55: Chapter 55

55

His eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the figure that remained perfectly calm.

Scalding liquid gushed out from between his fingers; no matter how hard he pressed, it was to no avail.

"You... you..."

His lips quivered, but he could only manage broken gasps. In the end, he said nothing before his body slumped forward heavily and hit the ground with a thud.

Jiang Haojie's gaze didn't even linger on the cooling corpse. He merely murmured to himself, as if stating the simplest of facts: "When did I ever promise to let you leave alive?"

After confirming that Gao Pangyu's life was extinguished, Jiang Haojie's consciousness sank into a void space that only he could perceive.

As expected, a crystal shimmering with a deep luster floated quietly within. Sharp glints of light occasionally flickered across its surface—S-rank Talent [Sharpness].

This power itself was top-tier; it was just a pity its original owner hadn't truly mastered it.

If combined with his mother's metal-based Psionic energy, which was known for its penetration and sturdiness, it would surely boost her combat strength immensely.

When the time came, finding some rare resources to assist her training and help her break through to the First-Order or even Second-Order wouldn't be difficult.

Pulling his thoughts back, Jiang Haojie walked toward the counter in the clubhouse's front hall.

He remembered the waiter operating something here earlier to lock all the windows and doors automatically.

He needed to open them.

Since he had said he would wait for the Black Dragon Society here, he wasn't joking.

He needed to gauge their strength, and having an escape route prepared in advance was the source of his confidence in making such a provocation.

After a brief search, he found the control hub.

With a faint mechanical hum, the heavy blackout curtains rose, and the alloy doors slid to the sides.

Jiang Haojie dragged over a high-backed chair, sat down calmly, and cast his gaze toward the deepening twilight outside.

He was actually looking forward to the arrival of the Black Dragon Society.

He wondered if there were any S-rank talent users hidden among them. Even if they were a tier lower, A-rank would be fine.

At almost the same moment, Dong Yingqin received an emergency message.

"He moved so fast..."

His face was grim as he gritted his teeth at the empty air. "How long has it been since I hung up the phone?"

He quickly pulled up his contact list and began issuing a series of orders.

X had already made a move. If he didn't react, his position as Hall Master—which he hadn't even fully secured yet—might change hands in the blink of an eye.

In several streets and alleys not far from the clubhouse, figures began to gather silently.

They didn't speak to one another, yet they all carried the same cold aura, surging toward the same destination like a silent dark tide.

Pedestrians on the street glanced over and hurriedly dodged to the sides.

As long as one wasn't blind, anyone could see that this group of people was up to no good.

Some people had already pulled out their communicators and quietly contacted the Security Bureau.

With such a large group blocking the road, the surrounding traffic immediately fell into chaos.

Drivers of several hovercars impatiently honked their horns, urging them to leave quickly.

The scarred man leading the group didn't even look back, simply throwing a backhand punch into the hood of the nearest car.

The alloy hood crumpled into a deep crater, and the piercing honk came to an abrupt halt.

The entire street suddenly became terrifyingly quiet; no one dared to make another sound.

"X—we're here!"

Crash!

Before the shout even faded, dozens of figures surged into the entrance of the Black Dragon Clubhouse like a tide.

Pairs of eyes glinted with murderous intent, all fixed simultaneously on the solitary figure at the turn of the stairs.

"Attack!"

Someone barked an order, and the Black Dragon Society thugs pounced forward like a pack of wolves smelling blood.

"Roar—!"

Jiang Haojie's lips parted slightly as a long roar suddenly exploded.

The sound waves were like a physical torrent of rage, sweeping out wildly in all directions with him at the center.

The first few people to charge were hit as if by an invisible giant hammer, flying backward and slamming into the walls.

Those whose strength hadn't reached the Third-Order went silent on the spot.

In just a single breath, only four people remained standing—all of them Fourth-Order Awakened.

The four of them were pale-faced, staring fixedly at the figure on the stairs.

Regarding 'X',

they had heard the rumors long ago, but they hadn't expected him to be this domineering.

A middle-aged man with a grim expression spoke up: "X, you've slaughtered so many of our Black Dragon Society brothers. Do you truly want to forge a blood feud with us?"

