Chapter 140: Corpse!
Sun Tiansheng's face was ashen. The sight of Zhao Dong killing Zhao Wuji had terrified him to his core.
Zhao Wuji was a renowned expert in East Sea City, and Zhao Dong just killed him? Just like that?
Sun Tiansheng was kicking himself. How did I ever manage to offend this man?
He looked at Zhao Dong and stammered in fear, "Brother... Brother Zhao, please don't kill me! I'll give you money. I have lots and lots of money, it's all yours!"
Zhao Dong smiled faintly. "If I kill you, isn't your money mine anyway? Your Tiansheng Pharmaceutical will be mine, too."
At these words, what little color was left in Sun Tiansheng's face vanished. He wailed, "Big Brother Zhao! I was wrong! Please forgive me! I'll never dare to compete with President Jiang again. Just spare my life! I'll get out of East Sea City right now!"
Terrified, Sun Tiansheng began kowtowing frantically on the ground, his face quickly becoming a bloody, tear-streaked mess. He looked utterly miserable.
Zhao Dong shook his head and grabbed Sun Tiansheng's throat. Sun Tiansheng shrieked in terror, "Zhao Dong, spare me! I beg y—"
Before he could finish, Zhao Dong squeezed gently. With a sharp SNAP, his throat was crushed.
Jiang Nianyu and Jiang Hao were stunned into silence, both staring blankly at Zhao Dong. Jiang Hao's body was rigid with fear as silent tears streamed down his face.
Jiang Nianyu was also deeply shaken. Tiansheng Pharmaceutical is a star enterprise in East Sea, valued at nearly ten billion. Its president, Sun Tiansheng, is a top figure in the city… and Zhao Dong just killed him? For a moment, she felt dizzy.
Zhao Dong dropped Sun Tiansheng's corpse and looked toward Jiang Hao. Jiang Hao shuddered violently and let out a heart-wrenching scream. He immediately scrambled to his knees beside Jiang Nianyu, hugging her legs as he cried and begged, "Sister, I beg you, please save me! I truly know I was wrong! I don't want to die! Please, show some mercy and spare me!"
Jiang Nianyu sighed and looked at Zhao Dong, but the words wouldn't come out.
Zhao Dong spoke. "Are you going to plead for him?"
Jiang Nianyu shook her head. "No. How you deal with him is your decision. I, Jiang Nianyu, am not a fool. If it weren't for you today, they would have ruined me. How could I possibly plead for them?"
Zhao Dong nodded and looked at Jiang Hao. A glint appeared in his eye. "It seems like a waste to just kill him. I think we should keep him alive. He could be useful later."
Jiang Nianyu was slightly stunned. "Useful? What do you mean?"
Zhao Dong smiled meaningfully. He had an instinct that there was something suspicious about Jiang Nianyu's granduncle, Jiang Haibo. Since Jiang Hao is his son, perhaps he could be used to…
With that thought, Zhao Dong stood up and kicked Jiang Hao squarely in the knees.
CRACK! CRACK!
Both of his legs were brutally broken. Jiang Hao let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered, tears gushing from his eyes.
Zhao Dong grabbed Jiang Hao by the neck and said indifferently, "I'll spare your pathetic life today, but letting you go is impossible."
Thinking of this, Zhao Dong took out his phone and called Han Qingtian. Han Qingtian answered immediately. "Dong, did you rescue your friend?"
"I did, Elder Han," Zhao Dong replied. "I'm calling to ask for a favor. Does the Han Family have a secluded, unused warehouse or some other place? Also, could you lend me two men? I need them for a while."
Han Qingtian laughed heartily. "Of course! The Han Family is one of the Four Great Families of East Sea, after all. We have more warehouses than we can count. There's one near the northern suburbs. As for the men, I'll send two over right away. You can borrow them for a month."
"Perfect! Thank you, Elder Han!"
"Dong, don't be so formal with me in the future. I know all about you and Chuxue, after all."
Zhao Dong's face immediately flushed, and he gave a strained smile. "Elder Han, about that…"
Han Qingtian laughed. "It's nothing to be shy about! You're in the prime of your life, and Chuxue is an adult now. My granddaughter might be a bit headstrong, but her character, her looks… she's impeccable in every way!"
