Everyone was waiting for Pei Jiangmu to erupt. Even the dean, who had rushed over in a hurry, looked solemn.
But he didn't look at anyone else anymore, nor did he try to say anything.
He just took steps and walked towards the end of the corridor, his steps steady to an almost terrifying degree.
Qi Yu watched his back. That familiar, spine - chilling coldness swept over him again.
He knew that the paranoid, crazy, and reckless Pei Jiangmu had returned.
Moreover, this time, because of Meng Ruozhao's collapse, he would have no more scruples.
The city of Haicheng was about to change.
All those involved in this incident would bear the wrath from hell.
Two hours later, in an abandoned factory on the outskirts, where the stench of rust and the decay of dust filled the air.
The pale emergency lights hung on the exposed reinforced concrete columns. The flickering light distorted the shadows of people.
The air was filled with a strong smell of blood, urine, and the stench of fear.
Several men, beaten black and blue and hardly recognizable, were thrown like torn sacks on the cold concrete floor.
They were the hooligans who had committed the crime in [Fuyunxuan] last night.
At this moment, they curled up and groaned. Even taking a deep breath brought excruciating pain.
In front of them, there was a simple wooden back - chair.
Pei Jiangmu was sitting there.
He had changed into a well - tailored black suit, with a crisp white shirt inside. The collar was neatly buttoned, and even the cufflinks reflected a cold light.
In sharp contrast to his extremely elegant and noble attire was the environment he was in and the dagger he was playing with in his hand.
The dagger was small and delicate, with an ivory handle inlaid with dark red gemstones.
The blade was cold and sharp, flipping and twirling nimbly between his long, fair fingers, like a venomous snake ready to strike at any moment.
He didn't look at the people on the ground. His eyes were downcast, as if all his attention was focused on the dagger.
It was as if the people on the ground were just a bunch of ants not worth caring about.
This complete indifference was more terrifying than any fierce glare.
The bald - headed boss's eye was swollen to just a slit, and he didn't know how many of his ribs were broken. Every breath was filled with the smell of blood.
When he saw Pei Jiangmu, especially felt the dead - like coldness on the latter that seemed to freeze the air, his will to survive overcame everything.
He struggled and managed to crawl up on his knees with all his might. Ignoring the excruciating pain all over his body, he began to kowtow frantically. The sound of his forehead hitting the concrete floor was like a dull drumbeat.
"Spare my life! Young Master Pei, please spare my life!!"
His voice was distorted because of fear and his injuries, with a sobbing tone.
"I really didn't know... I didn't know Miss Meng was yours!"
"If I had known, I wouldn't have dared to touch a single hair on her head even if I had a hundred guts!"
"I was just doing a job for money... Really! We didn't mean to hurt anyone. The client told us to just destroy the store, not to hurt anyone..."
He rambled on, eager to clear himself of any blame and shift all the faults onto others.
"It was the yellow - haired guy! It was that damned yellow - haired guy who was driven by lust!"
"I tried to stop him at that time! I really did! I told him not to touch Miss Meng!"
"He didn't listen! It was him who hit Miss Meng, and it was also him... It was him who finally took action!!"
He shouted hoarsely, trying to use his comrade's crimes to buy himself a glimmer of hope.
Seeing this, the other hooligans also knelt down one by one, enduring the pain, kowtowing like pounding garlic, and pleading for mercy in a chaotic mess.
Pei Jiangmu still didn't say a word, not even lifting his eyelids.
He just pressed his fingertips slightly, and the dagger stopped between his fingers, the tip pointing directly at the bald - headed man, the cold light glinting.
Qi Yu stood behind and to the side of Pei Jiangmu, carefully observing his expression.
Seeing that Pei Jiangmu showed no sign of response, he knew that the boss didn't care about these ants' excuses and pleas for mercy.
He stepped forward and coldly interrupted the bald - headed man's endless babbling: "Who was the person who hired you?"
Actually, even before these hooligans were captured and before they were "treated", the bald - headed man was eager to confess the mastermind behind the scenes in the hope of getting a lighter punishment.
But Pei Jiangmu's men had received a strict order - don't ask, just beat.
Beat them until they were half - dead, until they didn't even have the strength to think, only instinctive fear remained.
So, before they could say a word, their mouths were stuffed with dirty rags, and they endured this brutal beating just to vent their master's anger.
Because they had touched someone they shouldn't have, that was enough. Whether they confessed or not, it couldn't change their fate.
At this moment, hearing that they were finally asked about the mastermind, the bald - headed man grabbed this straw of hope and quickly confessed everything.
"I'll tell you! I'll tell you! It was a woman who contacted us!"
"Her surname is Wu. She's very young and beautiful. She's extremely generous. At first glance, she's... she's from the upper class, rich and noble!"
He tried hard to recall, afraid of missing any details.
"We got this job through Scar - faced Liu from the west of the city."
"As for what Miss Wu's background is, we small fry really don't know!"
"I guess... I guess she might be Miss Meng's competitor? Otherwise, why would she want to destroy the store and stop it from operating..."
Saying this, the bald - headed man seemed to remember something and quickly tried to show his loyalty and clear himself of blame.
"However... we didn't destroy all those expensive clothes! Most of them were packed up and are still in the car! Really! We're willing to return them!"
"We'll bear all the losses! Double, no, ten times the compensation! Please, Young Master Pei, be magnanimous and spare our miserable lives..."
Hearing the words "bear the losses", Pei Jiangmu, who had been as still as a statue, finally showed a reaction.
He slowly raised his eyes.
What terrifying eyes they were.
There was no anger, no ferocity in them, only a void, bottomless darkness that seemed to be able to devour even the light.
Those who were swept by his gaze froze instantly, as if they had been pierced by an ice pick, and even forgot to plead for mercy.
His gaze lightly passed over the yellow - haired guy who was curled up on the ground, reeking of filth.
He was the one who had been "specially taken care of" the most. His hands and feet were bent at unnatural angles.
His face was covered with blood, snot, and tears. His crotch was wet and then dry, dry and then wet again. His eyes were unfocused.
He made unconscious grunting sounds, obviously scared out of his wits.
Then, Pei Jiangmu's gaze returned to the bald - headed man's face. The corner of his mouth very slowly curled up into an elegant but completely cold arc.
"You said you would bear the losses?"
His voice was very soft, with a strange calmness as if he were discussing the weather today.
The bald - headed man was so scared by his look that he could only nod desperately.
"Okay then." Pei Jiangmu casually threw the delicate dagger in his hand on the ground.
"Clang - " The dagger landed in front of the bald - headed man, only an inch away from his knee. The sharp tip even scratched a white mark on the ground.
"I won't make it difficult for you."
Pei Jiangmu's voice remained calm.
"Right now, Zhaozhao is lying in the hospital."
"You, and him," his gaze swept over the dying yellow - haired guy again, "choose one."