chapter 28 Forced demolition

At the intersection, as Morris's BMW pulled up, Tariq Davis, the head of the subdistrict office, hurried over and personally opened the car door for Morris. Though Morris was just a lowly servant of the Norman Family, he was a big shot in Maddox's circle. Within the Norman Family, he might be a minor figure, but outside, he was not someone to mess with. Especially now that the Norman Family had acquired this piece of land and planned to build a hotel in this shantytown, they couldn't afford to make enemies. "Damn! What a dump! Just got my new shoes all dirty." The moment he stepped out of the car, Morris's shiny shoes got splattered with mud, eliciting a wave of disgust. "Heh, that's just how it is around here. How's Young Master Norman been lately?" Morris took out a white handkerchief to wipe his shoes, snorting coldly. "Well, you don't need to bother about that. Young Master Norman has ordered to clear this area today, and construction starts tomorrow." "What, so soon? That's... troublesome." Tariq looked visibly conflicted. "What, you dare to defy Young Master Norman's orders?" "Of course not, of course not. It's just that there are a few households here unwilling to move. They say the compensation offered is too little to live on, so..." "Tariq, I see you're becoming more and more clueless. Do I have to spell it out for you?" Tariq hurriedly nodded, rubbing his hands together. At that moment, he noticed Vanessa Van standing at the door and waved her over. "Vanessa, come here and tell us about your family's situation." Vanessa's mouth quivered uncontrollably as she stared fixedly at the man named Morris, unable to forget what had happened a year ago. When her mother returned from work, she was accosted by this man's master, a man named Maddox, who tried to drag her into his car by force. Luckily, Vanessa spotted them on her way back from school and shouted for help, drawing the attention of passersby, and preventing them from succeeding. But the next day, Maddox sent this lackey to their doorstep, who then proceeded to break her mother's leg! To escape them, April had to buy this rundown house. With clenched fists, Vanessa approached Morris. Morris, on the other hand, was puzzled over who this girl was and why she seemed to regard him as her mortal enemy. "Morris, you murderer! How dare you show your face here!" Vanessa exclaimed fiercely. Suddenly, it clicked for Morris. "Damn! It's you, little girl! You bit me last time, and I haven't settled the score with you yet. So, your family moved here!" "I wish I could swallow you whole, you beast! You broke my mother's leg, and now you want to demolish our house. You'll get what's coming to you!" Vanessa gritted her teeth, resembling an angry little tiger. Morris's lips twitched with anger, then twisted into a sneer. "Haha, alright, alright! What a clueless little brat!" Seeing this, Tariq hastily interjected with a conciliatory tone, "Morris, calm down. Let me handle this." However, to everyone's surprise, Morris shoved Tariq aside. "Get lost!" Then, he approached Vanessa and raised his hand, delivering a slap across her face. Smack! "You bitch! Do you dare talk to me like that? You're asking for trouble!" Who was he? He was from the Norman Family, the foremost among the Zensea's four major families. And Vanessa and April? Just a pair of orphaned mother and daughter from the lowest rungs of society, daring to stand against him—it was audacious. "You..." Vanessa seethed with rage, about to retort when Morris sneered disdainfully, "Say another word, and I'll flatten your house right now. I'll bury your crippled mother in it, believe it or not?" Upon hearing this, Vanessa froze in place. Under normal circumstances, she would never swallow her pride like this. But the thought of her mother kept her clenching her fists tightly, unable to utter a word. "Heh, lowlifes will always be lowlifes. Got slapped and can only swallow it, huh? Did that slap feel good?" Morris taunted, seeing Vanessa trembling with anger but unable to retaliate. Even Tariq, at this moment, took a deep breath, his face turning pale, yet afterward, he could only force a smile. "Morris, don't get angry. Let's talk things out. These are just ordinary folks; it's not worth our time to bother with them." Even if he was angry, what could he do? The Norman Family had stood tall in Zensea for decades; just a flick of their finger could decide someone's fate. To ensure the residents of these shantytowns left peacefully, he had to mediate and secure the best deal possible. So, he dared not resist in the slightest, instead, he had to flatter them and gain their favor. A smirk tugged at the corners of Morris's mouth. "Hmph, you know how to behave after all." Tariq forced a smile. "Heh heh, thank you for the compliment." Then, he winked at Vanessa. "Why don't you thank Morris, Vanessa? Mr. Morris here is generous enough not to stoop to your level. Quickly inform your neighbors to move out to avoid trouble." The more Vanessa thought about it, the more frustrated she became. "Why should we move? They're offering only a few thousand bucks per household. How are we supposed to live after moving? I refuse!" Just as Tariq was about to speak, Morris noticed a military-green jeep parked outside Vanessa's house, seemingly understanding something. "Well, looks like you've got some backup, huh? Little girl, I wasn't planning on messing with you, but since you're being so clueless, don't blame me for not being polite." "Damn, send a bulldozer over here. Let's bulldoze her house!" But at that moment, the wooden door creaked open, and Clarence stepped out slowly. A faint aura of coldness surrounded him as if he could freeze everything around him. "Who dares to bulldoze?" "Oh? You want to meddle in other people's business?" Morris squinted, looking hostilely at Clarence. Though Clarence's imposing aura momentarily startled him, being from the Norman Family, he felt no fear. "If you dare touch her, that won't be just meddling," Clarence said calmly. When Clarence looked at Vanessa's delicate face, he noticed five bright red palm prints. A hint of cold indifference flashed in his eyes. "Heh," Morris couldn't help but laugh. "Not only do I dare touch her, but I also dare touch her mom. You got a problem with that?" "I'm the one who broke her mom's legs. So what? You gonna bite me?" Clarence remained silent. When he was in the room, April had already told him about her disabled legs. "You're from the Norman Family?" Clarence's eyes narrowed. "Hmph looks like you're not clueless. Yes, I'm from the Norman Family. Let me tell you, if you know what's good for you, you'll scram. Otherwise, you won't leave here today." Satisfied, Clarence nodded and placed his hand on Vanessa's trembling shoulder, comforting her. "Vanessa, what do you want to do about this?" Vanessa stared at Morris with a fierce expression, her delicate features contorted with rage. "I want to kill him!" Originally just a vent of frustration, Clarence nodded solemnly and said word by word: "Alright, as you wish. In this world, no one dares to bully you."