Clues 2

Regardless, Zhao Wei was injured to this extent, so Zhou Chengyan and Xia Ying had to notify his father, Zhao Changli, as soon as possible.

"How is it? Did the call go through?" Zhou Chengyan steadied himself and looked at Xia Ying, who was standing to the side.

"I don't know why there was no signal earlier, but it's fine now. I've already called Uncle Zhao. I also called for an ambulance!" Xia Ying said quickly, still feeling a bit dazed as she recalled the scene that had just unfolded.

Wang Yiyang had actually snapped, showing Zhao Wei no respect at all and turning hostile on the spot.

Then the conflict escalated sharply; Zhao Wei smashed a wine glass, and someone from outside the door flew in and kicked him.

The situation changed so rapidly that they were all left stunned at the time.

"I... screw his whole family!!" Zhao Wei finally caught his breath. He wiped his cheek and, seeing his hand covered in blood, he became even more frantic.

"Xiao Wei, don't be impulsive! You're seriously hurt, go to the hospital first! Your dad knows and will be here soon! When the time comes, let your dad handle it!" Zhou Chengyan urged him quickly.

Zhao Wei struggled wildly, trying to stand up, but his injuries were far worse than he had imagined.

The moment he leaned on the table to rise, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and abdomen, and he doubled over with a groan.

Xia Ying and the other man hurriedly tried to support him, but they grabbed the wrong spot, pressing down on the area where glass shards were embedded, causing Zhao Wei to let out another miserable howl.

While the three of them were in a state of chaos, An Yuxi, who had been sitting on the sofa, groggily steadied herself and quietly headed toward the door.

The scene that had just played out had shocked away most of her drunkenness. Although her head was still spinning, at least it didn't hinder her from walking.

Once her mind regained a shred of clarity, she began to feel afraid.

Looking at Zhao Wei, covered in blood with a ferocious expression, she feared that if something truly went wrong, she might also become a target of his rage.

After all, it was she who had dragged Wang Yiyang into the gathering halfway through.

Now that Wang Yiyang had left without a second thought, she felt awkward sitting there.

An Yuxi slipped out through the private room door, stumbling out of the shop amidst Zhao Wei's pig-like squeals.

None of the waiters dared to stop her; everyone was terrified of getting involved and kept their distance.

Once outside the barbecue shop, the cold wind blew, and An Yuxi's mind cleared a little more.

Only then did she realize: where exactly did those people around Wang Yiyang come from?

How was it that the moment Zhao Wei was about to smash the glass, those people rushed in?

Could it be that those people were following Wang Yiyang the whole time? An Yuxi was startled by her own deduction.

What kind of status or level of power would require people to follow you around for protection at all times?

She didn't know.

In the past, she had only seen people of that caliber on the news or television.

She never expected that such a person was hiding right by her side.

Deeply shocked, An Yuxi realized more and more that Wang Yiyang was not simple.

As for Zhao Wei being beaten, if she were lucky, she would simply cut ties with Xia Ying and become a stranger.

If she were unlucky... she feared she would be caught in the crossfire of Zhao Wei's anger.

She didn't know what the outcome would be.

She only knew from her previous casual chats with the three of them that the Zhao family's business spanned every district in Yingxing City, with assets even exceeding those of Xia Ying and Zhou Chengyan.

Unknown threats are the most terrifying.

An Yuxi felt anxious. As she walked, her stomach churned, and she couldn't help but vomit violently on the side of the road.

After throwing up, she felt completely exhausted and terrified, her head becoming increasingly heavy.

It seemed she had only been barely sober for a moment; now, the alcohol was surging back up.

Helpless, An Yuxi quickly hailed a taxi to head back toward her rental apartment.

No matter what happens in the future, she would wait until she was sober to deal with it.

Any decision made with an unclear head was bound to be problematic.

Wang Yiyang sat in the back seat of the bulletproof sedan, his expression calm.

What had just happened was merely a dull, minor episode in his life.

As soon as he left the barbecue shop, the electronic file containing the summary of Pela's interrogation arrived.

Wang Yiyang spent only a short time reading through all the summarized information.

It wasn't because he was fast, but because the information gathered was very sparse.

The secret of the Yuekong Martial Arts Hall was indeed that secret technique capable of breaking through physical limits.

However, the Mantis's goal was not just targeting the Yuekong Martial Arts Hall.

According to Pela's interrogation, Wang Yiyang learned...

The core philosophy of the organization known as Mantis is the pursuit of the absolute limits of martial arts training.

Therefore, one of their primary objectives is to collect secret techniques capable of breaking through those limits.

Many schools actually possess such secret techniques, though the methods and types vary from one to another.

Their other objective is to recruit powerful martial artists like Zhong Can, who have a high probability of breaking through their own limits.

However, what Wang Yiyang found somewhat unexpected, according to the intelligence reports, was this:

When Mantis attempted to recruit Zhong Can, they offered significant benefits and a promising future, yet Zhong Can hesitated to make a decision.

There must be hidden, unknown information influencing Zhong Can's judgment.

Yuekong Martial Arts Hall must still be hiding something that makes Zhong Can unwilling to leave. That thing might be more than just a secret technique for breaking limits...

