Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

Xiao Liufu screamed, his bloodshot eyes looking as if they would split with rage. "Zhao Dong, you and I can't live under the same sky!"

No sooner had he spoken than he dropped to his knees, kowtowing to Zhao Dong with blood-red eyes. "Grandpa, I was wrong! Please spare me!"

A smile touched the corner of Zhao Dong's mouth. "Alright. You can leave with Cheng Haoyuan."

Mustering his last ounce of strength, Xiao Liufu stood and led the terrified Cheng Haoyuan out the back door, slowly disappearing.

The room fell silent. Xu Yafei gave Zhao Dong a deep look before leaving with her people.

Yang Sixue didn't speak; only the way she looked at Zhao Dong had changed. I really can't believe it. Who is Xiao Liufu? He's a prominent figure in East Sea! And yet, Zhao Dong had beaten him into such a wretched state?

Zhao Dong looked at her. "Enjoy your meal. I have to go."

Yang Sixue was taken aback. "What do you have to do?"

Zhao Dong didn't answer, simply turning and walking out into the night.

In a nearby alley, Xiao Liufu sat cross-legged, tending to his wounds. Beside him, Cheng Haoyuan whimpered, "Uncle, how can Zhao Dong be so strong? Even you're no match for him. I'm finished."

"Shut up! When I get back and report this to Mr. Hong, I'll make sure that bastard Zhao pays with his life!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a voice drifted in from the alley's entrance. Its owner held a cigarette, speaking in a lazy tone. "Is that so? Looks like you haven't learned your lesson."

Xiao Liufu's pupils shrank. "Zhao Dong," he stammered, "y-you... why are you here?"

Zhao Dong stamped out his cigarette butt, his hands in his pockets. "If I didn't come," he said flatly, "how would I know you wanted to kill me?"

"I... I was just joking! I wholeheartedly accept my defeat, Mr. Zhao."

"Really?"

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Dong's eyes. Before Xiao Liufu could react, Zhao Dong's figure blurred, reappearing right in front of him.

"Mr. Zhao, spare me!" Xiao Liufu screamed, his eyes filled with terror. "Mr. Zhao, I... I work for Hong Wu! If anything happens to me, Mr. Hong won't let you go! You... you can't touch me!"

"Hong Wu? He's nothing to me. If he stays out of my way, I'll stay out of his. But if he provokes me, I'll twist his head off one day."

As he finished speaking, Zhao Dong's lips curved into a cold smile. He grabbed Xiao Liufu by the throat.

CRACK!

Xiao Liufu's body twitched once, then went still.

One of the top experts in East Sea City, a favored subordinate of Hong Wu, Xiao Liufu—was dead.

Zhao Dong turned to Cheng Haoyuan, who was trembling so hard that tears were streaming down his face. "Zhao Dong, I was wrong! Spare me! I'll be your slave, I really was wrong..."

"So you realize your mistake?"

"I... I do! Zhao Dong, I'll be your son, I'll be your slave! I'm begging you, please spare me!" Cheng Haoyuan was a blubbering mess of tears and snot.

"Too late. You can die now."

Zhao Dong slapped Cheng Haoyuan across the face. With a sickening snap, his head spun around several times before tumbling from his shoulders.

There was a small river nearby. Zhao Dong tied rocks to the two bodies and threw them in. After cleaning up the scene, he left.

He called Yang Sixue, and once he confirmed she was safely home, he felt a measure of relief. He hailed a cab and headed for his home in the suburbs.

On the way, he thought, Now that I have money, I shouldn't let my parents live in a place like this anymore. If I have time tomorrow, I should take them house-hunting and find them a better place to live.

His thoughts then turned to his leukemia, and he sighed inwardly. It's still not completely cured, and I can feel my health getting worse. Now that I've embarked on the path of cultivation, the Spiritual Energy can alleviate the condition, but I won't be able to rest easy for a single day until this leukemia is gone. It seems I need to increase my strength quickly, or find more medicinal herbs. I have to resolve this as soon as possible.

