Chapter 7: The First Showdown

Part 1: The Encounter

Lin Feng's heart raced as he stood frozen in the dimly lit hallway, staring at the imposing figure blocking his path. The man standing before him was no ordinary bodyguard—he was built like a fortress, tall and muscular, with sharp eyes that gleamed with menace. His black suit strained against his bulk, and the air around him seemed to hum with danger.

"Going somewhere, Feng?" the bodyguard asked, his voice low and cold, laced with an unmistakable threat.

Lin's mind raced, but outwardly, he remained calm. The familiar presence of the A.I. hummed softly in the back of his thoughts, already assessing the situation. The system scanned the man's posture, his body language, and the space around them, calculating angles, weaknesses, and possible counterattacks.

"Threat detected. Hostile intent confirmed. Initiating combat analysis," the A.I. whispered in Lin's mind.

Lin clenched his fists. He wasn't a martial artist. He wasn't trained to fight like this. But he had something better—the A.I.. With its help, he had been able to move faster and think quicker than anyone he had encountered so far. And now, facing down this bodyguard, Lin knew he would have to rely on the system's enhanced reflexes to survive.

"I don't want trouble," Lin said, his voice steady despite the rising tension. "Just let me pass."

The bodyguard chuckled, a dark, humorless sound. "You don't get it, do you? Li Wei knows you're here. He's been watching you. You're not leaving this building."

Lin's eyes narrowed, the weight of the words sinking in. So Li Wei had known all along. This wasn't just a random encounter. It was a trap.

Before Lin could react, the bodyguard lunged at him, faster than Lin had anticipated for someone his size. The man's massive fist swung toward Lin's face with brutal force, the air around it whistling from the sheer power behind the blow.

But Lin was already moving.

The A.I. surged to life in his mind, calculating the trajectory of the punch in milliseconds. His body responded before he had time to think, his reflexes heightened by the system's guidance. Lin ducked low, narrowly avoiding the punch, and pivoted to the side, slipping past the bodyguard with a fluidity that seemed impossible for someone untrained.

The bodyguard grunted in surprise, turning to face Lin with a snarl.

"Opponent's strength exceeds your physical capabilities. Recommend using agility and environmental advantages to neutralize threat," the A.I. advised calmly.

Lin's eyes darted around the hallway, quickly scanning for anything he could use to his advantage. A decorative vase sat on a nearby table, its surface smooth and reflective under the dim lights. Without hesitating, Lin grabbed the vase and hurled it at the bodyguard's head.

The bodyguard raised his arm just in time, deflecting the vase with a meaty forearm, but the distraction was enough. Lin was already in motion again, ducking under the man's guard and delivering a sharp elbow strike to his ribs. The A.I. had calculated the exact point of impact, where the ribs were most vulnerable.

The bodyguard stumbled back, grimacing in pain, but Lin knew he wasn't down yet.

Suddenly, the elevator door behind Lin dinged open, and two more men stepped out—both wearing the same tailored suits, both with the same dangerous glint in their eyes.

Lin's pulse quickened. Three against one.

"Multiple hostiles detected. Recalibrating combat strategy," the A.I. intoned, its voice calm as ever.

But Lin wasn't scared. Not anymore. His adrenaline was surging, and the A.I.'s precise calculations gave him the confidence he needed to face them.

Part 2: The Fight Begins

The two new bodyguards rushed forward, clearly intent on overwhelming Lin with brute force. The first man came at him with a wide punch, aiming for Lin's head, but the A.I. predicted the attack's angle before the punch was even fully thrown.

Lin ducked under the swing and spun around, grabbing the man's arm and using his own momentum against him. With a twist of his body, Lin sent the first bodyguard crashing into the wall, his head smacking into the marble surface with a dull thud.

The second bodyguard was faster, more cautious. He lunged forward with a knife, the blade gleaming under the dim hallway lights. Lin's heart raced as he saw the glint of metal, but the A.I. was already feeding him data on how to disarm the man.

"Opponent is using a knife. Recommend evasive maneuvers to avoid bladed attacks. Disarm the weapon with joint manipulation techniques," the A.I. instructed.

The bodyguard slashed at Lin's midsection, but Lin sidestepped the attack with ease, his body moving in perfect sync with the A.I.'s guidance. As the bodyguard recovered from the missed strike, Lin stepped in close, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting it in a sharp motion. The knife clattered to the floor, and Lin followed up with a knee to the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

The first bodyguard—the largest of the three—was back on his feet now, fury in his eyes. He charged at Lin, his massive fists swinging wildly.

Lin barely had time to react, but the A.I. had already calculated his escape route. He dodged left, narrowly avoiding a punch that would have shattered his ribs, and used the momentum of the man's missed attack to throw him off balance.

In one fluid motion, Lin swept the bodyguard's legs out from under him, sending the massive man crashing to the floor.

Part 3: Unleashing Power

As the third bodyguard hit the ground with a thunderous crash, Lin felt a rush of exhilaration. The A.I. had turned him into something more than just an ordinary man—he was invincible, untouchable. Every move, every punch, every step was calculated to perfection.

But Lin couldn't afford to lose focus. The second bodyguard, still reeling from the disarm, came at Lin again, this time with a combination of jabs aimed at his head and torso. Lin ducked, weaved, and countered with precision, delivering quick, sharp strikes to the man's ribs and legs.

The second bodyguard staggered back, clutching his side in pain.

"Stay down," Lin muttered under his breath, his voice cold.

But the fight wasn't over yet. The first bodyguard—the hulking one—was getting back to his feet, his face twisted in rage. Lin could tell this one wasn't going to go down easily. He was strong, relentless, and determined to end Lin.

