Chapter 216: The Human Heart

Late at night, a mid-sized passenger plane silently flew over the Sea of Japan, heading towards international waters.

Around 3 AM, the plane landed on the beach of a deserted island.

After shutting off the engine, a dozen men clad in black tight-fitting suits disembarked from the plane.

A man in his thirties, who had exited from the cockpit, immediately commanded the group to push the plane into the forested area near the beach, concealing it among the trees.

After confirming everyone’s presence, the man said in a low voice, “The next few days might be tough. For now, everyone should rest nearby for the night. We’ll move out tomorrow. But remember, no fires or lights.”

“Yes, sir!” the men in black responded in unison.

Although the man wanted to proceed immediately, he knew that the subtropical jungle at night was extremely dangerous. Besides, everyone was already exhausted from the long flight—it was better to rest first.

The following morning, after eating, Lei Li led the group into the jungle.

After walking for about two hours, the group finally arrived at their destination.

Although it had only been about three months since Lei Li last visited, the site that had previously been dug up was now overgrown with saplings and various weeds.

Following his memory and the marks he had previously made, Lei Li finally pinpointed the exact spot.

Unlike before, they didn’t need to unearth everything buried underground. Instead, they only needed to dig towards the location of the opening.

Starting from that morning, Lei Li, along with the dozen others, began digging into the dense earth using rudimentary tools, their movements resembling those of miners.

Among them, only five former members of the original Dark Group, who had survived their prior flight, had been here before. The other new Dark Group members didn’t know what lay buried beneath them. They merely followed Lei Li’s orders, working tirelessly day and night on a task they were unfamiliar with.

※※※

“Mr. Shen, everyone is ready and can move out at any time,” a man reported to the middle-aged man in front of him.

“Have all the injured brothers arrived there?” Chang’an asked, looking up.

“Yes, they’ve already arrived.”

“I understand. I’ll head out shortly.”

The subordinate saluted and left the room.

“Lei, you must stay safe,” Chang’an murmured, his pale face revealing a trace of worry.

After clashing with the special forces, although they had emerged victorious, the new Dark Group suffered significant casualties. In the end, Chang An decided to retreat from Sweden with the remaining members.

Sighing, Chang’an slowly stood up and left the room.

※※※

A week later, on the deserted island, the dozen men had excavated a pit over 30 meters deep, 8 meters long, and 10 meters wide—almost the size of half a basketball court.

Initially, there was no need to dig so wide, but due to Lei Li’s slight memory error, they didn’t locate the precise opening on the first attempt. This forced them to expand the pit until they finally found the opening five days later.

To avoid any possibility of discovery, Lei Li chose to rest during the day and dig at night. Working in the pitch-dark environment slowed their progress significantly.

As he gazed at the seemingly bottomless opening, Lei Li’s mind surged with mixed emotions.

Would what lay within truly help him avenge his master?

Taking a deep breath, he slowly approached the opening.

Just as he was about three or four meters away, a gunshot suddenly rang out from above, and a bullet struck the ground in front of him.

At the sound of the gunshot, everyone at the bottom of the pit turned pale.

Looking up, they saw the edge of the pit crowded with men in camouflage uniforms, armed with heavy weapons aimed at them.

Some Dark Group members instinctively reached for their guns but were immediately stopped by Lei Li’s loud command: “Nobody move!”

He knew that resistance in such a confined space would spell certain death for everyone.

Lei Li shouted upwards, “We surrender!”

After a moment, a voice from above spoke through a loudspeaker: “Throw down your weapons immediately. Any suspicious movement will be met with gunfire.”

Lei Li turned to the Dark Group members and said sternly, “Do as they say. Drop your guns now.”

Silently, the members removed their handguns and threw them to the ground, one after another.

The voice from above continued, “Now climb up one by one.”

With a grim expression, Lei Li walked to the rope ladder and began climbing up slowly.

Seeing this, the others had no choice but to follow him, ascending one by one.

Upon reaching the top, Lei Li was met with the sight of dozens of gun barrels and several searchlights aimed directly at him. A quick count revealed at least a hundred men, all appearing to be highly trained soldiers.

