In a bay ten kilometers from the headquarters of the Star Group, a large expanse of seawater suddenly froze over. Emerging abruptly upon the ice were two figures: Yan Hongyu and the severely wounded Yan Hongye. They had used Ice Escape to flee the attack range of Black Hero, reappearing in the sea ten kilometers away.
Yan Hongyu scooped up the immobilized Yan Hongye into her arms. With several leaps across the water's surface, she returned to the shore and gently placed him on the sand. Yan Hongye's face was beginning to show signs of rapid aging, and countless small wounds marred his body, from which blood incessantly flowed.
Yan Hongyu prepared to channel her ice power to freeze the wounds shut and staunch the bleeding, but Yan Hongye stopped her.
“Big Brother, why?” Yan Hongyu asked, perplexed.
“Little sister, it’s useless. My internal bodily functions have all been depleted, and my lifespan has been severely consumed. It’s impossible to save me now, so don’t waste your energy,” Yan Hongye said with a bitter smile. His hair and beard instantly turned snow-white, and his face became a network of deep wrinkles, his skin slack—he looked like a man of seventy or eighty.
Yan Hongyu forced a smile. “Big Brother, since we managed to escape Black Hero, your injuries will be easily healed. Once you’ve fully recovered, we’ll return to the family and show those old fossils what happens when they dismiss someone as useless for cultivation. You actually achieved the Divine Realm described in the family’s secret texts, fulfilling a thousand-year dream! I wonder what their expressions will be like!”
Yan Hongye coughed a few times, smiling wryly. “Little sister, that Black Hero’s strength is terrifyingly abnormal. Do you think he missed his attack just now? Actually, when his greatsword grazed your neck, an invisible sword qi penetrated your body and entered mine. That formless qi is wreaking havoc inside me; my bodily organs have completely failed. Combined with the life-burning Ice Escape Art that I used from the secret family techniques, I’ve lost a massive amount of lifespan. My body is completely ruined, and I don’t have much time left. Black Hero didn’t pursue us precisely because he knew my condition; in his eyes, I’m already a dead man.”
Yan Hongyu froze for a long moment before saying, “That’s impossible. You’ve reached the Divine Realm. You’re no longer human; you are a god. How can a god die?”
Yan Hongye forced a laugh. “The Divine Realm is just a legendary martial arts level. Those who reach it become incredibly powerful, like gods. But it doesn’t mean they cannot die. People in the Divine Realm can still be wounded, and they can still die. That Black Hero is a truly terrifying person; he can kill those in the Divine Realm. So, you must stay far away from him in the future. Don’t oppose him, and certainly don't even think about revenge.”
Yan Hongyu finally broke down crying, sobbing as she spoke, “He killed you! You are my Big Brother, and you’ve been so good to me. How could I not seek revenge?”
Yan Hongye smiled sadly. “Little sister, you still have feelings for Black Hero, don’t you?”
Yan Hongyu cried, “Yes, I used to like him, but now he is my enemy, and I must kill him.”
Yan Hongye chuckled. “Very well. Since I’m dying anyway, I can’t control what you do anymore. You must decide your own future! Time is short now; I have one last crucial thing to do.”
Yan Hongyu blinked, asking, “Big Brother, what else must you do?”
Yan Hongye smiled. “Don’t move.” Then he extended a single finger and slowly aimed it toward Yan Hongyu’s forehead. Unsure of his intentions, Yan Hongyu did not resist as the finger made contact with her brow. The moment the fingertip touched her forehead, she fell into a profound unconsciousness.
The old man on the mountaintop, startled away by Black Hero, ran swiftly until he was clear of the Star Group’s territory, then dashed toward Hong Kong Island. He had docked a private yacht at a harbor there. Black Hero was currently dominating Hong Kong, eliminating anyone who dared to challenge him, so the old man, fearing complications, dared not linger. He planned to leave Hong Kong by yacht that very night.
When the old man spotted his yacht at the harbor, a wave of relief washed over him. However, he immediately sensed an abnormal energy fluctuation emanating from the air behind him. The old man was instantly enraged and threw a punch toward the empty space where the fluctuation originated.
“Old sir, why are you still so quick to anger?” A middle-aged Caucasian man suddenly materialized from the void and instantly teleported a hundred meters away, narrowly avoiding the old man’s attack.
