Xia Haibin was furious at Song Qiao's actions.
Song Qiao had repeatedly challenged his authority, and the gazes of the surrounding gang members made him feel utterly humiliated.
He couldn't just sit idly by any longer.
No matter what, he had to make a move against Song Qiao, otherwise, how could he command respect?
Although his martial arts skills were inferior, he had the advantage of being on his home turf.
He figured Song Qiao wouldn't dare to do anything to him in front of everyone.
He stood up and angrily accused Song Qiao.
"You, surnamed Song, how could you possibly have the Tongmen token? It must be fake! You deliberately killed my father, the leader of the branch, and now you're here with a counterfeit token to cause trouble. What are your intentions?"
Song Qiao narrowed his eyes, his gaze chilling. "Hmph, this jade pendant is the token of the Tongmen headquarters, undeniable! Many of you here have seen it before, come and recognize it!"
The Tongmen members were shocked to hear Song Qiao's words.
They hadn't expected Song Qiao to be so confident.
It seemed highly likely that it was real.
Then, would they bring trouble upon themselves by recognizing it and angering Song Qiao?
Everyone turned their gazes to Xia Haibin, Tang Wen, and a few other leaders.
Xia Haibin pushed back his chair and strode forward.
Tang Wen, with a solemn expression, slowly rose to his feet.
As the expectation of the crowd, he had no choice but to come, and he didn't believe Song Qiao had that much power.
Xia Haibin reached the table and was about to extend his hand when Song Qiao said, "Wait. Although your father was the former branch leader, what are you? Do you have the right to examine the headquarters' token? Can you afford to break it?"
Almost simultaneously, Teng Haibo reached out and blocked him.
Xia Haibin froze on the spot, glaring at Teng Haibo and Song Qiao, trembling with anger.
Song Qiao dared to humiliate him in public, and Teng Haibo dared to reach out to him?
It truly was a case of a tiger falling into the plains and being bullied by dogs.
"Right, you dare to question the headquarters' token based on your deceased father. Can't you see clearly from this close? Or does your branch habitually question the orders of the headquarters?"
Song Qiao's tone was stern, and his gaze towards Xia Haibin was laced with murderous intent.
Xia Haibin panicked. Was he going to lose his life?
"You're spouting nonsense! Why wouldn't I have the right? Isn't the token meant to be seen? Besides, you're the one who asked us to verify it!" Xia Haibin felt a chill run up his spine. He couldn't just wait to die; he had to save himself.
"Heh heh, it seems I need to teach you the rules. Don't forget, Tongmen is a place with rules." Song Qiao scanned the crowd, his gaze stopping Tang Wen.
Then, he directly addressed Gao Meng loudly, "Disrespecting the headquarters, lacking proper hierarchy, fifty strokes of the cane, execute immediately."
"Yes!" Gao Meng responded loudly.
She took two steps forward, closing in on Xia Haibin.
"Who dares!" Xia Haibin roared.
Then, he threw a punch directly at Gao Meng.
In his opinion, Gao Meng was just a weak woman. Her presence here, and her daring to attack him, was solely due to Song Qiao's influence. Defeating her would be effortless.
The fist wind roared, and the fist shadows were dense.
He hadn't expected that this Xia Haibin, who didn't seem that formidable, would have decent martial arts skills.
But it was understandable. After all, his father was the branch leader here, and all the good resources were poured into him.
Even a pig, with so much resource support, could be fed well.
Gao Meng, opposite him, seemed to be scared stiff, not dodging but standing there blankly.
The gang members, seeing Xia Haibin make his move, watched with anticipation.
Many also felt a sense of pity, lamenting for Gao Meng, such a beauty, about to be ruined.
Teng Haibo was also worried, looking at Song Qiao.
He saw Song Qiao sitting there quietly, as if unconcerned.
But in the next moment, Gao Meng moved.
Her figure flickered, advancing instead of retreating.
Suddenly, her leg shot out like lightning.
The next instant, Xia Haibin cried out in agony and flew backward.
Bang!
He fell heavily onto the bluestone-paved ground, tumbling several times.
Pfft!
