Chapter 364: I Am the Big Picture
Chapter 364: I Am the Big Picture
Shi Hongyi stood still.
He seemed to have known that Ji Xinghuo would come, and waited here. When Ji Xinghuo crashed in at supersonic speed, there was no ripple on his face, and the violent air currents were blocked by an invisible force field.
Ji Xinghuo sensed the danger and did not attack recklessly.
Both men observed each other.
The last time Ji Xinghuo saw the country's richest man was last year, when he caught a glimpse of him from a distance at the Tianqin Stadium.
Although he often went to the Dixing Club, Shi Hongyi never interfered with the club's operations nor interacted with the team members.
Shi Hongyi's appearance was plain, with an average height of about 1.8 meters.
Whether in life or in public, he always wore expensive black suits, looking dignified and relaxed, clearly a successful individual.
Such people were common in the business world.
In Ji Xinghuo's perception, Shi Hongyi's etheric energy fluctuations were well-controlled, but his magnetic field intensity was terrifyingly high, like a dormant giant volcano that, once activated, would erupt with astonishing energy!
At this moment, a group of people rushed into the office. They were bodyguards wearing lightweight armor and carrying firearms, led by a legendary exotic.
"Protect the chairman!"
The bodyguards shouted, and then they saw Zhao Manying.
There were only a handful of people in the world who didn't recognize her, especially since the Dixing Club was a subsidiary of the Shi Ying Group. When they saw the young man next to Zhao Manying, they immediately guessed that he was Ji Xinghuo, and the strange situation made them pause.
"Chairman?" The security director asked loudly, "Are you alright?"
Shi Hongyi waved his hand.
"All of you, get out."
The bodyguards did not hesitate and quickly retreated outside the door.
They all understood that with the chairman's strength, they were more for show, and the chairman didn't need bodyguards at all.
It was obvious that the young man was Ji Xinghuo, ranked 31st on the Global Combat Power Ranking, while the chairman was ranked 26th. If the two of them were to fight, these bodyguards, who were at most super exotics, would likely be affected as well.
"Chairman Shi." Ji Xinghuo asked directly, "Where is Zhao Cangming?"
"I don't know." Shi Hongyi looked surprised and turned to Zhao Manying, "Your younger brother is missing?"
"Hmph."
Zhao Manying coldly snorted.
She had been staring at Shi Hongyi, and with her True Eye, she could easily see through illusions. It was clear that Shi Hongyi was pretending, and he knew everything.
Ji Xinghuo didn't want to waste words, "Chairman Shi, there's no point in playing dumb. State your conditions."
"I don't understand what you mean." Shi Hongyi spread out his hands, his face turning solemn, "You broke into my office and damaged my property. This is already a violation of the law, and I can call the police to arrest you."
"Then go ahead and call the police." Ji Xinghuo said nonchalantly.
"Hehe..."
Shi Hongyi carefully sized up Ji Xinghuo, suddenly letting out a playful laugh, and said, "The law is the armor of the weak and the shackle of the strong. This is the Asia-Pacific Union, a country of laws. From your tone, it seems that you don't put the law in your eyes at all. Do you think your strength can override the law?"
Ji Xinghuo's expression froze.
He didn't mean to bully the weak, but he did admit that the reason he dared to rush into the Shi Ying Group so brazenly was because he was a part of the core circle and had someone backing him up.
If Shi Hongyi insisted that he was unaware of the situation, and after calling the police, went through the legal process, Ji Xinghuo would not only have to compensate for the losses but also face other punishments.
Shi Hongyi was no ordinary man.
He was the richest man in the country, a Heavenly King exotic with the 26th highest combat power in the world, possessing vast connections and influence. By holding the moral high ground while wielding the weapon of law and publicizing the matter, he could indeed bring significant trouble to Ji Xinghuo.
Ji Xinghuo remained silent.
