Ruthlessness

Atop the roof of the Maybach, the night was as profound as the abyss.

Within this deep night, the silhouette that had just ripped apart the car roof appeared before the two.

No face was visible; it was entirely covered by a black mask.

Only those eyes, shining through two pitch-black holes in the mask, resembled twin stars in the night sky, catching Wang Changming's gaze.

Those were incredibly cold eyes, chilling Wang Changming to the bone upon a single glance.

"CEO Sheng Yi. Wang Changming?"

From beneath the mask came an indifferent voice.

"You are…"

Wang Changming swallowed hard, replying hesitantly as if lost in difficult contemplation.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his driver slowly moving his hand towards a secret compartment beneath the driver's seat. Wang Changming knew all too well what lay inside. This was precisely why he paid the driver such a high salary.

A driver skilled in technical aspects, capable of keeping secrets, with military experience, and proficiency in firearms was hard to come by.

"...Who..."

The driver's right hand stealthily reached into the compartment, out of the masked man's line of sight.

"...I don't know..."

The pistol concealed in the compartment was suddenly lifted, aimed, and pointed directly at the masked figure—

In a flash.

A brief burst of light.

"Bang!"

Almost the instant the light flashed, a spray of blood burst forth.

However, it wasn't from a gunshot wound to the chest.

It was evidence of a severed head!

"Thud—"

Wang Changming's eyes widened.

His lips trembled slightly.

All his life, he believed he could remain calm under any circumstance.

But at that moment, his composure shattered.

For before his eyes was an inconceivable sight.

The pistol, just a moment ago in the driver's grasp, had transformed into a lump of molten metal on the ground.

Simultaneously, the driver's severed head lay nearby.

Blood sprayed up in torrents.

The wound on the corpse's neck was eerily smooth.

On the masked figure's right hand, from palm to the edge, blood dripped.

However, that wasn't his blood.

What did this macabre scene signify, with all these elements piled together?

Deep down, Wang Changming understood, but his rational mind refused to accept the reality.

Could this truly be happening?

That masked individual...

In just a blink.

A handgun was easily crushed into a lump of iron clay.

In just a swipe.

His own driver's head was neatly severed from the neck.

How could such a thing be possible in this world?!!

Yet, while Wang Changming was still in a state of profound shock and terror, that figure, eerily reminiscent of the Grim Reaper with his mask, casually flicked the blood from his hand and set his gaze upon him once more.

"...Wang Changming."

"...You..."

This time, it wasn't Wang Changming stalling for time. His internal turmoil was so great that he couldn't form coherent words.

But the masked man didn't wait for him to articulate. He leaned over and grabbed Wang Changming by the shoulder.

"...What are you going to do?!"

Fear surged in Wang Changming reflexively.

Yet in the next moment, he felt himself "lifted" into the air.

The masked man, upon seizing him, soared several dozens of meters into the sky! The cold wind howled, rushing into his trousers and chilling him to the bone. But Wang Changming's spirit was near breaking, and he could only let himself be carried away, uncertain of their destination.

"Thud—"

After soaring several dozens of meters, the masked man landed with him. Surprisingly, such a rapid descent didn't result in any harm to Wang Changming due to the recoil. With a gentle flick, the masked figure deftly neutralized the force imparted on him during their fall.

Then, they leapt again.

Then, they landed.

Leap.

Land.

After several of these cycles, Wang Changming's view constantly shifted until they finally settled in one place.

"Where is this..."

His face muscles tense, Wang Changming looked around, recognizing familiar traces from his surroundings.

No, it should be said that this was the environment he was most acquainted with.

It was the villa estate where he had resided for a decade, located just a few hundred meters away from where the Maybach had been!

But after surveying the place, he finally realized why there had been no lights in the distance earlier.

The once familiar courtyard had turned into a sea of blood. Surveillance cameras and hidden monitoring equipment were completely destroyed. It looked as if the place had undergone a brutal massacre.

