I Surrender

"This—"

Huo Shen's eyes widened.

There were clearly bullets in this gun, so why? Why was there still no reaction?

Huo Shen clenched his teeth and gave the order again, "Give me another gun."

A subordinate immediately stepped forward and handed Huo Shen a gun.

Still, no bullet fired.

"Another one." Huo Shen gritted his teeth.

Another subordinate drew his gun and passed it to Huo Shen.

Still nothing!

Hong Yuanjie stepped forward and said coldly, "It doesn't matter which gun you switch to, it's useless. All your guns here have been tampered with by me."

"You!"

Huo Shen stared at Hong Yuanjie.

His face was filled with disbelief.

"Hong Yuanjie, how dare you betray me!"

"Don't forget, I'm the one who saved your brother's life. Without me, your brother would have died long ago."

"Hah, still trying to use my brother to manipulate me."

Hong Yuanjie said coldly, "Huo Shen, I see you now. I know exactly how you schemed against me and set up my brother."

Huo Shen's pupils contracted sharply.

So Hong Yuanjie had found out about all of this?

"My brother was hunted down by enemies—you arranged that, didn't you? And my brother's legs being crippled—that was also your doing." Hong Yuanjie's voice was heavy with hatred.

"Huo Shen, you just wanted to use this life-saving favor to get me to do your dirty work."

"Quite the plan, weren't you?"

Huo Shen gritted his teeth and denied it. "No, I didn't. Hong Yuanjie, Lin Xuan is deliberately trying to drive a wedge between us. Don't listen to him."

Hong Yuanjie sneered. "Huo Shen, I'm not stupid. Whether Lin Xuan is driving a wedge or not, I can tell."

"No—I am a fool, for being deceived by you all these years."

His tone was full of bitter mockery at himself.

If it weren't for Lin Xuan's reminder, he would have continued being fooled by his enemy, Huo Shen.

"Hmph."

Huo Shen let out a cold laugh.

"It looks like there's no hiding your brother's matter from you anymore."

"Hong Yuanjie, you're truly dumb. Such an obvious trap, and you only figured it out because Lin Xuan tipped you off."

"A pity. Losing a fool I could use and manipulate." Huo Shen sneered. "But now that Lin Xuan has fallen into my hands, whether you remain my dog or not doesn't matter anymore."

He had no further use for Hong Yuanjie.

"Huo Shen, you—"

This was the first time Huo Shen had dropped his act in front of Hong Yuanjie, revealing his true face.

Hong Yuanjie was furious.

Lin Xuan, meanwhile, stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the show.

Hong Yuanjie took a deep breath and said, "Huo Shen, are you really sure you can get rid of Young Master Lin and take his place?"

"And even if Young Master Lin and Boss Su really break up, Boss Su wouldn't end up with you, would she?"

Without his blind trust in Huo Shen, he could clearly see just how outstanding Young Master Lin truly was.

It was perfectly normal for Boss Su to like Lin Xuan.

It was also perfectly normal for her not to like Huo Shen.

A man like Huo Shen? He didn't even deserve to catch Boss Su's eye.

Hong Yuanjie continued, "Before Young Master Lin appeared, you'd known Boss Su for quite a while, hadn't you? Did she ever pay you any attention back then?"

"Boss Su never liked you before, and she never will. Huo Shen, do you really think that a scheming, conniving man like you, who's outshone by Young Master Lin in every way, could ever win Boss Su's heart? Stop dreaming."

Hong Yuanjie's words struck a nerve with Huo Shen.

Before this, he had always hung around Su Wa, but she never even gave him a single glance.

Even when he took a bullet for Su Wa, her attitude toward him didn't change at all.

He had thought Su Wa was simply cold and heartless.

That no man could ever win her affection.

Then Lin Xuan showed up and completely shattered that illusion.

So Su Wa could fall for a man.

And more than that—she became soft and gentle around Lin Xuan, nothing like the icy, distant person she was with him.

