The final sentence struck like a fatal blow.
The female secretary’s face turned from pale to ashen, her body swaying slightly as her lips trembled, unable to utter a single word in response.
She couldn’t defend herself—could only shake her head repeatedly.
"No, I didn’t."
The handcuffed woman slowly, agonizingly slowly, turned her head, her gaze shifting from Lin Mo’s resolute face to her cousin’s bloodless one.
A storm was gathering in her eyes.
At that moment, Lin Mo turned to the old policeman.
"Officer, we’re free to go now, right?"
The old policeman sighed, waving his hand dismissively without a word.
What he really wanted to say was: Kid, just leave already. If you stay any longer, this station might get torn apart—who knows, even the backers behind that shrew might end up behind bars.
This guy’s heart must be pitch black if you dug it out.
Lawyer Xu glanced at Lin Mo and the others, giving a slight nod. "I won’t see you off then. Xiao Zeng is still inside—after all, he’s the only one who got hurt."
Chu Lintian nodded and turned to leave without hesitation.
Such was reality. Whether you were a CEO or some big shot, once you stepped in here, you had to follow the rules—at least on the surface.
As they exited the police station, faint roars and curses echoed from inside.
Lin Mo pulled out his phone, swiping across the screen to dial Xie Yuling directly.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Chu-jie and I are out. Everything’s fine," he said calmly, his voice betraying no emotion.
A soft rustling came from the other end, followed by Xie Yuling’s audible sigh of relief. "Good, that’s good."
Though she didn’t say it outright, the weight that had been pressing on her heart finally lifted.
Next came Auntie Zheng’s concerned inquiries, and Lin Mo could clearly hear Chu Miaomiao’s voice in the background.
Hearing Lin Mo’s reassurance, they all relaxed.
"Come on, I’ll drive you back."
Soon, the car stopped on the main road near the urban village.
"I won’t go up. As for Miaomiao, let her stay at Sister Yuan’s place tonight. That way, I won’t have to wake up early to take her tomorrow."
She stretched lazily, her movements casual yet accentuating her striking curves even under the loose casual wear.
But the weariness that flickered in her expression didn’t escape Lin Mo’s notice.
"Alright, I’ll let them know. By the way, if there’s anything at the company you can’t handle, remember to tell me."
Chu Lintian paused mid-motion before forcing a relaxed smile. "I know."
Lin Mo’s hand hovered on the car door. Suddenly, he turned back, his gaze settling on Chu Lintian’s face—calm yet piercing.
"Stop pretending."
No embellishments, just those simple words.
Chu Lintian’s smile stiffened, as if someone had abruptly peeled away a hardened shell. Her chest tightened without warning.
She averted her eyes, fingers tapping unconsciously on the steering wheel before murmuring after a beat,
"Yeah, I won’t. I’m not shouldering everything alone."
Only then did Lin Mo push the door open and step out.
Chu Lintian didn’t start the car immediately. She simply sat in silence, watching his figure cross through the dim glow of the streetlights until it vanished around the corner.
Then, finally, she let out a quiet breath and drove away.
Lin Mo had just reached the foot of his apartment building when his footsteps halted, and his brows furrowed.
A figure darted out from the shadows of the stairwell, standing rigidly with an expression brimming with urgency and anticipation.
"Why are you here again?" Lin Mo sighed in resignation.
Liu Zheng rubbed his hands together, wearing a look of helplessness and innocence. "I have no choice. If I don’t camp out here for you, how else am I supposed to contact the Northern Profound True Master?"
"Then at least tell me first—what exactly do you all want?" Lin Mo planted a hand on his hip, glaring at him irritably. "I can’t just let the True Master indulge your recklessness, can I?"
The word "recklessness" seemed to strike a nerve in Liu Zheng, who bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His voice shot up an octave.
"Recklessness? How is this recklessness? This concerns the prosperity and stability of society—it’s a matter of utmost importance! We don’t need the True Master to intervene constantly, just once at the most critical moment. Just once!"
Lin Mo fell silent, raising an eyebrow as he studied Liu Zheng’s face, etched with righteous conviction. Finally, he shook his head, unable to harden his heart completely.
"Come upstairs. We’ll talk in detail."
At these words, Liu Zheng’s face instantly lit up, and he eagerly nodded before following.
Once they reached the upper floor, Lin Mo turned to Liu Zheng at the doorway. "Wait here for a moment. I’ll go up and be right back."
Lin Mo went upstairs just to check in and explain that Chu Miaomiao would be staying overnight.
When he came back down, Liu Zheng was still standing at the stairwell, not even attempting to use his little tools to pick the lock.
Lin Mo opened the door and stepped inside.
Liu Zheng’s eyes immediately landed on the tube amplifier placed in the center of the living room.
"Damn, you’re into audio equipment at such a young age?"
"My dad’s into it too," Lin Mo replied casually, not even bothering to pour Liu Zheng a glass of water before sitting down.
Left with no choice, Liu Zheng settled himself across from Lin Mo with deliberate ease.
"Truth is, this matter is serious. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
Lin Mo rolled his eyes. "If you were really that concerned, you wouldn’t have followed me up here. Cut the crap and just say it."
This kid was sharp—but also had zero tact!
Still, it was just as well. Liu Zheng decided to lay it out plainly.
First, he recounted the incident involving Xia Zhi at the safe house in Pengcheng.
Then, he summarized the situation.
"Someone within the Yanhuang Awakening covets Ning Qingcheng’s power—that little girl you and the True Master rescued last time. Just as the True Master said, her body harbors immense energy, and that’s what they’re after.
The problem is, we still don’t know why they want it or who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes."
Lin Mo tapped his fingers lightly against the table.
"You can’t seriously be suggesting the entire Yanhuang Awakening is rotten. If this Ning Qingcheng is such a hot potato, why don’t you just hand her over to the authorities?"
Liu Zheng gave a bitter laugh. "Easier said than done. In their eyes, we’re probably just ants they can crush with a flick of their fingers."
Lin Mo kept tapping the table.
"Doesn’t Yanhuang Awakening have anyone stronger? If the girl’s that important, hasn’t the higher-ups sent reinforcements?"
"They have, but we can’t be sure if they’re trustworthy. Honestly, I’d rather rely on you and the Northern Profound True Master."
It was clear Liu Zheng was a cautious man—maybe a little too cautious.
Even so, it seemed he still wanted to report the matter to the envoys sent by the higher-ups.
But he needed a guarantee—that was why he had come here.
He had come seeking assurance.
Lin Mo stroked his chin, remaining silent for a moment.

rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!

transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”

close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"

tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...