"Humph."
Pei Jiangmu seemed to know what he was thinking. He let out a soft sneer, interrupting his speculation.
But he didn't want to explain it to him because he wasn't worthy to hear those things.
"Du Feng."
He paced slowly. His red-soled leather shoes stepped on the dusty ground silently but with tremendous pressure.
"That's not something you're qualified to ask about."
He stopped in front of Du Feng, bending slightly. His dark eyes were like abysses, reflecting Du Feng's panicked and distorted face.
"The father-daughter bond between you and her was completely severed when you coldly watched her being pushed out of the car that year and when you connived at Xia Lian's dirty abduction plan."
After a pause, he emphasized,
"Completely, without a trace left."
His tone was terrifyingly calm, but it was more despairing than any roar.
"I originally..."
Pei Jiangmu straightened up. His gaze swept across Xia Lian, who was shaking like a leaf, Du Xixi, whose eyes were flickering, and Du Changlin, who looked ashen.
His tone carried a kind of cruel charity.
"I didn't plan to settle this old score with you so soon. After all, it's dirty work."
After a pause, the corner of his mouth curled up in that signature, demonic and cruel arc.
"But who asked you and these good-for-nothings you've raised to keep coming up again and again, challenging my patience and touching the people I care about?"
As his voice fell, he gently raised his hand.
Qi Yu understood and immediately signaled the people behind him.
A burly man in black walked up with a tray.
On the tray were four identical, clear amber liquids, emitting a strange luster in the dim light.
"Here are four glasses of wine."
Pei Jiangmu's voice was like a death sentence, echoing in the silent factory building.
"Three of them have a little 'condiment' added."
"You won't die immediately after drinking it. I'll give you seven days to arrange your affairs."
"After seven days, your internal organs will start to rot, your whole body's organs will fail, and you'll die painfully... slowly."
He seemed to be describing an ordinary thing, even with a hint of appreciation.
"I can tell you clearly that only the third glass is safe."
He pointed to the third glass from the left.
"Now, each of you four must choose a glass and drink it."
Except for Xia Lian, who seemed to be scared stupid, the other three members of the Du family instantly widened their eyes, and all the color drained from their faces!
"No... You can't do this! This is murder!!"
Du Xixi was the first to scream, her voice shrill.
"This is a society ruled by law now! How dare you kill someone?! Even the Pei family can't protect you!!"
Pei Jiangmu seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke. He laughed softly, his laughter filled with cold sarcasm.
"A society ruled by law?"
He repeated these four words playfully, his gaze like cold needles stabbing at Du Xixi.
"Miss Du, now you know it's a society ruled by law?"
"Then why did you forget about the law when you bribed tabloid journalists to spread rumors that Meng Ruochao had a chaotic private life?"
Du Xixi's face turned pale.
"Why did you forget about the law when you found someone to mix allergic substances into the fabric used in Ruochao's shop?"
Du Xixi's body began to tremble.
"Even... when you tried to tamper with her car to stage an 'accidental' car crash..."
Pei Jiangmu's voice suddenly became extremely cold. "Why did you forget all about the law?!"
Du Xixi felt as if her neck was being choked. She couldn't make a sound anymore, only the chattering of her teeth.
She thought those things were done secretly. It turned out... it turned out that he had already known!
And it was this devil who knew. No wonder none of them had succeeded.
"It doesn't matter if you forget."
Pei Jiangmu looked at her as if she were a dead thing.
"I've kept them all in mind for you. Today is the day to settle the accounts."
At this time, Du Changlin crawled and rolled to Pei Jiangmu's feet, crying and begging for mercy.
"Master Pei! Master Pei, please spare my life! I... I've never hurt her! I've really never done anything to Meng Ruochao!"
"Please spare me! It's all my father! It's all Du Xixi and the others who did it! It has nothing to do with me!"
Pei Jiangmu looked down at him with a look of disgust as if he were looking at garbage. His voice carried a kind of cruel mockery.
"Never hurt her? Du Changlin, in your mind, what is considered harm?"
He squatted down to look Du Changlin in the eye. There seemed to be a whirlpool spinning in his dark eyes.
"Bringing your friends to verbally humiliate her, make all kinds of vulgar remarks and provocations on various occasions, is that not harm?"
"Spreading rumors in your Du family's circle, getting everyone to ostracize and isolate her so that she didn't even have someone to talk to, is that not harm?"
"Even..." Pei Jiangmu's voice was as cold as ice. "Have you forgotten the time when you tried to stand up for Du Xixi and wanted to hit her but were countered instead?"
Du Changlin suddenly looked up, his eyes full of extreme panic and disbelief.
Meng Ruochao might not even know some of these things. How did Pei Jiangmu...
"That... that was her fault first. Anyway, she is also a daughter of our Du family..."
Du Changlin argued subconsciously.
"Slap!"
He immediately received a heavy slap on his face, which made his eyes see stars and his mouth bleed.
Pei Jiangmu withdrew his hand and slowly wiped his fingers with a handkerchief. His eyes were full of disgust. He didn't even want to argue with him. He just said two words, "Waste."
Then he stood up, no longer looking at Du Changlin, who was lying on the ground like mud, and didn't want to hear any more begging nonsense.
"Make your choice."
His voice returned to its previous calm, but it carried an undeniable final verdict.
"Who drinks which glass is up to you. I'll only give you five minutes."
After saying that, he actually took a few steps back. Someone immediately brought a clean chair.
He sat down gracefully, crossing his legs.
It was as if he was sitting in a theater box, ready to watch a wonderful play. His eyes were full of playfulness and cold anticipation.
Begging for mercy was useless, and threatening was ineffective. The shadow of death was like a real scythe, hanging over each member of the Du family's head.
After a brief silence, the most selfish and ugly side of human nature completely erupted!
"I want to drink the third glass!!"
Du Xixi was the first to scream and pounce on the tray, her eyes fixed on the glass that was indicated to be "safe".
"Get out of the way! Bitch!"
Although Du Changlin had been beaten, his will to survive gave him strength. He pushed Du Xixi away.
"I'm the only son of the Du family! The Du family can't have no heir! It should be me who survives!!"
"The only son?"
Du Xixi staggered from the push. Her hair was in a mess, and she looked like a madwoman. She pointed at Du Changlin and screamed at Pei Jiangmu.
"Master Pei! You don't know this! He's not even a member of the Du family!"
"He's a bastard born to Xia Lian and a man outside! Du Feng can't have children anymore!"
This was undoubtedly a bombshell!