Wang Yiyang speculated to himself.

He felt his head throbbing more and more.

He had originally thought that as long as his strength was sufficient, he could easily resolve the martial arts hall case.

But now, there was a pile of mysteries: what Zhong Can was hiding, what the martial arts hall was hiding, and the true agenda of Mantis.

Right, I can draw a new identity in two days!

Thinking of this, Wang Yiyang's spirits suddenly lifted.

If the Mysterious Identity System hadn't appeared after his rebirth, he feared he would have repeated his past mistakes and been killed in a car accident a second time.

It was the hidden identities granted by the system that gave him his greatest confidence and reliance.

Hold out for two days. If the new identity is useful, perhaps I'll find a better way. If it's useless, then I'll take action against Zhong Can!

Wang Yiyang finally hardened his resolve, no longer hesitating.

The car pulled smoothly to a stop outside a residential complex opposite Wang Yiyang's rented apartment.

He stepped out, letting the vehicle quietly pull away behind him.

He knew they hadn't truly withdrawn, but were merely continuing to hide in the vicinity, waiting to provide support and protection at any moment.

Back in his room, Wang Yiyang washed up quickly, collapsed onto his bed, and fell into a deep sleep within minutes.

Early the next morning, he was jolted awake by the shrill ringing of a telephone.

Dazed, he opened his eyes and reached for his cell phone, only to realize the sound was coming from the landline in the room.

He rubbed his forehead in silence, waiting until his mind cleared before throwing off the covers and rising.

"Hello?" he answered the receiver, his tone quite sour.

He had checked his phone earlier; it was only 6:10 AM. Being called this early and having his sleep disturbed would put anyone in a bad mood.

"Is this Mr. Wang Yiyang? This is the East District Xinxiang Road Police Station."

The voice on the other end belonged to a calm-sounding middle-aged man.

"Uh? The police station?" Wang Yiyang's drowsiness faded slightly. "May I ask what this is about?" He immediately realized this likely wasn't related to his hidden identity.

After all, the level was far too low.

"It's like this. Our station recently received a young girl who was transferred over..."

The person on the other end spoke slowly for quite a while before the situation became clear.

The young girl at the police station was Li Ran.

After borrowing one hundred yuan from Wang Yiyang, she hadn't gone to school but had instead taken a bus to find her mother.

As a result, she got lost halfway there, failed to find her mother, and nearly ended up being abducted.

If she hadn't been alert enough to run to the police station for refuge afterward, she would likely have vanished by now.

After filing the report, the police discovered that the phone Li Ran had been carrying was long gone, taken by the kidnappers. The only number she could remember was her mother's cell phone.

But when the police called it, the line had been powered off the entire time.

As for Li Ran's other relatives, they had either cut ties or lived so far away that there was no emotional bond to speak of.

As for her father, she couldn't remember his phone number at all.

For a time, the police checked the database and quickly found the number for Li Ran's father.

When they called it, that phone was also powered off.

The police immediately grew suspicious and launched an investigation. The result was...

Li Ran's father and mother had died together the night before last in a rented apartment in the West District.

There was a third person at the scene: a young, beautiful woman who appeared to be a mistress.

All three had died from the highly toxic gas of Yinghua Stone.

Yinghua Stone gas is a raw material specifically used in industrial production for high-compression fuel.

An ordinary person would have no way to obtain such a thing, but Li Ran's mother was an internal researcher at a chemical company. Naturally, she had the means to acquire this raw material.

The situation then followed a logical progression. Anyone could piece together the general plot.

Wang Yiyang sighed after hearing the news.

No wonder Li Ran's mother had been so indifferent toward her daughter; she hadn't returned home the night before last, and she hadn't even realized her daughter had forgotten her keys and spent the night alone outside.

Looking at it now, she was likely already gone by that night.

"We've checked every connection Li Ran could provide, and it took a lot of effort to finally track you down. As her distant relative, you should come see her situation and take her home first.

Li Ran is in a very bad state right now. She desperately needs the comfort of family."

The voice on the other end of the line continued to speak.

Wang Yiyang, however, was stunned.

Since when did he become Li Ran's distant relative???

After a moment of thought, Wang Yiyang realized that Li Ran was probably at her wit's end, which was why she had deliberately said that and reached out to him.

If there were any other way, who would voluntarily turn to an outsider? Especially in such a manner.

Wang Yiyang hesitated for a moment, but decided to go to the police station to see the situation for himself.

If it wasn't a major issue, helping someone out temporarily wouldn't be a big deal.

With that in mind, he asked for the specific address and contact person. He got up, hurriedly washed up, grabbed his ID and wallet, threw on a jacket, and quickly left his rental apartment.

A car was already waiting downstairs. The driver was one of the two bodyguards he had seen before. He had changed into a white T-shirt and camouflage pants, making him look even more rugged.

As soon as Wang Yiyang got into the car, he smelled cigarette smoke. He frowned.

"Go to the East District Xinxiang Road Police Station."

"Yes." The bodyguard replied briefly and then fell silent. He seemed to have noticed Wang Yiyang's frown and quickly turned the car's ventilation and air conditioning to the maximum.