Looking at the elderly man before him, Cui Hong's eyes were filled with fear, and he trembled all over.
Lafayette softened his sharp gaze and revealed a particularly kind smile. "Cui Hong, now that you're here, why rush to leave so quickly?"
"Come, have a seat. We can talk things through."
He smiled amiably, like a true Maitreya Buddha, harmless and extremely benevolent.
However, in Cui Hong's eyes, that smile appeared as terrifying as a demon.
Cui Hong thudded to his knees, "Cui Hong pays respects to Lafayette."
As he spoke, he kept his head lowered, with cold sweat streaming down his forehead.
"Pays respects to Lafayette."
The Iron King walked over and knelt on one knee, showing utmost deference.
Unlike Cui Hong, he remained looking at Lafayette even after the bow, open and honest.
"Alright, get up."
Lafayette remained calm, walked past the two of them, and sat down on the sofa in the hall.
Standing behind Lafayette were the other two members of the Four Great Kings: Zhou Xiantong, the Knife King of the Mo North, and He Zizai, the Eagle King of the Dragon's Den.
Although these two didn't speak, their eyes were sharp as lightning, their temples throbbing, and their bodies exuded a terrifying aura that sent shivers down one's spine.
Clearly, these two were also formidable in strength.
The Iron King stood up as well, promptly serving tea and water to Lafayette, then standing respectfully behind him.
With the three of them standing together, the overwhelming aura they emitted was horrifying and intimidating.
Compared to the three of them, Cui Hong appeared much weaker and smaller.
It was precisely their presence that made Lafayette appear even more towering and terrifying, exuding a commanding presence without even expressing anger.
He sat there quietly, sipping tea and observing Cui Hong, who remained kneeling on the ground. "Cui Hong, why haven't you stood up yet?"
Cui Hong stood up, unable to muster the courage to meet Lafayette's gaze. He kept his head down, trembling uncontrollably.
Lafayette pointed to the seat opposite him. "Have a seat."
Cui Hong did not dare to disobey and quickly took a seat, his expression uneasy.
Lafayette took a sip of tea and gestured for the Iron King to pour a cup for Cui Hong.
Cui Hong held the teacup, feeling lost and uncertain.
Lafayette remained composed and calmly said, "Cui Hong, tell me, why did you target the Zhao family?"
Upon hearing these words, Cui Hong trembled all over, but he mustered up the courage and spoke in a deep voice, "Wang Chao killed my nephew, and I wanted revenge!"
"Why did you trouble the Zhao family instead of going after Wang Chao, who killed your nephew?" Lafayette pressed.
"I..." Cui Hong's eyes filled with fear, and he struggled to find the words.
To be honest, he was starting to regret his actions.
After Yang Ao's death, he was consumed by rage, lost his rationality, and wanted to tear down anyone who stood with Wang Chao, crushing them all.
So, when he learned that the families of Pei Donghu and Song Henian were in Zhao Village, he immediately moved to attack the Zhao family.
Now that he had calmed down, he was starting to feel remorse.
"Can't say, can you?"
Lafayette took a sip of tea and stared coldly at Cui Hong. He spoke in a deep voice, "He Zizai, show him the data of our losses."
He Zizai stepped forward and placed a tablet in front of Cui Hong, saying in a low voice, "Cui Hong, take a look for yourself!"
Cui Hong's expression changed, but he gathered his courage and looked at the tablet.
As he looked, cold sweat poured down his forehead.
The data displayed showed significant and forceful counterattacks by the Zhao family after his assault on their properties. His underground money lending business had suffered substantial losses.
Simultaneously, all the industries under Lafayette's command had incurred losses as well.
The total loss amounted to 10 billion yuan!
Seeing this, Cui Hong perspired profusely.
10 billion yuan!
Although it was a drop in the ocean compared to Lafayette's vast wealth, it was still an astronomical sum.
Lafayette showing him such loss data was not merely to inform him of his debts.
Bang!
At that moment, Lafayette's face turned cold, and he forcefully slammed the tea cup onto the table, commanding, "Kneel!"
Cui Hong trembled all over and immediately dropped to his knees, sweating profusely, and pleaded in fear, "Lafayette, I was wrong, I truly regret it. Please spare my life!"
Lafayette's expression grew dark, and he spoke in a chilling tone, "Do you think I came to see you just because of the loss of ten billion? "
"Zhou Xiantong, bring out that thing and show it to him." Lafayette's voice was icy.
Zhou Xiantong stared coldly at Cui Hong and then took out a USB drive, placing it in front of him.
"What... What is this?" Cui Hong's eyes changed.
Although he did not know what was hidden inside the USB drive, he had a foreboding feeling. It was as if the USB drive was a sharp blade hanging over his head, capable of severing it in an instant.
"Cui Hong, open it and see for yourself," Lafayette uttered coldly.
Cui Hong's expression grew even more fearful at Lafayette's words. Trembling, he reached out and picked up the USB drive, connecting it to the tablet.
Upon opening the USB drive, he immediately saw a series of documents.
The names of those documents almost made his heart leap out of his chest.
One of the documents was titled: "Cui Hong Steals Lafayette's Goods and Substitutes with Inferior Quality."
Swoosh!
Cold sweat poured down Cui Hong's forehead, and large drops of sweat fell incessantly to the ground.
He quickly scanned through the documents and saw that his name appeared on all of them. The contents detailed how he had stolen Lafayette's assets, diverted Lafayette's goods, monopolized markets, and engaged in deceitful practices.
Furthermore, the documents included videos and files that recorded how he deceived Lafayette and the detailed steps of the funds' diversion.
"How... How did you find out about these things?" Cui Hong's voice trembled, his teeth chattering.
These were his incriminating evidence.
Legally, they might result in a prison sentence of a decade or twenty years. But in Lafayette's eyes, it was a capital offense!
What was even more terrifying was who had captured this evidence?
This evidence alone was enough to condemn him to eternal hell!
"Cui Hong, you're audacious! You dared to commit such crimes by stealing Lafayette's properties, seeking death!" Zhou Xiantong glared at Cui Hong, his eyes sharp as a knife, filled with murderous intent.
Without a word, He Zizai stepped forward and mercilessly kicked Cui Hong, causing him to cough up blood.
"Lafayette, I was wrong, please, spare me, I beg you, please!"
Despite the searing pain in his chest from the kick, Cui Hong disregarded it and crawled to his feet, continuously kowtowing to Lafayette, smashing his head against the ground until it bled.
Lafayette's gaze was cold as ice. He picked up a knife and threw it in front of Cui Hong, saying in a chilling tone, "Cut off two of your fingers!"
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