Under One Person: The End of Technique, Company Building

The first-floor corridor was dimly lit. The motion-sensor lights above my head buzzed twice before turning on, casting a pale white light.

At the end of the corridor, a door was open, and orange light leaked out from the crack, like an open smile.

"This way." Zhuge Qi walked ahead, his leather shoes clattering on the cement ground at a leisurely pace.

As they passed an office with its door open, a middle-aged man wearing glasses poked his head out. When he saw it was Zhuge Qi, he paused for a moment, then quickly withdrew.

Zhang Chulan followed, his steps heavier than Zhuge Qi's, each step firm and solid, his face somewhat gloomy.

The door was open. The room wasn't big; it was a standard one-bedroom employee dormitory.

There was an old sofa and a coffee table in the living room, and a plastic coat rack with several coats hanging in the corner.

The window was half open, and the wind blew the curtains up and down, like someone panting.

Xu San sat on the sofa with a thermos cup beside him. The lid was unscrewed halfway, and steam was rising from the cup.

Feng Baobao stood by the window, her hands hanging down, her face turned towards the outside. She didn't turn around even when she heard the noise.

Zhang Chulan stopped at the door.

His gaze swept across Xu San's face, finally settling on the figure by the window, where it lingered.

His lips moved, but he didn't speak.

Xu San spoke first, trying to keep his tone relaxed: "Zhang Chulan, you're here. Please have a seat. You must be tired from your journey."

He had already received news of Zhuge Qi ahead of time.

There was nothing particularly surprising about the fact that this leader personally went to the World Society and was able to bring the person back.

As for the cooperation requested by the other party, we can only cooperate according to their requirements.

In addition, Zhang Chulan's departure was partly the company's responsibility, as well as his personal responsibility, so he still wanted to personally take remedial action.

Zhang Chulan ignored Xu San's enthusiasm.

He stared at the back of Feng Baobao's head, his voice hoarse like sandpaper grinding iron: "So, you're the one who killed my grandfather?"

Xu San's smile froze for half a second.

He subconsciously looked at Zhuge Qi.

Zhuge Qi's expression remained unchanged, and there was even a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.

Xu San was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening. Just as he was about to explain, Feng Baobao by the window turned around.

Her face was very pale, her black hair was tucked behind her ears, and her eyes were almost too clear, like the water stains on glass after rain, so clear that you could see what was behind them.

She looked at Zhang Chulan without flinching.

"Yes."

Just one word.

Zhang Chulan's pupils contracted sharply.

It was as if something had pushed him open from the inside, and the person standing at the doorway instantly transformed into someone else.

A murderous intent surged from his body like water released from a dam, his Qi surging around him, making the door frame vibrate and the ground seem to tremble.

Xu San suddenly stood up from the sofa, his hand outstretched: "Wait! Xiao Zhang, listen to me—"

Qi gathered in his palm, and the grayish-white light sizzled.

Then a golden aura cut in from the side and casually landed on Zhang Chulan's wrist.

That hand belongs to Zhuge Qi.

He didn't even straighten up from the wall; he simply stretched out a hand and accurately grasped Zhang Chulan's pulse from two steps away.

The flow of Qi was completely interrupted.

It was as if everything flowing outward was blocked by an invisible hand.

Zhang Chulan was startled and turned to glare at Zhuge Qi.

Zhuge Qi looked at him, his tone still gentle: "A young man in his early twenties, you are strong, but young people are still too impulsive. Let people finish speaking."

Xu San had now positioned himself between Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao, his hands raised in front of him. He looked a little disheveled but his attitude was resolute: "Zhang Chulan, things aren't as you think!"

Zhang Chulan glanced at Xu San, then at Feng Baobao.

Feng Baobao remained standing in the same spot, unchanged from the beginning. There wasn't even a hint of tension on her face; she simply stood quietly.

There was a hint of confusion on her face, wondering if she had done something wrong again.

Xu San looked at her expression and was speechless.

Zhang Chulan clenched his teeth, his cheeks taut, but after realizing he couldn't shake off Zhuge Qi's suppression, he slowly exhaled and withdrew his Qi.

The force on his wrist also disappeared at the same time. Zhuge Qi withdrew his hand, crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall again, as if nothing had happened.

Zhang Chulan stepped into the room and stood in front of the coffee table.

Feng Baobao spoke at a moderate pace before slowly recounting what happened back then.

When she and Xu Xiang found Zhang Huaiyi, he was already on his deathbed, poisoned by the Tang Clan. All she did was help him find a final release.

"Tang Sect?" Zhang Chulan asked, somewhat puzzled.

Before he could remain puzzled for long, Zhuge Qi took the initiative to explain, "Your grandfather sensed that his time was coming to an end, so he chose to force his way into the Tang Tomb and killed several elders of the Tang Clan, including Yang Lie, the previous leader of the Tang Clan. In the end, he himself died from the poison pill of the Tang Clan."

"If you want revenge, you can put this debt on the Tang Clan's head, but I also want to remind you that the Tang Clan also has a blood debt owed to your Zhang family."

"You were too young back then, and your father had long since vanished without a trace. So no one has taken responsibility for this debt. If you bear the consequences, you will be unable to escape it."

Zhang Chulan fell silent.

He didn't understand what the Tang Clan meant, but from Zhuge Qi's nonchalant tone, he could tell that this matter carried weight.

A dying man, with his last bit of strength, slaughtered his way through someone else's home and even killed the previous leader of the sect. This is no ordinary grudge; it's a hatred on the level of annihilation.

Moreover, it seems like it was something my grandfather initiated, so I can't really resent him.

Instead, it seemed like a reminder to him to be careful of the Tang Clan.

"...You mean the Tang Clan will come looking for me?"

"We live in a peaceful world now, and the Tang Clan wouldn't dare to break the rules rashly," Zhuge Qi said. "But if you were to offer yourself up, then things might be different."

Zhang Chulan didn't say anything more. He just walked to the sofa, plopped down, put his arms on his knees, and stared at the ground with his head down.

For a moment, he didn't look like a twenty-year-old; he looked more like an old man who had carried the burdens of half his life.

Xu San and Zhuge Qi exchanged a glance.

Xu San nodded slightly.

Xu San turned to Zhuge Qi, his voice lowering slightly, "Section Chief, shall we... talk outside?"

Zhuge Qi straightened up from the wall, straightened his collar, and walked towards the door.

As she passed Zhang Chulan, she paused for a moment, glanced down at him, said nothing, and continued walking away.

"You two, have a good talk."

The two then went out, leaving the door slightly ajar from the outside, leaving only Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao inside.

The motion-sensor lights in the corridor buzzed twice more and then turned on.

Xu San followed Zhuge Qi for two steps, stopped, turned around to look at Zhuge Qi's profile, and suddenly sighed.

"Section Chief, how's everything going with the World Alliance?"

"It's alright. There's just a little bit of finishing up left, which I need to handle myself. I don't need any help from North China." Zhuge Qi's gaze drifted towards the end of the corridor, then he suddenly smiled and said, "Let's talk about North China. I heard from Xu Si that Zhang Lingyu has arrived?"

"Yes, he..." Xu San hesitated for a moment, but still sighed, "He wants to see Xia He."