You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

That haunted house was really fun!

Lina waved her small silver fork, her face flushed with excitement.

"Really?"

Jack finally shifted his gaze from his daughter to Chen Yang, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

"It seems that Mr. Chen is not only highly skilled, but also has a youthful and composed mindset."

"Mr. Jack, you flatter me."

Chen Yang put down the napkin he was wiping his mouth with a natural and fluid motion.

"It's my duty."

Jack nodded, took a sip of the red wine in his glass, and leaned back in his chair, seemingly considering his words.

"Chen Yang".

He spoke again, his tone more formal than ever before.

"Lina relies on you a lot and trusts you a lot."

Lina nodded vigorously.

Jack's gaze deepened.

"This city... is more complicated than you think. Lina's safety is my top priority."

Although I have a professional security team, you did a very good job...

He changed the subject slightly.

"But no matter how thorough the preparations, in the face of a real crisis, an individual's absolute strength remains the last and most reliable line of defense."

He put down his wine glass and gestured to a sharp-looking, middle-aged man in a butler's uniform who had been standing silently like a statue. The man immediately turned around and took out a palm-sized titanium alloy briefcase with a combination lock, exuding a cold, metallic feel, from a luxurious, hidden safe embedded in the wall.

The box was placed smoothly on the table in front of Chen Yang. Jack didn't keep him in suspense; he entered a complex password and pressed his finger on the recognition area. With a soft click, the lid popped open.

Inside, three things lay quietly.

left.

Three small, portable metal syringes, the liquid inside gleaming with a beautiful yet dangerous amber luster under the light—concentrated gene-enhancing agents! Extremely similar to those used by Wang Shengxiong!
intermediate.

A palm-sized, thin as a cicada's wing, seamless synthetic metal sheet radiating high-intensity energy ripples—this is a top-tier energy shield activator. Chen Yang had seen sample reports of this type in some classified documents! It's even more advanced than the armor technology used by Wang Shengxiong!

right.

A bracelet with a simple and smooth design, like a fine work of art—but inside the opening of the bracelet is clearly a circle of extremely sharp metal blades, flashing with a faint ice-blue energy arc—a miniature monomolecular vibration cutting ring!
An extremely rare genetically specialized cold weapon!
These three items represent the world's most advanced, non-common technologies for enhancing individual soldier combat capabilities and defense!

Jack's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable power.

"These are cutting-edge achievements of mine, as well as those of the Dave Group's technology department, that have not yet been fully disclosed."

In extreme circumstances, they can grant the wearer superhuman strength, defense, and... claws capable of tearing through steel. I hope you will accept them.

He leaned forward slightly, his scrutinizing gaze seemingly piercing through Chen Yang's soul across the table.

"Protect Lina while she stays in this city. Use every ounce of your power. I trust you won't let me down."

Chen Yang's gaze fell on the three dangerously gleaming objects in the briefcase, a barely perceptible ripple flickering deep in his pupils. What was Jack doing? Was it genuine trust and investment? Or a deeper test and control? Was the technology behind these devices the same power as those potions?

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning, but Chen Yang's face showed only just the right amount of surprise, flattery, and the ensuing solemnity!
He took a deep breath, stood up, and nodded deeply to Jack.

"Mr. Jack!"

His voice was calm and firm.

"Thank you for your trust and generous gift."

These equipment... I will certainly make good use of them! As long as I have a breath left, I will never allow anyone to harm Miss Lina! Please rest assured!

This gesture not only demonstrates the importance attached to this "gift" but also reaffirms one's commitment.

"good very good!"

Jack wore his most "sincere" smile of the night, seemingly very satisfied with Chen Yang's reaction.

Just as the guests and hosts were enjoying themselves and the atmosphere was becoming harmonious—

hum...

A barely perceptible yet incredibly penetrating vibration emanated from the inner pocket of Jack's exquisite suit. The smile that had just appeared on Jack's face vanished instantly, and his eyes turned icy and sharp, as if the kind father he had just seen was nothing but an illusion.

Without any hesitation, he immediately pulled out the seemingly ordinary encrypted satellite phone, put it to his ear, and said only one word.

"explain."

Chen Yang's keen eyes caught the moment Jack answered the phone; his left hand, which was under the table, suddenly clenched into a fist, and even the knuckles made a very slight popping sound!

