“No? Are you sure you saw it right? Here.”
Lin Tianxiong handed over his phone. Lin Baizhi took it, half-doubtful, and started scrolling through it. Indeed… she couldn’t spot anything unusual.
Lin Tianxiong breathed a sigh of relief. But before he could even feel glad, the next second he saw what his daughter was doing, and his jaw dropped.
“Tap, tap, tap…”
“Send that thing over again. I want to make a backup.” Holding Lin Tianxiong’s phone, Lin Baizhi used his “identity” to issue a command to the logistics department of the Lin Group.
Lin Tianxiong: “???”
That move was ruthless—comparable to Zhongli faking his death, an absolute masterstroke of cunning. In that instant, Lin Tianxiong’s brain, along with his cerebellum, completely shut down.
Right… Why hadn’t he thought of that?
His daughter was a person with such deep suspicions—how could she possibly be some naive little flower? How could she believe everything she was told?
These business-world logic patterns, these anti-scam tactics—Lin Tianxiong himself had taught them to her. His fear was always that his daughter was too young, that she’d blindly trust whatever others said, hand her back over to someone without a second thought, and get stabbed in the gut, repeating the same mistakes…
Dad, your heart isn’t steady enough, and it isn’t ruthless enough!
Lin Tianxiong: “…”
The boomerang of fate had slammed straight into him. Lin Tianxiong stood there dumbstruck—this was the true meaning of “the student surpasses the master.” There was nothing he could say.
“Sweetheart, don’t read it. Really, I’m begging you.” Lin Tianxiong let out a long sigh, his whole presence seeming to age ten years.
He had a feeling—whether that post was real or fake—it would kick up a massive storm.
In just a few minutes, Lin Tianxiong had already formed a rough judgment in his mind. The content in the post was being maliciously steered, yeah, the usual trick for farming clicks and traffic.
But… some of it was real. Things like Ye Cheng having ambiguous ties with the Eastern family’s daughter and the young head of the Shen family.
What… a “fishing master.”
What… “high-end hunters appear in the form of prey.”
What… suffering from a terminal illness, enduring pain, intent on ending his life.
If even one out of ten messages in that post was true, that was enough. Any one of them would be unbearable for his daughter.
Of course, right now, he would rather Ye Cheng be some “fishing master” than what the post claimed—that Ye Cheng had some incurable disease… the kind with no hope.
The Lin Group was a leader in the medical field, so Lin Tianxiong knew all too well just how fragile the human body was.
A terrifying fact: at this stage, humanity didn’t even have a complete cure for the common cold. And by “complete cure,” he meant relying on technology.
Rather than leaving it to the body’s own immune system and white blood cells to do the work.
No need to be too pessimistic, but… there wasn’t much to be optimistic about either. If an ordinary cold required such a “desperate struggle,” then what about a terminal illness with no treatment at all?
Too fragile. The human body was simply too fragile…
The more Lin Tianxiong insisted, the more Lin Baizhi wanted to read it. The intense unease inside her hit its peak at that moment.
Anything about “celebrating with wine” was thrown out the window as she started reading the content of the post. First, there was a video…
Unlike the others, even before the image stabilized, Lin Baizhi had already recognized that the figure standing on the rooftop, seemingly about to jump, was Ye Cheng.
Her heart clenched. As the video played, Ye Cheng leaped.
“Bang!”
The moment he hit the ground, Lin Baizhi collapsed too—falling straight back, fainting dead away from sheer shock.
Lin Tianxiong: “???”
“Baizhi!!!”
Lin Tianxiong was beside himself with panic. The villa erupted into chaos, and soon, a professional medical team arrived. Their preliminary diagnosis:
“Severe emotional shock, fright-induced syncope, a temporary loss of consciousness from being scared senseless…”
Lin Tianxiong: “…”
He knew they shouldn’t have watched. Ugh…
With a sigh, Lin Tianxiong looked at his daughter lying on the sofa, surrounded by a cluster of doctors. Even in her unconscious state, her brows remained tightly knitted, as if she were trapped in a nightmare.
Lin Tianxiong hoped this was all just a nightmare.
“Sleep it off, sweetheart. Daddy will take care of it.” Lin Tianxiong’s gaze softened as he murmured to himself, watching his daughter.
A long while later, Lin Tianxiong stepped out of the villa in a change of clothes—a razor-sharp, immaculate black suit. Though he’d quit smoking years ago, he lit one up again.
The smoke entered his mouth, trailed down his throat into his lungs, and the nicotine’s heavy hand went to work, soothing his frayed nerves bit by bit. The ember glowed, a sputtering red speck spreading outward…
He was waiting for someone.
Within minutes, from all corners of Seacity, countless vehicles arrived—some luxurious, some ordinary, even ones that were downright beat-up. And the classic “two-province cargo truck” showed up too.
Doors slid open, revealing thugs with fierce faces seated inside. These were the kind of men the Lin family used when they needed to handle business that couldn’t see the light of day.
If he could, he’d still prefer to sit down and talk things out civilly. After all, everyone here was a civilized person.
Violence was outdated. Harmony brings wealth—otherwise, you were just a pair of lowlifes who couldn’t make it to the big leagues…
But there was no helping it. Some people just needed more than a friendly face. They needed methods that didn’t hold up under scrutiny. He didn’t want it this way, but his daughter needed it.
As a father, he couldn’t exactly watch other people’s kids have things while his own went without.
“Boss Lin!”
Someone from the convoy ahead called out, acting all familiar, the tone laced with a hint of respect.
Lin Tianxiong nodded: “It’s my fault too. Back then, I said I was done with all this—and now I’m the one calling you here. Don’t worry, I won’t shortchange you. Whatever the previous terms were, this time they’re doubled.”
