The newcomers were, of course, Krait, with a grenade stuffed in his mouth, and Chen Yang, who had come to close the net.

STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

Krait walked in front with Chen Yang behind him as they entered the room. Everyone else shot to their feet, their faces frozen in horror as they stared intently at Chen Yang. This was especially true for Fan Changtian.

He had a strange sort of confidence in Krait. In his view, there was hardly anyone in the world Krait couldn't kill. A mere Sixth Grade Martial General should have been no exception.

And yet…

Not only had Krait failed to kill his target, but he had been captured alive and brought here!

Since they had dispatched Krait, they hadn't brought any other bodyguards. In that instant, they felt as if they had been plunged into an icy abyss.

Yuan Tianlong stared intently at Chen Yang, focusing on his eyes.

Chen Yang scanned the room, leisurely lit a cigarette, and said coolly, "Is everyone here?"

The sound of his voice sent the already panicked Sun Chen slumping to the floor. His eyes widened in terror as he shrieked, "It's you! YOU!"

"So it was you," Yuan Tianlong said, his voice grim. He recognized those eyes. He was absolutely certain this was the man who had stared him down that day at Anwu Cemetery. It was definitely him.

Sun Chen, of course, was reacting to the man who had effortlessly crushed his Meilin Group and extorted 2.8 billion from him. Having only spoken to him over the phone before, he recognized the voice instantly.

"It's me," Chen Yang admitted with a simple nod.

The admission struck them like a bolt of lightning, sending their thoughts into chaos and chilling them to their very souls. Before, they had been convinced that the two couldn't possibly be the same person. After all, what kind of terrifying figure could both single-handedly destroy the Meilin Group and possess power exceeding the tenth rank? Such a person couldn't possibly be a nobody!

But now… it was over. Completely and utterly over.

Sun Chen's eyes darted around before he blurted out, "Sir! I already paid the 2.8 billion fine! And I always disagreed with sending an assassin! I swear! I was just about to leave when I opened the door; I wanted nothing more to do with them! Sir, could you please spare me?"

At this point, nothing else mattered; he had to distance himself from the others. The rest of them, however, were mentally cursing Sun Chen's ancestors back eighteen generations. The sly fox had no integrity, trying to pass the buck completely.

"You call that a fine?" Chen Yang glanced at him. "Besides, that's a separate matter." He waved a hand dismissively. "Don't just stand there. Sit."

Sun Chen: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Seeing them all frozen in place, Chen Yang smiled. "What, do you need a personal invitation?"

"N-No, of course not!" Sun Chen was the first to sit, not caring what the others did. He knew that discretion was the better part of valor; resisting now would be suicide.

"Yes, yes!"

"We'll sit, we'll sit!"

The others scrambled to their seats, but for them, it was like sitting on a bed of nails.

"Mmph... mmph..."

A muffled plea came from Krait, who seemed to be asking, *I brought you here, can't you let me go now?*

"I almost forgot about you," Chen Yang said, nodding with a smile.

Krait dropped to his knees, pleading desperately. "S-Sir," he garbled, "p-please... take the grenade... spare me..."

A grenade?

Hearing that word, Fan Changtian and the others felt a deathly chill creep over them, their eyes widening as if they would burst from their sockets. The thing in his mouth is really a grenade! If that thing goes off…

"Don't be naive," Chen Yang said, patting Krait's shoulder.

Krait: "..."

He tried to say something else, but before he could, Chen Yang kicked him square in the chest.

BANG!

Krait's body shot backwards, skimming across the floor and slamming into a bedroom. He spat a thick mouthful of blood, and the grenade shot out with it. Stained crimson, the grenade rolled to a stop. Its safety lever sprang off, striking the primer.

Krait's eyes bulged in horror.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion tore the bedroom to pieces, filling the air with smoke and dust as the floor shook violently.

This...

Fan Changtian, Sun Chen, and everyone else were petrified, their courage shattered. Krait, the number one assassin on the Blood Drop List, was dead just like that?

Who in the world *was* this man?

Chen Yang picked up a nearby bottle of red wine, found a clean glass, and poured himself a measure. Holding the base of the glass between his index and middle fingers, he gently swirled it on the tabletop, his cool gaze sweeping over their faces.

No one dared to meet his eyes. They all bowed their heads in a dreadful, silent tableau.

"Everyone here is a chairman of a renowned multinational pharmaceutical group," Chen Yang said with a smile. "So, let's talk. How do we want to handle this?"

They glanced at each other for a moment, their eyes filled with terror and uncertainty, but also a glimmer of hope.

"I... I'm willing to offer compensation," one of them said.

"Be specific."

"One billion!" the man said, gritting his teeth. "I'm willing to pay one billion. I hope, sir, that you can find it in your heart to forgive us."

Chen Yang didn't speak. He simply raised his glass, took a small sip, and looked at the others.

One billion. That was no small sum. But since someone had made the first offer, the others felt they had no choice but to follow suit.

Chen Yang shook his head. "Not enough."

Everyone: "..."

Fan Changtian clenched his teeth and forced himself to speak. "Sir, we haven't caused any actual damage to you or the Qin Corporation. One billion per person... that's five billion!"

The implication was clear: five billion was a colossal sum and should be more than enough.

Chen Yang turned his gaze on him and said nothing, simply staring.

Instantly, Fan Changtian felt that icy dread return, and cold sweat poured down his back.

THUMP!

He couldn't withstand the pressure for even ten seconds before sliding from his chair to the floor. "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" he stammered, apologizing profusely.

Chen Yang paid him no mind, continuing to swirl his wine. "Give me another number."

His casual indifference chilled them to the bone.

"Three... Three billion!" Sun Chen blurted out, his voice earnest.

Chen Yang nodded, satisfied. He looked at the others. "And you?"

How could they dare object? They all quickly agreed to pay three billion each.

"Excellent," Chen Yang said, setting down his glass. "The day after tomorrow is the grand opening of the Qin Corporation's new pharmaceutical plant. As esteemed leaders of the industry, why don't you all attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony? It would be a great opportunity to announce your generous donations."

"Yes, sir! Whatever you say, we'll do it!" Sun Chen nodded emphatically. Compared to their lives, what was money?

SNAP.

Chen Yang snapped his fingers.

Yang Hu walked in. "Boss."

"They're all yours now. Watch them," Chen Yang said. He stood, straightened his clothes, and strode out of the room.

"You got it!" Yang Hu bared his teeth in a wide grin.

"..."

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