Chapter 565: Shadows of Uncertainty in Heichao City
by xennovel“He… what exactly is he?”
“That man… the one who just left—is he a devil?”
……
As Lu Xin left the meeting room, the pressure in the Administration Hall meeting room of Second Satellite City in Heichao City suddenly lifted.
Everyone was gasping for breath, and in each other’s eyes they could see the reflection of their own terror.
Cautious, probing questions passed between them, while countless terrified glances turned toward Group Leader.
At that moment, even Group Leader found himself incredulous.
He had built his reputation on violent methods—once a living nightmare for many—and had seen countless unruly young men fall to his intimidating gaze. Yet, he was witnessing for the first time a fear so raw it seemed on the verge of spiraling out of control. It was baffling…
His only daughter… so formidable?
Her chosen husband is someone who could snatch her away even in a crowd.
And her chosen boyfriend—whom she assumed was just a meek pretty boy—turned out to be just as terrifying?
For reasons he couldn’t explain, he shot a dissatisfied glance at Gecko.
Even he wasn’t sure why he did it, but Gecko—ever the dutiful bystander—immediately understood, muttering angrily, “You’re dissatisfied with me too? Fine, I’ll leave soon, okay?”
“Hurry, help me out…”
Amid the oppressive silence, Miss Sun suddenly cried out in a trembling voice.
Her legs had been scalded by hot water, forming painful blisters, and her eyes leaked so much blood that everything was a blur. Yet, she sensed that Lu Xin had already left the room and cried out urgently. Nearby, a bodyguard—who hadn’t twisted his hand earlier while aiming a gun at Lu Xin—hurriedly assisted her toward the exit.
They didn’t leave; instead, they quickly secured an empty office nearby, escorted Miss Sun in, and stood guard at the doorway.
“Medicine… burn medicine, and bandages…”
“Miss, your eyes… are they alright?”
……
Amid a chorus of frantic shouts, someone clutched a medical kit while others dashed off to make phone calls and alert the doctors.
Miss Sun sat on the sofa and, after a brief wait, her vision cleared just enough to console her that she wasn’t blinded. At that moment, medical personnel burst in, applying medicine to her legs and carefully bandaging her burns. Yet, she paid them no mind; instead, she quickly pulled out her phone, dialed a number, and made a call.
“Uncle…”
After the call connected, she became nervous, her voice trembling uncontrollably. With a great effort to steady herself, she exclaimed, “It’s not that simple. That Group Leader… he’s backed by a very powerful ability user.”
“A formidable background… I don’t know. He seems like an ordinary person, they say he’s Group Leader’s son-in-law…”
“I know his daughter is underage—and dead. It isn’t just this one…”
……
“How powerful exactly…”
On the other end, after being prompted, Miss Sun bit her lip, trying to explain but failing to find the words. In the end, with evident despair, she replied, “I don’t know. I don’t know what his ability truly is or just how formidable he is. He… he never even struck me—I only glanced at him.”
“I… I can only say he is absolutely not someone I dare mess with…”
……
The voice on the phone quickly turned serious and said something.
But Miss Sun forced a bitter smile, “I can’t go back now. I… I couldn’t risk leaving without saying goodbye.”
“No… you mustn’t investigate him. Delving into someone like him could trigger dire consequences. After all, our Heichao City’s ability users are already unreachable. And even if they are present, they might be of no use.”
……
After a pause, the voice on the line resumed, now tinged with resignation.
Miss Sun’s expression softened as she murmured, “Yes, Uncle, I understand.”
“If Group Leader has such terrifying backing, then perhaps letting him rise isn’t unthinkable…”
“But the key is, that old thug has gone completely mad…”
“He vowed to eradicate Heichao City’s Black Grass trade, and it seems his mind is made up. Even if we dismiss that old man, what if he actually represents the ability user? With such power—whether or not he’s from Qinggang—as long as his will is here, Group Leader’s support will spell us trouble…”
……
After a long while, the voice on the phone suddenly raised, and even the doctor bandaging listened to snippets of the conversation.
