Hakan.
Fyren looked over. Hakan was holding Sabrina and smiling at him.
"Old classmate, didn't expect this, did you? My legs are healed!"
Fyren pulled out his sunglasses from his chest and put them on, immediately spreading his arms wide: "Hakan! My old classmate! Hahaha!"
Before Fyren could get close, a security guard pushed him back by the chest: "Stop. Don't come any closer to Hakan."
Fyren stared at him: "What the fuck is wrong with you? I'm Fyren. Hakan and I were college classmates."
The man remained stern: "No one gets through."
Fyren was about to force his way when he suddenly realized the guy in front of him was an ancient martial artist—his strength was overwhelming.
Fyren's heart sank.
Shit. Probably what happened last time scared Tinson so much he left experts behind to protect Hakan.
Hakan sensed Fyren's pride had been wounded and laughed out loud:
"Alright, step aside. This is my college classmate."
Eliza walked over: "Hakan, you're looking well."
"Yes, yes. It's you, Eliza, who's really glowing."
Fyren was furious inside. Zaring was such a useless piece of shit.
He told him to keep watch outside, but now things were blowing up here.
Enraged, he yelled: "Zaring, get your ass up here now!"
No response.
Hakan just looked at Fyren and smiled.
Fyren felt something was wrong: "Hakan, my man is on the first floor. You saw him, right?"
"I did."
"Did you do something to him?"
Hakan looked at Fyren, anxious and humiliated, and couldn't stop laughing.
He put an arm around Fyren's shoulder: "What are you talking about? We're old classmates. Why would I lay a hand on your man? But can't say the same for someone else."
Just then, several bodyguards moved aside. Otto walked in, smiling.
Flora carried a large sack and threw it heavily on the ground. She pulled open the sack, revealing Zaring, bound hand and foot, with his mouth gagged.
Fyren exploded with rage, his eyes sharp: "Senior Brother! What's the meaning of this?"
"Oh, it's nothing. This guy was peeping on my maid's personal guard. So, just a little lesson."
Eliza shouted angrily: "This is illegal!"
"Hahaha!" Hakan laughed: "My dear junior, have you been hanging around with Fyren so much you've lost your mind? I'm Hakan. How could I possibly do anything illegal? If I break the law, it's not called breaking the law. Is there any law in this world that can control me? No."
Eliza urged: "Let him go!"
Otto stepped on Zaring's shoulder: "Is this even a person? Doesn't look like it to me. Looks like a dog!"
Fyren slowly clenched his fists.
[Dammit! If you keep pushing me, today will be the day we turn on each other!]
Otto looked at Fyren's furious expression, immensely pleased:
"Ah, speaking of which, what a coincidence. Sherry probably told you about that meteorite, right? Guess what? When we cut it open, it was full of primal essence granules. We extracted over half a pound of it. Thanks to this ancient primal essence, my power has grown tremendously. Hahaha!"
"So, junior brother, how about it? Pretty good luck for your senior brother, don't you think?"
Fyren sneered: "Senior brother, you're quite impressive. Since we come from the same school, how about we show each other some respect? Let my man go, and I'll let bygones be bygones. What do you say?"
Otto flew into a rage: "Dammit! You'll let bygones be bygones!? You'll let bygones be bygones!? How many times have I suffered at your hands? If it weren't for our shared sect ties, I would've slapped you to death long ago!"
Hakan said with a laugh: "Otto, don't be so agitated! We're here to discuss business with Fyren. If you carry on like this, how are we supposed to talk business?"
Fyren glanced around. At least two of Hakan's men were highly skilled fighters.
Add Otto, Flora, and Sabrina to the mix…
The opponent's lineup was too strong!
Dammit! The protagonist gets to be all mighty and impressive, but are villains not even human?!
"What business do you want to discuss? Speak."
Otto said: "Simple. That piece of land I want is now in your hands. Shit, I heard Mayor Ziv gave it to you for free to compensate for your losses. I want you to transfer it to me."
"Private individuals can't transfer land. That's Mainland law."
"Knew you'd say that. Here…"
Otto produced an official permit. With this, it would be legal.
"Of course, I, your senior brother, don't have much money. We're from the same sect, sworn brothers—you wouldn't ask me for money, would you?"
Behind them, Flora's dagger was pressed against Zaring's throat.
Zaring grunted in resistance, shaking his head repeatedly, urging Fyren not to agree. Flora smacked him on the head: "Quiet!"
Fyren smiled: "Of course. We're brothers, after all."
"Straight to the point!" Otto said to Hakan: "See? What did I tell you? I said my junior brother is rolling in money and has deep brotherly love for me. He wouldn't ask me for a cent!"
Fyren said: "Where's the document? I'll sign it. Now let him go."
"Wait!" Hakan interjected: "Your brotherly business is settled, but my business hasn't been discussed yet!"
