649: The blood-red flower

Then he pushed the door open and left in a daze.

...

At this moment, Cui Zhuo was still completely unaware of what had happened.

Park Sang-woo, whom he had sent, had not yet returned.

Twenty minutes had already passed.

Even if Zhang Xiuxian was doing something trivial, he should have been back by now.

Could it be that Zhang Xiuxian really had another purpose for coming to the dance?

Thump, thump, thump...

A burst of hurried footsteps sounded in the darkness.

Someone quickly came to Cui Zhuo's side.

"Xiankun? Why are you here?"

Seeing his son, Cui Zhuo felt a little surprised.

Cui Lin's face was unusually solemn at this moment. He leaned close to Cui Zhuo's ear and said, "Father, Park Sang-woo is dead."

"His body was found in the restroom on the west side."

"A stab wound, a single cut severed the carotid artery, a fatal injury."

Hearing this news, Cui Zhuo's eyes suddenly changed.

At the same time, Zhang Xiuxian was also sitting in a chair, his face extremely grim.

Cui Zhuo narrowed his eyes and said, "They must pay the price for this!"

Cui Lin also echoed, "Of course, they will definitely pay the price."

At this moment, Cui Zhuo still didn't understand what had happened.

He didn't even detect the bone-chilling coldness in Cui Lin's tone.

And at this moment, Cui Lin walked towards the dance floor.

As he passed Su Yue and Xiao Xiao, he seemed to say something.

But he did not stop on the dance floor. Instead, he walked across the dance floor to the other side, the side where Zhang Xiuxian was.

Cui Lin's action instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Especially Cui Zhuo, his eyes were full of astonishment, and his lips seemed to be trembling slightly.

"He... what is he doing!?"

Su Yue stared at Cui Lin, the man who had just extended an invitation to Jiang Chengzai's daughter, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

Numerous scattered clues flickered in his mind, gradually connecting into a clear thread. Although the starting point of this thread was clear, the end was still shrouded in mist.

However, Su Yue knew very well that the conflicts and clashes at this banquet might no longer revolve solely around himself.

Although Xiao Xiao did not understand these complex entanglements very well, she also keenly sensed the subtle change in the atmosphere on the scene.

Even if she didn't fully understand the deeper meaning, at least she knew that the division of factions was clearly visible.

Cui Lin's action also made a hint of confusion flash in her eyes.

"What exactly is he planning?" Xiao Xiao couldn't help but ask.

Hearing this, Su Yue turned to look at her and slowly said, "He is about to take action."

Xiao Xiao hadn't expected a response, but at this moment, she couldn't help but be startled and looked at Su Yue again.

"Action?" she pressed.

Su Yue nodded and added, "A big action."

On the dance floor, people's movements stopped one after another, they looked at each other, but in the end, all eyes were focused on Cui Lin.

The young lady looked at Cui Lin, her eyes full of sweet affection. Cui Lin cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Everyone!"

"Greetings, distinguished guests present." His voice was loud and confident, with a hint of fondness for the young lady beside him.

"Today, my father and Zhixian's father are both here," he continued. "On such an important occasion, I want to tell everyone..."

"I am going to propose to Zhixian."

As soon as these words came out, the scene was immediately in an uproar.

With Cui Lin's family background and status, his marriage could never be decided by personal feelings. Cui Zhuo would surely use this matter as an important means to consolidate the Cui family's position and bring huge economic benefits.

However, Jiang Chengzai's daughter?

From any perspective, this was an impossible matter!

People did not offer blessings. More accurately, they had forgotten about blessings at this moment. Everyone was immersed in sudden shock and doubt.

"What in the world is going on? Is Cui Lin crazy?"

"Look at General Cui's expression, this is clearly not something he arranged!"

"Mr. Zhang came today, wasn't it for that Liu Yu from China?"

People's faces were filled with surprise and confusion.

After a moment of silence, Cui Lin's voice sounded again, "I am very clear about the current situation, and I know that this marriage seems a bit extravagant for me."

"But for love, I am willing to give up everything," he said affectionately. "No matter how cruel reality is, people must live for their own desires."

He tightly held Jiang Zhixian's hand, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, especially lingering slightly on Jiang Chengzai's and Cui Zhuo's faces.

