“Enough nonsense! I don’t care what excuse you give—today I want the money! Boys, search the place!”
The red-haired man’s eyes widened in fury. With an impatient scowl, he suddenly reached out and forcefully shoved Su Linyi’s mother aside as she pleaded.
She staggered and fell hard to the floor with a muffled groan of pain.
Immediately after, the red-haired man led his subordinates like a pack of wolves breaking into a home. They rampaged through the small noodle shop, flipping tables and chairs, sweeping everything off the shelves onto the floor. Pots and pans smashed into pieces. The entire shop was turned upside down in an instant as they searched madly for anything of value.
After a few moments of frantic searching, the red-haired man’s gaze locked onto the cash register, a greedy glint flashing in his eyes.
Cash registers held money, after all. He smirked with malicious intent and strode toward it, reaching out to force it open.
“No! Don’t take that money!”
Su Linyi’s mother, horrified and desperate, scrambled across the floor and flung herself at the register, her voice choked with panic and nearly in tears.
“That money is for next month’s rent and for buying ingredients! If it’s gone, I won’t be able to keep the noodle shop running!”
The red-haired man ignored her completely. He gave her a cold, contemptuous glance and snarled through clenched teeth, “I don’t give a damn. I want the money today. Not a single cent less!”
With that, he called over a lackey to bring him a hammer. Taking the tool in hand, he began smashing the register violently, his strikes growing more forceful by the second.
Soon enough, under his relentless assault, the register was cracked open.
“You still wanna tell me there’s no money? And yet this is all there is? You damn hag, this barely covers today’s interest!”
He didn’t hesitate to sweep the small pile of cash into his pocket, his actions crude and greedy.
Watching this unfold, Su Linyi’s mother felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. All her hope was shattered in an instant. Next month’s rent, the ingredients she needed—how was she supposed to get any of it now?
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground. Her eyes were blank with despair, her whole body drained of strength. She could only stare numbly at the chaos in front of her.
“Boss, we’ve searched everything. The whole noodle shop’s been turned over, and we didn’t find any more money or anything valuable.”
A burly young man ran over to the red-haired man, panting as he reported. The source of this chapter is g.com.
The red-haired man frowned deeply, his expression filled with displeasure and frustration. His eyes scanned the shop again, leaving no corner unchecked.
Soon, his gaze fixed on a concealed staircase tucked away in a corner.
“Did you search the storeroom?” he asked, voice laced with suspicion.
“We did, boss. Just a pile of flour and other food stuff—nothing valuable.”
Since the storeroom had already been searched, and this staircase was hidden, it clearly wasn’t for storage. They hadn’t noticed it during previous visits, so there must be something secret on the second floor.
This old woman must be hiding money up there. A sinister smile curled across the red-haired man’s face. He turned and marched toward the stairs.
When Su Linyi’s mother saw him heading toward the living quarters on the second floor, her face instantly turned pale with fear.
The second floor—that was where she and her daughter lived together. After discovering that hidden space, she had carefully renovated it herself.
She knew all too well what these heartless gangsters were capable of. If they saw her sickly daughter… she didn’t even dare imagine the consequences.
Panic surged through her. Without thinking, she stumbled and rushed to the stairs, using her frail body to block the red-haired man’s path.
Her face was filled with anxiety. Her voice trembled as she pleaded, “There’s really nothing up there—no money, nothing at all! I truly have nothing left to give! Please, I’m begging you, just leave!”
Seeing her panic only confirmed the red-haired man’s suspicion that there was something valuable hidden behind that door.
“Get out of my way!”
He shouted angrily and shoved her aside again. She cried out in pain as she was kicked to the side of the staircase.
Already frail from age and long-term malnutrition, the kick made the world spin around her.
Then the red-haired man raised his foot and kicked the upstairs door open with a loud bang.
“Mom? What happened? You scared me.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
A clear, gentle female voice came from behind a worn, old-fashioned brown bedroom door.
Upon hearing her voice, the red-haired man waved his hand, calling his ten or so men to follow him upstairs. He then opened the door himself.
The door creaked open, revealing Su Linyi’s face—delicate and youthful.
She lay quietly on the bed, her pale skin nearly translucent, glowing with a delicate sheen as if the blood beneath could be seen.
Her arched eyebrows resembled crescent moons resting above her smooth forehead. Her eyes were deep and mysterious, like a still, bottomless pool. When her gaze swept past, it was as if it pulled others into a whirlpool, making them unconsciously sink into it.
Her wavy long hair rested loosely on her shoulders, with a few strands playfully falling beside her cheeks, outlining her elegant oval face in a way that was stunningly beautiful.
Seeing the sudden intrusion of these men, Su Linyi asked in confusion, “Who are you? Do you have business with my mom?”
The red-haired man and his gang stared blankly. Their hearts seemed to skip a beat, their breathing slowed—all stunned by her beauty.
“Don’t! Don’t lay a hand on my daughter!”
Su Linyi’s mother, watching helplessly as the red-haired man barged into her daughter’s room, felt a rush of blood to her head. Her ears buzzed with panic.
She didn’t know where the strength came from, but like a madwoman, she forced her way through the thugs and rushed into the room.
Once inside, she used her trembling body to shield her daughter, spreading her arms wide to cover her, as if building an unbreakable wall of protection.
Her eyes were wide with terror and rage. Her voice quivered with desperation and a mother’s fierce determination. “Please, I beg you, don’t hurt my daughter. She hasn’t done anything!”
Hearing her mother’s cry, Su Linyi instantly understood the danger they were in.
The dozen men in front of her were clearly up to no good and likely meant harm to both her and her mother.
Terror overwhelmed her like a crashing tide. Her body trembled slightly. Her wide, beautiful eyes locked onto the intruders, filled with fear and wariness.
In fact, the moment she had heard them speaking earlier, just from their appearance and threatening demeanor, she had sensed something was wrong. She just hadn’t expected the danger to arrive so suddenly…