After receiving the promise from Shi Jin, Shi Weichong immediately bid farewell. Shi Jin personally escorted him out the door and only called him back after Xu Jie had already gotten into the car. He led him a few steps to the side and said, "Brother, I want to invite you to dinner alone in a few days. Is that okay?"

Shi Weichong understood the meaning behind his use of the word "alone" and glanced in Xu Jie's direction before responding, "Sure, you set the time and place, and I'll be there on time."

Shi Jin nodded and considered for a moment before gently reminding him, "Take care of your mother and don't let her waste your kindness."

Shi Weichong furrowed his brow and immediately realized what was going on. He asked, "Did she do something?"

The partnership between Tarantula and Annihilation was linked to Tarantula's reputation. It was not good to be too clear about it, lest Shi Weichong found out and ruined everything.

So, Shi Jin replied, "I just noticed that her attitude was off. I'm worried that she's only pretending to agree on the surface, but secretly has other plans. Big brother, as I've said before, as long as she doesn't lay a hand on me again, I can let go of what she's done to me in the past for your sake. But if she tries to scheme against me again, I'm not a saint. I hope you won't blame me then."

Shi Weichong's expression tightened upon hearing this. He replied, "I understand. If she still refuses to listen... I won't blame you if you have to take action. Xiao Jin, thank you."

"Don't thank me," Shi Jin shook his head and took the initiative to hug him. He whispered in his ear, "Big brother, after this is over, Ruihang is still yours. Don't tell Xu Jie."

"Weichong!" Xu Jie in the car saw the two hugging again and couldn't help but push the door and call out to them.

Shi Jin stepped back and gave her a cold look, not avoiding Weichong. He warned, "Don't make any small moves. I'm not the easy-to-manipulate kid you remember. If you dare to have any crooked thoughts, I dare to kill you directly."

After speaking, he nodded at Weichong and turned to push Lian Jun's wheelchair towards the entrance of the club, walking away without looking back. He had said everything he needed to say and made his attitude clear. The future development of the situation would depend on whether Xu Jie, after compromising with Shi Weichong, could regain some of her conscience as a mother.

Shi Weichong was momentarily stunned by what Shi Jin had whispered in his ear. He hadn't paid much attention to the death threat that Shi Jin had given to Xu Jie. As he watched Shi Jin's back, his emotions were complex - he felt moved, guilty, and unsure of how to repay him. In short, he was overwhelmed with emotions.

But when he turned his head and saw Xu Jie standing by the car, staring heavily at Shi Jin's back, his heart sank again.

"Mom," he called out, unable to hide his stern expression. "Lian Jun is standing behind Shi Jin, and behind Lian Jun is Annihilation. You can't touch him. Take advantage of the fact that Xiao Jin still has a soft heart and is willing to recognize me as his brother. Stop now, you've already made enough mistakes in the past."

Xu Jie couldn't believe it, consumed with hatred. "You're actually taking his side? Didn't you hear what he just said? He wants to kill me, and you're still--"

"The premise of him wanting to kill you is that you were the one who wanted to harm him. Did you? Do you really want to lay a hand on Xiao Jin again?" Shi Weichong coldly retorted.

Xu Jie's hands clenched tightly under the cover of the car, but she managed to force a sad expression and said, "I...how could I dare to think that? You made it very clear yesterday that our relationship is purely business. You even got your grandparents involved and took everything under my name...Shi Weichong, my love for you as a mother will never change."

Seeing her like this, Shi Weichong felt a twinge of discomfort, but he resisted the urge to comfort her and said, "I hope so. Let's get in the car. After this is all over, I'll accompany you to pick a nice place to settle down abroad, and I'll come over to be with you."

What kind of companionship is that? A man should prioritize his career. Xu Jie instinctively wanted to educate Shi Weichong as she had done before, but she remembered her current situation and swallowed her words, only nodding and getting back into the car.

On the second floor of the club, Number Two looked as Shi Weichong's car drove away from the club. He took out his phone and made a call, saying, "Keep an eye on Xu Jie and report her movements at any time."

......

A day later, the person who was keeping an eye on Xu Jie reported back that Shi Weichong had locked her up at home and had several elders from the Xu family come to talk to her one after another. At the same time, he began to arrange for Xu Jie to leave the country.

Upon hearing this news, Shi Jin immediately understood that Shi Weichong had taken his advice from yesterday and was preparing to send Xu Jie away directly, without giving her a chance to cause trouble. But... he looked at the progress bar stuck at 970 on his computer and sighed heavily.

It was no use. Xu Jie still hadn't given up. That night, under the instruction of Lian Jun, the Tarantula's men called Xu Jie and informed her that they had considered her request and could arrange for her to participate in the job, but they required her to follow their orders and not act recklessly.