At this moment, the dance music had long stopped, and even the spotlights on the dance floor seemed to be specifically aimed at him. He became the focus of the entire venue.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he suddenly knelt on one knee and said affectionately, "I don't need your blessings, I only hope she..."

...can be happy." His voice was full of determination. "No matter how difficult our future is, it belongs to us."

The entire venue was silent, and even breathing seemed to stop.

Just then, a harsh sound of wood friction broke the silence!

"You scoundrel! What are you doing!?" Cui Zhuo roared, "Get up! You are the heir of the Cui family, how can you..."

However, his words were interrupted by an extremely cold gaze. Cui Zhuo was surprised to find that his son's eyes were so cold.

He recalled what Cui Lin had said to him earlier, as well as the news of Park Sang-woo's death. His pupils suddenly dilated, and he froze in place.

Su Yue frowned. His gaze did not fall on Cui Lin or the woman, but was fixed on Jiang Chengzai.

If there was a key to the problem, then that key must be Jiang Chengzai.

"Xiao Xiao," Su Yue suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Do you remember our plan?"

Xiao Xiao was startled, then nodded gently.

Su Yue's brows furrowed even tighter. He had originally thought this was just an ordinary family struggle, which, although destined to be bloody and cruel, would ultimately resolve the main conflict and the two sides would return to peace.

However, it now seemed that this dance was far more complicated than imagined.

But no matter what, he was right to come here. He must find a way to disrupt Cui Lin's proposal!

His gaze fell on Jiang Chengzai again, and he saw a hint of satisfaction and joy in Jiang Chengzai's eyes.

"Jiang Zhixian," Cui Lin said affectionately, "Will you marry me?"

This was an extremely romantic proposal, and also a proposal that challenged the secular concepts of North Korea. If the proposal succeeded, the entire North Korea would usher in massive changes! The middle structure would face unprecedented collapse and reshuffling!

"If you need blessings..." Just then, another voice suddenly sounded.

Zhang Xiuxian stood up and slowly walked towards Cui Lin and Jiang Zhixian. The situation changed again!

"I mean, if you need blessings, I am willing to give them to you." Zhang Xiuxian walked to their side, stood in the middle, and said with a smile.

However, Zhang Xiuxian was definitely not acting out of goodwill. He had already experienced Cui Lin's methods and would never let him succeed easily at this time. He even pulled up Cui Lin, who was kneeling on one knee!

Although he was saying blessings, he was actually disrupting this marriage!

"But all of this requires a more formal occasion, doesn't it?" he continued. "At least both sets of parents should be present."

"You should..." His words suddenly stopped.

Zhang Xiuxian suddenly took a step back, and immediately after, a flash of fire appeared in front of him!

Bang!!!!

At that instant, gunfire erupted, brilliant and tragic.

The incandescent light penetrated Zhang Xiuxian's chest, instantly staining it crimson. He didn't even have time to let out a scream before his heart was pierced, leaving a large hole.

Subsequently, he fell heavily onto the stage, blood gushing out from beneath him like a spring, his eyes wide open, frozen in the moment of terror before death.

For a moment, the entire venue seemed to lose its sound, falling into a dead silence.

"Ah!!!!" Suddenly, a scream pierced the silence, like the crowing of a rooster at dawn, instantly igniting panic throughout the venue.

Footsteps, the sound of breaking cups, the collision of tables and chairs, and the intertwining sounds of pushing, shoving, and cursing, a chaotic mess.

"Cui Lin, are you crazy?!"

"Zhang Xiuxian was killed by Cui Lin!"

"It's over, it's all over!"

The venue plunged into unprecedented chaos.

Everyone realized that the situation was completely out of control. Under the deterrence of firearms, the scene that should have been orderly became fragmented.

Bang bang bang bang!!!!

Several gunshots, like thunder, shook the entire venue, instantly swallowing the chaos.

The scene returned to calmness in an instant.

"Quiet." Cui Lin's indifferent voice came, carrying unquestionable authority.

"Everyone, please be quiet," he emphasized again, his voice calm and powerful.

At this moment, besides Cui Lin and his fiancée Jiang Zhixian, there were no other living people on the stage. Zhang Xiuxian's body lay at their feet, and was even stepped on by someone's high heel.

When people's eyes focused on the stage again, they were surprised to find that the person holding the gun was not Cui Lin, but the seemingly weak and helpless Jiang Zhixian.

