046 : Retaliation Begins.

The night was cold, the city quiet, but inside Lin Tian's mind, a storm was raging.

The image on his phone—the photo of Su Yun taken from a distance—was still displayed on the screen, the message behind it clear. This wasn't just intimidation anymore.

It was a warning.

They were watching her.

Lin Tian had spent lifetimes fighting enemies far greater than Zhou Minghai, had faced immortal emperors, celestial beings, and cosmic tribulations. But those enemies had at least stood in front of him.

Zhou Minghai?

He was a coward who used power and wealth to move his pieces in the shadows. He didn't fight his own battles. He let others do it for him.

But what he didn't understand—was that Lin Tian had never lost a war.

And he wasn't about to start now.

Lin Tian's golden eyes burned with cold fury.

"You want to play dirty?"

"Fine. Let's play."

Lin Tian needed to strike back. Fast.

Zhou Minghai thought he controlled the board.

But Lin Tian was about to flip the entire table.

Step one—expose the cracks in his empire.

Lin Tian already knew that someone had once tried to leak the truth about Su Yun's mother—but failed. Zhou Minghai had erased that person, erased the evidence, and buried the truth.

But Lin Tian had something Zhou Minghai didn't.

Zhang Rui.

The boy was a walking information network, someone who knew the undercurrents of the city better than anyone.

And right now—Lin Tian needed everything he could find.

Lin Tian grabbed his phone and dialed.

Zhang Rui answered almost instantly. "I swear, if you're about to ask me for something insane again—"

Lin Tian cut him off. "I need every dirty secret on Zhou Minghai. Right now."

Zhang Rui went silent.

Then, after a moment, he muttered, "…You're serious, aren't you?"

Lin Tian's voice was ice. "Dead serious."

Zhang Rui groaned. "You really do have a death wish."

Lin Tian smirked. "No. I have a plan."

There was a pause.

Then Zhang Rui sighed. "Fine. But this is going to take time."

Lin Tian's golden eyes gleamed. "Then you better start now."

Step two—provoke the enemy.

Lin Tian wasn't going to wait for Zhou Minghai to make another move.

He was going to make him react.

Using an untraceable number, Lin Tian sent a message directly to one of Zhou Minghai's personal contacts.

Anonymous: I know what happened to Su Yun's mother.

Within seconds, a reply came.

Unknown: Who is this?

Lin Tian smirked.

Anonymous: That's not important. What's important is what I have. The truth. Evidence that could destroy everything Zhou Minghai has built.

There was a long pause.

Then—

Unknown: What do you want?

Lin Tian leaned back in his chair, his smirk widening.

Anonymous: A meeting.

Unknown: Where?

Lin Tian typed two words.

Anonymous: You choose.

It was a trap, of course. Zhou Minghai would think he was in control, that he could dictate the terms. But Lin Tian already knew what was coming.

They wouldn't send Zhou Minghai himself.

They would send Zhou Jianhong.

And that was exactly what Lin Tian wanted.

Because this time—he wasn't just going to fight back.

He was going to destroy them from within.

The next night, Lin Tian arrived at an abandoned warehouse near the harbor. The location had been chosen by them, just as he had expected.

And sure enough—Zhou Jianhong was waiting.

He stood near the entrance, flanked by three men in suits, their posture tense, their eyes scanning the area. They were expecting a trap.

Good.

That meant they were already afraid.

Lin Tian approached slowly, his hands in his pockets. His golden eyes gleamed under the dim light.

Zhou Jianhong exhaled, shaking his head. "You don't know when to stop, do you?"

Lin Tian smirked. "Funny. I was about to say the same to you."

Zhou Jianhong's eyes darkened. "What do you want?"

Lin Tian tilted his head. "I think you already know."

Zhou Jianhong was silent for a moment. Then, in a low voice, he said, "Zhou Minghai doesn't leave loose ends, Lin Tian."

Lin Tian chuckled. "Then he's about to learn what happens when a 'loose end' fights back."

Zhou Jianhong's fingers twitched slightly. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

Lin Tian took a slow step forward. "And neither do you."

The tension in the air thickened. The men beside Zhou Jianhong subtly reached for their weapons.

Lin Tian smirked. "Careful. You don't want to start something you can't finish."

Zhou Jianhong exhaled sharply, signaling his men to stand down. Then, in a quieter voice, he said, "What do you want?"

Lin Tian's smirk widened.

This was the moment.

The moment Zhou Jianhong realized he wasn't the one in control anymore.

Lin Tian's voice was calm, steady. "Tell Zhou Minghai that the truth is coming. He can try to silence me, he can try to bury the past, but it won't matter. Because this time—I'm the one writing the ending."

Zhou Jianhong's jaw tightened. "And if he doesn't listen?"

Lin Tian's golden eyes burned.

"Then I'll burn everything he's built to the ground."

Silence.

Then, after a long pause, Zhou Jianhong exhaled. "You really don't know fear, do you?"

Lin Tian chuckled. "Fear? I don't have time for it."

The two men locked eyes.

Then, finally—Zhou Jianhong turned and walked away.

His men hesitated, glancing between Lin Tian and their retreating boss, before following.

And just like that—the meeting was over.

But Lin Tian knew this wasn't the end.

It was just the beginning.

As Lin Tian walked away from the warehouse, his phone buzzed.

A message from Zhang Rui.

Zhang Rui: I found something. You're gonna want to see this.

Lin Tian's smirk widened.

Everything was falling into place.

Zhou Minghai thought he could control fate.

But what he didn't know—was that fate had already chosen its victor.

And his name was Lin Tian.

The war had begun.

And Lin Tian was about to end it.

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