This was Xu Jie's last chance to turn back and sincerely abandon her harmful intentions. If she expressed her willingness to stop here and now, Lian Jun might spare her for the time being.

Unfortunately, when faced with the Tarantula's feedback, Xu Jie showed a very satisfied attitude. To ensure everything was secure, the Tarantula's side confirmed once again if she really wanted to proceed with the job. Without hesitation, Xu Jie said yes and urged the Tarantula to act quickly.

"That's the situation," Lu Shan said on the phone, "When do you want to start?" Lian Jun remained silent and turned to look at Shi Jin.

Shi Jin lowered his head in deep thought and didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Number Two, who was standing on the other side, and asked, "When is Shi Weichong sending Xu Jie abroad?"

"Four days later. Shi Weichong didn't try to hide his movements, so it's easy to find out," Number Two replied.

Four days later... Shi Jin's finger twitched as he replied, "Let's make our move a week later. I'll find a chance to leave the house, which will make it easier for you to catch me."

Was Shi Jin planning to give Xu Jie a chance to back out during this one-week gap between four days and a week later? If Xu Jie left the country and cut off contact with the domestic market, the Tarantula could unilaterally cancel the order without any way to contact the client. As Number Two pondered, he glanced at Shi Jin and absentmindedly rubbed his chin without saying a word.

"Well then, let's make it this time," Lian Jun confirmed, tapping the table. He turned to Lu Shan and added, "Make sure your people are careful not to harm Shi Jin."

Lu Shan's tone immediately turned disdainful as she drawled, "Yeah, yeah, you've told us a million times. We'll contact you later... Oh, and by the way, Shi Jin, let me tell you a secret. Lian Jun wet the bed until he was fifteen." With that, she hung up the phone.

The study fell into a deathly silence.

Number Two coughed lightly, forcing himself not to look at Lian Jun's instant darkening expression.

He stood up and said, "I still have work to do for Number One. I'll leave you to it."

He left without looking back, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

"That, um...," Shi Jin held back a laugh and reached out to touch the hand that Lian Jun had placed on the armrest of his wheelchair. He spoke earnestly, "Actually, when I was in my teens, I used to wet the bed too. It's nothing to be ashamed of, it's very normal."

Lian Jun turned his head to look at him and asked calmly, "Do you believe Lu Shan's nonsense?"

He didn't even call her "Aunt Lu" and used her name directly. It seemed that he was really angry.

Shi Jin's body trembled and he immediately shook his head, saying, "No, I don't believe it. Lu Shan is the leader of the opposing organization. She said that to tarnish your image and undermine your authority in the Annihilation. We're all smart and won't be fooled!"

Lian Jun refused this sugar-coated bomb and glanced at his lower abdomen. He slid his wheelchair towards the desk and said calmly, "Wait for me in bed tonight."

Upon hearing this, Shi Jin's heart skipped a beat. His mood, which had been ruined by Xu Jie, suddenly cleared up. He shamelessly stuck himself to Lian Jun's side, eagerly anticipating the evening.

......

Three more days passed, during which time all of the Shi family's brothers except for Shi Weichong contacted Shi Jin by phone, saying that they had made time to visit B City soon and wanted to meet with him.

Shi Jin agreed to all of them, but did not set a specific meeting time.

On the fourth day, the day when Shi Weichong was sending Xu Jie abroad, it was not surprising that Shi Jin received unexpected news. Xu Jie had attempted suicide by taking sleeping pills at home and was saved by the family's maid just in time. She needed to be hospitalized and her plans to go abroad had to be postponed.

Shi Jin put down his phone and looked at the progress bar on his screen, which had been steady at 970. He raised his hand to his forehead, blocking out the coldness in his eyes.

Some people, it seemed, would never turn back until they hit a wall.

There was no need for him to be soft-hearted anymore. He put down his hand, took out his phone, and selected Fei Yujing and the others' phone numbers. He sent a group message inviting them to have dinner at the club on the day of the operation that he had arranged with Tarantula.

The day of the operation arrived in the blink of an eye. Shi Jin took the initiative to call Shi Weichong and told him about the dinner with the other brothers at the club. He also invited Shi Weichong to come over.

Shi Weichong's voice sounded tired as he replied, "I don't know if I can make it tonight. Something came up." Shi Jin knew what was going on, but he put on a surprised expression and asked, "What happened? Is it serious? Do you need any help?"

"It's not a big deal, I can handle it. Don't worry," Shi Weichong replied, trying to sound confident. He then asked, "Will Yujing come back? I've been busy these days and haven't had time to contact them. Will they stay for a few more days? Let's all get together for a meal when I have some free time. We can catch up and chat."

"I don't know. Fourth Brother is on vacation, so he might stay longer. Fifth Brother is his own boss, so he has more flexibility with his schedule. Second and Third Brother are quite busy, so they might not stay in B City for long. Big Brother, can't you come today?"

