"How dare the two of you speak to me like that! When Zhao Qiankun wakes up, I swear..."
"By the time the young master wakes up, he probably won't even have the time to give you the time of day. Still barking like a dog behind your master? A whore who spreads her legs for money, stop trying to gild your own lily."
"You—what did you just say?!"
Gu Ruoxi stepped forward in a fury to give them a piece of her mind, but one of the bodyguards easily shoved her to the ground with a single hand.
Wearing high heels, the fall sent a sharp pain shooting through her backside.
"Look at this pathetic state of yours. Even if the young master wakes up, he probably won't have any interest in you anymore."
"Don't talk nonsense. The young master said that after he plays with her a little longer, he'll throw her to us."
"Hehe, so can we go ahead and..."
"You—you bastards!"
"Once we're sick of playing with you, we'll sell you overseas to turn tricks! Damn it! I've had enough of your bitchy attitude for a long time!"
Whore? Tricking? Spreads her legs for money?
How familiar those words were.
Just a few days ago, she had used those exact words to curse a woman named Xia Yue.
And now, she had become the victim of those very words.
"You bastards, just wait for this! This isn't over! Zhao Qiankun! For you! I abandoned a boyfriend I'd been with for all these years for you! You asshole!"
"Stinking bitch! If you talk any more trash, we really won't be polite!"
In the end, Gu Ruoxi was thrown out the hospital gates by two bodyguards.
Her once glamorous clothes were now torn to shreds, and her hair was a tangled mess. She no longer possessed an ounce of her former prestige and elegance.
Limping on a broken high heel, she walked alone through the nighttime streets.
Gu Ruoxi certainly felt a bit cold. Even though she wore an expensive coat, the chill seemed to come from deep within her bones.
Slowly, she came to a halt and looked up at the night sky. In that instant, she felt as though she were seeing the past.
She saw the boy from back then—not very good with words, but the one who had promised to protect her for the rest of her life.
She saw the youth who had cared for her with meticulous attention, showing endless affection and swearing to be her dependable support.
And she saw the man who had brushed past her in the crowd, whose eyes no longer held any trace of her.
She let out a slow puff of white vapor.
In her heart, she couldn't help asking herself:
"Was I wrong?"
Chapter 12: Making Trouble
On the top floor of the Zhao Group headquarters in Tianhai City.
Zhao Zhijiang, a legendary figure who had built his fortune from scratch in the early days of Huaxia's market economy, had spent decades cutting a wide swath through official and business circles, long since establishing his own commercial empire.
The Zhao Group was a household name throughout Huaxia.
And all of this had brought Zhao Zhijiang endless wealth and supreme power.
Yet right now, he was at his wit's end.
Because when it came to what had happened to his son, he couldn't dig up a single clue.
"What did you say?! The cameras are broken?! Footage can't be retrieved?! How is that possible! What about the surrounding cameras?! They're all broken?! Are you shitting me?"
*Bang—*
Smashing his phone against the floor, Zhao Zhijiang walked in frustration to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down over the city where he had made his start.
He had originally thought this city was already firmly within his grasp.
Yet now, Zhao Zhijiang vaguely realized something.
Deep within the shadows of this city, there seemed to exist realms he had never touched—realms he couldn't possibly reach.
And that existence was now opening its bloodthirsty maw wide toward him.
"President Zhao."
His secretary walked in holding a stack of documents.
"You haven't been at headquarters for the past few days, and there are some matters that require you to..."
"My son has been crippled, and you're shoving paperwork in my face?!"
Zhao Zhijiang turned and roared, startling the secretary into fleeing the office as if running for her life.
Zhao Zhijiang was fifty-eight years old this year. Of course he didn't only have Zhao Qiankun as a son; he had three wives, and each wife had given him two children.
To be honest, Zhao Qiankun was not his most favored child, and he even felt a bit of contempt toward him.
Because this boy, just like his mother, only cared for idle pleasure and never knew how to improve himself or study. With such a massive commercial empire, Zhao Zhijiang had long since resolved never to let Zhao Qiankun lay a single finger on it.
But now, someone had hacked off one of Zhao Qiankun's arms.
This was nothing less than a slap across his face.
"Hello."
He dialed another phone call.
This was a heavily encrypted line, one that Zhao Zhijiang would normally never use to contact these people.
"President Zhao, we've managed to turn up some leads regarding the matter you entrusted to us."
The voice on the other end of the line was altered by a voice changer.
