Chapter 26: Threat
The Ren Family’s residence is not in the downtown area, but a large mansion near the northern suburbs, with no other houses around, only this grand mansion standing tall, occupying nearly half a street.
In the center of the main hall, an elderly man dressed in Tang-style clothing supported himself with a cane with both hands, sitting on the wide chair directly in front, looking aged but with a very upright posture, exuding an inherent aura that made the people sitting on his left and right lower their heads, and upon closer inspection, their legs were faintly trembling.
“Ah!”
“Ah!!”
“Grandpa, I was wrong!!”
Ren Xu, who had been full of arrogance at noon, was now hung up and being whipped by others.
That whip seemed to be specially made, with spikes on it, and the person wielding it used great force, each swing creating an afterimage, spinning Ren Xu like a top.
“Wrong? Do you really know you were wrong?”
The old man snorted coldly: “You only know because you were found out, what wrong is there? Doing things has no absolute right or wrong, only done well or poorly! Look at the lousy methods you used!”
He looked at the middle-aged man wielding the whip, “What a fine seed you’ve taught! A magic treasure worth 10 million, and you wanted to buy it for four million? If you can’t buy it, you use force. Does our Ren Family lack money that badly?”
Pa!!
Hearing this, the middle-aged man swung the whip even faster.
The old man continued: “Don’t know where you got the guts to act recklessly. You usually seem clever and quick-witted, how did you become so muddled on this matter? You think you have family background and connections? Doesn’t the other side? That’s the Disinfection Bureau!”
Like an old lion, the old man roared: “Even if not taken seriously in private, on the surface, respect must be shown! That’s the rule, understand?”
“Yes, Grandpa, I know I was wrong, I’ll reflect on it.”
Ren Xu was whipped until he was gasping for breath, blood flowing like water, dripping drop by drop from his body, pooling into a puddle of blood below.
The old man waved his hand, and only then did the middle-aged man stop, looking at Ren Xu with a trace of heartache in his eyes, but he didn’t dare do anything more.
“Of course, we’re not afraid of trouble. If wrong, accept punishment. If not wrong, no one can touch us. You at most asked a question, the other side just wouldn’t sell, nothing else to do with you. In the future, be more humble when doing things. There’s always a higher mountain.”
The old man sighed helplessly, “Don’t blame Grandpa for being harsh. If I don’t teach you properly now, if you cause big trouble later, it’ll be too late. That’s it, carry him back to rest. When summer vacation starts, go abroad to study, don’t stay in the country.”
“Dad”
These words finally made the middle-aged man unable to hold back, “Isn’t this making a fuss over nothing?”
As soon as the words fell, another middle-aged man who resembled the old man by seventy percent approached quickly, “Dad, Sun Shun from the Disinfection Bureau is here.”
The old man paused, his gaze toward Ren Xu turning even colder, “They’ve come knocking, and you call this making a fuss? Keep him hanging, let them see our attitude too. Invite him in.”
That person nodded and went out again, but not long after, he brought Sun Shun in.
“Section Chief Sun.”
The old man forced a smile, tremblingly trying to stand up, “You didn’t say in advance before coming, so we could prepare a welcome ceremony, otherwise it seems discourteous.”
“Old Master Ren, no need to be so polite, you’re a senior.”
Sun Shun hurried forward, pressing down the old man’s hand to stop his seemingly rising motion, then he scanned the surroundings, his gaze landing on Ren Xu who was hanging in the corner, covered in blood.
“This is…?”
“A younger family member did something wrong, teaching him rules.”
The old man chuckled: “You know, the bigger the family, the more rules they need. While I’m still around these years, teach him more, otherwise when I’m dead, no one will manage them.”
“Yes, the bigger the family, the more rules they need. As the old saying goes, great families can’t be destroyed from the outside, only internal problems can wear them down bit by bit. Teaching rules is a good thing.”
Sun Shun smiled and said, though his words were somewhat meaningful, “But Old Master Ren, your spirit is much better than mine, you will surely live a long life!”
“Then I’ll borrow Section Chief Sun’s auspicious words!”
The old man smiled without it reaching his eyes, laughing two seemingly hearty laughs, then said to the others: “No manners, guest is here and no tea?”
“Section Chief Sun, please take a seat.”
“No no no, I’m just here to deliver something and say a few words, no need to trouble.”
Sun Shun waved his hands repeatedly, then took out a long black cloth package from his pocket, opened it to reveal a test tube containing a black liquid like sesame paste, and on closer look, moving granular shapes and black threads could be seen.
“This is from Director Pan, I don’t know what it is, but he said it must be delivered to you personally.”
Sun Shun placed the test tube on the table, smiling: “And two sentences. Director Pan misses very much the ‘contributions’ Old Master Ren made to Ningjiang when he was young. When he came, he even told me he wants to make room for Old Master Ren to be the Disinfection Bureau Chief.”
The word “contributions” was emphasized heavily by him.
As soon as these words came out, the faces of those present changed abruptly, but the old man smiled cheerfully, as if he had truly heard a compliment, and laughed:
“Director Pan thinks too highly of me. What virtue or ability does this old man have? Now even eating is strenuous, can only rely on some external things to barely hang on a breath of qi. But if there’s need, not to mention this old man, my whole family can step up. Please reassure Director Pan.”
“As long as Old Master has this spirit, Director Pan will surely understand. Alright, I won’t disturb you teaching family rules.”
His last few words were also emphasized heavily. After speaking, he turned and left.
“By the way…”
But at the main hall entrance, Sun Shun turned around, smiling: “Recently inspections are strict, if there are any irregularities, still need to rectify promptly, all to cooperate with the work.”
With that, he left quickly without any pause.
Bang!
Until Sun Shun’s figure disappeared, the main hall emitted a loud bang.
The chair under the old man and the nearby tea table suddenly shattered, the splintered wood pieces like javelins piercing into the surrounding pillars and floor, embedding deeply.
At this time, the old man stood up, his eyes glowing, hair and beard moving, where was the earlier decrepit appearance.
He reached out his hand, catching the test tube falling from the air, glanced at it, and sneered: “Trying to scare me with this? Pan Zhengyang’s tricks aren’t that clever either.”
“Dad, this is…”
“Locust God Cult’s little toy, hmph, a warning or framing, I see. Using this as an excuse to come threaten at the door. If not reined in, sooner or later big trouble.”
The old man flung it casually, the test tube and its contents suddenly melted at that moment, tainted with a touch of blood, landing on the ground as a drop of blood.
“Unfortunately, this bit can’t force me.”
He shook his head with a smile, picked up the cane again, turning back into a normal old man, moving slowly but with steady steps toward the back, “That’s it, let them investigate, bear whatever losses.”
“The county matters don’t need to stop, I have my ways. That Sun Shun is right, great families can’t be killed from the outside, as long as no internal issues, Ningjiang will always bear the Ren name!”
