Chapter 260: Thunderous Methods

Chapter 260: Thunderous Methods

After leaving the Iron Blood Tower, Yuan Hecheng expressed his gratitude to Lu Heng, his appreciation evident in every word.

Yuan Yaoyao extended her pinky finger, saying, "Remember our agreement; you can't back out."

Lu Heng knew what she was referring to; he had promised her last time to keep her secret about implanting the Light Brain.

This recent incident had exposed a tiny part of her secret, and she was worried that Lu Heng would reveal everything. Hence, she wanted to pinky promise as a guarantee.

Lu Heng laughed and asked, "Are elementary school students still this childish? Everything requires a pinky promise."

Suddenly, Yuan Yaoyao felt that pinky promises were indeed a bit childish, so she changed it to a high-five, saying, "Then let's high-five."

Lu Heng high-fived her and agreed, "Alright."

After high-fiving her, Lu Heng turned to Yuan Hecheng and warned, "Recently, there have been foreign forces hiring metahumans to attack temperers. So, you need to be extra careful."

Yuan Yaoyao immediately glared at him, saying, "I knew it! That guy was definitely planning to shoot at us. My judgment was right."

In truth, Yuan Hecheng was still a bit dazed, but he felt relieved that his daughter was safe.

Yuan Yaoyao started considering that she would have to take on the role of a bodyguard when going out from now on.

With the Black Feather Spirit's combat power, there wouldn't be many metahumans on Bluesphere who were stronger than her.

So, Yuan Hecheng's safety wasn't a significant concern.

However, Flame Ensign wasn't just about Yuan Hecheng; there were many temperers, forgers, and inscribers as well.

Strengthening precautions was necessary, but there was no need to be overly cautious, as there was no point in guarding against thieves for a thousand days.

To resolve this incident, they needed to come up with another plan.

...

After returning from the Iron Blood Headquarters Tower, Lu Heng reminded Lin Zeyu to enhance security measures.

Early the next morning, Lin Zeyu called in a panic, "It seems like something happened. Two temperers want to terminate their contracts with us, saying that if we don't agree, they'll break the contract."

The situation was a bit strange; if only one temperer requested termination, it could be considered an unexpected circumstance.

However, with two temperers simultaneously demanding termination, the situation was clearly out of the ordinary.

When Lu Heng arrived at Flame Ensign, Lin Zeyu and the club manager were talking to the two temperers.

These two temperers were talented individuals signed with Flame Ensign, and one of them was a female temperer.

Female temperers were relatively rare, as the tempering process was physically demanding, and men were generally more suitable for the job.

However, female temperers also had their advantages, such as being more meticulous in controlling tempering details.

As for physically demanding tasks, they could be left to tempering assistants.

Therefore, female temperers had an advantage when tempering specific weapons.

The male temperer was rather impatient, and when Lu Heng arrived at the Flame Ensign building, he heard him arguing with the manager.

"I said I want to terminate the contract! Can't you understand? I'm willing to pay the penalty, so terminate it now!"

This temperer was named Zhai Zhihong, a man in his thirties with a rugged appearance. He was among the top five temperers signed with Flame Ensign.

Hearing the argument, Lu Heng walked over and said, "Termination is possible, and we can process it immediately, but I want to know the reason."

Zhai Zhihong saw that it was Lu Heng and didn't dare to continue shouting. He took a deep breath and said as calmly as possible, "There's no reason; I just want to move on to better opportunities. It's that simple."

Currently, Flame Ensign held a dominant position in the tempering field, ensuring a steady stream of tempering orders.

Temperers outside were eager to join, and theoretically, those under Flame Ensign should have no desire to leave.

Even if they wanted to terminate their contracts and seek other opportunities, there was no need to be so hasty.

Normally, discussing contract termination and completing the handover would allow for a smooth departure.

But Zhai Zhihong's behavior was overly anxious, as if he wouldn't rest until the termination was completed that very day, even going as far as arguing in the club.

Combined with the previous incident of Yuan Hecheng's attack, there was a high likelihood of a connection between the two events.

Seeing Zhai Zhihong's urgency, Lu Heng probed, "Has someone threatened you?"