Zhao Manying also realized the problem, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Young man, with power comes responsibility. Don't be impulsive." Shi Hongyi took a few steps forward, a smile on his face, "Remember this lesson."
"Dad!"
A voice rang out, and Shi Renzhong rushed in. Seeing Ji Xinghuo and Zhao Manying, he was first stunned, then his anger burned fiercely.
"You two dogs, what do you want with my dad?"
Shi Renzhong roared, striding over the ruins of the office and throwing a punch at Ji Xinghuo's head.
"Stop!" Shi Hongyi shouted to stop him.
However, Shi Renzhong was either too agitated or too eager to show his filial piety in front of Shi Hongyi, and he didn't listen. The star power in his fist erupted violently.
He was a Horizontal Martial Master, and when he threw a punch, his skin became as hard as metal, reflecting a metallic luster.
Pa!
Shi Renzhong's fist suddenly stopped, just inches away from Ji Xinghuo's face. It was blocked by Ji Xinghuo's palm, and before he could pull his fist back, it was caught. Ji Xinghuo applied a little force, and Shi Renzhong's entire right fist deformed, bones cracking.
"Ah..."
Shi Renzhong screamed in pain, his face contorting.
Fear filled his eyes, and he wanted to retreat, but he couldn't free his hand.
Although he knew that Ji Xinghuo was now a Heavenly King, he hadn't expected the gap to be so huge. He hadn't intended to really fight, just to put on a show, but in an instant, he had been captured.
Ji Xinghuo didn't even glance at Shi Renzhong.
"Chairman Shi." Ji Xinghuo said to Shi Hongyi, "One for one. Send Zhao Cangming back, and I'll let go of Shi Renzhong."
Shi Hongyi looked at his son, who was enduring the pain without daring to cry out, and there was a hint of annoyance and disappointment in his eyes, but he soon regained his composure, "You not only damaged the Shi Ying Group's property but also took hostages. Your crime is even more serious."
"Shi Renzhong attacked me first. I was just defending myself." Ji Xinghuo refuted.
Zzzt!
The sound of electricity pierced the air.
Electric lights flickered in Ji Xinghuo's hand, and the high-voltage current coursed through Shi Renzhong's body, causing him to convulse violently.
Shi Renzhong's face turned as pale as paper. Under his father's gaze, he didn't want to cry out in pain, but the currents pierced his organs like countless sharp blades, causing excruciating pain.
"Ugh..." Shi Renzhong couldn't help but groan.
Shi Hongyi remained unmoved.
Ji Xinghuo also didn't let up, gradually increasing the current while controlling its intensity to ensure he didn't electrocute Shi Renzhong to death.
"Dad!" Shi Renzhong cried out in pain, his voice weak. "I can't take it much longer..."
However, Shi Hongyi didn't even glance at his son.
He looked directly into Ji Xinghuo's eyes. "If you dare to kill Renzhong, I'll actually admire you. Let's see if the Asia-Pacific Union is still a country of laws, where someone can commit murder and escape legal punishment."
Ji Xinghuo understood the implied threat in Shi Hongyi's words.
Obviously, Shi Hongyi knew about the existence of the core circle around the Head of State, and he was also aware that Ji Xinghuo was a part of it. Yet, he wasn't afraid to confront him.
It wasn't Shi Hongyi's strength that could challenge numerous Heavenly Kings.
Rather, he held a "legal" trump card. The Head of State had founded this country, not to serve the privileged class. From the beginning, the emphasis had been on equality before the law, with no exceptions.
Shi Hongyi had not broken any laws.
At least, there was no evidence to suggest he was involved in Zhao Cangming's disappearance, and he had vehemently denied any knowledge of the situation during the previous interrogation.
On the other hand, Ji Xinghuo had clearly broken the law, and the evidence was conclusive.
"As a law-abiding citizen, I naturally won't kill anyone." Ji Xinghuo smiled, not wanting to argue with Shi Hongyi.
All of this had been instigated by Shi Hongyi's underhanded actions, and now he was wielding the weapon of law and portraying himself as the victim.
