Chapter 40: Chaos Unleashed

First Floor of the apartment building.

Li Feng folded his umbrella and shook off the water before stepping into the elevator. He raised his hand and pressed the button for the fifth floor.

Moments later, the elevator doors opened. Li Feng glanced around cautiously before heading to Room 501. He knocked lightly on the door. “Daguo, open up.”

Footsteps approached from inside, and the door swung open with a click.

Ren Daguo, his hair a chaotic mess like a bird’s nest, glared at Li Feng with bloodshot eyes. “Come in, no need to change your shoes.”

“Wow, this place is really hard to find,” Li Feng muttered as he stepped inside. Seeing Editor Old Xu sitting there, he grinned and nodded at him.

“My friend, Li Feng,” Ren Daguo said curtly, closing the door behind him. “And my boss, Old Xu.”

“Hello, hello!” Li Feng greeted politely, extending his hand eagerly. “Editor Xu, right? I’ve heard a lot about you from Daguo. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Yeah, have a seat,” Old Xu replied nonchalantly.

Li Feng sat down, pulled a manuscript from his bag, and carefully placed it on the table.

“I’ll get some water. You two chat,” Ren Daguo said woodenly before heading into the kitchen.

Under the light, he opened the refrigerator with one hand while using his phone with the other, exiting two very active group chats.

…

Outside, the torrential rain continued to drench the city. The narrow alley outside had turned into a miniature river.

The dwarf with the babyish ponytail stood under the rain cover of a bicycle, turning to his recently arrived companion. “Li Feng went into 501. The target, Ren Daguo, is also there.”

“Wait a bit longer. Mr. He and the others are almost here,” his tall, lanky companion said, his face expressionless like a poker card.

Meanwhile.

After leaving the Minhuang Grand Theater, Mr. He and four other Copper Bell members headed separately toward the apartment building.

…

Across the street.

Opposite the apartment building stood a three-story mid-sized spa called Xinyuan. The spa’s location offered a full view of the apartment building, which was why Ren Ye had chosen it.

“I need a room facing that building, preferably on the third floor,” Ren Ye said quickly at the reception counter, still clad in his raincoat.

“Room 301,” replied the young woman in a pink uniform behind the counter. She walked out politely. “I’ll take you upstairs. Is this your first time here? We specialize in foot therapy…”

“Uh-huh,” Ren Ye responded absentmindedly, following her to the third floor and into a room with an excellent view.

After settling him in, the attendant left.

Ren Ye circled around the bathtub in the middle of the room and hurried to the window, looking down at the situation below.

The dwarf was still there, now joined by the tall, lanky man.

Since encountering Star Gate, Ren Ye had met quite a few players. Though he couldn’t yet detect Stellar Energy fluctuations directly, the demeanor and presence of these two screamed Chaos Faction players.

Frowning, Ren Ye stood by the window, lost in thought.

To be honest, he had no idea why Li Feng had come here. But his instincts as a seasoned anti-fraud officer told him that something big was about to happen.

What should he do?

Alone, he couldn’t possibly manage the situation.

“Knock, knock!”

Suddenly, a knock on the door broke his train of thought. A slightly plump woman in her thirties entered, carrying a small suitcase. She smiled and said, “Love rises with the clock, and when it stops, love lingers. Good evening, sir, I’m No. 68. It’s my pleasure to serve you.”

Damn, this place has such a flair for theatrics—they even have rhyming slogans.

Annoyed, Ren Ye turned and snapped, “Get out, get out, don’t bother me.”

The woman looked at him, visibly startled. His face was covered in adhesive bandages, and his hands were wrapped in dirty gauze. His entire appearance looked like he’d been beaten up by ten burly men.

Despite her revulsion at the sight of her client, she managed to hold her professionalism and said, “Well, since I’m already here, why not try a massage? My skills are—”

“Get out, get out!” Ren Ye snapped, “And don’t let anyone else come in.”

