Chen Jinzhao paid no mind to Shen Liangping's words.
He curiously surveyed the silent surroundings and said calmly, "So, do you intend to teach me a lesson, or silence me?"
Shen Liangping couldn't stand Chen Jinzhao's composure. In his mind, Chen Jinzhao should have been fawning over the Yu family like everyone else. What gave Chen Jinzhao the audacity to scorn him?
He wouldn't allow someone so arrogant to exist.
"Hmph!"
"Young man, what are you thinking? Fighting and killing is outdated. I just want to reason with you."
"What do you think?"
Chen Jinzhao had long lost interest in this kind of ruffian leader. They always said one thing and did another. While stretching his limbs, he said, "Stop with the flowery nonsense, you're being as wishy-washy as a woman. If you want to fight, fight. If not, get lost."
*Swish!*
Before Shen Liangping could give an order, over a dozen men in black surrounded them.
An ordinary person in this situation would likely be terrified, unable to breathe. But Chen Jinzhao had weathered far worse storms.
To him, this was child's play.
Shen Liangping watched Chen Jinzhao's reaction intently. To his surprise, Chen Jinzhao's face remained calm, showing no hint of emotion. He even wondered if his words hadn't been harsh enough.
"Young man, you are very arrogant," Shen Liangping said.
He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates not to be too tense; everything was still under control.
Chen Jinzhao saw through Shen Liangping's facade as a smiling tiger and chuckled, "If I'm not arrogant, am I still young?"
He had to admit.
Shen Liangping felt a certain admiration for Chen Jinzhao.
He sighed, "Do you know? I see a shadow of my younger self in you. It reminds me of those glorious years."
Chen Jinzhao remained silent, quietly listening to Shen Liangping's recollection.
"By the way," Shen Liangping looked at Chen Jinzhao.
"If I recall correctly, you served in the military for a few years? Heh heh, I joined the army in '98 and stayed for nearly ten years. When I was discharged, I was about your age and had a similar personality, looking down on this and that. Because of that, I hit a wall everywhere in society and was labeled a hothead. After several bloody encounters, I finally understood one thing—"
"It wasn't that the whole world was against me, but rather that I had placed myself in a position of being against the world."
"Why go through all that trouble?"
"Since you can't change the world, why not blend in and forge another path?"
Chen Jinzhao was slightly moved.
At least at this moment, he could feel that Shen Liangping's words came from the heart. He also smiled, "Different paths, no common ground. That's all."
Shen Liangping gazed deeply into Chen Jinzhao's eyes and saw a peculiar light there, the very conviction he possessed in his youth.
Now, it had been worn away by the trivialities of life.
Not a trace remained.
He felt a pang of jealousy.
Jealous of Chen Jinzhao's youth, jealous that he could still be a hothead against the world. Though he had faced many setbacks during that time, it was the freest he had ever lived.
Time flowed, and things changed.
Shen Liangping's gaze gradually turned cold. He shook his head slightly. "Good advice taken as if it were donkey liver and lungs. It seems you are truly beyond saving."
"Since you won't listen to reason, let me make you understand in another way."
In this world, might makes right.
It was the same between people as it was between nations.
Shen Liangping waved his hand.
More than a dozen dark figures surged forward!
His gaze shifted away from Chen Jinzhao to the brilliant stars in the night sky. He seemed lost in thought, pondering something unknown.
On the other side.
More than a dozen fists rained down upon Chen Jinzhao.
Chen Jinzhao grinned. This was his favorite part. It was the perfect way to vent the pent-up frustration of the past few days.
Before the fists could land, Chen Jinzhao lunged forward, crashing into the group.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed, like war drums beating on the battlefield, synchronizing the heartbeats.
One figure after another was flung from the crowd, followed by screams.
*Bang!*
A man in black was sent flying by Chen Jinzhao, landing at Shen Liangping's feet.
Shen Liangping thought the battle was over. He looked down, his pupils constricting. This wasn't quite how he had envisioned it.
He looked up at the group again, stunned.
Chen Jinzhao, like an invincible god of war, was holding his own against overwhelming odds.
No.
To be precise, Chen Jinzhao held the absolute advantage.
Shen Liangping's lips moved, wanting to say something but finding no words. Anything he said now would be as pale and powerless as a sheet of A4 paper.
Half a minute later.
The fierce battle began to wind down. Chen Jinzhao glanced at Shen Liangping, then punched the last man standing before him, sending him flying directly towards Shen Liangping.
Shen Liangping's scalp tingled.
He scrambled off his chair in the shortest possible time, followed by sounds of howling and splintering wood.
Close call!
He had almost been hit by a mere hair's breadth!
Shen Liangping sat on the ground, catching his breath before realizing how disheveled he looked. He glared fiercely at Chen Jinzhao.
Chen Jinzhao merely glanced at Shen Liangping and said with a lack of interest, "It seems the Yu and Su families are much the same. The assassins they keep are not very capable; they're just a bunch of useless fools."
The faces of the men present burned with shame.
Displeased?
Hold it in!
Chen Jinzhao walked up to Shen Liangping, who was sitting on the ground, and looked down at him, smiling. "Did you not expect such a bizarre and strange turn of events?"
