EBE Chapter 521 Hand over the key!
Chapter 521 Hand over the key!
The Mamba at that time.
The moment the call ended, Han Xi's fingers tightened around the phone, and he unconsciously left several white marks on the remaining call history on the screen.
The tone that had been deliberately softened when speaking to Xu Fangye vanished completely, and the last trace of gentle maneuvering in his eyes was extinguished as if doused with ice water, leaving only a dark and menacing aura.
He let out a heavy sigh, turned and leaned against the balcony railing. The evening breeze lifted his shirt collar, but it couldn't dispel the frost that had suddenly settled between his brows.
Ah Li...
These two words, like a cigarette butt suddenly extinguished, left a burning, astringent taste in his throat.
Anxiety creeped up my spine like vines, accompanied by a dense, stinging pain.
He abruptly turned his head to look in the direction of the restaurant. The lights inside the glass doors flickered, reflecting the feigned smiles of Han Shuo's confidants.
At this moment, it's like a thin layer of sugar coating, with fangs hidden underneath almost piercing through the disguise.
He turned his head to look at Jiangbei in the shadows, without saying a word, but his brows twitched slightly, and the usual nonchalance in his eyes suddenly tightened.
That was a signal that needed no further explanation.
Jiang Bei moved almost the instant his gaze fell upon him. His black figure brushed past the vines at the corner of the wall and silently disappeared into the thick, inky night of the Mamba mining area, without even stirring a gust of wind.
Han Xi straightened his shirt collar and turned to walk towards the restaurant, the last trace of emotion on his face completely gone.
The only difference was that the sound of my footsteps on the stone path was a bit heavier than when I came.
The moment the door was pushed open, the previously noisy air suddenly became still. The wine glasses in the hands of Han Shuo's confidants froze in mid-air, and before they could even wipe the smiles off their faces, their gazes were fixed on him as if drawn by invisible threads.
"Why did you come back alone, young master?" The scarred man closest to the door spoke first, his voice deliberately warm, but his eyes glanced at the empty corridor behind Han Xi. "Where's your assistant? Didn't she go out with you?"
He laughed and said, "The mining area isn't safe at night, so it's best if people who aren't familiar with it don't wander around."
Han Xi ignored him and went straight to the head seat. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the cool tabletop, making a rhythmic sound, as if counting down to this hypocritical maneuver.
His shoulders, which had been relaxed just moments before, were now taut and straight. He glanced at everyone, his gaze like ice, freezing the words Scarface was about to say in his throat.
"The key to the raw stone warehouse in the mining area."
He spoke, his voice noticeably colder than it had been on the phone, "Who has it now?"
The air froze instantly.
The tall, thin man's smile froze for a moment, and he subconsciously glanced at a slightly overweight middle-aged man next to him.
The latter coughed lightly, picked up the teapot to add water for Han Xi, and the water from the spout made a soft sound as it hit the bottom of the cup, trying to dilute the sudden sense of oppression.
"Why is the young master suddenly asking this? The keys have always been managed by a designated person in the warehouse according to regulations. Fourth Master instructed us before he left that without his orders..."
"I'm asking now."
Han Xi interrupted him, her fingertips ceasing their tapping, the force of her landing on the table causing the cups and saucers to vibrate softly. "My fourth uncle isn't here, so someone has to have the key."
The slightly overweight man paused, spilling a few drops of tea onto the table. He quickly wiped it with a tissue, forcing a sheepish smile: "Well... Old Zhang is on duty in the warehouse today, so the key should be with him. But as Young Master knows, the rules at the raw stone warehouse are strict. Even if he has the key, without Fourth Master's warrant..."
At this moment, the tall, thin man's eyes darted around, and he moved closer to him with a forced smile: "Young Master, why did you suddenly bring up the keys... is there something urgent?"
“You know the rules of the warehouse. Without Fourth Master’s permission, we subordinates dare not make any decisions. Why don’t you rest for now and we’ll ask Fourth Master first…”
"ask him?"
Han Xi twitched the corners of his mouth, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Instead, it was like a blade slicing through ice. "When did the Han family's things become my fourth uncle's private property?"
The chill in his words caused several of his confidants to change color simultaneously.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, some people tried to deflect the question.
"Young Master, you don't know, the security in our mining area has been really bad lately. You also know how important the key to this original vault is to the Han family. We really can't just take it out casually."
As soon as someone started, others immediately followed suit, pretending to be confused, saying, "We also wanted to give you the key, but Fourth Master left in a hurry and only gave us a general location. We don't know exactly where he put the key, and we can't find it for the time being."
While his men were dealing with Han Xi, the mine manager simply fell silent, avoiding eye contact with Han Xi and pretending not to see him.
They went around in circles, each offering their own words, as if weaving a net to trap Han Xi's questions.
Han Xi kept his eyes down and remained silent throughout.
He made sure no one could read his expression.
Those people thought he had been silenced by their excuses, but only those who knew Han Xi knew that this was a prelude to his anger.
really.
The mine manager lowered his eyes and just breathed a sigh of relief.
Han Xi spoke.
I'll say it one last time.
The tall, slender man slowly stood up, looking down at the few people who had fallen silent instantly. The last trace of warmth in his eyes completely disappeared, leaving only an almost cruel indifference.
"Hand over the key."
Seeing that he couldn't keep up the act, the mine manager quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Young Master, it's not that we don't want to hand it over, it's just that Fourth Master gave us instructions before he left. You suddenly want the keys, is something wrong? If you're having any difficulties, we're all family, just tell us..."
As he spoke, he tentatively observed Han Xi's expression, trying to find a hint of easing in those icy eyes.
Han Xi watched them exchange glances, watched them use "rules" and "Fourth Master's instructions" as shields, watched them pretend to be calm and circle around despite their obvious panic.
That suppressed unease had long since burned into a wildfire in his heart, and now only a chilling, raging inferno remained.
He suddenly smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it made the surrounding temperature drop even further.
"It seems you don't want to give it."
He slowly stood up, the chair legs scraping against the ground with a screeching sound. "Fine."
Just as the last "good" was uttered, a muffled thud suddenly came from outside.
The sound was like a heavy object hitting the ground, followed by several hurried footsteps and muffled shouts, shattering the restaurant's false tranquility.
The smiles on the faces of Han Shuo's confidants vanished instantly. Their mouths, which had been eloquently declining, were half-open, and their eyes all turned toward the door.
The composure in his pupils shattered like broken glass, instantly breaking into countless panicked fragments.
The tall, thin man smashed his wine glass on the ground with a clatter, splashing wine onto his trouser leg, but he was completely unaware.
He stood frozen in place, managing to squeeze out a trembling question: "What...what's going on outside?"