223: Chapter 223 Liu Zihao brutally beats his father

The moment the words fell.

Liu Zihao suddenly raised his foot and, using all his strength, kicked Liu Ziqiang hard in the chest!

“Bang!”

A dull thud of impact rang out.

Liu Ziqiang was kicked so hard his entire body shook violently. A muffled groan escaped his throat as unbearable pain shot through his chest.

The expression on his face, however, was more devastating than the physical pain. It shifted from expectation to shock, to disbelief, and finally froze completely, turning into a deathly, ashen gray.

“Zihao... You... You’re really hitting me?”

Liu Ziqiang couldn't believe his ears, couldn't believe his eyes.

In his life, he had poured out his heart and soul, giving everything he had—every single thing—all for this son.

So that his son could get married, he had taken a desperate risk and blackmailed the innocent Julie.

So that his son could be happy, he had handed over every cent of the three hundred thousand plus he had extorted.

So that his son would provide for him in his old age, he hadn't hesitated to turn himself into a demon despised by everyone.

He thought that no matter how rebellious, how much of a bastard, or how selfish his son was, he was still his own flesh and blood, and there would surely be at least a shred of familial affection.

But now, for the sake of money, his son had actually raised a hand against him.

Without the slightest hesitation.

Without the slightest reluctance.

Without the slightest guilt.

Liu Zihao didn't speak; his eyes held only an extreme thirst for money.

He scanned his surroundings, his gaze landing on a rough wooden stick on the ground, about the thickness of an arm.

He bent down to pick up the stick, gripped it tightly with both hands, raised it high, and aimed it at Liu Ziqiang's left arm.

“Zihao! Don't!!” Liu Ziqiang's eyes nearly split from the strain as he roared, his voice hoarse and broken.

“I'm your dad! I'm your biological father! I did everything for you! How can you do this to me?! You can't do this to me!!”

“Dad, don't blame me.” Liu Zihao's voice was cold and ruthless, without a hint of warmth. “If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for standing in the way of my fortune.”

“I need money to get married, money to buy a car, money to live my life. You're useless now, so you might as well be of some use.”

“No—!!!”

Liu Ziqiang's desperate roar echoed through the warehouse.

“Bang!!!”

A dull, teeth-gritting, scalp-numbing loud noise rang out.

Carrying all of Liu Zihao's strength, the wooden stick smashed violently onto Liu Ziqiang's left arm!

“Crack—”

The incredibly clear, piercing sound of bone snapping was exceptionally jarring in the quiet warehouse, sending a chill through anyone listening.

“Ah—!!!”

Liu Ziqiang let out a shrill, inhuman scream of agony.

His whole body convulsed and twisted as his left arm bent at a bizarre angle that completely defied physiological structure, swelling up instantly.

Veins bulged beneath the skin, and blood quickly soaked through his thin clothing, staining the concrete floor beneath him a shocking red.

Intense pain swept through his body like a tide, every inch of his nerves screaming in frenzy.

But a thousand times more painful, more hopeless, and more devastating than the physical agony was the death of his heart.

It was total betrayal.

It was all his sacrifices being crushed into powder.

It was a lifetime of hope being completely shattered at this moment.

He looked at the son before him, the one he had cherished with his life, loved with his life, and sacrificed everything for.

He watched as his son personally broke his arm for money, seeing not a shred of guilt on his face—only excitement, greed, and a sense of relief.

Liu Ziqiang's tears surged out instantly.

Not because of the pain.

But because his heart had turned cold.

Because of despair.

Because all the persistence of his life, all the evil, all the sins, and all the obsessions were, at this moment, being thoroughly and mercilessly crushed.

“You... you ungrateful wolf...” Liu Ziqiang's lips trembled, his voice hoarse, broken, and intermittent.

“For you... I blackmailed others... I broke the law... I made a fool of myself... I did everything... and you actually... you actually treat me like this...”

“What was I even hoping for... what on earth was I hoping to get from you...”

He cried like a helpless child, desperate, broken, and disheartened. His shoulders shook uncontrollably; the pain in his broken arm had become numb, leaving only the boundless darkness and agony in his heart.

Liu Zihao, however, acted as if he hadn't heard a thing. He casually tossed aside the blood-stained wooden stick and turned to look at Cao Kun with excitement, his face covered in a fawning and greedy smile, his tone urgent:

“Big brother! I did it! I broke one of his arms! Fifty thousand! Give me the money, quick! Hurry!”

His eyes were full of money, his heart was full of money; he didn't care at all about his father's life or death, his father's pain, or his father's despair.

Julie stood to the side, quietly watching this scene. Her face was pale, and her whole body felt a slight chill.

Even a tiger, though fierce, does not eat its cubs.

But someone like Liu Zihao was worse than a beast.

Cao Kun looked at the cold-blooded father and son before him. His face remained expressionless, but he found it incredibly ironic and absurd.

Instead of fulfilling his promise to give the money, he took a step forward and spoke again. His voice was calm, yet it was like the sharpest blade, stabbing deep into the hearts of both father and son.

“I've changed my mind.”

The excitement and greed on Liu Zihao's face froze instantly, his smile hardening:

“Bi... Big brother, what did you say? Changed your mind?”

“Yes, changed my mind.” Cao Kun's tone was indifferent, without a hint of guilt. “The conditions from just now are void.”

“Now, I'm giving both of you an opportunity.”

He first looked at Liu Ziqiang, who was tied to the pillar crying in pain with a broken arm, and then at Liu Zihao, who was greedy and obsessed with money, his gaze slowly scanning over both of them.

“You two, father and son, fight each other.”

“Whoever wins, I'll let that person go. I guarantee I won't pursue it or cause any harm.”

“Furthermore, to the winner, I will give an additional one million in cash.”

As soon as he finished speaking.

The entire warehouse fell into a dead silence.

Even the air seemed to have frozen.

Liu Zihao exploded instantly. Anger, resentment, indignation, and fear all rushed to his heart. He suddenly raised his voice and roared:

“You're playing me! You're going back on your word! You have no integrity! How can you do this?!”

“With scum like you, I don't need to keep my word.” Cao Kun's eyes turned cold, his aura instantly becoming oppressive. “Either fight, or I'll cripple you right now so you can never dream of getting another cent for the rest of your life. You choose.”

Liu Zihao shook with rage, his face turning blue and white, yet he was helpless.

He couldn't beat Cao Kun and couldn't run away. Resisting would only lead to a heavier beating. Aside from obeying, he had no second path to take.

He could only vent all his anger, indignation, and resentment onto Liu Ziqiang.

As for Liu Ziqiang, after having his arm broken by his own son, his heart had completely turned to ash.

What son, what family ties, what retirement, what reunion, what hope...

It was all shattered, rotten, and gone.

Now, only one simplest, most primitive thought remained in his mind.

Survival.

To leave this place alive. From now on, he would never live for anyone else, never sacrifice for anyone else, and never love anyone else. He would only live for himself.

Cao Kun slowly stepped back two paces, leaving enough space for the two of them, and calmly gave the order:

“Begin.”

...