No one could have anticipated Chen Rong's vehent opposition! Lei Zhen couldn't fathom whether she was genuinely rejecting his proposal or just putting on a show to cover her bases.
Even Lei Zhen's loyal followers behind him thought the plan was feasible and were taken aback by Chen Rong's refusal. In their eyes, while Qiangwei deserved respect, Lei Zhen was their true benefactor. If a new leader took over, they would surely purge the important mbers of this district, leaving them with no good days ahead.
Unfortunately, Lei Zhen and his n didn't understand that Chen Rong's fear wasn't of Qiangwei but of Yang Chen. As one of the attendees of that infamous banquet during the Xing Society era, Chen Rong's deepest fear had always been Yang Chen, not Qiangwei.
From the beginning, Yang Chen was her brother Chen Bo's friend, then Qiangwei's lover. Over ti, Chen Rong increasingly realized that Yang Chen was an incomprehensible entity. She could never forget the night at the banquet hall when Yang Chen, single-handedly and unard, turned the place into a bloodbath, killing over forty ard n.
The scene was not sothing any human could achieve, and the sheer carnage left an indelible mark on Chen Rong's mind. Even now, she had nightmares about it, waking up drenched in cold sweat.
Within the Red Thorns Society, very few people knew about Yang Chen's deeds because Yang Chen never intended to formally involve himself in the organization. Lei Zhen was completely unaware of his power.
For Chen Rong, Yang Chen was gentle and seed like a normal older brother most of the ti, but the fear she harbored was indescribable. Being intelligent, she understood from the beginning that Qiangwei's confidence in delegating power wasn't solely due to her own absolute control but because Yang Chen was silently backing her.
At this mont, Lei Zhen's foolish idea of using a bunch of thugs and a gun to force Qiangwei to comply was absurd. Even more ridiculous was his notion of elevating her to leadership. Chen Rong felt like she was going mad but knew that explaining it to Lei Zhen was futile. She just wanted to distance herself from this ss as quickly as possible.
She knew that by showing enough loyalty to Qiangwei, she would remain the first in line for succession. Qiangwei rarely managed internal affairs, so as the designated successor, Chen Rong already wielded significant power. Though it was sowhat lacking, it was far better than losing her life.
Lei Zhen's face darkened. "Since Miss Chen is so humble, let give you a push. For the future prosperity of the Red Thorns Society, it's ti for a change. President Situ, thank you for your care over the years. Allow , Lei Zhen, to send you on your final journey."
With that, Lei Zhen released the safety on his gun and aid at Qiangwei's head, ready to pull the trigger.
At that mont, Old Li was petrified with fear, Chen Rong's face turned ashen, and Lei Zhen's loyal followers were filled with excitent, envisioning a new future. As for Qiangwei, her expression remained calm, as if the gun wasn't pointed at her head.
"Hey, Lei Hall Master, it's dry and prone to misfires. I suggest you don't pull the trigger."
Yang Chen, who had been silent for a long ti, finally spoke. He finished eating his lamb skewer and casually grabbed so low-quality napkins from Old Li's stall to wipe the grease from his hands.
From the beginning, Yang Chen, a seemingly ordinary stranger, hadn't been noticed by Lei Zhen and his n.
Although many people around Qiangwei recognized Yang Chen, only Qiangwei's elite confidants would have been impressed by him. To Lei Zhen and many hall masters, he was a non-entity.
Lei Zhen furrowed his brows, "Who are you?"
Such a scene, and yet soone could remain so calm—this was Lei Zhen's first reaction.
"Don't get wrong, I'm Qiangwei's man, not a bad guy," Yang Chen said with a smile. "I'm just kindly advising you that your gun is a bit old. It might misfire and hurt you. Let's all be civil and talk things out."
Lei Zhen couldn't help but laugh, looking at Yang Chen with disdain. "Now I rember, there is a man nad Yang by the President's side. I heard you have so skills. I thought you were brave, but it turns out you're just pretending. Misfire? What a joke! This gun has been with for over ten years and is as reliable as my own hand. Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"
Yang Chen frowned, looking troubled. "Why don't you believe ? From my years of experience, your gun indeed has a problem."
"It's your brain that's faulty!" Lei Zhen suddenly swung the gun, pointing it at Yang Chen's head. "Since you say my gun will misfire, let set your brain on fire first!"