"I never intended to forge a blood feud with anyone."

Jiang Haojie stepped down the stairs unhurriedly. "On the contrary, it seems your Black Dragon Society has been relentlessly pursuing me."

Seeing him descend, the four men instinctively took half a step back.

The scene just now had been too terrifying.

They told themselves they could also deal with those grunts, but never so effortlessly.

"Nonsense! My Black Dragon Society has no time to waste on a small fry like you!"

Another man's throat bobbed as he argued, forcing himself to be brave.

Jiang Haojie's lips curled slightly. "Oh? Then I've misunderstood? Your Black Dragon Society didn't plan to touch me?"

He had already scanned the four of them with his Eye of Truth.

They all had C-rank talents, far inferior to Gao Pangyu.

However, a dying Third-Order Awakened in the corner caught his attention—this person's talent was actually SS-rank, but unfortunately, it was of the Support System, the same type as Su Qingxue.

Such a talent shouldn't be wasted.

Jiang Haojie strolled over to the man, his toe seemingly accidentally brushing past the other's temple.

The body twitched slightly, then fell completely still.

"X! Don't push things too far! He's already like this, could he still threaten you?"

The middle-aged man's eyes looked ready to burst.

"If I were the one lying on the ground right now,"

Jiang Haojie chuckled, "would you let me go?"

The four men wanted to say more, but the piercing sound of police sirens suddenly drifted in from outside.

"You actually called the police!"

The faces of the four changed drastically.

Jiang Haojie's brow furrowed slightly.

Call the police? He would never do such a thing.

Most likely, some passerby had seen the abnormality here and tipped off the Guard Department.

"The Black Dragon Society will remember today's events.

The future is long; we will surely settle this debt with you."

Leaving those words behind, the four figures vanished like ghosts into the depths of the alleys.

Another low roar rumbled in Jiang Haojie's throat, and then he also turned and disappeared into the twilight.

By the time the Guard Department's convoy roared onto the scene, the area was already deserted.

There was only a mess across the ground and silent traces of the aftermath.

"Bastards!"

A female officer hissed through gritted teeth, her face livid. "These thugs are simply unscrupulous!"

The middle-aged man leading them ordered in a deep voice: "Seal off the surrounding area.

Xiao Di, go screen for possible witnesses.

Datou, Lao San, follow me inside for a detailed inspection. Don't miss a single clue."

"Understood!"

...

"Useless! You're all useless!"

Dong Yingqin's roar nearly shattered the receiver.

Veins bulged on the back of the hand holding his phone as he suppressed the urge to smash it. "Over a dozen Awakened, plus four Fourth-Orders! You couldn't even take down a single Second-Order? What use do I have for you!"

A strained explanation came from the other end: "Hall Master... you weren't there.

That man's roar... it was truly terrifying.

No one below the Third-Order could withstand it. Even the Third-Orders who were lucky enough not to die were all heavily injured and had no strength left."

Even thinking back now, that sound still haunted their ears like a nightmare.

If the Guard Department's sirens hadn't approached just in time, they would likely have been buried on the spot.

"Stop making excuses!"

Dong Yingqin's voice was as cold as iron. "I'm only asking you, how do you plan to clean up this mess now?"

A Second-Order Awakened had actually thrown them into such disarray.

If word of this got out, where would the Black Dragon Society's reputation go?

"Hall Master, there are only two paths right now.

Either we dispatch more Fourth-Order Awakened to surround and suppress him together, which might offer a glimmer of hope.

Or... we must ask a Fifth-Order to step in.

This person is extremely bizarre; nothing less than a Fifth-Order will suffice to guarantee victory—but it absolutely cannot be a Psionic."

The previous Hall Master had been a Fifth-Order Psionic, and in the end, he not only failed but also ended up being purged internally.

In their view, if he were replaced by a Fifth-Order Mutant or Physical Enhancer, it should be enough to subdue the target codenamed 'X'.

target.

Dong Yingqin's face grew even gloomier.

To deal with a Second-Order, they needed to deploy Fifth-Order combat power? Was it that the Black Dragon Society had no one capable, or had they truly declined to this extent?

"Han Shan, I don't care what methods you use.

Within three days, bring me X's head.

