Nightmare Despair

Chapter 55 Hotel
Wang Yuanzheng spent a long time trying to calm himself down, but he was still unable to do so.

He cannot tolerate stains, let alone unexpected events.

This is his bottom line, ingrained in his very being, so now, certain obstacles must be removed.

Wang Yuanzheng scooped the tea leaves out of the teacup, stuffed them directly into his mouth, and chewed them vigorously.

The bitter juice exploded in his mouth, and the intense stimulation calmed his anxiety slightly.

After his condition stabilized slightly, he picked up the encrypted communicator at hand.

I dialed a number, and the contact name was: Xishan Hotel, Mr. Hu.

"Hello, it's me, Wang Yuanzheng."

A cheerful voice immediately came from the other end of the phone: "Mr. Wang? This is the middle of the night, it's not like you. Are you in trouble?"

"Qiu Ping is dead."

Wang Yuanzheng's words were concise and to the point.

"I need you to clean up the mess immediately."

Sometimes, failing to solve a problem only leads to bigger problems.

To fail in an assassination attempt on a martial artist and expose one's hostility is utterly foolish.

This mess no longer belongs to his good-for-nothing nephew, but involves Wang Yuanzheng, and even the entire Wang family.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Hu said, "I've reviewed the information. The target couldn't possibly have the ability to kill Qiu Ping."

"It's highly likely that Chen Ping was behind it... He has the ability and the motive."

"You know this person is always protective of their own, right?"

Wang Yuanzheng's expression instantly turned ferocious.

"Boss Hu! I don't want to discuss this bullshit with you! I don't care who it is!"

"Your hotel's business capabilities are getting worse and worse! You could have sent a more professional to solve all the problems in one go!"

“If someone wants to kill me two or three times, causing me more trouble and increasing my risks, then I’ll have to reassess our partnership. Xishan is more than just a hotel.”

On the other end of the phone, Boss Hu listened quietly to Wang Yuanzheng's reprimand, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Come on, Mr. Wang, calm down. It's a 100,000 yuan order. I can't possibly send a level 2 enhanced person, or even a true martial artist, to do it. That's against the rules."

"Data updated. Target Zhou Kai. Threat level increased. Due to Chen Ping's involvement, the risk factor has increased by 130%. Total price: 2.7 million. Is that acceptable?"

Wang Yuanzheng's expression gradually calmed down, and he lowered his voice, saying calmly, "Alright, clean up this mess."

Mr. Hu chuckled and said, "The deal is done. Wait for the goods to arrive, Mr. Wang."

Beep...beep...beep...

Wang Yuanzheng hung up the phone.

He heard a busy tone from the receiver and casually tossed his phone onto the table.

"Qiu Ping is dead? Didn't he have a record of killing a level two enhanced human?"

"This old guy is almost at the threshold of level two himself. Is that young man named Zhou Kai worth Chen Ping protecting at all costs...?"

Standing next to Boss Hu was a man with a stiff face, as if he were wearing a human skin mask.

Mr. Hu shrugged: "Luo Tong."

Luo Tong remained motionless, only turning his eyes to him: "What is it?"

Boss Hu narrowed his eyes and asked with amusement, "Interested in making this trip? I heard that Qiu Ping killed a colleague near the headquarters of the Lyle Federation and stole something good."

On Luo Tong's mask-like face, only when his eyebrows furrowed could one see a slight twitch of muscles.

"what?"

Mr. Hu enjoyed the feeling of keeping people in suspense and slowly uttered a few words.

"A...secondary general-purpose enhancement injection that doesn't require genetic customization. How about it, interested?"

A glint flashed in Luo Tong's eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.

"If Chen Ping gets involved, I won't intervene." "Chen Ping is strong, but who said you could go alone?"

Mr. Hu chuckled and said, "I'll think about it. In a few days, some new people will be coming to Xishan. You can work together."

After saying that, Boss Hu stood up, walked to Luo Tong's side, and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

He leaned close to Luo Tong's ear and seduced him:

"You haven't forgotten the 'gratitude' that Chen Ping showed you when he interrupted your path as a martial artist, have you?"

"Luo Tong, Luo Tong, you were once a genius known as the 'Running Bird' among the younger generation of the Broken Wing Stream. For you, who are now stuck at the True Strength realm and unable to make any progress, becoming a Level 2 Enhanced Person is your only chance, your only chance to stand on the same starting line as Chen Ping again."

Upon hearing that long-forgotten title, Luo Tong's breath hitched.

He said nothing, turned around, and walked silently into the darkness, like a ghost merging into the shadows.

Boss Hu watched his retreating figure with a gloomy look in his eyes. He knew that Luo Tong would definitely go.

……

In the early hours of the morning, Zhou Kai arrived at the Falcon Wing Boxing Gym.

Upstairs, the lights in the training room were still on.

Zhou Kai remained calm as he pushed open the door and walked confidently toward Chen Ping's private cultivation room.

Chen Ping was practicing his swordplay, the gleaming blade flashing briefly in the room.

For some reason, his movements as he sheathed his sword were very steady, but a hint of weariness was faintly visible.

He saw Zhou Kai, his eyes filled with a hint of confusion, and after putting the single-edged sword back on the weapon rack, he said, "Coming so late? Didn't I text you to come tomorrow morning?"

Zhou Kai shrugged: "Unfortunately, Senior Brother Chen."

"My phone broke down not long ago due to some special reasons."

"If it was a message around midnight, I definitely didn't receive it."

Chen Ping nodded in understanding.

He sighed softly and said, "Since you're already here, I can't just let you go back..."

"Follow me to the top floor."

Chen Ping wiped his sweat with a towel and led Zhou Kai toward the top floor of the boxing gym.

A hint of anticipation flashed in Zhou Kai's eyes, and he quickly followed.

Just before the mysterious iron door leading to the top floor, Chen Ping suddenly stopped, turned his head, and looked sharply at Zhou Kai.

Aren't you curious why I called you here?

Zhou Kai shook his head upon hearing this and said, "I'm curious. But I think I'll know when the time is right."

Chen Ping looked at him, then suddenly smiled slightly and said cryptically, "Your personality is neither good nor bad."

"Practicing martial arts may not be beneficial, but sometimes, it can actually save your life when facing danger."

Chen Ping's words seemed to have a profound meaning, as if he were speaking of some ancient proverb.

"Remember, there are many doors in this world. Before you push one open, you never know whether it's heaven or hell behind it."

"Staying away from pushing open doors and returning to simplicity and ordinariness will make your life more stable and smooth."

What did Chen Ping mean by that?
Zhou Kai's heart skipped a beat, and countless thoughts surged into his mind in an instant.

All these thoughts eventually vanished, leaving only one sentence uttered by Zhou Kai.

"It's a pity that I can no longer return to an ordinary life."

“We can no longer hide behind the door, can we?”

Zhou Kai looked into Chen Ping's eyes.

Chen Ping may have been talking about some secrets of martial arts, but Zhou Kai was not.

He had long been deeply immersed in the complex and despairing reality of this world.

(End of this chapter)