Zhou Hao's Punishment

Two days later.

Sixth Floor of the Limitless Gym.

The moment Zhou Ying'er appeared with Zhou Hao, Zheng Ru and Li Min ran over to pinch his cheeks.

Shen Hong grabbed Zhou Hao and hugged him. "This little guy is growing so fast. A three-year-old is already nearly as tall as a five-year-old. If he keeps developing like this, he won't be so adorably babyish anymore!"

Zhou Ying'er smiled. "All the Gene Meat at home has been eaten. It's normal for him to grow quickly."

"He sure can eat!" Shen Hong pinched Zhou Hao's cheek and asked, "Ying'er, when are you planning to have your little brother tested?"

"After a while. Once the Rat Tide is completely over," Zhou Ying'er sighed.

Shen Hong set Zhou Hao down and had Li Min take him off to play. Then she said, "Ying'er, are you worried that if Xiao Hao has good talent and enters the Youth Training Camp, the Cheng Family will secretly harm him?"

"Yes. The Limit Martial Hall's regular training camps are all in Kyoto, and so is the Youth Training Camp. The Cheng Family has operated in Kyoto for many years. If they want to make a move, there's nothing I can do to stop them." Zhou Ying'er shook her head.

"That works." Shen Hong pondered for a moment. "It really isn't suitable for Xiao Hao to go to the Youth Training Camp right now. Commander Chu even called me specifically last night, telling our Rose Squad to be careful lately and avoid going out whenever possible."

Zhou Ying'er's expression changed. "Is the military going to move against the Cheng Family?"

Shen Hong waved her hand. "Not that soon. Even if the military has evidence, they can't directly move against the Cheng Family. At the very least, they have to go through the formal procedures on the surface."

"Wouldn't that give the Cheng Family too much time to maneuver?" Zhou Ying'er frowned deeply.

"There's no helping it. The Cheng Family is one of the Twelve Consortiums, after all. Moving against them involves too many interests. And even this time, it may only shake the Cheng Family up a little!" Shen Hong sighed. She understood clearly that the interests among these consortiums were intertwined. Tug one thread, and the whole body moved. Even with conclusive evidence, it would be difficult to truly bring down the Cheng Family.

Zhou Ying'er fell silent.

After a long pause, she said, "If the Cheng Family learns how Cheng Jin died, they probably won't let our Rose Squad off."

Shen Hong said nothing.

With the Cheng Family's influence, they would move against the Rose Squad even just to save face.

"Sister Shen, what do we do?" Zhou Ying'er's body trembled slightly. She was only a High-level Warrior and had no ability to deal with a giant like the Cheng Family.

"We'll take it one step at a time." Shen Hong spoke gravely. "If things become truly dire, our Rose Squad will stay in the Base City forever. As long as we're in the Base City, the Cheng Family won't dare act."

After saying that, she glanced at Zhou Hao, who was practicing his stance in the distance. "If Xiao Hao's talent is outstanding and he has the potential to become a War God in the future, then our Rose Squad still has hope."

Bang!

Commander Chu slammed his fist down on the table. Like an enraged tiger, he glared at the man before him. "Such a major incident as causing a Rat Tide left over a hundred martial artist squads wounded, crippled, or destroyed. Is a mere ten billion Chinese Dollars supposed to settle it?"

The man frowned. "Commander Chu, the Cheng Family has already received the punishment it deserved. Even Cheng Shuli, a War God instructor from the Elite Training Camp, died in the Rat Tide. Cheng Jin, a direct descendant of the Cheng Family, also died, along with the Sabertooth Tiger Squad..."

Commander Chu cut him off sharply. "They deserved it! If it had been me, I wouldn't have saved them either. I would have let them die in the Rat Tide they caused themselves!"

