Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 610: Chapter 612: Not Yet Home

The atmosphere grew tense. After Zhu Kangyu uttered the word "deserved," he fell silent, his expression dark and unreadable. Yang Chen, surprisingly, didn't pursue the matter further, even though everyone could tell that Zhu Kangyu was likely the mastermind behind this incident.

Tianlong spoke gravely, "Yang Chen, I assure you, this matter will be reported to the headquarters. The Supervisory Commission will strictly follow the regulations and will not let any corrupt officials go unpunished. Please, let it go for now. There's no need to pursue these small fries any further."

Given their relationship, Tianlong addressed Yang Chen by his name without formality. Yang Chen, appreciating this, didn't push back too hard.

"Since you say so, I'll choose to believe you. But let me be clear, the White Wolf Society has already been proven guilty. If I don't hear about their eradication soon, I won't let it go," Yang Chen said with a smile, but his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

Tianlong was taken aback, not understanding why Yang Chen was so fixated on the White Wolf Society.

Yezi, unable to contain her curiosity, asked, "Brother Yang, do you have a grudge against the White Wolf Society?"

"Not exactly a grudge with me," Yang Chen shrugged, "but their people injured one of my women, and it was a serious injury."

Both Tianlong and Yezi were taken aback. How had they not known about this?

To be fair, Yang Chen had more than one woman around him. Even though the Yanhuang Iron Brigade closely monitored Yang Chen's movements, they didn't have enough manpower to keep tabs on every woman in his life.

But one thing was clear to Tianlong and Yezi: the White Wolf Society was done for. Yang Chen, personally, was easy-going and preferred to live quietly in China, even setting up a kebab stall initially. His rise to the current status was all due to protecting others, starting with Old Li's family, then Rose, and later Lin Ruoxi and Mo Qianni. Each time, he had to step in to protect others, which showed that offending those around Yang Chen was far worse than offending him directly.

The state wouldn't risk a fallout with Yang Chen over a regional gang, especially since the White Wolf Society's collusion with officials and judicial departments had already crossed the line. Their demise was just a matter of time.

The White Wolf Society likely never imagined that their biggest downfall wouldn't come from clashes with the Red Thorn Society but from the poor acting of a few small-time thugs.

The crowd, seeing Yang Chen talking closely with Tianlong and Yezi, couldn't hear the conversation but watched curiously, not daring to get closer.

Tianlong, looking serious, said, "Don't worry. Once the investigation is clear, we will ensure justice is served. The White Wolf Society has already set themselves on fire."

Yang Chen grinned, then suddenly pulled out his phone and dialed a long sequence of numbers. This number was exceptionally lengthy, far exceeding the length of existing phone numbers, and appeared to be a random jumble of digits.

After dialing, Yang Chen showed the phone screen to Tianlong and Yezi.

Tianlong and Yezi looked at the number, puzzled. "What number is this?" they asked.

Yang Chen blinked, "This is my private number at Zero's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. You can note it down and submit it to your superiors, be it General Cai, the head of the Supervisory Commission, or the head of the National Security Bureau. Tell them that if they find the task of eliminating too many targets too troublesome, I wouldn't mind dialing this number."

Tianlong and Yezi turned pale, finally understanding Yang Chen's insane idea.

"My Zero team is always very efficient," Yang Chen said softly, but to Tianlong and Yezi, his words sounded like a devil's whisper.

In the world of security organizations, it might be understandable if someone didn't know about a country's secret special forces, as they frequently restructured. However, no one would be unaware of what Zero represented!

The only globally recognized elite assassin organization, Zero, is a killer kingdom that no one dares to challenge! The literal meaning of "zero" represents both the origin and the end of life.

Assassin organizations are always highly frowned upon internationally. They carry out killings of government officials and military officers for high rewards. In times of chaos, such organizations can rise unexpectedly, disrupting the existing order. Naturally, such unstable elements must be eradicated at the budding stage to reassure the major powers.

Therefore, very few assassin organizations dare to openly reveal themselves. Most operate underground, never challenging national security agencies. But Zero has always been an exception!

Not because Zero's assassins are unbeatable, but because Zero's first creator was one of the few known Lord Gods among the major powers—Hades! For reasons unknown, perhaps on a whim or with a deeper purpose, Hades established Zero and personally served as its leader.

Over several decades, Zero has recruited over 80% of the world's most powerful assassins. No country dares to curb Zero's growth because no one dares to oppose a Lord God! However, Zero maintains a "good" reputation by never accepting missions that would disrupt the global balance or assassinate key figures.

As a result, Zero, despite its formidable strength, hasn't caused significant dissatisfaction among nations. In fact, Zero maintains good relations with many countries. Belgium, for instance, provides Zero with a secret headquarters in Brussels, though this is never publicly acknowledged.

Among Zero's many notable assassins, the most famous include Tokugawa Zangji, the former president of the Yaqi Association, and Yang Chen, the new Hades who restructured Zero after the "God-slaying" event.

Yang Chen's childhood training took place within Zero, and he obtained the "Wangnian Derivation Sutra" from Song Tianxing there as well. Various reasons led Yang Chen, after destroying the old Zero he loathed, to rebuild the current Zero with complex emotions.

Today, Zero takes on far fewer missions than before. Under Yang Chen's leadership, many assassins have returned to normal lives, and some have entered the "Forgotten Kingdom" to enjoy their later years. However, any mission they do take on is executed flawlessly.