“…Fine.” The woman rolled her eyes and left in a flash.

Five minutes later, a plump woman in the hallway asked No. 68, “Rejected?”

“Looking like that, and he still doesn’t fancy me? Tch!” The slightly chubby woman replied haughtily and returned to the staff room, sighing, “Ah, my feet can relax for a while…!”

After the woman left, Ren Ye thought it over and decided to call for reinforcements. Taking out his phone, he immediately dialed Huang Wei:

“Hey, there’s an urgent situation here. Quickly gather the elite team. Bring as many people as possible and get here fast. I’m across the street from the apartment building where my dad disappeared, at a spa called Xinyuan. When you get nearby, don’t make any noise. I suspect there are Chaos Faction players here—don’t alarm them.”

Ren Ye spoke rapidly, but there was no response from the other end.

“Hello? Old Huang? Brother Huang, are you listening?” Ren Ye asked anxiously.

“You’re pretty bold, aren’t you? Running off in the blink of an eye without so much as a word?” Huang Wei replied lazily. “Since you’re so capable, why bother calling me? Solve it yourself—there’s always a way out of trouble…”

“Hello? Brother Huang? What do you mean? Hello? Brother Huang, damn you!” Ren Ye shouted into the phone, only to realize the call had been disconnected.

He stood there, stunned and bewildered.

Cursing the unreliability of the official organization in his heart, he thought, heartless bastards! I’m operating solo just to avoid causing trouble for you guys… Don’t you even have that much tacit understanding? Idiots—all of you! Especially that moron Huang!

Just as Ren Ye was mentally venting his frustration at Huang’s entire family, the door creaked open again. A man walked in, politely asking, “Sir, what do you think of these size 44 feet? Can you accept them?”

Ren Ye looked up abruptly to see a tall, imposing figure brimming with masculine energy—it was none other than Huang Wei himself.

A wave of warmth washed over Ren Ye as he stood by the window. “I was just saying in my heart that you’re a good person and would never abandon me.”

“Hah, like I’d believe that.”

Huang Wei sneered, walking to the window and glancing down at the dwarf. “We’ll deal with your unauthorized actions later.”

Back in the car the other day, Gu Nian’s words had resonated with him. Huang Wei hadn’t gone home or played the game these past two days; instead, he had been covertly tailing Ren Ye while enduring immense pressure from his superiors.

When Ren Ye killed the Bull Terrier, Huang Wei had almost intervened but was held back by Gu Nian. In the end, they merely helped Prince Huai clean up the scene.

Given the level of security around Ren Qingning and Ren Daguo, there was no way Huang Wei would truly let Ren Ye act alone. If anything happened to him, both Huang Wei and Yan Duoduo would face severe punishment, possibly even exile to Star Gate.

“Those two are members of the Bell Society,” Huang Wei said, watching the dwarf from the window. He turned to Ren Ye and asked, “But I can’t figure out why Li Feng and they are here at this apartment.”

“I don’t get it either,” Ren Ye replied, shaking his head.

“Forget it,” Huang Wei said cautiously. “I’ll notify Gu Nian and have her keep a close watch inside the building.”

“How many people did you bring?” Ren Ye asked, worried.

“Eight,” Huang Wei replied, glancing at his watch. “That dwarf has an incredibly sharp sense of perception. I didn’t know they’d be here beforehand. But it’s fine. In no more than ten minutes, we’ll have Vigil Keepers from at least three districts arriving.”

“OK!” Ren Ye nodded.

With that, Ren Ye resumed observing the situation below, while Huang Wei began communicating with Gu Nian via his earpiece.

…

About five minutes later, a car pulled up at the alleyway entrance. The female player with the chill-inducing neck arrived with three companions, joining the dwarf under the apartment.

“Where’s Mr. He?” the dwarf immediately asked.

“He’s here, nearby,” the female player replied, shaking her head. “Let’s get to work!”

