Chapter 134: Showdown with Hidden Agendas

The two sat facing each other in the quiet room where they could hear each other's heartbeats. The air seemed to freeze, and awkwardness surged like a tide, filling every corner.

"Well..."

Li Chao's voice was slightly dry, trying to break the heavy silence.

"I..."

Liu Lele's voice followed closely, trembling uncontrollably. Their words collided awkwardly like misplaced notes.

"You speak first!"

Li Chao politely yielded.

"No, you go ahead!"

Liu Lele smiled faintly, failing to conceal the flurry in her heart.

"Actually, I don't have anything special to say!"

Li Chao shook his head helplessly, trying to dissolve the awkwardness with a trace of humor.

"Uh! Me too!"

Liu Lele chimed in, a bitter smile lingering on her lips.

After this terrible opening, the room plunged once more into a suffocating silence.

The two sat quietly as if time had stopped at this moment.

Liu Lele's expression grew increasingly restless; she kept shifting her sitting posture, unable to find her composure.

Hesitating for a few minutes, she finally gathered her courage and spoke again:

"What are our chances of winning tonight?"

Li Chao's gaze instantly turned resolute:

"Ten out of ten!"

Liu Lele raised her willow-like eyebrows slightly, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes:

"So confident?"

Li Chao nodded confidently:

"As long as he is not a Grandmaster, I can kill him!"

If anyone else had uttered those words, it might have been dismissed as an arrogant joke, but Liu Lele knew Li Chao's strength intimately. She nodded without a shred of doubt:

"As long as you are certain, that's enough!"

Having said that, Liu Lele seemed to realize her own redundancy:

"I suppose I won't be of much help staying here! I should head back first."

"Get some rest! I'll come see you later,"

Li Chao instructed with care, standing up to accompany Liu Lele to the door.

However, just as Liu Lele was about to cross the threshold, her beautiful eyes suddenly darted, as if she had made up her mind.

She whipped around, her red lips brushing across Li Chao's cheek like a flame, leaving behind a gentle yet resolute kiss.

"I'll wait for your triumphant return!"

Her voice was soft yet firm, sounding like an eternal vow.

"When you return, whatever you want, I will give it to you!"

The words swept across Li Chao's heart like a spring breeze, filling him with unprecedented warmth and strength.

With that, Liu Lele's face flushed like blooming peach blossoms. She turned and ran off, leaving behind a trail of silvery laughter and endless imagination.

Li Chao stood in place, gently rubbing the spot where Liu Lele had just kissed him, a look of lingering intoxication and fondness on his face.

He knew well that for a cold and elegant beauty president like Liu Lele, showing such a tender side proactively was a rare occurrence indeed.

This deep affection was something he swore to guard to the end.

...

At five o'clock in the afternoon, with the sun casting slanted rays, Li Chao finished his brief rest, feeling refreshed.

At that moment, Liu Lele personally brought a meticulously prepared hotel dinner into his room, and the two shared the warm and quiet moment together.

After the meal, they walked side by side out of the hotel and set off back toward the Liu Group Corporation.

However, just as they were about to step into the Liu Group's main building, an abrupt turn of events shattered the peace.

A lean man clad in a black robe, exuding a chilling aura all over, brushed past them. The moment his eyes landed on Liu Lele, they instantly burst with greedy, wicked light.

"I didn't expect Huaxi City to have such a delicate and alluring woman!"

The black-robed man hooked the corner of his mouth into a wicked smirk, his words full of frivolity and teasing.

"Not bad! Young master here likes her a lot!"

His words grew increasingly arrogant, treating Liu Lele as already within his grasp.

"Name your price! Accompany me for a night!"

Li Chao's brow furrowed tightly, his gaze burning like a torch as he felt an unprecedented challenge and insult.

As for Liu Lele, the usually calm and composed beauty president, her pretty face was now covered with frost. She had never imagined she would encounter such shameless harassment right at the entrance of her own corporation.

"Where did this lunatic crawl out from?"

Liu Lele's voice was as cold as ice as she rebuked angrily:

"Get lost!"

However, the black-robed man did not restrain himself; instead, he laughed even more wildly:

"Quite the fiery personality! But the more you're like this, the more I like it! Young master has plenty of money. As long as you please me well, it's all yours. Come with me!"

His words were filled with utter disregard and disdain for Li Chao, treating him as an insignificant bystander.

Trembling with rage, Liu Lele rebuked loudly:

"Shameless! If you don't get lost, I'll call security!"

