Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

Zheng Laoliu had not expected Yang Cenbin to dodge his blade so easily. Before he even registered what had happened, his thrust had met empty air. He looked again—Yang Juehuan's body had already shifted position.

Zheng Laoliu was a veteran of many fights, and in that moment he understood: he had run into an expert. This sudden strike—Zheng Laoliu doubted even he himself could have evaded it so cleanly, yet Yang Jiyan stood there as if nothing had happened. How could that fail to strike fear into his heart?

"Want to try another slash?" Yang Ce regarded Zheng Laoliu with a mocking look, his face full of contempt. "I already told you—stop challenging me with that idiot temperament of yours. My patience really is limited."

Zheng Laoliu knew Yang Juehuan was no weakling, but he could not simply admit defeat. Wei Dekang's business must never be spoken of. President Wei had recognized his worth and raised him up—Zheng Laoliu could not repay kindness with betrayal.

So, unable to win the fight, there was only one option: run. Zheng Laoliu was no fool. It was plain the warehouse-bombing mission could not be completed, but a failed mission was still better than losing his life here along with it.

Watching the flickering of Zheng Laoliu's eyes, Yang Ce gave a cold smile. "What other tricks are you thinking of playing?"

As he spoke, Yang Ce focused his mind. He had deliberately provoked Zheng Laoliu with words, sowing panic in his heart—and once Zheng Laoliu's emotions grew unstable, his own ability to peer into another's thoughts would take effect, allowing him to read the man's mind clearly.

Sure enough, Zheng Laoliu was deeply shaken by Yang Cenbin's cold laugh. How was it that every single thing he meant to do could not escape Yang Juehuan's eyes? This man was certainly no ordinary figure.

"President Wei, rest assured—even if I can't get away today, I, Zheng Laoliu, will never betray you. I am not the sort to forget a kindness."

Zheng Laoliu was tense, and Yang Ce seized the moment to concentrate and unleash his ability. Thus Zheng Laoliu's thoughts were transmitted, without the slightest omission, into Yang Juehuan's mind.

President Wei—Wei Dekang. Yang Puqi instantly thought of Wei Dekang of Dekang Real Estate. So it really was that old bastard. Tired of living, was he? He dared send men to burn down his company, dared come and blow up his warehouse?

Motherfucker—did he think Yang Ce was some spineless mollusk? His little Yun'er had nearly been buried in that inferno. If not for his ability giving him warning in advance, this would have turned into a catastrophe.

So once he learned that the man behind it all was Wei Dekang, Yang Lanxu burned with hatred. At first, Yang Shuoxuan had merely wanted to take Dekang Real Estate into his own hands; as for Wei Dekang himself, let him do as he pleased—whether he lived or died was no concern of his.

But now Yang Ce had changed his mind. The man had nearly burned his little Yun'er alive—how could he be spared? The fool clearly had no idea what line of work Yang Ce was in. Killing a wretch like him would take but an instant.

As for this Zheng Laoliu, Yang Duo would not let him off lightly either. The shadowy hand directing him was Wei Dekang's, true, but this fellow, as the one who carried it out, was no less unpardonable.

How to deal with the fellow, then? He could not be let off too easily. Killing him outright would be utterly boring. If one was going to play, one played cruelly. Suddenly, Yang Juehuan's gaze fell upon the detonators on the ground, and a sinister smile crept across the corner of his mouth.

Zheng Laoliu had no idea why Yang Ce was smiling—and smiling so terrifyingly. He felt a flicker of fear, but he was preparing to flee just then and had no attention to spare for why Yang Ce was grinning so darkly.

"You're planning to run, aren't you?" Yang Ce glanced at Zheng Laoliu and asked mildly.

His thoughts laid bare, Zheng Laoliu started in alarm and blurted out, "You—how do you know?"

"I know a great many things." Yang Ce looked at Zheng Laoliu and said, word by word, "I also know that you are Zheng Laoliu, that your master is Wei Dekang, and that at his command you came to burn my company and blow up my warehouse—is that not so?"

Zheng Laoliu was stunned silly by Yang Juehuan's words. He had not said a single thing—how did the other man already know his background? And know it down to the last detail?

"All right. You've run out of chances." Yang Linyue spoke flatly and swiftly raised his right hand.

"You—what are you going to do?" Zheng Laoliu was aghast. To him, Yang Ce was a highly dangerous man, and so his nerves had been strung taut the whole time. When Yang Puqi raised his hand, Zheng Laoliu jumped in fright and reacted at once, swinging his dagger and stabbing at Yang Ce.

Yang Yongjin gave a disdainful smile and shook his head. His hand rose and fell, and Zheng Laoliu pitched forward onto the ground.

"Poking and poking away with a broken blade—missed once and still kept poking. I really don't understand how everyone under Wei Dekang ends up this idiotic," Yang Ce said, shaking his head. "Unless Wei Dekang himself is a super-grade idiot. Hmm—very likely."

This Wei Dekang—if he weren't an idiot, he would never have provoked him. At the very least, before provoking someone, he ought to have investigated their background first, then made his move.

To say nothing of his identity as an assassin—even if Wei Dekang wanted to investigate that, he would never uncover it. But the other identities, he could still have learned.

For instance, that his father was the helmsman of Mingyang Heavy Industries; that he was tangled in countless threads with Bao Lin, the boss of Songjiang; that his wife, Chen Shutang, had a father who was captain of the city bureau's criminal investigation squad. If Wei Dekang still dared to move against him rashly knowing all that, then one could only say his intelligence was defective.

What Yang Yongjin did know, however, was that Wei Dekang had indeed learned Yang Juehuan's identity—only it was too late for regrets. Zheng Laoliu had already turned off his phone and could not be reached. So Wei Dekang had no choice but to burn his boats.

But none of that mattered to Heng now, whether he knew it or not. Yang Ce knew only this: the bastard had dared touch his company and had nearly burned his little Yun'er alive—that was absolutely unpardonable.

Yang Ce looked at Zheng Laoliu lying on the ground, gave two chuckles, then swiftly gathered up the detonators and dialed Bao Lin's number. At that moment, Wei Dekang was sitting in his office, anxiously awaiting word from Zheng Laoliu. Success or failure would be decided tonight. Wei Dekang's nerves were stretched to the limit—excited, and a little afraid.

One could say it was quite contradictory. Out of hatred for Yang Juehuan, Wei Dekang of course wanted Yang Ce to pay—wanted his company razed to the ground, wanted Yang Ce dead, even.

But reason made him deeply uneasy, afraid that if Zheng Laoliu failed, then he, Wei Dekang, would likely be finished along with him. The reason Wei Dekang was certain Zheng Laoliu would choose to act tonight was that the man had followed him for many years, and he understood Zheng Laoliu's temperament perfectly.

The fellow was impetuous by nature; whatever he was told to do, he would get done as quickly as possible. And once the job was done, he would return to his own office at the first opportunity to claim credit.

So Wei Dekang had taken the measure of Zheng Laoliu's character, and planned to quietly do away with him when he called in—and in that way, he himself would be safe.

To be continued.

969. Violent Elements

Whether Zheng Laoliu would actually contact him at the end, Wei Dekang could not be sure. Everything was speculation—it was a gamble. But what could he do but gamble? It was all already in motion; there was no turning back.