“Your escape speed is quite fast; you actually weren’t killed by Black Hero. By the way, does your arm still hurt?” the old man asked coldly.
The middle-aged man had returned to his original appearance. He awkwardly tightened the bandage wrapped around his arm and chuckled, “That was just a minor technical glitch. Besides, such a small injury is nothing to people like us; it’s hardly worth mentioning.”
The old man scoffed. “If it was just a technical glitch, why did you run away just now? I hear your speed created a new world record!”
The middle-aged man remained unperturbed by the sarcasm. He smiled. “Old sir, you are testing me again. Just standing there, Black Hero was already difficult enough to handle, let alone the powerful master lurking within the Star Group. Although that master tried to suppress his aura and remain inactive, he couldn't hide from my senses. Don't tell me you didn't sense such a person. With your strength, combined with the occasional deliberate spike of pressure he emitted, you should have noticed his existence too! Facing two masters—one overt, one covert—even someone as powerful as me couldn't win. I could only flee. By the way, you ran away too, didn’t you?”
The old man ignored the question and retorted, “Why are you trailing me like a persistent ghost? What do you want?”
The middle-aged man smiled. “It’s just because I’m too lonely. You must understand, there can’t be more than ten people of our level in this world. I’ve never met a peer before. Unexpectedly, tonight at the Star Group, including you, me, the one who provoked with that extreme cold aura, Black Hero, and that hidden master—five of us appeared at once! It’s terrifying. So, for self-preservation, I have no choice but to stick with you, lest I have no backup when ganged up on later. By the way, I assume you are also alone?”
The old man avoided the question and asked instead, “You’re with the American government, aren’t you?”
The middle-aged man finally dropped his smile, becoming stern. “That’s correct. I am a special consultant for the CIA. You can call me Bina. One of my outstanding disciples, King Kong, died during a top-secret mission in Hong Kong, and his body was never recovered. So, I came here personally to investigate the situation in Hong Kong. Now it seems Hong Kong is indeed a dangerous place. My disciple must have died at Black Hero’s hands, but I cannot seek revenge immediately.”
The old man inquired, “Where is your next destination?”
Bina scratched his head, looking somewhat frustrated. “I had another excellent disciple serving on the Afghan battlefield; his name was Milton. He was killed in a suspicious operation, so my next stop is Afghanistan to investigate his death. With his abilities, he shouldn't have died in Afghanistan.”
Seeing that Bina had revealed his identity and purpose, the old man hesitated before speaking. “If the opportunity for cooperation arises, I will look for you. My name is Zhui Hun (Soul Chaser).”
After calming Liu Hui, the Chief Executive rushed back, as the central investigation team was due to arrive in Hong Kong soon, requiring him to prepare for their reception in advance. Director Sun, however, remained behind to command the police operation from the Star Group. The police had cordoned off an area spanning several kilometers around the Star Group, restricting entry and exit without authorization.
Liu Hui returned to the office of Chen Changsheng in the Research Institute of Science, where he planned to gather consolidated reports from various sources. Three hours later, Desheng and Wu Yuanjia returned with dejected expressions, which immediately signaled to Liu Hui that the situation was not favorable.
Indeed, Wu Yuanjia admitted shamefully, “Boss, I apologize. We failed to locate the missing high-grade energy stone, nor did we track any suspicious individuals in the vicinity.”
Desheng asked, “Boss, what do we do now?”
Liu Hui rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. “We’ll lay low for now and ease the intensity of the search so that no one knows we lost something from our Research Institute. But secretly, we must intensify the search and use every means necessary to recover that high-grade energy stone.”
Desheng and Wu Yuanjia acknowledged the order, both feeling deeply frustrated. One of them had three super subordinates killed and nearly met the same fate himself; the other had an even more dramatic experience, nearly being wiped out by the military encirclement. The crux of the matter was that despite these encounters, they had made a fatal error tonight, allowing a high-grade energy stone from the Star Group to disappear. This left them deeply uneasy, and they simultaneously resolved to find the stone and restore their reputation.
Liu Hui suddenly added, “Right, once we extract the intelligence from Deng Qingjun, ensure he disappears completely. Otherwise, if the investigation team finds out about him and takes him away, it will be troublesome.”