The man sighed. "The Cheng Family has agreed to cover all compensation for every wounded or destroyed martial artist squad and their families... If we continue investigating, leaving aside whether we can truly find the evidence, even if we do, we must follow the normal procedures to arrest the Cheng Family's patriarch. That will take quite some time, and the Cheng Family can simply seek out the Councilors and have them intervene!"

"So in the end, the Cheng Family will only receive a few inconsequential punishments."

Veins bulged on Commander Chu's forehead. He stared fiercely at the man, then after a while, slumped dejectedly into his chair. "Consortiums are a cancer!"

The man shook his head. "What exists has its reasons. The HR Alliance's consortiums give many martial artists the chance to access various secret techniques and buy equipment. As long as they don't cross the bottom line, it's hard to bring them down!"

"What about Councilor Jia? What is his attitude?" Commander Chu asked.

"He is just as furious as you. Councilor Zhu personally went to persuade him, and in the end, the Cheng Family paid ten billion. Otherwise, do you think the Cheng Family would have agreed to pay so much so easily?" The man laughed bitterly. "Commander Chu, you don't have conclusive evidence!"

Commander Chu gritted his teeth. "The Rat Tide destroyed all the evidence!"

"So stop investigating this matter. Also, keep an eye on the Rose Squad. Don't let the Cheng Family go after them!" the man reminded him.

Kyoto Base City.

A large passenger plane slowly landed.

Numerous wealthy martial artists stepped off one after another. Among them was a short figure who, the instant he left the plane, stepped onto a shield and flew into the air.

It was Zhou Hao.

At the Limit Martial Hall, he had heard the immense pressure his sister and Shen Hong faced in their conversation.

Originally, after killing Cheng Jin, the Sabertooth Tiger Squad, and a female War God from the Cheng Family, he had planned to deal with the Cheng Family a few days later.

But now—

He had come early.

The Cheng Family Mansion was brightly lit.

When Zhou Hao landed in the courtyard, quite a few Cheng Family descendants were discussing matters in the Conference Hall.

"Cheng Jin privately joined forces with Cheng Shuli to cause the beast tide, bringing considerable losses to the Cheng Family. I believe Cheng Jin's Father can no longer remain as patriarch!"

"Agreed."

"I second it!"

"No objections!"

Very quickly, Cheng Jin's Father was stripped of his position as patriarch.

Old Master Cheng snorted heavily. "I said long ago that failing to discipline the younger generation strictly would lead to disaster. Our Cheng Family must remember this lesson. From now on, strictly restrain the younger generation and do not let them cause trouble outside!"

"Furthermore, this matter has been thoroughly investigated. It began because that bastard Cheng Jin fell for a girl and committed such an absurd act!"

"Our Cheng Family cannot suffer these losses for nothing. Someone must pay a price. Find the right opportunity and erase everything related to that girl!"

Tap. Tap.

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the Conference Hall.

Swish, swish, swish.

Many Cheng Family descendants instinctively looked toward the Conference Hall entrance.

No one was ever allowed to disturb a Cheng Family meeting.

Yet when they saw the figure of a five-year-old child standing in the doorway, they were all stunned.

"Whose child is this?" Old Master Cheng frowned and swept his gaze over the other Cheng Family descendants.

"Father, he... he is Zhou Ying'er's younger brother, Zhou Hao!!" Cheng Jin's Father said with a shocked expression.

The moment those words were spoken—

The Conference Hall erupted.

"What? Zhou Ying'er's younger brother?"

"The younger brother of the girl Cheng Jin liked?"

"Isn't he only three years old? How did he appear in our Cheng Family?"

Everyone was utterly astonished.

Old Master Cheng stared at Zhou Hao, his mind racing. Events involving Cheng Jin, Cheng Shuli, and what had happened on the day of the Rat Tide flooded into his mind. Seeming to connect the dots, his clouded pupils suddenly contracted. His entire body trembled. "Y-you... could you be the Invincible War God who saved the Rose Squad??"

The instant those words fell—

The entire Conference Hall fell deathly silent.