"Ah? Cough, cough..." Xiao Hai was smiling when he suddenly heard Du Qin's words. He didn't react and choked, coughing uncontrollably.
To give up now and say he had brought trouble to his father?
His face instantly turned red.
He finally managed to stop coughing.
He looked at Du Qin with teary eyes.
This old man was no ordinary person. He was the deputy helmsman of the Tongmen, possessing immense influence over the entire Shanghai, much like the status of Du Yuesheng in the Green Gang.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had eyes and ears everywhere.
Yet now, he claimed he couldn't help?
What was going on?
After all, many of Tongmen's businesses relied on cooperation with the Xiao family.
Without the Xiao family's support, many of Tongmen's industries would be unable to develop and expand. Some that were currently profitable might even turn into losses.
Don't be fooled by Tongmen's grand reputation; when it came to professional and business matters, they were not as capable as specialized commercial enterprises like his.
Thinking this, Xiao Hai, emboldened by some unknown courage, directly said to Du Qin, "Uncle Du, are you serious? You need to think carefully. Your decision might affect the cooperation between your Tongmen and the Xiao family."
Du Qin, upon hearing this, said no more. He merely gazed intently at Xiao Hai.
After a moment, Xiao Hai avoided his gaze and lowered his head.
Then, Du Qin sneered, "Our cooperation with the Xiao family is not up to you to decide, but up to Xiao Zhensheng. You can call him and see what he says."
Xiao Hai was furious. You old rascal, not only refusing to help me, but also expecting me to let these people go! Who do you think you are?
"Du Qin, you still want to boss me around? Who do you think you are? I'll—"
Before Xiao Hai could finish his last word, a sudden slap sent him reeling back.
Slap!
The slap was crisp and loud.
To everyone present, it sounded satisfying, even pleasant.
It was Song Qiao.
He covered over ten meters in a flash, appearing between Xiao Hai and Du Qin.
"How dare you speak to my Uncle Du like that? You deserve it!"
The onlookers were stunned. They hadn't expected such a turn of events.
Song Qiao actually knew this newcomer, and their relationship seemed even closer.
What they didn't expect was that Song Qiao hadn't used his full strength against Xiao Hai's two bodyguards, merely acting casually.
Young Master Xiao was also dejected. He had been worried for so long, but in reality, Song Qiao hadn't considered Xiao Hai's men as a threat and could have easily dealt with them at any time.
This was truly absurd.
Meanwhile, Du Qin's icy expression melted upon seeing Song Qiao's arrival, replaced by an incredibly warm smile.
"Since you're here, I won't interfere. If you have time, come find me for a cup of tea and some idle chat."
As he spoke, he subtly observed Song Qiao's reaction.
Song Qiao chuckled inwardly. This old man was still so tsundere.
He knew the old man was still concerned about his relationship with Xia Xueqing, but he wouldn't say it directly, preferring to wait for Song Qiao to bring it up.
Song Qiao certainly wouldn't say anything here, and even if he visited the old man, he wouldn't bring it up himself.
"Alright, I've been a bit busy these past couple of days. I'll definitely come see you when I have time!" Song Qiao readily agreed.
Whether he would go, and when, depended on fate and his mood.
After speaking, Du Qin nodded at Song Qiao again and turned to leave.
As he passed by Xiao Hai, he initially intended to leave, but then thinking of his disciple and Song Qiao's situation, he stopped.
"Xiao Hai, for your father's sake, I'll give you one more piece of advice: hurry up and apologize. Otherwise, even if your father shows up, it'll be useless. You're going to take this loss... heh, taking a loss is a gain. Young people these days don't even understand this!"
With that, he slowly walked away, got into his car, and departed.
Xiao Hai watched Du Qin's car disappear into the vast night, his mind filled with confusion and disbelief.
What was this situation?
A major figure like Du Qin was conversing so casually with this young man before him.
He had even urged him to back down upon meeting him. If it wasn't madness, then there must be something he didn't know, an earth-shattering secret.
But he still didn't want to give up. Compelled by an unseen force, he said to Song Qiao, "You stay here and don't move. I'm going to make a call!"
He wanted to call his father to find out what was going on.
He even intended to have his father handle it.
In his eyes, his father was so powerful and majestic, his role model, his pillar of support.
At this moment, he seemed to have forgotten the slap Song Qiao had given him, and the advice Du Qin had given him.
However, there was still someone sober.
That person was Xiao Ye.
Song Qiao, this mysterious fellow, was not simple, not simple at all.
Didn't he see that the deputy helmsman of Tongmen, whom his elder brother highly respected, was afraid of him?
But now it seemed his elder brother was still unwilling to give up and wanted to cause trouble for him. Was he seeking death?
Even if he wanted to seek death, he should find a reliable way. Running headfirst into the opponent's gun barrel like this was truly beyond words.
Although he disdained his elder brother's actions, seeing him like this, he still felt he should offer some advice and prevent him from acting rashly.
Otherwise, he wouldn't feel right.
Yes, he had always held himself to high moral standards.
Even when he saw strangers make mistakes or do foolish things, he would often offer advice.
As for his own full brother, he naturally had the desire to protect him and guide him back to the right path.
At this moment, Xiao Ye quickly approached Xiao Hai and advised him, "Big Brother, you shouldn't act recklessly. Can't you see that Song Qiao is very formidable and capable of fighting? His background must be very deep. Didn't you see that even the helper you called was unwilling to get involved?"
Xiao Hai, however, refused to listen to Xiao Ye.
He held his phone and pointed at Xiao Ye, "You don't need to pretend here! I know what your intentions are. I've tolerated your foolishness for a long time. If you dare to say or do anything rash again, be careful, I'll make a move and finish you too."
Xiao Ye was speechless. His elder brother was going mad!
"I can tell you clearly, to deal with you, I only need to move my little finger."
He even gestured, extending his left pinky finger.
After speaking, he let out a heavy snort.
Then he walked away, intending to call his father.
Xiao Ye stood in place, shrugging in helplessness.
Song Qiao, on the other hand, watched this scene with amusement.
He had to admit, Xiao Hai's performance was too entertaining.
Even at this point, he was still unwilling to give up, still trying to struggle.
This was what was called a deathbed struggle, wasn't it?
He looked at Xiao Hai with a mocking expression, "Heh heh, hurry up and call. I'll be waiting here... Oh, right, remember to put it on speakerphone, so I can hear what your father has to say!"