174: Chapter 173 The Farce Ends

Although Li Long wasn't injured, he had long since been scared witless. In his eyes, the once-arrogant Brother Hao was now clutching his leg and crying piteously. Dozens of previously defiant men were now shivering on the ground, which was covered in blood. No matter how stupid he was, he knew he had misjudged the situation; those murderous bodyguards were holding automatic rifles! Gun control in the country was extremely strict. Even with Brother Hao's powerful background, he could only obtain a few nearly scrapped pistols; automatic rifles were unthinkable, and even the big shot behind Brother Hao lacked the ability and courage for that. With Brother Hao's vindictive nature and a few guns in hand, he usually ran rampant in this city, and no one dared to provoke him easily. Only the military and police could legally possess automatic rifles; even powerful security groups couldn't be equipped with heavy automatic weapons. This meant that Cao Xiao's bodyguards were either police or soldiers. Regardless of their identity, someone protected by armed military or police was not someone he or Brother Hao could afford to offend. Li Long couldn't imagine what kind of misfortune awaited him; the fate of Brother Hao and the others was right before his eyes, and the boundless fear caused his eyes to lose focus as he stood dazed on the spot.

"Girls, go take your revenge! Give him a good beating!" Cao Xiao waved to the girls who were whispering on the side.

"Brother, can't we use guns?" Liu Chang trotted up to Cao Xiao, pouting her lips and asking in a low, eager voice.

"No, the police will be here soon to take them away. Go to Tianxing Garden tomorrow and have Brother Duan and the others teach you how to practice with guns. In a few days, I'll take you abroad for hunting." Cao Xiao was very pleased that Liu Chang had come to ask him first instead of acting impulsively; seeing that she understood the weight of the situation, he knew he would have much less to worry about in the future.

"Ah! Are we going to Australia?" Hearing that Cao Xiao would take her abroad to play, Liu Chang was overjoyed and grabbed Cao Xiao's arm in surprise.

"That depends on your performance. I don't have time for Australia right now, but I'm going to Myanmar in a few days for the Jade Public Auction! There are many natural, delicious ingredients in the primeval forests there that you can't find in the country!" Seeing Liu Chang's interest, Cao Xiao teased her with a smile.

Liu Chang nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, I promise to be obedient and not cause trouble for you. But you have to keep your word; after the Jade Public Auction in Myanmar, you must take us hunting in the primeval forest."

Cao Xiao smiled and pinched Liu Chang's face, pointing at Li Long. "Fine! I keep my word. Go on! Help me give him five dollars' worth of a beating while you're at it."

"Just watch me!" Liu Chang said proudly, then turned to call out to Zhou Xinmeng and the others, "Sisters, let's tear this scum apart together!"

Girls didn't have many fighting moves—pulling hair, pinching ears, scratching faces, slapping, tearing clothes, and kicking shins. Li Long was snapped back to reality by the girls. When his mother saw her son being beaten, she tried to stop them, but she was kicked to the ground by his father, who was now looking out for himself. The father also took this opportunity to vent the resentment he had accumulated over the years, fiercely slapping her several times.

For a while, the living room was filled with constant screams as the family members watched the miserable state of the mother and son with cold eyes. By the time the girls were tired of hitting him, Li Long had already fainted. His face was covered in blood, black and blue, and completely swollen. His clothes were torn into rags, and blood was flowing from his lower body; it looked like he might be ruined for good. Cao Xiao felt a bit chilled seeing the moves the girls used. Even the usually quiet Dai Hanqiu and Zhou Xinmeng didn't hold back at all. Of course, this was also Li Long's fault for his foul mouth; he had offended the girls so deeply that his lower body suffered continuous heavy strikes.

"Brother, we gave him at least five hundred dollars' worth. How about it? Is your anger gone?" Liu Chang rubbed her wrists and trotted up to Cao Xiao to curry favor.

"Don't touch my clothes; your hands are full of blood. Go wash up quickly, then clean the living room and prepare supper." Seeing Liu Chang reaching out to grab him, Cao Xiao quickly stepped back and waved her off.