The black-robed man shook his head, a cold smirk curling his lips:

"Tsk, how unappreciative! Since that's how it is, I'll just have to use other methods!"

Mid-sentence, the aura around the black-robed man shifted abruptly. An imperceptible gray airflow circulated from his fingertips, drifting toward Liu Lele like a ghost.

His eyes flashed with a cold glint as he stared intently at Liu Lele, who was about to fall into peril.

Liu Lele's eyes began to blur, her body swaying as if she were losing her balance from intoxication.

Simultaneously, the black-robed man unscrupulously reached out his palm, attempting to pull the beauty president into his embrace.

He was full of confidence because that mist was a technique he had meticulously practiced, capable of rendering someone into a brief state of dizziness silently and imperceptibly.

"Using it on women works every single time."

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The black-robed man chuckled inwardly, calculating the time. He believed that before the technique took full effect, he would have enough time to enjoy a wonderful encounter.

Thinking about wantonly ravaging such a beauty, his breathing grew heavier involuntarily, and lustful light flickered in his eyes.

However, the very next second, his pleasant dream was abruptly shattered.

A sharp pain shot up his outstretched arm, and to his shock, he found himself grabbed on the spot!

And the one who had grabbed him was precisely that seemingly unremarkable young man—Li Chao.

The black-robed man was utterly horrified, staring at Li Chao in disbelief:

"This fellow wasn't affected? How is that possible!"

He could not understand why his technique had failed right before Li Chao.

The black-robed man's secret art was originally his most practiced skill, one that had always easily plunged targets into unconsciousness, leaving them at his mercy.

Yet this time, it had unexpectedly failed. Facing Li Chao, his technique seemed to have lost all effect.

A surge of intense fury welled up in Li Chao's heart.

For this black-robed man to dare use such filthy tactics against Liu Lele was nothing short of challenging his bottom line.

Although Liu Lele had not yet truly become his woman, in his heart, she already fell under the scope of those he was destined to protect.

Li Chao exerted force with his grip, and the black-robed man's wrist snapped instantly, producing a crisp sound of fracturing bone.

Following that, with a kick, he sent the black-robed man flying as if tossing away worthless trash.

Under Li Chao's gentle pats, Liu Lele quickly regained her senses. Looking around blankly, she asked:

"Xiaoshan, what just happened to me?"

Li Chao pointed coldly at the black-robed man:

"That fellow harbored malicious intentions. You almost fell for his trick!"

Hearing this, Liu Lele's heart trembled violently. She had never imagined she would encounter such a dangerous situation right at the doors of her own company.

At that moment, the kicked-away black-robed man struggled back to his feet. Clutching his broken wrist, he roared through gritted teeth:

"Damn it! I am an esteemed guest invited by the Liu family!"

"How dare you hurt me!"

The black-robed man bellowed, yet his arrogant momentum appeared somewhat powerless in front of Li Chao and Liu Lele.

Hearing the black-robed man claim to be an honored guest of the Liu family, the expressions of both Li Chao and Liu Lele shifted slightly.

They secretly guessed whether this fellow was a member of the Yuan family or the Blazing Fire Sect.

Both of these forces held considerable influence in the business and martial arts worlds.

However, the commotion quickly caught the attention of nearby security guards.

They quickly gathered, preparing to handle any potential emergencies.

Seeing this, the black-robed man shouted even more arrogantly:

"Are you all pigs? Hurry up and capture this fellow! If he escapes, I'll have your heads! And as for that woman, tie her up and put her in my room!"

Despite his broken wrist, the black-robed man still could not let go of Liu Lele. Such a brutal and arrogant attitude was truly despicable.

Yet, the scene that followed nearly caused the black-robed man's jaw to drop in shock.

The surrounding security guards did not obey blindly as he had imagined; instead, they looked at him as if he were a fool.

The head of security even rushed forward, inquiring cautiously whether Li Chao and Liu Lele were unharmed.

"President Li, Ms. Liu, are you all right?" the security captain asked with concern.

The black-robed man descended into utter confusion. He looked in disbelief at Li Chao and Liu Lele, a sense of ominous foreboding welling up in his heart.

Could it be that this seemingly ordinary woman really was a member of the Liu family? And he had actually dared to lay a hand on her!

"Who is he?"

Li Chao asked calmly.

The security captain explained:

"In the afternoon, General Manager Bai personally welcomed a few honored guests wearing black robes. He is one of them."

Hearing this, Li Chao and Liu Lele roughly understood the situation.

This fellow was likely a retainer or disciple of some expert invited by the Liu family to assist them.