At this mont, Chen Rong, already on edge, looked at Lei Zhen with utter despair. Being perceptive, she realized Lei Zhen was as good as dead.
Feeling mocked by Yang Chen, Lei Zhen didn't care anymore and pulled the trigger directly!
"Bang!"
A gunshot rang out, causing distant civilians to scream in fear again!
Lei Zhen's followers behind him showed puzzled expressions. They noticed that their leader's usually precise aim seed off this ti because that lazy guy nad Yang Chen was still standing there unhard.
What happened next threw them all into a state of panic!
Lei Zhen, standing with his back to them, suddenly had his hand go limp, dropping the gun from his fingers. His not-so-tall body tilted backward softly.
"Smack—"
A cloud of dust rose as Lei Zhen fell!
"Boss!" "Brother?!"
Lei Zhen's n shouted in disbelief, staring at their fallen leader!
They were horrified to find that Lei Zhen had a large, bleeding hole in his forehead!
Bright red liquid flowed from his forehead, staining half of Lei Zhen's face crimson, and his eyes remained wide open, seemingly unable to believe his own death.
At this mont, Yang Chen, looking calm, yawned and said helplessly, "I told you, your gun is too old and would misfire. Now look, the bullet flew into your own head. Tsk tsk, I told you I'm a good guy. We could have talked it out, but you didn't listen."
Except for Qiangwei, who was only slightly surprised, everyone else was staring at Yang Chen in shock, as if they had seen a demon!
Misfire?! Only an idiot would believe that!
Everyone suddenly realized that in that flash of a mont, when Lei Zhen fired, this man nad Yang Chen had sohow, in a manner incomprehensible to the human eye, caused the bullet to rebound and hit Lei Zhen in the head!
This was sothing no human eye could clearly see. In other words, this man nad Yang Chen was simply not human!
When humans encounter elusive and mysterious things, such as supernatural or ghostly phenona, they often experience an indescribable fear. At this mont, everyone present felt that kind of irresistible dread toward Yang Chen. They didn't even have the strength to run away, let alone resist or avenge Lei Zhen's death!
Qiangwei, having grown accustod to Yang Chen's profound and inscrutable abilities, quickly recovered from her initial surprise. She addressed the group, "Stop standing there in a daze. Your leader is dead. You now have two choices: First, accompany Lei Zhen in death and prove your loyalty to him. Second, pledge your loyalty to the Red Thorns Society, and I will assign a new hall master to you."
Only a fool would choose to be loyal to the dead! The group imdiately collapsed to the ground, crying and loudly denouncing Lei Zhen's "evil deeds" in life. They claid they had been oppressed by Lei Zhen out of helplessness and professed their love and dedication to Qiangwei and their desire to serve the Red Thorns Society. The sight of these grown n crying like children was almost comical.
Feeling annoyed by their theatrics, Qiangwei waved her hand, "Take Lei Zhen away and clear the street."
Hearing that Qiangwei was letting them go, the group felt as if they had been granted amnesty. They hurriedly dragged Lei Zhen's body away as if it were a sack of rice, scurrying off without a trace. As they left, they kept glancing back at Yang Chen, as if afraid that bullets might suddenly fly at them.
The life-and-death mutiny ended like a farce. Yang Chen, who had put an end to everything, showed no sign of emotion, as if nothing had happened.
Chen Rong stood not far away, her delicate body trembling. She didn't dare to speak or face Qiangwei, knowing that Qiangwei would have sothing to say to her.
Sure enough, after a mont of silence, Qiangwei spoke, "Co here."
Chen Rong didn't dare ask any questions and silently walked over to stand beside Qiangwei.
"Slap!"
A loud slap landed on Chen Rong's cheek, making her body twist from the force. The burning pain left a bright red handprint on her face!
Tears welled up in Chen Rong's eyes. She vividly rembered how Qiangwei had taken care of her like a younger sister since they first t nearly a year ago. This was the first ti Qiangwei had hit her, and it was such a decisive slap!
Chen Rong stood there, tears streaming down her face, not daring to make a sound.
Qiangwei's eyes were cold as she spoke, "Chen Rong, I hope this is a lesson for you. Your loyalty and your place in the Red Thorns Society are earned through your actions, not through the machinations of others. If you ever let greed or fear cloud your judgnt again, I won't be so lenient."
Chen Rong nodded, tears continuing to fall silently. She knew she had disappointed Qiangwei deeply.
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