Chapter 281: The Protagonist is a Broken Record

Potential Fate Value: 31,000

Shen Tian’s smile returned.

Rose noticed immediately.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Four women stared.

Shen Tian sighed.

"You’ve ruined that word for me."

Tang Meilin smiled.

"Good."

Xu Ning continued.

[Bear and Ghost are meeting Lu Chen tonight.]

[If Lu Chen successfully restores their loyalty and rebuilds Black Wolf...]

Potential Lu Chen Fate Recovery: +31,000

Shen Tian leaned back.

"Where?"

[Old Black Wolf safe house.]

Then...

Xu Ning paused.

[Host.]

"Hm?"

[You could simply prevent the meeting.]

Shen Tian looked toward Rose.

Then...

His smile became wicked.

"No."

Xu Ning stared.

[Why do I suddenly feel bad for Lu Chen?]

"I want him to attend."

[Why?]

Shen Tian’s green eyes gleamed.

"Because taking something before he has it..."

He lifted his coffee.

"...isn’t nearly as satisfying."

Rose watched him.

That smile.

Again.

Her cheeks warmed slightly.

"You’re planning something evil."

Shen Tian looked toward her.

"Would that bother you?"

Rose considered.

Then...

She smiled.

"Depends who it’s aimed at."

"Lu Chen."

Rose immediately picked up her coffee.

"Carry on."

Lin Yue nearly choked laughing.

. . .

That evening.

An old warehouse outside the city.

Bear stood beside a table.

Ghost leaned against a pillar.

Both looked exhausted.

Black Wolf had fallen apart quickly.

Xue Long’s betrayal had shattered more than operations.

It shattered trust.

Then...

Lu Chen entered.

Bear looked up.

"Boss."

Lu Chen stopped.

That word...

He needed it.

After everything Shen Tian had taken...

He needed this.

Ghost nodded.

"War Wolf."

Lu Chen walked toward them.

"No Rose?"

Bear shook his head.

"No Lin Yue?"

Ghost shook his head.

Lu Chen’s expression darkened.

Of course.

Shen Tian.

He suppressed the thought.

Not tonight.

This wasn’t about him.

Lu Chen placed both hands on the table.

"Black Wolf isn’t dead."

Bear looked toward him.

"Feels pretty dead."

"We rebuild."

Ghost frowned.

"With what money?"

"I’ll find it."

"Contracts?"

"I’ll find them."

"Equipment?"

"I’ll get it."

Bear stared.

Then...

Slowly smiled.

"There he is."

Lu Chen’s shoulders relaxed.

Finally.

Someone believed.

Bear extended his hand.

"War Wolf."

Lu Chen reached toward it.

Then...

Applause.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Silence.

Lu Chen froze.

His face became blank.

Bear looked toward the entrance.

Ghost immediately reached for his weapon.

Lu Chen didn’t need to turn.

He knew.

He fucking knew.

Shen Tian walked through the warehouse doors.

Alone.

No security.

No spear.

Hands in his pockets.

Smiling.

Lu Chen slowly closed his eyes.

"Why."

Shen Tian stopped.

"What?"

"Why..."

Lu Chen slowly turned.

"...are you here?"

Shen Tian looked around.

"Nice place."

"GET OUT!"

Bear immediately stepped between them.

"Boss."

Lu Chen’s Qi surged.

Shen Tian smiled.

"Still calling him boss?"

Bear frowned.

"Who are you?"

"Shen Tian."

Ghost’s expression changed.

"Oh."

Bear looked toward Lu Chen.

"The guy?"

Lu Chen’s face darkened.

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"The guy?"

Ghost coughed.

"He’s mentioned you."

Shen Tian smiled.

"Frequently?"

Bear and Ghost both looked away.

That answer was enough.

Lu Chen looked ready to kill everyone.

Shen Tian walked toward the table.

"Bear."

The large man frowned.

"Ghost."

Ghost narrowed his eyes.

Shen Tian placed two folders on the table.

"Jobs."

Lu Chen’s face dropped.

"No."

Bear looked down.

Shen Tian opened the first folder.

"Shen International Security."

He opened another.

"Six-figure signing bonus."

Ghost’s eyebrow rose.

"Six figures?"

Lu Chen slammed his fist against the table.

BOOM!

"STOP."

Silence.

Shen Tian slowly looked toward him.

And this time...

The pleasant expression disappeared.

The women weren’t here.

He didn’t need to be charming.

Didn’t need to soften anything.

This was Lu Chen.

His enemy.

So...

Shen Tian smiled like exactly what he was.

A villain.

"You really haven’t learned."

Lu Chen stared.

Shen Tian continued.

"You thought because Rose wasn’t here..."

"Because Lin Yue wasn’t here..."

"Because this warehouse belongs to Black Wolf..."

His green eyes became colder.

"...that I’d leave you alone?"

Lu Chen’s fists shook.

"What do you want from me?"

Shen Tian laughed.

"Nothing."

"THEN WHY?!"

"Because you have Fate."

Of course...

Lu Chen didn’t understand.

Shen Tian stepped closer.

"And until that’s gone..."

He smiled.

"...everything the world tries giving you interests me."

Lu Chen stared.

"You..."

His expression twisted.

"...are fucking insane."

"Probably."

Bear looked between them.

"Okay, I’m missing context."

Shen Tian pointed toward the folders.

"Read."

Bear hesitated.

Then...

Opened one.

His expression slowly changed.

Ghost leaned over.

Then...

His expression changed too.

Lu Chen saw it.

"No."

Bear looked toward him.

"Boss..."

"No."

Ghost picked up the contract.

"Lu Chen..."

"No!"

Shen Tian smiled.

There.

That desperation.

He wanted Lu Chen to feel it.

Not because Shen Tian was secretly kind.

Not because this was some lesson.

No.

Lu Chen wanted to destroy him.

Wanted his family.

His women.

His life.

So Shen Tian would answer appropriately.

By taking the protagonist apart.

Piece...

By piece.

Shen Tian leaned slightly toward Lu Chen.

"Watch carefully."

Lu Chen’s eyes became bloodshot.

Bear looked toward the contract again.

Then...

Slowly...

He signed.

SCRATCH.

The sound seemed deafening.

Lu Chen stared.

Ghost sighed.

Then signed his.

SCRATCH.

[Ding!]

Major Fate Route destroyed.

Black Wolf Core Team permanently fractured.

Bear and Ghost removed from Lu Chen’s comeback route.

Fate stolen: 23,000

Lu Chen Current Fate Value: 314,000

Shen Tian smiled.

Then...

Another notification.

Rose’s loyalty route toward Lu Chen has collapsed beyond natural restoration.

Lin Yue’s loyalty route toward Lu Chen has collapsed beyond natural restoration.

Additional Fate stolen: 8,000

Lu Chen Current Fate Value: 306,000

Xu Ning appeared.

Her eyes widened.

[Thirty-one thousand total.]

Shen Tian stared at Lu Chen.

"Worth the drive."

Lu Chen couldn’t hear Xu Ning.

Couldn’t see the numbers.

But...

Something inside him felt wrong.

Empty.

Like invisible threads had been cut.

His old team.

His organization.

His inheritance.

His relationship with Gu Qingya.

His standing with Rose.

Lin Yue.

Everything.

One by one.

Gone.

And Shen Tian...

Stood there smiling.

Lu Chen’s voice became hoarse.

"I hate you."

Shen Tian’s smile widened.

"I know."

"I’ll kill you."

"You’ve said that."

"I’ll destroy your family."

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