There were over a dozen people holding guns, all with ferocious expressions and mad, desperate eyes.
These women were cornered by them, blocking the passageway.
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and stopped.
Soon, several more people emerged from that room. Among them was a man in his late fifties, of medium build, under the tight protection of the other gunmen and bodyguards.
Chen Fan had seen the information and recognized this man as Fei Zheng'en.
The Earth Fiend of the Brotherhood!
A major underworld figure who had been dominant in the capital for over a decade, with connections and power that were not to be underestimated.
"What, threatening me with hostages?"
Chen Fan's voice was indifferent, laced with a chilling murderous intent.
"Chen Tianjiao, I know you might not care about these women's lives," Fei Zheng'en said, his voice steady, showing no panic at Chen Fan's proximity. "But you will care about your own life. Ashen!"
A lean man with a scar on his face and a sinister demeanor stepped forward and ripped open the clothes of one of the women.
Amidst the women's screams, the others tore at their clothing.
Red lights flashed, revealing simple yet intricate explosive devices on their bodies.
Chen Fan's pupils contracted.
"C4 explosives, eleven women, eleven C4 charges, enough to level this club!"
Fei Zheng'en said calmly with a smile, "Chen Tianjiao, your strength is indeed formidable. You've cut your way through unstoppably, and I can't keep you here.
"But if you want to kill me, then you'll be buried with me!"
Saying this, Fei Zheng'en waved the remote control in his hand.
Chen Fan was silent for a moment, then said, "Earth Fiend, you are ruthless!"
"Haha!"
Fei Zheng'en burst into laughter. "If I weren't ruthless, how could I have gotten to where I am today?
"When the Four Seas Gang fell, how else could I have filled their void and gained all of this?"
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and said, "I bet you don't dare to press the remote control!"
"I don't dare?" Fei Zheng'en sneered. "Chen Tianjiao, you can try. With so many people protecting me, no matter how strong you are, how long will it take you to fight your way through? Pressing the remote takes a mere 0.1 second. You can take that gamble!"
Chen Fan's voice was indifferent. "You think I wouldn't dare? Your explosives are indeed powerful. If they detonate, you will surely die, but I might not."
"I believe you, but you certainly won't have an easy time of it."
Fei Zheng'en said, "An expert martial artist, in an explosion of this magnitude at such a high level, even if they don't die, they will be severely wounded and near death!"
"Then go ahead and detonate them!"
Chen Fan's expression was indifferent. He suddenly took a step forward.
His internal energy radiated outwards, swirling around Chen Fan, making his figure appear illusory.
With a cold expression and immense aura, Chen Fan seemed to disregard life and death, as if he could fight his way out of an inferno.
Fei Zheng'en's expression changed.
His numerous subordinates also looked alarmed.
As for the hostages to whom Fei Zheng'en had tied explosives, they burst into tears, trembling. Some collapsed on the spot, their bladders giving way from fear.
After Chen Fan took the first step, he was about to take a second.
Some of Fei Zheng'en's subordinates, unable to contain themselves, already had their guns pointed at Chen Fan, ready to fire!
His expression shifting, Fei Zheng'en laughed heartily, took out another remote control with his other hand, and pressed it.
Boom!
Behind Chen Fan, a room exploded with a deafening roar. The entire door was reduced to powder, and a surge of hot, fiery energy erupted, spewing out several meters along the corridor.
The immense impact swept away and pulverized the walls and all the decorations in its path.
Chen Fan stood firm, not even looking back.
Dropping the used remote control, Fei Zheng'en said, "This is just a warning, Chen Tianjiao. If it truly comes to a fight to the death, then I, Earth Fiend, have no fear of dying!"
Chen Fan said, "Why didn't you press the other remote control then? That would have settled everything!"
"No one wants to die, myself included. But Chen Tianjiao, you've pushed me too far, so only mutual destruction remains!"
Fei Zheng'en said, "I, Fei Zheng'en, have been active in the capital for decades. I've long since come to terms with life and death!"
"After all is said and done, you still don't dare to press the remote."
Chen Fan said indifferently, "You're just spouting nonsense!"
"In fact, when you were fighting your way up, I could have escaped, but I didn't."
Fei Zheng'en said, "I wanted to see if you, Chen Tianjiao, truly had three heads and six arms, if you were truly invincible."
"Now it seems, you're just so-so!"
Chen Fan said softly, "Now, you can't escape!"
"Haha, I'm leaving right now. What can you do to me? Unless you truly want to die here."
Fei Zheng'en narrowed his eyes and said, "Exchanging one Earth Fiend like me for the life of Chen Tianjiao is a thousand-fold worthwhile deal for the Brotherhood!"
Chen Fan said indifferently, "Then what are you waiting for?"
"Because I don't want to. No matter how much of an enemy Chen Tianjiao is to the Brotherhood, in my eyes, my own life is more important."
Chen Fan couldn't be bothered to retort.
Fei Zheng'en tying explosives to the women in this club was indeed beyond his expectations.
In the current situation, he could disregard the lives of these women, but he wasn't confident he could kill Fei Zheng'en, who was heavily protected, in one blow.
He still needed to wait for an opportunity.
"Name your price, Chen Tianjiao!"
Fei Zheng'en said again. "How much money can make you let me go, or name some other conditions!"
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and said, "Are you begging for mercy now?"
"Chen Tianjiao, you are truly arrogant. Am I begging you for mercy? I simply don't want to be chased like a mad dog. You are a mad dog, and why should one bother too much with a mad dog?"
Chen Fan did not get angry and said, "You know what I want!"
Fei Zheng'en sneered and said, "That is impossible to tell you. Name some realistic conditions, one hundred million, two hundred million? I'll treat it as giving alms to a beggar."
"Then you might as well go die."
Chen Fan said calmly, "Do you think you are still that important to the Brotherhood?"
"Cao Jinhua, Qiao Lin, Sun Si, these people are all below you, right?"
Fei Zheng'en frowned and said, "How did you find out?"
Chen Fan sneered, "Is it surprising? I have a list from Du Fumin. Do you know Du Fumin's identity?"
Fei Zheng'en's expression changed upon hearing this, but he still snorted and said, "Young Master Du? What does he have to do with me? Bring him out, do you expect me to believe what you say?"
Clearly, he was still unwilling to give up.
Chen Fan was not surprised and said, "You can make a call now. Arrests have already begun for those below you."
"From your Earth Fiend downwards, everyone is being uprooted. And all of this is caused by your own Brotherhood members. You, Earth Fiend, are already a discarded pawn of the Brotherhood!"
Hearing Chen Fan's words, Fei Zheng'en's gaze flickered.
"In the Brotherhood, you have no more value. The Brotherhood wants to use your death to appease my anger."
"Is such an organization still worth you risking your life for?"
Fei Zheng'en took a mobile phone from his subordinate and began to dial.
Chen Fan clasped his hands behind his back, not urging him.
After several phone calls, Fei Zheng'en's face grew increasingly grim.
"It's the Heavenly Official!"
He put down the phone, gritting his teeth, and said, "No wonder you found me so quickly. That bastard Heavenly Official, he's been wanting to swallow me up and make me obey his orders. He's using you to get rid of me!"