MTLNOVEL Chapter 69:
Chapter 69: The Culprit Behind the Scenes! Manipulation of the Mastermind! The Protagonist’s Misfortune:
Among the group of people, the leader was a middle-aged man with a stern face and a square jaw. As soon as he laid eyes on Zheng Feifan, Mr. Zhao was reminded of his son Zhao Lei, and a surge of anger welled up within him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions, and then offered a slight bow to the elderly man in a chinese suit beside him.
“Mr. Wei, please handle this and capture that man for me.” Mr. Zhao requested.
He didn’t plan to kill Zheng Feifan outright. He wanted to capture him alive and make him experience pain worse than death.
The elderly man, known as Old Wei, nodded slightly in agreement.
Years ago, Mr. Zhao had helped him, and Old Wei had promised to repay the favor. Now was the time to fulfill that debt.
Old Wei took a step forward, releasing a powerful aura. He was at the early stage of Anjin and close to breaking through to the middle stage, his energy robust and intimidating. He glanced at the young man standing before him and was taken aback by the aura emanating from him—it wasn’t much weaker than his own.
This young man had already broken through to Anjin, and his talent was exceptional. If allowed to grow, he could very well become a formidable figure in the future. Unfortunately, today he faced Mr. Zhao, and this prodigy was destined to perish.
With a twinge of regret in his heart, Old Wei addressed Zheng Feifan calmly. “Young man, you’re no match for me. Surrender peacefully, and this will go easier for you.”
Zheng Feifan looked at him in confusion. He had no idea who these people were, yet they were filled with murderous intent. None of this made sense.
And now, this old man was telling him he had no chance and should surrender?
How absurd.
Did they really think he’d just give up because their strength was slightly superior?
Did they not realize how many years he had survived in the harsh underworld?
“Who do you think you are? Why should I surrender to you?” Zheng Feifan retorted without hesitation.
Old Wei’s face darkened.
How long had it been since someone dared to speak to him like that?
As a master of Anjin, he had long been treated with the utmost respect by all the powerful families. No one dared to look down on him.
“Young man shouldn’t be so arrogant.” Old Wei said coldly.
“Arrogant? If a young man isn’t full of vigor, then what is he? Or should I be like you—an old man on the brink of death?” Zheng Feifan mocked.
“You really don’t know how to respect your elders, do you? It seems I’ll have to teach you a lesson.” Old Wei’s tone darkened.
“Respect? Coming from an old man who thinks too highly of himself? You really overestimate your worth.” Zheng Feifan replied with a sneer.
Old Wei had had enough. In a flash, he charged at Zheng Feifan with remarkable speed, his hand aiming straight for Zheng Feifan’s face. The wind from his strike hit Zheng Feifan’s cheek, forcing him to instinctively lean back, narrowly dodging the attack.
Old Wei was surprised.
His first attack had missed.
Without missing a beat, he launched another—a sweeping strike aimed at Zheng Feifan’s ribs.
But Zheng Feifan wasn’t an amateur. His years of hard-fought battles in the underworld had honed his instincts.
While Old Wei was more powerful, Zheng Feifan had far more combat experience. The two began exchanging blows rapidly, each strike met with a counter.
Attack, defend, attack, defend—the rhythm was relentless.
For Mr. Zhao and his men, the fight was a blur of motion, far too fast for them to follow. All they could see were shadows moving at incredible speeds.
Mr. Zhao grew impatient, and pulled out a gun
He was hoping to take advantage of the chaos to land a sneak attack. But the battle between Zheng Feifan and Old Wei left no opening. They were perfectly matched.
However, as the fight dragged on, Old Wei’s age began to show. His energy waned, his movements slowing. On the other hand, Zheng Feifan, still young and full of vitality, had the stamina to continue. Slowly, the balance tipped in his favor.
Zheng Feifan saw his chance.
With a swift, powerful kick, he hit Old Wei squarely, sending him flying. The old man managed to soften his landing with a graceful maneuver, but it was clear he was injured.
Old Wei couldn’t believe it. This young man’s combat instincts were extraordinary. Exhausted and out of breath, Old Wei realized he could no longer keep up. Reluctantly, he prepared to give in.
