The Revenge of the Reborn Supreme Sovereign-Chapter 232 - 228: On the Verge! (10)
He had killed all the guards the Li Family planted on the cruise ship, thrown Huo Shaojie into the sea, left Li Wenxuan’s life hanging by a thread, and threatened Li Juncheng to repay one hundred billion. This turmoil in the long-peaceful Macau Earth Realm was eventually dubbed the Cruise Ship Incident.
They say the truth will always come out, especially when there were hundreds of witnesses. By the early hours of the morning, news of the Cruise Ship Incident had already spread like wildfire. Anyone with even a sliver of status within Macau’s elite circles learned of the upheaval, an event destined to go down in local history. The unfamiliar name of Qin Fan stormed into their world.
When the highest administrative official reported the name "Qin Fan" to the mainland for consultation, the higher-ups gave a firm and resolute command: Do not intervene.
Those four words were enough to make the senior officials who had been planning to visit the Li Family abandon the idea entirely. It was as if the upheaval that had shaken the whole of Ao Island had never even happened. The rumors only grew more intense as they spread by word of mouth.
「The next day.」
When Qin Fan stepped out of the hotel elevator, Lai Zhuge, who had been waiting in the lobby, immediately hurried over. "Master Qin!"
"Ah, good morning. Come, let’s go for a walk and properly enjoy the sights of Macau," Qin Fan said, nodding with a smile.
With that harmless grin on his somewhat boyish face, who could have imagined that this was the man whose name had shaken all of Macau overnight?
"Haha, of course! Although I’ve been to Macau many times, every visit has been for business. Thinking back, I’ve never really taken the time to enjoy the scenery of this part of our motherland," Lai Zhuge replied with a relaxed laugh.
The two of them tacitly avoided any mention of the previous night’s events. One was at ease, the other leisurely and carefree. This pairing of an old man and a young one, combined with Lai Zhuge’s rather unique aura, drew quite a few sideways glances from the crowd. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
"Well, now. We’re already being followed," Qin Fan remarked playfully, his hands clasped behind his back as he strolled like a tourist.
Though he couldn’t sense the tails with the same unnatural perception as Qin Fan, Lai Zhuge wasn’t surprised. He chuckled. "After what happened last night, Macau’s elite circles are undoubtedly buzzing. It’s perfectly normal that all sorts of powerful and shady figures would want to probe Master Qin’s background. To put it bluntly, from the moment we stepped out of the hotel, we became the target of all eyes."
Qin Fan simply gave a slight shake of his head and said no more. He was completely unconcerned by the myriad gazes following him from every direction, leisurely admiring this land he had never once set foot on in the thirty years of his past life, content to simply wait for night to fall.
But behind this calm, an even more ferocious storm was brewing. Anyone who knew about the Cruise Ship Incident and the twenty-four-hour deadline was absolutely certain of it.
「That night.」
Lights blazed brightly in the Li Family’s Mountain Villa. Inside the magnificent, glittering hall, Li Juncheng paced back and forth, his brow deeply furrowed. As for Li Wenxuan, she sat on the sofa, mute and despondent, her eyes glazed and unfocused. The once-inseparable father and daughter seemed to be on the verge of shattering in the wake of the incident on the cruise.
With the twenty-four-hour deadline weighing on his mind, Li Juncheng’s spirit was being worn down by agitation and unease. Since returning home the previous night, he hadn’t exchanged a single word with Li Wenxuan. He continued to pace in silence, constantly checking the time. Less than an hour remained of the deadline Qin Fan had given.
"Dad, let’s call the police," Li Wenxuan suddenly said, her throat moving dryly.
"Call the police? Impossible!" Li Juncheng shot back, waving his hand dismissively. "I, Li Juncheng, cannot afford to lose face like that! Besides, the police can protect us for a day, but can they protect us for a lifetime? This must be settled for good!" At that moment, he had completely lost his usual gentlemanly demeanor.
"If you won’t call the police, then just give him the money! If the money is gone, we can earn it back! Even if we have to give up one hundred billion, we can still make a comeback!" Ultimately, her resentment gave way to reason, and Li Wenxuan, sharing his blood, couldn’t help but say what needed to be said.
After a long pause of several seconds, Li Juncheng exhaled a ragged breath. "Just wait a little longer!" he forced out through clenched teeth.
SCREECH!
SCREECH!
Just as he finished speaking, several beams of headlights cut through the darkness outside the villa. Two cars braked sharply, and three middle-aged men emerged. Led by Yan Long, they strode haughtily into the villa.
"Mr. Li, they’re here!" Yan Long’s solemn voice announced his arrival before he even came into view.
They’re here?
Inside, the clouds of worry on Li Juncheng’s face were instantly replaced by a look of elation. He hurried forward, his cane clacking on the floor as he limped along in a small jog.
"Sawadee krap!"
"Sawadee krap!"
"Sawadee krap!"
After Li Juncheng came to a stop, the three dark-skinned, middle-aged men bowed with their hands pressed together.
"Thai?" Li Juncheng asked, his flash of joy vanishing as his brows knitted together.
"Yes, former Martial Monks from the Thai Vajra Temple," Yan Long explained. "They have cultivated the Bronze Skin Iron Bone Golden Bell Shield. I’ve tested their skills myself. I would be defeated within five moves, seriously injured within eight, and dead within ten. And I’m certain that’s not even their full strength. Also, Mr. Li, I showed them the security footage from the cruise. They only agreed to come because they have absolute confidence. After all, while money is a wonderful thing, you have to be alive to spend it. Everyone understands that."
"Mr. Li, you can rest assured. Just prepare your thirty billion. Your enemy will not see tomorrow’s sunrise," one of the Martial Monks said with a conceited look, speaking in broken Chinese as he cupped his hands.
"Good! I believe you!" With no way to turn back, Li Juncheng gritted his teeth and nodded vigorously, the muscles on his still-recovering face trembling.
After speaking, he glanced at the clock again. Only twenty minutes remained. He turned toward the inner hall. "Wenxuan, you should leave! Go somewhere else! Don’t stay here!"
There was no response. Standing far away with her back to her father and the so-called experts, Li Wenxuan rose to her feet. Dragging her seemingly exhausted body, she started walking upstairs, choosing to remain.
"So be it." Li Juncheng exhaled, pursing his lips and choosing not to press the issue.
「At the same time.」
On the main road leading to the Li Family’s Mountain Villa, Qin Fan and Lai Zhuge were sitting in a taxi.
The twenty-four-hour deadline was in its final moments.
Within the brightly lit Li Family villa, its gates thrown wide open, three former Martial Monks who claimed to possess the Bronze Skin Iron Bone Golden Bell Shield stood guard before Li Juncheng.
As the seconds ticked away, a great battle was about to erupt.
Faced with the choice between his money and his life, the Gambling King, Li Juncheng, had chosen the former.
