Chapter Thirty-Four: Evil Meets Its Due

Chapter 34: Evil Rewarded with Evil

As one of the premier jewelers in Qingchuan Province, standing tall for over a decade, Shen’s Jewelry had witnessed the rise and fall of countless jade merchants. Many had been driven to ruin, even taking their own lives or descending into madness. Of course, such fates befell the smaller firms; at the level of Shen’s Jewelry, a failure or two could not shake their foundation. Only the loss of jade-betting consultants or the severance of supply chains could truly threaten their core—which was precisely why the Liu family had first poached their consultant and then cut off their supply.

"The Li family actually has ties to Myanmar?" Yang Qi was slightly startled. This was not domestic; this was Myanmar, a testament to the depth of the Li family’s influence.

"It is precisely because of this that the Li family would never blacklist us just because of the Liu family. Otherwise..." Shen Yuxuan said, feeling a sense of relief.

It was due to this unique standing that even though the Liu family held considerable power in Qingchuan and even had connections in Guangdong, the Li family simply did not care. One must understand that Myanmar is the primary source of jade. The Liu family was in the jade business; no matter how bold they were, they dared not offend the Li family unless they were one of the top jewelry companies in the entire nation. To the Li family, the leader of a provincial jade market was of no consequence. Most who collaborated with the Li family were at the level of the Shen or Liu firms, or even more prominent.

Hearing this, Yang Qi grew even more curious about the true background of this Li family.

The plane glided smoothly through the sky. This was Yang Qi’s first time leaving Qingchuan Province, and he felt a surge of anticipation for the trip to Guangdong.

"Hm?" Just as Yang Qi was captivated by the view outside the window, a commotion suddenly erupted in the cabin.

Yang Qi turned to see a flight attendant arguing with a passenger.

Shen Yuxuan and the others, who had been resting, were also startled awake. They frowned as they observed the dispute.

"Slap!" A crisp sound suddenly rang through the cabin.

The passenger had stood up and struck the flight attendant across the face. The cabin fell into an instant, heavy silence. While arguments between passengers and crew were not unheard of, hitting a flight attendant mid-flight was a rare and shocking occurrence.

"You... how could you hit someone..." The flight attendant’s voice was filled with grievance.

"So what if I hit you? I hit you because I felt like it today. Do you know who I am? If you have the guts, come find me in Guangdong!" the man declared with arrogant defiance.

"You..." The flight attendant, having never encountered such a brute, was visibly shaken by his fierce demeanor.

Two other flight attendants rushed over upon hearing the commotion, their faces filled with indignation. They had never encountered such an unruly passenger before.

"Call the police!" one of them said angrily.

"Go ahead and call them. I’m a militia captain, and the detachment commander is my comrade-in-arms. Let's see who ends up in trouble," the man retorted with a sneer.

The surrounding passengers whispered among themselves. Though they sympathized with the flight attendant, none dared to intervene. Most people on this flight were either heading to Guangdong for business or were locals themselves, and they saw no reason to offend a stranger for the sake of a flight attendant they didn't know.

The flight attendant, clutching her cheek in distress, left the cabin, while her colleagues tried to calm the other passengers.

"What kind of people are these?" Shen Yuxuan’s expression was grim.

Apart from his bullying, the man had actually struck a woman. Shen Yuxuan naturally felt no goodwill toward him. Had she not been on important business in Guangdong, she would likely have stepped up to defend the attendant.

"Sister Shen, you’ve always lived in high circles; you simply haven't encountered these situations before," Yang Qi said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.

In this day and age, anything could happen. He recalled a time when he and his classmates were out on a trip, riding bicycles because of the crowds, and accidentally bumped into someone else’s vehicle. Despite apologizing, they had nearly been beaten. If not for the park’s security police arriving, they wouldn't have escaped so easily.

Hearing this, Shen Yuxuan fell silent. Having been a daughter of the Shen family since birth, she had never faced the troubles common people dealt with daily.

The plane soon arrived in Guangdong, and passengers began to disembark.

"Thank you for flying with China Eastern... Yang Qi." As Yang Qi was about to leave, he heard a voice of pleasant surprise.

He turned to see Zhao Yixin standing near the cabin exit, dressed in her flight attendant uniform, smiling as she ushered passengers out.

"Zhao Yixin?" Yang Qi was stunned. He hadn't expected to be on a China Eastern flight to Guangdong, let alone the same one as her.

"That is..." As his gaze fell upon her face, his expression shifted. Her left cheek was noticeably red, with faint, distinct finger marks still visible.

"The one who was hit was Zhao Yixin?" A thought flashed through his mind. Because he had been sitting far from the argument and she had been facing away from him, he hadn't clearly seen her face until now.

Knowing that it was Zhao Yixin who had been struck, Yang Qi, while not a self-proclaimed hero, felt a surge of genuine anger on behalf of his friend.

"Are you done yet? This is a plane, not a place for you to chat!" A voice interrupted. It was the same man who had struck Zhao Yixin.

Hearing the man’s words, Zhao Yixin’s expression tightened. Not daring to speak further with Yang Qi, she turned to usher the next passenger.

When the man reached the exit, he glanced at Zhao Yixin and sneered, "Hmph, you cheap bitch, you don't know when you're well-off!"

"This guy!" Yang Qi’s expression darkened. The man’s repeated insults towards Zhao Yixin pushed him to the limit.

Channeling his inner energy, Yang Qi flicked his finger. A sharp, invisible gust of wind struck the man’s knee.

The man stumbled, and in the next instant, he tumbled down the boarding stairs like a ball.

"Ah!" A miserable scream echoed.

The others looked on in shock, though many couldn't help but chuckle with schadenfreude.

"That guy deserved it. Who told him to hit a flight attendant?"

"Exactly. A grown man, actually hitting a woman."

"Falling from that height, he’s in for a world of hurt."

Even Zhao Yixin couldn't help but smile, though she quickly composed herself upon remembering her professional duties.

"Evil is rewarded with evil," Shen Yuxuan remarked coolly.

"Some people... Heaven will deal with them eventually," Yang Qi said with a faint smile.

"Yang Qi, I’ll be resting in Guangdong for a few days. I’ll call you when I’m free so we can hang out," Zhao Yixin whispered as Yang Qi reached the exit.

"Sure, contact me then," Yang Qi nodded.

The group left the airport and headed straight for their hotel.