When a large crowd surged in, a subtle change finally appeared on Xiao Tianci's calm face.
I suppose he hadn't expected a big shot to travel all the way to Longxi to support me, a mere gambler.
Little did he know, in this world today, as long as you can offer substantial benefits in return, forget about cross-provincial support; even crossing borders and continents is not out of the question!
However, the experienced Xiao Tianci was not intimidated by the scene before him.
Instead, he let out a cold snort and looked at me, saying, "What's the use of having so many people? I don't believe these helpers you've invited are truly fearless and dare to turn against me on my turf?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Tianci raised his hand, signaling to make a move.
It was clear he was still probing, unwilling to give up.
He wanted to see if the group standing behind me were there merely to fill numbers or if they were truly prepared to follow my orders.
Seeing this, I calmly turned to everyone and said, "Prepare to act!"
Upon hearing my command, almost everyone simultaneously brandished their weapons – sabers, spears, staffs, and the like – and adopted a ready-to-fight stance.
For various reasons, although my helpers brought fewer firearms than Xiao Tianci's side, to put it bluntly…
The last time Xiao Tianyu, Xiao Tianci's brother, managed to act so ferociously was partly because the environment I was in at the time was a cleared, deserted area.
Another reason was that, apart from a few of us, everyone else was his subordinate.
Under such circumstances, calling the police would have been useless.
But this time, it was different.
No matter how formidable Xiao Tianci was, ordering his men to open fire in broad daylight in front of hundreds of people required him to carefully consider the consequences.
As long as gunshots rang out and were heard by outsiders, a flurry of emergency calls would ensure that everyone involved in this shootout would be held accountable.
Therefore, large-scale gunfights only exist in movies and television shows.
In the real world, if two groups were to engage in a shootout and dare to use guns to clear a path, no protector would be willing to risk their official position to vouch for them. Preparing to serve half a lifetime in prison is the correct course of action!
Seeing that the helpers I had invited were all armed, Xiao Tianci's expression changed for the second time.
Looking at my impassive face, he coldly asked, "Chen Xiang, are you truly determined to completely fall out with me for the sake of Cheng Minglang?"
Upon hearing this, I immediately replied, "Boss Xiao, why do you ask what you already know?"
"Please, be magnanimous and release Zhu Wenjing!"
My words made Xiao Tianci very uncomfortable. He narrowed his eyes and retorted fiercely, "A life for a life! Xiao Yu's revenge has not yet been avenged, so releasing her is absolutely impossible!"
"No! You are mistaken, Boss Xiao!"
I shook my head and said, "Since you say a life for a life, then your brother's revenge… you have already achieved it!"
"Don't forget, Mu Haitang died at your hands, Boss Xiao!"
"She, like Cheng Minglang, is my friend. If you intend to go back on your word, Boss Xiao, then I can only fight you to the bitter end!"
My few words had already clearly stated my stance.
This kind of assertiveness was something Xiao Tianci had never anticipated.
But he was still unwilling to give up and said, "Chen Xiang, you must understand that helpers can only help for a while, not for a lifetime, right?"
"I admit I underestimated your strength before and caught you off guard, but these helpers you've invited… they won't be following you twenty-four hours a day, will they?"
"I can compromise for tonight, but you need to think about one thing."
"That is, once I compromise with you, the next time we meet after tonight will be a fight to the death!"
Xiao Tianci's final move was almost exactly as I had predicted before coming here.
He was using almost naked threats to force me to back down and hand over Cheng Minglang.
Hearing this, I chuckled and replied, "After I clarify a few things, even if you don't mention those four words, I will say them to you proactively!"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Xiao Tianci's expression gradually turned cold, and he asked with a frown.
"It means nothing! It's just some old matters!" I replied indifferently.
"Old matters? What old matters?"
"Some old matters that happened around the time of the 99 Gambling King Competition!"
My last sentence instantly made Xiao Tianci frown and his expression startled.
But he quickly recovered.
Although Xiao Tianci's micro-expressions were well-managed, allowing him to adjust his emotions quickly, I had captured his brief anomaly just now.
Honestly, the previous statements were all made up on the spot. My intention was to use this opportunity for a face-to-face confrontation to observe Xiao Tianci's expressions and reactions up close.
Seeing this, a strong premonition immediately arose in my heart.
I deduced that even if Xiao Tianci was not the murderer of Uncle Tuo, he was definitely related to the real killer!
It seems I have truly found what I was looking for without searching; new and old grievances can likely be settled together…
………………
While I was lost in thought, Xiao Tianci had already made his decision.
Successful businessmen all share a common trait: their ability to weigh pros and cons and consider gains and losses is superior.
Clearly, Xiao Tianci was such a person.
After probing my attitude, Xiao Tianci immediately said, "Fine! I've noted down today's events, and we'll settle these scores later!"
After speaking, Xiao Tianci waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to bring Zhu Wenjing out. I knew very well that when Xiao Tianci made this decision, it meant I could leave with my people unharmed tonight.
As expected…
"You can take your people and get lost!"
Just as Xiao Tianci was about to turn and leave, I suddenly called out to him.
"Boss Xiao, please wait a moment!"
Hearing me say this, Xiao Tianci immediately stopped and turned to look at me, coldly reprimanding, "Chen Xiang, don't push your luck!"
"I've already released the person as you said, and now you're pulling this stunt, what do you mean by this!?"
With my objective achieved, I calmly looked at Xiao Tianci and said, "Boss Xiao, please don't misunderstand, I have no other intentions."
"I'm just kindly asking you, did you investigate Mu Haitang's identity before deciding to kill her?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Tianci was instantly dumbfounded.
Seeing his expression, I unhurriedly continued, "It seems that Boss Xiao probably mistook Mu Haitang for the usual gold-digger who was solely focused on money and climbing the social ladder."
"Actually, my good friend Mu Haitang, her true identity is… a member of the Orchid Sect!"
Xiao Tianci, who had initially looked nervous, instantly deflated upon hearing this.