"You..."
"You got too close to the Yu family and thought you could wield supreme power like them. That was merely an illusion. In the Yu family's eyes, you are just a dog."
"In the end, you've become the very person you despised."
Shen Liangping was still reeling from the shock. The events of the past moment had been too overwhelming, and Chen Jinzhao's words made his face turn a mixture of red and white with shame and indignation.
Yes.
Since joining the Yu family, he hadn't experienced the feeling of being slapped in the face.
The closer one got to power, the more likely one was to be deluded by the illusion of control. Shen Liangping had fallen into this trap.
"Shut up!"
Shen Liangping scrambled to his feet, his eyes fixed on Chen Jinzhao as he roared, "You haven't experienced the pain I've been through, so how can you understand why I chose this path?"
"You have no right to judge me!"
Chen Jinzhao let out a hollow laugh.
Then, what right did Shen Liangping have to criticize him?
Seeing the mocking smile on Chen Jinzhao's lips, Shen Liangping's mind was clouded by anger. He instinctively reached for his waist to draw his pistol and teach Chen Jinzhao a lesson.
As the saying goes, even the most skilled fighter fears a knife.
He reached out and felt nothing, which startled Shen Liangping.
Losing his firearm was a serious matter!
If mishandled, it could cause a lot of trouble for the Yu family!
Shen Liangping patted himself down and looked around, searching for his pistol, but found nothing.
He panicked completely.
"Are you... looking for this?" Chen Jinzhao's magnetic voice rang out.
Shen Liangping looked up and saw Chen Jinzhao loading the pistol and aiming it at his forehead. The distance was less than twenty centimeters, making it impossible to dodge.
*Swish!*
Large beads of cold sweat appeared.
Shen Liangping trembled and asked with difficulty, "You, how did my gun end up in your hands?"
Chen Jinzhao smiled, "No comment."
Shen Liangping tried to recall the events but couldn't understand how Chen Jinzhao had managed it.
"Chen Jinzhao, please don't act rashly. We can sit down and talk," Shen Liangping dared not move, fearing Chen Jinzhao might fire and end his life.
"Didn't you want to reason with me? I'll give you a chance. Continue," Chen Jinzhao said.
Shen Liangping had no desire to talk any nonsense.
He just wanted to live!
Swallowing hard, Shen Liangping appealed to his emotions and reason. "Please put the gun down. Young man, you must not act on impulse. Firing it will ruin the rest of your life. This way, you'll have no chance to be with the young lady, won't you? Can you bear to extinguish your last hope? If you want money, I can give you a lot, a lot of money!"
Chen Jinzhao shook his head.
Money?
He didn't care.
Power?
He didn't desire it either.
If there was anything Chen Jinzhao pursued, Yu Mengzhi was perhaps the only one.
Beyond that, there was nothing else.
"Weren't you very impressive just now? Can you show off like that again?" Chen Jinzhao asked with interest.
Shen Liangping's face turned green.
Chen Jinzhao was clearly toying with him!
*Click!*
A strange sound came from the pistol, making Shen Liangping's nerves tense. Chen Jinzhao laughed, "Don't be nervous, I haven't fired yet."
Shen Liangping's constant jumping and startled reactions had severely drained him, pushing him to the brink of collapse.
"What exactly do you want?!" he asked.
"Hmm..."
Chen Jinzhao pondered. "Honestly, I don't know what I want. I'll give you one minute. If your apology doesn't satisfy me, I'll shoot you."
Don't doubt him; he really would.
Furthermore, Shen Liangping's death would be in vain, as he was suspected of kidnapping and assassinating an official, a capital offense.
Shen Liangping's heart was in his throat. He quickly promised Chen Jinzhao all sorts of benefits, including but not limited to money and women, but Chen Jinzhao remained unmoved.
Half a minute passed.
Cold sweat had soaked through Shen Liangping's shirt. After attempting to offer various benefits without success, a deep sense of despair welled up within him.
Could he really be about to die here?
In desperation, Shen Liangping's knees buckled, and he knelt before Chen Jinzhao, kowtowing repeatedly. "Chen Jinzhao, for the sake of our shared identity, spare my life!"
"I also served the country on the frontier and achieved great merit."
"Please, let me go, okay?"
Chen Jinzhao closed his eyes.
He didn't doubt that the young Shen Liangping had the heart to serve his country. However, corrupted by fame and fortune, he had willingly become a lackey of the powerful clans, gradually forgetting the beliefs he once held, and then engaging in dirty, unspeakable deeds for these bloodsucking families.
It was at this moment.
Chen Jinzhao finally understood Xu Hanchen's loneliness.
Shen Liangping was just a pawn. After gaining the Yu family's favor, he became greedy for profit, deviating from his original intentions.
Then—
Could those who wielded immense power maintain their original intentions?
The enemies Xu Hanchen spoke of were perhaps people like Shen Liangping, whom Chen Jinzhao found deeply repulsive!
"You use your past glories to cover up your dirty deeds; don't you feel ashamed?"
"You are not worthy of uttering those two words again!"
"So, you will still—"
"Die."