244: Chapter 245 The Eye of the Storm! Collecting the First Debt!

Tianhai City, suburbs.

An abandoned cargo port.

It was once one of Tianhai City's busiest logistics hubs, but it had been abandoned for years due to changes in urban planning.

Rusted cranes, dilapidated warehouses, and overgrown docks formed a desolate scene.

In the eyes of ordinary people, this was a gathering place for trash and vagrants.

But in Tianhai City's underworld, this was an unwritten "trading point."

Black market deals, information exchanges, and the settling of grudges—many things that couldn't see the light of day were conducted here.

Today, however, this forgotten corner was unusually "lively."

The afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows across the port.

In the shadows of those containers, behind the broken windows of abandoned warehouses, and atop rusted iron frames, hidden gazes peered out.

There were lone bounty hunters, mercenary squads in groups of three or five, and some solitary experts with eerie auras who were clearly not to be trifled with.

Their equipment varied, and their classes were different.

But they had only one goal.

Lin Qi!

And the invaluable "IOU" exchange that was about to take place here.

Everyone was extremely patient.

Like a pack of hyenas waiting for their prey to fall into a trap.

They knew that as long as the youth named Lin Qi dared to appear, he would be met with a barrage of lethal attacks from all directions.

A bounty of six hundred billion was enough to drive anyone mad.

In the center of the port, on a patch of open ground.

Zhang Wei sat in a massive, modified heavy truck parked there.

He sat in the driver's cab, his palms covered in sweat and his clothes soaked through with cold sweat.

He could feel the malicious gazes around him and the tangible Killing Intent permeating the air.

To say he wasn't afraid would be a lie.

He was just a Life Class Player; even if he was rich, he was still just an ordinary person.

Stared at by so many fierce and desperate outlaws, his legs were trembling.

"Qi-ge, oh Qi-ge, you're playing this way too big..."

The fat man wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered under his breath.

"This isn't collecting a debt; this is using yourself as bait to fish for sharks!"

He glanced at the time; there were only ten minutes left until the agreed-upon exchange time.

The people from the Han Family would be the first to arrive to pay the "Life-Sparing Money."

He didn't know what kind of confidence Lin Qi had to dare show himself publicly in such a dragnet.

But he chose to believe.

Unconditionally.

Just then, the roar of engines came from the distant road.

Several black hovercars with special license plates formed a convoy and slowly drove into the port.

The convoy stopped a hundred meters away from Zhang Wei's truck.

The doors opened, and a group of cold-faced guards in black uniforms surrounded an old man as he stepped out of the middle car.

It was the Second Elder Han Tiande of the Ice City Han Family.

Second Elder Han Tiande glanced at the solitary truck in the center of the clearing, then scanned the "hyenas" hidden in the shadows, his brow furrowing deeply.

"A bunch of rats hiding their heads and tails," he snorted coldly. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the port.

As an Elder of an established noble family, he had his pride.

Even though he was here to deliver the "Life-Sparing Money" today, he disdained associating with these black market scum.

"Where is Lin Qi?" Second Elder Han Tiande asked in a deep voice toward the truck. "Tell him to come out! The Han Family's items must be handed to him personally!"

Zhang Wei took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and jumped down from the high driver's cab.

He tried to make his voice sound less shaky.

"Qi... Qi-ge, he'll be here soon. You can inspect the goods first."

"Inspect?" Second Elder Han Tiande sneered. "Does my Han Family's reputation still need inspection?"

No sooner had he spoken.

A calm voice rang out in everyone's ears without warning.

"Your reputation is worthless."

"But my time is precious."

The voice seemed to come from all directions at once, yet also sounded directly in everyone's minds.

There was no one there.

They couldn't find the source of the voice at all!

All the experts hidden in the shadows felt a chill in their hearts, their pupils shrinking.

Where was he?!

They had used various means to seal off this area so tightly that not even a fly could get in.

How did this person get in?

Second Elder Han Tiande's expression changed as well. He spun around, scanning the surroundings warily.

"Who is it?! Stop playing tricks! Get out here!"

"Haven't I... always been here?"

The voice rang out again.

This time, it was right behind Second Elder Han Tiande.

Second Elder Han Tiande's body froze instantly, a chill rushing from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.

He could feel a warm breath with a faint scent of blood puffing against the back of his neck.

The elite guards he had brought finally reacted.

They were horrified to find that at some point, a person had appeared in the center of their heavily guarded circle.

A lean youth dressed in ordinary casual clothes.

He stood there quietly, one hand resting lightly on Second Elder Han Tiande's shoulder.

No one saw how he had appeared.

It was as if he had been standing there all along.

Standing there from the very beginning.

And all of them had been "blind."

"You... you are Lin Qi?"

For the first time, Second Elder Han Tiande's voice trembled.

He could feel that the hand on his shoulder wasn't using any force.

But the weight coming from that hand was like an ancient divine mountain, pressing down so hard he didn't even have the strength to move a finger.

He had no doubt that if the other party wished, a light squeeze would crush his entire shoulder and the bones within into powder.

"Where are the items?"

Lin Qi didn't answer his question, only asking calmly.

His gaze calmly swept over everyone present.

The Han Family guards.

Zhang Wei in the distance.

And... those hyenas hidden in the darkness, who thought themselves the hunters.

Everyone met by his gaze, regardless of their strength, felt a fear stemming from their very Soul at that moment.

It was not Killing Intent.

But an Advanced, absolute suppression from the level of life itself!

As if ants were looking up at a god.

"Give... give it to him!"

Second Elder Han Tiande could no longer hold out. He used all his strength to roar those three words.

A guard with trembling hands brought forward an Ice Jade Casket and a data chip.

Lin Qi let go and took the casket and the chip.

He opened the jade casket; three translucent pieces of Thousand-Year Profound Ice Soul, emitting a bone-chilling cold, lay quietly inside.

He then scanned the chip on his terminal, confirming it was a complete map of the Extreme Frost Ice Cave.

"Very good."

Lin Qi nodded and casually tossed the items to Zhang Wei in the distance.

"The first debt has been collected."

He turned around to face the lurkers hidden in the darkness, a sliver of a smile finally appearing on his face.

"Now, it's your turn."

"My head is right here."

"Whoever wants it can come and... take it themselves."