Zhai Zhihong paused, then immediately denied it, "No! Don't talk nonsense! I'm here to terminate the contract, and I'll pay the penalty. I just want to terminate it."

Lu Heng noticed the panic in his eyes, indicating that he had likely been threatened.

Moreover, the fact that he could come to the company meant his freedom wasn't restricted, so it was more likely that his family was being threatened.

Lu Heng glanced around the club hall; with the diverse crowd, someone might be monitoring him, explaining his haste.

He needed to take Zhai Zhihong to a place without surveillance to get the truth.

Lu Heng waved his hand and said to the manager, "Have the legal department draft the termination contract, and take him to the conference room to sign it."

Hearing that the termination was possible, Zhai Zhiheng imagines, he immediately relaxed and followed the manager to the conference room.

The termination contract was quickly printed out and brought to the conference room.

Lu Heng personally sat across from Zhai Zhihong and handed him the termination contract.

Zhai Zhihong didn't even glance at the contract; he hurriedly grabbed a pen to sign it.

"Won't you take a look at the contract? What if there's a trap in the clauses?" Lu Heng reminded him.

"If there is, so be it. As long as I can terminate it, I don't care," Zhai Zhihong picked up the pen to sign.

Lu Heng blocked him with his hand and said, "Can you tell me the truth now? Someone threatened you, right? And they're using your family as leverage."

Hearing this, Zhai Zhihong's expression immediately tensed up.

Lu Heng continued, "Don't worry; I won't stop you from terminating the contract. I just want to know the truth. Tell me what's happening, and I'll let you terminate and leave. But think carefully; if they could threaten you once, they can do it countless times.

Are you sure that you and your family will be safe after the contract termination?"

Zhai Zhihong froze, as this was his greatest fear.

He ran his hands through his hair and said, "I had no choice. You don't know, my daughter came home from kindergarten with a grenade in her school bag. Luckily, it didn't have any explosives, but what if it did next time?"

"Aside from the grenade, were there any other threatening letters or the like?" Lu Heng continued to ask.

Zhai Zhihong shook his head. "There were no threatening letters, but last week, a Tempering Company approached me for negotiations, wanting to poach me. I declined, and the broker gave me a week to consider, saying the consequences would be on me if I didn't agree. Today is the last day."

Threatening with both contract offers and coercion, and sending assassins if rejected.

Their methods were indeed ruthless.

Moreover, the Tempering Company and the metahuman assassins had no apparent connection, nor were there any threatening letters.

In other words, there was no evidence to prove that the company represented by the broker was behind the threats.

Lu Heng thought for a moment and continued, "What's the name of that Tempering Company?"

"Vagri Tempering Service Company. I checked the company's information; it's a shell company registered overseas with no actual business operations," Zhai Zhihong replied.

Even the company offering the contract was a shell company, meaning that even if the matter was exposed, the mastermind wouldn't be caught.

After obtaining this information, Lu Heng paused for a moment and asked, "Have you made up your mind, or do you want to terminate the contract?"

Zhai Zhihong nodded. "Yes, I want to terminate. Money is never-ending, but I must ensure the safety of my wife and daughter first."

Lu Heng nodded in agreement, "Alright, then sign. You don't need to pay the breach fee; you can leave after signing."

Zhai Zhihong was taken aback and asked, "I don't need to pay the breach fee?"

The breach fee for the Flame Seal contract was quite high, and if he had to pay it, he would likely go bankrupt.

In this matter, he had done nothing wrong.

Those who didn't make mistakes shouldn't be punished.

Lu Heng nodded in confirmation, "Yes, no need for the breach fee. I hope you can protect your family."

"Thank you." Zhai Zhihong quickly signed his name and left with the termination contract.

Su Muyu was originally engraving rune gemstones in the gem workshop at Forge Castle when she heard about the incident outside and decided to leave the castle.

Lu Heng had just finished talking with Zhai Zhihong when he saw Su Muyu and exchanged a glance with her. He leaned in and whispered, "Keep an eye on him and see who he's in contact with."

"Okay." Su Muyu nodded in agreement.

After that, Lu Heng sought out the female Tempering Master for a conversation.