—— o o o——

Legs legs legs head head hands hands

—— o o

Legs legs head head

——

Hands hands

||— o— o— o...

Torso torso hand head hand head hand blood blood blood

..................…

Blood, blood, blood...

..................…

Blood, blood, blood...

..................…

Blood, blood, blood...

In an overwhelming sea of blood...

Amidst the scattered limbs and gruesome remains, a single glance revealed no less than the corpses of over a dozen individuals.

"— Gulp."

A nauseating sensation arose from the pit of his stomach.

Despite having braved what he thought were the most vicious corporate wars, having controlled a mega corporation of tens of thousands, at this very moment, Wang Changming felt an overwhelming sense of his own vulnerability.

And more importantly— a burgeoning fear of the masked man.

Like a puddle of mud, Wang Changming collapsed on the ground, vomiting uncontrollably in the midst of the pile of corpses. The masked figure let him go, observing the scene with cold detachment.

"I... spare me... huak... whatever you want... please, I beg you... huak... why target me? I'm just an ordinary businessman... in this country... in this world, there are so many wealthier individuals... huak... huak..."

He pleaded with the masked man, his words interspersed with bouts of vomiting, almost as if he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

The masked man, watching the crumbling figure before him, simply said with chilling calm, "Give me all the assets you can access."

So it was for this reason?

His fear slightly abated.

Wang Changming momentarily ceased his vomiting, looked up with a placating smile, and told the masked man, "Alright."

...

With faltering steps, Wang Changming led the masked man into the grand hall of the villa, proceeding to the third floor.

While walking, he caught glimpses from the corner of his eyes — the villa bore cracks and holes everywhere. Though he hadn't witnessed the brutal conflict that transpired, the remnants spoke volumes.

However, though it was his home, Wang Changming dared not glance around any longer. Even without the masked man physically restraining him, the palpable, terrifying aura emanating from him kept Wang Changming in check.

Reaching the master bedroom on the third floor, surprisingly, it was untouched.

Attempting another ingratiating smile, he removed a painting from the wall, pressing a sequence of spots. Instantly, a secret passage revealed itself at the intersection of the wall and floor.

"Most of my hidden assets are in here. You..."

"Lead the way."

The masked man replied curtly.

Swallowing hard, Wang Changming led the masked figure into the passage. The tunnel descended, narrow and long. After about thirty meters, a secret chamber appeared at the end of the corridor.

Under the glow of a dim light, a safe was anchored to the wall.

Wang Changming approached and unlocked the safe.

Unexpectedly, the inside was sparsely filled: a few cards, some documents, and a USB drive.

With rigid hands, he took out these items and presented them to the masked man.

His smile was bitter, filled with despair, "Most of my net worth is from stock appreciations and fixed assets. These are the emergency assets I've set aside — these are anonymous Swiss bank cards, each loaded with 20 million euros. These documents represent shell companies structured for tax evasion overseas, allowing for access to around 2 billion yuan in assets, including two tons of gold and Foreign Currency Bonds. Finally, this USB drive contains a cryptocurrency wallet, currently valued at about 1.5 billion yuan."

"—Now, I offer all of these to you with both hands."

He forced a smile on his face, looking at the masked man without a hint of resentment.

It was as if the figure before him wasn't the very demon who had slaughtered dozens just moments ago, pushing him to the brink. Instead, to Wang Changming, he seemed like a stepfather from whom he had to ask for his monthly allowance.

The masked man nonchalantly accepted the collection, tossing it aside.

As if they weren't assets worth billions but merely a pile of mundane financial receipts.

His gaze settled on Wang Changming, speaking with an indifferent tone:

"Wang Changming, do you know who I am?"

"I..."

Wang Changming dazedly shook his head.

"...Hmm, you really wouldn't. After all, I used to be just a minor employee in your company."

With that, the masked man began to remove his mask, right in front of Wang Changming's eyes filled with utter despair.

Facing Wang Changming's trembling form, Yang Luo gave a faint smile.

"Now, I believe you'll have a deep impression of me."