Her pupils were slightly dilated, tears slid down her cheeks, making her look pitiful. Although she had killed someone, she looked more like a victim.

At this moment, someone noticed that although the tables on both sides of the dance floor were almost empty, there were still two people sitting as steady as mountains.

Jiang Chengzai remained motionless, and Cui Zhuo also remained silent. Jiang Chengzai's face revealed a hint of relief, while Cui Zhuo's eyes held a touch of desolation.

Cui Zhuo, who had just stood up trying to stop the engagement, seemed to remember something at this moment and slumped back into his chair, no longer speaking. He understood that his son had unknowingly sidelined him and completed the power grab.

When the gunshots rang out and the guards beside him showed no reaction, he had already realized this.

"Is this... the change of the times?" he muttered to himself. "Perhaps this is how the world works."

He looked at Cui Lin, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. But he also knew that being alive now was the last bit of face his son had left him.

"Everyone," Cui Lin's voice sounded again, "Zhang Xiuxian's death was well-deserved. You may not know how many evil deeds he committed, but I do. Because he once hurt Zhixian. I am very glad that Zhixian was brave enough to pull the trigger tonight. This is an end for us, and also a new beginning. I said, I don't need your blessings."

His explanation was both true and reasonable, explaining why Jiang Zhixian was so dejected, and also explaining why she would kill Zhang Xiuxian. In Jiang Zhixian's eyes, Cui Lin was her salvation and her reason for living.

People also suddenly realized why Jiang Chengzai could sit there so calmly. Perhaps he had known all of this long ago.

Just as people were surprised at this moment, Cui Lin spoke again, "It's just that tonight... I am truly sorry, everyone. You are all going to die here."

As soon as these words came out, the crowd, which had been as silent as cicadas in winter, instantly boiled over. They roared in anger, thinking Cui Lin was talking nonsense.

"You're dreaming!"

"Cui Lin, are you crazy!"

"This is North Korea!"

Cui Lin smiled as he looked at them and slowly said, "Every person's death will contribute a force to the future of this country. Oh, by the way, there's a special guest for this good show. The Ambassador from China, Mr. Liu, please come up to the stage."

Su Yue had anticipated this long ago, so he didn't say a word and walked straight onto the stage. At this moment, he finally understood why Jiang Chengzai could send a message to Cui Zhuo, and also why Jiang Chengzai specifically mentioned inviting his daughter to the dance.

According to the original plan, it should have been him who died, not Zhang Xiuxian. However, at this moment, he walked onto the stage with steady steps, his figure tall and powerful.

The clacking footsteps on the empty stage were exceptionally loud, even somewhat stealing the show.

"Look, this is an outsider," Cui Lin said, pointing at Su Yue. "Logically, he shouldn't be here today. However... he also has his own mission today."

As he spoke, he drew his sidearm and pointed it directly at Su Yue's forehead! However, after a two-second pause, he suddenly laughed, "As expected, not ordinary. Aren't you afraid?"

Su Yue also smiled, "My mission is not to die here." He turned his head to look at Cui Zhuo, who was sitting on the other side, "You want me to kill him, right?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone was stunned and looked at Cui Zhuo. Cui Lin also moved the muzzle away from Su Yue's forehead and pointed the butt of the gun at him, saying, "In that case, go ahead."

Su Yue took the gun without hesitation and quickly turned the muzzle directly at Cui Zhuo! Cui Lin frowned at this moment.

But just then! "Bang!!!" A deafening gunshot! A clean, decisive shot!

Su Yue's action of firing the gun was clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, which stunned everyone present and left them bewildered.

Under everyone's astonished gaze, the handsome man from China made a fluid and decisive movement, as if every cell was filled with unquestionable determination. His finger rested lightly on the trigger, his eyes calm and firm, completely different from his usual gentle and refined image.

"This... this is impossible!" Cui Lin cried out, his voice full of disbelief and shock. He couldn't understand why this man, who was always known for his peace and rationality, would suddenly make such an unexpected move.

"He... is he really going to shoot?" a teammate beside him asked with a trembling voice, his eyes full of fear and confusion. They had fought side by side countless times, but had never seen such a scene, and had never imagined that this teammate would be the one to pull the trigger.

The man's gaze swept over the crowd. There was no hesitation or apology in his eyes, only firmness and decisiveness. "I have my reasons for doing this," his voice was low and powerful, as if every word carried immense weight.