But Zheng Feifan wasn’t going to let him off that easily. If they had come to kill him, they should be ready to pay the price.
Sensing Old Wei’s hesitation, Zheng Feifan pressed his attack. He unleashed a flurry of punches, pushing Old Wei further and further back.
With a loud crack, one of Zheng Feifan’s punches landed directly on Old Wei’s shoulder, fracturing the bone.
Pain twisted the old man’s face, but that was just the beginning. Zheng Feifan’s speed increased. He stepped behind Old Wei and delivered a devastating kick to his back. Another crack rang out, this time louder. Old Wei collapsed to the ground, too injured to stand.
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed through the night.
Danger prickled at the back of Zheng Feifan’s mind. He instinctively jerked his head to the side, narrowly avoiding the bullet. He turned to see Mr. Zhao, a gun in his hand, shock written across his face.
Mr. Zhao couldn’t believe it. He had aimed at Zheng Feifan’s head, and yet the man had dodged it.
Dark power masters were terrifying. Before he could take another shot, his vision blurred, and a sharp pain radiated from his wrist. His hand was broken, and the gun fell uselessly to his side.
Just as Mr. Zhao opened his mouth to scream, Zheng Feifan shoved the barrel of his own gun into his mouth, silencing him.
Behind him, Zhao’s bodyguards reacted, drawing their weapons.
“Let go of our boss!” one of them yelled.
“Do you even know who he is? Put the gun down!” another shouted.
Zheng Feifan, growing impatient, scratched his ear. “Shut up, or I’ll blow his brains out.”
The bodyguards fell silent, glaring at him with anger but unwilling to make a move.
“Now tell me,” Zheng Feifan demanded, looking directly at Mr. Zhao. “Why did you all come here to kill me?”
Zheng Feifan was questioning Mr. Zhao, his voice sharp and demanding. But Mr. Zhao’s focus shifted to his son’s death, and the pain of that loss dulled the physical pain of his twisted wrist. His eyes brimmed with hatred.
“Speak? You wanted to kill me, didn’t you? Now you can’t even utter a word?” Zheng Feifan mocked. He then realizing that his gun was still shoved into Mr. Zhao’s mouth. “Oh right, you can’t talk with a gun down your throat.” He chuckled and pulled the gun away, allowing Mr. Zhao to breathe, but the man remained silent.
“Well, weren’t you so bold a moment ago? Planning to kill me? Why so quiet now?” Zheng Feifan taunted, smacking Mr. Zhao’s head with the butt of his gun.
But Mr. Zhao didn’t react, not a word escaped his lips.
“Still not talking, huh?” Zheng Feifan’s patience was wearing thin. He turned to one of Mr. Zhao’s bodyguards. “You. Explain. Why did you come after me? If you don’t, I’ll shoot him right here.” He pointed the gun at Mr. Zhao’s head, casually, as if it meant nothing.
The bodyguard, filled with both grief and rage, finally broke his silence. “You killed our young master. Were we not allowed to take revenge?”
Zheng Feifan was baffled. When had he ever killed anyone? “Who’s your young master?” he demanded, frowning.
“Zhao Lei.” The bodyguard replied bitterly.
Zheng Feifan remembered. Zhao Lei was the man he had beaten up the previous day, the same man responsible for banning Xu Hongjiao. He had planned to confront him again, but how had Zhao Lei ended up dead?
“Explain.” Zheng Feifan’s tone grew cold. He knew something was off.
The bodyguard’s sorrow deepened. “After you beat our young master, he was sent to the hospital. Later, someone posing as a nurse poisoned him. Before he died, he left your name behind. Wasn’t it you?”
Zheng Feifan stared, dumbfounded.
He hadn’t killed Zhao Lei. He’d been working at his company all afternoon, barely thinking about the incident. There was no way he would kill someone so openly, especially in a society governed by law.
He shook his head. “This is a setup. Can’t you see? Someone’s framing me.”
