Madam, Please Behave
Chapter 432: Resolution

Facing Liu Changqing's uncompromising stance, Li Fanzhen finally opened his mouth.

The moment his mouth opened, Liu Changqing thrust the iron rod forward.

"Ugh!!"

Letting out a pained cry, Li Fanzhen tightly shut his eyes.

But with the rod in his mouth, he couldn't speak.

Liu Changqing gripped the rod, his face cold as he controlled it.

He asked simultaneously:

"Having fun? Enjoying yourself?"

"Mmmph!!"

The rod must have cut something when shoved in, because as Liu Changqing pulled it out, blood spilled from Li Fanzhen's mouth.

He looked utterly pathetic now.

Liu Changqing tossed the rod aside, and his son Liu Zhiyue - who'd been waiting nearby - immediately delivered a fierce kick the moment his father stepped back.

Liu Zhiyue had never been the merciful type.

In his view...

Anyone who harmed his family deserved no forgiveness.

Chen Dafu seemed eager to join too. Seeing Liu Zhiyue going at it, he rushed over to deliver several kicks himself.

Fortunately, both showed some restraint and didn't go overboard.

Liu Changqing tacitly allowed this, turning away to fetch a bucket of water.

He carried it back to Li Fanzhen.

"Stop. That's enough."

At his command, Liu Zhiyue and Chen Dafu halted.

After catching his breath, Chen Dafu delivered one final spiteful kick.

"Like checking out feet huh?! You fucking pervert!"

"I... I was wrong... Please stop... I'll pay compensation..."

"You think I want your dirty money? I could bury you in cash!"

"Big brother... please forgive me..."

Li Fanzhen lay face-down on the ground where they'd kicked him.

Every inch of his body ached, but survival instinct made him keep pleading.

He looked up at the man from the neighboring hotel room - the one he'd mistaken for being kind-hearted.

He looked at... Liu Changqing.

"I... I didn't know she was your daughter... I'll never chat like that again..."

"......"

Liu Changqing remained silent.

He listened impassively to Li Fanzhen's begging.

As if deaf to the pleas, he righted the bound man's chair.

Circling to face him, Liu Changqing stared down.

"How old are you?"

"T-twenty seven..."

"Married?"

"N-not yet..."

"I see."

Muttering this, Liu Changqing lowered his head and pulled out a lighter and lighter fluid from his pocket. He unscrewed the fluid's cap and began dripping it onto Li Fanzhen's pants.

Realizing what was happening, Li Fanzhen panicked.

He struggled wildly, but the ropes held firm. He could only watch helplessly as Liu Changqing continued.

"No! Please!! I'll give you money! I beg you! Dad... I'll call you dad, just spare me!"

"......"

Ignoring him, Liu Changqing emptied the fluid bottle before tossing it aside.

He raised the lighter.

The flint sparked.

With a "click", flame appeared before Li Fanzhen's eyes.

Liu Changqing observed the trembling man through the firelight.

"How do you want it cooked?"

"No... please... have mercy... I won't go to police... I know nothing! I'll say nothing!"

"I asked how you want it cooked."

"Brother, please don't do this!!"

Getting no answer, Liu Changqing slowly lowered the flame toward the soaked pants.

Li Fanzhen could only watch in horror.

This helpless anticipation was torture.

Just when he thought all was lost - perhaps due to Liu Changqing's movement - the flame went out.

Li Fanzhen nearly pissed himself in relief.

He gasped like a drowning man surfacing.

"Hah... hah... hah..."

"......"

Then the flint sparked again.

Flame reappeared.

This is it.

Only those two words filled his mind now.

No man could stay calm facing this.

No one.

But Liu Changqing didn't light him up.

He extinguished the lighter and stood.

Looking down contemptuously.

"Know the difference between you and a pig?"

"Hah... hah..."

Li Fanzhen just kept gasping, body shaking uncontrollably as he stared up at Liu Changqing.

At those eyes... eyes that looked at vermin.