That broke Huo Shen.

He swore to himself: he would drive Lin Xuan out of Su Wa's heart and take her for himself.

He would eventually win Su Wa's heart and make her love only him.

Huo Shen calmed his raging anger.

He spread his arms wide and said with a cold, arrogant smile,

"Hong Yuanjie, so what if you replaced all our guns? There are still so many of my men here. Do you really think you and Lin Xuan can escape my grasp?"

"In a little while, I'll still hypnotize Lin Xuan and make him break up with Su Wa."

"As for you, Hong Yuanjie—I originally planned to make good use of you. But now that you know the truth, I have no choice but to kill you. And your brother, too."

"Hahahaha—"

Huo Shen burst into laughter, his face filled with smug triumph.

"Hong Yuanjie, don't think those words of yours just now can rattle me. Don't worry—they won't."

"Because sooner or later, Hua'er will love me."

"Hong Yuanjie, you had the right path, but you chose not to take it. You and your brother want to die? Fine, don't blame me for it."

"Huo Shen, who are you going to kill?" A vigorous voice rang out from outside the door.

Huo Shen frowned.

His eyes darted toward the entrance.

That voice... it sounded a bit like that old bastard from the Su family?

But he must be overthinking it. There's no way that old man would show up here.

"Creak—"

The villa's main door was pushed open.

Old Master Su and Su Wa walked in from the entrance.

As Su Wa entered, her eyes immediately searched for Lin Xuan. Seeing that he was unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief.

Then her gaze shifted to Huo Shen.

Her eyes were filled with murderous intent.

Huo Shen's eyes bulged.

It was that old bastard from the Su family—and Hua'er!

What were they doing here?

Realization dawned on him. Huo Shen spun around sharply and glared at Lin Xuan.

"Lin Xuan, it's you!"

Huo Shen ground his teeth. "You arranged all of this, didn't you?"

"You and Hong Yuanjie teamed up to trick me—made me think he'd captured you—and deliberately led me to say all those things so Hua'er and Old Master Su could see and hear everything, right?"

"Exactly. That's right."

Lin Xuan nodded. "Not bad, Huo Shen. You do have at least a bit of a brain."

"Lin Xuan!"

Huo Shen's teeth were grinding. "I never expected you to have such cunning!"

He had always looked down on Lin Xuan.

He believed that everything Lin Xuan had—like the Tiantu Group—was only because of Su Wa's help.

He never thought that one day he, too, would be played by a worthless piece of trash like Lin Xuan!

Lin Xuan smiled. "Huo Shen, you've lost."

"I haven't lost!"

Huo Shen gritted his teeth. "I still have so many subordinates!"

They would definitely protect him and help him break out.

As long as he kept his life, he would have a chance for revenge.

After he escaped, he would build up his forces.

Then he'd kill Lin Xuan—and take Hua'er and the Su Group for himself!

"Subordinates?"

Lin Xuan let out a chuckle.

His gaze swept over Huo Shen’s subordinates as he raised an eyebrow and said, “Everyone here and outside is my people. Your guns are useless. If you resist, you’ll only end up dead.”

“Are you sure you still want to stick with Huo Shen? If you surrender now, I’ll spare your lives.”

Huo Shen’s men exchanged uneasy glances.

Huo Shen sneered and said, “These are all loyal brothers who have been with me for years. Don’t think you can turn them against me with just a few words!”

“I’m telling you—it’s impossible.”

Lin Xuan ignored Huo Shen and kept his eyes on Huo Shen’s men.

“I’ll give you one minute to think it over carefully.”

Time ticked by, second by second.

In the blink of an eye, thirty seconds had passed.

Not a single person had surrendered yet.

Huo Shen said smugly, “Lin Xuan, see that? You wanted my men to surrender, but your plan has failed, hasn’t it?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than voices rang out one after another.

“I surrender.”

“I surrender.”

“I surrender, too.”

In an instant, every single one of Huo Shen’s subordinates fell to their knees.