The Scent of Fear (2700+ Words)

Translator: Cinder Translations

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"Young Master Peng, the matter has been resolved."

It was 10:30 PM.

Zhou Wen stood on the lawn of a detached villa and respectfully handed the signed mediation agreement to Zhao Jiapeng.

Looking around, he saw they were in the villa's outdoor area on the first floor.

Elite bodyguards dressed in suits stood vigilantly at every corner, with bulging muscles and earphones in place, on high alert.

In the center was a swimming pool tiled with ceramic, surrounded by stacks of alcohol and colorful figures, as if a party was being held.

A group of seductively dressed women posed provocatively, while Zhao Jiapeng, the main character of the party, lay on a white lounge chair wearing a floral shirt and shorts, with women on either side.

"Oh? You got it done in a day?"

After glancing at the mediation agreement, Zhao Jiapeng's irritation faded.

"Well done, Zhou Wen. How did you do it? Tell me."

His voice was filled with curiosity, and many eyes turned toward Zhou Wen.

Zhou Wen smiled slightly, adjusted his golden-rimmed glasses, and leaned forward to whisper a few words.

"Hahaha, nice!"

Zhao Jiapeng laughed arrogantly, clapping his hands. "These bastards deserve to be treated like this."

"The more we push them to the brink, the more they'll know pain and beg for mercy."

Amidst his laughter, he walked to the lawn, grabbed a bottle of champagne, shook it around, then opened the cap, spraying the alcohol everywhere while continuing to laugh loudly.

"Woohoo!"

"Young Master Peng is amazing!"

"Young Master Peng!"

The voices around the pool were filled with flattery, with some women stepping forward to get themselves wet, shaking their bodies to please him.

Zhou Wen, understanding the situation, stepped back and breathed a little easier.

"Brother Wen, it's all thanks to you."

Two bodyguards clustered behind him, their voices filled with relief.

If this had been handled poorly and the chairman found out, they would certainly face punishment.

"Just a small thing."

Zhou Wen shook his head calmly, looking unfazed.

He adjusted his suit jacket, and his gold-rimmed glasses reflected the chaotic scene around the pool.

His mind wandered back to that night in the hospital.

The power and authority of Hong Guang Group were not to be trifled with. When he had personally met the so-called hospital director, a little pressure had been enough to make the director lower his head. The director had no choice but to stop the vital medicine from being used as a gesture of loyalty.

No matter how bold or defiant, the family of the injured could only bow their stubborn heads and swallow their bitterness in such a situation.

"This is power."

A sense of awe arose in Zhou Wen's heart. He suddenly realized that by entering Hong Guang Group and leaning on such a strong backer, he had come a long way.

Looking around at the security, Zhou Wen reminded himself to stay cautious. He soon turned to the bodyguards and said, "Although everything seems fine now, we still need to be careful."

"The chairman isn't in Nanjiang, so there are likely some who are restless. We can't afford any more mistakes."

The two bodyguards nodded repeatedly, one of them patting his chest. "Don't worry, Brother Wen. The brothers are all on alert."

"We're all members of the group's security team, seasoned fighters who've had a couple of booster shots. Plus, we've got Old Xu overseeing things, so everything will be fine."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wen glanced up at a room on the second floor of the villa.

Old Xu had been with the chairman for many years. He had even spent a large sum to enhance his modifications in Central City, making him extremely powerful.

With him around, things should be fine.

At that moment, Zhou Wen suddenly felt an unsettling sensation. Looking outside, the night sky was darkened, as thick clouds had gathered, enveloping the entire city.

For some reason, he felt an unusual sense of unease in his heart.

This was the first time he had felt this way since joining Hong Guang Group.

"Forget it, I'll advise Young Master Peng to rest early, just in case."

Trusting his instincts, Zhou Wen walked toward the pool area, but the two bodyguards hesitated. Who would dare to suggest rest when Young Master Peng was so caught up in the mood?

Knowing what they were thinking, Zhou Wen didn't press the issue and quickly moved toward the poolside.

"Younger Master Peng, it's getting late. Perhaps you should rest early."

"Rest my ass! There's nothing to do tomorrow!" Zhao Jiapeng, wearing a floral shirt, muttered, visibly displeased. Zhou Wen sighed inwardly.

"Alright, no need to sulk."

"You did well today, so come join me and have some fun."

Zhao Jiapeng mocked with a smile, then signaled two of the closest seductive women to him and pushed them forward.

Seeing this, Zhou Wen felt helpless. He opened his mouth as if to advise further.

Boom!

The next moment, a gunshot rang out suddenly outside the villa.

Everyone froze, and Zhao Jiapeng turned his head in confusion.

"What's going on?"

"Someone's trying to break into the villa!" The bodyguards' earpieces crackled with voices. Zhao Jiapeng grew intrigued.

"Oh? Let me see who's got a death wish!"

Boom boom boom boom boom!

Gunshots rang out in quick succession, followed by shouts on the earpieces.

"Not good!"

"Ah!"

"We can't stop them!"

Panicked cries filled the air, and muffled sounds followed.

In just a few seconds, a bodyguard in a suit was flung out of the villa, crashing through the pool's wall and falling in front of the group.