“Raise your hands!” a man shouted at him.

Lei Li shrugged and raised his hands above his head.

Suddenly, he found himself unable to move, as though his entire body were encased in wax. This sensation of complete immobility wasn’t new to him; he had experienced it once before in Sweden while dealing with those playing with fire. He immediately realized that someone among them was a psychic.

“All right, cuff his hands,” a woman’s voice suddenly called from ahead.

Lei Li was startled. Could the psychic be a woman? He wanted to get a better look, but the spotlight’s intense beam made it impossible to see anything ahead clearly.

A man walked over and cuffed his hands behind his back.

As the man was about to cuff the other members, a young male voice interjected, “Add another pair of cuffs.”

The man complied, snapping an additional pair of cuffs onto Lei Li’s wrists. At that moment, Lei Li realized his body could move again.

Once everyone had been cuffed, a man in his forties approached Lei Li and smiled. “If it weren’t for you leading us here, we wouldn’t have found this place. Not only that, you even helped us dig up the ruins. I really don’t know how to thank you.”

Lei Li smiled back. “No need to be so polite. Just don’t fart in my face again, and I’ll be perfectly content.”

The man’s face darkened, and he landed a solid uppercut to Lei Li’s abdomen.

Lei Li bent over in pain, but he gritted his teeth and didn’t make a sound.

Several members, seeing Lei Li get hit, shouted angrily and tried to rush forward but were immediately stopped by Lei Li.

Straightening himself, Lei Li looked at the man before him and sneered. “Don’t you people always pride yourselves on being the most human-rights-oriented country? Does attacking unarmed captives count as your version of human rights?”

“For people like you, there’s no need to talk about human rights.” The man delivered another heavy punch to his stomach.

As he prepared to strike again, the woman intervened, “Mr. Rhodes, this isn’t the time to act impulsively. The higher-ups want the contents of the ruins as soon as possible. Please don’t waste any more time.”

Hearing the woman’s words, a trace of anger flashed in the middle-aged man’s eyes. However, he didn’t continue his assault. Instead, he turned to a man behind him and said, “Keep a close watch on them. If they make any unusual moves, kill them on the spot.”

“Yes,” the man responded, immediately leading a group of over thirty to herd Lei Li and the others to the back.

As they passed by, Lei Li finally got a clear look at the woman. She appeared to be about 25 or 26 years old and was stunningly beautiful, particularly her eyes, which held an almost hypnotic allure. Although she was dressed in camouflage like the others, Lei Li could tell she had an excellent figure.

As he sized up the woman, she was also looking at him. For a moment, Lei Li thought he noticed something unusual in her gaze, but he couldn’t be sure.

Rhodes, accompanied by a dozen soldiers, climbed down into the pit using a rope ladder. After exchanging glances with the young man who had spoken earlier, the woman followed them down.

Watching them descend, Lei Li suddenly spoke to the man in front of him. “Hey, I need to use the bathroom.”

The man sneered. “I’d advise you not to try anything clever. If you really need to go, just do it right there.”

Lei Li glared at him but said nothing.

The man smirked again and turned away.

After a moment, Lei Li said suddenly, “Hey, how about we make a deal?”

The man, initially unwilling to entertain him, eventually responded out of boredom, “What deal? Don’t tell me you want me to let you go.”

“Relax, I wouldn’t propose something so stupid. I’m just curious—how did you know I was here? If you’re willing to answer, I’ll give you my Swiss bank account details and password.”

The man’s heart raced. It was indeed a tempting offer. As the leader of Black Dragon—a global crime syndicate with influence in both the underworld and the legitimate world—Lei Li’s personal fortune was undoubtedly astronomical.

But despite his greed, the man knew the deal was impossible with over thirty guards nearby. Money was great, but it was useless if he couldn’t stay alive to spend it. If the higher-ups found out he had leaked information, his fate would be sealed.

The man snorted coldly. “No comment.”

