Invincible Dad

Ruan Jin's words were pointed but stopped short.

The Ruan family members looked on expectantly, hoping for a positive answer.

Dongfang Xun furrowed his brow, displeased. "Are you questioning me or doubting me?"

He could only use a cold demeanor to mask his guilt. With a casual sketch on a hotel business card, Xu Lai had destroyed the clone of the monster suppressed under the Pseudo-Spiritual Vein. Even his master, Li Sanbai, the number one Feng Shui master in Southeast Asia, would probably be no match for that monster. A man like that... Even if it cost him his life, he, Dongfang Xun, wouldn't dare to try and curse him to death.

"Master Dongfang, you misunderstand." Seeing Dongfang Xun's displeased expression, Ruan Jin was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly. He gave an awkward laugh and said, "I was just asking casually. I meant nothing else."

Dongfang Xun snorted coldly. "When have I ever failed? Xu Lai is gravely injured and on the verge of death, with only a single breath left!"

The faces of the Ruan family members lit up with ecstasy.

Elder Ruan Su's face flushed red. He could no longer remain standing and slumped into his chair, overwhelmed with excitement.

The corners of Song Ru's mouth stretched nearly to her ears, her mind already racing as she calculated which car to buy once they had the money. A Ferrari? No, no, too cheap. A Porsche? Just average, it doesn't suit our status. Hmm, a Rolls-Royce it is, then. The extended version, preferably. Driving one would be so prestigious.

Ruan Jin didn't fantasize as much. He simply felt an immense sense of relief, picturing the day when those two little wretches, Ruan Tang and Ruan Lan, would finally kneel before him and beg for mercy. He immediately began bowing deeply, exclaiming in delight, "Master Dongfang, you truly are a genuine immortal!"

"Hmph."

Bragging costs nothing, after all. Besides, after the beating he took from Niu Guihua, Wan Yuanshan, and the others last night, he might as well keep it up.

So he continued to brag, and the tales grew bigger with each telling.

"Last night, as I observed the celestial bodies, I saw the Seven Stars align! What is this phenomenon? It is a heaven-sent Great Array, capable of vanquishing all evil."

Sipping his tea, Dongfang Xun spoke with great enthusiasm. "I rode my sword through the air, wielding the Seven Stars Formation, and suppressed Xu Lai. I took a closer look, and what do you think I saw?"

"What was it?" Ruan Jin and the others were on the edge of their seats.

"Xu Lai revealed his true form! He's a monster!"

"HISS."

Ruan Jin and the others felt their scalps tingle. A monster? No wonder that guy was so uncanny. They had never once gotten the upper hand with Xu Lai.

They listened as Dongfang Xun continued his boastful tale. "But who am I? I am Dongfang Xun of Harbour City! With my Seven Stars Formation and Peach Blossom Sword in hand, I swung my blade and struck him down..."

He bragged for a full half hour.

Seeing the shocked and worshipful expressions on the faces of the Ruan family, Dongfang Xun's vanity was immensely satisfied. Fools like this were a rare find these days.

He then freeloaded another meal at the Ruans' home.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Dongfang Xun carefully tucked away the fifty-million-yuan check and rose to his feet. "Alright, it's time for me to leave."

"Leave?" Ruan Jin stammered. "What about Xu Lai? He's still alive, but I want him dead within three days..."

"Don't you have one of his socks? If you want him dead, just burn it," Dongfang Xun said nonchalantly. "I sealed the last wisp of his soul inside that sock."

"Master Dongfang is a true divine being!"

This time, Ruan Jin was thoroughly convinced.

Then, the four members of the Ruan family watched as Dongfang Xun departed.

No sooner had he left than there was another knock at the door.

It was two men in their thirties. One was Wan Yan of the Wan family, who was in charge of their real estate projects. Ruan Jin had recently curried favor with Wan Yan and invested a substantial amount of money into the Wan family's ventures. The other man, who was middle-aged, was the vice president of a local bank in East Sea City. The Ruan family's bank loans, including their asset mortgages, were mostly handled through his bank.