When Shi Weichong heard the anticipation in his voice, he hesitated for a moment before replying, promising to give him a call in advance if he decided to go. Shi Jin responded with a sound, hung up the phone, let out a shallow breath, picked up his backpack, bid farewell to Lian Jun, and left with Number Two to "buy groceries" for tonight's dinner party.

......

After the car left the clubhouse, Number Two couldn't help but ask, "Why did you call all your brothers? Aren't you afraid of causing trouble?"

"I'm not afraid. I just want them to see with their own eyes what kind of ending those who want to harm me will face. After completely crushing them, there will be no possibility of them laying a hand on me or becoming my enemy again." Shi Jin replied, not concealing his thoughts at all.

Upon hearing this, Number Two was speechless and shook his head, saying, "When you gave Xu Jie repeated chances before, I thought you were too soft in handling the situation. But now, hearing you speak like this, I think you're actually terrifyingly calm and even know how to use this opportunity to intimidate the other brothers. I can hardly understand you anymore."

Shi Jin gave him a meaningful look and said, "So don't mess with me, or be careful that one day I'll whisper in Young Master Jun's ear and get you killed!"

"Just you?" Number Two was taken aback, then sneered and shook his head, looking like he didn't want to communicate with someone so foolish.

Shi Jin also snorted coldly, then quieted down and looked down at his phone, scrolling through his messages with Fei Yujing and the others, sighing heavily in his heart. It wasn't that he was calm to the point of being terrifying, but rather that he was afraid of any unexpected twists and turns in the progress bar.

He had called on his brothers to witness Xu Jie's fate not to intimidate them, but to intimidate their mothers. After all, he was just an ordinary person with a not-so-strong heart. He couldn't handle another person like Xu Jie.

Furthermore, he wanted Shi Weichong to see for himself just how thick and heavy Xu Jie's malice was, so that there would be no lingering doubts in his mind after he took action against Xu Jie.

People's hearts are fickle, and he needed to take extra precautions. Although this may seem cruel to Shi Weichong, he had to do it.

......

An hour later, Number Two and Shi Jin finished buying groceries and drove back to the club. On the way, they encountered an ambush. In the end, Number Two was "seriously injured" and Shi Jin went missing.

Everything went according to plan. Shi Jin left his phone behind and bid farewell to Number Two, who was covered in blood. He was then "kidnapped" by the Tarantula gang and taken away from the ambush site.

An hour later, Lian Jun stood in front of Number Two's operating room and used Shi Jin's phone to call Shi Weichong.

"Shi Jin was kidnapped on the way back from buying groceries," Lian Jun said directly after the call was connected. His voice was calm and emotionless, but it inexplicably made people feel very dangerous.

"It'd better not be your mother who did this, otherwise I will make her wish she was dead." After speaking, he hung up the phone. In the video call in front of Lian Jun, Shi Jin put down his cue card and praised Lian Jun's acting, saying, "Not bad, you learned my skills well."

Lian Jun looked at him somewhat helplessly, put down his phone, and said, "I will come to pick you up as soon as possible."

Suddenly, Lu Shan leaned into the camera from Shi Jin's side and waved her hand at Lian Jun with disdain, saying, "Alright, alright, you make it sound like your partner will be bullied by me. Hang up and contact me if you need anything."

Number Three looked at the black screen in surprise and said, "Lu Shan came to B city in person?"

"The friendly relationship between Annihilation and the Tarantula should not be known to outsiders. She must come and supervise this cooperation personally to avoid any mistakes," replied Lian Jun, giving orders. "Go back to the club and call Fei Yujing and the others separately, telling them about the 'kidnapping' of Shi Jin and asking them to gather at the club."

Number Three nodded and immediately turned to carry out the orders.

......

In the same hospital, Shi Weichong was stunned when he received Lian Jun's call. Without hesitation, he quickly walked back to the ward behind him and looked at Xu Jie, who was flipping through a magazine on the bed.

He questioned her, "Did you make Xiao Jin disappear? Where is he? What do you want to do?"

Xu Jie was taken aback by the Tarantula's quick movement. Although she was secretly pleased, she put on a confused and hurt expression. Her eyes turned red, and she turned her head to cry, saying, "Shi Weichong, I never thought you would distrust me like this. I just came back from the gates of hell, barely alive. Something happened to Shi Jin, and you're the first one to suspect me? You said the man Shi Jin was looking for was a shady character, so isn't it normal for something to happen to him? I...even if I say I've come to my senses, you won't believe me. I might as well go die."

With that, she tried to get out of bed and reach for the fruit knife on the coffee table. When Shi Weichong saw his mother, his heart tightened. He hurriedly stepped forward to stop her, unable to believe that she was the one who did it. He suppressed his anxiety and sent her back to her hospital bed.

