Meanwhile, the airport at Mingzhou's eastern outskirts had become a scene of quiet tension. A line of sleek black stretch limos arrived with military precision, their presence immediately drawing curious onlookers speculating which VIP might be arriving.

Among the crowd were those who recognized the license plates and instinctively backed away. One such man muttered under his breath about this particular pest having returned to plague them once again.

The central vehicle's doors swung open first. Two hulking bodyguards in mirrored sunglasses, each nearly two meters tall with bear-like builds, stepped out. They conducted a thorough 360-degree sweep before gesturing for their charge to disembark.

A middle-aged man in gold-rimmed glasses followed, his usually composed features marred by shadows of worry and barely restrained anxiety. Another dozen cars disgorged pairs of similarly built guards, the resulting cluster forming an intimidating protective ring around the nervous civilian leader.

The airport staff member had already been sweating at his post for hours when he spotted them approaching. "Mr. Niu..." he managed before two bodyguards' lethal presence cut him off mid-sentence. The man's hands shook as he repeated his identification, his face contorting with fear and humiliation.

After a curt gesture from the older man, the guards reluctantly stepped aside though their eyes remained deathly fixed on the airport employee. "Where is my son?" Niu Shunjin rasped out in that gravelly voice so characteristic of him.

"Right this way," the staff member stammered through dry lips, leading them toward an unmarked room where a young man lay propped up against pillows.

"Baba..." Niu Ben's weak cry broke into something stronger as he spotted his father. The younger man's face contorted with emotion as memories of broken bones and shattered pride surged back.

Niu Shunjin knelt beside the bed, fingers tightening around the hospital blanket as he took in every bruise. "You must let this go," he said quietly, though the venom in his tone betrayed a different intention entirely.

"Baba please..." Niu Ben's voice cracked as memories of the face responsible for his injuries flared up again with fresh intensity.

Unbeknownst to them both, the Yang family princess had already become collateral damage in this escalating feud. Niu Shunjin had once sent his son into her orbit seeking protection - a disastrous decision that now left him staring at an impossible choice between vengeance and self-preservation.

At the underground garage of Mingzhou Racing Club, Zhong Yun steadied a trembling waitress as they exited his sports car. The young woman clutched her skirts nervously, aware she'd just relieved herself during their 400km/h escape maneuver.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked gently as she staggered toward the elevator, only to vomit violently into a corner. His attempts at comfort were interrupted when an angry throng of women descended upon them.

"What did you do to Yeling?!" one screamed, her voice sharp enough to cut steel.

The questions came in rapid succession - "Did you drug her?" "Are you some kind of pervert?" - until the club manager finally intervened. Zhong Yun escaped through a side exit as the women continued their verbal assault on his back.

Yeling watched him flee with an odd mix of satisfaction and shame, her humiliation at having wet herself in front of this stranger already overshadowed by new anger.