"Yes, we've brought the five hundred thousand. We hope that once you have it, Boss Zou, you'll let Xiaodan go!" Xiaowei nodded as he spoke. It pained him to part with the money, but it would save Xiaodan, and for that he was willing.

"Hmph. Where is this five hundred thousand?" Zou Tiandi was furious, but the terms had already been agreed, and it would not do to go back on his word. So he asked coldly, hoping to pick out some fault and seize on it as a pretext.

"It's with my sister..." Xiaowei said. "Sis, show it to him..."

Tang Yun found the voice strangely familiar, and with Xiaowei having called him "Boss Zou," it suddenly struck her: she knew this Boss Zou. He was Zou Ruoming's father, Zou Tiandi!

The realization sent a chill through her. Back when she had been with Wei Zhao, she had of course had nothing to fear from Zou Tiandi; but now that Wei Zhao had broken up with her, stripped of his protection, she would be at the mercy of the Zou father and son. At that thought, Tang Yun began to regret coming here. She was afraid Zou Ruoming might do something outrageous again.

"Sis?" Seeing that Tang Yun had not moved, Xiaowei found it odd and called again.

Zou Tiandi caught sight of Tang Yun's figure from behind — so delicate and lovely — and felt a stir of desire. His mind turned to certain base things, and with a lewd grin he said, "Oh? Your sister came too?"

Hearing that disgusting voice, thick with lust, Tang Yun grew even more frightened. But Xiaowei had already called her; there was no way out. She could only steel herself, stand up, turn around, open the bag in her hands, and say with feigned composure, "Boss Zou, I've brought the money. I hope you'll keep your word and let my brother and Xiaodan go..."

"Gah?" Zou Tiandi was struck dumb. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that the sister Xiaowei spoke of would be Tang Yun! Good God, how the hell was he this lucky? The more he tried to avoid Wei Zhao, the more he kept running into people connected to him. Was he possessed by some god of misfortune? Could anyone else be as unlucky as he was?

Hearing Tang Yun's words, Zou Tiandi thought she was mocking him. He was frightened out of his wits, his face went white, and he blurted out, "I don't want it, I don't want the money..."

Tang Yun frowned. She saw Zou Tiandi's expression change — was he going to go back on his word? Xiaowei was startled too, and Xiaodan's face paled as well...

"Boss Zou, didn't you say before that five hundred thousand would buy Xiaodan's release? Why are you going back on it now?" Xiaowei was getting anxious.

"Mr. Zou, you're not going to break your word, are you?" Tang Yun was alarmed too, but to keep from showing weakness she forced herself to stay calm. She could not afford to soften now; if she did, Zou Tiandi would only grow worse.

"I say, Miss Tang—" no, "Sister Tang, I'll call you sister, so please stop toying with me. I didn't mean it, I really didn't mean it. How was I to know Xiaodan was your brother's girl? If I'd known, I wouldn't have dared think anything even with ten times the nerve!" Zou Tiandi was on the verge of tears. Hearing Tang Yun's words, he took them as deliberate irony, a jab at him — after all, when important people put on airs they often spoke in reverse, and Zou Tiandi had done plenty of that himself when bullying the weak. So now he instinctively assumed Tang Yun was doing the same.

Zou Tiandi's reaction caught everyone off guard. Xiaowei and Xiaodan were dumbstruck, and Mother Tang too! They could not understand how Zou Tiandi's attitude could do a complete about-face the moment he saw Tang Yun.

Tang Yun frowned. After a brief confusion, it came to her all at once: Zou Tiandi probably did not yet know that she and Wei Zhao had broken up, which was why he was so deferential. She could take this chance to walk away. But she feared that once Zou Tiandi learned of the breakup, he would come after Xiaowei again...

It seemed he had not been speaking in irony after all — he truly did not want the money! Though no one knew why, this turn of events delighted them all.

At that thought, Tang Yun still said, "Mr. Zou, you'd better take this five hundred thousand. This matter has to be settled one way or another, doesn't it?" Zou Tiandi thought Tang Yun had come deliberately to torment and humiliate him. He felt some resentment, but far more fear. He had learned from his son Zou Ruoming that Wei Zhao treasured Tang Yun beyond measure; the last time his son had tried to force himself on Tang Yun, Wei Zhao had made him pay dearly. How would he dare provoke Tang Yun again?

Besides, Tang Yun's coming here now most likely had Wei Zhao's shadow behind it. A person's patience has its limits. If he kept harassing Wei Zhao and the people around him again and again, no one would take it kindly — least of all a man of Wei Zhao's caliber.

It was true that men of skill generally disdained to squabble with nobodies, but if a nobody kept pushing his luck, such a man would not mind swatting him dead.

It was like a dog: when it barks at you a couple of times, you may ignore it; if it comes and bites you once, you may let it go. But if it bites you again and again, and bites your family too, you might just slaughter it and eat its meat.

Zou Tiandi now felt he was that dog. After provoking Wei Zhao so many times, he was not far from being swatted dead...

So, having thought it all through, Zou Tiandi was thoroughly terrified. With a thud he dropped to his knees, tears streaming: "Sister Tang, I beg you, stop toying with me. I truly know I was wrong. When you go back, tell Boss Wei Zhao for me that I was blind and didn't know better. I'll slap my own face, won't that do? Just treat me like a fart and let me go."

With that, Zou Tiandi squared his shoulders, swung his arms wide, and began slapping his own face. Crack, crack — the sharp sounds came without pause. He beat himself with all his might, and the more he slapped, the more energetic he became...

Zou Tiandi's words made Tang Yun blush. What did he mean, treat him like a fart and let him go? She was a girl, after all — how could he be so crude? She cursed inwardly and shot him a glare.

Zou Tiandi's sorry state emboldened Tang Yun. Since he did not want the money, then let him put it in writing. With a written statement, she need not fear his going back on it later. At that thought, Tang Yun decided to make the best of the mistake and borrow the tiger's might.

Zou Tiandi's words made everything clear to Mother Tang, Xiaowei, and Xiaodan! So it was not Tang Yun that Zou Tiandi feared, but Wei Zhao! Though they did not know why he feared Wei Zhao, judging by the way he knelt and slapped himself, he must be scared of Wei Zhao down to the bone!

Fastest updates. For pop-up-free reading, please...