And yet, this sudden episode had happened to run right into them.

Liu Lele's willow-like brows furrowed tightly like misty distant mountains, her heart a tangled knot of mixed emotions, making it hard to decide.

She parted her lips slightly, her voice carrying an imperceptible tremble and helplessness:

"It's a misunderstanding. You all should take him away for medical treatment as soon as possible."

With that said, though her gaze wished nothing more than to turn into sharp swords and pierce the hateful figure before her into a thousand holes, the reins of reason tightly held back the wild horse of impulse.

She knew that tonight's affair concerned the future meticulously arranged by her father, and it could tolerate not the slightest mishap.

The moonlight fell like water quietly over the front of the Liu Group building, casting a silvery glow.

Liu Lele pondered inwardly that making a big issue small and a small issue nothing was the best strategy.

Thus, several guards in uniforms moved silently toward the injured black-robed man like ghosts in the night, preparing to execute her orders.

However, things in the world often fail to go as wished.

On the chessboard of human interaction, not every party understands when to stop. More often than not, one party's concession only invites the other's further encroachment, much like a wolf in the dark that smells blood and grows all the more greedy.

Initially fearful, the black-robed man saw that Liu Lele was merely putting up a front, and his evil intentions flared like wildfire, uncontrollable.

He burst forth with strength, shoving the guards who stepped forward to support him aside like falling leaves, his voice booming like a bell through the night sky:

"I am an esteemed guest specially invited by you all, yet I suffer this disaster right at the gates of the Liu Group, and you think a mere 'misunderstanding' settles it?"

His voice was filled with grievance and rage, as if tearing the night's tranquility to shreds.

"Today, if you don't break the wrist of the true culprit as well, don't blame me for being merciless!"

The black-robed man's gaze was sinister, mistakenly believing Li Chao was merely a bodyguard by Liu Lele's side, completely unaware that this seemingly ordinary young man was a heavyweight figure in Huaxi City.

He calculated that Liu Lele might be untouchable for now, but that nameless nobody must pay a price to vent his hatred.

Just as he was rambling on with towering arrogance, Li Chao laughed.

That smile was like a ray of winter sunshine—warm yet mysterious.

He paced forward slowly, every step seeming to tread upon the black-robed man's heartstrings, causing him to instinctively feel a chill and shrink back.

However, Li Chao's figure moved like a ghost, instantly spanning the distance. With a single, crisp, and decisive slap, he heavily struck the black-robed man's cheek.

Slap!

With a crisp echo, the black-robed man was knocked flat onto the ground like a kite with a broken string, dust kicking up around him.

Before he could recover from the shock, Li Chao closed in once more, each step heavy as a mountain, pressing down on him until he could barely breathe.

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Lifting his foot, Li Chao mercilessly planted it right onto the black-robed man's face, applying enough pressure to deform his facial features.

He turned his head, his gaze burning like a torch as he spoke to Liu Lele:

"Call them! I'd like to see which place this honored guest came from, to be so utterly ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth!"

Deep down, Li Chao had never truly regarded Sha Poling and the two helpers invited by Liu Zhenhua with any regard from the very beginning.

Regarding this seemingly important meeting, he had adopted a go-with-the-flow attitude all along, which was why he chose to rest quietly in his room earlier.

However, the actions of the black-robed man before him were like a sharp stone dropped into his calm lake of a heart, stirring up layers of ripples.

Li Chao was not a narrow-minded person, but he possessed his own bottom line and principles.

The black-robed man's provocation and arrogance had undoubtedly crossed his reverse scale.

Had he honestly admitted his mistake, given Li Chao's temperament, he might have given him a chance to turn over a new leaf.

Unfortunately, the black-robed man chose the most foolish path—courting death to the end.

Seeing that the matter could no longer be easily resolved, Liu Lele understood the gravity of the situation and quickly took out her phone to call her father, Liu Zhenhua.

On the other end of the line, Liu Zhenhua's voice carried a hint of anxiety and tension, clearly aware of the seriousness of the situation.

Soon, a group of people walked out of the group's main gates.

Leading them were three figures whose outlines appeared distinct under the moonlight.

Li Chao swept a glance over them, deducing their identities based on intelligence he had received beforehand.

The person in the middle was naturally Liu Zhenhua.

His face carried a trace of solemnity, his gaze shifting back and forth between Li Chao and the black-robed man, clearly seeking a way to resolve the matter.

On the left was a sturdy man wearing ordinary attire, yet emanating an extraordinary aura all over.

