The Wu family had lived comfortably for too long; many feared reckless actions would harm the entire clan.
Only Wu Tianlin suggested dragging the entire Po Qing Society down with him.
This aligned perfectly with her thoughts.
Wu Feiyan had long felt that, unable to obtain the Hundred Turns Thousand Returns Pill, with only decades left to live, it didn’t matter if she couldn’t find Lin Wan’er. An Chengqi couldn’t escape forever. If she still didn’t show, what harm was there in killing her entire family? Even if the two great powers of East and West joined to destroy the Po Qing Society, so what? When her life was nearing its end, nothing mattered anymore! In a certain death scenario, killing more people before dying would be satisfying!
Thus, she said to Wu Tianlin, “Tianlin, start preparing. I’ll give An Chengqi three more years. If she doesn’t show by then, I’ll wipe out the An and Ye families, leaving no direct kin alive!”
Wu Tianlin immediately shouted, “I obey your command!”
…
The first day of the Lunar New Year.
Early in the morning, Bernard Arnault took a seaplane to Malé, the capital of the Maldives, then boarded his private jet to return to France.
Though White Horse Island had returned to peace and tranquillity, the global discussion about it showed no signs of fading.
World media continued producing special reports, even inviting experts to analyse Syria’s situation and the role of the American government behind it.
The Syrian opposition faced unprecedented pressure.
Though they came from humble or even terrorist origins, the situation had changed. Once rebels seized power, they became the regular army.
Unlike rebels, a regular army with a state to protect couldn’t act recklessly or wage guerrilla warfare. They had to consider their image, so they didn’t dare move against Hamid, only publicly claiming that Blackwater’s Ma Kui had falsely accused them, asserting they were close allies with Hamid and would never conspire to assassinate him.
But such claims were futile; almost no one believed them.
After Blackwater pinned the blame on a scapegoat, public scepticism only grew, but they chose to stay silent, knowing explanations would only invite more criticism.
Mainstream American media avoided the topic entirely. The so-called freedom of speech in America was selective; when certain groups were involved, it became an empty promise.
European media, however, reported on the matter relentlessly.
Media in the UK, France, Germany, and Italy fiercely attacked Blackwater. French media, in particular, were jubilant, alternating between slamming Blackwater, digging up their dirt, and portraying Bernard Arnault as the world’s most fearless and responsible billionaire.
Today, the president was to meet Bernard Arnault at the Élysée Palace at 2 p.m. local time, but many European media outlets arrived at the palace in the morning to prepare.
The airport was even more bustling.
To capture Bernard Arnault’s return firsthand, every media outlet sent a team, setting up cameras along the runway to welcome France’s hero.
Per the French government’s plan, the prime minister would greet him at the airport, and the president would meet him later. The prime minister arrived early to welcome Bernard Arnault.
To make the ceremony as grand as possible, France arranged four remote parking stands at the airport exclusively for Bernard Arnault’s private jet. All invited media waited across from the stands to film, and the plane would taxi there, allowing Bernard Arnault to disembark in the spotlight.
At this moment, Bernard Arnault hadn’t yet reached the airport, but his media contacts had already sent him photos of the scene via satellite network.
Seeing the grand welcome awaiting him, the white-haired Bernard Arnault couldn’t stop grinning.
He chuckled to his wife, “I’ve been called a crooked merchant for decades, but now, look at me, transformed into a hero!”
