Chapter Eighty-Eight: Bringing Death to Their Door

At first the reporters were stunned by the explosive news, but the quicker and sharper among them had already begun dumping the stocks in their hands.

Americans were not in the habit of keeping their money in banks, so most of them invested it in things like stocks, funds, and currencies.

By the time most people realized something was wrong, it was already too late. It began with the shares of the Mei-Hua conglomerate, and then spread to stocks in other sectors. The entire market was swept into this financial storm.

Zhou Ao did not even know how he had left the hospital. After getting into the car, he called his father.

He felt utterly despondent. Mei-Hua was finished this time, and their Zhou family would surely suffer a devastating blow as well.

Zhou Renjie was furious too. Such a financial storm could destroy countless families, but precisely in times like these, one could see who was truly different.

"Child, winter always comes. It's nothing to be afraid of. Our Zhou family has diversified investments, so we won't collapse like them the moment the storm hits. You don't need to worry. Will is completely finished now; the banks will probably fall soon after, and he is nothing more than a scapegoat now. We must keep our distance from Xiao Tianci, the true culprit. Right now Mei-Hua depends on you. Mei-Hua still has value, so you have to steady it and lead everyone through this crisis. Believe me, Mei-Hua will rise again very soon."

Zhou Ao shook his head. "Dad, do you know how much that damned desert villa project of Xiao Tianci's has cost us? The company doesn't have any liquid capital left at all. In the past, the banks would support us at any time, but now what? And with the technology support gone, what will become of Mei-Hua? Most importantly, Xiao Tianci has played a trick on the government of M Country. Do you think they will let Mei-Hua off lightly? Dad, Mei-Hua is done... I... wuwu... I am sorry..."

On the other end of the call, Zhou Renjie suddenly changed from his usual manner and barked angrily, "Zhou Ao, are you still a descendant of the Zhou family? Listen to me, if you cry today, then don't ever set foot in the Zhou family again. The Zhou family does not have such a useless descendant. What is there to be afraid of over such a small matter? Have you not thought about the circumstances under which Xiao Lin founded Mei-Hua? Have you forgotten how your father led the family to where it is today? And look at that Xiao Tianci. I will say this now: if he truly is willing to throw away Mei-Hua's shares for nothing, then we will go along with him."

After a breath, Zhou Renjie's tone softened.

"Child, this has only just begun. I think this is actually a good opportunity. Whatever plans Xiao Tianci has, this is a chance for you to temper yourself. You don't need to worry about the family affairs; I will settle them. You just focus on reorganizing Mei-Hua properly. What happened before was beyond our control. Foolish child, what does it have to do with you? Even I could only stand by and watch others play their game. So you must work hard."

"Mm..." Zhou Ao bit his lip. He told himself never to let his father down. He had to become the main figure, no longer someone whose fate was merely at the mercy of others.

"Boss, everything is ready. In the second half of the night, we depart. Fire Phoenix and the others will meet us at the dock."

Just after contacting Fire Phoenix and the others, King Kong returned to report to Xiao Tianci.

Xiao Tianci's eyes were fixed on little Meg beside him. She was there assembling a rifle with great concentration. Hearing King Kong's report, he turned and said, "Good, then it's settled. Tonight, King Kong, take your men and move first. Clear out anyone in the direction we need to leave. Remember, do not hurt them. It is enough to knock them unconscious. That will also spare us from giving the M Country government an excuse."

"Understood." King Kong, who had already completed his reconnaissance work, said with great confidence, "I'll make sure they all sleep soundly."

"Good. We leave quietly, or else they will come knocking directly. They're probably busy enough already. By the way, Fire Phoenix and the others really managed to get a submarine?"

Xiao Tianci had long ago asked Fang Meng to contact Fire Phoenix and the others about his departure, so they could come meet them. First, this matter had been far too large; whatever the consequences, just the matter of the protective shield being mistaken for a stolen item would already be enough for many major powers to refuse to believe it.

They came directly for him, and he would certainly not give them any face. Then they would undoubtedly make covert moves, so Xiao Tianci did not dare linger.

He had not expected Fire Phoenix and the others to actually use the money he provided to obtain a submarine.

Xiao Tianci asked in some confusion, "I can believe they managed to get a submarine, but how did they bring it in? You have to know that M Country has always prided itself on having impregnable defenses. Especially in recent years, in order to guard against possible terrorist attacks of all kinds, their defenses have only grown stronger."

Fang Meng shook his head. "I'm not too clear on that either. But as professional mercenaries, they must each have their own methods. I once heard that people had used submarines or even trained sharks to smuggle gambling contraband."

Xiao Tianci nodded. "Mm. When you see Fire Phoenix, ask him. Make the preparations. One hour from now, we..."

