114: Chapter 114 Openly Igniting the Flames

Lin Ning returned home, opened his computer, and pulled up the work logs he hadn't had time to delete when he was fired.

The cold light of the screen reflected a faint curl at the corner of his mouth.

“Fatty Zhang, back then you blocked my promotion and were in such a hurry to kick me out because you were afraid I'd cut off your source of wealth, weren't you?”

“Liu Jian... I didn't expect this. I thought we were friends, but it turns out you and Fatty Zhang were in cahoots all along.”

His fingertips flew across the keyboard as he pulled up the list of projects the company had bid on, quickly circling the failed bids, and then listing the names of the winning companies from memory.

After searching for and finding information on each company one by one...

He did only one thing—using his real-name email address, he sent a simply worded email to the public inboxes of those winning companies, yet it was enough to make a thief's heart skip a beat.

“May I ask if your company encountered any malicious complaints from XX Company after winning the bid for the XX project? If so, did you pay any 'settlement fees'...”

After sending the emails, he leaned back in his chair. Now, he just had to wait for someone to 'tip off' Fatty Zhang; he had used his own email address quite openly.

He imagined the expressions on Fatty Zhang or Liu Jian's faces once they found out he was stirring up trouble.

“After they contact me, will it be to beg for mercy or to threaten me?” he muttered to himself, his eyes devoid of any warmth. “I’m actually looking forward to the latter!”

After lighting the fire, Lin Ning stepped away from it.

He leisurely packed his things and headed straight for the Fighting Gym.

Inside the Fighting Gym, the air always carried a mix of sweat, hormones, and leather, like a photograph where time had frozen into its own world.

Amidst the sounds of 'Bang! Bang! Bang!' was the tooth-aching creak of wooden posts under heavy strain.

Lin Ning went full throttle. Ever since he had adjusted himself, his body felt a smooth and free sense of exhilaration when moving.

Furthermore, Lin Ning began to consciously mobilize his Psychic Power, training the coordination between the two.

Coach Chen Hu watched from the side.

Deputy Manager Pei Wan walked up to him. “His progress can't even be described as rapid; he's a natural talent. It's a pity.”

Coach Yang Xiaojun also leaned over and agreed upon hearing this. “If he were in our Captain's hands, he'd definitely be treated like a precious treasure and bragged about every day. He's right on the age limit, isn't he?”

Coach Chen Hu nodded. He didn't mention that he had suggested Lin Ning join the military and was rejected; everyone has their own ambitions, and you can't force these things, right?

It was just that he felt a sense of pity every time he saw him.

When you have feelings for an organization, you subconsciously want to push all the good things toward it, but things rarely go exactly as planned.

Pei Wan saw that after Lin Ning warmed up, he started showing off some fancy moves. He would pull back mid-attack into a blocking stance, then suddenly start swaying side to side as if having a seizure. To an outsider, it would look like he was having a neurotic fit.

But she knew what he was doing.

Frowning with a bit of disbelief, she asked Coach Chen Hu, “Old Chen, when you sparred with him last time, how was his combat awareness?”

A sour and bitter taste rose in Coach Chen Hu's mouth.

After a moment of silence, his expression twisted as if he had a toothache. “His reaction speed and observation skills are god-tier. Several times I could feel that he had predicted my next move. If it weren't for his lack of exposure and practical experience, I swear I almost slipped up and couldn't hold back.”

“Once that shortcoming is fixed, combined with his speed and power...” He couldn't help but spit. “I hate these talent monsters the most!”

Coach Chen Hu didn't know that Lin Ning was using Psychic Power to observe his muscle movements. However, his body and reactions were still lagging behind. Once he fully digested the transformation brought by his Golden Finger for the first time and his Psychic Power and physical attributes were perfectly matched, then he would be a true talent monster.

Yang Xiaojun's mouth hung open in surprise. “For real?”

Pei Wan said nothing for a while, thinking, then said, “Given his situation, it's time to file a record.”

Coach Chen Hu and Yang Xiaojun turned to look at her blankly. Is that all you thought of?

Coach Chen Hu said speechlessly, “Shouldn't the point be that he shouldn't keep training? He doesn't have an official status, and we're in an era of peace. Training this hard, what else can he do besides get into trouble?”

Pei Wan rolled her eyes. “So it's better to be like the sissies everywhere nowadays? If he commits a crime, catch him, but you can't stop a person from improving, can you?”

Something came to mind, and her temper flared as she snapped at the two of them, “It's because there are too many short-sighted fools like you! If everyone turns into a lamb, when the wolf comes, they'll just get bullied!”

