Zhang Deshuang stopped speaking.
The thought that crossed his mind was the worst-case scenario, one he desperately wished to avoid.
Even when he learned that Old Master Zhang was about to take action, he couldn't intervene.
In Zhang Deshuang's view, his father had acted too hastily.
However, the ultimate authority in the Zhang family still rested with his father, and his own words held little weight.
"What are you worried about? Afraid that kid will cripple Elder Zhong? Deshuang, don't inflate the enemy's morale and deflate your own! You know Elder Zhong's strength. He's a formidable Houtian Dark Energy master. How could he possibly lose to Zhou Yu? That kid surnamed Zhou is at best at the peak of Ming Energy."
Old Master Zhang picked up his teacup again and took a sip.
The reason he had dispatched Elder Zhong was based on some insider information.
More importantly, the Zhang family was no longer what it used to be!
The Zhang family had dared to challenge the Jin family at the welcome banquet yesterday, a testament to Old Master Zhang's current arrogance.
"Even so, Elder Zhong is a Houtian Dark Energy expert whom we've nurtured with immense resources. He didn't break through on his own. With his current strength, if he faces a true Houtian Dark Energy master, he will definitely be at a disadvantage," Zhang Deshuang said.
There was a significant difference between a Houtian Dark Energy expert cultivated with vast resources and one who achieved it through their own breakthroughs!
This was precisely Zhang Deshuang's point of concern.
Martial artists cultivated internal energy and tempered their bodies, emphasizing the unity of heaven and man.
Zhong Fabai, on the other hand, could almost be described as a 'walking medicine cabinet.'
Such a Houtian Dark Energy martial artist, with an unstable realm, would be unable to unleash the full power of Houtian Dark Energy if they were to engage in a real fight.
"Don't worry, we will definitely succeed this time..."
As Old Master Zhang was about to continue,
A servant stumbled into the room.
"Master, Old Master, something terrible has happened!" the servant exclaimed.
Zhang Deshuang quickly asked, "What happened?"
Deep down, he had a premonition of what it was.
But he dared not even think about it.
"Master, the young master's driver just called, asking us to send someone to bring Elder Zhong back." The servant reported truthfully.
"Bring him back? Oh, that's right, we should bring him back. He helped us... Wait! What did you say? Bring him back?"
Zhang Deshuang approached the servant, his eyes fixed on him.
"Yes, Master, Ah Heng said exactly that. He meant... he meant..."
The servant stammered, afraid to continue.
At this point, Old Master Zhang also sensed something was amiss.
"Speak quickly! If you keep stuttering, I'll cripple you!"
Hearing this, the servant dared not hesitate any longer and recounted, without omitting a single detail, how Elder Zhong's arms were broken and all the guards were incapacitated.
Upon hearing this news, Old Master Zhang stumbled backward until he hit a chair, where he stopped.
He murmured, "Impossible, it can't be. Elder Zhong is a Houtian Dark Energy master. How could that kid surnamed Zhou defeat him..."
"Dad, now is not the time to discuss this. We should quickly send someone to take Elder Zhong to the hospital and see if he can be treated," Zhang Deshuang sighed.
He was equally incredulous.
But at this moment, the priority was to mitigate the Zhang family's losses.
However, Old Master Zhang had clearly lost his former vigor.
"Why are you still standing there stupidly? Follow the young master's orders and bring everyone back!" Zhang Deshuang roared at the servant.
The Zhang family was truly in trouble this time.
Without Elder Zhong to anchor them, how could the Zhang family stand against the Jin family?
If they had known this would happen, they shouldn't have provoked the Jin family at yesterday's welcome banquet!
No!
If they had known this, they shouldn't have provoked Zhou Yu for the sake of a woman from the Su family!
Zhang Deshuang looked at his father.
This time, without a doubt, his father had miscalculated.
"Dad, you... Dad!"
But before Zhang Deshuang could finish speaking, Old Master Zhang collapsed.
Seeing this,
Zhang Deshuang immediately ordered a servant to call an ambulance.
If Old Master Zhang were to fall, the Zhang family would truly be finished!
...
A dark alley in Yunhai City.
A woman, dressed provocatively, swayed her hips as she slowly walked deeper into the alley.
She was here to meet a client.
"This boss is so generous, 5000 yuan for one night. It's the first time I'll earn so much. Once we get to the hotel, I'll definitely serve him well."
The woman thought gleefully, her hips swaying more enticingly.
Her waist had caused quite a few 'heroes' to suffer kidney problems.
However.
As she walked, the woman began to feel that something was wrong.
She had arrived at the location specified on the chat app, but the distinguished client was nowhere to be seen.
"Strange, didn't we agree to meet here? Why isn't anyone here?" the woman wondered.
She had taken special care with her appearance today, all for the sake of earning more money later.
But the alley was completely devoid of light, pitch black all around, making her hesitant to proceed further.
"Forget it, it's too dark. I'll go back."
As the darkness ahead intensified, the woman began to lose her nerve.
But at that moment, she heard a rustling sound behind her.
"Who?"
The woman turned around.
No one was there!
Damn it, daring to scare me!
"Boss, if you've changed your mind, just say so. Don't play these tricks to scare me."
The woman tentatively spoke again.
Still, there was no response.
"I'm not doing business with you anymore!"
Saying this fiercely, the woman turned and ran back in the direction she came.
No matter how foolish she was, she realized that something was amiss.
But before she could run more than a few meters, a dark figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
The figure was completely concealed in the darkness, and she couldn't make out their face at all.
"Boss?" the woman panicked.
This situation was all too familiar to her.
Weren't these the scenes shown on TV when criminals committed murder?
"You want to leave?"
The person's voice was hoarse.
But it was clearly a man's voice.
The woman said nervously, "Boss, since I couldn't see you, of course I wanted to leave. But now that you've appeared, why would I leave?"
"No, you wanted to leave just now." the shadow said.
"In my line of work, we live in constant fear. You're the boss, please don't hold it against me."
The woman said this while strategizing an escape.
The shadow added, "So you mean I'm being unreasonable?"
"How dare I, boss."
"You dare. You even called yourself 'lao niang' just now."
"I am indeed a bit older."
"If you're older, you shouldn't be taking on this kind of job."
"If I don't take jobs, will you support me, boss? Hehe—"
"Do you find this amusing?"
The woman's legs were already trembling with fear.
The man she encountered this time was clearly an eccentric.
With her vast experience with men, she could only admit defeat.
Because every single word he spoke was a retort to her!
"Boss, how about I return the 1000 yuan deposit? I... I won't do... your business... Boss... you..."
The woman tried to speak, but her neck was gripped in one hand, and she could barely breathe.
This man was incredibly strong.
"Keep the money and spend it on your way down."
The shadow whispered these words, and the next second, with a snap, he snapped the woman's neck.
Then, he rummaged through the woman's corpse.
"Found it."