Roadmap

The hotel lobby was resplendent, and the massive crystal chandelier overhead made Tang Ye a little dizzy.

An indescribable fragrance floated in the air, cloyingly sweet, a completely different world from the smell of machine oil at the factory.

Standing there in his work jacket, the wool carpet beneath his feet was so soft it made him feel ungrounded. The people passing by were all dressed to the nines, and the looks they gave him carried a hint of scrutiny.

However, they didn't show any overt contempt. After all, big bosses in civil engineering were actually the most frequent visitors to places like this.

If they looked at everyone through tinted glasses, how could they do business?

This was a hotel, so naturally, it provided room booking services.

Tang Ye pulled a wad of cash from his pocket—looted just moments ago from those guys who came looking for trouble—and slapped it onto the marble counter with a dull thud.

Give me a room. A king-size bed.

The receptionist, wearing exquisite makeup, lifted her eyelids at the sound. Her gaze swept over him and the stack of money, her voice sounding like a pre-set program. ID card.

Tang Ye froze for a moment and took out his wallet, only to remember that he had left his ID card back at the factory.

I forgot it. Can I still get a room?

The receptionist twitched the corners of her mouth, clearly used to this kind of excuse. In her eyes, he was just someone who wanted some services but preferred to keep things private.

She had seen plenty of people like this.

You can. That will be an extra hundred bucks. She maintained her smile, her articulation clear and devoid of any unnecessary emotion.

Without a word, Tang Ye pulled another hundred-dollar bill from the stack and slid it over.

The receptionist took the money, tapped away at her computer a few times, and handed over a room card.

Your room is on the sixteenth floor.

She paused and added, If you need any other services, you can open the service menu in your room and dial the third number.

With that tone and that look, even someone as dense as Tang Ye could figure out what she meant.

The special services his coworkers bragged about in the dorms probably meant exactly this.

This third number was the line to request those services.

He didn't reply. He just took the room card, turned around, and walked away.

Stepping into the elevator, the spotless mirrors in the confined space reflected his somewhat bewildered face.

What was he doing here again?

Right, what exactly was he here to do?

Tang Ye slapped his forehead.

Damn it, he wasn't here looking for any services! He was here to find someone, to cause trouble!

But in this sea of people, he didn't even know who the other party was.

The power within his body was still rampaging through his veins, restless and agitated, but his brain had turned to mush.

What would a hero in a movie do at a time like this? Squat on the roof to catch the breeze and wait for the villain to jump out on their own?

Just as his thoughts were running wild.

The phone in his pocket vibrated.

Tang Ye pulled out his phone. The screen lit up with an image he had just received.

It was an extremely detailed map of the hotel's internal structure. On it, a glaring red line clearly marked a route.

The starting point of the route was a luxurious VIP suite on the top floor, and the destination was a little-known secret passage, along with the independent private elevator at the end of it.

It was sent by that person.

Tang Ye was instantly certain it was from the mysterious person who had been observing him from the shadows and had given him his power.

Since he had a path, there was no reason to hesitate.

He looked down at the room card in his hand, and a thought suddenly popped into his head.

It was a good thing he really had forgotten his ID. If he had registered his personal information, wouldn't that be the same as directly telling the enemy who he was?

I am pretty smart.

He had been feeling smug for less than a second when he looked up and locked eyes with the dark lens of the security camera in the corner of the elevator.

Surveillance...

Tang Ye's expression froze.

After all that fuss, they had already seen him clear as day.

He couldn't hide it?

If he couldn't hide it, then he would just smash right through!

A reckless burst of energy surged from the bottom of Tang Ye's heart.

He clenched the room card tightly in his hand, no longer thinking about hiding his identity, nor paying any attention to the surveillance cameras.

Crack!

With a crisp sound, the hard plastic room card was crushed into pieces in his palm.

Plastic fragments slipped through his fingers, like the beginning of some sort of ritual.

Tang Ye watched the steadily rising numbers on the elevator display, his eyes narrowing slightly.

His goal was that red route leading into the unknown!

At this moment, Brother Hu was standing down in the parking lot, smoking a cigarette.

His rank only got him this far; the rest of the matters were for Brother Snake to handle.

He was nothing more than one of Brother Snake's underlings.

At times like this, it was naturally the boss who went to claim the credit, while the subordinate just had to do his duty.

Despite Brother Hu's seemingly lowly status, he still managed three clubs, and Brother Snake managed even more territories.

Whatever happened next had nothing to do with him.

After finishing his cigarette, Brother Hu got into his car and started driving out.

He was heading back to see if they had taken care of that kid who had been secretly tailing them.

However, just as he got into the car, Brother Hu's phone rang. It was a call from Brother Snake.

As soon as he answered, a torrent of curses rained down on him from the other end.

What the hell are you doing?! The warehouse deal went south. The police got a tip-off and have already sent people to the scene.

Brother Hu froze. What did that have to do with him?

Nevertheless, he asked cautiously, What happened? Everything was fine before I left.

This meant that everything was safe before his departure.

He knew Brother Snake had connections in the police department, so he asked carefully, Brother Snake, are our guys alright?

They are all dead. Brother Snake's tone was somewhat cold. But as for how they died, I don't know.

Brother Hu was stunned and quickly asked, Did someone make a move against us?!

Brother Snake took a deep breath.

Forget it. Just come up. Everyone is waiting for you.

Hearing this, Brother Hu's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly replied, Understood. I will come up right now.

With that, Brother Hu immediately got out of the car. His trembling hand pulled out a cigarette, wanting a smoke, but seeing the elevator coming down, he ultimately decided against it and quickly walked toward the elevator doors.

Watching the surveillance footage, Wu Hui frowned.

Are you sure there is no problem with this Ah Hu?

There shouldn't be any issues. I've been guiding Ah Hu all along, and recently he even brought his cousin along to run with him.

Wu Hui nodded, but he still had his own thoughts on the matter.

The news had been passed to him from the municipal police bureau.

Beside him, President Yan had not gone off to have fun. Because he was right there when Wu Hui received the call, he also wanted to see Wu Hui's solution.

As for those two chicks, they couldn't run away anyway; enjoying them later would be just the same.

As soon as Brother Hu reached the top floor, he was flanked by several men in black suits and escorted straight to Wu Hui.

Brother Snake didn't even think twice before stepping up and slapping him hard across the face.

Speak! Who sent you here!

Brother Hu kept his face taut. Although his mouth was bleeding, he did not resist.

He merely said, sounding slightly aggrieved.

Brother Snake, I've been following you since I was sixteen, you know that. I've been running with you for so long, and I've done plenty of raping and pillaging, which you are well aware of. How could I possibly be a mole?