The female Tempering Master was tight-lipped and refused to reveal the truth.

Lu Heng didn't pressure her and agreed to her termination, also waiving her breach fee.

After both Tempering Masters left, Lu Heng took out his phone and called Chen Lianian to inquire about the case of the attacked Tempering Masters.

"Your speculation is correct. Two more cases of attacked Tempering Masters occurred today, and one was stabbed at home. We arrived to find them without breath," Chen Lianian said, his voice filled with anger.

Moreover, this incident wasn't an isolated case but a well-organized, nationwide malicious event.

According to Ironblood's statistics, several Tempering Masters had already started leaving Daxia out of fear.

In this incident, investigating individual cases was futile.

Even if they solved one case and found the culprit, it wouldn't prevent similar incidents from happening elsewhere.

This was a premeditated, organized event, and to resolve it thoroughly, they needed to find the source and deal with it comprehensively.

"Have you found any leads? It's impossible that you haven't found any useful clues," Lu Heng asked directly over the phone.

"We did find some clues, but there's no evidence," Chen Lianian replied.

"You need evidence, but I don't," Lu Heng stated his position.

Chen Lianian fell silent.

The statement about not needing evidence was clear, but it obviously didn't align with Ironblood's investigation regulations.

"Just tell me the name of the organization the clues point to," Lu Heng continued to ask.

"Money Leopard Mercenary Company," Chen Lianian hesitated for a long time before finally revealing the name of a mercenary company.

In this era, only those with powerful backers could establish mercenary companies.

Money Leopard Mercenary Company was somewhat renowned in Binhai, but it was also infamous for its ruthless methods, willing to take on any dirty job.

After hanging up the phone,

Su Muyu approached and said, "I saw Zhai Zhihong meeting with someone and signing a contract. Should we intervene? I also overheard their conversation, and that person mentioned arranging for Zhai Zhihong and his family to leave the country tomorrow."

The competition in the Tempering industry had reached this level.

Perhaps this situation wouldn't have occurred in peaceful times, but after the Abyssal Descent, some people became crueler than demons.

Lu Heng hadn't expected things to move so quickly. After a moment's thought, he said, "Follow that broker, and let's see."

...

The two left the Flame Seal building together, with Su Muyu leading the way to tail the broker.

The broker held several contracts and drove to a mercenary organization's base in the western suburbs, which belonged to the Money Leopard Mercenary Company.

Upon entering the base, the broker met with a high-ranking member of the Money Leopard Mercenary Company, Lu Heng and Su Muyu strode into the base.

The mercenaries at the entrance tried to stop them, but Lu Heng twisted the barrel of their gun and walked in.

Money Leopard Mercenary Company had been a force with many fighters before the Abyssal Descent. With their ruthless methods, they gradually developed into an approved mercenary organization.

The top figure of the Money Leopard Mercenary Company was known as the Money Leopard himself, with the real name Jin Shibiao.

Due to Lu Heng and his companion's intrusion, a group of mercenaries rushed out from the Money Leopard base, surrounding the duo with their guns raised.

Hearing the commotion, Jin Shibiao emerged from the building and demanded, "What are you doing here?"

Lu Heng surveyed the mercenaries, his gaze finally settling on Jin Shibiao. "Are you the leader of the Money Leopard?" he asked.

"It's me. What do you want? If you're here to cause trouble, you've come to the right place!" Jin Shibiao's face twisted into a sinister smile.

Even before the Abyssal Descent, he had built his reputation as a ruthless enforcer, and nothing scared him more than someone disrupting his operations.

Moreover, with his resources and continuous supply, he had reached level 25, making him a formidable opponent.

Lu Heng paced back and forth, asking, "The recent killings and threats against Tempering Masters, was that your doing?"

Jin Shibiao smirked, tugging at the corners of his mouth. "So, you're here to die."

In this era, killing someone was not considered a big deal.

Especially here, in his mercenary base, where any evidence could be easily destroyed, and the Iron Blood Bureau would have a hard time finding any clues.

A cold glint flashed in Jin Shibiao's eyes, and he raised his hand to give the order, "Take him out!"

The surrounding mercenaries immediately aimed their guns, ready to fire.

