

Han Qingqing hurriedly pointed at Gao Sheng. “He made me invite Jiang Zheng out and help persuade her to drink, to get her drunk. After that, I had nothing else to do with it.”

“He runs a pharmaceutical company and has connections with many pharmacies and hospitals in Jiangcheng. He said that if I didn’t help him, no store would sell medicine to my family if anyone became ill.”

Her words came out fast, but her emotion was genuine, not a hint of deceit.

“You’re afraid of him?” Qin Mu asked, amused.

“Yes, yes.” Han Qingqing nodded frantically.

“And you’re not afraid of me?”

Han Qingqing was instantly speechless.

“Take her to the orphanage. She’s to do five years of volunteer work, watched closely. Every time she slacks off, add another year.”

Qin Mu waved his hand. Wu Mu stopped pouring the vodka and took Han Qingqing away.

As soon as Wu Mu let go, Gao Sheng collapsed to his knees, clawing at his throat to vomit out the vodka. That brief ordeal felt like hell; with vodka choking his windpipe, his upper body was nearly numb.

“You heard what Han Qingqing just said, didn’t you?”

“Who ordered you to do this?” Qin Mu’s tone was light, but suddenly shifted.

Gao Sheng forced a bitter smile. “W-what mastermind…”

He hadn’t finished speaking when he felt his two-hundred-pound body lifted like a chicken by Qin Mu, then slammed onto the table.

Bang!

“Still won’t admit it?!” Qin Mu’s eyes flared with anger.

“I just thought the girl was pretty and acted on impulse. What’s there to admit?” Gao Sheng feigned innocence, pretending not to understand.

Wu Mu, who had left and returned with swift efficiency, didn't pause. He grabbed another bottle of vodka from the table.

“Stop! Please, stop!”

Gao Sheng saw the bottle and was instantly terrified, pleading desperately.

Wu Mu ignored him, shoved the bottle into his mouth.

After a while, unable to endure, Gao Sheng spat out the liquor with all his strength, sobbed, and cried out.

“Cough, cough!”

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Please, just stop!”

Tears streamed down Gao Sheng’s face. He never imagined that a young man twenty years his junior would act so decisively, leaving no room for resistance.

“It was the Xiao family—they ordered me.”

“They told me to get Jiang Zheng drunk, take compromising photos, then use them to threaten her and force Lin Qingxue to hand over her shares, gradually dismantling the Lin family.”

“The Xiao family is the true culprit; I’m just their hired hand.”

Gao Sheng paused, still wondering what kind of extraordinary figure this young man was, to know so much about their business.

“The Xiao family?” Qin Mu’s brows furrowed slightly.

“They’re a major pharmaceutical company in Jiangcheng, monopolizing the market and controlling supply for every hospital and pharmacy.”

“They’ve risen swiftly in recent years, almost among the top three families in the Jiang Alliance. Behind closed doors, everyone calls them the fourth member of the alliance.”

Wu Mu, standing behind Qin Mu, carefully reported everything he knew about the Xiao family.

The Lin family operated in the beauty industry, which naturally relied heavily on pharmaceuticals. As they were rising, the Xiao family had intervened, refusing to supply ingredients.

Not only that, they intended to devour the Lin family, making them subordinate.

“It seems my reputation isn’t intimidating enough if the Xiao family thinks I’m easy to bully,” Qin Mu chuckled.

He had just toppled the Chu family—the top three in the Jiang Alliance. Since then, the other members had kept their heads down, avoiding any major moves.

But the Xiao family, apparently confident, dared make trouble at such a critical moment, utterly reckless.

“Local matters are best handled by local people,” Qin Mu mused.

Wu Mu instantly understood. “I’ll go notify Colonel Wei.”

Qin Mu made up his mind, then lifted the barely conscious Gao Sheng, smiling.

“I’d like you to play a part in a little drama. I trust you won’t refuse?”

…

At the top floor of Yazi Beauty Company, in the highest-level conference room.

Lin Qingxue sat confidently at the head of the table, but her expression was far from pleasant.

Only a handful of her veteran staff were present, all relegated to the far end of the table.

The rest were almost entirely Xiao family members.

Using the excuse of ceasing supply, the Xiao family had forced their way into Lin Qingxue’s company to convene this meeting, catching her off guard.

Xiao Huang, the son of the Xiao family patriarch, sat beside Lin Qingxue, legs crossed, right hand stroking his chin, his gaze roaming restlessly over her.

Black stockings, high heels, tall and slender, fair-skinned and beautiful—more importantly, Lin Qingxue had taken up the Lin family banner early, exuding an extraordinary aura. She was like a ripe red apple, tempting anyone to reach out and pluck.

Lin Qingxue naturally sensed Xiao Huang’s restless gaze and shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid his line of sight.

“Everyone’s here, President Lin—let’s get this meeting started, no more delays,” Xiao Huang said, rubbing his hands with a smile.

Just then, the conference room door swung open, and a young man in a suit walked in.

“Apologies, I was almost late,” he said.

“If you’re late, stand off to the side,” Xiao Huang’s secretary snapped.

“Show some respect—he’s President Lin’s man. Standing would be inappropriate; let him sit.”