He deliberately dragged out his words, "If you kneel down right now, kowtow to me three times, bark like a dog three times, and say 'Grandpa, I was wrong,' I might take pity on you and talk to the higher-ups to let you spend a few less days in jail!"
Xu Kuo took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart and the anger that was about to burst forth. His voice was extremely cold, sending chills down one's spine.
"Stop your fucking nonsense! Even if you have a police force, you need to have some kind of plan! You accuse me of price gouging and disrupting the market? Where's the evidence? I want to see what evidence gives you such confidence!"
"Evidence?" Upon hearing this, Wang Ming's sinister smile deepened. He suddenly turned around, raised his hand, and pointed at Secretary Wen, who was being held tightly by two thugs and glaring angrily but unable to break free. His voice was sharp and vicious.
"She is the evidence!"
"You're in cahoots with this wretched woman, colluding with officials and businessmen!"
Wang Ming's voice suddenly rose, and he shouted loudly at the surrounding people, trying to incite public opinion.
"She used her position as the town party secretary to give you preferential treatment, allowing you to set up a stall here! And you, in turn, gave her money and bribes! The two of you colluded to drive up vegetable prices, ripping off us ordinary people! This is irrefutable evidence! Caught red-handed!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
Xu Kuo felt an uncontrollable rage erupt like a volcanic eruption, shooting straight to the top of his head.
"Wang Ming! You beast who twists the truth! How dare you slander Secretary Wen like this!"
It is well known that Secretary Wen was an upright person who was dedicated to serving the people and had an excellent reputation in the town. Xu Kuo always held him in high esteem.
The establishment of this vegetable stall in the town was approved by Secretary Wen after he personally inspected the site despite pressure from all sides, in order to make things more convenient for the surrounding residents and to stabilize prices!
Now, that scoundrel Wang Ming not only wants to ruin all his hard work, but also wants to smear a good cadre like Secretary Wen!
This completely touched Xu Kuo's sore spot!
Xu Kuo's eyes flashed with a chilling light, almost solidifying as he pointed at Wang Ming. Every word he uttered seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying an icy edge.
"Wang Ming! You're spouting nonsense! My vegetable prices are fair and reasonable, and all the villagers here can testify to that! Secretary Wen is honest and upright, dedicated to public service, and has absolutely nothing to do with your dirty and despicable dealings! Release Secretary Wen immediately!"
"Release her? Hahahaha..." Wang Ming laughed even more wildly, completely disregarding Xu Kuo.
He pointed at Xu Kuo, then at Secretary Wen, laughing so hard he could hardly breathe.
"Xu Kuo, Xu Kuo, you are pathetically naive! She is your protector! Your accomplice! I arrested you two, you two scoundrels! How could I possibly let her go? Once you're both locked up, I'll have plenty of time to slowly deal with you..."
Wang Ming's laughter stopped abruptly!
The next moment, something unexpected happened!
"Smack—!!!"
A crisp, loud slap echoed at the entrance of the market!
No one saw how Xu Kuo moved; his figure was so fast it was like a blur!
Before everyone's eyes, Xu Kuo was already standing in front of Wang Ming, and his raised hand landed hard on Wang Ming's face, which was laughing wildly!
The immense force sent Wang Ming spinning halfway around in place, his smug grin instantly freezing on his face, replaced by utter astonishment and pain!
With a muffled thud, Wang Ming collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud, looking utterly pathetic!
Whoosh—!!!
The entire entrance to the market fell into dead silence for a moment, followed by even louder exclamations and commotion!
The onlookers screamed in terror as if they had seen a ghost, scrambling back and clearing a large space in an instant.
"My God! Has this young man gone mad?!"
"He actually dared to beat someone in public! And it was that thug who had a 'front-page ad' and led a bunch of thugs?!"
Ah Hu, standing behind Wang Ming, also suddenly narrowed his eyes!
He didn't even have time to react!
His face instantly filled with a mixture of shock and anger!
This kid... he's incredibly fast and has a lot of guts!
How dare they injure Mr. Wang right in front of him?!
He instinctively took a step forward, his burly body blocking the fallen Wang Ming and the furious Xu Kuo, his eyes gleaming with malice.
His duty was to protect Wang Ming, and now that Wang Ming had been beaten, he was naturally furious.
Wang Ming clutched his rapidly swelling, burning cheek, a trickle of blood even seeping from the corner of his mouth. He slumped onto the cold ground, his mind reeling, stunned by the blow, his eyes filled with disbelief and deep-seated resentment.
A few seconds later, intense pain and boundless shame swept over him. He angrily pointed at Xu Kuo and cursed him in a hoarse voice.
"You son of a bitch! You...you dare hit me?! You've gone too far! You think I came here alone today?! Huh?!"
Ah Hu's towering figure completely blocked Xu Kuo's view. He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, and fixed his fierce gaze on Xu Kuo, his voice low and threatening.
"Kid! You have some nerve! Surrender now, or don't blame us for being impolite!"
At this moment, Xu Kuo's anger had consumed his reason, especially after seeing Secretary Wen being so slandered and held hostage. His eyes were filled with only cold killing intent and anxious desire to save him.
Looking at the burly man blocking his way, he didn't bother with any words, only squeezing out three words through gritted teeth, carrying an unquestionable command:
"Don't block my way!"
Upon seeing this, Wang Ming, who was lying on the ground, revealed a sinister sneer.
Although he was slapped, he knew how powerful Ah Hu was. No matter how good Xu Kuo was at fighting, could he defeat Ah Hu and the brothers he brought with him?
He struggled, shouting orders at Ah Hu, his voice distorted with anger and pain:
"Ah Hu! What the hell are you standing there for?! Cripple him! Beat him to death! I'll take responsibility if anything happens!!"
Ah Hu roared and accepted Wang Ming's order. His fist, as big as a casserole dish, carried a fierce wind and slammed straight towards Xu Kuo's face like a cannonball!
Damn it, how dare he hit Mr. Wang! He'll tear Xu Kuo apart today!
"Xu Kuo, be careful!" The restrained Secretary Wen turned pale and cried out in alarm.
Although she didn't know Ah Hu, she could guess that the other party definitely wouldn't bring any ordinary people to cause trouble.
In particular, Wang Ming seemed to have a grudge against Xu Kuo and should have been aware of Xu Kuo's strength.
How could Xu Kuo, with his frail physique, possibly withstand Ah Hu's attack!
Oh no, he acted too impulsively!
In the blink of an eye, Xu Kuo's feet seemed to be greased, and he slid backward a step, narrowly avoiding the powerful punch.
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