Chapter 102: I Must Be More Ruthless Than the Villains!
The car sped through the dimly lit outskirts of Peaceful City, its tires cutting through the silence of the night. Chen Xue Wen sat in the back, his expression cold as steel, while the driver, trembling under his gaze, kept his hands tightly on the wheel. According to Chen Xue Wen’s orders, they arrived at an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city.
Inside, Wang Zhen Dong and Li Tie Zhu were already waiting, their postures tense, eyes sharp.
As soon as they parked, Chen Xue Wen pressed a bone-cutting knife against the driver’s side, forcing him out of the vehicle. Then, he gestured toward Lai Hou, who immediately went to the backseat and “invited” the woman and the child out of the car.
“Take them to the next room,” Chen Xue Wen ordered.
That room was sealed—no windows, only a single door as the exit. Perfect.
He turned to Li Tie Zhu and Wang Zhen Dong. “Guard the door. No one in or out unless I say so.”
Once everything was in place, Chen Xue Wen stepped back toward the driver.
The man’s face was pale, jaw clenched. “Brother, I accept my loss this time. Name your price. I’ll call my boss, and he’ll pay you. Just don’t hurt the woman and the child.”
Chen Xue Wen smirked, shaking his head. “No need for that. I’ll go talk to Zhou Jing Hui myself.”
The driver stiffened, his eyes widening in disbelief. “You… Who the hell are you?”
A chuckle escaped Chen Xue Wen’s lips. “You’ve been driving for Zhou Jing Hui for two years, and you don’t know who I am?”
He leaned in, his voice a whisper of ice. “The name’s Chen Xue Wen.”
The driver’s face drained of all color. He had heard that name before. Everyone in Peaceful City’s underground had. Chen Xue Wen had recently made life a living hell for Zhou Jing Hui, disrupting his operations, striking where it hurt the most. But as a mere driver, he had never been directly involved in those affairs. He had only been responsible for escorting Zhou Jing Hui’s wife and child, picking them up from school, ensuring their safety.
Now, face-to-face with the legend himself, he understood—this wasn’t about money. It was about something far worse.
Chen Xue Wen stared him down. “You don’t want them harmed? Then cooperate. Let them tie you up.”
The driver lowered his head in defeat, allowing Lai Hou and the others to bind him. Even then, Chen Xue Wen wasn’t satisfied. He wrapped the driver’s hands and feet with layers of industrial tape, securing him to a stone pillar in the factory.
“You’re Zhou Jing Hui’s personal bodyguard, trained in martial arts. Can’t take any risks.”
With the driver handled, Chen Xue Wen turned to his men. “Next step—I’m going to meet Zhou Jing Hui in person.”
His voice dropped lower, more dangerous. “Stick to the plan. If there’s a mistake and we fail to kill Snake, we’re all dead.”
Li Er Yong, Lai Hou, and Wang Zhen Dong nodded grimly. There was no turning back now.
Meanwhile, in Zhou Jing Hui’s mansion, Zhou Jing Hui was casually enjoying breakfast, listening to Little Ma report on last night’s events.
He had been eagerly awaiting news of Chen Xue Wen’s death. After all, Snake had sent his best killers. There was no way Chen Xue Wen could have survived.
But the news wasn’t what he expected.
Instead, Snake’s forces had been annihilated—one severely injured, another captured.
“Fucking useless piece of shit!” Zhou Jing Hui slammed his chopsticks onto the table. “That bastard is always boasting, making it sound like he’s invincible! But he couldn’t even handle a couple of damn street punks?!”
His face darkened with worry. If Snake had failed, that meant Chen Xue Wen was still alive. And if Chen Xue Wen decided to retaliate…
Damn it. Zhou Jing Hui regretted ever getting involved with Snake in the first place. If only he had stayed out of it, he wouldn’t be in this mess.
Now, he had no choice—he needed more bodyguards around him.
Just as he was making arrangements, he glanced out the window and saw something that made his blood run cold.
His own car had just pulled into the courtyard.
That wasn’t right.
Every morning, his wife personally drove their child to school, and the driver would then bring the car back afterward. It had been a routine for years.
But when the vehicle came to a stop, the person who stepped out wasn’t his driver.
It was Chen Xue Wen.
Zhou Jing Hui felt his stomach twist in knots. Was he seeing things?
He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
No doubt about it.
Chen Xue Wen was standing right there, next to the car, Lai Hou beside him.
“Motherf— CHEN XUE WEN?!”
His voice rang through the mansion as his face twisted in shock and rage.
How the hell did Chen Xue Wen get his car? Where were his wife and child?!
Before he could react, Chen Xue Wen grinned at him through the window.
“Brother Hui, good morning!”
Zhou Jing Hui bolted from his chair, rushing toward the door, panic surging through his veins. He reached the car and threw open the door—nothing. Just Lai Hou, sitting in the driver’s seat.
No wife. No child.
He whirled on Chen Xue Wen, his fury boiling over. “WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY WIFE AND KID?!”
His fists clenched, his voice laced with unhinged rage. “I swear to god, if you hurt them, I’ll fucking end you! I’ll spend every damn cent I have making sure you die screaming!”
Chen Xue Wen remained calm, unfazed, stepping past him and into the mansion as if he owned the place.
He eyed the breakfast table and smirked. “Oh? Brother Hui, still enjoying breakfast?”
Grabbing a pair of chopsticks, he plucked a piece of food from the table and tossed it into his mouth.
