Chapter 423 Cleaning Up the Mess

A few days later, at noon, a private plane slowly landed on runway 26R at Honolulu International Airport in Hawaii.

After the plane taxied to its parking position and came to a complete stop, the cabin door slowly opened, and a man with graying temples walked out of the cabin.

Xu Xi stood by the driveway not far away, dressed in a smart and appropriate suit, with Long Teng and a group of bodyguards standing beside him.

"Mr. Zoro, it's been a long time. You have a lot more gray hair than when we last met. It must be from all the work. You must be exhausted."

Xu Xi crossed his arms and smiled with narrowed eyes.

The man took off his top hat, held it in his hand, sighed heavily, and responded in broken Chinese, his voice full of helplessness and exhaustion.

"It's a misfortune for my family to have raised such a stubborn and unruly son. At my age, I should be enjoying my retirement with my wife and traveling the world, but instead I have to run around for this unruly son, cleaning up his mess and undoing the trouble he's caused."

He is the father of Prince Zoro, the chairman of the Zoro Group, and the elder Zoro.

As soon as he finished speaking, he bent down slightly, bowed to Xu Xi, lowered his posture to the extreme, and pleaded in a sincere tone.

"Mr. Xu, I sincerely apologize to you on behalf of my son. He acted rashly and offended you. I beg you to show leniency and spare his life."

The smile on Xu Xi's lips vanished instantly, replaced by a mocking expression, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.

"I'm afraid that won't work, Mr. Zoro. We've been working together for many years, and you should know my temperament."

"Based on what your son has done, if he didn't have the Zoro surname, he would have sunk to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and been fed to sharks by now."

"Yes, Mr. Xu is absolutely right. My son certainly deserves what he got."

Old Zoro broke out in a cold sweat, still hunched over, not daring to raise his head and look Xu Xi in the eye.

"I am deeply grateful to Mr. Xu for showing me some respect. However, he is my only son, and I hope you can spare his life and give him a chance to repent. You may name your terms, and I, Solon, will not shirk my responsibility as long as I can fulfill them."

Xu Xi smiled faintly, the sarcasm in his eyes fading slightly. He raised his chin, gesturing for Long Teng to help the old Zoro up.

"Mr. Zoro has traveled a long way and must be tired. I have prepared a feast. We can discuss anything over the meal."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over old Zoro's tense profile, and added, "Mr. Zoro, rest assured, I'm not like your son; I wouldn't do anything like tampering with drinks or anything that's beneath me."

Upon hearing this, Old Zoro quickly put on a fawning smile and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Xu. I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble."

......

The negotiations lasted for an entire afternoon, from the blazing sun to the high moon.

As night deepened, Xu Xi, with a victor's smile on his face, calmly walked out of the banquet hall.

Behind her followed old Zoro, whose face was grim.

His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were filled with exhaustion and resentment.

Xu Xi stopped and turned to Long Teng beside him, instructing, "Long Teng, bring the person over."

Long Teng nodded: "Yes, Mr. Xu."

Although he and his brothers affectionately called Xu Xi their sister-in-law on ordinary days, they always adhered to the rules and never dared to overstep their bounds in the slightest when outsiders were present or when discussing business.

He clapped his hands lightly behind him, and two bodyguards immediately carried up a man who was covered in wounds and on the verge of death.

That man was Prince Sauron. At this moment, he was dressed in rags, covered in mud and blood, his hair was messy and stuck to his forehead, and his face was covered in bruises, making him look exactly like a beggar on the street. His body was covered with bruises and bloodstains of varying depths.

No one knows what kind of inhuman torture he has endured these past few days.

But anyone with eyes could see that his tendons in his hands and feet had been completely severed, and every time he was carried to take a step, he would let out a heart-wrenching scream of pain.

His eyes were empty, devoid of his former arrogance, replaced only by a deep-seated fear and despair.

Seeing his miserable state, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Xu Xi's eyes.

But the next second, her brows furrowed sharply, her tone instantly turning cold as she turned to Long Teng and questioned him, "Long Teng, what's wrong with you? Didn't I tell you to properly entertain our guests?"

The quick-witted Long Teng immediately understood Xu Xi's implied meaning, and lowered his head, admitting his mistake respectfully with a face full of guilt: "I'm sorry, President Xu, my brothers and I misunderstood your meaning and went too far. Please punish us."

Xu Xi's brows furrowed even more deeply. She shouted, "You've gone too far! How dare you lay a hand on my distinguished guest! How dare you! Your salary this month is suspended, and all your bonuses for the year are forfeited. Reflect on your actions!"

After saying that, she immediately turned to look at old Zoro, her face instantly changing to an apologetic expression: "I'm sorry, Mr. Zoro, it was my fault for not managing my men properly, which allowed them to injure your young master. When we get back, I will definitely discipline them properly and never let this happen again."

Old Zoro's face darkened.

Having lived most of his life, he had seen all sorts of situations. How could he not see that Xu Xi was deliberately playing the good cop/bad cop role for him?

Without Xu Xi's tacit approval, these bodyguards would never have dared to lay a hand on his son, let alone use such ruthless methods.

But he was now under someone else's roof and had no choice but to swallow his anger and resentment, forcing a stiff smile onto his face.

"Mr. Xu, you flatter me. My son was at fault first. Your subordinates were merely giving him a lesson to teach him a lesson so he wouldn't cause trouble again in the future."

Hearing the familiar voice, Prince Zoro, who was on the verge of fainting, grasped at the last straw. He struggled to lift his head, his blurred vision falling on Old Zoro's face. His voice was hoarse and tearful as he cried out incoherently, "Father...Father...Help! Please save me!"

Looking at his disheveled and spineless state, and recalling the enormous price he had paid at the negotiating table to save him, and how his life's work had almost been ruined by this rebellious son, old Zoro was instantly filled with rage.

"You unfilial son!"

He could no longer hold back, raised his foot, and kicked Zoro hard.

"How dare you harbor such wicked thoughts towards President Xu! How audacious! How did I raise such a good-for-nothing!"

Zoro, who was already covered in wounds, was in even more pain from this kick, causing his whole body to convulse.

He collapsed to the ground, curled up, and let out a mournful wail. Tears and snot mingled together, making him look utterly wretched, a far cry from his former noble demeanor.

"Mr. Zoro, calm down." Xu Xi patted old Zoro's trembling shoulder and said with a smile, "There's an old Chinese saying, 'Raising children is for old age security.'"

"This is your only child. You and your wife will have to rely on him for your old age."

She paused, looked at old Zoro's ashen face, and continued.

"Besides, if anything were to happen to your son, wouldn't all the empire you've built up over your lifetime ultimately fall into the hands of outsiders?"