Ji Xinghuo wasn't a judge, so he didn't need to discuss procedural justice with him.
As he spoke, Ji Xinghuo's thoughts stirred.
An invisible electromagnetic pulse instantly spread out, causing the cameras and electrical appliances in the office to spark, and the circuits in the dozens of floors above the Shi Ying Group building to burn out and stop functioning.
This was the destruction of evidence.
Ji Xinghuo did this without hesitation, as the electromagnetic pulse was invisible, and there would be no evidence that he was responsible.
"Hand him over," Ji Xinghuo said calmly. "Or you can continue to watch him being tortured."
He increased the current, and Shi Renzhong's body was nearing its limit, falling into a semi-comatose state.
Shi Hongyi still didn't budge.
"You can kill him," he said coldly. "He's just one son. I can have ten more anytime."
"Chairman Shi's mouth is tougher than his heart," Ji Xinghuo mocked.
Shi Renzhong wasn't just an ordinary son. Whether one could become an Exotic was dependent on talent and luck. Although Shi Renzhong's abilities fell short, he was still an Exotic on the Heavenly Ladder. Even if Shi Hongyi had a hundred more sons, it wouldn't be easy to cultivate another Shi Renzhong.
If he truly didn't care about his son, he wouldn't have said those words when Shi Renzhong was already half-comatose.
Shi Hongyi's face darkened.
The muscles in his cheeks twitched slightly, indicating that he was at the brink of an outburst.
"Ji Xinghuo, what exactly do you want?"
"At this point, Chairman Shi still wants to put on an act," Ji Xinghuo shook his head in disappointment. "I only have one demand: hand over Zhao Cangming."
"I don't know where he is," Shi Hongyi denied flatly. "If someone goes missing, you should report it to the police. What does it have to do with me?"
Hearing this, Zhao Manying couldn't hold back anymore.
She had remained silent since arriving, intending to let Ji Xinghuo handle the situation, but she didn't expect Shi Hongyi to still refuse to admit the truth.
Clang!
The spiritual ring on Zhao Manying's wrist fell off, and a sword light flew towards Shi Renzhong's legs.
"You dare!"
Shi Hongyi's angry roar echoed as he flashed in front of them, his hand moving like lightning, not to block the sword light, but to punch towards Zhao Manying.
As he attacked, silver-gray liquid flowed from the skin of his hands, instantly forming a pair of thin, cicada-like gloves that perfectly adhered to his hands. A red, blue, and white light shone from his fist, and as he threw a punch, a terrifying energy surged around him.
Flames, ice, and light blasts—the combination of these three energies created a chain reaction, releasing a force several times stronger.
Zhao Manying retracted her sword light and quickly retreated.
Boom!
Ji Xinghuo stood in front of her, and an electric spiral force collided head-on, the two fists meeting without any fancy moves.
In an instant, a burst of colorful energy exploded between the two fists, and the shockwave swept through the entire floor of the building. Walls collapsed, the glass curtain wall on the outside shattered as if hit by a tornado, and the ceiling was blown away.
Ji Xinghuo was sent flying back several dozen meters before he managed to stop.
Shi Hongyi, on the other hand, only staggered slightly. He glanced at Shi Renzhong, who was lying on the ground, and then fixed his gaze on Ji Xinghuo, saying in a low voice, "If you leave now, I'll give you a chance to consider the bigger picture, and we'll pretend nothing happened."
"The bigger picture..." Ji Xinghuo laughed.
He understood what Shi Hongyi meant by the bigger picture—to not destroy the country's legal system and to avoid putting the Head of State in a difficult position.
However, at this point, he didn't care.
Shi Hongyi also didn't know his own standing and importance in the eyes of the Head of State and the country.
"I am the bigger picture!"
Before his words had even landed, Ji Xinghuo entered supersonic speed and threw another electric spiral force towards Shi Hongyi.
(End of Chapter)
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