Chapter 492: Severing Ties, Settling Old Scores!
"Xiao Mu, what are you saying?" Su Dahai said angrily. "Don’t you dare act out of spite!"
"Spite?" Lin Mu smiled coldly. "Do you think I’m acting out of spite? Are you even worthy?"
"Humiliating my mother, targeting us, setting traps... after all these despicable stunts you’ve pulled on us, you still want me to stay? Is that even possible?"
Su Dahai said anxiously, "Second Sister, you have to talk to Xiao Mu! We’re a family, we can’t let ourselves become a laughingstock."
"A laughingstock?" Su Rou laughed, but her smile was cold and full of disappointment. "When you stopped me from paying my respects to Dad, weren’t you worried about being laughed at? When you were bullying my son, didn’t you think you were being a laughingstock? Why are you trying to persuade me now?"
Su Qing and the others looked embarrassed. How did the tables turn like this? Who knew Lin Mu’s identity was so terrifying? If they leave, the Su Family will suffer a huge loss.
"Since the words have been said, let’s leave it at that." Su Rou shook her head, not wanting to say anymore. She was truly disappointed in these so-called relatives.
When you’re down, they look down on you, humiliating and targeting you. But when you’re on top, they turn around and flatter you, urging you to be magnanimous. Why bother? It’s better to sever such family ties sooner rather than later.
"Second Sister, are you really going to leave the Su Family?" Su Qing’s previous arrogance was gone, replaced by a hint of pleading in his voice.
After all, Su Rou—or rather, Lin Mu—was now the key to the Su Family’s prosperity.
"The words have been spoken. There’s no taking them back!" Lin Mu sneered. He raised his arm, made a grabbing motion toward the family register in Su Dafu’s hands, and clenched his fist.
The family register immediately shot into Lin Mu’s grasp. Seeing this, even Guan Xinhe’s eye twitched.
Instructor Lin is really in a league of his own, he’s no ordinary person! In the old days, a move like that would have been enough to intimidate anyone. Seizing an object from a distance... a true Martial Arts Grandmaster!
Holding the family register, its pages fluttered open as if caught in a breeze, stopping at a specific page. Then, in front of everyone, with a loud RIP, Lin Mu tore the page out.
This single tear signified that Su Rou was severing all ties with the Su Family, drawing a clear line between them. At the same time, it meant they had dropped all pretenses with these people.
His expression fell. Su Qing said, "Xiao Rou, won’t you reconsider?"
"There’s nothing to reconsider." Su Rou had seen the true colors of the Su family members and shook her head indifferently. "Since the Su Family won’t have us and looks down on my son and me, so be it. We will leave!"
Su Rou’s words were like a slap to the face of every Su family member.
Su Dahai grew very anxious. "Second Sister, listen to me, hurry and talk to Xiao Mu! He’s still just a kid. You’ve always been the sensible one, don’t follow him in this foolishness."
"Foolishness?" Su Xiaomei finally spoke, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "When Su Yumei was bullying Second Sister, why didn’t you stop her? When Lei Chengjun pointed a gun at Xiao Mu, why didn’t you call that foolishness? When the Clan Leader was about to expel Second Sister from the family, weren’t you all thrilled and excited? And now you have the nerve to call them foolish? Have you no shame?"
Su Xiaomei’s words made Su Qing’s face flush crimson with embarrassment. How could I have known that the mother and son I’d always despised had such a terrifying background? If I had known earlier, I never would have made that decision.
"Su Xiaomei, shut up!" Su Yumei said frantically. "This is not your place to speak! Be quiet!"
Pointing a gun at Lin Mu was an act whose severity depended entirely on the circumstances. In the past, they could have killed Lin Mu, pinned any crime on him, and no one would have dared to say a word. But now, he was the Chief Instructor of the Southeast Military Academy. For a mere deputy bureau chief to point a gun at him... that was a major crime!
"What? Instructor Lin, is this true?" Guan Xinhe’s expression turned grave. "According to the law, that is a serious crime, punishable by imprisonment!"
"I didn’t do it!" Lei Chengjun panicked, looking at Lin Mu with a pleading expression. "Xiao Mu," he said, "your uncle was just joking with you. You can’t take it to heart."
"Joking?" Jia Jianguo suddenly whipped out his own gun and pressed the barrel to Lei Chengjun’s head. "I’m joking with you now. Will you take it to heart?"
He had personally witnessed Instructor Lin annihilate the Fire Cloud Sect. This man was ruthless. He held a Dragon Guard Order, and even after killing Liu Xiu, nothing happened to him. And this deputy bureau chief from some backwater county dared to point a gun at him? He must have a death wish!
"I..." Cold sweat streamed down Lei Chengjun’s face, which was a mask of terror.
"Xiao Mu, please, talk to him! I really didn’t mean it!" Lei Chengjun’s legs gave out, and his face was deathly pale.
"Is Instructor Lin’s name something you’re qualified to say?" Jia Jianguo jabbed Lei Chengjun’s head with his gun, his expression murderous. "Address him as Instructor Lin!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Lei Chengjun stammered, raising his hands in a panic.
The Su family was terrified; this man was frightening.
"Instructor Lin, you’re a bigger man than me, please forgive me just this once. I truly know I was wrong," Lei Chengjun begged, on the verge of tears. "Second Sister, please, talk to him! I really know I was wrong! I’ll never do it again!"
"You won’t dare?" Lin Mu rubbed his wrists. "You’ve got plenty of nerve for a deputy bureau chief, colluding with gangsters to try and have me killed. How should we settle that score?"
"I..." Lei Chengjun’s expression fell. In the past, he could have been careless about this. But now, everyone here was someone he couldn’t afford to provoke.
County Chief Lu, Mayor Fei, the bigwigs from the Military Department... any one of them could have him killed with ease.
"Lei Chengjun, you have some nerve!" As expected, County Chief Lu erupted in anger. "Daring to point a gun at Instructor Lin is blatant insubordination!"
Fei Xiang shot a cold glare at County Chief Lu. "Lu Yiming, is this the kind of subordinate you manage? Colluding with criminal elements and using force against Instructor Lin? You owe me an explanation for this!"
"Yes, yes, Mayor Fei! I’ll investigate this thoroughly and ensure he is punished severely!" County Chief Lu was terrified. This Lei Chengjun is going to be the death of me!
"Investigate?" Fei Xiang roared. "The facts are right in front of you! What is there to investigate?"
"Yes, I know what to do." County Chief Lu trembled. "I am dismissing Lei Chengjun, effective immediately! This man is unfit for his position. I am relieving him of all duties. Men, arrest Lei Chengjun! Give him the sentence he deserves!"
Lei Chengjun was seized instantly. The harshest of sentences awaited him.
"No!" Lei Chengjun shrieked. "County Chief Lu, you can’t do this to me! I was wrong, I really know I was wrong!"
"Take him away!" County Chief Lu didn’t even spare him a glance, his hatred for the man palpable.
"Wait," Lin Mu said suddenly.
The faces of Su Qing and the others lit up. Is he changing his mind?
"Now that we’re no longer relatives, it’s time to settle some scores." Lin Mu’s expression was impassive, but his eyes glinted with cold, murderous intent.