Just as they pulled the triggers, a powerful sound wave erupted from Lu Heng's body, and his figure blurred as he darted forward like lightning.

Accompanying the sonic boom, a sword beam sliced through the mercenaries' throats, spraying blood as over a dozen of them collapsed lifelessly.

After dispatching the mercenaries with a single sword strike, Lu Heng grabbed Jin Shibiao by the head and slammed him against the wall.

"Bang!" Jin Shibiao's head smashed against the wall, blood gushing from the impact as he screamed in agony.

He watched helplessly as his men were taken down in an instant, not even having a chance to see how Lu Heng had attacked.

In the blink of an eye, his men lay dead, and almost simultaneously, his head collided with the wall, blood from his forehead blinding one of his eyes.

"B-Big Brother, just tell me what you want," Jin Shibiao quickly assessed the situation, realizing he was dealing with a true peak powerhouse. He immediately started pleading for mercy, daring not to show any resistance.

On the other side, the broker, terrified, tried to escape along the wall to leave the base.

Lu Heng pointed at him and commanded in a cold voice, "Come here!"

The broker dared not flee and quickly knelt, crawling towards Lu Heng, pleading, "I have nothing to do with this. I'm not with the Money Leopard. I'm just a businessman. I don't know anything."

He assumed Lu Heng was here to seek revenge on the Money Leopard and hurried to distance himself.

Lu Heng asked in a chilling tone, "The assassination of the Tempering Masters, was that your doing?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Shibiao quickly denied it, "No, it wasn't us."

"Wasn't it?" Lu Heng's gaze turned cold, and he tightened his grip on Jin Shibiao's head, pressing it against the wall.

"No, no, Big Brother, please! I swear we didn't kill anyone. We just used some methods to threaten the Tempering Masters to sign contracts and then sent them out of the country. We didn't kill anyone, I swear!" Jin Shibiao hurriedly explained.

"Then tell me who did it, or I'll assume it was you," Lu Heng said, his tone uncompromising and unwilling to negotiate.

"It was someone else, I swear! We only threatened the Tempering Masters. We didn't kill anyone. I swear on my life!" Jin Shibiao raised his hand, making a solemn oath.

"Who then?" Lu Heng persisted.

"I'm telling you, it was a man named Christopher who gave me the task. He offered a high price, but I don't know who he's working for," Jin Shibiao revealed everything he knew.

Lu Heng realized that the ones threatening the Tempering Masters were likely not the same group as the assassins; their methods were different.

However, the forces behind both groups were probably the same.

"Christopher," Lu Heng repeated the name and then asked, "Where can I find him?"

"I truly don't know. He always came to me," Jin Shibiao replied, his face contorting into a pleading expression as he continued to beg for mercy.

At that moment, Su Muyu spoke up, "The Iron Blood Bureau is here."

Lu Heng had asked all he needed to know, and the rest was up to the Iron Blood Bureau. He grabbed Jin Shibiao's arm and snapped it with a twist.

"Ah!"

Jin Shibiao let out a piercing scream, collapsing to the ground in agony.

The broker, witnessing this, immediately started pleading for mercy.

Lu Heng kicked him, sending him flying and knocking him unconscious.

After that, the two of them quickly left the scene.

Less than a minute after their departure, Chen Linian arrived with his team, securing the area and beginning evidence collection.

Frowning at the scene, he felt they might have gone a bit overboard.

Just then, his phone rang. Answering it, he saw it was Lu Heng calling.

He knew full well that Lu Heng was responsible for what had transpired, but that was no longer important.

With the Abyssal Descent, the number of metahuman organizations was on the rise, and without extreme measures, solving cases had become nearly impossible.

He answered the call, "You went a bit overboard. Tone it down a bit."

Ignoring his words, Lu Heng said, "Investigate a man named Christopher. He's likely an agent for an international force in our country, according to Money Leopard's information. Find this person and send me his identity information and address. If you want to solve this case, you'd better hurry."

Chen Linian understood the severity of the situation. If the Money Leopard's higher-ups got wind of this, they would surely withdraw, so speed was of the essence.

He immediately called headquarters, requesting an investigation into this Christopher and then sent Lu Heng the identity information.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end