This was an illegal underground organization specializing in intelligence trading within Huaxia.
Even Zhao Zhijiang had never seen their true faces, but he was certain of one thing: they had their own methods for getting things done, even if their prices were so exorbitant that even Zhao Zhijiang found them expensive.
Yet they always delivered value for money.
But this time, the person only told Zhao Zhijiang that they had found *some* leads.
"What do you mean? Even *you* couldn't investigate it properly?"
The person on the other end let out a cold laugh.
"President Zhao, I'm not lying to you. If it weren't for your commission, we really wouldn't want to touch this. Its confidentiality level is higher than you can possibly imagine. My brothers have landed a hot potato with this one."
"Stop talking crap. Do I pay your standard fees just to have you investigate trivial little matters? Spit out whatever you found."
"It has already been sent to your phone."
*Beep, beep—*
Right on cue, Zhao Zhijiang's other phone buzzed, and an email arrived.
The email had passed through layers of encryption, making the source completely untraceable. Inside was a surveillance video.
The footage clearly showed his son and several bodyguards cornering and beating a young man.
The boy looked to be about the same age as his son. Just as his son swung a baseball bat down onto the boy's head, the video suddenly cut out.
"What's the meaning of this? What happened next?"
Zhao Zhijiang demanded.
"All subsequent footage is completely unrecoverable. This video alone is something we risked our lives to dredge up from a place you'd never expect."
"Then that's fucking useless!"
"President Zhao, please don't be angry. Whatever happened to the young master is likely connected to this person."
"Didn't my son beat him to death?!"
Zhao Zhijiang didn't care about that person's life or death in the slightest. So what if he was beaten to death? As long as his son handled it cleanly, it didn't matter.
"He's not dead. As a complimentary bonus, I'll provide you with some information on this person."
Zhao Zhijiang gripped his phone, his fury burning.
Because he could now confirm that this incident was no goddamned traffic accident—someone had deliberately harmed his son.
And the young man beaten by his son in the video was the key.
At 6:00 PM that same day.
Li Muhang finished his last class of ideological and moral cultivation and prepared to head home. He had arranged to meet Xia Yue at the barbecue stall where she worked part-time to walk her home after her shift.
Even though Xia Yue told him not to worry about her safety, Li Muhang still felt it wasn't right for a young woman to walk alone on the streets in the middle of the night.
Xia Yue hadn't said much, only lowered her head with a smile and muttered, "Okay, then I'll wait for you."
Just as Li Muhang was walking down a narrow street, an unmarked van suddenly pulled up beside him. Before he could react, several masked men swiftly grabbed him and dragged him into the vehicle.
Li Muhang did not resist. He knew very well that these people were highly professional and thoroughly prepared; any resistance on his part might provoke even more terrifying actions.
"Where are you taking me? I don't have any money, I'm an orphan, kidnapping me won't..."
Before he could finish, a hood was shoved over Li Muhang's head.
"Quiet down."
In the pitch-black interior, Li Muhang felt the van jolt as it drove. After traveling for about forty minutes, the ambient street noise gradually faded into absolute silence.
*Swoosh—*
The van door slid open, and Li Muhang was yanked out by the arms.
Then, he felt himself being hoisted and dragged into the interior of some building.
When the hood was finally pulled off, Li Muhang found his wrists locked in handcuffs and his body suspended in the air.
This appeared to be some unknown basement.
"Who the hell are you people? I really don't have any money! There's no need to go this far, can you just let me down first?"
The men remained silent. Judging by their physiques, it confirmed Li Muhang's prior suspicion: these individuals were likely retired special forces soldiers, and he stood no chance against them.
Soon, one of the men's phones rang. Turning his back to Li Muhang, he spoke a few words before hanging up. When he turned back around, Li Muhang noticed his expression had completely changed.
*It's over.*
Li Muhang's heart turned ice cold.
Sure enough, with a wave of the man's hand, several figures swarmed forward and began unleashing a brutal beating on Li Muhang. They expertly avoided his vital organs, instead striking areas designed to inflict agonizing pain.
Within half an hour, Li Muhang was beaten to a pulp, hanging on by a thread.
Fresh blood dripped continuously onto the floor.
At that moment, the door swung open.
A middle-aged man dressed in a tailored suit walked in.
With a fierce glare, he locked eyes with Li Muhang and said in a chilling voice, "So you're the one who hacked off my son's hand?"
"...Who the hell... are you talking about, mister..."