Yang Xiaojun fled with his head in his hands, covered in her spittle. As expected of someone who was discharged for ideological issues; you dare to say it, but I don't even dare to listen.

Coach Chen Hu stood his ground, trying earnestly to persuade his old comrade-in-arms, “Right now, it would take two or three police officers to restrain him if he went out. If he really makes a mistake...”

Though Pei Wan wasn't tall, at this moment she possessed a condescending disdain, looking at Coach Chen Hu like he was an idiot as she interrupted him.

“Then it's just a matter of one bullet! It's not like the ancient times where martial arts could challenge the law. Whether he'll commit a crime is unknown, yet you want to flatten his spirit first? It's just you people who fear those who come after you—”

Coach Chen Hu quickly covered her mouth. “I'll call you my ancestor, please, stop your divine power!”

He didn't dare listen anymore. Last time she said things like this, she was discharged; this time, it would probably be the 'little black room.'

Pei Wan's eyebrows shot up as she threw an elbow strike straight at Coach Chen Hu's chest.

Coach Chen Hu quickly let go and retreated, not daring to be careless; this woman was known for using lethal moves back in the day.

Pei Wan took the opportunity to straighten her arm, resting it on Coach Chen Hu's retracting arm, and flipped her body into his chest—a shoulder throw!

“Bang!” With a loud crash, everyone in the hall looked over, wondering what had happened and why the two of them were fighting off the stage.

Pei Wan's eyes were practically spitting fire. He dared to cover her mouth; if the students hadn't been there, she would have snapped his hand!

They were not far behind Lin Ning, and with his Psychic Power active, he had heard most of the conversation.

When the two started fighting, he stopped to watch the show. One second, it really took only one second!

Coach Chen Hu was lying on the ground, and it was a heavy fall too.

Lin Ning clapped loudly. “Sister Pei is awesome! Sister Pei is mighty!”

Because of Lin Ning's mockery—no, because of Coach Chen Hu's injury—there was no sparring today.

At 9 PM, after Lin Ning finished his shower, he took out his phone.

Seeing over a dozen missed calls from Fatty Zhang and Liu Jian's numbers, Lin Ning smiled with disdain.

When the bad things you've done might have been discovered by others, the period leading up to the fallout is an extreme psychological torture.

The brain involuntarily simulates the miserable aftermath—prison, financial compensation, the judgment of family and relatives, and a ruined future.

That imagined fear is a hundred times more terrifying and painful than actually experiencing it.

Then comes the racking of brains to think of various ways to break the deadlock.

And the process of considering whether each method will work only intensifies that fear.

After that, he won't be able to sleep or eat, and might even feel like he's developed heart disease.

When the body reaches its limit, he will develop an illogical sense of luck because of the pain, relaxing and numbing the brain enough to get some sleep. But shortly after the body recovers slightly, he will wake up in a cold sweat, realizing that the 'solution' will still fail.

That despair and pain will double in the waking night until the sun rises.

It is a recurring cycle. In the sleepless or startled nights, fear will torment him like heart-eating ants, making him so miserable he'd almost want to end his own life.

Therefore, Lin Ning was in no hurry.

The ones in a hurry now were Fatty Zhang and his lot.

Why was he so clear on this? Because during that time when he was robbing Peter to pay Paul and helplessly watching the repayment date approach, he had experienced it firsthand.

The final blows were being fired right before his promotion and Liu Qingbei's betrayal.

He had once tried to be magnanimous, only to be told that the magnanimous get struck by lightning. Whether it was his former company or Liu Qingbei, did they still think he was that old honest man with a moral compass?

Although he had merged with the original host into one person, the reckless nature he developed growing up and struggling at the bottom in his previous life was like a steel plate, and his moral compass was flexible; toward enemies, he was always one step lower than they were.

Lin Ning put away his phone and rode his electric scooter to Old Yang BBQ to meet up with Jin Er and the others.

The night breeze dispersed the daytime heat, making it cool and comfortable. The pedestrians out for a stroll or late-night snacks were vivid and lively. The various restaurants along the road emitted enticing aromas and crisp shouts. Such a beautiful night was perfect for a few close friends to have a drink and chat freely.

How could he have time to bother with those criminals who deserved to suffer?

Lin Ning hummed a cheerful tune as he arrived. Jin Er had already ordered kidneys, meat skewers, and chives according to everyone's habits.

With a kidney in one hand and an ice-cold beer in the other, Lin Ning wanted to recite a few lines of poetry for the occasion. After struggling for a while, he finally said, “Old brothers, may we always be happy. Cheers!”