"Blood ties, familial bonds—can you simply sever them with a word? A son’s debt is his father’s to repay; it’s the natural order. Either kill me today, or pay up."

Lv Qiang gritted his teeth, the taste of blood filling his mouth. At this point, he had resolved to go all in.

"You’re a big star now—a few million in debt is nothing to you, just pocket change. The reason you won’t pay off Rong Yuhe’s debt is simply because he failed to fulfill his duties as a father. But so what? He gave birth to you, raised you, brought you into this world. If you refuse to repay his debt, you’re unfilial. Word gets out, and your fans will only spit on you."

Rong Xianning’s pitch-black eyes were deep and silent. He quietly stared at Lv Qiang, his gaze sending chills straight down Lv Qiang’s spine.

A kid who’s not even fully grown—how can he radiate such a terrifying sense of oppression? It’s downright freakish.

Xiao Hu had spent several months by Rong Xianning’s side and had come to understand his temperament to some extent. Lv Qiang’s words were like jumping right over Rong Xianning’s tripwire. This kid may appear poised and elegant on the surface, but deep down, there’s madness in his bones.

To prevent Rong Xianning from doing something reckless, Xiao Hu stepped forward and delivered a hard kick to Lv Qiang’s stomach. "Spouting nonsense—believe me, I’ll rip your tongue out."

Lv Qiang spat out a mouthful of blood, letting out a sinister laugh. "If you’ve got the guts, kill me. Otherwise, there’s no way you’ll escape this debt."

Xiao Hu truly wanted to kill this bastard, but he was still holding onto his reason. Despite Lv Qiang’s sorry state, Xiao Hu had measured his attack. Lv Qiang would only suffer external injuries; even if he went for a physical examination, nothing substantial would show up.

Unable to truly eliminate him, yet faced with his brazen arrogance, Lv Qiang was clearly determined to extort Rong Xianning. The situation was tricky.

"Is that so?" A soft, feminine voice rang out.

Xiao Hu turned his head to see a young girl walking over, her steps illuminated by the moonlight.

Rong Xianning’s expression became slightly disheveled. "An’an..."

Shen You’an shot him a reassuring look, approached Lv Qiang, squatted down, and cheerfully retrieved the folded piece of paper from his chest pocket.

Upon unfolding it, she found a promissory note intertwined with a high-interest loan contract.

"A daily interest rate of 21%. Might as well forego running a casino and just start robbing banks—it’d be faster."

Lv Qiang gnashed his teeth. "You little girl, don’t go inviting trouble for yourself."

Shen You’an shook her head and chuckled softly. "Running a loan shark business and still strutting around in public—are you fearless because of ignorance, or just downright stupid?"

"What do you know? Back in Yunzhou, it’s perfectly legal. Whether he wants to repay or not, he’ll have to repay."

"But this is Jingzhou, not Yunzhou, where you think you’re the king. Here, you play by Jingzhou’s rules. Lucky for you, I happen to know a renowned lawyer who specializes in cases like yours. With rates this high, you’d be sentenced to rot in prison."

Lv Qiang’s pupils shrank sharply. "You wouldn’t dare."

The girl flashed an extraordinarily gentle smile—a smile so soft it sent shivers down the spine.

"For someone who runs a casino, I’d expect you to have some skill in reading people. So tell me—do you know?"

Shen You’an leaned in close, speaking in a voice only meant for the two of them. "There’s a kind of person... you simply can’t afford to provoke."

In that instant, a profound fear surged from the depths of Lv Qiang’s heart. He stared at the young girl in front of him, eyes brimming with disbelief.

She was so young, yet possessed an unsettling air of mystery that defied comprehension.

It was this very unknown that inspired a visceral sense of terror.

He had indeed developed a knack for reading people. Rong Xianning, for instance, was all bark and no bite, which was why he dared to threaten him. But the girl before him exuded danger.

His instinct for sensing peril had helped him dodge trouble more than once.

"W-Who... What are you really?"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com