Otherwise, the four of you can accept your punishment."

Before the sentence finished, the call was cut off.

A bunch of useless things.

If they couldn't even handle this little matter, there was no point in keeping them.

He had originally planned to make a trip himself in three days, but now he had lost all interest.

After a moment of silence, Dong Yingqin pulled up another number and slowly pressed the call button.

After the call ended, Han Shan and the other three looked at each other, each with a helpless, bitter smile on their faces.

Asking them to deal with X was simply no different from seeking death.

"Everyone, any thoughts on this?"

Han Shan turned his gaze to the other three.

Yuan Erdong said irritably: "What else is there to think? It's an order from above, so we just follow it."

As subordinates, they didn't dare defy the decisions of their superiors.

Otherwise, by the next day, any trace of their existence would likely be completely erased.

"Obeying orders is a given,"

Han Shan sighed, "I'm asking if anyone has any feasible ideas.

Let's brainstorm together; maybe we can actually come up with something."

Miao Hao snorted, his voice cold: "What's so hard about it?

As long as we control X's family and use them as bargaining chips, I don't believe X wouldn't care about their lives."

Wu Jianren glanced at Miao Hao with undisguised mockery in his eyes: "Miao Hao, can you use your brain before you speak? X has always worn a mask, and no one even knows his real identity. Where are you going to find his family?"

The reason X wore a mask and used a codename was precisely to hide his true identity, right? This guy actually wanted to target his family; he really didn't know what was inside that head of his.

***

Jiang Haojie returned to his residence and took a shower, washing away the residual scent of blood.

He had just sat on the edge of the bed, drying his wet hair with a towel, when his phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID was Liu Jinglong, he pressed answer immediately.

"President Liu, something the matter?"

Liu Jinglong didn't beat around the bush and asked directly: "Mr. X, the business at the Black Dragon Clubhouse was your doing, wasn't it?"

"It was me."

"I figured as much."

Liu Jinglong gave a bitter laugh over the phone. "Mr. X, next time before you act, could you give me a heads-up? The Guard Department just called me."

Jiang Haojie was startled: "What happened?"

He had only dealt with a few Black Dragon Society people; how did it alarm the Guard Department enough for them to call Liu Jinglong? Had his identity been exposed?

"Someone reported a public conflict between Awakened, and witnesses said one of them was wearing a mask.

Kong Wenguang just called me personally to verify, though I managed to brush him off for now."

Jiang Haojie frowned slightly: "There was a reason for it.

Besides, the ones I dealt with were all from the Black Dragon Society. The Guard Department wouldn't go as far as to convict me for that, right?"

On the other end of the line, Liu Jinglong couldn't help but shake his head at Jiang Haojie's words.

It seemed X hadn't yet realized the gravity of the situation.

He had no choice but to explain patiently:

"Mr. X, 'Black Dragon Society' is just one layer of their identity.

On the surface, these people have all sorts of legitimate professions across various industries.

The commotion caused this time has no small impact."

Jiang Haojie understood this time—the root of the trouble lay in those people's public identities.

"What's the Guard Department's stance now?"

Liu Jinglong lowered his voice: "The higher-ups are taking this very seriously.

I'll head over in a bit to explain the situation to them. As for how it's handled, that will depend on the subsequent negotiations."

He wasn't bluffing.

Even though X had performed meritorious service for Dragon City, the law was the law after all—if X truly violated the statutes, the Guard Department's arrest warrant wouldn't hesitate for a second.

Fortunately, he knew the inside story, which gave him room to clarify things for X.

The call ended after a few more pleasantries.

The matter sounded tricky, but Jiang Haojie didn't truly take it to heart.

The worst-case scenario was simply not using the identity of 'X' anymore.

He composed himself and took out the two talent crystals from the system space.

What he needed to consider now was how to naturally hand them over to his parents.

Side effects? He wasn't worried at all.

Anything from the system was bound to be top-quality; he had always had that confidence.

After thinking for a moment, an appropriate excuse gradually took shape.

Jiang Haojie put on his coat and turned to head downstairs.

"Xiao Hao, you just got home and you're going out again?"

Xiao Yufen had just finished washing a fruit plate and looked up to see her son coming down the stairs.