Bizarre: Forced into an arranged marriage, his wife turns out to be a demon emperor?

Chapter 68 If you want to study my wife, one of you has to die first.

The bulletproof limousine sped through the night. Lin Che and Su Hongyi sat in the back. Lin Che had his eyes closed, while Su Hongyi leaned on his shoulder. Outside the window, the lights of the capital city seemed like an endless, silent performance. That pungent, musty smell, like aged pickled food, lingered around Su Hongyi's nose. She didn't say anything, but simply traced circles on the back of his hand with her fingers.

Upon arrival, Zhang Jingzhi was waiting at the entrance. Lin Che got out of the car, with Su Hongyi following closely beside him. This place was less like a residence and more like a fortress surrounded by high walls. Lin Che looked around but didn't see any ordinary people.

"Mr. Lin, please follow me." Zhang Jingzhi raised his hand and led them into a building.

Lin Che didn't say anything and followed him inside. As soon as they entered the living room, Zhang Jingzhi stopped and turned around.

"Mr. Lin, you've just arrived in the capital, so there are some rules we need to clarify beforehand." Zhang Jingzhi's tone was calm, but his eyes held an undeniable authority.

Lin Che didn't reply; he sensed something was amiss. Su Hongyi, standing beside him, tensed slightly.

"Your wife has exceptional abilities, and we believe that gaining a deeper understanding of her would be beneficial to the safety of all humankind," Zhang Jingzhi said.

Lin Che looked at him.

"I know this might be offensive," Zhang Jingzhi continued, "but given the current situation, we can't afford to be willful. We hope that Mrs. Lin can cooperate with us in conducting a series of tests."

"Test?" Lin Che repeated.

"Yes. We will provide the best environment and the most professional team to ensure Mrs. Lin's safety. Of course, we will also offer you generous terms."

Su Hongyi, standing beside Lin Che, trembled slightly. She raised her head, her red eyes fixed on Zhang Jingzhi. An invisible force silently spread through the air. The temperature in the living room visibly dropped.

Zhang Jingzhi's face tightened. Several of his entourage unconsciously took a step back.

Lin Che reached out and gently patted Su Hongyi's shoulder.

"Ah Jiu, go and rest first," Lin Che said. "I have something I'd like to discuss with Director Zhang."

Su Hongyi glanced at Lin Che, then at Zhang Jingzhi. She nodded obediently and turned to walk towards the bedroom.

The moment she stepped into the bedroom, the cold, oppressive feeling in the living room eased slightly.

"Mr. Lin, you should know that we cannot ignore someone of your wife's stature." Zhang Jingzhi's voice returned to its calm.

Lin Che smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Director Zhang, what would you like to discuss?" Lin Che asked.

"Let's talk about cooperation," Zhang Jingzhi said. "Let's talk about order. We all need a stable environment."

Lin Che didn't respond; he just looked at Zhang Jingzhi.

Zhang Jingzhi assumed Lin Che was considering it and continued, "We've arranged a meeting for you. Some people want to hear your opinion."

"Now?" Lin Che asked.

"Yes, now," Zhang Jingzhi said. "The location is right here, in the highest-level conference room. There's no one else here, just a few responsible persons."

Lin Che did not refuse. He followed Zhang Jingzhi through several corridors and arrived at a heavy metal door.

The door opened silently, revealing a spacious conference room.

The conference room was filled with people sitting on both sides of a long table. They were of different ages, but each of them exuded a composure born of long-term high positions. When they saw Lin Che enter, their eyes all turned to him.

Lin Che glanced around. He saw a familiar face. The middle-aged general was there too. He didn't see Long Ao.

Lin Che ignored the stares and walked to the seat Zhang Jingzhi had arranged for him. This seat was right opposite the head of the long table.

Lin Che did not sit down, but looked around.

"Gentlemen, what would you like to discuss?" Lin Che asked directly.

No one answered. The conference room was extremely quiet, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner running.

An elderly man with gray hair, sitting on the left, gently tapped the table.

"Mr. Lin, I am Li Zhengxing. It's a pleasure to have you here." The old man's voice was deep and resonant. "We all know your wife—"

Lin Che interrupted him.

"My wife is Su Hongyi," Lin Che emphasized, "not my wife, she has a name."

Li Zhengxing's expression stiffened slightly for a moment.

"Alright, Ms. Su Hongyi," Li Zhengxing changed his tune, "Her abilities are indeed—beyond all our current understanding. We hope to have a more in-depth exchange with her, to fight for a glimmer of hope for the future of all humanity."

As soon as he said this, many people in the conference room nodded in agreement.

"Exchange?" Lin Che chuckled. "How do you intend to exchange ideas? Do you want to point guns at her and try to communicate?"

His gaze swept over everyone present. Those whose gaze fell upon him trembled slightly. Those who had personally witnessed Su Hongyi's "little temper" at the airport instinctively gripped the handrails tighter.

"Mr. Lin, the incident at the airport was a misunderstanding," another man in a black uniform, sitting on the right, said. "Long Ao has acted aggressively and has been suspended pending investigation."

Lin Che looked at him.

"I am Zhou Ming, the head of the Security Bureau," the man said. "We acknowledge that there were some improprieties in handling the issue. But our starting point was always the safety of humanity."

"Your purpose is to study my wife," Lin Che stated directly.

Zhou Ming's gaze met Lin Che's.

"It's not all about research," Li Zhengxing said. "We hope to achieve a stable, long-term cooperative relationship. Your wife is very powerful, and if we can use her to our advantage, humanity will have the greatest trump card to fight against the supernatural."

"For what purpose?" Lin Che scoffed. "You want her to be your henchman?"

"Mr. Lin, please watch your words!" Zhou Ming's voice turned serious.

Lin Che ignored him and looked at Li Zhengxing.

"What you want is nothing more than her power. You don't care about her as a person. In fact, you want to use her as a tool to manipulate her at will," Lin Che said.

Li Zhengxing's expression changed slightly.

"We will not force her," he emphasized. "We will pay a price to gain her cooperation. You, as Ms. Su's husband, will enjoy the highest level of treatment."

"Supreme?" Lin Che repeated. "What can you give me? Status? Power? Or endless money?"

"We can provide all of these," Zhou Ming said, "as long as Ms. Su can cooperate with us."

Lin Che shook his head.

"You can't give me what I want," Lin Che said.

The meeting room fell silent again.

"What do you want?" Li Zhengxing asked.

Lin Che walked to the long table, but he didn't sit down. Instead, he lifted his legs and placed them on the conference table, his shoes scraping against the smooth surface.

This action instantly froze the atmosphere in the conference room.

Everyone present looked at Lin Che, their eyes filled with shock, anger, and restraint.

"Mr. Lin!" Zhou Ming finally couldn't hold back any longer and stood up abruptly.

Lin Che raised his head and turned his gaze to Zhou Ming.

"You want to study her?" Lin Che asked.