Chapter 10: The Plot

Tianhai City Ring Expressway.

A heavy truck suddenly lost control, its massive body swerving across the lanes and barreling straight toward He Tian's Porsche.

He Tian's face changed. Beside him, Wang Xinyou had already turned pale with fright.

He Tian summoned all his internal energy, his entire being entering an almost superhuman state of focus. He slammed the brakes to the floor, hands spinning the wheel with all his might. The tires screeched against the asphalt, the friction producing a piercing sound.

It was as if the Porsche was wrenched sideways by an invisible force, then, in an incredible maneuver, spun completely around.

Just as the car finished its turn, He Tian eased up on the brakes, and the Porsche surged forward, carried by momentum. He Tian slammed the accelerator—once, twice, a dozen times—belching smoke from the tailpipe, before flooring it with sudden intensity. The Porsche shot forward, its speed instantly climbing past 150 kilometers per hour.

The moment the Porsche sped away, the heavy truck swept through the spot they'd just occupied—barely two seconds separated disaster from escape.

He Tian glanced in the rearview mirror at the truck, now out of control, tipping and rolling as it lost balance. His face was grim.

“Look out ahead!” Wang Xinyou screamed.

He Tian’s concentration sharpened. Now they were driving against traffic—and from the opposite direction, another heavy truck was barreling straight toward them.

“This isn't an accident. It's a setup,” He Tian concluded in an instant.

Who could have orchestrated this? It wasn't the moment for such questions.

“Close your eyes!” He Tian shouted to Wang Xinyou, whose face had turned even paler.

But she seemed not to hear him, sitting stiff and dazed, paralyzed by terror.

He Tian had no time to spare. He yanked his own seatbelt, snapping it with brute force, spun the wheel, and sent the Porsche skidding sideways.

Seizing the moment, he reached over and pinched Wang Xinyou’s seatbelt, snapping it as well. Then, bracing his feet, he leapt from his seat, grabbing Wang Xinyou and, with a powerful push, hurled them both out of the car.

Fortunately, the Porsche was a convertible.

As the car spun away, He Tian and Wang Xinyou were airborne, crashing toward the ground.

But He Tian didn't hit the pavement as hard as expected. His feet barely scraped the ground before he used the momentum to propel them forward, then, twisting his body, carried Wang Xinyou in a leap straight off the expressway.

The moment they landed below, a hail of bullets riddled the pavement where they’d just been.

“Aah!” Wang Xinyou screamed, instinctively clinging to He Tian.

He Tian, channeling his inner strength, landed steadily. Then, carrying Wang Xinyou, he sprinted away—astonishingly fast, even with the extra weight—vanishing into the wasteland beneath the highway in seconds, leaving no trace.

Far in the distance, atop another heavy truck, a shadowy figure cursed violently, then pulled out a remote control.

The truck that had blocked He Tian exploded in a tremendous fireball.

The figure swiftly packed up his gun, leaped down, and disappeared into the endless night.

He Tian glanced at Wang Xinyou, still clinging tightly to him, then at the fleeting silhouette already lost in the darkness. He shook his head helplessly.

With Wang Xinyou in such a state, he couldn’t just abandon her.

He was confident he could catch the assassin if he pursued now, but it was clear—Wang Xinyou’s safety mattered most.

“Let’s go!” He Tian said, surveying the chaos on the highway. He had no desire to be questioned by the police who would soon arrive, so he hurriedly left the area.

“Xinyou! Xinyou!” Once they were somewhere safe, He Tian gently called to her.

The poor girl had never experienced such danger; she was still badly shaken.

“He Tian, brother!” Wang Xinyou finally regained her senses, looking at him with pitiful eyes.

“It’s all right. It’s all right, don’t be afraid,” He Tian soothed her, gently ruffling her hair.

“I’m not scared! Brother He Tian, you’re amazing—so incredibly cool! I admire you so much. I swear, you’re my idol now!” Wang Xinyou’s pitiful expression vanished, replaced by irrepressible excitement.

He Tian was speechless.

He’d been worried for her, but it turned out she wasn’t paralyzed by fear—she was stunned by his extraordinary skill.

He Tian promptly set her down on the ground.

Wang Xinyou brushed dust off herself with a grin, utterly unfazed. “You have to teach me! I want to learn! I must!”

“Save it! Come on, let’s go home,” He Tian replied, exasperated.

“Okay!” Wang Xinyou obediently followed behind.

He Tian’s brow furrowed.

This was a premeditated murder.

And the target was clearly Wang Xinyou.

He could almost certainly rule out Huang Zhiwen and that so-called Young Master Hai. They couldn’t have orchestrated such a meticulous plot in so little time.

“Could it be...” He Tian considered a possibility.

The person behind Dragon Fang’s murder—whom he’d come to protect Wang Xinyou from—had made a move.

