Chapter 205: A Single Sheet Decides the Fate of Heaven and Earth

In the basement, the telegraph machine's monotonous 'tick-tock' echoed. Wang Zhenwu sat before it, each key strike feeling like a heavy hammer pounding his heart. His fingers trembled from tension and humiliation, several times almost hitting the wrong code.

The bloody smell in the air had not yet dissipated. Although Zhang Ming's corpse had been dragged away, the dark red stain on the floor remained glaring.

The mixture of machine oil, dust, and damp mildew made the basement feel even more like a gloomy tomb.

Wang Zhenwu operated the telegraph machine mechanically, but his thoughts churned like a tide: thirty million...... plus all those industries...... Lin Yu this madman, simply an insatiable bottomless pit!

His gaze involuntarily flicked to Feng An standing nearby. This confidant of Lin Yu watched his every move with icy eyes, ensuring he transmitted each character accurately.

Would the Commander agree? Wang Zhenwu's heart clenched tighter. Even if they accepted these harsh conditions, would this untrustworthy fellow really release the hostage? Just thinking of Lin Yu's inscrutable smile earlier made him shudder.

I fear...... I fear this is only the beginning; he will continue to greedily demand more benefits!

Wang Zhenwu's forehead beaded with cold sweat, his back shivering. Since stepping into Shen City, they had become fish on a chopping board, at anyone's mercy. Lin Yu grasped every detail of the Sun Family's operations in Shen City, even the most secret dock route, knowing it inside out.

Such an opponent was like a beast lurking in darkness, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

The telegraph machine continued its regular clatter. Wang Zhenwu stared at his trembling hands, filled with helplessness. Young master...... how should I explain this to the Commander......

He forced himself to focus, continuing to compose this humiliating telegram. Each word felt like a knife stabbing deep into his heart. What devastated him most was not knowing whether this sacrifice was worthwhile, whether it could truly buy the young master's safety.

Not far behind him, Sun Lingyun remained curled in the corner of the cell. Although Lin Yu had ordered his wounds treated and clothes changed, this once spirited young master now resembled an empty shell, unresponsive to the outside world. This only deepened Wang Zhenwu's guilt and helplessness.

Now they could only wait anxiously in this dark, damp basement for a reply from the Five Provinces Governor's Office. This prolonged wait was, for Wang Zhenwu, nothing short of agonizing torture.

The telegram traveled hundreds of miles and arrived at the Five Provinces Governor's Office.

In the brightly lit study, Sun Dingyuan stood alone before a huge military map, lost in thought.

His fingers slowly rubbed the spot marking Shen City on the map, as if pondering some important strategic deployment. Outside, night rain drizzled, occasional wind sighs adding a touch of bleakness to the midnight hour.

"Governor!"

Urgent footsteps broke the study's silence. The secretary hurried in, face tense, hands presenting a freshly translated telegram, voice slightly trembling: "Governor, Shen City...... Battalion Commander Wang's emergency telegram!"

Sun Dingyuan's sharp gaze swept over the secretary. A fleeting, hardly perceptible ripple passed through his eyes, weathered by experience, but his movements remained composed.

He took the telegram, calmly pulled out his reading glasses from his pocket, elegantly put them on, and began to read carefully.

At first, his expression was calm as water, as if he were looking at an ordinary document.

But as he read on, his brows gradually furrowed, the corner of his mouth curling into an icy arc. On his usually steady face, a chilling aura that made one's heart tremble began to surface.

Thirty million...... all of Shen City's industries......

Sun Dingyuan gently placed the telegram on the redwood desk, letting out a meaningful cold laugh: "Hehe...... Lin Yu...... Lin Madman! Indeed, the reputation is well deserved!"

He slowly removed his glasses, his voice low and icy: "What a huge appetite! What astonishing methods! Even the Sun Family's hidden industries are laid bare before him—it seems I still underestimated him!"

Though his words were soft, the chill they carried made the secretary standing nearby shiver involuntarily. He had never heard the Governor speak in such a tone; beneath the calm surface lay a bone‑chilling killing intent.

Outside, the wind and rain grew louder, rain striking the glass in a dense patter. Sun Dingyuan turned back to the military map, his gaze fixed on Shen City as if trying to bore a hole through it. His expression was changeable, but his eyes were unusually clear, evidently weighing various possibilities.

Sun Dingyuan rose and paced slowly in the brightly lit study. His slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the redwood desk, producing a faint, regular sound. Outside, the wind and rain intensified, yet it did not disturb his thoughts in the slightest.

His gaze fell once more on Shen City's spot on the military map, his eyes becoming extraordinarily deep. Thirty million...... plus those industries...... the cost is enormous!

But Lingyun is still in his hands—a case of holding back from beating a rat for fear of breaking the vase. To clash with him now would be premature; it would only end in mutual loss, possibly inviting the imperial court and the Great Powers to exploit the opening.

Mark this debt for now! He thought coldly. Lin Yu, you won't be jumping around for long! When the winds shift, I will reclaim a hundredfold what I have lost today!

A gust of wind rattled the window panes, as if echoing his inner fury. Yet Sun Dingyuan's expression grew ever calmer—the calm before a storm, harboring a terrifying killing intent.

He suddenly stopped, turning to the secretary who had been standing nervously aside. "Reply to Wang Zhenwu." His voice was steady and strong, without a trace of emotional fluctuation.

The secretary immediately took out pen and paper, ready to record.

"Tell Lin Yu," Sun Dingyuan said slowly, "his terms, I accept! Thirty‑five million, not a single cent less; prepare the industry transfer documents at once!"

The secretary's pen scratched on the paper, then suddenly shuddered at Sun Dingyuan's next words.

"But," his tone suddenly turned harsh, a cold light flashing in his eyes like a drawn sword, "tell Lin Yu, this is my final bottom line as Sun Dingyuan! One without credibility cannot stand! If he receives the money and goods, then dares to play tricks, or if Lingyun suffers any mishap......

He paused, his voice sinking as if from hell: "From now on, the Sun Family and he, Lin Yu, are locked in a death‑match! Let him fend for himself!"

The last few words were practically squeezed out between his teeth. The secretary felt the study's temperature seem to drop several degrees, his pen trembling slightly.

Sun Dingyuan sat back down, gazing at the black night outside. His expression returned to calm, but his eyes brewed a storm capable of overturning heaven and earth. In this moment he revealed the true mettle of a hegemon—knowing when to yield and when to stand firm, bowing temporarily under great humiliation while secretly gathering strength for a counterstrike.