"Brother Wan, Vice President Liu, please, come in and sit down," Ruan Jin said with a smile, already guessing the reason for their visit.

Some time ago, the Ruan family had taken out another large loan from the bank, planning to invest further in real estate. The two of them arriving together must have meant the loan was approved.

However, Ruan Jin failed to notice that both Wan Yan and the vice president wore stern expressions.

Vice President Liu replied, "Ruan Jin, I won't come in. I'm here about two things today. First, your company's loan was not approved."

"What?"

Ruan Jin was stunned. The connections were greased, the gifts were sent. How could it not be approved?

But Vice President Liu's next words struck him like a bolt from the blue. "Second, the bank has determined that your family's debt-to-asset ratio is too risky. The previous loan of three hundred million cannot be paid in installments. Please repay the full amount within ten days."

"What!" Ruan Jin stood there, dumbfounded. "Vice President Liu, what do you mean?"

Vice President Liu spoke indifferently. "You heard me. The message has been delivered. Please make the repayment promptly. Otherwise, the bank will sue the Ruan family. If it comes to forced collection... don't blame the authorities for being uncompromising."

"This..." Ruan Jin turned to Wan Yan, saying with a throbbing headache, "Brother Wan, look at Vice President Liu. This isn't what we agreed on. Could you please put in a good word for me?"

The borrowed money was all tied up in the Wan family's real estate portfolio and couldn't be withdrawn for years. How were they supposed to repay three hundred million now?

But one bolt from the blue followed another.

Wan Yan said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Ruan Jin, I can't help you there. Also, the partnership between our families ends here."

Ruan Jin's expression froze. "Brother Wan, you can't be serious."

Wan Yan shrugged. "Think whatever you want. Our lawyer should be here in a few minutes. You can discuss the details with him."

"What about the money my family invested? That's three hundred million from the bank loan, plus another hundred million from our mortgaged family assets!" Ruan Jin stared fixedly at the man, as if trying to see right through him.

"Money?" Wan Yan feigned surprise. "Didn't we agree? Dividends will be paid out after five years. You agreed to it yourself and signed the contract."

Five years?

Ruan Jin's face turned ashen. By then, it would be far too late! The interest alone from the loans and mortgages would be enough to crush the Ruan family, to say nothing of the additional one hundred million they had borrowed yesterday for Dongfang Xun. That's a staggering five hundred million in external debt, not even counting the interest!

But thankfully, he still had one ace up his sleeve.

"You have only yourselves to blame for provoking someone you never should have," Wan Yan said, shaking his head with an air of pity. Although Ruan Jin was a hypocrite, he had been very skilled at currying favor during their association. What a shame. You provoked one of the most untouchable figures in all of Jiangnan's thirteen cities, especially after what happened last night.

What surprised Wan Yan, however, was that after their initial panic, the Ruan family quickly regained their composure.

Song Ru, in particular, scoffed. "A mere few hundred million? What's that?"

A mere few hundred million?

A question mark popped into Wan Yan's head. Even his grandfather, Wan Yuanshan, the Family Head of the Wan family, wouldn't dare make such a bold claim, let alone the teetering, nearly-collapsed Ruan family.

Ruan Jin rubbed his temples. It looked like he had no choice but to play the trump card he hadn't even had a chance to get used to.

He took out his phone and dialed Ruan Tang's number.

The first call went unanswered.

The second call also went unanswered. It wasn't until the third attempt that someone finally picked up.

Ruan Jin got straight to the point. "Ruan Tang, Xu Lai's life is in my hands. If you want him to live, get your ass back to the Ruan family home immediately!"

As if to show off, he even put the call on speakerphone, eagerly awaiting Ruan Tang's tearful and terrified pleas for mercy.

But instead...

The call on the other end was abruptly disconnected.