Chapter 402 - Top Secret
Song Linfei and Ling Rui were stunned.
Then, they sucked in mouthfuls of cold air out of fear.
Ling Rui knew that the kid was proficient in martial arts, but how was it possible that he so easily defeated so many powerful fighters from the army?
The kid looked as though he did not expend any effort at all.
‘Dammit, didn’t he come from a mountain village? Where did he learn to do all that?’
Song Linfei was even more shocked than Ling Rui because he knew how powerful his bodyguards were. They were all elites from the army, and any mundane person would have no hope to defeat them.
How could a kid of nineteen be a martial arts master?
Something must be strange about that kid!
He could sense that the kid was not a simple mountain village kid like Ling Rui said.
There was no time for him to ponder the question though. The kid was already in front of his face.
The kid’s eyes were slightly narrowed and his gaze was ice-cold. Song Linfei was terrified.
‘That aura… He’s not a mundane person!’ He was sure about his conclusion.
“Just who are you?” He asked viciously, “Let me warn you, no matter who you are, don’t even think of laying a finger on me.
“You’ll be dead if you touch me!” Song Linfei roared with a crazed look on his face.
Tang Hao glared at him with his narrowed eyes. He suddenly smirked, lifted his hand, and slapped him.
He knew that Song Linfei would not spare him. The consequences were the same whether he beat him up or not.
Nevertheless, Song Linfei was from the Song family, and Tang Hao could not go overboard on him. The Song family was influential in the Capital and wielded a lot of power.
If he killed Song Linfei or otherwise angered the Song family, everything that he owned, including his businesses and status, could be easily taken away.
After all, he was still confined to the mortal world.
Slap!
The sound echoed in the night.
Song Linfei grunted and stumbled backward, nearly falling onto the ground. He found his footing and looked incredulously at Tang Hao while covering his face.
“You dare hit me?”
“That was just a warning. You’d better not cross me, and if you do, it won’t be just a slap,” Tang Hao said coldly, “Also, stay away from Ling Wei as far as you can!”
Tang Hao glared at him one final time, then turned around and left.
Song Linfei was trembling with anger as he covered his swollen face. He gritted his teeth, and his gaze burned with resentment.
Tang Hao got in his car, turned around, and left in the other direction.
Song Linfei continued standing there. He finally could not take it anymore and roared out loud, “That bastard!” He looked as though he had lost his mind.
Ling Rui stood there, embarrassed.
He wanted to teach that kid a lesson so that he could take his revenge, but the tables were turned on him.
“Linfei…” He swallowed with some difficulty and called his friend.
Song Linfei instantly blew his top. “Don’t call me by my name. It’s all because of you, you idiot! You didn’t investigate thoroughly that kid’s identity and you wanted me to fight him. Did you set me up?” He roared maniacally.
Ling Rui instantly shut up. He knew better than to continue speaking.
“That filthy kid is an expert in martial arts… He’s not a mundane person,” Song Linfei mumbled. He returned to his car, took his phone, and dialed a number.
“Hey, Second Uncle? I’d like to ask you for a favor. Help me investigate someone. Right, right, check your army database for this person called Tang Hao.
“He’s not very old, I think he’s still a teenager. He’s from Westridge District in Province Z. Alright, I’ll wait for you! Thank you so much, Second Uncle!”
After ending the call, he dialed another number.
“Hello? Uncle? I’d like to ask for your help to check on someone. His name is Tang Hao, nineteen years old, from Westridge District of Province Z. Nothing, just helping a friend. Don’t worry, there won’t be anything.
“If you can check if he has any special abilities, that will be good. Alright, I’ll wait for you. Thanks!”
He called a few more people before he returned to his car and sat down. His face was extraordinarily gloomy.
He looked into the rearview mirror and saw his swollen face. That made the anger in his heart rage even stronger.
Then, he looked outside of the car at the bodyguards who were sprawled on the floor. “Useless!” He grumbled and called an ambulance.
It was in the countryside where cars rarely passed. Everything was silent for a long time.
Ling Rui also sat in the car. They waited for a long time before they received return calls.
Song Linfei was not satisfied with what they found. They told him about the same thing as what Ling Rui told him. Some of their findings were not even as detailed.
Finally, he received a call from Second Uncle.
“Linfei, that person… isn’t normal! I’ve got someone to check, and there’s that name in the system. Tang Hao, right?”
Song Linfei sat up in alertness. “So who is he, Second Uncle?”
“Well… I don’t know either. I can only tell you that he’s very powerful and someone special!” Second Uncle’s tone of voice was peculiar.
“Indeed, he’s a martial arts expert!” Song Linfei said.
Second Uncle laughed. “Of course, I ought to tell you too, that kid’s file is classified top secret. It means that I don’t even have the clearance to view it.
“Top secret… Hah! This kid is interesting! Linfei, I know that you’re a prideful person, but you ought to let this go! Don’t cause any unnecessary trouble.
