Taking advantage of the situation
The night is eerily quiet.
In the back alley of "Zhi Xiu Fang", Chun Tao's cousin "Laili Tou" brought a few of his men, clinging to the wall like geckos, and quietly approached the back door of the studio.
Baldy took out a piece of wire from his pocket, skillfully poked it into the keyhole, and fiddled with it for a few times. With a slight "click" sound, the usually sturdy door lock was easily opened.
A few of them exchanged smug glances and slipped inside.
The studio was dark, the air filled with the unique fragrance of fabrics and silk threads. The model, still covered with an unfinished gorgeous dress, showed an elegant silhouette in the faint moonlight coming in from the window.
"Don't dawdle, get started!" Baldy urged in a low voice.
One of the younger brothers immediately unscrewed the lid of the gasoline barrel, and a pungent smell instantly filled the air. They began to pour gasoline on the most expensive fabrics, finished products, and semi-finished products.
What they wanted was not only to burn down the shop, but also to destroy all the precious efforts put into it.
However, just as they were about to light the fire, something strange happened!
“Bang!”
All the lights in the studio suddenly lit up at once!
The sudden bright light blinded the arsonists and they subconsciously covered their faces with their arms.
Then, they heard a cold and emotionless voice coming from the stairs on the second floor.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you have come to visit me so late at night. What kind of 'eternal lamp' do you want to light in my 'Zhixiufang'?"
Baldy Head and the others were horrified and looked up suddenly, only to see that the stairs were already full of people without them knowing when!
The leader was none other than Ah Xiu.
She was still dressed in plain clothes, her expression was terrifyingly calm, and she even held a cup of steaming tea in her hand.
Behind her stood Murong Bai and a dozen or so sturdy men armed with short sticks. These men were Murong Bai's most reliable helpers, hired from the dock workers' union through his connections at the newspaper.
The front and back doors of the studio were completely blocked.
Catch the turtle in the jar!
"You... why are you here?!" Baldy was completely panicked. He raised the lighter in his hand and threatened, "Don't come over! Otherwise, I will set the whole place on fire and we will all die together!"
The ground was covered with cloth soaked in gasoline. Just a spark would turn it into a sea of fire in an instant.
However, there was no trace of fear on Ling Xiuqing's face.
She even shook her head slightly and regretfully: "It's too late."
Before Baldy could react to what she meant, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, his vision went dark, and he fell down limply.
The one who made the move was Murong Bai. He had silently circled behind the group of people without anyone noticing, and with lightning speed, he cleanly and neatly dispatched the most threatening leader with a single blow.
The remaining minions were so frightened by what they saw that before they could even put up any resistance, they were rushed over by the group of dock workers, who quickly pinned them to the ground and tied them up tightly.
A potentially fatal arson crisis was completely extinguished before the flames could even start.
Only then did Ling Xiuqing slowly descend the stairs. She walked over to the model doused in gasoline and looked at her nearly finished work. A flicker of fear flashed in her eyes, but more than that, a cold murderous intent filled her.
Murong Bai walked over to her, looked at the people who had been subdued, and asked in a low voice: "How did you know they would come tonight?"
Ling Xiuqing picked up the teacup and took a sip. The scalding hot tea brought back a bit of warmth to her cold fingertips.
"It's very simple." She said calmly, "A person's hatred cannot be hidden."
She raised her head and looked at Murong Bai, her eyes gleaming with wisdom. "On the day of the birthday banquet, I saw the look in Han Shaoheng and Chuntao's eyes. That hatred was no longer just business competition, but an irreconcilable feud. I knew they would definitely use the quickest and most direct means to retaliate against me. And what could be more 'clean and efficient' than setting fire to Zhixiufang?"
She had anticipated all this from the moment she left the birthday party.
So, she immediately found Murong Bai, told him all her guesses, and asked for his help.
"Then why don't you call the police directly?" Murong Bai was a little puzzled.
"Call the police?" Ling Xiuqing's lips curled up in a sarcastic arc. "The police will only arrest these little bastards and lock them up for a few days before releasing them. That's not what I want."
She walked up to the bald man who was tied up like a dumpling, squatted down, and gently touched his cold cheek with the warm teacup in her hand.
The unconscious Baldy shuddered and slowly woke up. When he saw the calm face in front of him, he was terrified.
"You...what do you want to do? Let me tell you, my cousin is Mrs. Han..."
"I know." Ling Xiuqing interrupted him, her voice as gentle as a lover's whisper, but the content of her words made him feel as if he had fallen into an icy cave. "Not only do I know that your cousin is Mrs. Han, I also know that the person who ordered you here is Han Shaoheng. After the task is completed, he will give you 500 yuan, plus a boat ticket to Hong Kong, right?"
Baldy's pupils contracted violently because of extreme fear.
How could she... how could she know everything? !
"Now, I'm giving you a choice." Ling Xiuqing placed the teacup on the ground. Her voice was still gentle, but it carried an irresistible majesty. "Either, you keep everything to yourself, and tomorrow, your body will be found at the bottom of the Huangpu River. Or..."
She paused, her eyes becoming sharp as a knife:
"...Send a 'big gift' back to Han Shaoheng and Chuntao on my behalf."
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