Chapter 88: A Single Step

“Crack!” The vein of the ring finger runs straight to the heart. At the moment it snapped, Qian Duoduo’s wail was like the cry of a vengeful specter.

Among the onlookers, several women turned pale, covered their ears, averted their gazes, unable to bear either the sight or the sound. Many of the men’s faces were stiff, their hearts trembling.

Everyone here was into racing, their rides all supercars worth at least a million. Most present were young scions of the circle’s families, or their friends. They’d all heard tales of the Lin family’s useless son-in-law, but from the moment a stone smashed that car to now—barely five or six minutes—Hong Chen’s ruthless and cruel actions had clarified one fact: this son-in-law of the Lin family was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Once you touched his barbs, the so-called waste would turn into a savage, a madman.

Deep down, Hong Chen didn’t want to flaunt himself too much, at least not before returning to Jianghai City. Yet the series of events that had befallen Lin Yuxin recently had changed his mind.

As long as they weren’t divorced, Lin Yuxin was his wife, his reverse scale. If he couldn’t even bare his dragon claws to show deterrence, there would surely be another Chen Feiyang, another Qian Duoduo, trying to test that scale.

That night, Lin Yuxin was spared only because Shi Jie hadn’t lost his conscience. Today, Lin Yuxin was a mere half-centimeter from death. Next time, would she be as lucky?

If the reverse scale is touched and cracks appear, or it shatters outright, what’s the point of tearing the offender limb from limb? The scale will never heal again.

So tonight, he came in person. In front of everyone, he made an example of Qian Duoduo, a warning to all: Hong Chen’s wife is not to be coveted.

With the index, middle, and ring fingers already broken, Hong Chen still showed no sign of stopping. He forced open Qian Duoduo’s pinky, about to do the same, when Liu Hao called out, “Hong Chen, stop.”

Hong Chen glanced at him. “You want to protect him?”

Liu Hao’s expression soured, brows furrowing as he hesitated. “He’s my friend.”

Liu Hao and Qian Duoduo had only met half an hour earlier, introduced by a mutual friend. The Qian family was a near top-tier clan in South City, and the Liu family had tens of millions invested there. For the sake of this connection, Liu Hao was willing to step up.

Besides, during their earlier conversation, Qian Duoduo had complained about targeting a stunning beauty that day but failing, leaving him frustrated. With Hong Chen openly stating that Qian Duoduo had ill intentions toward Lin Yuxin, it wasn’t hard to guess that she was the woman he’d eyed. Since nothing had happened, it wasn’t a big deal.

To Liu Hao, Hong Chen burning Qian Duoduo’s car was already over the top, breaking three fingers was simply outrageous!

“I advise you to drop this friendship,” Hong Chen said coldly. Then, with sudden force, he snapped Qian Duoduo’s pinky in two, blood gushing like a spring.

Qian Duoduo’s screams had grown hoarse, his face devoid of color, eyes pleading as he looked to Liu Hao.

“My friendships are none of your concern. Hong Chen, let him go, or don’t blame me for being harsh,” Liu Hao’s face darkened instantly, rage boiling in his chest, warning him in a severe tone.

He, the Liu family’s eldest son, couldn’t even protect someone on his own turf in Qing City—how would he keep face, how could he show himself in the circle after this?

“Hong Chen, you’re acting wild in the wrong place. Arson and assault—you won’t leave here without giving an explanation,” Fang Pin declared, striding up with a cold-faced man in a black suit at his side, clearly a bodyguard. Fang Pin had only just met Qian Duoduo through friends but was close with Liu Hao.

With Liu Hao and Fang Pin stepping forward, several other young heirs joined them, standing behind the pair and glaring at Hong Chen, making their stance clear.

Faced with their pressure, Hong Chen seemed oblivious. Instead, he swept his gaze across the crowd and loudly declared, “This man, Qian Duoduo, threatened my wife. Anyone who protects him is my enemy.”

Then, his voice sharpened, rising eight octaves: “Who else wants to protect him? Step forward now!”

Everyone exchanged glances, expressions varied, thoughts swirling. The scene fell into a tense, oppressive silence.

A slender figure dashed from the betting booth set up by the race organizers, stopping between Hong Chen and Liu Hao’s group.