"At least pigs are useful. Trash like you... your only purpose is producing shit and garbage."

"Yes... I'm trash... please... let me go..."

"Let you go? I didn't force you into my car. You came willingly to save money. So why say 'let you go'?"

"......"

"Ah yes - those messages you sent... about 'big goldfish' wasn't it?"

Liu Changqing lifted the bucket he'd brought earlier, holding it before Li Fanzhen.

"Couldn't find goldfish. Got loaches instead. Since you like fish so much... care to try?"

"N-no..."

"Now you're scared? Seemed real happy saying that shit to girls. Got lots of photos saved, don't you?"

"I... I'll delete them..."

"Too late. You won't get the chance."

Setting the bucket down, Liu Changqing glanced at Chen Dafu.

"Take some photos of him too."

"Got it!"

Chen Dafu immediately pulled out his phone and started snapping pictures of the naked, bound man.

Li Fanzhen thrashed in panic.

"Don't! Stop!"

But Chen Dafu paid no heed, quickly capturing dozens of incriminating shots.

Clearly new to this, Chen Dafu seemed oddly exhilarated.

He murmured while reviewing the photos:

"If these hit the internet... this bastard's finished."

Hearing this, Li Fanzhen looked utterly broken.

He couldn't imagine the consequences if they actually did it...

Regardless of what happened to them, he'd be ruined.

Job gone... no woman would ever marry him...

Liu Changqing offered two choices.

Pointing to the iron rod and the loach bucket:

"Option one: the rod. Option two: ten loaches."

"I... I..."

"Don't think about reporting this. If you do, first these photos go viral. Then someone visits your parents and relatives. Don't think I won't. And that's just the start..."

Leaning in close, Liu Changqing locked eyes.

"Otherwise... I'll make you regret every disgusting thing you've done."

"......"

Li Fanzhen looked between the rod and the bucket.

He gulped.

Finally answered:

"L-loaches..."

"Good."

Liu Changqing brought the bucket over, then fetched a funnel.

Seeing the funnel, Li Fanzhen nearly fainted.

He'd thought he'd have to eat three loaches... but this setup...

Before he could protest, his jaws were forced open and the funnel inserted.

Liu Changqing grabbed a wriggling loach from the bucket and dropped it through the funnel.

Li Fanzhen's eyes bulged.

He... was powerless to stop it.

————————————————————

Ultimately, Liu Changqing didn't force live loaches down his throat - the lively ones were just at the top, with dead ones underneath.

After finishing, Liu Changqing returned him to the van.

On a busy stretch of road, they dumped the naked man out.

Soon, passersby would find him.

They'd chosen this spot precisely because of its lack of surveillance cameras.

After disposing of the van, Liu Changqing drove home with his son.

Chen Dafu also left town after copying the photos to a flash drive.

He needed to ask his father about the issues with Gu Xiyu's family.

By midnight, the Liu father-son duo arrived home.

Liu Changqing sent his son upstairs while he parked in the basement.

About to head up, he received a call from his brother-in-law An Yancheng.

The first words heard:

[You went too far.]

"You—"

[But well done.]

"......"

Liu Changqing froze mid-retort at the second remark.

Before he could ask, An Yancheng continued:

[Auntie called me today. Since Xiazhi's practically my niece, of course I'd be angry hearing she got harassed.]

"Did he... say it was me?"

[No. Looks like you traumatized him. Kept insisting he fell. Hospital called police because of his injuries - doubt he would've otherwise.]

"I see..."

[No major issues, but next time... tone it down. Guy's mentally unstable now.]

"He deserved it."

[True... Hell, I'd have been worse. You home yet?]

"Just got back."

Liu Changqing glanced up.

No moon tonight.

[Alright, get some rest. We found tons of underage photos on his phone and undeleted chat logs... enough to prosecute.]

"Thanks."

[We're family, brother-in-law.]

"......"

Hearing this, Liu Changqing finally relaxed his tense expression.

He smiled.