Chapter 112: An Unparalleled Counterattack

Du Qi made a bold move today.

His arrogance and recklessness knew no bounds.

His words constantly crossed the lines of law and order.

From a moral standpoint, from a logical perspective, none of his actions aligned with those of a sane person.

But was he sane?

He never had been.

On the chessboard, his role was singular: a sacrificial pawn destined for death.

He was deliberately provoking Lin Xiaosu, forcing him to take lethal action.

In public, Lin Xiaosu dared not kill him.

But sooner or later, Du Qi would push Lin Xiaosu to the brink—perhaps by entering Feng City with him, revealing a strong murderous intent toward his mother, teasing two young women at the detective agency, or perhaps even taking it further and actually attacking...

If someone deliberately tries to ignite another’s murderous intent, they will inevitably succeed.

Especially when the provocateur is lawless, with no fear of legal consequences.

Ordinary people might think about killing, but never act on it.

Lin Xiaosu was a detective. Having dealt extensively with criminals, he developed a blind confidence—thinking others were foolish while he was clever; criminals left traces, but if he committed a crime, no one would find out.

He would kill Du Qi.

And he certainly could kill him.

Once he did, the top detective of Jiangcheng would immediately identify Lin Xiaosu as the true culprit. That day would be the day the law struck him down.

In a society governed by law, capturing someone was a technical feat.

Using a reckless pawn to trade for a promising detective...

Under the teahouse, Lin Xiaosu stared at Li Songtao and suddenly smiled. “Li Songtao, I know why you’re targeting me—because of two things.”

Li Songtao furrowed his brow slightly. “Two things?”

“First, you’re standing up for Liu Qianxun! Her father and three brothers were all ruined by me, and her mother was beaten until bruised. As Liu Qianxun’s loyal lackey, it’s normal for you to defend her. But unfortunately, with your pathetic skills, you can’t really protect her.”

Li Songtao’s face darkened.

Lin Xiaosu continued, “Second, you’re defending your father! Your father, Li Changsheng, harbors unspeakable secrets in the Changsheng Group. I cooperated with the police to severely strike the group early on, and it hit him hard.”

Li Songtao’s face turned ashen. “Who do you think you are, daring to slander my father?”

“Heh, and who exactly is Li Changsheng?” Lin Xiaosu sneered.

“Seeking death!” Li Songtao suddenly stood, furious.

In the eyes of everyone in the Changsheng Group, Li Changsheng was a god. Who dared insult him?

And now, in broad daylight, Lin Xiaosu openly insulted his father so contemptuously—how could he stand for it?

“Seeking death” was a clear signal.

Suddenly, Du Qi lunged forward, slapping Lin Xiaosu across the mouth.

With his genetic advantages, a single slap could shatter a skull.

Given his flawless record, this strike was guaranteed to land.

To Du Qi, slapping Lin Xiaosu was justified—he was standing on the moral high ground because Lin Xiaosu had insulted Li Changsheng.

But at the moment the slap was about to land, Lin Xiaosu swiftly sidestepped.

Du Qi’s hand swiped past him.

Boom!

A heavy fist crashed into Du Qi’s back.

He collapsed face down, veins bulging on his forehead, his screams echoing along the lakeshore...

Yet his body lay limp and motionless.

Those on the shore gasped and stepped back.

Above in the teahouse, one of Li Songtao’s men changed expression sharply and descended the stairs.

This man, nicknamed “Chasing Wind,” was Li Songtao’s top henchman—named for his lightning speed and unpredictable temper.

Inside a private room, Li Ziyi’s expression also shifted, losing her initial composure.

Chasing Wind reached Du Qi, pulled him up like a string of noodles—limp and lifeless.

His face twisted in shock. “His spine is shattered. All his nerves are severed…”

Li Songtao’s face turned grim.

In that room, Liu Qianxun stood abruptly, her face clouded with emotion. “Spinal fracture”—such a familiar and agonizing term, as her father and three brothers had all been broken by this man’s hands, each suffering the same fate.

In this genetic era, there weren’t many ways to truly destroy a person. Injuries to hands or feet could often be treated, but this method was ruthless: destroying the spine meant the victim could never stand again. Moreover, the injury extended beyond the bones; the vital energy and nerves were pulverized, beyond the reach of the finest medicine or technology.

Lin Xiaosu had actually dared to inflict such harm in broad daylight!

True, it wasn’t murder per se, but to injure someone so severely was no different in essence.

“What nerve, to harm someone so gravely in public!” Chasing Wind’s eyes flared like sparks in a storm.

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly. “Ever studied law? This is called self-defense.”

Suddenly, the lakeside fell silent.

The teahouse hushed.

Self-defense!