“Brother, Hong Chen has his reasons. Even if you won’t help, don’t interfere,” Liu Xinyue said, dressed in racing gear, her hair tied back, her delicate face frosty and determined as she stared at Liu Hao.

“Xinyue, Qian Duoduo is my friend. Stay out of this!” Liu Hao’s face darkened further, his own sister opposing him in public, making the Liu family a laughingstock.

“Brother, a mistake once is ignorance; twice is stupidity; now you’re about to make it a third time—there’s no cure for that!” Liu Xinyue’s voice rose, anger surging as she strode over to Hong Chen’s side, looked coldly at Qian Duoduo, and said icily, “Plotting against another man’s wife—you don’t deserve to be called a man.”

With that, she suddenly delivered a vicious kick right between Qian Duoduo’s legs.

“Agh…” Qian Duoduo let out a long, mournful cry, convulsing in agony, his face contorted in pain.

The spectators were all shocked, many men instinctively sucking in breaths—when they looked at Liu Xinyue now, there was a palpable fear in their eyes.

Some had been ready to curry favor with Liu Hao and his peers by denouncing Hong Chen, but after seeing this, all such thoughts vanished and they kept quiet.

Hong Chen glanced at Liu Xinyue, a trace of admiration in his eyes. He’d already decided to target Liu Hao and Fang Pin, the first to step forward, but this woman’s decisive kick made him reconsider.

“It was your grandfather’s face before, now yours. Next time your brother opposes me without cause, there’ll be no face left,” Hong Chen remarked mildly, then swept his gaze over the crowd again. Seeing their uncertain expressions, he deemed it enough. He chopped Qian Duoduo unconscious with a hand strike, then grabbed his leg and, under the silent gaze of hundreds, dragged him toward the parking area.

Liu Hao’s eyes burned with anger, his fists clenching and unclenching, but he didn’t speak up.

Liu Xinyue was his sister; her kick had severed any chance of cooperation between the Liu and Qian families—at best, they wouldn’t become enemies. With her stance clear, why should he speak for Qian Duoduo? Besides, Liu Xinyue had proved her resolve; if he kept opposing Hong Chen, it would only lead to another sibling showdown, making the Liu family look worse.

Fang Pin and the others saw Liu Hao remain silent, and with Liu Xinyue’s kick marking her position, they too fell quiet, inwardly mourning for Qian Duoduo.

Bang!

Finally, Hong Chen stuffed the unconscious Qian Duoduo into the GTR’s trunk, jumped into the driver’s seat, floored the accelerator, and the GTR, like a beast spotting prey, roared down the mountain at breakneck speed.

Soon after Hong Chen left, four striking supercars swept up from above, lining up on the lot. Jiang Tao jumped out of a Lamborghini, Jiang Ying and Cao Renjie from a Ferrari, Jiang Jiwen and Shen Ruoshang from an R8, while Qiao Chu and his girlfriend emerged from a silver-gray Porsche.

The seven gathered, quickly sensing something was off. Seeing the burnt shell of a Porsche on the track, they were astonished.

After learning from others what had happened, Qiao Chu, his girlfriend, Cao Renjie, and Shen Ruoshang were all shocked—especially Cao Renjie, who broke out in a cold sweat. He’d been plotting to deal with Hong Chen and hadn’t expected him to be so ferocious—a genuine lunatic!

Unlike their fear and apprehension, Jiang Tao, ever eager for excitement, slapped his forehead, full of regret and frustration, cursing Hong Chen for not being a true brother—not letting him know about such a spectacular show in advance.

Jiang Ying’s eyes flickered, then she pulled Jiang Jiwen aside, her face stern. “Jiwen, that Hong Chen is so brazen, he must be using your brother’s name again. I’ve warned him, but he won’t listen. Now he has to face the consequences.”

Jiang Jiwen paused, nervous. “Sis, what are you planning? Didn’t he just win a race for Tao this afternoon? With Tao’s protection, if I do anything to him, Tao will blame me.”

Jiang Ying snorted, “Useless. He’s your cousin, he won’t actually eat you. Don’t worry, I’ll handle any trouble. I remember you said his boss’s girlfriend attends your school’s vocal department, often sings at nightclubs. Go dig up some details, then…”