16: Chapter 16 Long Aotian's Anger and Fear

Jiangcheng, the top-floor office of Tiansheng Group.

An expensive antique vase had been reduced to fragments on the floor, leaving a scene of chaos.

Long Aotian unbuttoned his shirt collar, his chest heaving violently. He clutched a stack of freshly printed A4 paper, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Before him knelt three heads of the intelligence department dressed in black suits, each with their heads bowed, not daring to breathe, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads onto the carpet.

"Trash! All of you are trash!"

Long Aotian hurled the stack of paper into the face of the man in charge. The sheets fluttered like snowflakes, scattering all over the floor.

"This is the result of you investigating all night?" Long Aotian kicked over the coffee table in front of him, his roar echoing through the spacious office. "Chen Fan, male, 45 years old, a local from Jiangcheng. Half a month ago, he was still delivering food, living in a basement, eating instant noodles. And then? That is it?"

The head of the intelligence department tremblingly picked up the papers from the floor, his voice wavering: "Young... Young Master Long, we utilized all our networks and even checked the overseas dark web. But this Chen Fan's background is like a blank sheet of paper. Aside from the food delivery records, everything else... is blank."

"Blank?"

Long Aotian suddenly calmed down, but this calmness was more terrifying than his previous rage. He slumped into his leather executive chair, his eyes as sinister as a viper.

In this circle, what one fears most is not a strong opponent, but an opponent who is a "blank slate."

A bottom-feeder who delivered food could suddenly produce tens of millions in cash to buy jade, mobilize 150 million US dollars to snap up shares, and even possess unfathomable martial arts skills.

What does this mean?

It means "delivering food" was just a front.

It means that behind Chen Fan stands a behemoth that even Tiansheng Group cannot investigate. Or perhaps, Chen Fan himself is a core member of some top-tier financial conglomerate out to experience life.

The fear of the unknown, like a cold hand, slowly crawled up Long Aotian's spine.

He had originally intended to find someone to take Chen Fan out directly, but now, he dared not act. If he poked a hornet's nest, not only he, but the entire Tiansheng Group would be buried with him.

"Young Master Long, then... should we continue to act?" the subordinate asked cautiously.

Long Aotian took a deep breath, pulled a cigar from the drawer, cut it, and lit it. Amidst the swirling smoke, his face appeared somewhat distorted.

"Act, my ass! Before figuring out his background, whoever dares to touch him, I will finish them first."

Long Aotian exhaled a ring of smoke, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk, producing a series of dull sounds.

"Is there a charity banquet tomorrow night?"

"Yes, initiated by the city, all the socialites of Jiangcheng will attend."

"Send him an invitation." Long Aotian narrowed his eyes, a flicker of ruthlessness flashing in his gaze. "Since we cannot find anything, we will bring him out into the open. On my turf, under the eyes of everyone, I will see whether he is a true dragon or just a local snake."

"Yes, I will go handle it immediately."

The subordinate, as if granted amnesty, scrambled out.

The office returned to a deathly silence.

Long Aotian walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the brightly lit night view of Jiangcheng beneath his feet, his ferocious face reflected in the glass.

"Chen Fan... regardless of what kind of deity you are, in Jiangcheng, if you are a dragon, you must coil for me; if you are a tiger, you must lie down for me."

At the same moment, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon was driving across the river-spanning bridge.

The river wind whistled, and the car's speed was steady.

【Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the emergency interception mission: Acquire shares of Huihuang Group.】

【Mission Rating: Perfect. Leaving the villain with no way out is the greatest justice.】

【Rewards are being distributed...】

【Reward 1: Clue to absolute controlling stake in Huihuang Group (already stored in system space).】

【Reward 2: 100 million in cash (already transferred to offshore account).】

【Special Reward triggered: Absolute Domain Perception (Beginner).】

Chen Fan's hand on the steering wheel paused slightly.

The next second, a strange sensation instantly covered his brain.

It was as if a radar had been powered on; with him as the center, every movement within a fifty-meter radius was clearly presented in his mind.

He did not need to look with his eyes or listen with his ears.

In the taxi to the rear left, the driver was yawning.

In the sports car on the right, the engine's RPM was somewhat abnormal.

Even the faint sense of malice in the air became tangible.

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow.

In his perception, two hundred meters directly behind him, an inconspicuous gray Volkswagen sedan was tailing him closely. There were two men in the car, their heart rates high, carrying the aura of those who had spent years mingling in gray areas.

That was malice directed at him.

Like two thorns, pricking at his perception network.

"zero." Chen Fan looked straight ahead, his tone calm.

"Present, Host."

"Is that Volkswagen behind us with the license plate ending in 748 one of Long Aotian's men?"

"Yes. That is the 'Cleaner' team under Long Aotian, specifically responsible for tracking and handling dirty work. Do you need me to hack their vehicle control system and cause an accident?"

"No need."

Chen Fan signaled, and the car exited the elevated road, turning into a quiet road along the river.

"Just two flies; keep them to report back to Long Aotian. Let him know where I am, so he will not be able to sleep soundly."

Since he had obtained this ability similar to a "God's eye view," Chen Fan was not in a hurry. The fear of the unknown is the most tormenting; he wanted to let Long Aotian watch his empire collapse bit by bit amidst suspicion and panic.

Just then, a golden electronic invitation popped up on the center console screen.

【Sincerely inviting Mr. Chen Fan to attend the "Starlight Charity Banquet" held tomorrow at the Jiangcheng Peninsula Hotel. —— Tiansheng Group, Long Aotian presents.】

Chen Fan glanced at the screen and sneered.

"Already losing his composure? A Hongmen Banquet?"

"Host, according to analysis, this is a probing attempt against you. Long Aotian has invited all the media and business elites in Jiangcheng; it is highly likely he intends to use public opinion or rules to suppress you in a public setting, forcing you to reveal your trump card," zero analyzed calmly.

"Probing?"

Chen Fan jerked the steering wheel, and the G-Wagon performed a beautiful drift on the empty road, coming to a steady stop on the side.

He rolled down the window, and the river wind rushed in, blowing his hair into a mess.

Through the rearview mirror, he could "see" the Volkswagen behind him also braking in a panic, stopping in the shadows in the distance.

"Reply to him, I will go."

Chen Fan pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, the flame illuminating his sharp-featured face.

"He wants to see my trump card; I am just afraid his table is too small to hold it."

"Also, zero, help me prepare a top-tier outfit. Since I am going to crash the party, I need to dress decently."

Chen Fan looked at the blurry reflection of himself in the rearview mirror.

Half a month ago, that delivery driver Chen Fan, who was servile for a few dollars of positive feedback, had died on that rainy night.

Now, he was a hunter of capital, a Shura of revenge.

"Young Master Dragon, is it?"

Chen Fan exhaled a ring of smoke, the smoke dissipating in the wind.

"Wash your neck and wait; I will come teach you tomorrow what a real 'noble family' is."

He closed the window, and the G-Wagon roared deeply again, like a beast out of its cage, plunging into the vast night.

And behind him, in the Volkswagen that was tracking him, the two thugs watched the receding taillights, and for some reason, despite the heater being on, they both shivered simultaneously.

That feeling was as if they had been targeted by some terrifying beast.