"You... you are a devil," Ent spat, gritting his teeth as he gestured for Ning Beichen to be killed.
However, before the Violet family's guards could move, bullets pierced their skulls, staining the ground crimson. The fallen guards hadn't even realized where the shots came from.
"Patriarch Ent, I'm not joking with you. Do you know how many guns are pointed at your little head right now? If I frown even slightly, your head will become a rotten watermelon," Ning Beichen said, his face devoid of emotion.
Ent's face turned ashen. He realized their usual tactics were useless. These people, whoever they were, possessed fighter jets, indicating they were far from a minor force.
"What... what do you want?" Ent finally managed to grit out after a long pause.
"Nothing much. I just want to live a peaceful life, without all this killing and scheming. But you won't let me!" Ning Beichen said casually. "Am I asking for too much?"
"No!"
"But you are denying me!"
"Are you proud of your son? In my eyes, he's a good-for-nothing. What is he worth?"
"He deserved to die! Bah!" Ning Beichen spat on Ent's face, then pointed at him, cursing like a madman. Despite his initial reluctance to protect Liu Yilin, he had to admit that these ordinary days had brought him a sense of peace.
"I'm very unhappy. I'm telling you, I'm very unhappy right now. Should I kill you?" Ning Beichen unleashed his demonic side. He, Ning Yanwang, was never a good person; otherwise, he wouldn't be alive today.
Ent, with Ning Beichen's spittle on his face, looked at the raving man and felt a primal fear creep up his spine. He regretted provoking this lunatic. It was just the death of one son; he had others, and he wouldn't be without an heir.
"Tell me, does your Violet family want to continue existing, or do you want to vanish into the dust of history?" Ning Beichen asked Ent imperiously. "I'm not afraid to tell you, there's a 'Shenfeng Express' waiting in the sky to receive you. With one command, this place will turn to dust. I'll deal with your other sons, daughters, wives, relatives, and friends... so you can all be reunited!"
"I surrender," Ent said, surprisingly buckling under the pressure.
Ning Beichen smirked, a devilish grin spreading across his face. The 'Shenfeng Express' was a bluff. He had emptied his coffers for this confrontation, and a full-blown war with the Violet family wouldn't be this easy. It was all about using his perceived power to intimidate. It wasn't just the rich who knew how to do that; Ning Beichen was an expert.
An hour later, under the respectful farewells of the entire Violet family, he swaggered away, a colossal sum of "compensation" in his hands. His missile threats weren't free; they came with a price. The Violet family, their property in ruins, had no choice but to pay.
"Patriarch Ent, you are too kind. No need to see me off; this is far enough," Ning Beichen said warmly, shaking Ent's hand. To an outsider, they might have appeared to be good friends.
"Mr. Ning, travel safely. Visit us again sometime," Ent forced a smile. The final straw that broke him wasn't the 'Shenfeng Express' but a video Ning Beichen had shown him. It featured a young, beautiful woman and a naive, adorable child – Ent's illegitimate son from a secret affair. Without any missiles, Ning Beichen only needed to leak this video to "interested" media outlets for Ent to face immense trouble. Even if Ning Beichen didn't destroy the place, Ent's position as patriarch would be untenable.
Despicable? Perhaps. But Ning Beichen didn't care. To deal with wolves, one had to act like a wolf, not try to reason with them. One had to break their mouths and pull out their teeth. If reason worked, there wouldn't be so much grievance and hatred in the world. If Ning Beichen had tried to reason with Ent from the start, would Ent have reasoned with him?
"Definitely, definitely. I will visit often," Ning Beichen said with a smile. Ent, his face a mask of misery, had no choice but to nod in agreement.
"Oh, right. My boss's bounty..." Ning Beichen's lips curved upwards again.
"Immediately, I'll cancel the bounty immediately," Ent responded promptly.
"Good, good. If you say so, we're still friends, aren't we? No need for unpleasantness, right?" Ning Beichen patted Ent's shoulder gleefully. The pat wasn't heavy, but it felt like a thousand pounds to Ent, who dared not object and could only agree.
Ning Beichen left with a flourish, a pocketful of astronomical checks, while Ent remained with a face full of bitterness. The once glorious Violet family had been reduced to such humiliation. Resentment festered, and Ent wished he could devour Ning Beichen and use his head as a stool. But he knew it wasn't the time for revenge. Even if he could manage it, Ning Beichen's displayed power was too formidable. Any retaliation would have to be clandestine, not overt.
Ning Beichen departed with an air of triumph. He was satisfied with the outcome, avoiding a direct confrontation. Whether the Violet family would seek revenge, he knew they would, but not at this critical juncture. He had too many enemies, with the Holy See being a more immediate threat. Adding the Violet family to the list was inconsequential. If they dared to come, he, Ning Yanwang, would bury them, no matter how many. If he felt displeased one day, he'd simply pay them another visit, eager to see how much the Violet family had left for him to plunder.