As Liu Hui’s authority grew, he casually decided a man’s fate, and neither Desheng nor Wu Yuanjia found anything amiss. They took their orders and left to erase some of tonight’s clues.
After Desheng and Wu Yuanjia departed, Chen Changsheng nervously shuffled in. As he was about to speak upon seeing Liu Hui, he was interrupted.
Liu Hui spoke first, “Dean Chen, don’t say anything. While you bear some responsibility for tonight’s events, the greater fault lies with me. I was negligent regarding security, which led to this situation. Don’t carry this burden; continue managing your scientific research. I will handle all the miscellaneous matters.”
Chen Changsheng felt even greater remorse. Not only had Liu Hui refrained from blaming him for the leak, but he had also comforted him and willingly taken the responsibility. At that moment, Chen Changsheng resolved to work diligently in the future, strive for more research achievements, and prevent further security breaches to repay his boss’s trust and recognition.
“I will, Boss. You should also take care of yourself; you’ve had a hard day,” Chen Changsheng said.
“I will, Dean Chen. It’s getting late, you should go rest now,” Liu Hui smiled.
Thus, Chen Changsheng left apprehensively. He ran into Zhou Tengyun at the exit. Zhou Tengyun entered and closed the door.
“Third Brother, you’re here!” Liu Hui smiled.
“Boss, the situation tonight was grim. Three masters, whom they call Divine Realm experts, appeared. The Yan family one is severely injured and effectively ruined. The other two have unknown origins, but they have been scared off,” Zhou Tengyun reported.
“Where did those two masters come from? Usually, experts of their caliber exist only in legends; it’s hard to meet even one. Yet tonight, they appeared one after another!” Liu Hui murmured to himself.
Zhou Tengyun knew Liu Hui was merely reflecting aloud, so he didn’t respond. The two shared a tacit understanding; neither brought up Black Hero’s name—it had become their unspoken agreement.
“Boss, how do you plan to handle today’s incident?” Zhou Tengyun asked.
“I don’t know yet. We have to wait for the results from above,” Liu Hui replied.
“Boss, I’m preparing to return to Africa. With the arrival of the higher-ups and what happened tonight, staying here won’t be beneficial. Furthermore, tonight proved that without one’s own powerful deterrent, the weaker ones are more likely to be preyed upon. I plan to further enhance the combat effectiveness of the African mercenaries. With us providing deterrence abroad, I think the pressure on you here will lessen,” Zhou Tengyun explained.
Liu Hui considered this. “Go back immediately. In the future, when recruiting for the mercenary corps, give priority to ethnic Chinese. Because these Chinese are the foundation of our development; foreigners are unreliable as they struggle to identify with us.”
Zhou Tengyun nodded. “Understood, Boss. I’ll leave now.”
Watching Zhou Tengyun leave his office, Liu Hui felt a pang of emotion. Fortunately, he had started laying groundwork in Africa early on, and the situation in the Middle East allowed the Dragon Fang Mercenary Corps to grow rapidly through conflict. Otherwise, waiting until they were attacked now to start forming a mercenary group would have been too late.
Spurred by tonight’s events, Liu Hui decided to accelerate the construction pace of Star City. Furthermore, he planned to establish some newly built production factories within Star City itself. Star City was his domain, heavily armed to protect his core interests from infringement. On land, however, it was always someone else's territory, forcing him to constantly consider others’ opinions, which was highly inconvenient.
Liu Hui contacted Xiaoyaozi from the cultivation world to inquire about the progress of refining the mind-reading artifact. Xiaoyaozi shamefully admitted he was working hard but had made no significant breakthrough yet, asking Liu Hui for more time.
Seeing that relying on Xiaoyaozi was temporarily unreliable, Liu Hui could only increase internal vigilance to prevent future leaks.
Fortunately, the next day was the weekend, and the Star Group was closed, so the police surrounding the complex did not frighten the workers. Only the employees living within the Star Group complex had their movements slightly restricted, but this control would soon end as the accident investigation progressed.
It wasn't until noon the following day that a group of mysterious individuals arrived at the Star Group headquarters. Liu Hui arranged a dedicated conference room for them to coordinate and communicate. To Liu Hui’s surprise, the leader of the investigation team sent from above was the old man from the Luo family, Luo Tianmin, though Liu Hui did not recognize any of the other team members.
