Chapter 149: Do you know how the word "death" is written? (Part 6)

"Forget about that; adult matters are none of your concern. Hurry off now, and tell your mother I am fine so she doesn't worry." My father clearly still viewed me as a child, believing I had no ability to intervene in the situation at hand.

"Dad, you're wrong about that. I am already seventeen, practically an adult. With something this major happening, how could you think I can't help?" I protested, reaching out to take hold of Zhang Jing standing beside me, and said to my father, "Mom already told me everything about your situation. All of this trouble was caused by the Sunshine Group. This is Ms. Zhang Jing, the President of Sunshine Group. You and the other uncles can ask her for all your unpaid wages."

"What?!" My father clearly found it hard to believe that such a stunning woman could be the female president of the Sunshine Group. He looked her up and down for a moment before exclaiming in sudden realization, "It's you! That's right, it's you! I've seen you on television."

"Uncle... I'm sorry. I had no idea my subordinates would pull something like this. Acquiring the freight company was my decision, but please believe me, Uncle, I never agreed to let my subordinates misappropriate your wages. Everything was done by Zhang Tao, the Sunshine Group's head manager in charge of these matters. Please believe me..." Seeing the instant hostility in my father's eyes, Zhang Jing hurriedly and flusteredly began to explain. If this bride-to-be was already viewed with hostility by her future father-in-law, things would surely turn upside down later on.

Hearing Zhang Jing's words, my father looked quite stunned. He opened his mouth wide, pointed at me, and then said to Zhang Jing, "You... what did you just call me? Un... Uncle??"

"Hehe, Dad, Zhang Jing is a good friend of mine. We met when I sold software to the Sunshine Group. Don't misunderstand her; she really had no idea about any of this. Since she has come all the way here, let her handle the situation." I felt a secret thrill seeing my father's expression of utter astonishment. Honestly, in both my past and present lives spanning decades, this was truly the first time I had ever seen my father look so dumbfounded. It made sense—for the president of such a massive corporation to know a high school student like me would shock anyone for a good long while.

Seeing the still-red and swollen mark on my father's cheek as I spoke like this, a surge of anger flared up in my heart. *Damn it, how dare they hit my old man! I really need to see what kind of arrogant bastards these people are.* I hardened my face and asked my father coldly, "Dad, who on earth hit you in the face?"

"Don't even mention it! It was those gangsters sent by this good friend of yours!" The moment my father mentioned the injury on his face, a wave of frustration washed over him. He casually pointed toward the crowd, looked coldly and mockingly at Zhang Jing, and said, "The Sunshine Group is truly impressive. Not only do you have the police showing up to help, but you're also in bed with the underworld. Ms. Zhang, you need to give me a satisfactory explanation today. Our home was smashed to pieces like that, and so many driver brothers have had their wages withheld for a full month. Tell me yourself, what are we going to do about this?"

Zhang Jing, not daring to offend my father—her future father-in-law—nodded like a pecking chick and said, "Definitely, definitely. All of Uncle's losses will be compensated by the Sunshine Group, and I will pay off the wages of all these driver comrades in full. Not only that, but I will also compensate you for your emotional distress. I only hope... I only hope you can forgive me for my lax supervision of my subordinates. I..."

"President Zhang, please stay here and negotiate with my father. Dad, I'm going inside to check on the situation. I also know that subordinate of Zhang Jing's; I'll go ahead and tell him not to hurt your driver friends." Right in front of my father, there was no way I could punish anyone; I had to divert his attention. At this point, my father was already growing interested in Zhang Jing's proposal. He was never a man fond of making a fuss, so hearing that the matter could be settled amicably, he naturally nodded in agreement. Signaling the hundreds of drivers to remain calm for a moment, he said to Zhang Jing, "Ms. Zhang, I think we really need to have a detailed talk about the compensation."

I secretly exchanged a glance with Zhang Jing, signaling her to keep my father occupied. After Zhang Jing gave me a look advising me to be careful, she nodded and led my father to a distant spot to begin discussing the compensation details in depth. Seeing that the plan had succeeded, I immediately plunged straight into the crowd of drivers.

