dmims Page 21
Page 21
His gaze was more intimidating than the sharpest blade.
“Money is just the most superficial goal in this operation, Izzy, you must understand that.”
He turned around, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority.
"This so-called 'Million Arena' is nothing more than a crude microcosm of the desire-driven city of Fengdu in the shadows. It is a node where power converges, and also a vortex of desire and depravity."
"I want to see for myself what kind of corrupt individuals are making up these outdated rules beneath this city."
Su Chen's gaze seemed to pierce through the wall, landing on that neon-lit, sinful place in the distance.
"at the same time……"
A chilling smile suddenly flashed in his eyes, like icicles frozen in the dead of winter.
"...It's time for those who are still indulging in old fantasies to realize that new rule-makers have arrived."
"I will break the old order. I will establish the new order."
Before setting off for that destined-to-be-turbulent feast, he followed a set procedure, or rather, a habit, and went to the secret laboratory located beneath the manor.
He needed to inspect the latest progress on another important "work" to which he had devoted even more effort.
Inside the massive reinforced glass sterile chamber, the specialized combat Humagear body codenamed "Blade Yua" has completed its final construction.
She floated quietly in the pale blue nutrient solution, every inch of her artificial skin radiating a healthy glow.
That perfect body curve is not designed to cater to any particular aesthetic, but rather to optimize aerodynamics to maximize combat efficiency, and is full of pure power and refined beauty.
Countless gleaming, precision robotic arms, like the most devout believers, were performing final nanometer-level adjustments to her body.
Ensure that every joint and every muscle fiber is in absolute perfection.
At the same time, a massive flow of data, imperceptible to the naked eye, like a rushing galaxy, continuously flows from the main database of the Ark satellite, across space, directly into the AI core located deep within her head.
That is the art of fighting, the instinct to kill, and absolute loyalty.
She will be the future brain of the Ames forces, the technological core, and an irreplaceable battlefield commander.
She is the most perfect blade in Su Chen's hands, a fusion of peak wisdom and absolute power.
Waiting for the moment to drink blood.
"A perfect army first needs a perfect commander..."
Su Chen gazed at Ren Wei'a, who was sleeping peacefully in the nutrient solution, and murmured to himself.
His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable certainty.
"...and a perfect army that desires to conquer everything needs money as vast as mountains and resources as surging as oceans to support its invincible strength."
His thirst for funds and his desire for control of power intertwined and merged at this moment, becoming stronger and more urgent than ever before.
Yua's awakening requires energy. The expansion of Ames requires equipment. The research and development of the new Ascendancy Key is a bottomless pit.
Everything points to money.
He took one last, deep look at the "work" he had poured his heart and soul into creating.
There was no warmth in his eyes, only the focused gaze of a craftsman examining a masterpiece about to be completed.
Then, he resolutely turned around.
Without the slightest lingering attachment, nor a moment's hesitation.
He strode confidently toward the underground garage deep within the manor.
The night was already as dark as ink.
At this moment, the glamorous city of Fengdu sheds its disguise, and its dark side begins to stage its most primitive and wildest masquerade ball.
Countless demons and monsters are stirring in the darkness.
And he, Su Chen, will be the most unexpected guest at tonight's grand ball.
He went there not to admire the scenery.
He went there... to take away everything that should have been, and would have been, his.
Goal – Million Arena.
The hunt has begun.
Chapter Twenty-One: The Underground King of Fengdu, the Million Arena
Nighttime is the most authentic face of the city.
As the glamorous prosperity of the daytime gradually fades away like the tide, the hidden, unknown rules lurking in the shadows begin to silently take over the city, operating coldly and efficiently.
A black sedan with sleek, understated lines glided through the quiet streets like a ghost, finally coming to a stop deep within the abandoned industrial area of Fengdu.
The moment the engine shut off, all that remained was the mournful sound of the night wind whistling through the ruins.
Su Chen pushed open the car door alone and stepped steadily onto the gravel-strewn ground.
Before me stood a huge, rusty old warehouse.
Its walls are covered with the marks of time, and its huge iron gate is tightly closed, as if it has long been completely abandoned by this rapidly developing era, silently telling the story of its past glory and present desolation.
The air was filled with a cold, metallic scent, a mixture of rust and dust.