“Perfect timing. I haven’t eaten yet either.”
Chen Xue Wen swaggered over to the table, showing no hesitation as he sat down. He poured himself a cup of soy milk, grabbed a deep-fried dough stick, and started eating with ease, stuffing vegetables between bites as if he owned the place.
Little Ma stood at the side, his face contorted with fury. His fists clenched as he barked, “Chen Xue Wen! You better bring back Sister-in-Law and the kid right now!”
“Or else, I swear, I’ll fucking kill you!”
Chen Xue Wen let out a soft chuckle, unfazed. “You think I’d come here if I was afraid of death?”
“You wanna kill me? No problem!”
He reached into his jacket, pulled out a bone-cutting knife, and slammed it onto the table with a sharp clack. Then, patting his own neck, he sneered, “Go ahead, right here! One clean cut, and I’m done for.”
“Come on! I won’t even fight back!”
Little Ma’s gaze flickered to the blade. His face darkened, but in the end, he didn’t dare move.
Chen Xue Wen smirked in disdain and went back to his breakfast, chewing methodically.
Zhou Jing Hui stood by, his face rigid with rage. He ground his teeth and snapped, “Chen Xue Wen! There’s an unspoken rule in this world—family is off-limits!”
“Don’t you have any fucking bottom line?”
“Dragging my wife and kid into this—what kind of beast are you?!”
Chen Xue Wen didn’t respond. He took his time, eating five dough sticks and downing two bowls of soy milk before finally putting down his bowl.
Leaning back, he patted his stomach in satisfaction. “Ah, being full feels great!”
Then, he glanced at Zhou Jing Hui, his voice suddenly dropping low. “Brother Hui, ever heard of a little joint called Ceremonial Hotel in Peaceful City?”
Zhou Jing Hui frowned, shaking his head. “Never heard of it. Why?”
Chen Xue Wen chuckled. “Not surprising.”
“It’s a tiny restaurant—two private rooms, six tables. The kind of place rich folks like you wouldn’t even look at.”
Zhou Jing Hui’s eyes stayed cold. “What’s your point?”
Chen Xue Wen held up a finger, signaling him to wait. “Brother Hui, let me finish.”
“This place mainly serves factory workers and locals from Happiness Alley. They also do banquet services—cheap ones. The lowest option is one hundred and thirty per table—eight hot dishes, eight cold ones, a soup, and some staple food.”
His eyes darkened as he continued, “Half a year ago, someone hosted a school entrance banquet there. Five tables. The owner squeezed it down to one hundred and twenty per table after bargaining. But in the end, the host didn’t get the soup or staple food.”
“More guests showed up than expected, and the food was barely enough for five tables, let alone seven. People left hungry. The host was humiliated.”
Chen Xue Wen’s voice softened, his eyes glistening with something raw. “But you know what? The host didn’t care.”
“Because the money saved from that meal—nearly three hundred bucks—bought his son a new set of clothes and shoes for college. He wanted his son to walk onto campus with his head held high.”
Zhou Jing Hui, frowning, couldn’t help but ask, “And? What’s this got to do with me?”
Chen Xue Wen turned his gaze on him, his voice eerily calm. “That banquet? It was for me.”
“The humiliated host? That was my father and mother.”
Zhou Jing Hui froze.
Chen Xue Wen’s tone grew even colder. “From the day I turned one to the day I got into college, that was the only banquet they ever held. And it became a joke.”
“But they never regretted it. They were just happy they could buy me new clothes and shoes.”
His voice trembled slightly. He wiped the corner of his eye and exhaled deeply. “But do you know what happened next?”
Zhou Jing Hui, caught in the moment, muttered, “What happened?”
Chen Xue Wen’s voice turned to steel. “Zhou Hao framed me for murdering his girlfriend. I was thrown in prison.”
“My parents fought desperately to prove my innocence. Zhou Hao had them killed.”
“And when they died, their bodies weren’t even left whole.”
With every word, Chen Xue Wen took a step closer to Zhou Jing Hui.
By the time he finished, he was standing inches away. His eyes were bloodshot, his jaw clenched.
“‘Family is off-limits’?!”
“Then tell me—what about my parents?!”
Zhou Jing Hui was speechless, his lips parted but no words came out.
Chen Xue Wen’s voice dropped to a whisper, chilling to the bone. “Don’t preach your fucking morals to me.”
“From the moment my parents died, my world changed. My beliefs changed. My everything changed.”
He glanced around at the luxurious decor of the room, then scoffed. “This world, huh? Just like I thought.”
“Kill and pillage, and you rise to the top. Do good, and you die forgotten.”
His gaze snapped back to Zhou Jing Hui. Suddenly, he slammed his palm onto the table, the impact rattling the cups and plates. His roar shook the air.
“If others can kill and steal—why the fuck can’t I?!”
“If others treat lives like dirt—why the fuck can’t I?!”
“If others get to stand above all—why the fuck can’t I?!”
Each question was a step forward, forcing Zhou Jing Hui back until his legs hit the sofa, and he collapsed into it, his face pale as a ghost.
Chen Xue Wen loomed over him, his features twisted in fury, his voice raw with madness.
“Since I’ve chosen this road—I’ll be worse than the worst. More ruthless than the cruelest.”
“If I must live, then I won’t hesitate to make others die.”
“So don’t you fucking test my limits!”
Zhou Jing Hui stared at him, paralyzed with fear, as those chilling words echoed in his mind, filling every corner of the room with an unbearable silence.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation