Chapter 824
Desperate Counterattack Breaks Through the Encirclement
In the center of the hall, Prince Hui stood with his back to the door, motionless, like a decaying statue.
His mind was still replaying Xie Yuting's ruthless suggestion to "kill his mother and seize power," and the internal struggle he was going through. The desire for power was like a poisonous vine coiling around his heart, while the remaining maternal affection and basic human decency flickered like a weak candle flame in the darkness.
He didn't even realize someone had come in.
"Xiao Hui!"
Qiu Qinyun's voice rang out, filled with urgency and worry.
Prince Hui was jolted and whirled around. Seeing his mother enter surrounded by Zhao Yong, Luo Qingyan, and the Buddha, a fleeting, almost imperceptible panic crossed his face, quickly replaced by annoyance and resistance.
"Mom, what brings you here?"
His tone was stiff, and his eyes were somewhat evasive.
Qiu Qinyun walked quickly to him, not bothering to blame him for choosing such a place, grabbed his arm, and whispered.
"Xiao Hui, stop talking nonsense! Pack your things and come with Master Fo right now! Qin Luo's investigation has likely already traced you back to you! Mindu is too dangerous for you right now; you can't stay here a moment longer!"
As she spoke, she gave Luo Qingyan behind her a wink. Luo Qingyan immediately stepped forward and handed a heavy black backpack to Prince Hui.
"Here's some cash and some necessary documents, enough for you to settle down outside."
Qiu Qinyun spoke urgently.
"The ship is all arranged. Tonight at 11 PM, Master will personally escort you onto the ship to the Philippines to lay low for a while. Once Mom has completely taken control of Anbang Group and established a firm foothold, she will definitely bring you back in grand style!"
However, Prince Hui looked at the backpack handed to him but did not reach out to take it.
A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly opened his backpack!
"Snapped!"
The backpack fell to the ground, the zipper burst open, revealing bundles of brand-new hundred-yuan bills inside.
"Leave? It's me leaving again?"
Prince Hui's voice suddenly rose, filled with long-suppressed resentment and madness.
"Last time you made me get kicked out of the Anbang Building like a stray dog! Now you want me to sneak out of the country like a rat crossing the street? Mom! I'm your son! I used to be Prince Hui of Fuzhou! I'm not a wanted criminal!"
Qiu Qinyun was startled by his intense reaction and took a half step back, saying with heartache.
"Xiaohui! Mom is doing this for your own good! Saving your life is more important than anything else! Qin Luo... he's terrifying! This morning..."
"Qin Luo! Qin Luo! It's Qin Luo again!"
Prince Hui abruptly interrupted her, his eyes bloodshot.
"Are you that afraid of him? Are you so sure you can defeat him and take control of Anbang Group?"
This question, like a sharp needle, pierced the most uncertain part of Qiu Qinyun's heart.
The helpless numbness in the pavilion that morning and Qin Luo's cold gaze flashed through her mind, and for the first time, her tone showed obvious hesitation and uncertainty.
"I...I'll do my best! But the priority is your safety! Xiaohui, listen to me, get out of here first!"
Her momentary hesitation, however, was seen by Crown Prince Hui as proof of a lack of confidence and a bleak future! Even his own mother was not confident in defeating Qin Luo and taking control of Anbang, so would he, the "former crown prince" in exile overseas, ever return? He would probably only become, as Xie Yuting said, a piece of trash that would be discarded after losing its usefulness!
"No! I won't leave!"
Prince Hui completely lost control of his emotions, waving his arms and roaring.
“If I leave Mindu, I, Li Guanghui, will be finished! I'll never be able to recover! I want to stay in Mindu! I want to take back everything that belongs to me! I want to be the king of Mindu! Mom, tell me, are you confident you can deal with Qin Luo? Can you give me a clear answer? If you can't, then let me do it!”
His outrageous remarks, which bordered on coercion, left Qiu Qinyun both shocked and furious.
"Are you crazy?! Xiaohui, this isn't the time to be competitive! Survival is the most important thing! You have to leave! Zhao Yong!"
Her last shout was directed at Zhao Yong, her tone leaving no room for argument. At the same time, Zhao Yong seemed to sense something; his sharp gaze swept towards the staircase leading to the second floor, where the shadows were heavy, as if something was moving silently.
He frowned, preparing to step forward to investigate.
In that very instant!
Prince Hui, who had been excitedly waving his arms, suddenly pulled a gleaming fruit knife from his sleeve with his right hand! It was the very same knife Xie Yuting had used to peel the apple!
The last trace of hesitation in his eyes was completely swallowed by madness, replaced by a ferocious, reckless rage! Before anyone could react, including Qiu Qinyun who was standing right next to him and Zhao Yong who was distracted by looking at the stairs, he pounced on his prey like a wolf, holding a fruit knife, and stabbed it viciously towards Qiu Qinyun's heart!
"Mom! You forced me to do this!!"
"Madam, be careful!!"
Buddha, who had been keeping a close eye on Prince Hui's movements, reacted incredibly quickly despite being in a wheelchair! In the instant the blade flashed, he roared and unleashed a burst of power from nowhere, forcefully pushing the armrests of his wheelchair with both hands. His obese body actually slid sideways, blocking Qiu Qinyun's path!
"Pfft!"
The sharp tip of the knife pierced into the Buddha's round belly without any resistance! All the way down to the hilt!
"Ugh—!"
The Buddha let out a muffled groan, his face instantly draining of color, large beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks. But a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and in the instant Prince Hui was slightly stunned by hitting his target, he raised his intact right leg and, with all his might, kicked Prince Hui hard in the abdomen!
"boom!"
Prince Hui was thrown off the ground as if hit by a speeding truck, his entire body flying in an arc in the air before crashing heavily onto a pile of broken furniture seven or eight meters away, producing a series of loud bangs and filling the air with dust.
He struggled to get up, but coughed up a mouthful of blood. His face was as pale as paper, but his eyes were bloodshot, staring intently in Qiu Qinyun's direction, filled with insane hatred and determination.
It all happened so fast, in the blink of an eye!
Qiu Qinyun stared blankly at the Buddha, who was standing in front of her, a knife handle protruding from his abdomen, his clothes quickly soaked in blood. Then she looked at her son, struggling and coughing up blood in the distance. Her mind went blank; it was as if the whole world had collapsed and distorted in an instant! Her son… her son had actually intended to kill her?! He wanted her dead?!
"Young Master Hui! You...you bastard!!" Luo Qingyan was the first to react. She was shocked and angry. She took a step forward, picked up the fruit knife stained with Buddha's blood, held it horizontally in front of her chest, and firmly protected the distraught Qiu Qinyun behind her. Her beautiful eyes were full of vigilance and horror.
Buddha clutched his bleeding abdomen, the excruciating pain causing his chubby face to twitch uncontrollably. Yet, he gritted his teeth, his gaze towards Prince Hui filled with unbelievable rage and overwhelming murderous intent! This young master, whom he had watched grow up and even secretly supported, had actually become so heartless and insane!
Zhao Yong also withdrew his gaze from the stairs, his expression becoming more solemn than ever before. Prince Hui's insane act of murdering his mother was already shocking enough, but he was more concerned about the fleeting anomaly in the shadows of the stairs, and now, the extremely faint yet hostile rustling sounds coming from every corner of the villa!
really!
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, the heavy solid wood door of the villa was slammed shut from the outside, accompanied by the sound of chains locking itself shut!
Immediately afterwards—
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The sound of wind breaking rang out one after another!
Thirty or forty figures emerged like ghosts from the bathrooms, kitchens, and storage rooms on the first floor, and from the shadows of the corridors and rooms on the second floor!
They were all dressed in black night clothes, their faces covered with black cloths, revealing only pairs of cold, merciless eyes. Each held a long, narrow, sharp Dongyang samurai sword! The blades reflected a chilling gleam in the dim light!
These people moved swiftly and silently, quickly dispersing upon appearing to form a tight encirclement, surrounding Qiu Qinyun, Zhao Yong, Buddha, Luo Qingyan, and their eight subordinates in the center of the hall! A dense killing intent instantly filled the air, making it hard to breathe!
With the help of two masked men, Prince Hui managed to stand up. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at his mother and the others who were surrounded. There was no remorse in his eyes, only madness and a twisted pleasure.
"Mom...don't blame me..."
His voice was hoarse, broken between pain and excitement.
“It was you… who forced me to… I don’t want to leave… I don’t want to be a stray dog… I want to be king… I have no choice… I have no other option…”
Looking at her son's completely unfamiliar face, filled with ambition and madness, and then at the dozens of samurai swords gleaming coldly around her, Qiu Qinyun's heart sank into an icy abyss.
She realized that it was all a meticulously planned trap! And her own son was the most fatal link in this trap!