After listening to the brief report, the look of surprise, rage, and a hint of...unbelievable ruthlessness that flashed in his eyes made Chen Yang, even across the dining table, clearly feel the surrounding air drop several degrees instantly!
Chen Yang could even sense that his deliberately restrained, terrifying aura, like that of a tyrannical lion, was forcibly stirred for a moment by this sudden news, freezing the soft lights of the entire revolving restaurant and making them lose their warmth!
Just a few seconds.

Jack seemed to suppress everything abnormal with tremendous willpower. He hung up the satellite phone expressionlessly, and facing Chen Yang and Lina, he didn't even have time to hide the shocking coldness that flashed in his eyes. He forced out an extremely stiff, cold, formulaic apologetic smile.

"terribly sorry.

There's something urgent that I need to deal with immediately.

When Chen Yang took Lina back to her luxury hotel suite, the neon lights had already illuminated half the city. The elevator doors slid open silently, and the thick carpet in the corridor absorbed all the noise, leaving only the soft sound of Lina's high heels clicking on the floor, carrying a luxurious solitude that was isolated from the bustling night.

She leaned against the door frame, her profile looking somewhat tired under the corridor light; the impact of that intermittent Eastern and Western forces within her was clearly still ongoing.

"Thank you for your hard work, 'Old Zhang'."

Her tone was indifferent, revealing no emotion.

"Tomorrow...at the same time?"

"I'm available whenever you call."

Chen Yang's voice was disguised as rough and hoarse. He nodded slightly and his eyes swept warily across the empty corridor at both ends. Only after confirming that there was nothing unusual did he take a step back.

"Ah."

Lina didn't say anything more, swiped her card and pushed open the door. The heavy solid wood door closed silently, completely isolating the inside from the outside world.

Chen Yang paused at the door for two seconds, a fleeting professional assessment flashing in his eyes. The suppressed icy gaze behind Jack's satellite phone call was anything but ordinary.

Lina's identity, how deep is Dave Trading's waters? He turned and left, his steps relaxed as if he had shed his "bodyguard" persona, merging straight into the city's shimmering lights, heading towards the bustling "Golden Goblet" bar in the northern corner of the city.

The real highlight of tonight is their other identity there.

Pushing open the heavy, soundproof door of "Golden Goblet," he was instantly enveloped by deafening electronic music and a strong smell of smoke and alcohol. A waiter greeted him familiarly.

"Brother Xiong is waiting for you behind, Brother Yang!"

Chen Yang nodded, walked through the crowd swaying and dancing intoxicated under the dim lights, and headed straight for the relatively quiet door deep inside the bar—Wang Shengxiong's office. Before he could knock, the door was opened from the inside.

Wang Shengxiong, with a cigar in his mouth and a trace of the ferocity from the attack earlier that day still lingering on his face, became even more aggressive when he saw Chen Yang and waved his hand.

"Old Zhang! You've come at the right time! Damn it, what bad luck! Pack your things, let's go!"

"Going there again?"

Chen Yang's brows furrowed tightly, deliberately revealing his doubts.

“Boss, weren’t those guys clearly targeting you and me this morning? If we go to that place again now…” He paused deliberately, observing Wang Shengxiong’s reaction, but what he was really thinking about was how to squeeze out some time to investigate Wang Shengxiong’s logistics business.

"Temporarily avoid the limelight?"

Wang Shengxiong sneered and slammed his hand on the table, causing the ash in the ashtray to fall in a flurry.

"I just can't swallow this insult!"
If they dare to play dirty tricks, I'll fucking slap them in the face openly!

He took a deep drag on his cigar, his eyes flashing with malice amidst the swirling smoke.

"I've gathered all the necessary personnel."

He exhaled a puff of smoke.

"More importantly, my third uncle has also found out about this! Uncle Zhao is personally leading a group of people over, and they're on their way!"

"Zhao Cheng?"

Chen Yang appropriately showed a hint of surprise.

This name was familiar from the intelligence gathered; he was one of the key figures under Boss Wang, the third uncle of Wang Shengxiong, known for his ruthless methods and high status.

This relationship is a crucial step in getting in touch with the upper echelons of the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

"That's right!"

Wang Shengxiong shook his head smugly.

"With Uncle Zhao in charge, I'd like to see if Fatty Gao and those bastards behind him dare to utter a single word! Humph!"

"If Uncle Zhao is willing to step in, then it's naturally safe."

Chen Yang immediately adopted a convinced expression and nodded readily.

"I'll follow the boss's instructions."