Lei Li smiled. From the man’s expression, he knew he had been tempted but didn’t dare to act because of the others. So he continued, “I’m sure your subordinates would be interested in that money too. How about this—you take half, and the other half gets split among them? That way, they won’t say anything they shouldn’t.”

As Lei Li had anticipated, the eyes of the thirty-some guards watching them began to change, growing fiery with desire, though none dared to speak up.

Their leader swallowed hard, his gaze shifting among his subordinates before finally settling back on Lei Li’s face.

After a long pause, his fiery eyes gradually dimmed.

“So, have you made a decision yet? The money in that account of mine is probably far more than you’ll ever see in your lifetime.”

“Shut up!” the man shouted abruptly.

His subordinates looked at him in surprise.

Realizing his outburst, the man quickly fell silent. After a moment, he glared at Lei Li and said, “If you say another word, I’ll seal your mouth shut immediately.”

“What a pity,” Lei Li sighed deliberately.

Seeing that Lei Li had stopped talking, the man turned his head back, though his heart was still pounding furiously.

He had been dangerously close to agreeing to the deal. But after thinking it through, he knew it was impossible.

A secret shared with three people was no longer a secret, and there were over thirty people here. Even if they all took the money and promised to keep quiet, there was no guarantee someone wouldn’t reveal the truth—intentionally or otherwise—later on. That was a risk he absolutely couldn’t afford to take.

Under normal circumstances, he would have outright rejected such a ludicrous proposal without hesitation. But Lei Li was no ordinary man. As the leader of Black Dragon, just thinking about the number of zeroes in his bank account was enough to make the man’s scalp tingle.

The night on the deserted island was no different from nights in other places. Yet, because it was less frequented by people, the natural atmosphere was even more pronounced than in those so-called vacation resorts. If not for the armed men ruining the scenery, it might have been a serene and delightful night as usual.

Fireflies, common in summer, flickered about, and the distant sounds of insects and frogs created a continuous melody.

The man didn’t notice that, not long after he turned his head, Lei Li—who had been silent all this time—suddenly revealed a peculiar expression.

Change often came in an instant.

Explosions, tremors, and panic—all erupted simultaneously.

No one knew what had happened. A massive, unprovoked explosion shattered the silence, throwing everyone standing on the ground to the floor.

It was as if a storm had just begun. After the initial deafening explosion, more explosions followed, rumbling continuously from underground. Though less terrifying than the first, the persistent tremors gave everyone a sense of impending apocalypse.

“What’s going on?” the man shouted.

Suddenly, screams erupted from behind him. Turning around, he saw that several members of Black Dragon, including Lei Li, had somehow freed their hands from the handcuffs.

Nine of them, now unshackled, pounced on the nearest guards in an instant. Meanwhile, the still-cuffed members dashed into the nearby woods.

The surprise attack left the guards stunned. Armed with daggers, the freed members either fatally stabbed or incapacitated the guards they targeted. Afterward, they quickly seized the submachine guns from their victims and began firing at the remaining guards while retreating into the forest.

The fifty-plus guards stationed near the pit heard the gunfire and rushed over to provide reinforcements.

But by the time they arrived, all of Black Dragon’s members had already disappeared into the dense woods.

“Sir, should we pursue them?” the guard responsible for watching the prisoners asked his superior.

Staring at the pitch-black forest, the leader shook his head. “No need. They’re no longer of any use to us. Right now, our priority is figuring out what’s happening below.”

Before he could finish speaking, another massive explosion rocked the ground, shaking it violently as if an earthquake had struck.

When the tremors subsided, the guard pointed at the large pit in front of them and shouted, “Sir, look!”

Everyone turned in the direction he indicated. From the pit, a dark red, glowing mass began to rise.

The glowing substance emerged from the pit and immediately began spreading outward, igniting everything it touched.

The leader shouted in shock, “Why is there lava?!”

The substance continuously rising from the pit was molten lava, radiating an incredible heat.

“Sir, we need to leave immediately! There’s likely to be a volcanic eruption!” the guard yelled.

Staring blankly at the ever-flowing molten material, the leader finally nodded slowly. Then, he led his men away from the area.