Li Muhang raised his head slightly to glance at the man. In his heart, he already knew: this man was Zhao Qiankun's father, Zhao Zhijiang.
"It seems you're still not entirely lucid."
With a slight flick of Zhao Zhijiang's hand, a bodyguard whirled around and delivered a vicious roundhouse kick straight to Li Muhang's stomach.
Suspended in mid-air, Li Muhang coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body swinging back and forth like a battered sandbag.
"I'll ask you one more time: was it you who ruined my son?!"
"You father and son... are truly just as disgusting as each other."
Spitting out a mouthful of blood and gore, Li Muhang stared at Zhao Zhijiang with a face covered in crimson, yet a strange, eerie smile curved his lips.
"I checked! You're nothing more than a goddamned orphan raised like a dog in some heartless orphanage! Just because my son snatched your woman, you had the guts to break his arm?!"
"Mister... are you fucking insane? Wasn't it your son who came looking for trouble with me?"
Li Muhang fought to regulate his breathing, struggling not to let the overwhelming waves of agony cause him to black out.
Because he knew very well that if he lost consciousness, the demon within his body would inevitably awaken once more. Xia Yue wasn't here right now; if the demon went on a killing spree, he feared he wouldn't be able to stop it.
Zhao Zhijiang sneered and flicked away his cigarette butt.
"Kid, I'm a busy man, but I've carved out an entire evening specifically for you. I'm sure we're going to have a very pleasant time tonight."
With that, Zhao Zhijiang snapped his fingers.
A bodyguard immediately handed him a sharp, gleaming axe.
"You chopped off my son's hand, so I'll start by hacking off one of your legs. Of course, your worthless dog's life can't possibly compare to my son's, so a single leg is just the interest. We'll settle accounts properly tonight."
Zhao Zhijiang waved his hand, and several bodyguards swarmed forward, steadying Li Muhang's body.
In truth, Li Muhang no longer had the strength to resist.
He could only watch as Zhao Zhijiang gripped the axe and took step-by-step toward him.
Just as Zhao Zhijiang reached Li Muhang's side and raised the axe high, preparing to bring it down—
*Ring, ring, ring—*
The phone in Zhao Zhijiang's pocket rang.
Looking deeply annoyed, he gritted his teeth around the axe handle, but ultimately decided to answer the call first.
Seeing that it was an urgent incoming call, his temper flared instantly.
He picked up and roared, "Who the fuck is this?!"
In the very next second, everyone in the room watched as Zhao Zhijiang's face turned sheet white, his imposing aura instantly vanishing into thin air.
"It's... it's me, sir. I'm so sorry, just now... I was just, I'm sorry... Oh? I, I'm currently... I'm currently at the company, preparing for a meeting."
"Zhao Zhijiang, I know very well where you are. You're in the basement of your private villa on the outskirts of Tianhai City, and I also know what you're planning to do. I'm warning you, Zhao Zhijiang, if you dare lay a single finger on that boy, I will skin you alive."
"Sir... please, tell me..."
"Release him immediately."
*Beep, beep, beep—*
The call was disconnected.
Zhao Zhijiang's hand was still trembling.
Because the person who had called him was a superior of such terrifying stature that someone of his standing would normally never even receive a passing glance. Lowering the phone, he turned back mechanically, staring blankly at Li Muhang.
Wasn't this punk just a backgroundless orphan?
What on earth was going on? Why would an official of that level personally call to protect this brat?
Chapter 13: Don't Court Death
*Bang.*
Zhao Zhijiang slammed his phone down hard against the concrete floor.
For all these years, it was the first time he had ever lost control of his emotions to such an extent. Ever since he built the empire of the Zhao Group, countless people had scrambled to curry favor with him.
Whatever he wanted, he could obtain through various means.
Yet now, Zhao Zhijiang felt a profound sense of helplessness.
All because of the orphan hanging before him—the one who had crippled his son's arm and been strung up and beaten half to death.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Zhao Zhijiang roared at Li Muhang.
Li Muhang merely hung his head, blood-tinged saliva dripping continuously from his lips.
At this moment, Li Muhang's head was throbbing. In truth, all he needed to do was unleash the demon's power.
By opening the Domain, everyone present would become lambs waiting for slaughter.
Yet he truly didn't want to stain his hands with blood once again.
"Enough, enough, you're too damn loud. Can you keep it down for a second?"
Finally, Li Muhang's ears were ringing so badly from Zhao Zhijiang's shouting that he couldn't help cursing aloud.
Zhao Zhijiang froze.