"Hmph, kid, forget one hour. You'd better run now, because, heh-heh, someone's already come to your door."

Xiao Tianci shuddered all over. He heard that voice again, but it did not seem to be the same person as before. It sounded as though the words were being spoken right by his ear. The first thing that came to mind was the earlier incident.

"King Kong, something seems off. Go out and take a look yourself."

King Kong answered at once, then flashed out through the window. Xiao Tianci gave the chief steward a glance, signaling him to take Meg away.

"May I ask a friend to show himself?" That voice, neither friend nor enemy, had always left Xiao Tianci baffled, and he had never been able to make sense of it. He had not expected it to appear suddenly today. If not for the fact that Xiao Tianci still had a bit of self-control, that startling way of speaking would have been enough to make anyone scream in terror, as though they had seen a ghost.

"Hmph, friend? Who's your friend? Let me tell you, kid, that day I will definitely spank your butt. I’m telling you, I... hey... what are you doing... let me finish... I knew he was still... pufff..."

The voice vanished.

Xiao Tianci thought, What the hell is this?

From the tone, the speaker ought to be quite old, but the way he talked...

And another thing. He had not heard wrong; there was more than one person. Someone else was talking about spanking him.

Thinking of this, Xiao Tianci did not feel embarrassed, only strangely perplexed. It was as though he knew them somehow.

A figure flickered, and King Kong leaped back in through the window. "Boss, all the troops on the outer perimeter have been killed. The others are being cleaned out as we speak. I was afraid of alerting the enemy, so I did not move against them. Boss, we have to withdraw now."

Just now, King Kong's reconnaissance had revealed that the men on the perimeter had all died without a sound. To do it this cleanly not only proved the other side was highly skilled, but also that there must be a considerable number of them.

"Let's go."

Although Xiao Tianci did not know who that strange voice belonged to, he could now tell they bore no ill will toward him. They had reminded him twice, especially this time. There was no time to dwell on it. He believed that voice would come looking for him again. But what did it mean about spanking his butt?

Everyone had long since been ready and waiting for orders. Lu Man carried Meg on his back and followed beside Xiao Tianci, while the chief steward remained at his side at all times. King Kong led the way, clearing obstacles ahead.

Behind the hospital, all they had to do was cross one street to reach the cars prepared in advance, which would take them to the dock to rendezvous with Fire Phoenix and the others.

As Xiao Tianci and the others made their way along, they saw bodies lying scattered on the ground everywhere, all M Country soldiers who had been taken down. But they seemed to be military police rather than actual combat troops. To Fang Meng, that made no difference.

Under the glow of the surrounding lights, the night was also bright enough to see everything clearly. Before long, they had left the hospital's protected area. Fang Meng waited for the others by the wall. Everyone except Xiao Tianci crossed easily; Fang Meng lifted Xiao Tianci gently as well, allowing him to experience the thrill of being carried in a single leap.

Beyond the wall was a street, and across from it sat a row of vehicles prepared long beforehand. The streetlamps shone even more brightly, and with so many of them moving together, the scene was magnificent.

Just as they reached the cars, people had already climbed onto the wall they had just crossed. A sharp whistle suddenly rang out and instantly spread through the still night.

At the sound, many people abruptly rushed out from the hospital and began charging toward the wall.

The chief steward did not hesitate. He raised his hand and fired a shot, striking the center of the forehead and sending the man tumbling down. "King Kong, protect the boss and withdraw. I'll hold them off."

As he spoke, Chief Steward Lin Jian shook his shoulders. His arms slid out from within the sleeves of his overcoat, and the outer garment fell to the side.

He wore a lightweight bulletproof vest, two rows of loaded magazines at his waist, and held two silver pistols in both hands. The pistols and bullets were both custom-made for him. Besides these two guns, he also had two more under his armpits.

At that moment, seven or eight people suddenly leaped over the wall. Chief Steward Lin Jian opened fire with both hands, astonishingly fast. Of the eight guards left behind to cover the retreat with him, only one managed to fire a shot, hitting one target, though it was not yet clear whether he had killed it. The rest were all blasted down by Chief Steward Lin Jian.

These guards were all elite among elites. Especially the one who used guns—none of them were amateurs. They had all heard old stories before. The Lin family of the chief steward was said to have inherited marksmanship, practiced with guns since childhood, until it became miraculous. But for those who had never truly seen it, it was hard to believe.

"What are you standing there for? Start the car!" Chief Steward Lin Jian shouted, and the others finally came to their senses. Two people immediately rushed to start the vehicles. By then, the enemy had already leaped out from the sides and other directions, and gunfire erupted between the two sides.

Meanwhile, Xiao Tianci, King Kong, and the others, already nearly on their way to the dock, encountered an even stronger enemy.