As Wong Qifu's words fell, the person next to Wang Wu handed over a tablet computer displaying a video feed. On it, two men were bound and unconscious.

Upon seeing them, both Ye Chen and Huang Qi's pupils shrank abruptly.

"Wong Qifu, this is going too far!" Huang Qi roared.

Ye Chen's expression was just as grim. One of the bound men was Huang Qi's cousin, and the other was his own. On Ye Chen's side, everyone's face turned foul. They hadn't expected Wong Qifu to make a move in less than half an hour, giving them a taste of their own medicine.

"What's the matter? I'm simply inviting your people for some tea. Is there a problem with that?" Wong Qifu said indifferently.

The two bound family scions were not core members, but their standing was not insignificant. In the short time she had, they were the only ones Wong Qifu's people could capture.

"Good. Good. Good," Ye Chen said darkly.

"Serve them the tea," Wong Qifu ordered coldly.

Beside the two captives, two burly men stepped forward and viciously slapped each of them ten times.

SLAP!

SLAP!!!

The sound of brutal slaps echoed through the silent factory—heavy, powerful blows. The two family scions were slapped so hard they spat out mouthfuls of blood, their faces swelling up like pigs' heads.

Seeing this, Ye Chen sneered, "Do you think Xu Ke won't suffer the same treatment?"

Siao Jia immediately raised her hand to slap Xu Ke again, but he spat directly on her and sneered, "Go on, hit me!"

Provocation. Blatant provocation!

Siao Jia's eyes widened, practically exploding with rage as she lunged to strike him.

But Wong Qifu spoke, her tone chillingly indifferent. "Touch a single hair on his head, and I'll kill one of your people. When I run out, I'll go out and grab more."

As her words fell, everyone's expression turned as foul as if they had eaten shit. If a Family Helmsman truly went mad, they would be powerless to stop her. Even the powerful Ouyang Shuang couldn't help but show a hint of wariness.

"You're breaking the rules!" Ye Chen accused angrily.

"And?" Wong Qifu retorted.

No explanation, no anger. With that single word, Wong Qifu left Ye Chen utterly speechless.

Rules? What were rules to someone like her?!

"You're declaring war. The Huang Family will not let you off," Huang Qi stood up and said darkly.

Wong Qifu laughed, her words cold. "Huang Qi, what gives you the right to threaten me on behalf of the Huang Family?"

Huang Qi's face turned ashen, his imposing manner instantly vanishing.

"What if you add me to the equation? Can you still do as you please?" Ye Chen said coldly.

"A disorganized mob. You're not worth a single blow," Wong Qifu scoffed.

Ye Chen flushed with embarrassment. Indeed, the Wang Family could not act with complete impunity against the Huang and Ye families, but an alliance between the two would be nothing but loose sand. Even if they managed to crush the Wang Family, a frenzied Wong Qifu would leave them so severely weakened they'd likely be annihilated by other families before they could even divide the spoils of victory. In this situation, no one could truly afford to go to war with the Wang Family. Besides, Huang Qi and Ye Chen were the ones in the wrong to begin with.

The factory fell silent. Under Wong Qifu's threat, they no longer dared to use Xu Ke as a talking point. They were mainly terrified by the fact that Wong Qifu had shown no extreme reaction when Xu Ke was slapped and injured, combined with her clear resolve to retaliate with absolute madness.

Had Wong Qifu already decided to give up on Xu Ke and declare war on the two great families directly?

At this moment, Ouyang Shuang's expression suddenly changed as she read a message from Huang Sheng.

The message read: "Don't waste time with Wong Qifu. Negotiate the terms directly."

Huang Sheng's informant had relayed everything back to him. He knew instantly that Wong Qifu had been using their qualifications and the rules to misdirect them from the start, all to gain the upper hand. If they were the ones to initiate talks of an exchange, they would be led by the nose. No matter how they argued, they were being completely suppressed by Wong Qifu. This wasn't about verbal skill; it was about sheer presence. Wong Qifu's dominance stemmed from her supreme position over all of Tianhai.

But the more she used her aura and verbal tactics to misdirect, the more Huang Sheng understood just how much she valued Xu Ke. Therefore, he realized they didn't need to clash with her dominance head-on. They just needed to play the chip in their hand to get what they wanted.

Ouyang Shuang stood up. "Family Head Wang, enough idle talk. How about we discuss the terms of an exchange?"

"An exchange?" Wong Qifu sneered. "How about I trade your life with the Huang Family?"

"Family Head Wang, there's no need to change the subject," Ouyang Shuang said, unmoved. "The Huang Family's demands are small. Return all our port businesses and release our family member."

Seeing Ouyang Shuang completely ignore Wong Qifu's threat, Ye Chen's eyes lit up. He instantly understood. There was no need to confront Wong Qifu directly; getting the money was the most important thing right now.

He immediately chimed in, "The Ye Family's demands are also simple. We just want the prime land in the provincial capital, and the safe return of our family member."

"Dream on," Wong Qifu stated flatly.

"Break Xu Ke's leg," Ouyang Shuang commanded.

Immediately, someone next to Xu Ke lifted a heavy club and smashed it viciously against his thigh.

THUD!

The sickening crack of bone followed the dull impact.

Xu Ke bit down hard, his face flushing crimson as veins bulged on his neck. But even in the throes of extreme agony, he refused to make a sound.

Siao Jia burst out laughing. "Look at you now, Xu Ke. How pathetic! Just like a dog."

When Siao Jia first learned that Xu Ke was with Wong Qifu, her heart had filled with venomous bitterness. She had been abandoned by Li Jun, whom Wong Qifu had beaten like a dog, yet Xu Ke had somehow caught the eye of the Wang Family Empress herself...

Why did she have it so bad?!

But now, seeing Xu Ke completely at their mercy, Siao Jia's bitterness transformed into intense, cruel satisfaction!

Seeing this, the murderous intent in Wang Wu's eyes became almost tangible as he squeezed out a few words through his teeth, "Ouyang Shuang, you're courting death."

"Are you exchanging or not?" Having received her instructions from Huang Sheng, Ouyang Shuang didn't waste a single word. They were the victors tonight!

Wong Qifu had yet to speak when another voice cut in.

"Don't."

The word sounded as if it had been forced through clenched teeth.

It came from Xu Ke.

As Xu Ke spoke, everyone's attention focused on him.

Ye Chen sneered, "You have no right to speak."

"A hostage should know his place," Huang Qi said contemptuously. "Gag him."

In the eyes of Ye Chen and the others, everyone present had a seat at the negotiating table tonight—everyone except Xu Ke. He wasn't a player; he was the chip on the table.

"Don't," Ye Chen said with a small smile. "Our dear Family Head Wang will surely want to hear her fiancé's voice. If we gag him, how could she?"

"Right, you're right!" Huang Qi cackled.

Wong Qifu finally spoke, her tone betraying no emotion. "Since you broke his leg, let's be fair. Break their legs too."

The faces of Huang Qi and Ouyang Shuang contorted in horror.

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