"What else do you want?"
"You still hold twenty percent of Qingfeng Group's shares. I want all of them."
Eliza immediately retorted: "In your dreams!"
Fyren said: "I've already transferred my shares to Eliza."
"Don't give me that crap. I checked. Eliza only took over management rights—you're still the holder!"
Hakan said: "Fyren, aren't you trying to develop the shantytown project? Even calling it the Fyren District—sickening! Let me tell you, I planted a bomb in the shantytown. It could go off at any moment! Today is your ribbon-cutting ceremony. If there's an explosion, hehehe… everything halts. A workforce of over a hundred thousand people idled—how much would you lose every day?"
Eliza gritted her teeth: "Despicable!"
"Yep!" Hakan wasn't offended at all: "Right! I am despicable! But compared to Fyren, I'm still a bit behind!"
Hakan walked up to Fyren, seething with rage, eyes blazing, and pinched Fyren's cheek:
"How could I have ever imagined! My old classmate Fyren would be so cunning and deceitful! Ruining my plans in the mountains was bad enough, but then running me over with a car—repeatedly! Luckily, I'm rich. Otherwise, I'd still be in jail! You swindled me out of over thirty billion! Thirty billion! For a pile of scrap metal!"
Fyren took a deep breath.
And smiled.
[Heh. Looks like there's no peaceful way out today.]
[You can fight me all you want. You can stomp on my pride. It's business—losing face today, gaining it tomorrow. Just the usual cycle.]
[But if you dare mess with the shantytown project I've worked so hard to support… you've really pissed me off!]
[I need to make sure Eliza is protected. Send her away. I'll handle the rest.]
[I'll make you understand—when it comes to being bad, in this world, no one is fucking worse than me!]
[You want to compare ruthlessness? When I get ruthless, I'll take your lives!]
Fyren said with a smile: "Easy, easy. We can keep discussing business. This has nothing to do with Eliza. Let her leave first—she's busy enough as it is."
"Alright, no rush," Otto said. "I need little sister Eliza to witness this moment—the moment I step on your head and rise to the peak."
Fyren smiled and turned around. "Eliza, step back."
"Huh? Fyren, let's not stoop to their level. Right now, we should—"
"I said step back!"
Eliza had no idea that Fyren was holding a trump card. She was afraid he would act impulsively and get hurt.
She grabbed his hand:
"Fyren, don't be reckless. You're always so rational. They have more people—let's not—"
"Damn it, why so much nagging? Why do you always have to meddle in men's business? Step back! Over there, further back, behind the pillar!"
"I—"
Fyren glared. "Since when don't you listen to me, you foolish woman!"
Eliza stamped her foot in frustration. "Fine!"
Hakan laughed heartily and took the contract from his assistant. "Sign it, Fyren."
Fyren took the contract. It was thick.
"You know," he said quietly, "if I force-fed this to you myself, you wouldn't need lunch today, would you?"
As he spoke, Fyren secretly opened his system interface and used an upgrade card.
His power instantly surged, reaching the intermediate stage of the Lower Quadportal!
Hakan narrowed his eyes. "Fyren, you'd better think carefully before you speak to me. Let me make this clear: you're signing this today, whether you want to or not. See these two experts? They can end your life in an instant!"
Fyren sneered, secretly activating the three-level experience card for The Great Sage's Tiger-Subduing Fist!
He was poised to strike!
In a flash, he grabbed Hakan by the collar and headbutted him.
Thud!
Blood immediately gushed from Hakan's nostrils. He stumbled back and fell to the floor.
Hakan touched his nose, looked up, and roared furiously, "Get him! Beat him to death!"
The experience card instantly turned to dust. A surge of mystical knowledge flooded Fyren's mind—his eyes sharpened, becoming bright and piercing.
The expert who had pushed Fyren earlier reached out, but Fyren moved with the speed of a spirit monkey reborn!
With one hand, he gripped the man's palm, controlling his arm. With the other, he seized the man's elbow and jerked it upward.
The man was stunned!
Shock registered even before the pain!
What kind of insane speed was this?!
Speed! Strength! Precision!
The accuracy and ferocity of his moves—both offensive and defensive—were absolutely terrifying!
The man tried desperately to pull back his broken arm. With his other hand, he drew a dagger and thrust it straight at Fyren's face.
But Fyren was already in a full rage!
He seized the dagger-wielding arm and twisted.
The man grunted—both arms were now broken.
Fyren grabbed him as if he were a helpless chick, charged forward, and hurled him!
The man flew through the air like a weightless doll, slammed into the wall with a sickening thud, heard the distinct crack of his own spine, vomited blood, and collapsed—unable to get up.
Otto, Flora, and Sabrina were utterly stunned!
What was that?!
Fyren?!
Since when was he this strong?!