“Now that’s clean. Boss Lin, as long as it’s not Boss Du’s people, whoever you want gone tonight—gone they’ll be…” A middle-aged man with a deceptively scholarly air smiled as he spoke, every bit as neatly dressed as Lin Tianxiong, yet with a glint in his eye that was pure menace.
“Let’s go. We’ll talk on the way.” Lin Tianxiong glanced at him, nodded, and got into the car.
An hour later.
Inside an abandoned factory.
Row after row of men were tied to chairs, hoods over their heads. One of them was in a worse state—body wrapped from head to toe in bandages.
Shk!
In unison, the hoods were ripped off. Harsh light flooded in, stinging their eyes, making them squint instinctively.
Once their eyes adjusted and they took in their surroundings, panic contorted their faces—except for one man, who had already accepted his fate.
“Big brother, I’m sorry! I swear I didn’t know she was the young missus! I wouldn’t have dared! If I’d known, I’d have sent my old man, my wife, and all my mistresses to go drive a forklift before I ever let her step foot on one!“
The shady logistics company boss was already sobbing— real, genuine tears.
It hurt so much. He had just barely weathered one wave, and now another one was coming?
And it didn’t even look like the same group of people…
When Lin Tianxiong heard the title “Young Mistress,” he furrowed his brows, and his thoughts quickly locked onto Shen Qinghan. The Du family was too iconic.
In the vast city of Dahai, Shen Qinghan was the last young master left. Where else would anyone dare to use that title?
Looked like they hadn’t been punched enough.
If the young master was Shen Qinghan, then the young mistress would be… Ye Cheng?
Lin Tianxiong had a sharp mind. In just a few sentences, he had already pieced together what had happened to the shady logistics company boss before he arrived.
He must have been dealt with by the Du family.
The men under Lin Tianxiong’s command were, in a sense, the first tier below a proper organized force like the Du family—but they couldn’t hold a candle to them.
Even in unfamiliar territory, every one of these men would address him as “Boss Du” without a hint of overstepping—that just showed how terrifying their power was.
There was a saying for it, wasn’t there?
Oh right—your old man will always be your old man. As long as I don’t die, you’re nothing but a prince!
Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. And besides, the Du family showed no sign of “starving” at all. On the contrary, after merging with the Shen family’s fresh blood, they’d lived a second life.
“I need to confirm a few things with you. Once I get what I want, you can leave,” Lin Tianxiong said calmly.
The shady logistics company boss was so moved he almost cried—this was way too reasonable.
Too kind-hearted!
Unlike that nunchuck-wielding old lady before, who would just start beating people, and if your eyelid twitched twice, you’d get hit too. Heartless, ugh—
The shady logistics company boss nodded frantically, tears and snot mixing together: “I know the rules, I know them. I won’t breathe a single word about today’s events. Tomorrow—no wait, the moment I get back, I’ll get the hell out of Dahai City!”
“Mr. Lin, rest assured, no one else will ever know about what happened today!”
Lin Tianxiong was a bit surprised: “You know me?”
The shady logistics company boss nodded: “Mr. Lin, you’re a busy man and you’ve forgotten, but we’ve met before. Though I wasn’t qualified enough to stand alongside a big shot like you…”
Truth be told, they’d crossed paths once. After all, Lin Tianxiong was a prominent figure in Dahai City—being used as a cautionary tale by every family meant you had to have some real ability.
Anyone with any standing knew everyone else; if you didn’t recognize someone, it meant their level was too low.
Coincidentally, the shady logistics company boss’s level was just barely high enough to recognize Lin Tianxiong—but only from a distance, never privileged enough to strike up a conversation.
“Mm. Since you know me, you should also know how I do things. Answer a few questions clearly, and you can go—provided you tell the truth…”
“The truth! It’ll be the truth! Mr. Lin, I wouldn’t dare lie to you of all people!” The shady logistics company boss rushed to reassure him, afraid of being even a second too slow.
Over the next few minutes, the shady logistics company boss submitted to Lin Tianxiong’s interrogation. The other men who had been dragged over as well didn’t dare to breathe too loudly, their faces pale…
No one spoke until Lin Tianxiong was done.
“That’s everything I know. At the time, I suspected the Young Mistress was just exhausted. So—this humble one may not have much talent, but I’ve saved up a bit of fortune over the years. I know Mr. Lin wouldn’t care for it, but…”
“Since the Young Mistress’s discomfort was caused by my fault, I can’t shirk that blame. I’m willing to offer eighty percent of everything I own under my name as medical compensation for the Young Mistress!”
A textbook move of cutting losses and fleeing. A real sacrifice.
Dahai City was no longer an option. Otherwise, he’d never even know how he died. This was already the second group to come today. Who knew what kind of demons and monsters would show up later?
After this… would the authorities come knocking too?
He wanted to die just thinking about it. All he wanted now was to find out who on earth had brought that almighty Buddha Ye Cheng in. He swore he wouldn’t beat the man to death!
Such a disaster. You just had to bring him in and make my life a living hell!
About ten minutes later, the shady logistics company boss walked out of the abandoned factory, tears welling up in his eyes… It wasn’t easy. God, it really wasn’t easy.
He was done. He was abandoning all his businesses in Dahai City. Aside from the “medical compensation” he’d just handed over, he’d sell off everything else he could and run.
He had to go somewhere remote and hide… yes, remote!
Preferably the kind of place with no people, barren beyond barren!
Only then could he survive!
The Great Northwest!
Yes, the Great Northwest—he’d go build it up!
A flame flickered to life in the shady logistics company boss’s eyes—the flame of… survival.
Heading west!
Familiar formula, familiar routine, familiar route… He was terrified of being found, so he took an unlicensed bus… And the gears of fate slowly turned.
…
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