"Opponent's physical strength is superior. Recommend using environment to neutralize threat," the A.I. advised.

Lin's eyes flicked to the hallway around him, searching for anything that could give him an advantage. His gaze landed on a small table against the wall—a solid, heavy piece of furniture.

As the bodyguard charged at him, Lin sidestepped at the last second and grabbed the edge of the table, swinging it with all his might. The wooden table collided with the bodyguard's side, the impact echoing through the hallway like a gunshot. The bodyguard let out a pained grunt and stumbled, but still didn't go down.

Lin gritted his teeth. The A.I. was right—this man was physically stronger than him. But Lin had something the bodyguard didn't: strategy.

The hulking man roared in anger, swinging wildly at Lin, but every punch was slow and predictable. The A.I. guided Lin's every move, helping him avoid each attack with pinpoint accuracy.

Then, with a burst of speed, Lin stepped forward, ducking under one of the bodyguard's massive punches. He delivered a quick, calculated strike to the man's solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. The bodyguard gasped, momentarily stunned.

That was all Lin needed.

Using the man's momentary weakness to his advantage, Lin swept the bodyguard's legs out from under him again, sending him crashing to the ground for the second time. This time, Lin didn't give him a chance to get back up. He delivered a sharp kick to the man's head, knocking him unconscious.

The hallway fell silent, save for the ragged breathing of the two remaining bodyguards, who were now nursing their injuries on the floor. Lin stood tall, his fists clenched, adrenaline still surging through his veins.

Part 4: Witnesses to the Fight (continued)

At the far end of the hallway, the door creaked open, and Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue stepped out, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and disbelief. They had arrived moments before, only to witness the incredible scene that had just unfolded.

Xinyue, the fearless hacker who had seen more than her share of dangerous situations, was visibly shaken. She had never seen Lin move like that—faster, sharper, and more precise than anyone she'd ever known. Zhao Yue, usually composed and calculating, looked equally stunned, her gaze flicking between the unconscious men on the ground and Lin, who stood amidst them like some untouchable force of nature.

"Lin…" Xinyue began, her voice trembling slightly. "How… how did you just—what was that?"

Lin's heart was still pounding from the adrenaline rush, but he kept his expression calm. He wasn't ready to tell them about the A.I., not yet. But he knew the fight had left them with more questions than answers.

He took a deep breath and turned to face them, wiping a small trickle of blood from his lip where one of the bodyguards had landed a glancing blow. "I… I had no choice," he said, his voice low but steady. "These guys were trying to kill me. I had to do something."

Xinyue stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. "That wasn't just 'doing something,' Lin. You moved like… like you knew exactly what they were going to do before they did it. You've never trained in martial arts, but… you took them down like a professional."

Zhao Yue, still silent, crossed her arms and nodded in agreement. "She's right. You're not a fighter, Lin. But the way you handled them—it was like you were reading their movements before they made them."

Lin clenched his fists, searching for the right words. He could feel the A.I. humming quietly in his mind, still on high alert, monitoring the area for any remaining threats. He wanted to tell them everything, to explain how the A.I. had given him these incredible reflexes and strategic insights, but now wasn't the time. Not with Li Wei still lurking in the shadows, not with the mission far from over.

"It's complicated," Lin finally said, his voice tense. "There are… things I'm still figuring out. But trust me, I know what I'm doing."

Xinyue bit her lip, clearly not satisfied with that answer, but she didn't press him further. She glanced at the unconscious bodyguards on the floor and shook her head, still in shock. "I don't know how you did it, but… you saved us, Lin."

Zhao Yue stepped forward, her sharp eyes studying him carefully. She was still processing what she had just witnessed, but beneath her surprise, there was admiration. "Whatever's happening, Lin," she said softly, "just make sure you don't get yourself killed. Li Wei isn't someone you can take lightly."

"I know," Lin replied, his voice firm. "But I'm not going to let him control me. I'll deal with him."

Part 5: The Aftermath

The hallway was eerily quiet now, the tension lingering in the air like a thick fog. Lin surveyed the damage, his mind racing as he processed what had just happened. The A.I. had once again proven its worth, guiding him through a fight that he never could have survived on his own. But the cost of this newfound power was growing clearer by the minute.

As Xinyue and Zhao Yue stood by his side, both of them still trying to wrap their minds around what they had just witnessed, Lin knew that the stakes had never been higher. Li Wei was coming for him—harder and faster than ever before. And now, after what had just happened, Li Wei would undoubtedly escalate his efforts.

"We need to move," Lin said suddenly, his voice breaking the heavy silence. "There's more to this than just these bodyguards. Li Wei is still out there, and I don't think he's going to stop until he gets what he wants."

Zhao Yue nodded, her mind already working on the next steps. "I can keep tracking Li Wei's financial movements, but we need to stay one step ahead of him. He's dangerous, Lin. He won't give up easily."

"And I'll keep monitoring his communications," Xinyue added, her voice steady now that she had regained her composure. "We're in deep now, but I'm not backing down."

Lin gave them both a nod of gratitude. They were scared—shocked even—but they hadn't abandoned him. They were still by his side, willing to fight with him, even if they didn't fully understand what he was up against.

"Let's regroup," Lin said, his voice firm. "We need a plan. Li Wei's not the type to let something like this go."

They moved swiftly, leaving the unconscious bodyguards behind as they exited the building. Lin could feel the weight of their stares as they walked, both women trying to make sense of what they had seen. But Lin's focus remained on what lay ahead. Li Wei was still out there, and now, more than ever, Lin knew he had to be ready for whatever came next.

As they disappeared into the night, Lin felt the steady hum of the A.I. in his mind, a constant reminder that the power he now wielded was both a blessing and a curse.

End of Chapter 7