Chapter 82
The room was silent, save for the crackling sound of the broken overhead fan. The room was cramped and unkempt, with noodle packs littered on the ground and rats occasionally scuttering around.
A man breathed raggedly as he lay on the cold ground weakly, blood staining his shirt, some dried, some fresh. Blood crusted over his busted lip, one eye already swollen shut.
Kai stood in front of him, dressed in black, sleeves rolled up. His face was devoid of warmth, and his eyes were sharp and ice-cold. In Kai’s hand was a rusted iron rod, its end already slick with blood.
"I’ll ask one last time," Kai said quietly, though his voice carried a hint of danger. "Who sent you?"
The man spat out a mixture of blood and saliva on the ground, his eyes filled with terror. "I-I told you! I don’t know! I was just paid! I swear—"
Before he could finish, Kai slammed the rod into the man’s jaw with brutal force. The man screamed, gagging and sobbing as blood trickled down his lips. "Please! I don’t know their name, I don’t!!"
Kai tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. Then he dropped the bar with a loud clang and crouched in front of him, grabbing his chin roughly and forcing his gaze upward.
"You don’t know their name," he repeated mockingly. "But you know something. Tell me. Now."
The man sobbed, voice shaking. "I-I have their number. I don’t know their name, I swear. They... they contacted me through a burner. Paid in cash. I didn’t ask questions, they just gave me a photo and told me to ruin her."
Kai’s lips curled into a humorless smile. "Good."
He rose, pulling out his phone and handed it over to the man. The man took it with trembling fingers and typed the number down. The room was dead quiet as he dialed the number and gave the phone back to Kai.