"Alright, where are you? I'll send my people over now."
Zhao Dong gave a wry laugh and finally told him the location.
After hanging up, Zhao Dong helped Jiang Nianyu to her feet. "Are you alright?" he asked with concern.
Jiang Nianyu looked at Zhao Dong, her eyes suddenly turning red. She hugged him tightly. "You saved me today. Otherwise, I… I would have…"
On impulse, Zhao Dong gently stroked her hair. "It's okay. Everything's fine now."
After comforting her for a moment, Zhao Dong asked, "Sun Tiansheng was the president of Tiansheng Pharmaceutical. Now that he's dead, won't the company be thrown into chaos?"
Jiang Nianyu replied worriedly, "Tiansheng Pharmaceutical is a star company in East Sea, with close ties to both business and political circles. Sun Tiansheng's death is going to cause a massive uproar. But the chaos at the company isn't our main concern. The real problem is that the authorities will undoubtedly launch a full-scale investigation into his disappearance. What are we going to do?"
Zhao Dong scratched his head. "Well, what's done is done. As long as we clean this up properly, it shouldn't be a big problem. Besides, Sun Tiansheng had to die. If we'd let him live, there's no telling what other vicious plots he might have come up with."
Jiang Nianyu nodded. "You're right. I'm just sorry to have troubled you with all this."
Zhao Dong smiled. "It's nothing."
Their eyes met. Jiang Nianyu looked away, her face flushing slightly.
Soon, two cars pulled up outside the warehouse. Four men got out—Han Qingtian had sent two extras. The men approached Zhao Dong and bowed respectfully. "Mr. Zhao, Master Han sent us. He said that we are to follow your orders from now on!"
Zhao Dong nodded with a smile. "Alright, I'll be counting on you. First, clean up this area. Also…" He pointed at Jiang Hao. "Put him in a different warehouse and guard him 24/7. Just keep him barely alive, and make sure this entire matter remains secret. Then, find some gasoline and burn this warehouse to the ground."
Jiang Nianyu gave Zhao Dong a deep look, a strange light flickering in her eyes. She hadn't known him for long, but he had already changed so much. There was now an indescribable aura about him in his every action.
The men quickly found gasoline and doused the inside and outside of the warehouse, making sure to pour plenty on Zhao Wuji's corpse. Once everyone was outside, one of the men tossed a lit cigarette butt into the building.
In an instant, flames erupted toward the sky, followed by billowing clouds of thick smoke.
Zhao Dong dusted off his hands. "Alright, you can take him away now. Contact me if anything happens!"
"Yes, Mr. Zhao!"
Zhao Dong smiled and patted the men on their shoulders before leaving with Jiang Nianyu.
Once they were in the car, Jiang Nianyu's cheeks began to flush red. A sheen of sweat broke out on her skin, and her body began to tremble slightly. The effects of the drug were kicking in. She desperately tried to suppress the unpleasant sensation, not daring to let Zhao Dong notice. For the moment, Zhao Dong hadn't yet realized that Jiang Nianyu, in the passenger seat beside him, was acting strangely.
Not long after the warehouse finished burning, several cars sped to the scene. A group of people disembarked.
The leader was none other than Song Zixuan of the Dragon Binding Division.
The Dragon Binding Division was China's official cultivator management organization. Within the East Sea City branch, the highest-ranking official was the Governor, the second-in-command was the Commander, and below them were the Dragon Captains. These three ranks formed the formal management echelon and were considered official staff. Below them were the inspectors, who had to pass a series of rigorous examinations to earn an official position. Every year, hundreds, if not thousands, of inspectors competed fiercely for just a few official openings. Song Zixuan's greatest dream was to formally join the Dragon Binding Division.
Staring at the smoldering ruins of the warehouse, Song Zixuan's brow furrowed. Earlier, a patrol from the Dragon Binding Division had detected fluctuations of spiritual energy in the suburbs, so she had brought a team to investigate.
"Investigate," she ordered, her frown deepening as she gazed at the ashes. "Find out exactly what happened here."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Her subordinates began to search the site. A short while later, the charred remains of a body, still vaguely human in shape, were uncovered.
A startled cry rang out. "Inspector Song, we've found a body!"