The atmosphere went silent, with only a few raspy breaths escaping from the dying man's mouth before his head tilted and he died.

Panic filled the air as everyone looked toward the hole in the wall.

Woosh! Pitter patter.

Suddenly, rain began to fall from the dark clouds, and a flash of lightning illuminated the sky.

From a distance, under the dim streetlights and in the dark night, more than a dozen bodyguards lay scattered, blood staining the ground.

At the center, a figure with an Azure horn stood calmly.

His glass-fiber eyes were blood-red, and with one hand, he gripped a man's neck, lifting him off the ground.

Crack!

The sound of breaking bones rang out, and a thunderous boom followed!

Boom!

Chen Feng dropped the body and coldly turned his gaze toward Zhao Jiapeng and the others, standing just beyond the hole in the wall.

"Not good! It's a cyborg!"

"Young Master Peng, run!"

Zhou Wen reacted fastest. Though his face was pale, he shouted urgently.

But...

Boom!

The ground shook as Chen Feng stomped on it, then lunged forward.

Like an Azure cannonball, he leaped over ten meters, leaving a trail of afterimages, charging straight toward Zhao Jiapeng.

"Protect Young Master Peng!!!"

Two bodyguards yelled, and others began shooting.

Bang bang bang bang!

Clang clang clang clang!

The sound of bullets splintering and sparks flying was deafening.

The metallic clanging chilled everyone to the bone as the Azure figure, like a wild dragon, surged forward. Soon, the remaining bodyguards' chests caved in, and they were thrown through the villa's walls and windows.

"Huff."

Their internal organs ruptured, and blood spilled out.

The two bodyguards lay on the ground, pale, watching the Azure figure cross their cooling bodies and approach Zhou Wen and Zhao Jiapeng.

Where did this powerhouse come from?

The chairman's enemy?

No one could answer their questions as the scream that broke the silence rang out.

"Ah!!!"

The women around the pool, who had been provocatively dressed, were already frozen with fear, lying on the ground. Zhao Jiapeng's face went pale, and Zhou Wen, in front of him, trembled uncontrollably.

[Fear +1!]

[Fear +1!]

[Fear +1!]

The fear indicator flashed repeatedly, but Chen Feng's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Boom!

As he dodged backward, a figure suddenly fell where he had just been standing.

The ground cracked, forming a half-meter deep pit, with cracks spreading outward.

Upon closer inspection, the towering figure stood at nearly two meters tall, with a middle-aged face, a sinister nose, and a ponytail hairstyle.

His body was entirely covered in brown metal, with rocky patterns clearly marking him as a fully-enhanced cyborg.

"Old Xu!"

"Uncle Xu!"

Zhou Wen and Zhao Jiapeng, seeing a savior, were both visibly excited. The latter regained his composure, sneering at Chen Feng, feeling that this man was already a corpse.

"Who are you?"

With a serious expression, Xu Shan fixed his gaze on Chen Feng.

He had never seen such a modification module in Nanjiang, except for the person rumored to have been involved in the Tian Heng Society incident.

"Grim reaper."

With a cold face, Chen Feng suddenly threw a punch.

"Courting death!"

With an angry roar, Xu Shan immediately activated his full-body enhancement module.

Vroom!

It was like an engine revving up, and a vortex erupted.

The rocky patterns on his brown metal glowed brightly, and a metal mask appeared on his face, covering his head.

Boom!

Punch against punch, the ground beneath them cracked, and the sound of snapping fissures rang out.

Zhou Wen and Zhao Jiapeng staggered and almost fell, quickly retreating to distance themselves, trying to escape.

"With this little strength, you dare to raid the Zhao residence?"

Feeling at ease, Xu Shan's gaze turned cold as he looked at the azure figure that had been pushed back by his punch, retreating a few steps.

No longer holding back, he activated his power unit to overload!

Buzz!

In an instant, his figure blurred, becoming a shadow that instantly appeared in front of Chen Feng.

With a punch, the rain exploded like mist.

A full ton of power!

Boom!!!

The punch hit the face, the muffled sound of an explosion!

The Azure horned head tilted back; the surrounding rain evaporated.

"Die!"

A furious shout, and killing intent soared.

Taking advantage of the moment, Xu Shan attacked again, the brown metal patterns on his body lighting up completely.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

One punch after another, his arms almost became afterimages, constantly pounding on Chen Feng's body.

The Azure cyborg's head swayed from side to side, and the red eyes made of fiberglass were strikingly bright.

Finally, the scanning module detected the biggest flaw, and Xu Shan's face turned cold as he threw his final punch.

Boom!!!

The rain paused briefly, a vacuum forming within a half-meter radius.

But despite such a powerful attack, the Azure figure still stood in place, the punch landing as if it had no power at all.

"Is that it?"

"Is this all you've got?"

Chen Feng tilted his head, casting a sideways glance at Xu Shan's brown metal mask.

The Giant Tiger technique brought a massive boost to his physique, increasing both his armor's activation time and his strength, defense, and other aspects by a factor of two, making him much stronger than before.

