On the streets of Modu City, as night deepened, the clamor gradually faded, leaving only scattered vehicles and dim streetlights.
Shen Yan walked home alone, his soul lost.
The evening breeze blew, carrying a hint of coolness, which slightly cleared his mind, which had been chaotic from the excitement and anger at the auction.
Lu Cheng's contemptuous and all-controlling gaze, Xiao Zhan's domineering extravagance, and Xia Qinghe's dependent and slightly self-conscious appearance when surrounded by beauties next to Lu Cheng... Scene after scene replayed in his mind like a movie, piercing his already tattered heart.
He recalled his experiences since his rebirth—
The brief satisfaction when he dumped Tang Yurous.
The stunning impact and subsequent disappointment when he first met Xia Qinghe.
The humiliation of being universally condemned on the campus forum.
The disastrous failure of his cat coin investment.
And tonight, at the charity auction, the Song Dynasty porcelain that was so close... Humiliation! Anger! Unwillingness! And... a deep sense of powerlessness!
Perhaps... I was too eager for success?
Since being reborn, I seem to... always want to reach the sky in one step.
What was the result?
Time and again, I was mercilessly slapped by reality!
No!
I can't go on like this anymore!
Why not start with things I can control!
I still have my games!
I still have a head full of future ideas!
At this moment, he seemed to have found a new way out: "Develop stealthily, then turn the tables in the late game!"
Just as Shen Yan had his "great enlightenment," and a faint spark of hope rekindled in his heart, he began to plan in his mind how to gradually achieve success in the future.
Suddenly!
He felt a piercing pain in the back of his head!
His vision went black!
And he completely lost consciousness!
He painstakingly opened his incredibly heavy eyelids again.
The first thing that caught his eye was two blinding, stark white, and cold truck headlights that he could barely look at directly!
He discovered with horror that his hands and feet were tied behind him with nylon ropes to a chair, like an animal waiting to be slaughtered, unable to move.
His mouth was also tightly stuffed with what appeared to be... a piece of rags, allowing him to only make muffled "Woo woo" sounds.
An indescribable, immense fear, like a cold tide, instantly completely engulfed Shen Yan!
This is a kidnapping!
Where is this?
Who did it?
What do they want?
Just as he was in a state of terror, struggling desperately, trying to break free from this desperate situation.
A tall, slender figure, walking against the blinding, impossible-to-look-at lights, like a demon god slowly emerging from the abyss of hell, took one step after another, walking towards him.
The light blurred his outline somewhat, making him indistinct.
The man's steps were steady and powerful, each step like a drumbeat of death, and also like stepping on Shen Yan's fragile heart!
Until he stood completely in front of Shen Yan.
Only then did Shen Yan... finally see his face, that face as handsome as a demon, yet always with a chillingly cold smile!
It was the man who had stolen his childhood sweetheart, his 'white moonlight'—Lu Cheng!!!
"Woo! Woo woo!!"
Shen Yan's pupils suddenly contracted to the extreme when he saw Lu Cheng's face with its playful smile!
An indescribable despair and towering rage, like a volcanic eruption, instantly overwhelmed all his reason!
"It's you again!"
"You demon!"
"What exactly do you want to do?!"
"Xia Qinghe... Qing He has already been taken by you!"
"What more do you want?!"
He twisted his body desperately, trying to make a sound, but his mouth was tightly blocked, and he could only make muffled "Woo woo" sounds, like a trapped, wounded beast!
Lu Cheng looked down at Shen Yan, who was wriggling and struggling like a maggot, his smile unchanged.
His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"Shen Yan, we... meet again."
"Next, you'd better... tell me some information that I want to hear."
Lu Cheng gestured to the bodyguard behind him.
The bodyguard immediately understood, stepped forward, and roughly pulled out the stinky sock that was stuffing Shen Yan's mouth!
The moment the sock was pulled out, Shen Yan could finally make a sound!
He gasped violently a few times, then, using all his strength, roared at Lu Cheng, turning all his anger, fear, unwillingness, and despair into the most vicious curses!
"Lu Cheng! You bastard! What the hell do you want?! This is kidnapping! It's illegal! Let me go!"
"You bandit! Bah, you beast! You scum who only plays with women's feelings! You degenerate!"
Lu Cheng, however, ignored Shen Yan's hysterical curses, as if he had only heard a few flies buzzing in his ear.
He merely tilted his head slightly, again signaling the expressionless bodyguard.
The bodyguard took out a thick, hardcover book of unknown content from the cab of the heavy truck nearby.
He walked to Shen Yan's side and gently placed the heavy book on his lower abdomen.
Just as Shen Yan was still wondering what the other party intended to do.
A chilling ruthlessness flashed in the bodyguard's eyes!
Without any warning!
A heavy, incredibly powerful iron fist, with the force of a thousand jun, slammed mercilessly onto the book!
"Bang—!!!"
A teeth-grinding, extremely muffled thud!
Shen Yan instantly felt as if his internal organs had been violently struck by an invisible giant hammer!
All his curses abruptly stopped!
Replaced by a short, shrill scream!
At this moment, even breathing became incredibly difficult for him; he could only gasp futilely, mouth wide open, like a fish out of water!
He finally understood!
This man in front of him would truly strike without hesitation to kill!
And his methods were far more brutal! More terrifying than he had imagined!
A strong will to live and the pain in his abdomen instantly shattered his pitiful, unrealistic so-called backbone.
He blinked desperately, his eyes bloodshot and filled with uncontrollable tears.
His voice, thick with sobs and bone-deep fear, pleaded:
"I... I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
"Please... don't... hit me again..."
"I'll tell you everything I know!"
Lu Cheng slowly walked to him and squatted down.
His tone still carried that laziness, yet it was like a devil's whisper from hell:
"A wise man submits to circumstances."
"So... my first question..."
Slowly, word by word, in a voice only the two of them could hear, he softly asked:
"You..."
"Which year did you get reborn from... again?"
Boom—!!
When Shen Yan heard this, it was as if a chaotic divine thunder, capable of destroying everything, had descended from beyond the Ninth Heaven and struck him hard on his crown!
His entire body trembled uncontrollably!
His pupils, due to extreme shock, fear, and disbelief, suddenly dilated to their limit!
He... how did he know?
How could he possibly know I was reborn?
This is impossible!
Could he also be... a reborn person?
At this moment!
All of Shen Yan's psychological defenses! All his wishful thinking! All his unwillingness and resentment!
Completely collapsed!
Vanished without a trace!
Only... boundless, bone-deep... fear! And despair!