“If there’s anything, both of you can sit down and talk about it. You don’t have to be so rash every time,” Second Uncle tried to convince him.
“I know, Second Uncle,” Song Linfei replied.
Second Uncle laughed and did not attempt to convince him any further.
“You should be careful, Linfei. There are only several departments in the army with top-secret files. He might be from a certain secret place too.”
Second Uncle’s tone of voice was low and ominous.
“I know!” Song Linfei replied.
After the call ended, he sat there, holding his phone, with a sinister expression on his face.
He did not expect that the kid’s file would be classified as top secret. There were only several departments in the army with top-secret files, and they all carried out work that involved the security of the nation.
As for the ‘certain secret place’ that Second Uncle mentioned, he had also heard about what was known as the most secret department in the army, consisting of people with superhuman abilities.
‘That kid… it can’t be!’
He sat there thinking for a long time. His facial muscles were twitching viciously.
No matter the kid’s status, he could not take it lying down. He had to take his revenge. The kid could not be more powerful than the Song family!
He took his phone and dialed another number.
“I want to put a bounty on a person. His name is Tang Hao, nineteen years old, from Westridge District in Province Z of Huaxia. He is a student of Z University. The bounty is two hundred million Merrican dollars. Put his name on the Dark Web. I want all the assassins in the world to see.
“You’ll be dead soon, you filthy kid!” He mumbled.
Under the dim moonlight, his face seemed savage.
Chapter 403 - A Gathering of Assassins
Ding!
“You have a new message!”
Somewhere in Huaxia, a middle-aged man picked up his phone. He looked normal, just like any other white-collar worker.
He unlocked his phone and was stunned when he read the message.
>
“One, two, three… Oh my god, two hundred million Merrican dollars!”
He cried out in surprise.
He had not seen a bounty of two hundred million Merrican dollars for a long time. The typical hitjob would have a bounty of several hundred thousand yuan. The most he had seen before was ten million.
Two hundred million Merrican dollars would have driven anyone crazy.
He could imagine the shockwave that was spreading throughout the entire assassin world. Even the most notorious figures would be tempted by the huge sum!
He was also curious. What kind of person would carry a two hundred million dollar price tag?
He continued scrolling and saw a photograph.
He was surprised when he saw the face of the target.
‘This… this is just a teenager, right? He can’t be older than nineteen!”
He furrowed his brows as he continued to stare at the photograph.
‘He looks quite handsome too. His face is clean and delicate.
‘He doesn’t look like a bad guy, and he’s too young. Maybe he’s the son of some wealthy family?’ He thought.
He continued scrolling down and was once again stunned. He could not believe his eyes.
‘What the hell? This kid is born in a mountain village? His ancestors have all been peasant farmers?
‘And… someone placed a two hundred million Merrican dollar bounty on his head?
‘This… This is too wasteful!’
He stood there and could not say anything for a long time.
“Is there a need to? Did the kid cross someone important?” He mumbled.
He continued scrolling. After reading through the kid’s entire profile, he understood that the kid was not as normal as he thought. He was a rising star in the business world, and he probably crossed someone he should not have.
“Looks like you’re out of luck, kid!”
As he looked at the photo, his expression changed between mockery and pity.
The bounty of two hundred million Merrican dollars was enough to mobilize the entire assassin world. No one would be able to resist it.
Two hundred million!
That would be an assassin’s final job. That money would be enough to last one until they died of old age.
Furthermore, the target was a normal kid. He did not look like some mobster leader or political elite. Those people would have bodyguards, and the kid did not. It was too easy.
“No, I’ll have to move out now and score the hit. I want the money!”
He quickly packed his briefcase, got in his car, and started driving toward Province Z.
That situation happened not only in Huaxia but also throughout the world.
The bounty had shocked the entire assassin world.
Countless assassins from Huaxia, Dongying, Nanyang, Merrica, and even Hindustan and the various countries of Europe saw the bounty notice. They all packed their suitcases and departed for Province Z of Huaxia.
Each flight to Huaxia carried assassins from all walks of life.
Not only did they have differing nationalities, but they also came in different shapes, sizes, and ages. The oldest among them were in their seventies, and the youngest were teenagers. A big portion of them were female assassins.
The mysterious figures on the assassin ranking chart were also set into action. Every one of them departed for Huaxia.
Something big was about to happen. Meanwhile, Tang Hao was oblivious to all that.
He went to university for classes the next morning.
He talked to Teacher Jiang. There was no news from her grandfather yet. Meanwhile, she had no way of contacting her grandfather, so all they could do was wait.
Tang Hao had been anticipating Song Linfei to make his move since that morning.
He would imagine that Song Linfei would act on his company first, considering the amount of financial and political power that Song Corporation wielded. They would be able to exert immense pressure on Haotian Co. Ltd.
He waited with bated breath the entire morning but nothing happened.
That made him quite frustrated and a little confused.
Knowing Song Linfei’s tendency to act on an impulse, he would not be sitting back and plotting Tang Hao’s demise in secret.