At this moment, the dozen people who had fled deep into the forest had no idea what had happened back there. After a frantic escape, and confirming that no one was pursuing them, they finally stopped.

The others began unlocking the handcuffs of those who hadn’t managed to free themselves earlier. Lei Li personally walked over to help one of the restrained members.

“Thank you, boss,” the member said gratefully, turning to look at him.

Lei Li smiled and replied, “We’re all brothers. No need to thank me.”

Suddenly, the member felt a sharp pain in his hands and cried out.

Hearing his cry, everyone immediately turned to look. Several members standing behind him saw that his handcuffs were not only still locked, but a sharp dagger had pierced through his palms, pinning his hands together. The one holding the dagger was none other than Lei Li himself.

The members were stunned by this unexpected turn of events. None of them could understand why Lei Li had done such a thing.

“Boss, what are you doing?” The injured member stared at him with a face full of anguish.

Lei Li sneered coldly. “How dare you ask me what I’m doing? Black Dragon raised you for over 20 years, yet it turns out we were feeding something worse than a beast.”

A flicker of fear flashed through the member’s eyes, but he quickly raised his voice. “We’ve fought and bled for you! Why would you treat me like this?”

“Still playing dumb, huh? Fine, I’ll let you die knowing why.” With that, Lei Li suddenly pulled the dagger out of the man’s hands and slashed it across his left shoulder.

The agonizing screams that followed made everyone shudder. Lei Li didn’t stop there. He plunged his fingers into the gash in the man’s shoulder, digging around in the soft tissue.

The intensified pain brought another round of heart-wrenching screams, while the others could only watch Lei Li’s actions in shocked silence.

A moment later, Lei Li extracted a small, fingertip-sized device from the man’s shoulder. Holding it up, he said coldly, “Did you think I wouldn’t figure out that you’ve been using this signal transmitter to inform them of our location?”

The man’s face turned deathly pale. Forgetting the searing pain in his shoulder, he cried, “Boss, I didn’t mean to betray you! Please, I beg you, for the sake of the years I’ve served Black Dragon, spare me!”

Grabbing the man’s collar furiously, Lei Li shouted, “You dare bring up those years? Black Dragon raised you for two decades, and this is how you repay us? Do you know how many brothers you’ve doomed? If we had been wiped out today, who would have avenged us?”

“Boss, please, I’m begging you!” Seeing the rage in Lei Li’s eyes, the man grew even more desperate.

Lei Li let go of him and, with a pained expression, said, “For the sake of our past, I’ll at least leave you a whole corpse.” With that, he raised his gun and shot him in the forehead.

With the sound of the gunshot, the man collapsed to the ground.

“Bury his body,” Lei Li instructed two nearby members.

The two silently stepped forward to carry out his order.

“You all go wait for me at the plane. I’ll join you shortly,” Lei Li said tiredly.

The remaining members acknowledged and began making their way back to the beach.

Fifteen minutes later, after the two members finished burying the body, Lei Li suddenly asked them, “Do you regret joining Black Dragon? Be honest with me.”

One of them shook his head and said, “We’re orphans. We grew up in Black Dragon. Besides this, we have nowhere else to go.”

The other member didn’t speak but nodded in agreement, his expression reflecting the same sentiment.

Lei Li walked up and patted their shoulders. “If you ever find someplace else you want to go, tell me. I’ll let you leave.”

“Thank you, boss,” they said in unison, bowing deeply.

“All right, go wait for me at the plane. I need a moment alone.”

After saluting him, the two left.

Staring at the mound of freshly turned soil before him, Lei Li stood silently for a long time.

“The human heart… In this world, nothing is harder to grasp than the human heart,” a voice suddenly spoke in the stillness of the forest.

“Master, you’re here.” Lei Li turned around, his face lighting up with surprise. Standing behind him was a middle-aged man—none other than Lei Yin, disguised once again.

“Master, are you all right?” Lei Li asked, looking at him with concern.

Lei Yin smiled faintly. “If I’m standing here talking to you, what do you think?”