Hidden Dead Ends-Chapter 48

“You wouldn’t know if you’re not paying attention. They do exist, though occurrences are rare. Only about a dozen people in a city encounter them at any given time. Deaths due to dead-ends in all of Yiguo probably don’t exceed a few hundred daily, possibly less. People don’t usually die instantly in a dead-end, so there’s a chance to survive,” the man explained. “Think about it—Yiguo has billions of people, with tens of thousands of natural and accidental deaths daily. A few hundred barely register. If it weren’t for the safety concerns of the elite, the authorities wouldn’t even bother.”

“Makes sense. Most powers and corporations still focus on Star Lake and us,” the woman sighed. “The Feiyi and modified-human conflict is crucial to the national interests of Yiguo and Baixing. Dead-ends are too limited in impact to matter.”

“Exactly. I was surprised when I found out dead-ends were involved here. Wait… just checked—this Hongjin company in Suiyang is indeed connected to dead-ends. The owner’s son died in one, likely leading them to investigate here. Do you want to handle it?”

“Fine, send me the address. I’ll take care of it.” The woman turned to head down the stairs.

“If it’s confirmed, call in backup and make it clean.”

“Got it.”

---

**Downtown Zhaoshan.**

At 9:16 p.m., on the north side, Changdong Street.

The Wuflag SUV parked along the side of the road, fitting neatly among the lineup of cars parked beneath the streetlights.

Inside, the group looked out through the tinted windows.

On the sidewalk across from them, a row of electric bikes lined the curb, with a series of storefronts just beyond.

Directly in front of their car was a karaoke bar, its colorful lights flashing under the sign “Golden Peng Entertainment.”

“This is the place. My new contractor works here,” Zhang Sinda remarked calmly, taking out a cigarette.

“Mind if I smoke?” he glanced at the others.

They shook their heads.

He lit the cigarette, taking a deep drag.

“This girl, Zhong Ying, is only seventeen. She’s worked here for about half a year, earned quite a bit but hasn’t had the chance to spend it—then she encountered the dead-end. She was found through an online support group I posted, and she reached out to join.”

“Where should we start once we’re inside?” Sima Gui asked.

“She’ll take us to the spot where she entered the dead-end. Once there, you two should sense whether any memory flashes occur. Be cautious, though. While it seems safe as long as we withdraw quickly, it’s still a dead-end—anything can happen,” Zhang Sinda warned.

“Relax, this Fog Street dead-end doesn’t have immediate danger. There’s a buffer period, so we’ll be fine with a quick flash. Just be ready with the reward,” Sima Gui replied with a careless grin.

In the glow of the streetlight, Li Chengyi saw his smile—detached, uncaring for himself or others.

It immediately brought to mind words like “lunatic” or “psychopath.”

No wonder Pencil-Brows had warned him earlier.

Li Chengyi said nothing, turning his attention back to the profile photo Zhang Sinda had shared.

The boss had promised a Feiyi set worth millions for this job. It would feel wrong to accept it without putting in the effort.

“I’ll call her and let her know we’re here,” said Song Ran, pressing a button on his AR glasses.

The rest waited quietly.

Soon, a girl in a black sleeveless dress emerged slowly from the KTV entrance.

With tea-colored wavy hair and long, silver-studded earrings that flashed under the lights, her face was the perfect “influencer” look: big eyes, a high nose, and small mouth, attractive but with a slightly artificial, plastic quality.

She glanced around, holding a black purse with a gold chain, and quickly noticed the Wuflag. Clicking over in high heels, she’d barely made it a few steps when another woman, curvaceous and beautiful, came out of the KTV, caught up to her, and spoke.

The girl hesitated, then followed the woman back inside.

And so they waited. But Zhong Ying didn’t come out.

Song Ran sent a few messages and made a couple of calls. Finally, Zhong Ying texted back, saying that while she wanted to leave, her contract had a major penalty clause. Without fulfilling it, she would owe a lot of money, and the company wasn’t letting her go.

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“I’ll go check things out,” Sima Gui grumbled, stepping out of the car.

“I’ll come too,” Li Chengyi decided. With the hefty reward on the line, he couldn’t just sit back. He had to prove his value if he wanted future jobs from the boss.