Once everyone was assembled, before Luo Tianmin could speak, a bespectacled middle-aged man in the investigation team began to speak.
“Boss Liu, your Star Group is quite impressive, refusing entry to our security personnel. Is this still Chinese territory? Are you still a Chinese enterprise? Or are you plotting a rebellion, intending to capture those of us sent from the Central Government as hostages?”
Liu Hui paused, surprised that this bespectacled man immediately leveled such a serious accusation, as if they shared an irreconcilable hatred. Liu Hui looked toward Luo Tianmin, who appeared slightly awkward. Luo Tianmin introduced, “Little Liu, this is the Deputy Leader of the investigation team, Comrade Guo Wuxing. Since your company wouldn’t allow his security personnel in, he might have some misunderstandings about your company. Please try not to take offense.”
Upon hearing the surname Guo and seeing his hostile attitude, Liu Hui immediately categorized him as belonging to the Guo family—no wonder he was unfriendly! He let out a cold snort and started, “This Comrade Guo…”
Another investigation team member immediately cut him off. “Comrade, please mind your words. This is Deputy Leader Guo; please address him by his title. Is this how the Star Group addresses seniority, without proper respect?”
Liu Hui was taken aback again, then asked, “And who are you?”
The man replied with a hint of arrogance, “My name is Mo Yihui, and I am specifically responsible for judging this case of the Star Group intentionally harming the PLA soldiers stationed in Hong Kong. You must be careful with your words and attitude, as all of it will become evidence used in handling your company.”
Liu Hui was furious to the point of laughter. He exclaimed loudly, “You are framing this incident as us intentionally harming the garrisoned soldiers? May I ask who harmed your soldiers?”
Mo Yihui instinctively replied, “Naturally, Black Hero.”
Liu Hui laughed heartily, “Since it was Black Hero who harmed your men, then you should go settle accounts with Black Hero! He is not an employee of our company.”
Mo Yihui realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth, but seeing Liu Hui dare to refute him, he became furious. “Everyone knows Black Hero is protecting your company; he is one of yours! You should be the one to find him!”
Liu Hui, boiling with anger, suddenly burst into laughter and turned to Luo Tianmin. “Old Mr. Luo, is this the opinion of your investigation team?”
The old Mr. Luo glanced faintly at Guo Wuxing and Mo Yihui. “We are here to investigate the truth. Before we begin, I have no right to speak. But I want to say this: we will absolutely not let a bad person go, nor will we wrongly accuse a good person. Little Liu, I personally believe you. As long as your Star Group has not violated the law, no one in this world can touch you. If you are being threatened or intimidated by others, you must remember to tell me. I will certainly help you—after all, I was the one who officiated your wedding!”
Liu Hui immediately understood and declared loudly, “This Comrade Mo Yihui just threatened me and attempted to slander our Star Group.”
Luo Tianmin turned around and asked, “Little Mo, did you just threaten Boss Liu and the Star Group?”
Mo Yihui stammered, his mouth agape, “Old Luo, I didn’t…”
Luo Tianmin continued, “Since someone has filed a complaint that you threatened them, to avoid suspicion, you are temporarily suspended from duty! You will write a self-criticism report upon leaving, and as for your work—you can resume only when your report satisfies Boss Liu!”
Mo Yihui let out a wail, shouting, “Old Luo, no! I was wrong, I’ll change immediately.”
Luo Tianmin smiled. “You are far too noisy, completely lacking the demeanor of a state official. Little Guo, take him out, and then keep an eye on him for twenty-four hours so he doesn’t interfere with my communication with Boss Liu.”
Guo Wuxing’s eyes darted around, but he eventually stood up, dragged Mo Yihui out of the conference room, and left the Star Group under Ah Huo’s surveillance.
Here is the result:
Luo Tianmin finally smiled, a knowing glint in his eye. "Little Liu, those eyesores have cleared out now. Perhaps we should discuss the events that transpired here last night?"
Liu Hui was deeply impressed by Luo Tianmin's masterful handling of the situation. Without so much as raising his voice, he had managed to oust the two members from the Guo family assigned to the investigation team, neatly sidestepping any potential interference with their work. He laughed, a controlled sound. "The Starry Sky Group has suffered undue grievance and immense financial loss without cause. In fact, that is precisely what I needed to bring to your attention!"