“Alright, I’ll begin.” The dwarf’s face twisted into a sinister smile as he slowly closed his eyes and unleashed his senses.

Within two breaths, three fleshy worms crawled out from his sleeves, writhing towards his fingertips.

“I sacrifice the silkworms—slumber!”

Snap!

As his words fell, the three worms quickly withered, their life force dissipating as their shriveled husks dropped to the ground.

Inside Apartment 501

Hiss~!

Li Feng suddenly felt a sharp sting at the back of his neck. Startled, he reached up to touch it.

A small flesh worm burrowed out from his hair follicle and burst with a pop.

A green radiance swept across the living room. Both Ren Daguo, who was reading documents, and Editor Xu, who was snacking, froze momentarily before collapsing into unconsciousness, just like Li Feng.

Outside the apartment.

The dwarf and his companions heard a voice in their earpieces: “Ignore the other two. Proceed!”

Following the command, the six of them headed directly into the apartment building.

…

In the guest room.

Huang Wei turned to Ren Ye and signaled, “They’re moving. Let’s go!”

Ren Ye nodded and followed Huang Wei toward the first-floor lobby.

“Thank you for visiting. Come again!” The receptionist at the counter politely called out as they left.

Huang Wei had already paid earlier, so the two rushed straight to the entrance without stopping.

Creak!

As the door opened, an elderly man, wearing a reversed baseball cap, baggy overalls, and an oversized T-shirt, walked in, holding an umbrella.

Ren Ye found the old man’s appearance peculiar and couldn’t help but glance at him.

The old man paused, turned to the counter, and said, “Get me a room… and pick out a few nice feet for me.”

Ren Ye quickly averted his gaze and hurried outside with Huang Wei, heading straight for the apartment.

Meanwhile, the dwarf and his group had already entered the apartment. Over their earpieces, Mr. He’s voice rang out again: “Vigil Keepers are nearby. Move quickly!”

Ding!

The elevator stopped at the fifth floor, and the doors slid open.

The dwarf scanned the area and pointed to Room 501. “This is the one.”

At his command, three bronze-level operatives stepped forward, with one raising a hand to smash the reinforced door.

Flutter~!

Before they could act, a white pigeon flew merrily down the hallway toward them.

Startled, the six of them froze in place, watching the pigeon suddenly pick up speed and charge straight at them.

“Dodge!” the dwarf shouted.

“Performance Magic—Exploding Pigeon!”

A familiar voice echoed from the end of the hallway, followed by the appearance of long legs and a figure holding a magician’s wand.

Boom~!

The pigeon erupted into a fireball above the six operatives, sending waves of heat and flames surging several meters high.

…

Around the apartment building.

Xu Peng, clad in a yellow-tier Vigil Keeper robe, raised both arms, lifting the Wordless Stele hanging from his chest into the air.

“Bury the stele!” he commanded.

At his words, three other Vigil Keepers positioned in different directions activated their Wordless Steles simultaneously.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The four steles plunged into the ground like bullets, radiating intense light as they interconnected.

Within a single breath, the area within 300 meters of the apartment became warped and distorted, as space itself was completely sealed off.

…

Fourth Floor, Stairwell

Huang Wei glanced back at Ren Ye and spoke urgently, “Stay back! When I act, don’t come near.”

“Why?! I can help—”

“I said stay back!” Huang Wei glared at him. “Go find Gu Nian!”

“Are you sure you can handle this?” Ren Ye asked, skeptical as he looked at Huang Wei’s pallid face and disheveled appearance.

Huang Wei sneered at the question, lowering his gaze toward Ren Ye. “Have you ever heard of this saying?”

“What saying?”

“Red Dog is invincible under heaven!” Huang Wei intoned ominously. “From today onward… you’ll worship me.”

Boom!

With that, a crimson aura erupted from Huang Wei’s body, roaring like flames as it surged skyward.

His eyes turned blood-red in an instant, glowing like twin scarlet suns blazing on his face.