353: Chapter 353 Foolishness

"Mr. Lin, you are being too excessive, too domineering. Are you truly unwilling to give us even a single chance?"

Suddenly, a voice from the corner of the reception area startled everyone. They looked over and found the speaker to be the representative from Iraq, a man of imposing stature with a thick, dark brown beard.

The bearded man continued coldly, "Oil is also the lifeblood of our nation, a crucial source of our economy in Iraq. For you to demand its obsolescence with a single sentence shows far too little regard for our country and others like it!"

Where did this so-called 'brave soul' come from?

Xu Anqing, sitting beside Lin Fang, couldn't help but think this upon seeing the man. Knowing part of her boss's capabilities, she wasn't flustered in the slightest. Instead, her eyes were full of the glee of a spectator enjoying the drama. The feeling of slacking off right beside him while being utterly secure was just too good.

Good show, love to see it...

"How should I address you?" Lin Fang looked at the bearded man.

"Harithan ibn Munaheen," the bearded man said, his neck stiff, his voice still deep and cold, showing not the slightest intention of backing down. "Permanent Undersecretary of the Iraqi Ministry of Energy and Industry, and Executive Director of the National Oil Company."

"All that talk, and it turns out you're just an oil salesman,"

Lin Fang mused thoughtfully. "I've heard that in your country, many minors, even children under ten, get married. And your religious clergy are quite accustomed to acting as matchmakers and facilitators for this, is that correct?"

"What do you mean by that? This is something our Allah also permits. In our nation, marriage for women is free; they can marry at any age. This is a right bestowed upon them by Allah, it is sacred,"

Harithan's expression turned unpleasant.

"Is that truly so?"

Lin Fang looked at the bearded man, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips. "I find it hard to believe they would fancy septuagenarian or octogenarian old men with barely two teeth to their name."

"As I understand it, Mr. Harithan, you are over fifty years old and have yourself married five young girls around ten years of age."

These words made Xu Anqing shoot an extremely disgusted glance at the man.

Harithan's expression completely chilled, his tone carrying a threat. "Mr. Lin, this is not a matter for our current discussion. I advise you to watch your words. These are the traditional customs of our Muslim people; outsiders have no right to pass judgment!"

As his words fell,

the air in the reception area seemed to grow cold, instantly filled with a tense, confrontational atmosphere. No one had expected Harithan to be so bold.

"What do you think you are, to dare warn me?" Lin Fang was unperturbed, gazing at him as if looking at a clown. "Even the leader of Iraq is nothing but a bug in my eyes."

"You!"

Harithan was furious, glaring viciously at Lin Fang.

Lin Fang paid no heed to his fiery gaze. Instead, he swept his eyes over everyone present and said,

"Something I've never quite understood is why some people always enjoy cloaking their sordid deeds—acts meant to satisfy their own base desires—in the guise of religion and tradition, packaging them as inviolable, sacred doctrine?"

"Now I understand. Only this way can you all placate your consciences while indulging your... perverted... disgusting...

"...bestial lusts!"

As Lin Fang uttered the final word, the expressions of the representatives from various Middle Eastern countries instantly shifted into a myriad of awkward, stiff, and uncomfortable looks. They were all from the same region, all followers of Islam. The situation Lin Fang described existed among them to varying degrees, more or less.

This was also why Lin Fang, apart from exchanging a few more words with Khaled, had shown little courtesy to the others.

Harithan trembled all over from Lin Fang's words, his face beneath the thick beard alternating between shades of green and white. He roared out the most vicious curses in Arabic: "Ibn Haram! Yakhsaf Allah bih al'ard! You blasphemous son of a dog, may Allah make the earth swallow you!"

"Mr. Harithan, mind your language," Xu Anqing stood up and reprimanded.

"We don't even fear the Americas; why would we fear you!"

Harithan completely shed any pretense, a venomous look appearing on his face as he stared at Lin Fang and Xu Anqing. "I've changed my mind. You'd better agree to this cooperation. Then we can still be friends. Otherwise, you should watch your backs."

To cut off someone's source of wealth is worse than killing their entire family.

Thinking this, Harithan gave a cruel laugh and continued, "Your company is so large; there must be many executives, including their families, right? They should be careful when they go out. Losing a limb would be getting off lightly.

They might be buried alive in the desert, watching the sand slowly cover their mouths and noses. That's not a pleasant sensation... cough... gurgle..."

Bright red blood dripped onto the floor.

Harithan didn't get to finish his sentence. The man who had been sneering viciously moments ago now stared wide-eyed. At this moment, a large portion of the bearded man's throat had been slit open, blood instantly cascading down through the gaps in his beard.

Harithan could only clutch his throat desperately with both hands, his gaze terrified as he looked at the object on the floor, before the light in his eyes extinguished completely.

It was a piece of paper...

*Thud!*

Looking at the fallen representative of Iraq, everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to Lin Fang, their eyes filled with shock.

If they hadn't misseen, it was this young man who had just struck. But killing someone with a flying piece of paper—how was that even possible?

"Get out, now," Lin Fang looked at them and sneered.

Khaled, too, was someone accustomed to life and death. He quickly snapped out of his shock, his face bitter. He understood there was no room for further negotiation.

"In that case, we shall not disturb you any further, Mr. Lin Fang,"

After saying this, Khaled and Bral left.

After such an incident, how could the personnel from the other countries dare to stay? They immediately rose and took their leave as well.

Their steps were hurried, as if this place were a man-eating demon's lair. The reception area suddenly became empty.

"Boss, I'll have someone handle this," Xu Anqing said, her expression turning serious. She simultaneously made a call for security to detain the few people Harithan had brought with him outside.

One could only say this man had brought about his own death.

Xu Anqing thought to herself. Don't be fooled by her boss's usually easy-going demeanor. Having stayed by his side all this time, she knew that when this young man turned ruthless, even the world's most powerful mafia don would seem like a newborn infant before him.

I'm afraid even the nation of Iraq would have to pay a heavy price for Harithan's words.

Lin Fang nodded. Just as he was about to say something, Xiao Hei's voice came through his earpiece.

—

The private jet carrying the Saudi delegation swiftly took off from the airport. Prince Khaled was frowning with worry when he noticed Bral beside him staring intently at his phone, his expression inscrutable, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.

"Bral, what are you looking at?" Khaled's brow furrowed, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

"Uncle, Saudi Arabia is saved,"

Seeing him look over, Bral showed no panic. Instead, he held up his phone to show him. Playing on the screen was the footage from the reception area—Lin Fang killing a man with a flicked piece of paper.

"With this, we have bargaining chips for later negotiations. Otherwise, we'll expose this to the world, let everyone see the true nature of the boss of Third-Party Technology. This is solid evidence."

"Delete it immediately!" Khaled was horrified. "Even the five great powers dare not make an enemy of him. How dare you!"

The pilot up front spoke up with some alarm, "Your Highness, Third-Party Technology has contacted us. They are demanding we return for an investigation."

Khaled quickly said, "Turn back now!"

Bral immediately retorted,

"No, we are not going back. Uncle, I've had enough of you. Don't forget, *I* am the heir to Saudi Arabia. You have no right to command me. Besides, we're already in international waters. They can't do anything to us."

The aircraft did not turn back.

A few seconds later, a heat-seeking missile streaked in from the distance, striking its target with precision. With a deafening *boom*, the entire plane instantly transformed into a fireball, plummeting into the vast ocean.

—