Oh my God, could it be? This guy had provoked Li Songtao, insulted Li Changsheng, all to bait Du Qi into attacking him first?

Once Du Qi made a move, Lin Xiaosu would invoke self-defense to strike him down mercilessly.

At first, he seemed passive, not even responding to Du Qi’s arrogance.

But now the truth was clear: he was not weak, he was utterly resolute.

“I won’t waste words. I’ll provoke your master into making a mistake. Once you step over the line, I’ll end you.”

And this ending would be total—from head to toe, irreparable.

This was Lin Xiaosu’s strategy against him.

Li Ziyi had guessed the first part—that Lin Xiaosu had murderous intent because Du Qi crossed his red lines by involving his mother and the two women at the detective agency.

But she hadn’t guessed the second—that Lin Xiaosu wasn’t relying on his detective skills to devise a killing plan, but was openly and legally incapacitating him in broad daylight.

With this, Li Songtao’s clever plan to use Du Qi as a sacrificial pawn completely failed.

A whistle blew, and a police car sped over.

An ambulance arrived as well.

Three officers descended from the sidewalk, approaching Lin Xiaosu.

To everyone’s surprise, the lead officer was Shen Yinchuan, captain of Jiangcheng’s criminal investigation unit.

Frowning deeply, Shen Yinchuan asked, “What happened here?”

Chasing Wind stood up. “Officer, he—he maliciously injured someone seriously! The spine and nerves are destroyed. The attack was unparalleled in brutality…”

The other two officers paled. They understood the severity of such injuries.

Lin Xiaosu raised his hand, presenting his phone to Shen Yinchuan. He opened a video recording.

“Officer, watch the events unfold.” The footage was from Lin Xiaosu’s Dragon Eye device, synchronized with his phone.

Shen Yinchuan and the officers watched intently.

Afterward, the phone was handed to an officer. “Make a copy.”

Lin Xiaosu asked, “Officer, does this count as self-defense?”

Shen Yinchuan nodded gently. “Of course.”

Those in the teahouse all turned pale. Chasing Wind’s eyes flickered with fury, but no one dared speak or move.

Lin Xiaosu said, “So, can we leave now?”

Shen Yinchuan replied, “You still need to come with me to give a statement before you go.”

“Fine.”

“Disperse!” Shen Yinchuan waved his hand and ushered Lin Xiaosu into the police car.

From their arrival to departure, only five or six minutes had passed.

Lin Xiaosu left.

Ding Ruoshui was still there. Slowly, she looked up. “Li Songtao, I just bought that speedboat for 460,000 yuan, and your men destroyed it. I’m giving you three minutes to transfer the money into my account.”

Everyone present was stunned. It wasn’t over?

This woman was remarkably assertive.

She demanded compensation from the man who had just crippled her associate?

Li Songtao, furious, retorted, “Compensation? You better figure out who owes whom!”

Ding Ruoshui said coldly, “So you refuse to pay?”

“Crazy!” Li Songtao snapped and turned away.

Ding Ruoshui shot him a cold glance and walked off.

The crowd around finally dispersed. This morning’s spectacle had been deliciously satisfying.

Why?

Because the second-generation heir of the Changsheng Group had finally been put in his place.

This was something many people wanted to do but dared not.

Compared to everyone’s ease and enjoyment, Li Songtao was filled with frustration.

In Jiangcheng, he had always been invincible.

If someone was blind, his men handled it.

If trouble arose, money solved it easily.

If things got worse and money couldn’t fix it, his father was there—the ultimate overlord of Changsheng Group, whose influence extended over politics and business alike.

So his life in Jiangcheng had always been smooth sailing.

Two days ago, a woman he liked, Liu Qianxun from Feng City, shed a few tears and showed some grievance in front of him. The heir promptly slammed the table and promised, “Don’t cry, darling, I’ll take care of him.”

And thus today’s drama unfolded.

But after the show, he gained nothing. Worse, he was slapped loudly in public by his opponent. How could he bear that?

He had to escalate!

He had to kill him!

The play had been a failure, a bit humiliating. Li Songtao was embarrassed to face Liu Qianxun, his face dark as he sat with Chasing Wind in his Maserati Yellow Flag.

The car sped along South Lake Avenue.

Li Songtao leaned back in the rear seat, eyes closed, pondering.

Suddenly, a blast of hot wind swept through the car. Li Songtao startled. “Heizi, are you crazy? It’s so hot, and you open the window!”

The driver, Heizi, gave no response. Or rather, his response was speeding up.

Li Songtao raised his hand to slap him—

Then he caught sight of the rearview mirror.

An unbelievable scene appeared.

Li Songtao whipped his head around and was shocked to see a woman beside him.

A beautiful woman.

Ding Ruoshui!