He spat out a large mouthful of blood.
However, his physical condition was indeed good.
Despite being extremely panicked, he still managed to roll over and stand up.
Then, he turned and ran. Gao Meng had scared him.
However, Gao Meng had no intention of letting him go.
She casually picked up a wooden stick, as thick as an arm and as long as a person, from the side. In a few steps, she reached Xia Haibin.
She swung the stick directly.
Whoosh, crack!
Xia Haibin was struck, stumbling forward and falling prone on the ground. His body slid forward a considerable distance due to inertia.
What was most tragic was that his face scraped the ground, breaking the skin and flesh, leaving a long bloody trail.
This scene made the surrounding gang members wince.
This brat was likely disfigured.
Someone wanted to step forward but ultimately stopped.
The old branch leader was already dead, and Xia Haibin, this spoiled brat, was useless even if he survived. Moreover, could they even stop her if they went up now?
Even if they stopped her, would they earn the gratitude of this second-generation scion?
It wasn't worth the risk of getting burned.
Gao Meng, ignoring his screams, continued to swing the staff.
Crack, crack, crack…
She didn't stop until fifty strikes were completed.
The entire place fell into a deathly silence.
Xia Haibin, with dual blows to his body and face, snarled at Song Qiao, "You, surnamed Song, may you die a horrible death!"
Song Qiao's expression was calm. He was just a fallen dog, his sole purpose now to make an example of him.
He sat there, surveying the surroundings, "Now, is there anyone who still thinks I don't have the right to speak here?"
Everyone was silent as if struck by fear, their eyes darting nervously.
Tang Wen, who had approached, had a darkened face, filled with anger. He had already confirmed that the token was indeed from the headquarters.
He wondered where this brat got this token.
But what did it matter? It couldn't let him interfere with his objective.
However, as an old member of Tongmen who had weathered many storms, he understood the power dynamics of Tongmen. He was certain that the headquarters couldn't interfere in the specific affairs of the branches, not to mention that he had strong allies.
So, he suppressed his anger and said, "Even if you are the leader of the Shanghai Tongmen branch, you cannot interfere with the selection of the branch leader in this city."
Song Qiao smiled. "You are correct. You looked so closely just now, confirming the authenticity of this token, right?"
"This... it is indeed real." Tang Wen was surprised by Song Qiao's unexpected turn of events. He couldn't deny the authenticity of the jade pendant.
However, if you make the first move, don't blame me for retaliating.
Without waiting for Song Qiao to speak, he preempted him, saying, "In that case, please do not meddle in our affairs. We intend to expel Teng Haibo. He has no right to participate in this selection."
His supporters in the hall echoed his sentiments.
They understood that although Song Qiao held a certain status, if they could drive Teng Haibo away today, they would consider it a victory.
Teng Haibo, standing nearby, grew anxious. Was he still going to be expelled?
Song Qiao, however, raised his hand and calmly said, "I said, the selection of Teng Haibo is not just my intention, but also the intention of the headquarters."
Tang Wen, naturally, feigned disbelief. "What use is your word? The token is inanimate; it cannot speak! Who knows if you are falsely impersonating an imperial decree!"
Song Qiao smiled. "That's easy to handle. Let the Grand Elder, Sun Tengfei, come forward and clarify!"
Tang Wen was taken aback. Was this Song Qiao crazy?
At this moment, a gruff voice came from the doorway.
"Hmph, young, but with a big mouth. I'd like to see how you can summon Sun Tengfei."
Everyone turned to look at the sound. A man in a Tang suit, an elder, strode into the hall, followed by several imposing figures.
Song Qiao glanced at them; he didn't recognize them.
Gao Meng, however, felt a jolt. This elder was not simple.
Tang Wen appeared extremely enthusiastic, addressing him as "Elder Xu."
Before even reaching the elder, he had already knelt down and bowed deeply, "Elder Xu, you must uphold justice for me!"
Tang Wen's faction felt a surge of confidence. With Elder Xu's arrival, their side was guaranteed victory.
On Teng Haibo's side, there was a sense of despair. With this old fellow's arrival, could this young man hold his ground?