Chapter 189
Chapter 189 - You Are Finished!
The gun had just been wrested from the clutches of the gang leader, and now, without a moment's hesitation, it was pressed firmly against Xu Shaoning's head.
Zhang Xiaolong might overlook a robbery, but he would never stand for anyone bullying Yaru.
Su Mei watched from a distance as Zhang Xiaolong stood gun in hand, facing off with Chen Yaru. She was filled with envy. If only a man would show such fury on her behalf, she would willingly devote her all to him.
In her mind, she couldn't help but imagine herself in Chen Yaru's place. If Xu Shaoning had intended to humiliate her, would Zhang Xiaolong have leaped to her defense as well?
She shied away from pondering the answer, fearing it would be too hard to bear. Instead, she chose to believe that he would care for her just as much.
Xu Shaoning had clearly not anticipated Zhang Xiaolong being armed. Yet, he quickly regained his composure. “What's this? You want to see everyone here dead?”
He aimed his own gun at Zhang Xiaolong. “Fine, if you're so brave, go ahead and shoot. I assure you, the moment I'm dead, this woman will be beyond saving!”
No sooner had he spoken than two waiters trained their guns on Chen Yaru.
“Drop the gun!” commanded Xu Shaoning.
“Xiaolong…” Chen Yaru, seeing Zhang Xiaolong's hesitation and fearing Xu Shaoning might fire at any second, urgently shook him.
She was torn. If Zhang Xiaolong surrendered his weapon, she might end up being humiliated, and in the worst way: publicly, and in front of Zhang Xiaolong.
But if he refused, Xu Shaoning might very well shoot him dead.
It seemed there was no good option, but her resolve was ironclad; she would not let Xu Shaoning lay a finger on her, no matter what. She preferred death to that disgrace and would never allow Zhang Xiaolong to endure such indignity.
“Put it down!” Xu Shaoning bellowed once more.
With a flick of his thumb, Zhang Xiaolong let the magazine slide out of the pistol and into his left hand.
He tossed the now-empty gun far into the swimming pool, while in his hand, he methodically ejected the bullets from the magazine, one by one, in what seemed an act devoid of purpose.
The empty magazine was discarded, leaving Zhang Xiaolong with only a handful of bullets—hardly a threat.
Xu Shaoning watched his adversary's actions, a smirk spreading across his face. “Thought you were tough, huh? Why not keep it up?”
Zhang Xiaolong remained silent, yet his divine power was already at work, silently surging to its fullest extent. His perception was multiplying rapidly, making every subtle movement of those present impossible to escape his notice.
“You think you can't lay a finger on her? Well, I'm going to touch her today!” Xu Shaoning declared as he seized Chen Yaru's hair. He then lifted the butt of the gun, aiming a blow at Zhang Xiaolong's forehead.
At the sound, Zhang Xiaolong ducked, his hands blurring as he exerted all his strength to eject the remaining bullets.
The pistol's discharge was loud, but the bullets from Zhang Xiaolong's hand made only a faint whistling sound, drowned out by the breaths of those around, leaving everyone unaware of what had just occurred.
In the midst of the tension, no one noticed that the once watchful waiters had become as still as wax figures, completely immobilized.
Meanwhile, Xu Shaoning was still triumphantly clutching Chen Yaru's hair. “Today, I'm going to treat everyone. Who wants to see the most beautiful woman in Qingyang's business world? You'll get your chance very soon!”
Everyone sensed what was about to unfold. Xu Shaoning had truly lost it. He was after money and was recklessly intent on degrading those he couldn't possess, without a thought for the consequences.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Chen Yaru fought desperately, but her hair was firmly in Xu Shaoning's grip, and she couldn't break free.
With a twisted grin, Xu Shaoning pointed his pistol at the buttons of her collar.
Snap!
Another hand seized the gun-wielding one. Xu Shaoning was enraged. Who was this fool daring to interfere with his plans?
Turning his head, he saw Zhang Xiaolong's face again and his anger turned to mocking laughter. “Fine, Zhang Xiaolong, I was going to spare you some dignity and wait until we were on the plane to let you privately enjoy the show with Chen Yaru, that whore. But now, I've changed my mind. I'm going to kill your woman right here, in front of everyone. And you, get on your knees and watch!”
He let go of Chen Yaru's hair and attempted to shove Zhang Xiaolong aside, but found the man immovable, as solid as a mountain.
“I told you to kneel down, can't you understand plain English?” Xu Shaoning, red-faced with anger and embarrassment, swung his hand toward the other man's face.
But his slap never connected. A sharp pain shot through his right hand, robbing him of any ability to attack. It was as if his bones had been pulverized.
“Ah… You bastard, what did you do?” The pistol clattered to the ground. Xu Shaoning, in horror, realized he couldn't muster any strength in his right hand beyond the searing pain.
“Xu Shaoning, it's all over. I've said before that no one is allowed to lay a finger on Chen Yaru, and that certainly includes you!” Zhang Xiaolong retorted, his hand in motion.
The sound of the slap echoed as Xu Shaoning's cheek ballooned and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
“Damn you, you dare to strike me?” Xu Shaoning was stunned, taking a moment to comprehend what had happened before he spun around, yelling at the onlookers, “Are you all dead? Shoot, shoot, kill this son of a bitch for me!”
Chen Yaru, convinced it was the end, recklessly lunged into Zhang Xiaolong's embrace, ready to face death together.
But the expected chaos never came. Confused, she looked up at Xiaolong.
She was met with his warm smile. “He's the one who's finished, not us.”
Only then did people notice something was off with the waitstaff. A few brave souls stepped forward, prodded them, and found they were as if frozen in place. With a slight push, they toppled over.
“These people are all dead!” The surprise in the voice was tinged with a hint of glee.
“What's happening?” The most astonished of all was Xu Shaoning.
This was his last ace in the hole. But at the moment of truth, he found his hidden ace had turned into a worthless card, dealing him a devastating blow.
He sprinted toward the two nearest waiters, slapping their backs and barking, “Wake up, damn it…”
But the person simply collapsed to the ground, unresponsive.
“Zhang Xiaolong, it's you again…” Xu Shaoning realized he had truly lost this time, utterly and completely.
In a sudden move, he lunged forward, aiming for the handgun that had dropped to the floor.
However, before he could reach it, a swift kick sent him flying backward.
As the tide of the confrontation swiftly turned, the police, though initially unsure how it happened, quickly sprang into action. They swarmed in and slapped handcuffs on Xu Shaoning.
Zhang Xiaolong, with Chen Yaru in his arms, stood tall before his adversary. “We farmers have a saying, ‘Goodness may be bullied, but not deceived by the heavens; the wicked will eventually be struck by thunder.' Xu Shaoning, your downfall today is nobody's fault but your own!”