Theo walks into the Hunter Association

"Lin Dong, stop poking your nose into my business. Get lost now," Tang Roujin scowled, stepping forward, but the boy stood his ground.

With a deep breath, he raised his hand, summoning a massive golem that materialized beside him, a towering, hulking creature made of stone.

"Try me if you dare," the boy said calmly.

The troublemakers hesitated, Roujin cursing under his breath as he looked at the towering golem. "Tch… Let's go." Without another word, the group scattered, retreating from the place.

While the videos went on to the internet, on several social handles, some public and some just private, the savior turned back to Vera, checking on her.

She stood on shaky legs, looking at him. "You alright?" He asked again. She nodded, slightly in a daze as she stared at his face.

"I'm fine," she muttered.

The boy nodded with a smile and put on the hood again before walking away.

Vera's gaze lingered on his back for a moment before he left, disappearing into the crowd. She didn't speak to him further, didn't thank him, nothing. She just stared in a daze.

Meanwhile, on the nearby rooftop, Zealot gritted his teeth. "F**k. I didn't intervene in the right time, and the young lady was injured. The General (Tempest) is going to punish me. I can't escape from this. So, I can only ask for some leniency. No, before that, let's first take care of him and then inform the General."

*

Meanwhile, at Xueli's residence, Tianzhu was focused on the schedule sent by Jingmin, who, for some reason, went on a three-day emergency leave. In Jingmin's absence, Tianzhu was appointed as the temporary assistant to handle the scheduling.

04:00 AM — Salon

07:00 AM — Breakfast

10:00 AM – Live radio interview to promote her upcoming movie, plus some general life updates.

1:45 PM – Fashion magazine cover shoot for Elle Global, featuring another actress.

6:00 PM – Fine dining business meeting with a brand CEO she was endorsing, discussing future collaborations.

8:30 PM – Night spa session to relieve stress.

Tianzhu exhaled. "That's a packed schedule you have today, Jiejie. You don't have time for even lunch."

"Yeah, I know." Xueli shrugged. "That's why I told Jingmin to push the 7 o'clock dining meeting to 6 so that I can have an early dinner. I was also invited for late late-night talk show, but I refused. After all, I'm no longer an actress who wanted to climb the ladder as much as possible. Now, I'm established and I have family to spend with."

Tianzhu shook his head. "No wonder you have an early perimenopause."

Xueli's jaw dropped. "Do you want to get smacked up in the face?"

Tianzhu grinned, silently staring out the window without making any further comment. But inwardly, he thought, "You really should thank Qin Dongzhi for this. His obsession with his work and negligence toward us made us spend more time with our children."

In the evening;

Neon lights buzzed along the Wulin square, spilling over into the late-night energy of one of Hangzhou's most notorious nightlife districts. Zealot moved swiftly, heading straight for the club he was supposed to go to. Club Nostalgia.

He blended in with ease with an AirPod in his ear, walking past the glittering interior filled with patrons talking, laughing, and drinking.

"Zealot, CCTV recordings have been put on loop," someone spoke into the AirPod.

"Got it. Keep it that way for now." Zealot muttered under his breath, going through the crowd.

He made his way to a private booth at the back, the crowd thick and loud, unaware of his presence.

The boy was easy to find.

He was seated with a group of friends, a 17-year-old surrounded by grown adults, both men and women.

One woman, laughing and all but hanging off him, was giving him a lap dance, her body shaking in circles as the boy smirked, completely absorbed in the moment.

The moment his eyes captured the boy's presence, his jaw clenched. "Found you, bast*rd." Zealot didn't waste any time giving the order to the hacker. "Zero, disable the Lights, all sorts of lights. Let the music go on."

"Affirmed"

In a matter of seconds, the world around him darkened.

"Wooo"

Outside, on the dance floor, cheers erupted from some guys and girls due to the lights going out.

But not everyone had the same reaction. Those in the private booths have an entirely opposite reaction.

"What the hell?"

"Who turned off the lights?"

"Manager!"

Someone screamed. Glass clinked to the floor. Voices shot up in panic.

Meanwhile, Zealot quietly slipped into the private booth. His night vision shades captured the boy's position.

As if the heavens were helping him out, the target himself left the group and walked toward him, mistaking him for a staff member. "Hey, you. What the hell is happening here? Go and brin…"

*Smash*

The sound of glass shattering was deafening in the silence. A bottle of beer broke cleanly over the 17-year-old's head, its shards slicing into his scalp.

"Argh…" He screamed and tried to stand, his mana surging into his body. "Who is…" Before he could speak any further, Zealot grabbed him by the collar and hurled him against the wall with terrifying force.

The sound of his body slamming into the surface echoed through the booth, but the boy's scream was the only thing that filled Zealot's ears.

The others shrieked, scrambling blindly to figure out what was happening.

"WHO IS IT?"

"WHAT'S GOING ON!"

Meanwhile, the boy tried to stand again, but Zealot raised his fist, crackling with dense mana.

*Crack*

The Punch landed cleanly on the boy's knee, shattering its hard bone inside. He collapsed, howling in agony.

"Argh… who… Aaahhh"

Zealot then crouched beside him, pressing close and whispering into his ear. "You think your daddy's money protects you? It could save you from the corrupted officers, but there are people whom not even your dear daddy dares to offend."

The boy trembled, too stunned to respond. And his mind was in a mess. He just didn't understand what was going on and why this was even happening.

"You're lucky I'm still feeling generous, Young Master Tang," Zealot continued, his tone low and deadly. "Next time, if you are spotted acting like a spoiled brat and bullying whoever you see, the punch will land directly on your skull instead. Understand?"

Then, like a ghost, Zealot disappeared from the private booth before the lights flickered back on.

The boy was seen on the floor, barely conscious, as blood had flowed from his knees like a stream of river.

Meanwhile, far away from the location..

From high atop a communication tower overlooking the quieter outskirts of Hangzhou, three figures crouched low behind the rusted railing, long-range scopes and compact drones at their side.

Storm adjusted the lens of his scope and peered toward a modest two-story house just past a small park.

Beside him, the subordinate was tapping on a tablet linked to the drone feed. "Movement at the front gate."

The old man and the boy stepped outside, the latter clutching a small backpack, the grandfather looking sharply dressed but simple.

A taxi rolled up moments later.

Storm watched as they got in. "They're on the move."

"Probably dinner," one of the others mumbled, stifling a yawn. " You need to take it easy, general."

"How about you say it to the Commander," Tempest said, narrowing his eyes. "We have clear orders, Mailman. We follow without question. Let's go. They are on the move."

He gave a quick signal, and the team began descending the structure swiftly

By the time the taxi had reached the next block, a nondescript black car pulled into traffic behind it, not close enough to draw suspicion.

The chase lasted half an hour.

At first, the route was casual. Normal. No sense of urgency or avoidance. Just another evening drive.

Until…

"Hold up," Mailman said, voice tightening as he watched the tablet. The third one slowed down, moving to the side lane.

Storm leaned forward from the back seat.

Up ahead, through the windshield, the taxi slowed and pulled over.

The sign above the building stopped in front of said Hunter Association, Hangzhou Branch.

Storm's jaw tightened.

"What the hell are they doing there?" the driver muttered, trying to angle the car without drawing attention.

The old man paid the fare, and both of them calmly entered the building.

Mailman zoomed in with a small handheld lens, confirming the signage and timestamp. "No mistake. They went inside."

Storm said nothing for a moment. The lines on his face deepened.

Finally, he muttered under his breath, low and hard.

"I feel like the Commander is going to be pissed."