153: Chapter 153 Extremes

Zhou Wanquan slumped in the worn leather chair, the hatred in his chest burning like a wildfire, consuming his last shred of reason and forging a desperate resolve to burn his boats.

How could he not understand the principle that when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter?

Having traversed the business world for half his life, he was accustomed to people fawning over the powerful and the fickleness of human relationships.

Now that Wantai had collapsed and he had become a stray dog, it was only to be expected that those who once surrounded him would avoid him at all costs.

But he just couldn't swallow this resentment.

He hated those petty people who kicked him while he was down, and he hated Jiang Chen even more—the man who had remained calm and composed from beginning to end while forcing him into a corner step by step.

He had been only one step away.

It was Jiang Chen who had given him a glimmer of hope for self-salvation, only to personally crush that hope into dust.

Causing him to fall from the clouds into the mire, ending up ruined and deserted by everyone.

This overwhelming hatred could only be dissipated by dragging Jiang Chen down to the grave with him.

Zhou Wanquan slowly pushed himself up from the armrests; his legs had long gone numb, and he stumbled before steadying himself.

His eyes were hollow yet manic. No longer looking at the mountain of debt collection documents on the desk, he walked straight into the lounge inside the office.

He dug out a set of long-unused ordinary casual clothes—a gray hoodie and dark trousers, both in the most inconspicuous styles.

After changing, the aura of a former chairman was completely erased; he looked like an unremarkable middle-aged man.

He took off the crumpled, custom-made suit that reeked of failure and tossed it onto the floor, then pulled a sharp, pre-prepared short knife from a cabinet in the corner of the lounge.

The blade was long and narrow. He tucked it tightly against his chest inside the hoodie, completely concealed by the fabric.

As his fingertips touched the cold hilt, the madness in Zhou Wanquan's eyes intensified, and a resolute, sinister grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

He didn't look back. Gripping the knife hidden against his chest and pulling his hat low, he hurried out of the chairman's office, which was filled with despair and the smell of mold.

He walked through the empty, lifeless office area and out the doors of Wantai Real Estate.

By now, the sky had darkened, and twilight enveloped the entire city.

The usual hustle and bustle in front of the Wantai Building was gone, leaving only a few hurried passersby. The atmosphere was cold and desolate.

In the shadows of a street corner not far across from the building, a tall figure hid motionless, like a crouching leopard.

It was Zhao Yiming, whom Jiang Chen had arranged to keep watch on Zhou Wanquan.

As a retired scout, Zhao Yiming possessed a keen insight and alertness etched into his bones.

From the moment Zhou Wanquan entered the office, he had locked onto the target without a moment's relaxation.

His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the entrance of the Wantai Building. Not even the slightest movement in the surroundings could escape his gaze.

Meanwhile, inside the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment, the lights stayed on through the night.

Leng Yue, dressed in a crisp police uniform with a cold expression, held the approved arrest warrant and tapped her finger heavily on the evidence file on the desk.

After days of deep investigation, there was solid evidence for multiple crimes committed by Zhou Wanquan, including involvement in organized crime, intentional injury, and commercial crimes.

It was time to close the net. She immediately gathered the team members, preparing to head to the Wantai Real Estate headquarters to arrest Zhou Wanquan.

"Group One and Group Two, set out immediately. Head straight for the Wantai Real Estate chairman's office and make sure to apprehend Zhou Wanquan. Pay attention to the perimeter and don't alert the target!"

Leng Yue's tone was forceful. After giving the orders, the Arrest Squad quickly geared up and drove toward the Wantai Building.

A silent near-miss was about to unfold.

Just as Zhou Wanquan left the Wantai Building and vanished into the twilight, the arrest vehicles led by Leng Yue pulled up downstairs.

The officers moved quickly, advancing through the levels and heading straight for the top-floor chairman's office.

But the moment they pushed open the door, they saw only a desk cluttered with documents, scattered cigarette butts, and an empty room. Zhou Wanquan was nowhere to be found.

"Captain Leng, the office is empty, and the office area is deserted. The target is not at the Wantai headquarters!" the officer in charge of the search reported quickly, his tone somewhat grave.

Leng Yue stepped into the office, scanning the mess inside. She looked at the water cup that still retained some warmth, her brow furrowing slightly as she made an instant judgment: "The target must have just left. He likely caught wind of something or fled in advance."

Without any panic, she immediately took out her radio and calmly issued follow-up instructions: "All units, attention. Abandon the stakeout here and immediately expand the search radius."

"Check all properties, private clubs, and residences under Zhou Wanquan's name, as well as any possible hiding spots. Maintain vigilance throughout. Once the target is found, arrest him immediately. Do not alert him!"

Once the orders were given, the criminal investigators quickly dispersed, beginning a search in all directions. A city-wide manhunt for Zhou Wanquan had officially begun.

Meanwhile, at the street corner outside the Wantai Building, within Zhao Yiming's watchful gaze, the figure in the gray hoodie had already walked out quickly. With his head down and back hunched, deliberately avoiding pedestrians, his pace was hurried and frantic. It was indeed the disguised Zhou Wanquan.

A far cry from his usual arrogant and overbearing self, Zhou Wanquan's eyes were now darting around, his expression panicked. He would occasionally look back warily; every movement was indescribably abnormal.

What made Zhao Yiming instantly alert was the obvious bulge of a hard object on the man's chest under the hoodie. As he walked, his arm remained tightly guarding his chest, his movements stiff and tense. He was clearly hiding a sharp weapon!

Combined with Zhou Wanquan's current desperate situation and his previous record of sending people to threaten and intimidate Jiang Chen...

Zhao Yiming instantly made a precise judgment: this man was definitely obsessed with revenge and intended to take a risk by doing something extreme!

Not daring to delay for a second, Zhao Yiming stepped deeper into the shadows and dialed Jiang Chen's number, while his eyes remained fixed on Zhou Wanquan, not missing a single move.

The phone rang, and Jiang Chen picked it up, his tone as steady and indifferent as ever.

"President Jiang, the target, Zhou Wanquan, has left the Wantai Building."

On the other end of the line, Zhao Yiming's voice was kept very low, his speaking pace steady yet urgent.

"He changed into casual clothes to disguise himself, and his behavior is very suspicious. I observed a hard object resembling a knife hidden on his chest. His emotional state is extremely abnormal, showing a clear tendency toward extreme retaliation. Please be sure to mind your safety."

Listening to the report, Jiang Chen's originally calm eyes darkened slightly, and a cold aura quietly emanated from him, yet he still showed no panic.

He had long expected that a desperate Zhou Wanquan would never resign himself to fate, but he hadn't expected the man to be so impatient as to resort to extremes directly.

Jiang Chen's tone was flat but carried an unquestionable sense of control as he slowly instructed, "Don't follow too closely. Maintain a safe distance, track his movements in real-time, and sync his location to me."

"Make sure to prioritize your own safety. Don't alert him, and under no circumstances let him discover you. Report any emergencies immediately."

"Understood."

Zhao Yiming responded crisply. After hanging up, he adjusted his tracking posture, completely blending into the twilight and the shadows of the street corner.

Relying on his top-tier long-distance tracking and counter-reconnaissance skills as a scout, he followed Zhou Wanquan at a distance, neither too close nor too far, and neither too fast nor too slow.

He didn't expose himself, nor did he lose the target, maintaining firm control over every move the other man made.

Jiang Chen slowly put down his phone, looking out at the deep twilight outside the window with indifferent eyes, a faint coldness curling at the corner of his mouth.

Zhou Wanquan's frantic struggle was nothing more than the thrashing of a cornered beast—futile in the end.