Yang Chen bringing up Zero now made his intentions clear—he was serious, and no one should try any tricks.

Tianlong smiled wryly, "I'll relay your message to the General. As for the number, we won't need to remember it. Hopefully, you won't have to use it."

Yezi nodded quickly, "Brother Yang, calm down. If Zero gets involved, the Hongmeng envoys might appear again."

After Lingxuzi's previous appearance and the temporary change of generals, the existence of Hongmeng was no longer a secret within the Yanhuang Iron Brigade.

Tianlong, with a complex expression, asked, "Yang Chen, aren't you afraid of escalating things and having Hongmeng come after you?"

Yang Chen sighed, patting his chest, "Of course I'm afraid. I still don't know if I could beat that Lingxuzi, or if there are others in Hongmeng stronger than him. But sometimes, even if I'm afraid, I have enough reasons to do what must be done."

"All for a woman?" Tianlong asked, frowning in disbelief.

"If living means being unable to protect those you love, how is that different from being dead?" Yang Chen laughed, "Don't worry, I'm not that foolish. This issue isn't enough to provoke Hongmeng. I haven't shaken the country's foundation. Besides, Zero isn't my only asset. Last time, I only called a small team from Sea Hawk. And beyond Sea Hawk, I also have..."

"Enough, enough!" Tianlong interrupted, sweating profusely. Just thinking about the loyal organizations under Yang Chen, as detailed in the headquarters' files, was terrifying enough.

Having achieved the status of the undisputed King of Assassins at such a young age, and being the first man in history to kill a god and become one himself, Yang Chen's aura was blindingly brilliant. With so many organizations seeking his protection, no one could stop him.

Seeing Tianlong and Yezi stunned, Yang Chen decided it was time to wrap things up. He bid farewell to Liu Mingyu and his old classmates, then drove away.

The curly-haired thug and his gang were inevitably taken to the station and imprisoned. The White Wolf Society was also doomed, so they had no hope of survival. Zhu Kangyu's face turned ashen as he said goodbye to his classmates. No one dared to question him, but everyone speculated that the police would eventually investigate him.

On the way home, Liu Mingyu kept glancing at Yang Chen with sparkling eyes, like a fan girl. Yang Chen, feeling rather pleased with himself, said, "If you keep looking at me like that, I'll get arrogant."

"Darling, how many secrets do you have?" Liu Mingyu asked, puzzled.

Yang Chen smirked, "If you want to know, I'll tell you. It all started when I was a kid..."

"Don't say it!" Liu Mingyu quickly interrupted. "If you tell me everything, it'll be no fun."

"What do you mean?" Yang Chen was puzzled.

"Men with mystery are attractive. I want to discover your secrets little by little. If you tell me everything now, I'll have nothing to do later," Liu Mingyu said excitedly.

Yang Chen smiled wryly. This woman had a peculiar hobby. He shook his head, thinking that Liu Mingyu might never uncover all his secrets, even in multiple lifetimes.

When they reached Liu Mingyu's house, it was dusk. She asked reluctantly, "Are you going home tonight?"

"Why, do you want to make up for last night?" Yang Chen asked with a mischievous grin.

"Why do you always think about that? I was just asking. It's dinner time," she said, blushing in the evening light.

Yang Chen, feeling a bit tempted after spending the whole day with Liu Mingyu without any intimate moments, also considered that staying out for two consecutive nights might worsen his already strained relationship with Lin Ruoxi.

Just then, his phone vibrated. It was a call from Guo Xuehua.

Yang Chen gestured for Liu Mingyu to stay quiet before answering, "Hello, Mom, are you calling me home for dinner? I'm on my way."

Hearing him call "Mom," Liu Mingyu widened her eyes and held her breath.

Guo Xuehua sounded anxious, "Yang Chen, where are you? Can you go to Zhenxiu's school? She hasn't come home yet, and I can't reach her."

"Zhenxiu hasn't come home?" Yang Chen checked the time. School had been out for nearly an hour. Normally, if Zhenxiu wasn't staying on campus, she would have been home helping with dinner by now.

Guo Xuehua, unfamiliar with many places in Zhonghai, couldn't drive out to look for her. Wang Ma was busy at home, so she turned to Yang Chen. Lin Ruoxi, being extremely busy these days, was also not an option.

Yang Chen immediately replied, "I'll go to her school now. Don't worry. She might have lost track of time with extra tutoring sessions."

Guo Xuehua could only hope for the best. Though she had no blood relation with Zhenxiu, she had grown fond of her over time, treating her like a daughter.

After hanging up, Liu Mingyu knew Yang Chen had to leave but was still curious, "Who is Zhenxiu? You never mentioned her before."

Yang Chen scratched his head, "She's a girl I consider a sister. Ruoxi likes her a lot too. We're like family now. You'll meet her someday. I have to go now. I'll see you another day."

Liu Mingyu nodded reluctantly. Though she didn't want him to leave, she got out of the car without further delay, understanding Yang Chen's concern.

Bidding farewell to Liu Mingyu, Yang Chen quickly drove to Zhenxiu's high school. Thankfully, it wasn't far, and he arrived at the school gates in under ten minutes.

Getting out of the car, Yang Chen suddenly realized he didn't know which class Zhenxiu was in. Where should he start looking?