He hadn't expected Li Muhang to suddenly blurt out such a remark, subconsciously assuming the kid was still provoking him.
Having never suffered such an insult since rising to wealth, Zhao Zhijiang sneered as he walked up to Li Muhang.
"Kid, even if you have a mountain of a backing, you're still in my hands right now. Shouldn't you show me a little respect?"
"Your son threw the first punch, I was just acting in self-defense, did you hear that? If you understand, then hurry up and..."
*Slap—*
Zhao Zhijiang abruptly raised his hand and struck Li Muhang hard across the face. The blow was heavy and powerful, instantly sending a spray of blood flying from Li Muhang's mouth.
"I might not take your life, but you're still going to pay for my son's hand!"
Snatching up the axe, Zhao Zhijiang grabbed Li Muhang by the hair and raised the blade high toward the suspended arm, preparing to hack down brutally.
Yet just as the razor-sharp edge of the axe was about to touch Li Muhang's arm, a woman's voice suddenly rang out from behind Zhao Zhijiang.
"Such a fiery temper, President Zhao. It seems the person who called you didn't make themselves clear enough?"
Startled, Zhao Zhijiang spun around alongside his bodyguards.
Sitting on a previously empty chair near the basement door was a woman dressed in a black business suit.
She looked at Zhao Zhijiang with an indifferent, faint smile.
Zhao Zhijiang's anger flared as he prepared to demand who she was, but a sudden thought struck him.
His suburban villa was swarming with guards, yet not a single person had come to report an intruder. Could this woman have materialized out of thin air?
Or perhaps, the men outside were all...
"You don't need to worry about those people."
The woman pulled a cigarette from her suit pocket, followed by a lighter, and flicked it lit.
*Click—*
The crisp snap of the lighter and the crackle of the flame echoed sharply through the silent basement.
"They're all still alive."
"Who... are you?"
Ultimately, Zhao Zhijiang opted for a calm approach. After all, the superior on the phone earlier had known his exact location—could the surrounding area already be surrounded?
Impossible. If that were the case, they wouldn't have sent just one woman inside.
Seeming to read Zhao Zhijiang's thoughts, the woman crossed her legs, looking at him with an amused gaze.
"Originally, I didn't want to come find you, President Zhao, but you seem rather unfamiliar with the rules."
"What fucking rules?! My son had an arm hacked off by this brat! Me hacking off one of his arms is completely fair, isn't it?!"
"Fair enough, no problem at all. Feel free to go ahead."
Li Muhang thought he had misheard. Raising his head slightly, he caught sight of Lin Ze looking right back at him.
"After all, people have to take responsibility for the trouble they stir up themselves."
Lin Ze said with an ambiguous half-smile toward Li Muhang.
"What the... what does this have to do with me? His son came after me, I almost died at his son's hands!"
"What are you rushing for?"
Lin Ze flicked her cigarette ash and turned her gaze back to Zhao Zhijiang.
"President Zhao, I know you hired some shady organizations to look into this matter. It was indeed our operational oversight for not realizing that those sewer rats would take any job for money."
The woman took out her phone, dialed a number, and switched it to speaker mode.
Immediately, the sound of a man's agonizing screams echoed from the receiver.
"Ahhh!! I'm sorry!! This—this whole thing was forced upon us by the Zhao guy! Ahhh!!"
Cold sweat poured down Zhao Zhijiang's face because he recognized who was on the line: it was the very person from the underground intelligence organization he had hired.
Even *they* had been tracked down?
"President Zhao, sometimes the state doesn't bother dealing with those rats not because we can't find them or don't have a way, but simply because the ecosystem requires them. However, if those rats happen to eat something they shouldn't..."
As Lin Ze spoke, the sound of a gunshot echoed from the phone, followed instantly by absolute silence.
"What... do you want?"
A bead of sweat trickled down Zhao Zhijiang's forehead.
The situation had already spiraled far beyond his calculations.
He had originally thought this was merely a backgroundless orphan whose death would go completely unnoticed.
Yet the reality now was that he seemed to have poked a hole in the sky.
"Nothing in particular, President Zhao. You're one of the country's premier entrepreneurs; the state still counts on you to pay taxes. How could I possibly lay a hand on such a financial benefactor?"
The implication was unmistakable: this woman worked for the government.
A smile bloomed once more on Lin Ze's face, though the very next second, it vanished entirely.
Within her slightly narrow eyes flashed a chilling, razor-sharp intent to kill.