Chapter 976: Chapter 976: Defeated Opponent

In the small restaurant, there was only one person.

The man sat with his back to the door at a square table, heels propped on a stool, his movements bold and unrestrained.

Li Qiao sat back to back with him, summoned the waiter to order a bowl of egg soup, and when closing the menu, said in a bland tone, “Where is he?”

“North of Liao Mountain.” The other seemed to be sparing with his words.

Li Qiao tapped the menu lightly with her fingers, “You go there.”

The man paused his action of shoveling food, sneered coldly while gripping his chopsticks, “I’m not your subordinate.”

Li Qiao remained expressionless, “Defeated generals don’t get to choose.”

The other smashed his chopsticks against the bowl, “If you and Wu Minmin hadn’t tricked me back then, would I have lost?”

“All’s fair in war,” Li Qiao enunciated clearly.

Just then, the waiter delivered the egg soup to Li Qiao with trembling hands, cautiously glancing at the man’s back, an undisguised fear on his face.

The fellow couldn’t be provoked.

Li Qiao calmly took the spoon to drink the soup, ignoring the sound of angry breathing behind her.

Not long after, the man slammed the table and strode out the door, muttering, “You damn well better not end up in my hands, or I’ll blow up your house.”

“Find out the exact location and send it to me as soon as possible.” Li Qiao instructed while drinking her soup, completely unconcerned about his threat.

The man kicked open the wooden door of the small restaurant, shouting, “Got it.”

Luoyu, who almost took action: “…”

She wasn’t sure what happened in the small restaurant, but the man’s presence radiated hostility, like someone accustomed to dancing around the edges of the law.

Li Qiao finished her egg soup, left a bill, and leisurely strolled out the door.

The air near dusk felt stifling, the sky overcast with clouds, as if it might rain.

Li Qiao stood by the street, looking up at the cloudy sky, “Is Ming Dailan really crazy?”

Luoyu returned to her side, bowed her head and said, “Perhaps. I heard from Wei Lang that she might be sent back to Parma soon.”

“You arrange it, I want to see Ming Dailan.”

Luoyu lifted her eyelids and then said, “No need to arrange, she’s been on the street every day recently… looking for someone.”

Li Qiao raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways, “Every day?”

“Yes, it’s the master’s intention.” Luoyu stepped forward, whispering, “It can’t be confirmed yet whether she’s truly mad or just pretending.”

Li Qiao pressed her lips, feeling agreement with Shang Zonghai’s arrangement.

Perhaps all feelings were exhausted, even though Ming Dailan kept calling out for Ah Zun, it couldn’t evoke a shred of Shang Zonghai’s sympathy.

Ming Dailan was most vain; if she wasn’t truly mad, she might not act mad and foolishly on the street.

Li Qiao once again looked at the impending stormy sky, “Find a way to lead her to this street.”

“Alright, madam.”

…

That night, before Li Qiao could personally witness Ming Dailan’s search on the street, across the ocean in the British Imperial, an earth-shattering scandal occurred.

The scandal came from footage broadcast by an official media outlet.

In the video, a man dressed in the dark blue Knights’ Uniform of the Ducal Residence wore a black clown mask, his voice altered.

If observed carefully, his Knights’ Uniform was an outdated style long retired.

The man described how Old Duke Charlman had removed his wife’s uterus and how he had sent people to hunt down members of the Knight Squad.

At six in the morning British time, the morning news interrupted its broadcast with this tape.

Official media reporting on aristocratic scandals was not new.

But it also implied that Charlman’s noble status was about to face a very severe test.

If Old Duke Charlman’s actions were confirmed, the Royal Family would likely step in to revoke the noble status.

As the rumor spread among British citizens, the content of this tape instantly attracted domestic and foreign attention.

Long absent from public view, Old Duke Xiao Hongdao suddenly became the subject of public gossip.

A mere two hours later, another video shot on a cellphone was exposed by netizens.

In the video, Ming Dailan, with disheveled hair and empty eyes, wearing a burlap dress unbefitting her status, grabbed random passersby on the streets of Myanmar, muttering.

The British citizens’ impression of Xiao Hongdao was vague, but frequently appearing Ming Dailan was recognizable to all.

How did the dignified Old Duchess become like this?

Not only was she mad, but she also lost the grace and elegance of an Old Duchess.

Ming Dailan had once been a model and template for many British noblewomen to emulate.

Gentle, graceful, virtuous, an aristocrat among aristocrats.

Suddenly, British public opinion was abuzz.

First, the Knight Squad captain who narrowly escaped from the Charlman Ducal Mansion came forward to accuse the Old Duke, then the abandoned Old Duchess was left ignored in the streets of Myanmar.

Even if there were insider stories, they weren’t worth speculating.

Citizens preferred to believe in witnessing with their own eyes.

Old Duke Xiao Hongdao faced unprecedented public criticism, and the gates of Charlman Ducal Mansion were besieged by voluntarily organized protesters.

Many held placards demanding the removal of Charlman’s ducal status.

This wasn’t an exaggeration, but accumulation over time.

Recently, the Charlman Family repeatedly topped trending searches, continuously consuming citizens’ enthusiasm.

Now, with official media intervening, citizens’ antipathy toward Charlman instantly reached its peak.

…

At the same time, Li Qiao sat cross-legged on the bed, having watched the official media’s broadcast of the whistleblower video, showing a hint of bewilderment in the eyes of the young deer.

Landis.

Even masked and with voice altered, Li Qiao immediately recognized him.

Silence pervaded, with even the air ceasing to flow.

Li Qiao sat quietly for a moment, then called Bai Yan, “What’s going on with Landis?”

Bai Yan was clanging pans, startled by Li Qiao’s inquiry, then knocked on the pot frowning, “What Landis?”

Li Qiao pursed her lips in silence.

Shortly, Bai Yan tossed aside the spatula, “Oh, that foreigner?”

Li Qiao answered, Bai Yan casually picked up a can of beer, opened the tab one-handed, “Had Little White Cow send him away at that time, what’s up, something happened to him?”

“Where was he sent?”

Bai Yan swigged beer, looked around without seeing Little White Cow’s figure, simply replied, “Heard it was some island, population fewer than ten thousand, nobody can find him except King of Hell.”

The last sentence was the boast made by Little White Cow patting his chest back then.

Upon hearing this, Li Qiao emotionlessly hung up the phone.

She probably knew who that ‘King of Hell’ was.

On an island with a population of less than ten thousand, able to find Landis, when did he start operating? He could make her completely unaware.

Li Qiao once more played the video, Landis eager to win, willing to come forward to accuse Xiao Hongdao, this video might just be the beginning.

“Knock, knock—”

Two gentle knocks on the door sounded, Li Qiao said come in, and Luoyu then poked her head in, “Madam, Xiao Yehui wants to see you.”