The bodyguard’s anger flared. “You beat him yesterday and even threatened to return if Xu Hongjiao’s ban wasn’t lifted. Didn’t you say it wouldn’t just be a beating next time?”
Zheng Feifan was momentarily speechless. He had made that threat, but it was just that—words. He never intended to kill Zhao Lei.
Zheng Feifan yelled, “You can’t be serious. I was just threatening him. Do you really think I’d kill someone after making such a public threat? Am I that dumb?”
He took a deep breath and added, “I have an alibi. I was at the company all afternoon. You can check it.”
The bodyguard scoffed, “How do we know your alibi isn’t made up? You could’ve easily timed everything to get away with murder.”
Frustration bubbled inside Zheng Feifan. He was tired of explaining himself to people who wouldn’t listen. He looked at Mr. Zhao, who had been silent the entire time. “Are you as clueless as them? You’re the CEO of a billion-dollar company. Surely, you have more sense than this.”
Mr. Zhao’s silence spoke volumes. He wasn’t sure who the killer was, but Zheng Feifan was the prime suspect. Dealing with him first was the plan.
Zheng Feifan saw the resolve in Mr. Zhao’s eyes and sighed. It didn’t matter whether he was guilty or not—Mr. Zhao had already decided that he had to die.
Zheng Feifan’s patience snapped. “You think I care anymore?” He sneered, and eyes grew cold. He noticed Mr. Zhao’s hateful gaze and suddenly remembered something his uncle, Xu Hao, had mentioned about the CEO of Zhao Media. Could Mr. Zhao be involved in his father’s death?
His voice turned icy. “Do you know my father, Zheng Xuelin?”
Mr. Zhao’s eyes flickered with surprise. He thought back to the details he had gathered about Zheng Feifan. Yes, his father was Zheng Xuelin, who had died only a few days ago. A former shareholder of Zhao Media, Zheng Xuelin had sold his shares and made a fortune when Zhao Media took off.
“So what if I know him?” Mr. Zhao replied coldly.
Zheng Feifan studied his face carefully. There was something more here. “Did you have something to do with my father’s death?” he asked, locking his gaze on Mr. Zhao, watching for any reaction.
Mr. Zhao’s expression hardened as he said, “Yes, I did it. That old fool deserved to die.”
Zheng Feifan’s anger flared.
Could his father’s death have been murder? Although he wasn’t entirely sure, Mr. Zhao’s words stung. Maybe his father had been silenced.
Furious, Zheng Feifan kicked Mr. Zhao hard in the stomach. The man flew backward, hitting the ground with a painful thud. His eyes bulged in shock.
Zheng Feifan growled, “Get lost. Come after me again, and next time, I won’t be so kind.”
As much as he wanted to kill Mr. Zhao right then and there, Zheng Feifan knew better. This was a society of laws, and while he didn’t mind breaking a few rules, he wasn’t going to get himself tangled in murder charges just yet. He still had unanswered questions.
Mr. Zhao’s bodyguards hurried to pick him up, dragging his bruised and broken body out of the room. They supported the injured Anjin master as well, leaving Zheng Feifan standing there, deep in thought.
Someone was targeting him from the shadows. He didn’t like the feeling of being manipulated. Who could it be?
As Mr. Zhao recovered, he didn’t let the confrontation with Zheng Feifan stop him. He was determined to take revenge. He placed bounties online and gathered more forces. Whether Zheng Feifan was truly responsible for his son’s death or not, it didn’t matter anymore. Zheng Feifan had beaten his son, weakening him. If it weren’t for that, no one would’ve had the chance to poison Zhao Lei.
Zheng Feifan must die for that.
While Mr. Zhao continued his efforts against him, he also pursued the downfall of Xu Hongjiao. In his mind, her involvement was just as critical in his son’s death.
Meanwhile, Zheng Feifan began his own investigation into Mr. Zhao, trying to uncover the truth behind his father’s death. In the shadows, Xu Hao—the mastermind of this chaos—was plotting his next move. His plans to boost his daughter’s fame continued, while the storm between Zheng Feifan and Mr. Zhao grew.
The wheels of fate were turning, and soon, nothing would be the same.