Zhang Yiming paced in his opulent villa, fury evident in his eyes as he kept glancing at the old man before him. The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife.

"You know why you are here, Kong?" Zhang Yiming’s voice was cold, dripping with barely contained rage.

Master Kong raised his head slightly, his green shimmering eyes that would send a shiver down a normal person’s spine meeting Zhang Yiming’s gaze unflinchingly. "I am well aware of my mission, sir," he replied, his voice steady despite the obvious danger of his situation.

Zhang Yiming’s lip curled in disgust. "You know why you are here, I mean where you don’t belong... Your job was to get me all the pages of the Seven Fists Manual, but all I have in my hands is the 5th and 7th page. Where are the rest of the pages?"

Master Kong’s expression remained impassive as he answered, "They are with Li Chen, sir."

Zhang Yiming’s eyes flashed dangerously. "Why are they not in my hands?"

"Sir, I have limits on what I can do," Master Kong explained, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "I can’t take on the God of War. Even if I tried, I would be dead after the first punch."

Zhang Yiming’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. "That means I no longer need your services now, do I?"

Master Kong clenched his wrinkled fists, fear radiating from his being despite his attempts to maintain composure. The threat in Zhang Yiming’s words was unmistakable.

"You know what those pages can do combined," Zhang Yiming continued, his voice taking on a dreamy quality. "I would have the whole world bowing at my feet."

"I am well aware of that, sir," Master Kong replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Zhang Yiming’s eyes snapped back to the old man, cold and calculating. "I don’t care how you do it. I need you to get me those pages before the end of seven days. Understood?"

Master Kong paused, not sure if he could really accomplish such a feat. The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken consequences.

"Do you understand?" Zhang Yiming’s voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a knife.

Master Kong swallowed hard. "Yes... yes sir, I understand."

Zhang Yiming’s face contorted with rage. "Then what the hell are you still standing here for?"

Master Kong bowed deeply and walked out without another word, his heart pounding in his chest. As the door closed behind him, he heard the sound of shattering porcelain. Zhang Yiming had given in to his fury, smashing a nearby vase.

"Li Chen," Zhang Yiming muttered through clenched teeth, his voice carrying through the closed door. "You can’t stop me. I have planned this for all my life, and nothing and no one can get in my way."

Master Kong hurried away, his mind racing with the impossible task ahead of him. He knew the consequences of failure, but he also knew the danger of success. The Seven Fists Manual in Zhang Yiming’s hands would spell disaster for the world.

---

The next day, Master Kong found himself in Sun Gang’s office at the Sun Group headquarters. The room was opulent, befitting the leader of such a powerful organization, but Master Kong paid little attention to his surroundings. His focus was entirely on the man before him.

Sun Gang looked up from his desk, surprise evident on his face. "Master Kong? What brings you here?"

Instead of answering, Master Kong’s eyes began to glow an eerie green. He raised his hands, intricate patterns of light forming in the air between them. Sun Gang’s eyes widened in alarm, but before he could react, the light enveloped him.

Master Kong began to chant in an ancient language, his voice resonating with power. The air in the room grew heavy, charged with mystical energy. Sun Gang’s eyes glazed over, his body becoming rigid in his chair.

As the chant reached its crescendo, Master Kong produced a small scroll from within his robes. He placed it on Sun Gang’s desk, the paper seeming to shimmer with hidden meaning.

"When the time comes, you will know what to do," Master Kong said, his voice layered with magical compulsion.

Sun Gang nodded mechanically, his eyes still unfocused.

Satisfied with his work, Master Kong turned and left the office without another word. As he walked away, he couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that settled in the pit of his stomach. He had set events in motion that could not be undone, and he feared the consequences that would follow.

---

Two days later, the sun shone brightly over Shanghai as Zhang Mei and Cen Yuhuan strolled through a high-end shopping district. Zhang Mei, her pregnancy now visible, walked with a hand resting gently on her swollen belly. Beside her, Cen Yuhuan carried several shopping bags, her eyes darting from store to store with excitement.

"Oh, look at that adorable onesie!" Cen Yuhuan exclaimed, pointing to a display in a nearby window. "Your twins are going to look so cute in those."

Zhang Mei smiled, her eyes soft with maternal love. "I can hardly wait to meet them. It feels like I’ve been pregnant forever."

As they entered the store, Cen Yuhuan’s excitement seemed to dim slightly. Zhang Mei, ever perceptive, noticed the change in her friend’s demeanor.

"What’s wrong, Yuhuan?" she asked gently as they browsed through racks of tiny clothes.

Cen Yuhuan sighed, her fingers tracing the soft fabric of a baby blanket. "It’s just... seeing all of this, it makes me think about having children of my own. And if I’m being honest, the idea terrifies me."

Zhang Mei reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand. "That’s completely normal. I was scared too when I first found out I was pregnant."

"But you seem so natural at it," Cen Yuhuan protested. "You’re glowing, and you’re so excited about the twins. I’m afraid I won’t be a good mother."

Zhang Mei shook her head firmly. "Being scared doesn’t mean you won’t be a good mother. It means you care. You want to do right by your children. That’s the most important thing."

Cen Yuhuan smiled weakly. "I suppose you’re right. It’s just such a big responsibility."

"It is," Zhang Mei agreed. "But it’s also the most rewarding thing in the world. And remember, you’re not alone. You have Xinjie, and you have all of us. We’re family."

The two women spent the rest of the day shopping, their conversation drifting from fears about motherhood to excited plans for the future. As the sun began to set, they made their way to the parking lot, arms laden with bags full of baby clothes and accessories.

"I can’t believe we bought so much," Cen Yuhuan laughed as they reached the spot where their driver was supposed to be waiting. Her laughter died in her throat as she realized the car wasn’t there.

Zhang Mei frowned, looking around in confusion. "Where’s the driver? He knew we’d be done around this time."

Cen Yuhuan set down her bags, concern etching lines on her forehead. "I’ll take a look around. Maybe he had to move the car for some reason."

As Cen Yuhuan walked around the corner of the parking structure, a scream tore from her throat. Zhang Mei hurried after her as quickly as her pregnant body would allow, her heart pounding with fear.

The sight that greeted her made her blood run cold. Their driver lay on the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath him. His unseeing eyes stared up at the darkening sky, a look of surprise forever frozen on his face.

"We need to call someone," Zhang Mei said, her voice shaking as she reached for her phone. "We need to-"

Her words were cut off as three burly men seemed to materialize out of the shadows. Before either woman could react, rough hands grabbed them, stifling their screams.

"Don’t make a sound," one of the men growled, pressing a gun against Zhang Mei’s swollen belly. "Or the babies get it first."

Terror unlike anything she had ever known gripped Zhang Mei’s heart as she was forced into a waiting black van. Beside her, Cen Yuhuan struggled against her captor, only to be hit hard across the face. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

As the van’s doors slammed shut and the engine roared to life, Zhang Mei’s mind raced. Who were these men? What did they want? And most importantly, would she and her unborn children make it out of this alive?

The van sped away into the night, leaving behind only scattered shopping bags and a dead driver as evidence of the two women’s abduction. In the growing darkness, no one noticed the green-eyed old man watching from the shadows, a look of grim determination on his wrinkled face.

Master Kong had set his plan in motion, but as he watched the van disappear, he couldn’t help but wonder if the price of success would be too high. The fate of the Seven Fists Manual, and perhaps the world itself, now hung in the balance.