Wee-woo... Wee-woo...

The sound of sirens grew louder, and a few minutes later, three police cars screeched to a halt outside the courtyard gate. A dozen or so police officers filed in with guns drawn, but the officer leading them wasn't Liao Kai as Cao Xiao had expected, but a pot-bellied middle-aged officer.

"Everyone, on high alert!"

These police had arrived too quickly. Cao Xiao felt a bit uneasy and frowned, fearing they hadn't come with good intentions, so he took out his walkie-talkie and gave orders to the bodyguards.

Aside from Li Quanshuo, who was sniping from his own home, and the three bodyguards with mobility issues guarding Tianxing Garden, the other nine were gathered throughout the villa. Only Niu Zhen and three others were in the living room, while the other five were hidden in the shadows. Following Cao Xiao's command, Niu Zhen and his three men pulled down their masks and aimed their assault rifles at the police who hadn't yet entered the living room. The five hidden in the courtyard also revealed themselves, their laser sights locking onto the vital points of the officers. Cao Xiao also drew his own pistol and aimed it at the middle-aged officer.

When the police saw the situation at the living room entrance, they were collectively stunned and came to a dead halt.

"Which department are you from? I am He Huanhai, Deputy Director of the Hongjiang Branch! Young Master Zhang! Who hurt you like this? Hang in there, I'll contact an ambulance immediately!" The middle-aged officer was startled to see several assault rifles pointed at them, but he regained his composure in a moment. He walked up the steps and looked at Cao Xiao with an air of superiority, but when he saw Brother Hao still wailing on the floor, he became extremely anxious and tried to rush inside, ignoring the bodyguards at the door.

Hearing He Huanhai's words, Cao Xiao knew these police weren't sent by Liao Kai but were from the local branch, and they were sent by the person behind Brother Hao. Brother Hao's helper was his enemy. Even if He Huanhai was a policeman, he was a black sheep among them. Cao Xiao saw no need to be polite and fired without hesitation. The shot accurately struck He Huanhai's knee joint. This was intentional; the bullet caused irreparable damage to the joint. No matter the outcome of today's incident, even with timely medical treatment, He Huanhai would be left with a limp once healed, and his career would be over.

"You have entered a Military Restricted Zone. Everyone, drop your weapons! Otherwise, you will be shot on sight! Brother Duan, disarm them!" Cao Xiao had tampered with these officers' guns, but since they were likely just following orders, he wouldn't take his anger out on them. He would just seize their weapons and hand them over to Liao Kai for processing when he arrived.

Hearing the words 'Military Restricted Zone' and seeing the assault rifles in their hands, the officers didn't dare move and could only let the bodyguards seize their pistols. He Huanhai, who had fallen after being shot, gritted his teeth and clutched his wound as he forced himself up, questioning Cao Xiao with a stern voice. Cao Xiao didn't want to waste words with him; seeing his boss's displeasure, Cheng Xiaodao stepped forward and knocked him out with a blow to the neck from his gun butt.

By the time An Ni and Mi Fan had finished making supper, Liao Kai finally arrived late with a large group of armed police. Cao Xiao handed everyone over to him and stopped worrying about it. In any case, Commissioner Zhang had already spoken with Liao Kai, so he didn't need to worry about the follow-up. He suspected the mastermind behind Brother Hao wasn't anyone truly significant; otherwise, they wouldn't have been so impatient as to strike without investigating Cao Xiao's background. They hadn't even discovered his status in the Supervision Department or his rank as a military officer, which meant they weren't high-level players. With Commissioner Zhang taking action, they would surely be uprooted and dealt with completely. Cao Xiao just had to wait for the results.

After seeing Liao Kai off, the girls worked together to clean the living room. The whole family gathered around the table, enjoying a delicious meal of lobster. Cao Xiao brought out a jar of aged yellow wine and poured some for everyone to calm their nerves. In the presence of good food and wine, the gloom in everyone's hearts dissipated. After Cao Xiao comforted his Uncle, the conversation slowly shifted to Li Tong and Li Rui.