Zhao Yong slowly drew his cold, gleaming short knife from his back and stood in front of Qiu Qinyun and the injured Buddha. His gaze was sharp as he scanned the masked knife-wielders around him, his muscles tense like a cheetah poised to pounce. Luo Qingyan gripped her bloodstained fruit knife tightly, her palms sweating, but her eyes were resolute.
The eight henchmen quickly formed a circle back to back, drew their weapons, and showed no fear despite facing an enemy several times their size.
A bloody battle is about to break out!
……
Outside the villa, inside that beat-up Jetta, Zhang Shanshan was already terrified!
He originally just wanted to secretly film Qiu Qinyun meeting someone, but he didn't expect to first see Prince Hui frantically stabbing his mother, and then witness dozens of men in black wielding samurai swords pouring out of the villa as if by magic!
Although the specific conversation inside couldn't be heard, the gleaming knives, the chilling atmosphere, the heavily closed doors... even a fool would know that something terrible was about to happen inside!
Moreover, the attire and weapons of those men in black... were clearly in the samurai style of the small world! Add to that Prince Hui's insane attempt to murder his mother...
Zhang Shanshan felt a chill run down his spine, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat! He realized that he had inadvertently stumbled upon a shocking conspiracy involving the murder of a member of a wealthy family and the involvement of foreign forces! This was beyond the scope of what an ordinary paparazzi could handle; it could potentially lead to death, and he himself might even be silenced!
Intense fear and professional instinct made his hands tremble, and he used almost all his strength to pull his phone out of his pocket.
His first thought wasn't to call the police, but rather his old classmate, Qin Luo, whose identity was now mysterious and whose power seemed unfathomable!
With trembling fingers, he found Qin Luo's number, pressed the dial button, and simultaneously pointed the camera lens intently at the villa window, hoping to capture more footage.
……
Royal City No. 1 Club, Room No. 1.
This place is less like a private room and more like a small palace. Spanning over 200 square meters, the overall decor is understated yet luxurious, in the style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It features a complete set of huanghuali furniture, authentic calligraphy and paintings by renowned artists on the walls, and rare antiques displayed on shelves. A faint, calming sandalwood scent permeates the air.
This used to be Mr. An's private space, and now it is used by An Ruoxi.
After leading Qin Luo here, Rose tactfully bowed and withdrew, gently closing the heavy, carved wooden door behind her. Qin Luo was now alone in the vast space.
Qin Luo casually walked to the window and looked down at the dazzling night view of Mindu outside the window. The neon lights were like an inverted Milky Way, and the traffic was like a continuous stream.
He appeared calm, seemingly neither expectant nor nervous about his upcoming meeting with An Ruoxi.
Meanwhile, at the bar in the lobby of Imperial City No. 1, which is comparable to the lobby of a five-star hotel.
Blade sat alone on a high stool, with a glass of ordinary whiskey on the rocks in front of him.
He was wearing a simple black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms.
He drank his wine in silence, his eyes as cold and indifferent as ever, seemingly out of place with the noisy and ambiguous environment around him.
Rose swayed gracefully over, glanced at the cheap amber liquid in his glass, frowned, and snatched the glass away.
"Hey!"
Daofeng frowned slightly as he looked at her.
"Why are you drinking this lousy liquor!"
Rose rolled her eyes at him, poured the glass of wine into the nearby trash can without any politeness, and then gave an order to the silent waiter next to her.
"Go, bring me that 90 Romanée-Conti from my private room and put it on Brother Blade!"
The waiter nodded quickly and ran off.
On the sofa in the rest area not far away, Wu Yufeng and his sister Wu Wanqing sat together. Seeing this scene, Wu Yufeng couldn't help but grin and whispered to his sister.
"See that? In the entire Anbang Group, the only one who dares to steal Brother Blade's wine like that and doesn't get beaten up is Sister Rose."
Wu Wanqing smiled and nodded, but her gaze unconsciously drifted towards the elevator leading to the private rooms upstairs, her expression still complicated.
Blade looked at Rose's matter-of-fact expression, and the corner of his cold lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but in the end he said nothing and acquiesced to her arrangement.
However, his gaze also seemed to casually sweep across the entire hall, especially the key entrances and hidden corners on the first floor, to ensure there was nothing amiss. The Crown Prince was upstairs; his duty was to safeguard the building's security.
Royal City No. 1, Room No. 1.
The air is filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, exuding an ancient charm.
Qin Luo held a glass of vintage Romanée-Conti, gently swirling the rich, blood-like liquid within. His gaze casually swept over a genuine landscape painting on the wall, his expression relaxed, as if he were merely appreciating an ordinary scene. (End of Chapter)