“There’s only one thing—we cannot compromise on this!”
……
Miss Sun asked helplessly, “Then what are we supposed to do?”
“I suspect that even if we mobilize the Military to capture someone like him, it will be pointless…”
……
“Let’s wait a little longer…”
After a short while, the voice continued, “We still have a trump card reserved for these critical moments. Besides, you know you aren’t the most powerful ability user in the family. More importantly, Heichao City now harbors not only Qinggang’s ability users but countless others with ambitions.”
“Everyone wants to extract something from our Heichao City.”
“But no one will ever go so far as to dismantle the very foundation of our city like he did.”
……
While Miss Sun managed to make the call during her bandaging, several members of the Heichao City Administration Hall seized the opportunity to leave the room and quickly contact the outside world. Their reports sparked surprise and reflection among various factions, nearly all expressing the same opinion.
“How could such a powerful ability user be sustained by a lowlife in Heichao City?”
“No doubt it must be connected to Qinggang.”
“If Qinggang intends to seize Heichao City’s profits, we’d be willing to give up our biggest share…”
“But if Qinggang seeks to destroy our city, anyone would agree.”
“If their resolve is firm, then it can’t be helped…”
“Perhaps we need to engage him without completely burning bridges…”
……
“Mr. Lone Soldier, you…”
In the meeting room, after listening to Lu Xin’s words, Han Bing and Red Serpent were left astonished and deep in thought.
Red Serpent couldn’t quite grasp Lu Xin’s meaning, his limitations preventing him from considering such high-level tactics.
Han Bing, however, was visibly more concerned with the attitude behind Lu Xin’s words.
She even felt a tinge of sorrow realizing that this time, Lu Xin seemed increasingly decisive—until a moment when she sensed him completely lose control, reverting to the ‘Mr. Lone Soldier’ she once knew, and then, the familiar Lu Xin posed an entirely unexpected question…
Could she ever truly understand Mr. Lone Soldier?
But just as they were pondering how to answer, Lu Xin suddenly raised his head, looked helplessly toward the window’s edge, and complained, “Why do you keep darting in and out?”
Both Han Bing and Red Serpent were startled by his words.
Meeting their stares, Lu Xin finally recovered, forcing a smile as he explained, “It’s nothing. After I left the meeting room, it seemed the personnel from the Heichao City Administration Hall became busy—everyone rushed off making calls, some guessing my identity, others speculating on Group Leader’s stance and whether it signified Qinggang’s position, while some were discussing countermeasures…”
These details were relayed to him by his Sister.
She had been frolicking around the Administration Hall building, sneaking in and out to eavesdrop on conversations.
Because so many people dashed off for secret calls, his Sister was zipping in and out, making it hard for Lu Xin’s eyes to keep up.
What’s going on? His Sister now seems a bit too forward…
“That’s inevitable.”
Not dwelling on Lu Xin’s conversation with unseen parties, Han Bing shook her head gently and said, “Mr. Lone Soldier, you don’t really think that only Qinggang and the wiped-out Changhu City ability users have come to support Heichao City, do you?”
“I suspect that at least seven or eight factions have been drawn in by the situation in Heichao City.”
“They might be observing or waiting for the opportune moment. We simply cleaned up the pollution too quickly.”
“Now that Heichao City is leaderless, they certainly won’t miss this chance.”
“So…”
She said helplessly, “If we really intend to eliminate the pollution in Heichao City, they certainly won’t let things go.”
As she spoke, Lu Xin quietly listened.
In Han Bing and Red Serpent’s eyes, he looked as though he were absorbing the very sound of the wind.
Then he nodded and said, “Yes.”
With that, he ended his musings and slowly stood up, as if a great weight had been lifted off him.
Han Bing immediately asked with concern, “Mr. Lone Soldier, what are you…”
“Go check that meeting room.”
Lu Xin explained softly as he walked out, “Since it’s our duty and within the law, I have to give it a try…”
“Besides, I’m quite intrigued…”
He finished with a smile, “They plan on… colliding with me?”