Chapter 413: What Exactly Happened?

Seeing Ma Dabin return, she immediately went to greet him. “Dabin, did it work out? Did Chen Qingdi agree to give us the money?”

“Hmph! Money?”

Ma Dabin glared at her irritably. “Is money all you can think about? It’s still right here in my hand.”

“You…” Yao Shufen was so angry she gritted her teeth. “Don’t you try to pull any tricks! Let me tell you, this was my idea. If you don’t give me the money, I’ll…”

“Enough!” Ma Dabin roared. “This is all your fault, you damned jinx! If it weren’t for your rotten idea, how would I have ended up in Chen Qingdi’s hands? He even locked me up for a few days! You menace, I’m going to kill you!”

Yao Shufen trembled at his roar, her face turning pale. Her lips quivered, and for a long moment, she couldn’t utter a single word.

The more Ma Dabin spoke, the angrier he became, and he suddenly slapped Yao Shufen across the face. “You bitch! You worthless baggage! I’m going to kill you!”

She was knocked to the ground by the blow, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She clutched her face, sobbing, “Dabin, I… I really didn’t think it would turn out like this…”

“You think you mean anything to me anymore? I’ve had more than enough of you! You bitch! You worthless baggage! I’m going to kill you!” Ma Dabin stomped on Yao Shufen’s chest, roaring furiously.

Yao Shufen was in too much pain to breathe, able only to lie helplessly on the ground and weep. Her heart had been torn apart by Ma Dabin’s callousness and brutality.

Ma Dabin’s anger was flaring. ‘What the hell is going on?’ His hand gripped the phone tightly as Chen Qingdi’s familiar voice echoed in his ear.

He heard the urgency in the other man’s voice, but at that moment, he felt as if his hands and feet were bound, powerless to refuse.

“Ma Dabin, get over to Mingyue Group right now. I have something to discuss with you.” Chen Qingdi’s tone left no room for argument.

Ma Dabin could only agree and hurried to Mingyue Group.

As he stepped through the luxurious entrance and walked toward the building that towered into the clouds, he felt his heart accelerate. He saw Chen Qingdi, the chairman he had always revered and feared.

“Do you know what that black pill was?” Chen Qingdi asked, his gaze profound.

Ma Dabin shook his head, replying in confusion, “No, I don’t.”

Chen Qingdi took a deep breath. “That was March Intestine-Breaking Powder. If you don’t get the antidote within three months, you will die a painful death.”

Ma Dabin felt his heart clench. His face went pale, and sweat trickled down his skin. He had once thought of himself as Chen Qingdi’s right-hand man, never imagining he would fall into such a predicament.

“I…” He wanted to argue, but found his voice was trembling. “I will follow your orders, Chairman Chen.”

A cold smile touched the corners of Chen Qingdi’s mouth. “Good. Remember your words. I don’t want to see Yao Shufen in front of me ever again, or else…” He paused. “There will never be an antidote for the March Intestine-Breaking Powder.”

Ma Dabin’s heart was in turmoil. He knew his fate was now controlled by another. Looking at Chen Qingdi’s indifferent face, he was filled with a storm of emotions.

Ma Dabin, the former head of the Jiangcheng Newspaper Office, had once been a man of great prestige.

Now, however, the wheel of fate had turned, making him Chen Qingdi’s slave. The drastic fall in status left him feeling utterly helpless.

He was well aware of how potent the March Intestine-Breaking Powder was and knew all too well what a tragic end awaited him if he didn’t comply.

“Ma Dabin, you know your place,” Chen Qingdi said, his eyes cold, as if looking at an object, not a person.

Bitterness filled Ma Dabin’s heart, but he had no choice but to bow his head. “Yes, Chairman Chen. I… I am just a slave. But please believe me, I will do everything in my power to serve you.”

A cold smirk appeared on Chen Qingdi’s lips. “‘Serve me’? A traitor like you isn’t worthy of uttering that word.”

Ma Dabin’s heart trembled. He knew his actions had long since earned Chen Qingdi’s displeasure. ‘But if it weren’t for the March Intestine-Breaking Powder holding me in check,’ he thought, ‘would I have ever ended up like this?’

“Chairman Chen, I…” He wanted to explain, but found that any words would be utterly feeble.

“I will take your loyalty into consideration,” Chen Qingdi said, cutting him off. “This Yao Shufen person, what do you think of her?”

Ma Dabin’s heart skipped a beat, understanding what Chen Qingdi was implying. “Yao Shufen is your mother-in-law. She has indeed been an obstacle to me. But…”

“Why do you think I haven’t killed her?” There was a hint of amusement in Chen Qingdi’s tone.

Ma Dabin hesitated for a moment before deciding to voice his opinion. “Perhaps… you feel she still has some use?”

Chen Qingdi smiled. “Yao Shufen does indeed have her uses. But more importantly, she is my mother-in-law. Killing her would bring me no benefit whatsoever.”

Ma Dabin breathed a sigh of relief, understanding Chen Qingdi’s meaning. “I will naturally abide by your decision. In that case, Yao Shufen…”

“Lock her up,” Chen Qingdi said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I don’t want to see her again.”

Ma Dabin nodded. “Understood.”

After returning to the Jiangcheng Newspaper Office, Ma Dabin rushed back to his dormitory. His face was grim, and his eyes held a murderous glint. When Yao Shufen saw him return, she began to tremble uncontrollably, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart.

“Dabin, I…” Yao Shufen stammered, her face pale.

Ma Dabin cut her off with a cold laugh. “Yao Shufen, who the hell do you think you are? Just some old woman, and you dare to try and use me?”

Yao Shufen’s heart skipped. She struggled to compose herself and mustered her courage to say, “Dabin, I admit I went a bit too far before, but we did have a fling, after all. You can’t be so heartless as to just kick me out.”

“A fling?” Ma Dabin let out another cold laugh. “You think you’re worthy of talking about romance with me? Don’t think I don’t know what you were plotting. Right now, you should be worrying about whether you’re going to live or die.”

Yao Shufen’s heart plummeted. She looked at Ma Dabin in terror. “What… what are you going to do? I’m telling you, murder is against the law!”

“Against the law?” Ma Dabin scoffed disdainfully. “You think I’m easily scared? I’m going to deal with you, and you’d better get that through your head.”

A chill went through Yao Shufen’s heart; she could already feel the threat of death. Forcing down her fear, she tried to placate Ma Dabin. “Dabin, you’re the head of the Jiangcheng Newspaper Office. You’re a man of status. If you kill me, it won’t be good for your reputation. You need to think twice.”

“Think twice?” A flash of impatience crossed Ma Dabin’s eyes. “Do I need you to tell me what to do? I never said I was going to kill you. But your freedom is over.”

With that, Ma Dabin picked up the phone and dialed two of his trusted subordinates. “Get over here now. Lock Yao Shufen in the newspaper office’s basement. Give her food and water, but watch her closely. If you let her escape, don’t even think about staying alive.”