chsdbacks Chapter 119 Chairman Zhao
Chapter 119 Chairman Zhao
At 2:50 p.m., Nie Lingfeng appeared precisely at the address in Xu Si's text message—the entrance of a seemingly ordinary coffee shop.
The café is located on a not-so-bustling street, with a simple black sign in white that reads "Time Café." The glass window is spotless, and you can see a few customers sitting quietly inside, either reading or working on their laptops. Everything seems so normal, so... unremarkable.
But Nie Lingfeng knew that this was just an appearance.
His senses were fully activated, and the Ice Heart Technique was running at its peak. He had complete control over everything within a fifty-meter radius. The old man reading a newspaper in front of the bookstore across the street was actually observing the surroundings; the fruit vendor diagonally across the street, though constantly calling out, kept his eyes fixed on the coffee shop entrance; even the silver sedan in the distance, which hadn't turned off, had two people inside breathing at an unusual rate—they were both trained martial artists.
People from the company. Or rather, people from Chairman Zhao's company.
They were clearing the area, maintaining a perimeter, and ensuring that the meeting would not be disturbed or known to anyone.
Nie Lingfeng stood at the entrance of the coffee shop, his hands in his pockets, his expression calm. Today he was wearing a simple black hoodie and jeans, looking like an ordinary college student, but the composure in his eyes and the subtle aura he exuded made those secretly observing him subconsciously tense up.
At 3:00 PM sharp, a black, unmarked minivan silently pulled up in front of him.
The car was a domestic brand, an ordinary model with a low-key color, easily blending into the traffic. But Nie Lingfeng could tell at a glance that the car's windows were specially made bulletproof glass, the body was noticeably thickened, and the tires were also explosion-proof. The engine was very quiet, almost inaudible, but the power it contained far exceeded that of ordinary vehicles.
The back door slid open, revealing a burly man in a black suit and sunglasses. He appeared to be in his thirties, with a buzz cut, square face, thick neck, and his shirt collar stretched taut by his muscles. Upon seeing Nie Lingfeng, he nodded without speaking, simply gesturing for him to enter.
Nie Lingfeng got into the car, and the door closed silently.
The interior of the car appeared more spacious than the exterior, with genuine leather seats that were very comfortable. The air conditioning was at a comfortable temperature, and there was a faint scent of lemon freshener in the air. The driver was a middle-aged man with a blank expression, also dressed in a suit and wearing sunglasses. He glanced at Nie Lingfeng in the rearview mirror before focusing intently on the road ahead.
The burly man in sunglasses in the passenger seat remained silent, like two statues.
The car smoothly entered the traffic, maintaining a moderate speed and a safe distance at all times. Nie Lingfeng leaned back in the back seat, closing his eyes to rest, but his senses were fully alert, paying attention to everything around him.
The route was convoluted. It could have gone directly to the elevated highway, but instead it circled around the city center; it could have taken the main roads, but instead it chose to take side streets. The driver was extremely familiar with the road conditions, making every turn perfectly, always avoiding red lights and congested areas.
This is a test of whether he is being followed, and also a test of his patience.
Nie Lingfeng sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. He even adjusted his posture to make himself more comfortable, as if he were truly resting with his eyes closed.
About half an hour later, the car finally entered the underground parking garage of a seemingly ordinary office building. The garage was quiet, with only a few cars parked there, and most of the parking spaces were empty. The car drove to the innermost corner and parked in front of a designated parking space.
The burly man in sunglasses got out of the car, opened the back door, and gestured for Nie Lingfeng to enter.
Nie Lingfeng got out of the car and looked around. The garage was large but dimly lit, with a faint smell of gasoline and dust in the air. In the corner were some discarded cardboard boxes and building materials, looking like they hadn't been cleaned up for a long time.
But Nie Lingfeng could sense that there were at least six hidden cameras pointing at the area, and at least three sentries hiding in blind spots, their breathing so light it was almost inaudible.
The security level is very high.
"This way, please." The burly man in sunglasses spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a businesslike indifference.
He led Nie Lingfeng towards a private elevator. The elevator doors were made of frosted stainless steel, with no buttons, only a card reader. The burly man in sunglasses took out a black card from his pocket and swiped it on the sensor.
With a soft "beep," the elevator doors slid open silently.
The two stepped into the elevator. The interior also featured a minimalist metallic style, with no floor buttons, only a red emergency call button. The doors closed, and the elevator began to ascend.
The elevator moved quickly but smoothly. Nie Lingfeng could feel a slight sense of weightlessness, indicating that it was accelerating upwards. After about twenty seconds, the feeling of weightlessness disappeared, and the elevator slowly came to a stop.
The door opened.
Before me was a spacious office, but with a simple decor.
The space is at least 300 square meters, with a high ceiling and minimalist industrial-style pendant lights. The floor is covered with a dark gray carpet that is soft and silent underfoot. All four walls are floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a panoramic view of the city—skyscrapers, bustling traffic, and the distant river shimmering in the sunlight.
The office was simply furnished. In the center was a large solid wood desk, on which lay nothing but a computer, a pen holder, and a few documents. Behind the desk was a comfortable-looking high-backed chair. In the corner sat a set of dark brown leather sofas and a glass coffee table with a white porcelain tea set on it.
Apart from that, the entire space was devoid of any decorations or personal belongings, as clean as a hotel showroom and as cold as an interrogation room.
A man sat behind the desk.