However, when Su Chen reached out and pushed open the unusually heavy iron door with an undeniable force, a world completely different from the dilapidated scene outside, an underground kingdom full of extreme extravagance and primal evil, rushed towards him without warning and fiercely.
The deafening electronic music pounded against my eardrums like a violent heartbeat.
The rich cigar smoke, the cloying sweetness of high-end alcohol, and the complex aromas of various expensive perfumes ferment violently in the enclosed space, creating a unique and intoxicating scent.
The dazzling neon lights flashed wildly, illuminating every face in a bizarre and surreal way.
Under the lights, the well-dressed men and women, with their exquisite makeup, were hysterically waving stacks of banknotes with an almost distorted excitement on their faces.
Their eyes were all focused on the huge steel cage in the center of the field, which was made of thick steel bars.
The muffled thuds and bestial roars emanating from inside the cages made their screams even more frenzied.
This is the true underground heart of Fengdu.
A lawless land unbound by any terrestrial rules – the "Million Arena".
Su Chen's appearance was like a drop of cold water falling into boiling oil, yet strangely, it didn't cause any ripples.
He walked calmly through the crowds who had gone into a frenzy because of gambling and bloodshed.
His gaze was sharp and calm, like a sophisticated scanning instrument, quickly sweeping across the chaotic yet subtly orderly scene.
In a relatively quiet corner by a bar, he spotted a somewhat familiar figure.
Shotaro Sato is currently awkwardly wearing an ill-fitting waiter's vest, trying to blend into the crowd and sneakily inquire about something.
His attempts to project a "tough detective" aura seemed completely out of place in this decadent and dissolute environment, like a husky that had wandered into a pack of wolves.
Su Chen's gaze lingered on him for only a fraction of a second before she glanced at him indifferently without any emotion and then looked away.
In his eyes, this level of disguise was full of flaws.
In the more secluded VIP box area on the second floor of the arena, he spotted another, even more familiar face.
Wakana Sonozaki, the second daughter of the Sonozaki family and a top idol known throughout Futo City.
She was leaning back on the soft sofa, looking rather bored, and gently swirling the wine glass in her hand that held a deep red liquid.
She seemed uninterested in the bloody battle taking place downstairs, simply enjoying the atmosphere enveloped in indulgence and darkness, her eyes carrying a hint of languid indifference as if looking down upon all living beings.
Su Chen ignored all the noise and extravagance.
These characters and scenes are merely minor details in his plan.
His goal has always been singular, clear, and unwavering.
He strode forward and walked straight to the central seat, which stood high above the simple throne.
There sat a middle-aged man who was extremely obese and had a face full of fat.
On his bare neck, a Gaia Memory shimmering with an ominous golden light made no attempt to conceal his true identity as a hybrid.
This man is the nominal owner of this "Million Arena," and also the "local tyrant" here.
"Are you the owner here?"
Su Chen got straight to the point. His voice wasn't loud, but it had a strange penetrating power, clearly overshadowing all the noise and commotion in the room and reaching everyone's ears.
Upon hearing this, the obese man slowly raised his eyelids, which were almost squeezed into slits by his fat, and looked Su Chen up and down with a disdainful and contemptuous gaze.
"Kid, this isn't a place for someone like you."
His voice was rough and unpleasant, full of the arrogance of someone in a superior position.
"If you want to play, go over there and place your bets. Don't get in the way here."
"No, I'm not here to play around."
Su Chen revealed a meaningful smile and said something that instantly silenced the entire arena.
That statement, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, aroused everyone's astonishment.
“I’m here to take ownership of this casino.”
The whole place was dead silent.
You can hear a pin drop.
The once frenzied and noisy crowd seemed to have been paused, and they all turned their incredulous gazes toward this audacious uninvited guest.
The fat boss's face twitched, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
He was stunned for a full three seconds, and then burst into a deafening, roof-lifting laugh.
"Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!"
His laughter was full of mockery and disdain, and his obese body trembled violently from laughing.
"Kid, are you fucking out of your mind? You want my casino? Sure!"
He abruptly stopped smiling, a cold and cruel glint flashing in his eyes, like a venomous snake eyeing its prey.
"Let's settle this according to the rules here, with a betting game!"