Chapter 440: When I’m Speaking

“Step, step, step, step…”

With Xu Shaochen’s angry shout, Long San and Long Si rushed in with the bodyguards, surrounding everyone in the living room.

Most of these bodyguards, newly transferred from abroad, had just come off various battlefields. Each had an air of killing intent and bloodshed about them.

Being surrounded by such a group felt no better than being encircled by wolves.

“You… what are you trying to do?!”

Seeing this, the previously aggressive crowd turned pale, stammering in shock and fear.

“Most of the time, I am a reasonable person. But if you refuse to reason with me, then I have no need to reason with you. In fact, I personally prefer to solve things this way.”

“Because it’s simple, brutal, and straightforward.”

Xu Shaochen, with one arm around Du Ruyan, swept his cold gaze across everyone and spoke in a chilling tone:

“Illegitimate child—do you know what those words mean? It means that as long as Uncle Du doesn’t personally acknowledge you, you will never make it into the public eye in this lifetime. Trying to seize the family assets from my woman’s hands—have you asked me first?”

“Two hundred million, that’s the bottom line, and it’s also the limit. Not one cent more. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you won’t even get two cents.”

Xu Shaochen paused here, then pointed at Du Lan and said, word by word: “And also, he needs to change his surname immediately. What I’ve said is like water poured out—never to be taken back.”

“What if I refuse to change? Are you going to kill me? Two hundred million? Are you trying to dismiss a beggar? Let me tell you, I want at least half of the Du family’s assets!”

Du Lan, about the same age as Xu Shaochen, couldn’t tolerate Xu’s arrogance any longer and immediately retorted without hesitation.

“Exactly! Who are you to decide what my son’s surname will be?”

Du Lan’s mother chimed in, viciously pointing at Du Ruyan and cursing: “You little wench! If that short-lived Du Feng were still alive and saw his sister being bullied by you and your wild man, he’d probably be angered to death!”

“Slap her.”

Xu Shaochen coldly spat out two words.

Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, grabbed the middle-aged woman, and began slapping her continuously. The sound of slaps echoed.

“What are you doing? Let her go!”

Seeing this scene, the others were enraged, trying to rush forward.

“Bang!”

Xu Shaochen fired a shot into the air.

In an instant, the chaotic scene fell silent. Everyone turned pale.

A gun had far more intimidating power over ordinary people than they could ever imagine.

“Let me ask you, will you change it or not?”

Xu Shaochen coldly asked Du Lan.

Du Lan immediately dared not point his finger at Xu Shaochen as he had earlier. He gulped hard and remained silent.

“I don’t want to ask you a third time. Will you change it or not?”

Xu Shaochen questioned once more.

“I’ll change, but give us five hundred million, then we’ll leave. How about that?”

An uncle of Du Lan quickly spoke up, clearly terrified of Xu Shaochen firing the gun again. Such things could go off accidentally, after all.

Xu Shaochen shook his head indifferently: “I don’t think that sounds good. Do you think this is a vegetable market? And who are you to bargain with me?”

“Click!”

Xu Shaochen swiftly wrote a check, then slammed it on the table along with a single bullet.

“Two hundred million, or the bullet—you choose.”

Everyone exchanged glances, but no one spoke, clearly stuck in a dilemma.

“Greed never ends well. When Uncle Du had just passed away, some relatives, not much different from you, also tried to take advantage. They didn’t end up getting a penny.”

Xu Shaochen continued speaking indifferently.

“That’s different—this is his own son,” another uncle of Du Lan couldn’t help but retort.

“Slap!”

Xu Shaochen raised his hand and slapped the middle-aged man: “When I’m speaking, don’t interrupt. Understand?”

“Understood… understood.” The middle-aged man nodded with a pale face, covering his cheek.

Xu Shaochen let out a light laugh, nodded in satisfaction, and continued: “Precisely because he’s his own son, I’m offering you two hundred million. Otherwise, do you think you’d even get a chance to talk in front of me for this long?”

Xu Shaochen paused for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice: “Of course, maybe you’re thinking of taking this to court. So, let me remind you—may you live long enough to get there.”

“Haha, I don’t want things to get this ugly. Isn’t it better to settle things amicably?”

A threat—an undeniable threat.

Everyone turned even paler, clearly frightened by Xu Shaochen.

“Maybe… we should agree. Two hundred million isn’t a small amount. Du Feng used to only give us thirty thousand a month, and that was just four hundred thousand a year.”

Someone from the crowd cautiously suggested.

“Yes, I think two hundred million is enough. People shouldn’t be too greedy.”

“Exactly. It’s enough. And it would be just right if Du Lan took his mother’s surname.”

Once the first person spoke up, others followed, and soon everyone agreed.

To be honest, two hundred million was an astronomical amount for ordinary people like them, who usually only made a few thousand a month.

But compared to the Du family’s assets, it felt like a small amount. They were only fixated on the Du family’s wealth this whole time, unaware of the reality of the offer.

Now that they thought about it, two hundred million seemed like a lot.

Du Lan clearly felt somewhat indignant. With two hundred million, he would merely be wealthy.

But if he could inherit the Du family’s assets, he would be a man above others. The difference between those two was enormous.

However, the situation no longer allowed for any disagreement. He could only vent his frustrations on a little girl like Du Ruyan because he had no ground to negotiate fairly with Xu Shaochen.

Since he lacked that leverage, and Xu Shaochen clearly had the power to crush him, why would Xu even want to negotiate?

Soon, everyone reached an agreement. Du Lan would take his mother’s surname and, after receiving the two hundred million check, would no longer have any ties to the Du family.

“Escort them out.”

Xu Shaochen said coldly to Long San.

“Please, come this way.”

Under Long San’s “escorting” with his bodyguards, the group that came for the family assets left the Du Family Residence.

Xu Shaochen looked at Du Ruyan, who was still in his arms, and sighed.

She was just too soft-hearted. If she had been a bit tougher, with so many bodyguards in the Du family, would she have let herself be bullied into this pitiful state?

But then again, she had just turned eighteen and had lost both her father and brother recently, so her state of mind was understandable.