The two of them walked to the KTV entrance and pushed their way inside.

The dim lighting cast a yellowish glow, making everyone’s skin look flawless under the atmospheric lights.

Ahead, two hallways extended deeper into the building.

Sima Gui glanced at Li Chengyi.

“Split up?”

“Sure.”

After two months of training in combat, Li Chengyi’s build had filled out considerably, and his confidence had grown too.

“Find her and let’s get out—no dawdling,” Sima Gui muttered before heading down the left hallway, ignoring a staff member who tried to approach.

Li Chengyi took the right corridor, passing door after door, each one echoing with off-key singing. He hesitated—how was he supposed to find her?

Should he open each door one by one?

Or pretend he was looking for someone?

“Sir, looking for someone?” A male staff member approached, loudly asking.

Li Chengyi nodded quickly.

“Yes, I’m looking for Zhong Ying. She works here, right?”

“Oh, Xiaoying? Sure, follow me.” The staff member, recognizing the name, led him down the corridor.

They took a few twists and turns before arriving at a dressing room.

Inside, Zhong Ying—the influencer-looking girl—was arguing loudly with two men and another woman, clearly agitated.

“When you signed the contract, you read every term and condition. Now you want to make trouble? This is a legitimate, legally compliant business. You break the contract, you pay. Try calling the police—they’ll side with us in court!” sneered a slightly plump, blonde woman standing opposite Zhong Ying with arms crossed, flanked by two burly men.

“But those terms weren’t there when I signed! This isn’t the same contract!” Zhong Ying shouted back, face flushed with anger.

“That’s your signature, clear as day. If you want to go to court, go ahead. You can leave anytime, but the penalty will triple if you don’t stay. I won’t hold back,” the woman replied coldly.

“I…!” Zhong Ying’s face turned red as her chest heaved with frustration.

“How much? I’m a friend of Zhong Ying. I’ll cover it,” Li Chengyi interjected, realizing it was his moment to step in and earn her trust.

The plump woman had noticed him earlier, and now she looked at him with an arching eyebrow.

“Not much. According to her contract, an early exit penalty is five times the original amount—six thousand times five. That’s thirty thousand.”

“What?” Li Chengyi blinked, wondering if he’d misheard.

“Thirty thousand. Cash or card?” she asked casually.

Li Chengyi glanced at Zhong Ying, who looked down with a guilty expression.

“Thirty thousand…” he muttered, taking a deep breath, and then, without warning, slapped the woman hard.

*Smack!*

The sound echoed in the room as she staggered, nearly falling.

Before her two bodyguards could react, Li Chengyi lunged, driving his knee into one man’s gut and slamming his fist into the other’s face.

*Thud! Thud!*

Both men stumbled, dazed but still standing, clearly too sturdy to go down with one blow.

He quickly followed up with kicks to each man’s side, his Flower Scale Armor reinforcing the blows. The hardened scales hit their waists like hammers

, forcing both men to double over, unable to get back up.

He took a step back, grabbed the woman by her hair, and slammed her head against the wall.

*Thud.*

Blood trickled from her face as she collapsed to the floor.

“Alright, no need for the thirty thousand. Let’s go,” he said, dusting his hands off as he looked at Zhong Ying.

She gaped at him, utterly shocked. She’d just intended to stage a routine shakedown, figuring he wouldn’t mind parting with some cash.

But this…

“Zhao-jie! Zhao-jie, are you okay?” she screamed, rushing to help the bleeding woman.

“Help! Someone’s hurt! She’s bleeding!” she started yelling.

“So this was a setup?” Li Chengyi quickly pieced it together, understanding exactly what had happened.

His first instinct was to call the boss, but then Sima Gui’s words echoed in his mind:

“We’re all on borrowed time—stop overthinking. Do what you want.”

Something inside him relaxed, uncoiling.

No point in thinking it over. He threw a punch, landing it squarely on Zhong Ying’s face, then followed up with a hard kick to her stomach.

*Thud.*

She curled up in pain, and he dragged her out by her hair.

“Let’s go.” On his way out, he grabbed her contract, tore it into pieces, and stuffed it in his pocket.

If she planned to swindle him, she should be prepared for the backlash.