Chapter 577: Common Enemy

A female server carried a plate of sushi and slowly walked into the private room.

The server instantly saw Lin Yuan, his clothes disheveled and his expression somewhat panicked.

The server's face showed surprise, and she froze in place.

This scene before her was clearly completely different from the quiet dining atmosphere she had expected.

After a brief moment of astonishment, the server reacted.

She quickly steadied the tray in her hand and politely asked, "Sir, where is Ms. Yin? This sushi is what she ordered."

Lin Yuan's heart leapt to his throat, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

He hastily adjusted his coat, then concealed Yin Yirou beneath him.

Then Lin Yuan forced himself to stay calm and explained, "She went to the restroom; please just put the sushi down."

Upon hearing this, the server glanced around the private room and saw nothing else unusual.

The server therefore had no further suspicions.

She quickly walked to the table and gently placed the sushi tray on the corner.

The server also gave Lin Yuan a slight nod, then turned and slipped out of the private room quietly, pulling the door shut behind her.

Only after the server's footsteps had completely faded down the hallway did Lin Yuan finally let out a long breath…

His tense body relaxed a little.

At that moment, a faint movement came from under the table.

Yin Yirou, wrapped in disheveled clothing, carefully crawled out from under the table.

Her cheeks were still flushed, her hair somewhat disheveled, yet her eyes retained a lingering allure.

Yin Yirou did not tidy her clothes first; instead, she hurried to the private room door and reached to turn the lock.

With a click, she locked the door.

This completely eliminated any chance of someone barging in again.

After doing all that, Yin Yirou turned and walked step by step toward Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan looked at the sushi on the table corner, his brows slightly furrowed.

Lin Yuan asked, his tone a bit puzzled, "We already ate plenty earlier; the steak and lobster aren't even finished—why did you order sushi?"

Yin Yirou walked up to Lin Yuan, the corner of her mouth curling into a sly, alluring smile.

Yin Yirou said in a soft, sweet voice, "Sushi, of course, is for plating."

Before her words even finished, Yin Yirou lifted her leg, stepped onto the soft carpet, and lightly climbed onto the wide dining table.

She slightly bent her knees, adjusted into an extremely enticing pose… and sat on the table.

Her fair, slender legs were casually crossed, her jade-like feet delicate and lustrous, tinged with a faint pink.

Next, she picked up the sushi from the tray, placing each piece carefully on her body; the pink sushi against her fair skin created a striking contrast, the scene highly impactful.

Damn!

Lin Yuan stared at the scene before him, his pupils suddenly contracting, his whole mind going blank.

He opened his mouth, but for a long time could not utter a word; only one thought remained in his head: What the hell is this? Playing so fancy?

Yin Yirou finished arranging the sushi, lifted her eyes to the stunned Lin Yuan, her gaze full of enticing amusement.

She extended her slender fingers and lightly grabbed Lin Yuan's collar.

She pulled him toward her, her tone sweetly seductive to the bone, with a deliberate note of flattery: "Master, your servant comes to feed you…"

Lin Yuan was completely dazed.

He simply could not have imagined it.

Usually, the seemingly aloof female forensic examiner Yin Yirou would never have such a contrasting side behind closed doors??

This personality contrast is just too huge, right?

However, before Lin Yuan could react, Yin Yirou had already hauled him onto the table.

Tonight, for Lin Yuan…… it was yet another fierce battle.

……

The night was like ink, draping over the entire Hangcheng.

The bustling city gradually fell silent, only sporadic neon lights flickering in the darkness.

Yet an abandoned factory on the city's outskirts exuded an eeriness that clashed with its surroundings.

The rusted iron door hung ajar; wind whistled through the broken windows, emitting a wailing "ooo" like a ghost's whisper.

Inside the factory, several black silhouettes stood solemnly in the vast workshop.

The leading man sat on a makeshift iron chair, his posture straight, his whole body exuding a biting chill.

He wore an all-black Zhongshan suit, sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms with smooth lines that hid explosive power.

The man's face bore a half-covered silver mask, only revealing a pair of deep, icy eyes.

He was none other than the Young Master of the Thunder Tiger Sect, Lei Chen Zhou.

This Young Master of an ancient martial sect, hidden behind the scenes, finally surfaced tonight.

And he had come to Hangcheng.

"Have you found Lin Yuan's connections?" Lei Chen Zhou's voice was low and hoarse, devoid of any warmth, echoing in the empty workshop.

His voice made the surrounding subordinates involuntarily shudder.

A subordinate in black combat attire stepped forward quickly, bowed, and reported: "Reporting to Young Master Lei, we have found out. Lin Yuan currently works at the Su Group, though he has many enemies in Hangcheng. Not only do several Underworld gangs bear grudges against him, but the Qian Shi Group also regards him as a thorn in their side."

The subordinate paused, then added: "Among them, Qian Renhao, the Young Master of the Qian Shi Group, has the deepest grudge against Lin Yuan. Qian Renhao has sent people multiple times to assassinate and strike at Lin Yuan, but each attempt ended in failure—those sent were either severely injured by Lin Yuan or lost contact entirely."

"Oh?" Lei Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow beneath his mask, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Qian Renhao… interesting. Since he bears a grudge against Lin Yuan, let's talk to him. Prepare the carriage; I'll go see him in person."

……

Late night, Rosemary Bar.

This bar is an asset under the Qian Shi Group.

At this late hour, the bar remains brightly lit, deafening music mixed with men's and women's laughter and horseplay, filling the air with an atmosphere of decadent revelry.

In the central booth, Qian Renhao had his arms around two scantily clad women, his left hand holding a whiskey, his right hand roaming freely over a woman's waist.