He looked to be in his fifties, slightly overweight, wearing a well-fitting dark gray suit, a white shirt buttoned all the way up, and a dark red tie. His hair was meticulously combed, every strand in its proper place. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, behind which were small but sharp eyes, currently looking down at a document in his hand, holding a gold fountain pen, occasionally scribbling a few words on it.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up at Nie Lingfeng.
In that instant, Nie Lingfeng felt as if he had been scanned by some kind of instrument—not a malicious scrutiny, but a calm and objective assessment, like looking at a commodity, a tool, or a piece of leverage whose value needed to be carefully weighed.
"You've arrived?" Chairman Zhao spoke, his voice gentle and calm, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, yet carrying a natural air of authority befitting someone long accustomed to a position of power. "Sit."
He pointed to the chair in front of his desk.
Nie Lingfeng walked over and sat down in the chair. The chair was genuine leather and very comfortable, but its height was carefully designed—he needed to tilt his head slightly back to meet Chairman Zhao's gaze. This was a subtle psychological suggestion, reminding him of the difference in their social standing.
Chairman Zhao put down his pen, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples. His movements were slow and unhurried, as if he were performing some kind of ritual. Then, he put his glasses back on, crossed his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and began to scrutinize Nie Lingfeng.
They scrutinized her very carefully. From her hair to her eyes, from her shoulders to her fingers, from her posture to her breathing rate. Those eyes hidden behind her glasses were like two precise scalpels, trying to dissect the surface and see everything inside.
Nie Lingfeng did not evade, but calmly met his gaze. With the Ice Heart Technique activated, his heartbeat, breathing, and even blood flow remained at their most stable state. He was like a silent stone, allowing the other to scrutinize him.
After a long silence, Chairman Zhao slowly spoke:
"Nie Lingfeng, twenty-two years old, place of origin unknown, apprentice of the reclusive master 'Feng Daoren'—this identity was arranged for you by the Longhu Mountain side, wasn't it?"
Nie Lingfeng's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm: "Yes."
"The dark horse of the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, winning several matches in a row, finally lost to Zhang Lingyu, but his defeat was still honorable." Chairman Zhao continued, his tone as if reading a personnel file, "After the competition, he crippled Wang Bing's cultivation, repelled Wang Ai, gained the favor of Old Master Lu Jin, and was secretly protected by the Old Celestial Master. Three months ago, he took Chen Duo from Biyou Village and helped her control the Gu poison. During this time, he encountered the Wang family's pursuers seventeen times, killing seventeen people, including Wang Bing—oh, this is the second time. The first time was at the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, when you crippled him. This time, Chen Duo killed him, but you are the mastermind."
He paused, then added, "Oh, and Shen Chong and Gao Ning, the two 'Four Madmen' of Quanxing, also died at your hands. Although the company has no evidence, I know it was you who did it."
Nie Lingfeng remained silent, listening attentively. The information Chairman Zhao possessed was more detailed and accurate than he had imagined. This meant that the company—or rather, Chairman Zhao himself—had been paying close attention to him, Chen Duo, and the Wang family's every move.
"You're a formidable fighter," Chairman Zhao leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms again. "And you're also a troublemaker. The Wang family is one of the Ten Elders, with a deep-rooted foundation. They've been operating in the world of supernatural beings for hundreds of years, and their network of relationships is incredibly complex. It's not easy for you to have managed to hold out against them all this time, all by yourself, with Chen Duo."
"You flatter me, Chairman Zhao," Nie Lingfeng said, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.
"It's not an overstatement, it's the truth." Chairman Zhao's expression remained unchanged, as if stating objective data. "But the truth is, no matter how skilled you are, you're still just one person. The Wang family has hundreds of years of accumulation, countless experts, vast resources and connections, and the political capital that comes with being one of the Ten Elders. You can kill Wang Bing, you can kill ten pursuers, but can you wipe out the entire Wang family? Can you hide forever? Can you guarantee that Chen Duo will never be found?"
His voice was calm, but each question was like a hammer, striking the hardest wall of reality.
"No," Nie Lingfeng said frankly, without any attempt to hide anything. "That's why I came to find you."
Chairman Zhao smiled, a faint, almost formulaic smile, the corners of his mouth curving upwards as if measured with a ruler: "Looking for me? What can I do? The company is a neutral organization, founded to maintain the balance of the supernatural world and not to get involved in the private feuds between supernatural beings. This is the rule, the ironclad law, the cornerstone of the company's existence to this day."
"Rules are made by people," Nie Lingfeng said. "Besides, Chairman Zhao, is the company really... completely unaware of what the Wang family has been doing all these years?"
Chairman Zhao's smile faded slightly, but didn't disappear completely; it just became somewhat subtle: "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is," Nie Lingfeng leaned forward, placing his hands on the table, a gesture that brought him closer to Chairman Zhao and somewhat broke down the implicit hierarchy between them, "the company is well aware of how many transgressions the Wang family has committed over the years, relying on their status as one of the Ten Elders. They collude with remnants of the Quanxing sect, smuggling prohibited magical artifacts, using living people to experiment on Gu poison, and even... interfering in ordinary people's businesses and politics, supporting agents, and infiltrating local forces. The company isn't unaware of these things, but for the sake of maintaining balance, we haven't been able to take action."
He paused, then spoke clearly and calmly, each word distinct: "Now, there's an opportunity for the company to legitimately...eliminate this cancer. Without the company having to get involved directly, without breaking the rules, and still reap tangible benefits."