His undercover identity meant he had absolutely no choice but to follow Wang Shengxiong's trail.

For a moment, the only sounds in the office were the hissing of burning cigars and the faint beat of music.

Less than an hour later, a series of steady and powerful footsteps came from the corridor outside the door. They were not chaotic, but they carried an invisible sense of pressure.

The door was pushed open again, and several people filed in.

The leader was probably in his early forties, with a lean and upright build. He wore a low-key black jacket and had little expression on his face, except for his slightly narrowed eyes, as if he was constantly observing everything around him, his gaze sharp enough to pierce through the smoke.

Behind him followed four silent men, all exuding the same well-trained and cold demeanor, far superior to Wang Shengxiong's usual thugs. The newcomer was Zhao Cheng.

Wang Shengxiong immediately threw away his cigar and greeted him with an extremely enthusiastic smile.

Uncle Zhao!
You must have had a long journey!

Zhao Cheng simply nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over Wang Shengxiong's face before finally landing precisely on Chen Yang, who was deliberately concealing his presence behind him.

"Shengxiong, Third Brother heard that something went wrong here, so he sent me over to take a look."

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, carrying a calmness that came from someone who had long been giving orders.

"Is this Old Zhang from the phone call? The one who saved you?"

His gaze fell upon Chen Yang like a tangible searchlight.

"Yes, yes, yes! That's him!"

Wang Shengxiong quickly pulled Chen Yang forward a step.

"Old Zhang, hurry up and greet Uncle Zhao!"

Chen Yang bowed slightly, his tone maintaining the characteristic composure of "Old Zhang," a tone tinged with a touch of江湖气 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry).

"Brother Zhao."

He didn't offer any unnecessary flattery, and his demeanor was perfectly appropriate.

Zhao Cheng's lips seemed to twitch slightly upwards, a very faint smile.

"Good, he's got guts. He dared to risk everything to protect Shengxiong, he's got some courage."

He looked Chen Yang up and down a few more times, as if assessing the quality of an item.

"Third Brother is also very concerned about your affairs. He might want to see you when he has time."

These seemingly polite words carried immense weight in Chen Yang's ears.

This means we are one step closer to the true core of the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

"That's my good fortune."

Chen Yang responded modestly and politely, his gaze lowered respectfully.

Zhao Cheng didn't say anything more and raised his hand to check his watch.

"It's about time. Let's go, let's meet that fat guy."

His tone was calm, yet it exuded an undeniable sense of control.

"I'd like to see whose reach is so long."

Without further delay, the group had Zhao Cheng's four men walk at the front and back, forming a protective formation.

This time, we were in Zhao Cheng's car, a few ordinary-looking but modified off-road vehicles. We drove steadily out of the city and headed once again toward the hellish parking lot located underground in the abandoned factory.

It's still that inconspicuous little door, and it still requires verifying complex codes.

But the atmosphere tonight is completely different.

As Zhao Cheng led the way, expressionless, with Wang Shengxiong and Chen Yang's group across the threshold, the noisy underground space seemed to be suppressed by some invisible force, suddenly becoming quiet for a moment.

Countless gazes were cast upon them, filled with surprise and fear.

Boss Gao's slick and wealthy face froze the moment he saw Zhao Cheng, and the forced smile he managed was even more unsightly than a grimace.

He almost staggered as he approached, bowing and scraping.

"Oh my! Brother Cheng! What brings you here? You're a distinguished guest, a truly distinguished guest!"

Zhao Cheng didn't bother with his hypocritical pleasantries at all. Without stopping, he walked directly to the reserved seat with the best view on the sidelines and sat down, with Wang Shengxiong and Chen Yang sitting on his left and right respectively.

The four men Zhao Cheng brought stood behind him like stone statues.

Boss Gao could only awkwardly laugh as he followed, rubbing his hands together as he stood aside.

"Boss Gao."

Zhao Cheng didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, speaking in a tone as if he were discussing the weather.

"What happened here yesterday afternoon almost got my nephew into trouble. How do you think we should settle this score?"

"Misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding, Brother Cheng!"

Boss Gao broke out in a cold sweat instantly, and his voice became sharper.

"Yesterday...yesterday Xiong Ge and Lao Zhang were dominating here, winning a lot of money. Everyone knew it. How could I possibly send someone to do something like that? Wouldn't that be ruining my own reputation? Cheng Ge, I, Lao Gao, have been in this business for so many years, I know these basic rules!" (End of Chapter)