Chapter 122: Fury

The man opened the door, walked into the room with a smile on his face, sat down leisurely on the sofa, and surveyed the scene before him with a gleam in his eyes.

Inside the spacious room were six people: two burly, brawny men and four young women tied up tightly with ropes. The women were delicate and well-proportioned, their faces still bearing traces of youthful innocence. Under the intimidation of the two thugs, they knelt on the floor trembling, their eyes dull and filled with despair.

"Stop struggling. Any further resistance will only bring you physical pain." The man lit a cigarette, took a satisfied puff, and spoke nonchalantly. He looked at the four women as if they were mere toys. Indeed, to a man like him—polished in appearance but wicked in heart, a wolf in sheep’s clothing—these women were nothing more than profitable playthings.

Zhao Min glared at him fiercely and shouted angrily, "Jiang Yang, you hypocritical monster! It was a mistake for us to trust you. I never imagined you would bring us to a place like this. You are beneath contempt!"

Instead of being angered by the insults, Jiang Yang smiled and replied, "If I hadn't gained your trust, how would you have willingly signed that contract? In truth, you can't blame me; you were simply too naive. You signed without even reading it. Is that my fault?"

These words left Zhao Min and the others speechless. At the time, they had been blinded by the prospect of earning money and had trusted Jiang Yang far too much, signing the agreement after only a cursory glance.

The other girls were evidently more fragile than Zhao Min. They began to sob quietly, losing all will to resist. Based on Jiang Yang's experience, he knew that apart from Zhao Min, the others would soon choose to yield.

Sensing this, Jiang Yang struck while the iron was hot. "The contract is signed, and it is written in black and white. If you breach it, you owe a ten-fold penalty. The Heaven and Earth Club paid me ten thousand per person, which means each of you owes a one-hundred-thousand-yuan penalty. This is legally binding."

A penalty of one hundred thousand yuan was an astronomical figure for these girls. None of them came from wealthy backgrounds; had they been rich, they would not have had to drop out of school to work.

"If you choose to cooperate, you won't have to pay the penalty," Jiang Yang added.

"What is so bad about working here? It's a high-end establishment frequented by the social elite. Everything here is top-tier. Perhaps you might even meet some high-society figures, marry into wealth, and become pampered socialites living in luxury." Jiang Yang’s voice was magnetic and seductive, weaving a web of hope amidst their despair.

Sure enough, the three girls other than Zhao Min gradually stopped sobbing. They blinked their tear-filled eyes, looking at him with a sense of dazed confusion.

Jiang Yang was delighted; his rhetoric was working. With a little more effort, he would succeed.

Just then, Zhao Min shouted, "You said you were paid ten thousand yuan, but we never saw a cent of it! The money must have gone straight into your pocket. This is fraud, and we do not recognize the validity of that contract!"

This declaration acted like a thunderclap, instantly snapping the three confused girls out of their trance. Their expressions shifted from daze to suspicion as they looked at Jiang Yang.

"Are you all brainless? Do I not deserve a commission for introducing you? I’m warning you: it is written clearly in black and white. If you don't cooperate, it’s a breach of contract. Think about it—if you breach, you owe a massive penalty. If you cooperate, you have a chance to enter high society!" Jiang Yang glared at Zhao Min in a rage. He had been on the verge of success, only for this girl to pop up and ruin his plans. Damn her!

Zhao Min scoffed, "Spare us your 'pie in the sky' talk. Marrying into a wealthy family sounds simple, but if we aren't from their social standing, how could we possibly marry into such families? Even if we did, we wouldn't last long. Once they grow tired of us, they'll just toss us aside."

She was an incredibly rational young woman! Jiang Yang felt a headache coming on. They say women are emotional creatures, so why was she so logical?

However, she was not without weaknesses. Jiang Yang had already done his homework: Zhao Min’s family situation was dire, which was precisely why she had left school.

"Zhao Min, since you’ve chosen to breach the contract, I have no choice. Hand over the one hundred thousand yuan, and I’ll let you go immediately. If you can't pay, we’ll see each other in court. By the way, I’ll add this: if you don’t want to be a burden to your brother, your best choice is to cooperate. This is your final chance." Jiang Yang said in a low voice.

These words struck at Zhao Min’s greatest weakness. She had dropped out of school to work precisely because she saw how hard her brother was laboring to pay off their debts. If she were to drag him down with her...

Zhao Min dared not follow that thought any further. She was a kind-hearted girl; she didn't want her brother to suffer on her account.