Xu Shan widened his eyes, and the faint blue light on the fiberglass mask flickered, seemingly in disbelief.

"How is this possible!"

Buzz!

And as Xu Shan stood there distracted, the air vibrated and the surrounding rain seemed to shudder.

The Azure figure's right arm suddenly grew thicker, as if endless power was gathering, building momentum.

His pupils contracted, and there was nowhere to hide.

The next second.

Whoosh!!!

The thick Azure arm shot forward like a javelin, leaving a trail of white mist behind it.

A full force strike of about 1.5 tons, a double enhancement of the Explosive Fist and the armor.

Raindrops exploded, shockwaves rose, and the grass was blown away.

Until the end.

Boom!!!

A muffled explosion, a whirlwind formed around them, and the grass and water droplets within a three-to-five-meter radius exploded into foam.

Crack!

An exceptionally sharp sound rang out.

Looking over, the Azure fist mark was engraved into Xu Shan's brown metal mask, distorting everything around it.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

More and more strange sounds appeared, several cracks rapidly spreading, and droplets of blood mixed and fell.

Finally, with a loud bang!

The brown metal mask shattered into pieces, and Xu Shan's body staggered backward, falling to the ground.

[Fear +1!]

[Fear +1!]

[Fear +1!]

Familiar panel prompts appeared again; the muffled sound of gasps cut through the rainy air.

Chen Feng walked forward indifferently, stepping on Xu Shan's head.

"You... who are you?"

Boom!

Blood exploded like watermelon juice, and the Azure armor splattered with crimson as Chen Feng stepped over the corpse.

Finally, with his perception heightened, he looked at the two figures standing in front of the villa's door.

One wore gold-rimmed glasses and looked like a high-level elite, but now his face was pale, his lips trembling, his face full of horror.

The other wore a floral shirt and shorts, his whole body trembling, full of fear, no longer the arrogant young master from before.

"I... I'll give you money!"

"Don't kill me!!"

Zhao Jiapeng hurriedly begged, backing away and pleading, "No matter who sent you, I'll pay double, no, three times, four times!!!"

His voice was frantic, and fear notifications appeared rapidly.

Chen Feng silently stepped forward and walked right up to the stiff, trembling pair.

"Kill him."

Chen Feng looked at Zhou Wen, his voice low, tossing over a pistol he had picked up.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jiapeng's pupils contracted, frozen in place.

When he came to his senses, he quickly turned to Zhou Wen.

"I—"

He opened his mouth, but Zhou Wen, his face pale, suddenly felt as though the modified man before him was a demon.

Did he have to kill Zhao Jiapeng to survive?

"Seems like you don't want this chance?"

Chen Feng's tone was indifferent.

Hearing this, Zhou Wen fell into hesitation, trembling, his glasses shaking.

Quickly, Zhao Jiapeng's face turned cold, and he squatted down, picking up the gun.

"Zhou Wen, you lowly bastard, you dare betray the Zhao family!"

Zhao Jiapeng's voice was venomous, standing in front of him, without hesitation, pulling the trigger.

Click!

The atmosphere was silent!

The gun was empty, and Zhao Jiapeng's face stiffened.

"Now?"

Chen Feng's tone was cold, tossing another pistol that landed right in Zhou Wen's hand.

The coldness of the gun in his hand made Zhou Wen look at the retreating Zhao Jiapeng.

Fear and dread filled his heart. This was the first time he saw such a look on the arrogant young master's face.

All the dirty work he'd done for him all these years, and now, in the end...

"Die!!!"

Bloodshot eyes, Zhou Wen slammed the trigger!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets flew, piercing Zhao Jiapeng's body and head.

Blood mist appeared, and his body fell to the ground.

Zhou Wen emptied the magazine, bloodshot eyes, his face twisted, gasping heavily in place.

The smell of blood hit his nose, and he suddenly felt nauseous, wanting to vomit.

"He was right."

"You really are a lowly thing."

A cold voice sounded again. Zhou Wen forced a smile, looking at the figure before him with a pleading expression.

"Can you let me go?"

"Why?" Chen Feng asked, puzzled.

Fear notifications kept appearing as the progress of the Azure armor soared, nearing the critical point.

Zhou Wen was stunned, and in his eyes, despair and rage exploded.

"Isn't killing him the only way I survive?"

"Why?!!!"

His voice cracked with terror, and his whole body trembled.

Chen Feng's tone was indifferent and deep: "When did I say I would let you go?"

Zhou Wen's eyes widened, and the next second, a massive Azure hand shot forward, grabbing his head.

With a twist, the hand exerted force.

Crack!

His neck snapped, eyes wide open, dying without peace.

"Those who trifle with life will eventually be toyed with by it."

"What do you think?"

In a deep tone, Chen Feng turned his head, looking around.

A few people lay scattered on the ground, pretending to be dead, most of them irrelevant bystanders.

They widened their eyes in shock, not daring to breathe.

Fear surged again until it broke free from its shackles.

As the external sounds faded, Chen Feng finally stopped, turned, and left quickly.

(End of the Chapter)

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Read (MF) ahead on (pa treon. com/CinderTL) – Chapter 112.

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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.