The Chosen One's Plea for Help

"Rude, absolutely barbaric!"

Viper glared coldly at Blue Shark, his voice dripping with disdain.

Blue Shark shrugged, grinning mischievously. "Violence has its own aesthetic, doesn’t it?"

Click!

Uncle Fu crawled out of the car, swaying unsteadily as he approached the two. Slowly, he raised a gun, its barrel pointed at them. "Don’t move!"

"Hey, old man, that’s a nice piece you’ve got there. I like it! How about a trade—some gum for it?"

Blue Shark remained flamboyant, whistling teasingly. His Chinese wasn’t perfect, but he sure knew how to throw around the right words.

Uncle Fu’s eyes turned icy. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

Click! A flash of silver.

A sharp pain shot through his hand—Uncle Fu’s gun had been pierced by a steel needle!

Bang!

The gun exploded right in his grip!

"Uncle Fu!"

Qin Yao scrambled out of the car, her voice breaking as she screamed at the sight.

"Young Mistress, don’t worry about me! Run!"

Clutching his bleeding hand, Uncle Fu gritted his teeth.

By then, Blue Shark had already closed in. He grabbed Uncle Fu by the hair, grinning. "Old man, you talk too much."

With that, he swung his fist toward Uncle Fu’s head.

"Stop!"

Qin Yao’s pupils contracted as she shouted desperately.

Too late.

Blue Shark’s punch landed squarely on Uncle Fu’s temple, knocking him unconscious instantly, blood oozing from his forehead.

"Oops, sorry. You spoke too late," Blue Shark chuckled.

A man who could lift a car with one hand—what would such strength do to a human body? It was unimaginable.

"You—you killed Uncle Fu!"

Tears welled up in Qin Yao’s eyes as she stared at Blue Shark with pure hatred.

"Nah, still breathing!"

Blue Shark lifted Uncle Fu up, listening carefully to his heartbeat. With that same eerie grin, he mused, "Tough old bastard, still alive! Such a refined gentleman—guess it’s time to send him to meet his maker!"

He raised his fist again.

"Stop! Your target is me, right? I’ll go with you!"

Qin Yao surrendered, her voice chillingly calm.

Blue Shark tossed Uncle Fu aside like trash and clapped his hands. "Now that’s smart. Viper, get the car ready. Notify Tiger Cannon—we’re leaving."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the commercial district...

The once-bustling streets had turned desolate after the gunfire.

Lin Chen and Tiger Cannon traded blows in a brutal street brawl.

In close combat, both were masters of their craft.

Fists and feet flew, neither gaining the upper hand.

"Tch, this is fun."

Tiger Cannon spat out a mouthful of blood, his grin widening as his fighting spirit burned brighter.

He loved hand-to-hand combat, but ever since becoming an A-rank assassin, he rarely got the chance. Fighting Lin Chen now reignited that fire in him.

Lin Chen sported bruises on his face—clearly, he hadn’t come out unscathed either.

Heaven, the infamous assassin organization, only recruited elites.

Those who reached A-rank were codenamed killers—true monsters.

With his current skills, taking this guy down wouldn’t be easy.

Lin Chen took a deep breath, energy surging around him.

"What the—?"

Tiger Cannon’s expression darkened.

Why was this guy radiating such intense energy?

Qi Manipulation!

Lin Chen’s eyes snapped open as he lunged forward like lightning.

A single slash!

The energy wave surged. Tiger Cannon tried to counter, but his movements had slowed drastically.

Damn it!

His heart skipped a beat.

Their combat skills were evenly matched, but now, under the crushing pressure of Lin Chen’s energy, he was moving in slow motion.

Between experts, even the slightest shift could decide the battle.

This was his chance.

Lin Chen’s gaze sharpened as he closed the distance.

Finger Jab!

His fingers shot toward Tiger Cannon’s eyes like daggers.