Jiang Yang continued, "What’s so wrong with working here? You get to dress beautifully, live in high-end accommodations, and spend every day with the social elite. Of course, sometimes you’ll need to drink with guests, chat, and discuss life. It’s nothing, really. It doesn't cause any harm; a quick wash and you're as good as new."

"In this day and age, if you can make money, that’s a skill. Once you’ve earned enough, you can go to a hospital for a restorative procedure. You’ll still be virgins, and plenty of men will be fighting to marry you," Jiang Yang continued his seduction.

Zhao Min and the others said nothing, keeping their heads lowered, lost in thought.

Seeing that his words were having an effect, Jiang Yang added, "If you don't cooperate, do you see those two men beside you? The whips in their hands are not toys."

Faced with intimidation and manipulation, the girls fell into deep contemplation, though they did not agree with him—they were simply lost, unsure of what choice to make.

"To put it crudely, you can make money just by opening your legs, and you might even enjoy it—why not? What era do you think this is? You have to open your mind to make money. If you stay as stubborn as you are, this society will eventually discard you." Jiang Yang’s tone became increasingly vulgar; he intended to use this approach to shatter the last line of defense in the girls' hearts.

"Why don't you have your mother try it, then?" A cold, sharp voice came from the doorway.

Confused, Jiang Yang turned his head. The door was kicked open, and three furious men stormed in. Their eyes burned with rage, especially upon seeing the four girls kneeling on the floor.

"Brother! Ling! Brother Ling!" Zhao Min looked at the kicked-open door in surprise, discovering that the people who had arrived were her own brother and Ling Tian, whom she hadn't seen in years. She was instantly overwhelmed with joy.

When Zhao Ming saw his sister kneeling on the ground, bound and bearing visible whip marks, his tears burst forth. The grown man hugged Zhao Min and sobbed, his grief heart-wrenching.

Unsure of the situation, Ling Tian and the others had returned to the front desk to inquire. Upon learning that Zhao Min was in that room, they had rushed over. Fortunately, they were not too late.

Jiang Yang watched the three men who had suddenly charged in with a look of disdain. "What do you three think you're doing?"

Ling Tian didn't say a word. He strode forward, grabbed Jiang Yang by the collar, and began delivering slaps to his face as if they were free of charge. Jiang Yang was stunned, his head reeling even after Ling Tian stopped.

"That’s just a small lesson. We’ve already called the police; they will be here momentarily," Ling Tian said in a deep, cold voice. He wanted nothing more than to crush the scum before him, but considering this was a high-end establishment, killing someone would invite unnecessary trouble, so he had chosen to involve the law.

Jiang Yang retreated a few steps, glaring at Ling Tian coldly. "The police? Even if they come, I’m not afraid. I’ll tell you this: I have a contract signed in black and white. Breach of contract requires a penalty—one hundred thousand per person. Can you afford that, you poor wretch?"

As he spoke, Jiang Yang signaled the two thugs to step forward and handle Ling Tian. A piece of trash like Jiang Yang judged combat capability solely by height and physical bulk.

The two thugs flicked their whips, approaching Ling Tian with sinister grins. "I’m going to make you crawl on the ground begging for mercy," one sneered.

Seeing the bloodstains on the whips and the welts on the girls' bodies, Ling Tian’s fury reached its peak. He surged forward to meet them head-on.

Jiang Yang laughed triumphantly, "With that small frame, he's just walking to his death. Finish them off! Once you're done, you can have your way with those girls."

Consumed by anger, Ling Tian lunged forward, aiming a slap at the head of each thug. His speed was so great that, at a glance, it appeared as though both men were struck simultaneously. To Jiang Yang’s utter astonishment, the two men—each over six feet tall and built like tanks—were sent flying as if swatted like flies.

"A bunch of human refuse!" Ling Tian grabbed Jiang Yang by the head, threw him into the corner, and ordered Zhang Ding to tie all three of them up. The three men, dazed and battered, lacked the strength to even move, and they could only watch helplessly as Zhang Ding bound them.

Ling Tian picked up a whip from the floor, walked over to the three men, and said in a chilling voice, "Did you find it quite satisfying to bully weak girls? Let me give you a taste of that satisfaction."

"You... I’m telling you, taking the law into your own hands is illegal!" Jiang Yang stammered, terrified. He had seen with his own eyes how the girls had been whipped until their skin tore, and he had heard their miserable cries. Just hearing and seeing it was enough to make his skin crawl.

Ling Tian sneered, "Beating people is illegal, but beating animals doesn't count as a crime—at most, it’s animal abuse, don't you think?" With that, Ling Tian raised the whip. Infused with his internal energy, the fibers of the whip stood on end, turning it into something resembling a miniature mace.