Though the plan was thorough, He Tian doubted such an opponent could have killed Dragon Fang so easily. Even if the mastermind had acted, it was probably someone several degrees removed; even a thorough investigation would lead nowhere near the true culprit.

With that analysis, He Tian decided not to dwell on it—there was no point chasing shadows.

But he was curious: just how deep was this grudge with Dragon Fang? Killing him wasn’t enough—they wanted his daughter dead as well.

Such hatred was anything but ordinary.

“Brother He Tian, what kind of martial arts was that?”

“Brother He Tian, can you fly?”

“Brother He Tian, you must teach me!”

“Brother He Tian, do you know who wants to kill me?”

“Brother He Tian, how could anyone want to kill someone as smart and adorable as me?”

“Brother He Tian, I’m so pitiful—I’m just an ordinary girl, why does someone want me dead?”

“Brother He Tian...”

All the way home, Wang Xinyou peppered him with endless questions. Even He Tian’s silence couldn’t dampen her enthusiasm.

“Aren’t you afraid, really?” He Tian asked, unable to resist.

“Afraid? What’s there to be afraid of? I don’t remember much about that father of mine, but if I’m his daughter, life could never be peaceful like everyone else’s,” Wang Xinyou replied, as if she’d long been prepared for such things.

“Well said. But if you ever do get scared, you don’t need to pretend. I’m here,” He Tian assured her.

“Who’s scared? Don’t talk nonsense!” She averted her eyes, protesting too much.

He Tian nodded, hailed a cab, and they got in.

In the taxi, neon lights flickered outside. After a moment’s hesitation, Wang Xinyou leaned lightly against He Tian, her body trembling imperceptibly.

He Tian patted her shoulder gently, offering a quiet smile.

She was, without doubt, a strong girl.

“Brother He Tian, I’m just relaxing for a moment, all right? Don’t worry about me!” Wang Xinyou said with a smile as they got out of the cab.

“I know,” He Tian replied.

“What an exciting day!” Wang Xinyou stretched and pulled He Tian into the villa complex.

“I’m home!” she shouted as she entered the villa.

“He Tian!” Uncle Hu was the first to rush out, relief washing over his face at the sight of them.

He Tian nodded at Uncle Hu, saying nothing more.

Uncle Hu gave him a subtle signal, then turned to Wang Xinyou. “Miss, are you all right?”

“Uncle Hu, you heard already? See, I’m perfectly fine!” Wang Xinyou grinned.

“Wang Xinyou! Get in here this instant!” came Wang Xinmeng’s furious voice.

“Uncle Hu,” He Tian said, not following Wang Xinyou inside, but beckoning Uncle Hu to come with him.

Arguments could be heard from within; Uncle Hu smiled wryly.

“He Tian, who was it?” Uncle Hu asked bluntly.

“With Xinyou at my side, I didn’t give chase. Even if I had, I doubt I’d have caught anyone,” He Tian replied.

“True, they wouldn’t leave such an opening,” Uncle Hu agreed.

“But for this to happen the moment I arrive—and right here in Tianhai City, on our own turf—the enemy is getting bold. Uncle Hu, pass the word up: we can’t tolerate such arrogance on our territory. Handle the aftermath, will you?” He Tian’s tone was casual, but he was fuming inside.

It wasn’t that someone had targeted Wang Xinyou—it was where they’d chosen to do it.

For someone to dare such a thing on his own home ground—now that was audacious.

“I’ll take care of the rest,” Uncle Hu nodded. “But Miss Xinyou’s safety will need your continued attention.”

“Don’t worry. After this failure, they won’t dare try something so reckless again,” He Tian replied confidently.

Uncle Hu gave a few quick instructions to Chen Long and the others, then left in his car.

Entering the villa, He Tian found only Wang Xinmeng in the living room—Wang Xinyou was nowhere to be seen.

He sat across from Wang Xinmeng.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“No need. Xinyou’s a delight—she showed me all sorts of places today. She was happy, and so was I,” He Tian said, leaning back on the sofa.

“If...if it’s possible, please don’t let her run around outside so much,” Wang Xinmeng said hesitantly.

“You probably know more than she does, but don’t think she’s entirely clueless,” He Tian replied calmly.

“I don’t care what she knows! I just don’t want her in danger!” Wang Xinmeng suddenly raised her voice.

He Tian was a bit taken aback by her outburst.

“Sorry, I got carried away,” Wang Xinmeng apologized at once.

“It’s fine. I’ll do what I can. The rest is up to her. Sometimes, love comes in many forms. If you’re too strict, she’ll only rebel more. Maybe try a different approach—it might work better,” He Tian said, standing up. “I’m hungry. I’ll shower first—have someone prepare some food.”

Wang Xinmeng watched He Tian ascend the stairs, biting her lip, but then she shook her head with renewed determination.