Tiger Cannon couldn’t dodge in time. A bloodcurdling scream tore from his throat as his vision went dark.

With his opponent blinded, Lin Chen didn’t let up.

A sweeping kick to the back of the knees sent Tiger Cannon crashing down.

Elbow Strike!

A dull thud echoed as Lin Chen twisted his body, driving his elbow straight into Tiger Cannon’s chest.

Neck Snap!

Not taking any chances, Lin Chen wrenched Tiger Cannon’s head sideways, rendering him unconscious.

The entire sequence was flawless.

By the end, Lin Chen was drenched in sweat, his limbs trembling from exhaustion.

Between masters, victory often came down to a single moment.

One misstep, and he’d have been the one on the ground.

Lin Chen stared at his hands. This time, Qi Manipulation had been the game-changer.

Back when Cheng Yuanfeng was discharged from the hospital, he’d spent a fortune on medical bills. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Somehow, he dug up Lin Chen’s address and camped outside his house.

After relentless pestering and shameless begging, Cheng Yuanfeng finally extorted some money and left satisfied.

But before going, he casually taught Lin Chen a single move—Qi Manipulation.

Just like how he’d once taught An Yi, he only demonstrated it once.

Lin Chen had practiced it for days but still wasn’t proficient. Using it against Tiger Cannon had been a last resort.

To his surprise, it worked wonders—though the toll was immense.

His already unstable energy reserves were now completely drained.

Lin Chen forced himself to stay focused. Right now, Qin Yao’s safety was the priority.

When he arrived at the scene, his blood ran cold.

The luxury car was wrecked beyond recognition.

Uncle Fu lay in a pool of blood, barely breathing—and Qin Yao was nowhere to be seen.

"Uncle Fu!"

Lin Chen rushed to his side, but the old man was unconscious, his life hanging by a thread.

"Heaven..."

Lin Chen’s eyes turned glacial, radiating murderous intent.

------

Rental Apartment

An Yi fiddled with his phone, scrolling endlessly for tips on how to save electricity with air conditioning.

Meanwhile, Shen Muxuan sprawled across his bed, binge-watching a drama. Her fair, jade-like feet swayed playfully in the air as she giggled like wind chimes.

She’d practically taken over his room. With only one AC unit, Shen Muxuan had insisted on sleeping here, leaving An Yi no choice but to crash on the floor.

Three days had passed, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get rid of her.

The "educational videos" in his phone were gathering dust—he hadn’t even been able to "attend class" lately.

"An Yi, can you turn on the AC? It’s so hot."

Shen Muxuan fanned herself, pouting at him.

"We just turned it off two hours ago! You’re supposed to turn it on and off intermittently to save power."

His tone brooked no argument.

No amount of whining would work on him!

"But I’m sweating here! This shirt you bought is way too tight!"

She tugged at the shoulder straps of her bra through her T-shirt, complaining.

"Electricity bills are already through the roof. Deal with it—calm your mind, and you’ll feel cooler."

An Yi swallowed hard, forcing himself not to look.

Who knew she’d be so well-endowed? He’d assumed she was a B-cup—turns out, he’d underestimated her.

The girl always wore traditional robes, so he thought she’d be flat-chested. But nope, she had curves in all the right places.

It has to be said, beautiful people look good in anything.

Shen Muxuan, with her adorable yet lively demeanor and an ethereal grace, looked stunning in traditional attire—elegant and peerless.

Now, dressed in a white T-shirt and denim shorts, she radiated the charm of the girl next door.

"Cheapskate!"

Shen Muxuan stuck out her tongue playfully at An Yi before turning back to her drama.

An Yi gazed out the window.

Living like this without a steady income wasn’t sustainable—he needed to figure out a way to make money.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

An Yi quickly answered, "Who is it?"

"It's me. I need your help," came the cool, detached voice on the other end.

An Yi was momentarily stunned.

No way—since when did this person ever reach out to him first?