Qian Renhao was surrounded by several fair-weather friends, each embracing left and right, drinking to the point of dead drunkenness.

"Come on, brothers, have another!" Qian Renhao raised his cup, tilted his head back and downed the strong liquor in one gulp, his face full of unrestrained and wanton smiles, completely oblivious to the oddity at the bar's entrance.

Lei Chen Zhou walked into the bar alone.

He ignored the noisy crowd and ambiguous atmosphere around him, heading straight for the booth where Qian Renhao was.

Lei Chen Zhou's steps were steady, each footfall bringing a bone-chilling cold.

The surrounding clamor seemed to be cut off by the chill emanating from his whole body.

"Stop! Who are you?" Two burly bodyguards in black suits immediately blocked Lei Chen Zhou.

The bodyguards eyed Lei Chen Zhou up and down warily, their tone unfriendly: "This is Young Master Qian's exclusive booth; no idlers may approach!"

"I'm looking for Qian Renhao." Lei Chen Zhou spoke in a flat tone, not even giving the bodyguards a glance.

"You dare ask to see our young master?" the left-hand bodyguard sneered, reaching out to shove Lei Chen Zhou's shoulder: "Get lost quick, or don't blame us for being rude!"

Before the bodyguard's hand could touch Lei Chen Zhou's clothing, his figure suddenly moved.

He merely shifted his weight slightly to dodge the push, while his right hand shot out like lightning, precisely grabbing the bodyguard's wrist.

"Crack!" A sharp sound rang out, accompanied by the bodyguard's shrill scream, his wrist snapped outright.

Seeing this, the other bodyguard flew into a rage, swinging his fist straight at Lei Chen Zhou's face.

Lei Chen Zhou's eyes turned cold; he released the broken-wrist bodyguard's hand, advanced instead of retreating, met the incoming fist, and threw a fierce right punch that collided with the bodyguard's fist.

"Bang!" A dull thud echoed, the bodyguard's fist instantly deformed, the sound of breaking bones clearly audible.

Before the bodyguard could utter a scream, Lei Chen Zhou lifted his leg and kicked hard into his chest!

The bodyguard flew backward like a ragdoll, slamming heavily into the bar's liquor cabinet; countless bottles shattered, liquor splashed everywhere, and he spat blood on the spot, falling silent.

The surrounding clamor halted instantly, all eyes turning to this scene. Lei Chen Zhou swept his gaze over the other bodyguards rushing forward, his eyes icy as a blade: "Those who block the way die."

A few bodyguards exchanged glances; although intimidated by Lei Chen Zhou's ferocity, they still grit their teeth and rushed forward, thinking of Qian Renhao's might.

Lei Chen Zhou showed no fear, weaving through the crowd, each punch unleashing the force of thunder and lightning!

"Bang!"

"Crack!"

"Ah!!"

Screams came one after another, but within just a dozen seconds all the bodyguards lay on the ground!

Two of the bodyguards had their skulls smashed by a single punch from Lei Chen Zhou, red and white matter spattering onto the floor, the scene gruesome and horrifying.

The bar's patrons screamed and scattered in panic.

Lei Chen Zhou brushed off the dust on his hands, as if he had merely done a trivial little thing.

He walked straight to Qian Renhao's booth.

Lei Chen Zhou ignored Qian Renhao's ashen face and trembling body, as well as his lackeys, and directly pulled out a chair to sit down.

Qian Renhao had just witnessed Lei Chen Zhou's entire killing process firsthand, sobering up halfway from his drink in fright.

Qian Renhao's legs trembled uncontrollably, and the whiskey cup in his hand clattered to the floor and shattered.

The women beside him curled up in fear to one side, not daring to make a sound.

"Young Master Qian, I came uninvited, sorry for the disturbance." Lei Chen Zhou spoke slowly, his tone flat yet carrying an indisputable aura of authority.

"Let me introduce myself, I am Lei Chen Zhou." Lei Chen Zhou said, picking up a cup of wine and taking a light sip.

"Who, who are you?!" Qian Renhao trembled all over, frightened by that aura.

Qian Renhao stammered, his teeth chattering involuntarily: "I don't know you… what do you want from me?"

Qian Renhao's body instinctively shrank back, his eyes full of fear and wariness.

The bloody scene of Lei Chen Zhou's killing still replayed in his mind, leaving him unable to dare the slightest negligence.

Lei Chen Zhou watched his panicked flustered appearance, his eyes showing not the slightest ripple.

Lei Chen Zhou continued in that same flat, unruffled tone… slowly saying: "I come from neighboring Gan Province. I, well, am the Young Master of the Lei Hu Sect; you may never have heard of me, nor of our sect."

Lei Chen Zhou paused, his gaze sweeping over Qian Renhao's terrified lackeys and women who dared not speak.

Finally, Lei Chen Zhou's gaze returned to Qian Renhao, and he added word by word: "But it's fine, because our goals are the same."

"What, what goal?" Qian Renhao's voice still trembled; he simply could not fathom what common purpose a sect's Young Master from another province could have with him.

Lei Chen Zhou's lips curled in a barely perceptible arc, his tone still steady yet carrying a penetrating edge: "We share a common enemy, Lin Yuan."

Upon hearing those two words "Lin Yuan," Qian Renhao's body jerked rigid.

The fear in Qian Renhao's eyes was instantly replaced by a hint of venom, his trembling even lessening a bit.

Lei Chen Zhou took in his reaction fully, then continued calmly: "Today I sought you out precisely to propose cooperation, to jointly deal with Lin Yuan."