Chapter 1071 - 1067: Arrogant and Overbearing

Even if the Qian Family keeps wailing about their young master's tragic ordeal, at the end of the day it was still Qian Gaochang who secretly pulled strings and abused his authority to set up and provoke Xiao Tian's squad first.

If these Qian Family elders really claim they knew nothing beforehand, not even an idiot would buy that!

Xiao Tian's response was definitely on the extreme side, but in the end he didn't actually beat Qian Gaochang to death. The Qian Family was the one in the wrong first. If they really insist on dragging this out with the Zhong Family and Xiao Family, once things blow up they won't get any real advantage.

Besides, if the higher‑ups decide to追究责任, the Qian elders might walk away unscathed, but Qian Gaochang absolutely won't be able to run. The consequences he'd have to face would be far more serious than anything Xiao Tian did.

Weighing it all out, the Qian Family may be seething with resentment, but they can only pinch their noses and quietly pack it in.

It's just that after this incident, the conflict between the Qian Family and the Zhong Family has undoubtedly climbed to a whole new level—within the next fifty years there's basically no chance of easing it.

...

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Xiao Tian suddenly felt a kind of dazed emotion—like that whole episode happened just yesterday, yet at the same time as if it were a lifetime ago.

If it were now, Xiao Tian is absolutely confident he has ten thousand ways to make Qian Gaochang and the Qian Family swallow the loss in silence. They wouldn't even have the chance to come knocking to demand justice.

He could even go a step further and take the initiative to storm into the Qian household to condemn them—that wouldn't be anything too difficult!

Thinking back on the blood‑hot recklessness of those years, Xiao Tian couldn't help sighing in his heart: "Who hasn't had a phase of being young and cocky?"

After the sigh, he suddenly froze: "It's not like I'm that old right now… so where the hell are these geriatric‑sounding reflections coming from?"

He shook his head and temporarily shoved those useless feelings aside, then started quietly calculating in his heart: at a time like this, Qian Gaochang showing up on this ship—did he come purely for him?

Where did he get that kind of guts?

Or has he, after all these years, found some leverage or confidence against him and now wants to pay back every bit of that past humiliation in full?

A moment later, a flash of light shot through Xiao Tian's eyes, and then a faintly worried look crept over his face…

Of course, in Xiao Tian's eyes, Qian Gaochang—and even the Qian Family behind him—aren't exactly tough opponents for who he is now. This worry of his isn't about fearing their revenge, but rather…

Thinking, Xiao Tian turned his gaze to Ozawa Miwa at his side. As his eyes moved, he couldn't help subtly nodding to himself: "That's it… But how did Qian Gaochang know that Ozawa Miwa would definitely follow me back to Huaxia?"

Still, this obviously isn't the time to get hung up on that. Whether it's just random guessing or the Qian Family's private intel network doing its job, in any case he needs to handle what's right in front of him first!

In truth, what Xiao Tian is wary of is Qian Gaochang using Ozawa Miwa to make a fuss. After all, she's a little princess of the royal family and she's here with him, plus the "snatching the bride" incident that's been raging all over lately. Even if the two of them are perfectly clean and nothing's happened between them, outsiders just aren't going to believe that!

It's like someone walking out of a brothel swearing up and down that they didn't do anything. Even if it's exactly as he says, no one's going to believe him!

The analogy might be a bit crude, but isn't this precisely the situation Xiao Tian is facing right now?

All this flashed through Xiao Tian's mind in the blink of an eye. He was about to work out a complete response plan when he saw Qian Gaochang suddenly sweep his arm wide, pull out a sheet of white paper, and hold it up for everyone to see, booming, "Sorry, everyone. We received a report that there may be someone carrying dangerous items on this ship."

"For the sake of everyone's personal safety, please open the luggage you've brought with you so we can carry out a search. We hope you'll understand and cooperate!"

He rattled this off quickly, and halfway through he had already tucked that sheet of white paper back away. Xiao Tian had seen clearly: the writing on the paper was a mess, and it didn't bear any official stamp or certification.

Obviously, Qian Gaochang was trying to use a fake search warrant to bluff everyone on board.

As soon as those words left his mouth, the man who'd previously suffered the instant‑noodle baptism exploded with fury, shouting, "So you're saying that stop just now was your doing?"

Qian Gaochang gave the raging man a sideways glance, disdain spilling from his eyes, and sneered, "So what if it was? We're acting entirely in the public interest. What, are you planning on obstructing law enforcement?"

The man's face flushed beet‑red. First he'd been collectively mocked by the crowd, now he was being slapped in the face so brazenly. Feeling his dignity ripped to shreds, he finally couldn't hold back his anger.

He strode forward, reaching out to grab Qian Gaochang's collar, but the very moment he took a step he felt his hands clamped solid in midair. Then a sharp pain exploded in his abdomen, doubling him over like a shrimp, the rage on his face twisting into sheer agony.

The two who had grabbed him were of course Qian Gaochang's subordinates. Both of them were clearly skilled fighters; handling an ordinary man like this was child's play to them—effortless and easy!

Once they were done, both men let go at the same time. With a loud "thud," the guy dropped straight to the floor, his whole body curling up as he rolled and writhed over and over, clearly in excruciating pain!

This scene instantly enraged many of the onlookers. A search is one thing, but hitting people is definitely out of line. One after another they pulled out their phones, ready to expose this vile behavior to the public and upload it online to leverage public opinion for condemnation!

Ozawa Miwa, however, frowned hard in an instant and couldn't help standing up, saying, "Even if you have the authority to search, do you have the authority to beat people?"

As she spoke, her gaze swept over everyone who'd pulled out their phones to film. Her lips parted several times, but in the end she still didn't say anything to them.

Being more rational, their actions might make her unhappy, but, thinking it through, they're not really wrong. They're just reacting to injustice in a different way, that's all.

After all, these people have no relationship with the man on the ground. Lending a hand would be righteous; not helping is completely understandable.

Xiao Tian could only smile bitterly inside. This little princess still hasn't changed that "step in when you see injustice" nature of hers—she's exactly the same as when they first met.

But he had no intention of stopping or persuading her. On a boat this small, unless Qian Gaochang is outright blind, sooner or later he'll notice the two of them.

Rather than passively waiting to be discovered, it's better to take the initiative, stand up, and confront him head‑on. On the surface there isn't much difference, but if you look carefully there's still a real distinction between the two approaches!

Ozawa Miwa's crisp rebuke immediately drew everyone's attention. Hearing it, Qian Gaochang turned his head, and when he saw that the person speaking out was a girl with a face like a painting—adorable to the point of being stunning, like a living porcelain doll—his eyes went a little glassy.

For a moment, he even completely overlooked Xiao Tian sitting right beside Ozawa Miwa, as if he didn't exist at all!

The corners of his mouth were practically starting to gleam, like a hunter spotting prey.

It wasn't until his subordinates at his side couldn't bear it anymore and kept tugging on his sleeve that Qian Gaochang finally snapped out of his daze.