Frowning, he looked at her and said, "Mom, I'll believe you one last time. It'd better not be you, otherwise, I won't be able to save you this time." After speaking, he let go of Xu Jie, took the fruit knife from the coffee table, threw it into the trash can outside, and called for a nurse to watch over Xu Jie before leaving without looking back.

Xu Jie watched him leave and thought of his hard work these past few days. She briefly wavered in her heart, but quickly regained her composure. She raised her hand to tidy her hair and looked at the nurse who came in, saying, "I suddenly feel a little uncomfortable in my stomach. Can you please call the doctor for me?"

The nurse believed her and nodded, turning around to call the doctor. Xu Jie took the opportunity to get up directly, grabbed her phone and made a call before walking out of the hospital room.

......

When Shi Weichong arrived at the club, Fei Yujing and Li Jiuzheng had already arrived.

"How's the situation?" Shi Weichong asked anxiously as soon as he entered the room.

Lian Jun gave him a faint glance and said, "Shi Jin was ambushed and taken away while he was on his way back to the club after buying groceries. Number Two, who was with him, was seriously injured and is currently being treated in the hospital. We can't get any information from him for the time being. There were no useful clues left at the scene of the ambush, and the roadside surveillance cameras were damaged in advance. It's clear that the other party came prepared."

In other words, the situation was very bad. Fei Yujing, who was trying to remain calm, furrowed his brows fiercely and looked at Lian Jun disapprovingly when he heard his words. He suppressed his temper and said, "Buying groceries? Do you know who you are? How could you let Shi Jin go out to buy groceries alone? Is he supposed to do such menial tasks?"

"The club has its own procurement system. He went out to buy groceries himself to better entertain you tonight," Lian Jun retorted, then paused and continued, "It was my negligence to let him go out alone. I promise to bring him back safely. Whoever is responsible for hurting him this time will pay the price."

With that, he glanced at Shi Weichong and turned his wheelchair to leave.

Shi Weichong felt his body tense up under Lian Jun's suspicious gaze, and he slowly clenched his fists. After Lian Jun left, Fei Yujing turned to Shi Weichong and asked with a frown, "Your mother..."

"It wasn't her," Shi Weichong interrupted him, his expression tense. It was as if he was trying to convince himself as well as Fei Yujing. He emphasized, "She's been staying in the hospital these past few days. I've been watching over her, so she couldn't have done anything."

Fei Yujing replied coldly, "But it was her who wanted to harm Shi Jin. She didn't have to do it herself. Last time, she had Xu Chuan hire a criminal organization to do it for her."

Shi Weichong's expression darkened, and he couldn't say anything.

"It's all my fault," Li Jiuzheng suddenly spoke up, his head lowered so his expression was unclear. "I told Xiao Jin that I wanted to eat the food he made himself. That's why he went out to buy groceries. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have gone out, and he wouldn't have given the bad guys a chance."

Fei Yujing froze at the words, remembering his previous text conversation with Shi Jin. He closed his eyes tightly and allowed himself the rare indulgence of losing control of his emotions, muttering a curse under his breath.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Shi Weichong was startled but quickly answered the call. After hearing what the person on the other end said, his expression changed drastically. "My mother is missing? Are you sure? Could she have gone for a walk... damn it!" He hung up the phone and ran out the door.

Fei Yujing and Li Jiuzheng both realized that something was wrong and quickly followed him.

......

In the van, Shi Jin, who had been "kidnapped," sat calmly in the back seat, eavesdropping on Lu Shan's phone call with her subordinates.

"Got it? Take her to Warehouse No. 1. Take a longer route to waste some time," Lu Shan said before hanging up the phone. As she turned her head, she met the direct gaze of Shi Jin, who was looking at her with raised eyebrows. "Kid, did you come up with this deceitful plan? You're quite clever," she asked.

Shi Jin couldn't tell if she was praising or mocking him, so he skipped the question and asked casually, "Aunt Lu, how's Xu Jie doing?"

"You have a silver tongue," Lu Shan replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She didn't mind him calling her Aunt Lu, and continued, "Xu Jie has already escaped from the hospital and is on her way to Warehouse No. 1. What do you want to do with her?"

The way she said it sounded a bit ambiguous. Shi Jin continued to ignore her strange wording and replied with a straight face, "When facing an enemy like Xu Jie, who has abnormal psychology, physical attacks are useless. We must break her psychologically."

Lu Shan became interested and asked, "So what's your plan?"

"I plan to set up a stage and make her act," Shi Jin honestly replied, looking very innocent and harmless. "She's only half-crazy now, and before my brothers arrive, I have to find a way to make her completely crazy."

Lu Shan looked at his youthful and energetic face, listened to his lively voice, and suddenly felt a bit uneasy, realizing that she seemed to have a slight cognitive bias towards Shi Jin - this seemingly honest little lover was actually similar in nature to Lian Jun, cunning.