Chapter 279: Insurance
Lu Chen’s fists clenched.
"Shen Tian."
Silence.
Several mercenaries recognized the name immediately.
Rex’s expression changed.
"The Shen Family?"
Shen Tian smiled.
"Good. Saves introductions."
Lu Chen stepped forward.
"What are you doing here?"
Shen Tian looked toward him.
Then...
The smile disappeared.
"Business."
"This has nothing to do with you."
"It does now."
Lu Chen’s Qi began rising.
"Leave."
Shen Tian stared.
Then...
Laughed.
Not loudly.
That somehow made it worse.
"You’re still doing that?"
Lu Chen’s eyes narrowed.
"Doing what?"
"Giving me orders."
Shen Tian walked forward.
His security remained behind.
He didn’t need them.
"You haven’t figured out our relationship yet."
He stopped several meters away.
"We aren’t rivals."
Lu Chen’s expression changed.
Shen Tian continued.
"Rivals compete."
"You..."
His green eyes became colder.
"...are a protagonist standing between me and what I want."
Xu Ning nearly choked.
[HOST!]
Of course...
Nobody understood what he meant by protagonist.
Rex frowned.
"What the hell is he talking about?"
Lu Chen didn’t care.
"What do you want?"
Shen Tian looked around the garage.
Then...
At the mercenaries.
"You."
Silence.
Rex stared.
Shen Tian continued.
"All of you."
Lu Chen’s expression became murderous.
"Absolutely not."
Shen Tian didn’t even look at him.
That...
Made it worse.
Instead...
He addressed the room.
"Xue Long destroyed your network."
Silence.
"Your accounts are frozen."
Several expressions changed.
"Some of you have families."
More silence.
"Some haven’t received payment in two months."
Rex’s eyes narrowed.
"How do you know that?"
Shen Tian smiled.
"I’m rich."
Rex stared.
"...That doesn’t answer anything."
"It answers most things."
A few mercenaries almost laughed.
Lu Chen didn’t.
Shen Tian continued.
"The Shen Family is expanding private international security operations."
Lu Chen froze.
Xu Ning smiled.
[Oh...]
Now she understood.
Shen Tian looked around.
"Government contracts."
"Corporate security."
"High-risk transportation."
"International protection."
"Counterterror operations where legally permitted."
"Benefits."
"Insurance."
"Stable salary."
One mercenary blinked.
"Insurance?"
Another whispered.
"Black Wolf never had insurance."
Rex elbowed him.
"Shut up."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Starting salary is triple your previous average."
Silence.
Every mercenary stared.
Lu Chen’s face changed.
"Don’t listen to him."
Shen Tian finally looked toward Lu Chen.
"Why?"
Lu Chen stared.
"You’re buying loyalty."
"Yes."
The immediate answer caught everyone off guard.
Shen Tian continued.
"That’s how employment works."
One mercenary coughed to hide a laugh.
Lu Chen pointed toward himself.
"These men fought beside me."
Shen Tian’s eyes became cold.
"And?"
"They’re not yours."
"They aren’t yours either."
Silence.
That landed.
Shen Tian looked toward Rex.
"Are you?"
Rex frowned.
"What?"
"His."
"No."
Shen Tian nodded.
Then...
He looked toward the others.
"Any slaves here?"
No one answered.
"Property?"
Silence.
Shen Tian looked toward Lu Chen.
"Interesting."
Lu Chen’s jaw tightened.
Shen Tian continued.
"You keep making this mistake."
"Women."
"Friends."
"Opportunities."
"People."
"You put the word ’mine’ in front of something..."
His smile returned.
"...then get angry when reality disagrees."
Lu Chen’s killing intent exploded.
"SHEN TIAN."
Shen Tian’s security immediately moved.
He raised one hand.
They stopped.
He looked at Lu Chen.
And smiled.
There was no warmth in it.
"What?"
Lu Chen took another step.
"You think money makes you better than me?"
"No."
Shen Tian’s expression became almost amused.
"Being better than you makes me better than you."
Silence.
Rex slowly looked between them.
"...Jesus."
Xu Ning covered her mouth.
[Host, you’re being awful.]
"He’s my enemy."
[Fair.]
Lu Chen’s fists shook.
Shen Tian turned away from him.
Dismissed.
Just like that.
"Rex."
Rex looked over.
"Yeah?"
"Thirty seconds."
"For what?"
"Decide."
Lu Chen stared.
Rex frowned.
"That’s not enough time."
Shen Tian shrugged.
"Then say no."
Silence.
Rex looked toward Lu Chen.
Then...
At the men around him.
These men needed money.
Some desperately.
Black Wolf was collapsing.
Xue Long was hunting them.
Lu Chen...
Was powerful.
But he had no company.
No contracts.
No infrastructure.
No money.
No legal protection.
No international corporate umbrella.
Rex sighed.
"Triple?"
"Triple."
"Medical?"
"Full."
"Families covered?"
"Yes."
"Life insurance?"
"Yes."
Rex stared.
Then...
Extended his hand.
"Fuck it."
Lu Chen’s eyes widened.
"Rex."
Rex looked toward him.
"Sorry, brother."
"You can’t be serious."
"I’ve got two kids."
Silence.
That stopped Lu Chen.
Rex continued.
"I’m not twenty-five anymore."
Another mercenary raised his hand.
"I’m in."
Then another.
"Same."
Another.
"Me too."
One after another...
Hands rose.
Lu Chen stood there.
Watching.
Twenty-three men.
Twenty-three potential followers.
Twenty-three pieces of his future organization.
Gone.
Not through battle.
Not through some ancient treasure.
Not through cultivation.
A salary.
Benefits.
And a contract.
The system rang inside Shen Tian’s mind.
[Ding!]
Major Fate Route destroyed.
War Wolf Security International founding personnel acquired by Host.
Lu Chen Fate Loss: 24,000
Current Fate Value: 340,000
Shen Tian smiled.
Lu Chen saw it.
And somehow...
He knew.
He didn’t know about Fate.
Didn’t know about the system.
But...
He knew Shen Tian had won something.
Again.
His voice became low.
"You planned this."
Shen Tian looked toward him.
"Of course."
"You followed me here."
"No."
That made Lu Chen pause.
Shen Tian adjusted his cuff.
"I arrived before half of them."
Silence.
Lu Chen’s face became dark.
Shen Tian had known.
Prepared.
Moved faster.
Again.
Lu Chen stepped forward.
"Fight me."
Shen Tian sighed.
Rex looked between them.
Shen Tian stared at Lu Chen.
"No."
"You afraid?"
"No."
"Then fight."
"I already beat you last night."
Several mercenaries looked toward Lu Chen.
His face became red.
Shen Tian smiled.
"Twice, technically."
Rex’s eyebrows rose.
Lu Chen’s eyes became bloodshot.
"SHUT UP."
"And I took your inheritance."
The garage became completely silent.
One mercenary whispered...
"Damn."
Lu Chen looked ready to explode.
Shen Tian walked closer.
This time...
There was something deliberately cruel in his expression.
A villain.
Not hiding it.
Not pretending.
He stopped directly in front of Lu Chen.
"You want to know the difference between us?"
Lu Chen stared.
Shen Tian lowered his voice.
"You keep challenging me because you want to prove you’re better."
His green eyes gleamed.
"I don’t need to prove anything."
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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!