Hidden Dead Ends-Chapter 71

But what Xu Zhongsheng hadn’t anticipated…

Was that one minor provocation would lead to the complete ruination of Iron Peak’s headquarters. Worse, it even got their precious heir, Zheng Jiayu, killed!

When the news reached him, his reaction was pure disbelief: “!!!???”

It was like asking someone to grab soy sauce, only for them to demolish the entire soy sauce factory, kidnap the owner’s entire family, and come back saying, "Don’t worry about running out of soy sauce ever again."

Xu Zhongsheng blamed himself. He must not have been pious enough when he and his father visited the Daoist temple last week.

And now karma had arrived to collect.

He stared at the semi-circular projection screen in front of him, where streams of densely packed data flowed relentlessly. Just glancing at it gave him a headache.

"Don’t hold back! Do whatever you have to! Any problems, I’ll take responsibility!"

With a heavy pat on the bald expert’s shoulder, Xu Zhongsheng turned and left the suffocating room.

The moment he stepped into the hallway, several bodyguards stationed there quickly approached him.

"Boss, the car is ready. We’ve packed everything you wanted to take with you," one of them reported in a low voice.

Xu Zhongsheng rubbed his temples, exhausted from a sleepless night that left him feeling drained.

"Where’s Huang Sheng? Has he arrived?" he asked.

"He’s already at the entrance. He dropped everything and rushed back the moment he got your urgent call," one bodyguard replied.

Xu Zhongsheng nodded. He knew all too well that his meddling had likely been exposed.

The Night Laugh Virus unleashed by Sindra had paralyzed 90% of the Imperial Garden Florist’s equipment, including computers and phones. A disruption of this magnitude couldn’t escape the notice of any faction.

Least of all the hyper-vigilant League and Security Bureau.

Retribution from the Iron Peak Corporation and Sindra’s backers was practically guaranteed.

"Let’s go. They could arrive at any moment. Yu Wengang!" Xu Zhongsheng called.

"Here, Boss." A burly man rounded the corner, clad in a tight-fitting silver T-shirt that revealed arms constructed entirely of silver metal.

"When I leave, you stay here. If anyone breaches the premises, report it immediately. The automated defense system will seal all access points in the headquarters."

Xu Zhongsheng instructed him firmly. "Keep an eye on the security expert. Make sure he completely eradicates the Night Laugh Virus. Reach out to me remotely if anything comes up."

He gave the man a reassuring pat on the shoulder, ignoring the sour expression that silently pointed out the obvious: with most equipment destroyed, where exactly would the automated defense system come from?

Without waiting for a response, Xu Zhongsheng turned and strode toward the side exit, flanked by his bodyguards.

Overnight, his headquarters lay in ruins, and he was reduced to fleeing like a dog, a shadow of his former composed self.

The humiliation burned deep, fueling an anger that threatened to explode at any moment.

"I underestimated Sindra. Next time, I won’t make the same mistake..."

When he learned that Li Chengyi had taken Zheng Qingrong with him, things began to click in his mind. The strange, augmented human who had stormed Iron Peak’s headquarters and killed Zheng Jiayu—Sindra had to be behind it.

‘It seems I was right to investigate Li Chengyi. This man is clearly important to Sindra.’

From Li Chengyi taking Zheng Qingrong, to the purple-black augmented human killing Zheng Jiayu, the connection was glaringly obvious.

Sindra wasn’t the type to act on emotion. He was a businessman—calculated and practical. Destroying Iron Peak served no purpose unless it benefited him.

"Which means... that purple-black augmented human is likely one of Sindra’s Dead End agents. That would explain the reckless audacity, the total lack of caution."

As Xu Zhongsheng walked, his mind raced. The more he analyzed, the clearer it became that everything led back to Li Chengyi.

With that realization, he pulled out his phone and began typing, documenting his suspicions about Li Chengyi. After setting up layers of proxies and decoys, he drafted an anonymous email to send to the Iron Peak Corporation and the Security Bureau.

If Sindra was already targeting him, then the only way to redirect attention and reduce his risk was to make Iron Peak and the Security Bureau act.

"Let the dogs tear each other apart," he muttered with a cold smile.

With a final keystroke, he pressed “Send”—

Shink!

A golden blade pierced through his phone, stabbing between his fingers and stopping just five centimeters from his forehead.