Long before I entered, the fifty or sixty security guards from Tianying Company had already dispersed and blended into the crowd. Seeing me enter the midst of the people, they immediately began gathering beneath the building of Tianyu Company. Because Tianyu was a freight company, the open space beneath the building served as a parking lot for trucks. With the drivers coming to protest today, the freight trucks had long since been driven away, making the area exceptionally vacant. Squeezing past a dozen or so drivers, I finally reached the inner area right beneath the Tianyu Company building. There, twenty-some hoodlums with cigarettes dangling from their lips were trading insults with the drivers. Lounging lazily—some squatting, some leaning—they held wooden clubs and other weapons on the building's steps, blocking the drivers from moving closer.

"Damn it, you bunch of shameless ingrates! Do you think having numbers makes you hotshots? If you're so great, come and try! I wasn't scared out of my wits. You swaggering bastards want to cause trouble? You'd better see if we fearless guys agree to it first! Huh? Where the hell did your leader go? Didn't he get slapped back home by my hand? Huh? Hahaha..."

Before I could even get a clear look at the hoodlums, I heard a burly thug carrying a thick wooden stick spit into the distance, put his hands on his hips, and burst into boisterous laughter. The surrounding thugs joined in with echoing laughter. Evidently, this fellow was the small-time boss in charge for the Ax Gang in this area. Perfect—I didn't even need to ask; this jerk was the one who hit my dad and smashed up my home.

I stepped out of the crowd, walking alone into the isolated open space between the thugs and the drivers, and smiled coldly at the scar-faced bruiser: "Are you the one who hit my father?"

The burly man was still roaring with laughter when he finally noticed me—a scrawny young kid—standing right in front of him. Looking me up and down, he said dismissively, "Your father? Who the hell is your father? I have no idea. But I sure know your mother—she's right in my bed right now, hahaha..."

"Audacious! How dare you speak to my boss like that? I'd say you're tired of living—" At that moment, Baldy suddenly surged out from the crowd, swinging his fist in a furious dash to fiercely teach the guy a lesson, but I stopped him with a single gesture. Casting a cold glance at Baldy to signal his retreat, I turned back and smiled at the burly thug. "Whether my mother is in your bed or not, I wouldn't know. But I do know that even if she were, a limp-dick loser like you couldn't do a damn thing anyway."

"Clank..." As the words left my mouth, the burly man's lewd laughter abruptly cut off. Glaring at me with mounting rage, he barked, "Damn it, what gives you the right to say I'm impotent? For all I know, you little bastard might be my son!"

"You're my father? Oh, then what should I call you?" My expression remained calm, but the Ziyang Qi within my body was already circulating at full strength.

"Old man, of course!" Hearing my question, he snapped back immediately.

"Ah, that's right! Good boy, come here, Daddy will give you some candy." Reaching into my pocket, I fished out a piece of Dove chocolate and smiled as I held it out toward the big thug. *Damn it, this chocolate was something Su Xin secretly shoved into my hand during class, and I forgot to eat it. It comes in handy right now.*

"Hahaha..." Hearing me subtly curse the big thug through a roundabout wordplay, the drivers burst into uproarious laughter. Losing face completely, the burly thug gripped his club tightly in frustration, pointed it right at me, and snarled, "Little punk, are you tired of living? How the hell dare you mock your grandfather! Do you believe I'll beat you so badly even your own mother won't recognize you?"

"I'll ask you one more time: was my father beaten by you?" I gazed coldly at the bruiser. At that moment, someone among the drivers reminded me, "Are you Old Xiao's son? Your father was indeed slapped by that fellow, and your house was smashed up by his men, too."

"Oh... so you're that old man's little bastard. Yeah, I'm the one who had your house smashed. What? Want revenge? Haha, great, come on then! I'm so scared, oh I'm so scared to die..." Knowing now that I was the victim's son, the big thug began to mock me, deliberately putting on an expression of exaggerated terror. "Brothers, I can't take it—I'm about to be beaten to death by this little kid! Tell me, shouldn't I beg him for mercy?"

"Hahaha... Boss, your act is too convincing..." As soon as he spoke, all twenty-some thugs burst into belly laughs. These punks never imagined that very soon, I would make them realize that even laughing was a luxury.

"Do you know how to write the word 'death'?" Slowly holding the piece of chocolate between two fingers, channeling all the Ziyang Qi in my body into those fingertips, I smiled coldly. "Today, I'll let you taste what it means to wish you were dead!"