When his classes ended at noon, he received a call from Liu Bingyao.
“Hey, Tang Hao! Are you free this afternoon?” Liu Bingyao’s sweet voice was heard on the phone.
“Yup!” Tang Hao hesitated for a while before agreeing.
“That’s good!” Liu Bingyao sounded excited. “Then… Can you go out with me this afternoon? I want to watch a movie too, it’s been a while since I went to the cinema.”
Tang Hao smiled. He could imagine how excited she must be.
Ever since Liu Jiawei’s incident, she rarely went out, and only with the people she trusted.
“Any nice movies recently?” Tang Hao asked. He had not been following up with entertainment news.
“Hmm, let’s see, there’s so many! What type of movie do you like: Sci-fi? Action? Comedy? Or indie?” Liu Bingyao said.
“Never mind about indie movies, I can’t appreciate those. How about you?”
“Me? Anything is fine. How about… a comedy? I want to watch something fun,” Liu Bingyao said.
“Alright!” Tang Hao said.
After the call ended, Tang Hao excused himself from Cao Fei and the rest, saying that he had some other business to attend to.
He went to the female dormitory, waited there for half an hour before Liu Bingyao showed up.
She was changing clothes in her room earlier.
It was already springtime and the weather was getting warmer. She wore a simple white dress which made her seem otherworldly. Tang Hao was stunned.
The ends of her dress waved in the wind as she casually walked over. Her beauty was breathtaking, as though she was a fairy descended from the heavens.
The aura she carried was unlike the seductive charm of Qin Xiangyi, nor was she pure and innocent as Shi Yan’er. It was an aura unique to Liu Bingyao.
“Let’s go!” She said chirpily when she walked in front of Tang Hao.
She wore light make-up on her impeccable face. She must have spent a lot of time on that.
She wore earring pendants in the shape of four-leaf clovers on her ears. They shimmered under the sunlight.
She also wore a string of red crystal beads on each of her delicate wrists, which was a stark contrast with her fair skin. One of the beads on her right wrist was especially eye-catching. It was as red as blood, and it was the blood jade bead that Tang Hao had given her.
She blushed when she noticed that Tang Hao was staring at her wrist. “Let’s go!” She said again.
“Oh!” Tang Hao came to his senses and started walking with her.
The people around them were not surprised. Everyone in the university knew the rumor that the beauty queen had a boyfriend. Instead, they ogled at Liu Bingyao’s body.
The two people strolled toward the entrance of the university.
Chapter 404 - Attack of the Assassins
“You haven’t had lunch, right? Me neither. How about this: We’ll have lunch first, then go shopping and watch a movie after that.
“It’ll be just in time for dinner right after the movie.”
Liu Bingyao was excited, and there was a bounce in her every step.
She occasionally stole glances at Tang Hao with her beautiful eyes.
“Alright!” Tang Hao quickly agreed to it.
The couple exited the campus grounds, rode on the bus toward the city center, and had lunch at New Magical Kitchen.
After that, they walked along the streets.
She was as happy as a bird freed from its cage.
Soon, it was three o’clock in the afternoon. They bought two tickets at a cinema and went into the hall.
The movie was a whimsical comedy by a famous Southport director. Everyone burst into laughter at the funny
moments.
One would easily forget the time when watching a good movie. Tang Hao felt that the movie ended too soon. His interest was still high as the credits rolled.
The hall lights came on, and the audience streamed out of the hall while still talking about the movie.
“That movie was too funny!” Liu Bingyao was still laughing as she walked out of the hall with Tang Hao.
After taking several steps, Liu Bingyao abruptly stopped walking and whispered to Tang Hao, “Um… I need to go to the washroom.”
Tang Hao nodded.
Liu Bingyao headed to the washroom while clutching her handbag. Tang Hao stood on the spot and waited for her.
Many people were walking along the corridor.
While Tang Hao waited, he sensed that something was amiss. He could feel that a few pairs of eyes amid the crowd were scrutinizing him.
The people hid themselves well, but he was alerted anyway.
There seemed to be killing intent in those eyes.
Tang Hao furrowed his brows.
‘Don’t tell me… Song Linfei sent someone to kill me?’
The thought flashed in his mind. Before he could think of what to do, those figures closed in on him. They moved faster and faster, as though they wanted to catch him unawares in a pincer attack. At the same time, it seemed like something else.
It was as though they were scrambling for something.
A janitor passed by in front of him, pushing a cart. He was wearing a cap, and his head was slightly lowered. His left hand was pushing the handle of the cart, while his right hand was obscured.
To the left of the janitor was a couple leaning against each other and walking toward him.
The man was in his forties and looked plain, while the woman was in her thirties and dressed scantily. Her V-neck top displayed a deep cleavage.
A total of eight people closed into Tang Hao from both sides and even from behind him.
Eight assassins!
Tang Hao was shocked. That was not a small number. How many more assassins did that Song guy hire?
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 180