Everything froze. The world went utterly silent.

Xu Zhongsheng’s eyes focused only on the blade, its metallic sheen reflecting the dim corridor light.

He... had almost... died.

The phone clattered to the floor, shattering into pieces.

Xu Zhongsheng stumbled back, his face pale as he stared ahead.

From the shadows, a hulking figure emerged, holding a golden blade.

It was a fully-armored figure clad in intricate purple-black armor, an augmented human unlike any Xu Zhongsheng had ever seen.

This was no ordinary augmentation. There were no modular joints, no visible seams—nothing to suggest standardization. He didn’t look like a cyborg; he looked like a man wearing an otherworldly suit of armor.

"You?!" Xu Zhongsheng’s voice shook.

"So, you know." Li Chengyi’s distorted voice came through a modulator.

"Tell me, did you calculate all your moves? Did you ever think today would be the day you die?"

Li Chengyi swung his blade, slicing through a partially intact wall with a single stroke.

A moment ago, he had cut his way into the building and stabbed Xu Zhongsheng’s phone, deliberately missing a lethal strike by mere millimeters.

In truth, the blade was just slightly too short to finish the job in one blow—a result of his inexperience with weapons. He had only recently begun training.

"Calm down, my friend. We’re not enemies," Xu Zhongsheng said quickly, forcing himself to sound composed. When a bodyguard stepped forward to shield him, Xu Zhongsheng shoved him aside.

"No need. If he wanted to kill me, that first strike would have been enough. There’s no reason for him to hesitate."

In mere seconds, Xu Zhongsheng’s sharp mind had analyzed the situation.

Li Chengyi’s decision not to kill him outright suggested this was more than a mindless attack. There had to be a reason for his restraint.

"Surely, my friend, you despise the Iron Peak Corporation as much as I do. I loathe Zheng and his son’s actions, but I lack the strength to confront them directly. If I’ve offended you, name your terms. Anything within my power, I will deliver!"

Xu Zhongsheng spread his hands wide, his tone sincere and unthreatening.

"And what can you offer me?" Li Chengyi asked, lowering his blade as he stepped closer.

"Rare minerals for body maintenance—I can source them at a discount. A suit like yours must have cost a fortune, and the testing and repair equipment needed for upkeep, I can provide those too. These are resources money alone can’t always buy," Xu Zhongsheng said earnestly. "If you kill me, you’ll gain nothing. Worse, the Security Bureau will hunt you down, and if the League activates the Silent Fort, you’ll be caught within the city, no matter how powerful you are."

"So you’re saying you can help minimize the fallout from this incident?" Li Chengyi asked.

"Of course. My father is a member of the Suiyang League, just like the Iron Peak Corporation. My family’s influence can be very persuasive."

"In that case, cooperation makes sense." Li Chengyi’s tone was low, contemplative.

He extended his armored hand toward Xu Zhongsheng.

"Now, you’re a clever man. Care to guess if I actually want to work with you?"

The purple-black hand hovered in front of Xu Zhongsheng, unmoving.

Time seemed to freeze again as the surrounding bodyguards, gripping their weapons, dared not move. Their instincts told them that raising their guns would mean certain death.

Xu Zhongsheng’s gaze locked on the hand before him, sweat soaking his back.

Should he take it—or not?

He made his decision.

"I trust you to make the best judgment!" he declared, stepping forward to clasp Li Chengyi’s hand firmly

.

The two hands connected.

Li Chengyi raised his cold, violet eyes, the crystalline glow reflecting an icy resolve.

"Congratulations."

"You guessed wrong."

In a flash, a golden blade appeared in his hand and plunged straight into Xu Zhongsheng’s chest, bursting through his back.

Blood sprayed as the blade’s tip emerged.

A scream tore from a nearby bodyguard, who bolted in terror. The rest scrambled to flee, too frightened to even draw their weapons.

Xu Zhongsheng’s expression froze in shock. He couldn’t believe he had guessed wrong.

This close, Li Chengyi could have killed him at any time. The hesitation wasn’t to negotiate or seek gain—what could he possibly have missed?

He had offered everything he could, every ounce of leverage he possessed. How could it not be enough?

Xu Zhongsheng couldn’t comprehend.

Couldn’t accept.

________________

TL NOTE:

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