222: Chapter 222 Dad, I'm sorry

Only then did Liu Zihao suddenly snap back to his senses.

Moving his gaze away from his father, he finally noticed Cao Kun standing in the shadows of the warehouse, his posture upright and his aura bone-chillingly cold.

Beside Cao Kun stood Julie, her expression calm but her eyes icy.

His heart skipped a beat, and a surge of intense unease instantly swept through his entire body. Instinctively, he turned to run out the door.

But it was already too late.

Cao Kun's figure flashed, moving so fast he left behind a mere afterimage. Like a ghost, he blocked the warehouse's only exit, completely sealing off all routes of retreat.

His build wasn't exceptionally burly, but the pressure, coldness, and domineering aura that radiated from his very bones caused the hair on Liu Zihao's body to stand on end, his legs weakening uncontrollably.

"Thinking of leaving?"

The corner of Cao Kun's mouth curled into a faint, bone-chilling arc as his calm gaze fell upon Liu Zihao. "You haven't gotten the money yet, and you want to leave just like that?"

Liu Zihao was terrified, his heart pounding wildly, yet he still tried to feign composure. Putting on a brave front, he raised his voice and roared.

"Who the hell are you guys? What do you want? I'm telling you, I have connections on the streets! I know plenty of big shots in the underworld! If you dare touch a hair on my head, I'll make sure you regret it!"

"Connections on the streets?" Cao Kun sneered, his tone filled with undisguised disdain and contempt.

"In my life, the people I fear least are little thugs like you who only know how to talk big and bully the weak."

With those words, Cao Kun wasted no more breath.

He stepped forward. There were no redundant movements, no flashy techniques—just simple, direct, and ruthless action.

Liu Zihao couldn't even see the trajectory of Cao Kun's movement. He only felt a blur before his eyes, followed by a sudden, agonizing pain in his chest that took his breath away!

Thud!

A heavy, solid kick landed squarely on his chest.

Liu Zihao was sent flying like a helpless sack of rags, slamming heavily onto the hard, cold concrete floor. He skidded nearly two meters, instantly curling into a ball from the pain.

His breath caught in his throat, neither coming up nor going down; he nearly blacked out right then and there.

"Argh—!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream instantly echoed through the cavernous warehouse.

His mouth was filled with the strong taste of blood. His chest felt as if it had been crushed by a giant boulder. The pain was unbearable, his limbs were weak, and he couldn't even crawl. He could only lie on the ground, twitching and groaning in agony.

Cao Kun walked forward slowly and looked down at him, his eyes as cold as winter ice, devoid of any warmth.

"That was your welcoming gift. From now on, be a good boy and listen. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind making sure you never stand up again for the rest of your life."

Liu Zihao was shaking all over from the pain. Tears, snot, and cold sweat poured out together. Where was the arrogance he had shown just moments ago?

He finally understood completely that he hadn't encountered some ordinary person, but a ruthless character who could easily crush him and held his life in his hands.

Lying on the ground, he disregarded all dignity and kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the floor with dull thuds. His voice was trembling, fearful, and humble to the extreme:

"I'll listen! I'll listen! Big brother, please don't hit me! I'll do whatever you say! If you tell me to go east, I won't go west! I'll do anything you want! Just please, stop hitting me!"

Cao Kun nodded with satisfaction. With a slight movement of his foot, he nudged Liu Zihao's shoulder, signaling him to look at Liu Ziqiang, who was tied to the pillar.

"Very good. Do you see that man?" Cao Kun's voice was calm, yet it carried an irresistible air of command.

"That's your father, Liu Ziqiang."

Liu Zihao followed the direction of Cao Kun's nudge and saw the despairing, agonizing face of Liu Ziqiang. His heart fluttered with a strange sense of panic, but he didn't dare resist.

"I'm giving you a chance to live, and also a chance to get some money."

Cao Kun's voice sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet, empty warehouse. Every word struck Liu Zihao's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Beat him."

Liu Zihao froze, his face full of disbelief as if he had misheard:

"Bi... Big brother, what did you say? Beat... beat my dad?"

"Yes, beat your dad." Cao Kun's tone was indifferent, without a ripple of emotion. He continued, "I'll give you a clear price list, no ambiguity involved.

Break one of his arms, fifty thousand in cash.

Break one of his legs, a hundred thousand in cash.

As long as you do it, I'll give you the money immediately. Furthermore, I guarantee I won't lay another finger on you.

But if you don't do it..."

Cao Kun paused, applying a bit of pressure with his foot as he stepped lightly on Liu Zihao's fingers spread out on the floor.

It didn't take much force to make Liu Zihao experience a piercing, bone-deep pain.

"Ah—!!!"

Another scream, shrill to the extreme.

Liu Zihao's body convulsed in pain. It felt as if his finger bones were about to snap, and tears instantly shot from his eyes.

"I will crush every single bone in your body, one by one," Cao Kun's voice remained calm, yet it carried a terrifying weight of intimidation.

"I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life living like a dog."

The agony and fear instantly crushed all of Liu Zihao's moral boundaries.

On one side was his biological father; on the other was a threat that could take away his health and life at any moment, along with the massive temptation of cold, hard cash.

In Liu Zihao's worldview, family ties had never been worth a cent. Money was the only truth.

In his eyes, Liu Ziqiang had never been a father worthy of respect or gratitude; he was merely an ATM that could give him money.

Now that the ATM was useless, if all he had to do was give him a beating to get real money, he had no reason to hesitate.

After only three seconds of struggle.

Liu Zihao gritted his teeth and struggled to climb up from the ground. The fear in his eyes was gradually replaced by greed and ferocity.

He walked step by step toward Liu Ziqiang, who was tied to the pillar. Each step felt like it was treading on Liu Ziqiang's heart.

Seeing his son walking toward him, a final, faint glimmer of hope remained in Liu Ziqiang's otherwise despairing eyes.

He thought his son was coming to save him, to protect him, out of father-son affection.

He twisted his body desperately, his voice hoarse, humble, and carrying a final plea:

"Zihao... you, hurry and save Dad... Dad has always loved you most... Dad would do anything for you... hurry and save me..."

Liu Zihao stopped in front of him. His face was expressionless—no heartache, no guilt, no hesitation. There was only a numb indifference.

He looked at his father, his tone as flat as if he were discussing an insignificant matter:

"Dad, I'm sorry."

...