He soon arrived in the old district and got out of the taxi. Just as he reached the mouth of his alley, he noticed a white Audi A4 parked nearby. He glanced inside subconsciously and froze. It was Ding Lan.

In the car, Ding Lan saw him too. Their eyes met, and a complex feeling bloomed in Zhao Dong's heart. He harbored resentment toward his ex-girlfriend; she had abandoned him for her future, for her career. But he couldn't deny that during their time together, she had loved him deeply. In the end, that love couldn't withstand the pressures of reality.

Now, he had power and so-called financial security. He could produce tens of millions in cash at a moment's notice, possessing the very future she once thought impossible for him. But times had changed, and so had they...

In the few seconds their eyes met, ripples stirred in both their hearts. An indescribable, complex emotion surfaced in Ding Lan's eyes. Soon, she got out of the car and leaned against it, silently watching Zhao Dong.

He didn't speak either, simply leaning against a utility pole and lighting a cigarette. The atmosphere grew quiet. It was already ten o'clock at night. The secluded old street was empty, and everything was still, bathed in the glow of the dim streetlights and swept by a bleak evening wind.

After finishing his cigarette, Zhao Dong adjusted his collar and finally looked at Ding Lan. "Why are you here?"

Ding Lan spoke softly. "There are some things I'd like to talk to you about. Do you have time? Could we find a place to sit down?"

Zhao Dong shrugged. "Can't we talk here?"

A flicker of sadness crossed her eyes. "Is it so difficult to ask you out for a chat now?"

With his hands in his pockets, Zhao Dong looked up at the sky as if in a daze. "We've already broken up, and you have a boyfriend. We should keep our distance."

"As far as I'm concerned, we're just ordinary friends, so there's nothing to avoid. Your need to say we should 'keep our distance' just proves your own conscience isn't clear. Are you still holding a grudge over what happened?" Ding Lan stared into his eyes, as if trying to see right through him.

Zhao Dong gave a self-deprecating smile. "You're the one who dumped me. Any normal man would resent you for it."

"But I've already explained. I had no choice..."

"Don't give me that 'no choice' excuse. As far as I'm concerned, it was a betrayal."

Ding Lan suddenly grew emotional, her eyes turning red. "Zhao Dong, I won't let you insult me like that! I never betrayed you! Before we broke up, I never did anything to wrong you. And after... It... it wasn't as easy for me as you think! Those were dark days for me, too!"

"You don't have to explain. You should have been happy to break up with me."

Ding Lan gave a miserable smile, tears welling in her eyes. "We were in love for three years. Three whole years! I gave you the best years of my youth, my most selfless love. You know what kind of woman I am... You can say I'm pragmatic now, but you can't say I didn't love you enough back then."

She tilted her head back, forcing her tears down. Her eyes swam with endless resentment as she spoke, her voice thick with unshed tears. "Zhao Dong, you know my family situation. You know I carry a heavy burden. There were so many things I couldn't control. When I broke up with you... I truly had no choice."

"Why are you telling me all this now? Are you trying to highlight how noble you are? To craft some pristine image for yourself? Are you trying to whitewash the fact that you abandoned what you call a 'great love' for money?"

"Zhao Dong, I..."

Her tears finally broke through their dam. She leaned against the car, her body sliding down weakly as she wept.

He couldn't stand seeing a woman cry. Their tears made him feel both irritated and uneasy. He frowned and, after a moment of silence, finally spoke. "Alright, stop crying. What is it you want to tell me?"

Ding Lan suddenly lifted her tear-streaked face, got into the car, and started the engine. She looked at Zhao Dong with reddened eyes. "Get in."

Zhao Dong looked at her, then shook his head with a sigh and got into the car.

The car sped through the bustling city, soon arriving at a particular place. Ding Lan parked and looked out the window, her voice distant. "Get out."

Zhao Dong looked out the window, and a ripple spread through his heart. After a moment, he sighed softly. "Why did you bring me here?"