His skin had a bronze tone, making him look like a common farm laborer at first glance, but a closer observation revealed a scorching heat radiating from his body, as if boundless power were contained within.

This should be Yuan Yang from Yuan Village, a martial artist renowned for having boundless, Herculean strength.

On the right was a black-robed elder, his figure lean as firewood, his face lined with wrinkles, and his eyes glowing with a chilling coldness.

His gaze resembled a venomous snake lurking in a corner, ready at any moment to deal a fatal blow to the enemy.

That sinister aura made anyone involuntarily feel a shiver.

He was Shi Wanli, the master of the Blazing Fire Sect, a martial arts powerhouse notorious for his viciousness and cruelty.

While Li Chao sized them up, Yuan Yang and Shi Wanli were likewise appraising Li Chao.

Their gazes were filled with vigilance and curiosity; after all, upon arrival, they had already heard accounts of Li Chao's exploits from Liu Zhenhua.

"Master, save me!"

The black-robed man's cries for help echoed in the night sky, only to be met with an even colder response.

Seeing Shi Wanli's arrival, the man pinned beneath Li Chao's foot thought he had seen a straw to cling to for life, little knowing that this straw would instantly turn into a fatal poisonous thorn.

Shi Wanli stepped forward slowly, cupping his fists toward Li Chao:

"This old man failed in his discipline, and a sect disciple actually offended President Li! I shall severely punish this myself!"

Mid-sentence, a needle-like black glow had already condensed on Shi Wanli's fingertip. This dark light flickered with eerie brilliance in the night, like the reaper's scythe about to harvest the black-robed man's life.

Whoosh!

The black beam cut through the air, piercing directly into the black-robed man's glabella between his eyebrows.

His eyes widened instantly, filled with unwillingness and shock.

He had guessed his master would take action, but he never dreamed that the outcome of that action would be his own death.

Shi Wanli looked at Li Chao, a smiling expression blooming on his face:

"President Li, is this result satisfactory?"

Li Chao's pupils contracted slightly; he could sense the deeply buried, bone-chilling coldness in Shi Wanli's eyes.

Someone who could casually slaughter even his own disciple was the most terrifying kind of person.

Li Chao knew he had to exercise even greater caution.

However, to outsiders, Shi Wanli had already given Li Chao more than enough face.

Not only had he personally stepped in to wipe out his own disciple, but he had also used this gesture to demonstrate his sincerity and resolve to Li Chao.

With the black-robed man's death, the incident came to a close.

Liu Zhenhua and the others quickly arranged for people to dispose of the body, after which everyone boarded luxury cars and headed toward Dushan Mountain on the outskirts of the city.

Before departing, Li Chao retrieved an item wrapped in red cloth and gently placed it into the trunk of the car.

Liu Zhenhua asked with curiosity:

"President, what is this?"

Li Chao smiled slightly:

"A weapon!"

Indeed, it was the divine sword retrieved from the second level of the ancient pagoda.

During the previous skirmish, constrained by the occasion, Li Chao hadn't been able to draw his weapon in time and had to make use of artificial rockeries as cover. Having learned his lesson, he was much smarter this time.

He had prepared his weapon well in advance just in case, saving himself the trouble of tedious explanations later.

Observing this, Liu Zhenhua said nothing, knowing the score in his heart.

The stakes of this battle were immense, so it was completely reasonable for Li Chao to bring his weapon along.

With everything properly arranged, Liu Zhenhua, Liu Lele, and Li Chao shared one vehicle, while Yuan Yang and Shi Wanli traveled separately.

The motorcade was quite magnificent, followed by a string of high-end luxury cars belonging to Huaxi City's prominent tycoons, roaring down the road together.

Inside the car, Liu Zhenhua lowered his voice to remind Li Chao:

"President, this Shi Wanli is petty and holds grudges. Although he backed down on the surface just now, he must hate you to the bone in his heart. You must keep a close eye on those crooked tricks of the Blazing Fire Sect!"

Li Chao remained completely calm:

"I have a clear idea. If he behaves himself, we live in peace; if he dares to play dirty, I don't mind sending him packing along the way."

Having gone through several life-and-death battles, Li Chao's view on killing had mellowed considerably.

To him, taking a life was much like falling in love: nervous and jittery the first time, but as days passed, those emotions faded, and sometimes, one even grew nostalgic for that heart-pounding thrill.

Seeing Li Chao so composed, Liu Zhenhua dropped the subject and turned to look at Liu Lele in the back seat:

"I originally wanted you to stay at the corporation, but I didn't expect you to follow along anyway."

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