The Omniscient

Chapter 28: Into the Tiger's Den

A car was parked downstairs, and at this moment, two men sat in the front seats, driving Huang Ji and his two companions to the meeting point arranged with Zhang Junwei.

The trio would pretend to have been coerced into meeting Zhang Junwei. Although the two men seemed compliant for now, Huang Ji was well aware that Zhang Junwei treated his subordinates well and maintained close relationships with them. These two might not reveal anything outright, but their loyalty remained with Zhang Junwei.

The key to resolving this lay in dealing with Zhang Junwei. As long as he could subdue him, all troubles would be settled.

Half an hour later, the car pulled into a second-hand car scrapyard. Huang Ji constantly observed his surroundings during the drive, up until the vehicle stopped in front of a warehouse.

Two men were smoking outside the warehouse. Seeing Xiao Zha get out of the car, one of them joked, "What took you so long?"

Xiao Zha got out wearily, saying, "The old man came home late. I waited in his house for ages."

"Get inside. The boss is playing cards," said one of the smokers as they opened the door. They helped Xiao Zha drag Huang Ji and the others into the warehouse.

One of them asked, "Why three people? Shouldn’t you have tied them up?"

No one raised suspicions and just led them inside. The warehouse was spacious, with a group sitting on sofas watching a soccer game, surrounded by beer and snacks. In the middle, four others were playing mahjong, loudly calling out moves.

"Six here, four there... With the two smokers and Xiao Zha, that makes twelve in total—just like in Xiao Zha’s memory," Huang Ji silently calculated, taking in the situation. He quickly gathered the names and assessed the strength of everyone present.

"Clang!" The warehouse door slammed shut and was locked. The person locking it lit a cigarette and gave Huang Ji a smirk. Huang Ji smiled back.

The smoker frowned, puzzled. I’m locking the door to keep you from escaping. Why are you smiling, you idiot?

The three of them stood near the mahjong table, ignored by everyone else. Zhang Junwei didn’t even glance up, still engrossed in his game.

Old Wang and Lin Li exchanged glances, unsure how to act. But seeing Huang Ji remain composed, they chose to stay silent.

Huang Ji, of course, was calm. He knew Zhang Junwei was intentionally acting unperturbed, focused on his game as a power move, likely waiting until he finished a round to address them.

This suited Huang Ji just fine, giving him more time to sense the information around him.

The awkward silence stretched on, as if the trio weren’t even there. Two minutes later, Zhang Junwei finally exclaimed, "Self-drawn!" He collected his winnings with a grin before standing up. "Let’s take a break and play again later!"

Wearing a sleeveless vest that showed off his muscular build, Zhang Junwei lit a cigarette and swaggered over to the trio, looking them over from head to toe.

Exhaling smoke, he asked, "Xiao Zha, why three people?"

"The other two came back home with the old man, so we brought them along too," Xiao Zha replied, his voice unusually subdued. Zhang Junwei gave him a glance, sensing something was off but didn’t press further. ṟÃɴ𝐨𝐁Ɛś

Turning to Old Wang, he sneered, "Old man, someone’s offering a million for you. Damn, you’re expensive."

Old Wang remained unfazed. "A million is too low. I’m worth at least ten million."

Zhang Junwei froze, and his men all turned to stare. Ten million? No way. A million was already enough to keep them living comfortably for a long time.

"Cut the crap, old con artist. Just tell me why someone’s offering a million for you!" Zhang Junwei demanded.

"Obviously, I stole something. What else could it be?" Old Wang smirked.

Zhang Junwei’s eyes lit up. If someone was willing to pay a million, then whatever was stolen had to be worth far more.

"What did you steal?" Zhang Junwei pressed.

Old Wang replied, "Are you sure you want me to say it here?"

The implication was clear: they should talk privately. But Zhang Junwei, glancing at his men, laughed. "No need for secrecy. Just spit it out."

Old Wang felt a sinking sensation. His plan to isolate and subdue Zhang Junwei was falling apart. The latter clearly didn’t want to appear distrustful in front of his crew.

"Say it!" Zhang Junwei barked.

"Some things are better left unasked. Knowing too much can get you killed," Huang Ji suddenly interjected, stepping slightly to the side.

"Don’t try to scare me!" Zhang Junwei snapped. As he spoke, he flicked his cigarette toward Huang Ji’s original position.

"Huh?" Zhang Junwei was taken aback when Huang Ji dodged effortlessly.

Before he could react, Huang Ji stepped forward and launched a punch straight at his face.

"Ha!" Zhang Junwei wasn’t a leader for nothing. Though lean, he was the best fighter here. He’d been brawling since he was a kid, with unmatched experience in the area. Spotting the incoming punch, he raised his left hand to block while preparing to counter with his right.

But just as he moved, Huang Ji changed his move mid-strike. The punch aimed at his face turned into a downward hook, slamming into his waist with undiminished force.

"Argh!" Zhang Junwei howled, a sharp pain shooting through his side, leaving half his body numb. Though Huang Ji didn’t look particularly strong, his explosive power was incredible. His blow hit a weak spot, targeting a nerve junction and an organ's vulnerable area.

With just one punch, Zhang Junwei’s right hand lost strength, and his waist and abdomen went limp.

"How..." Zhang Junwei was in disbelief at how strong Huang Ji was. But his instincts kicked in, and he attempted a low sweep kick toward Huang Ji’s groin.

Huang Ji had already anticipated this, leaping up to use Zhang Junwei’s leg as a springboard. With a whip-like motion, his right leg slammed into Zhang Junwei’s face, knocking out two teeth.

"Thud!"

Zhang Junwei collapsed to the ground, dazed and bleeding. He spat out blood, cursing as he scrambled to crawl away.

Seeing their boss taken down so easily, the gang erupted in chaos, grabbing weapons and rushing forward. But Huang Ji, his back to them, ignored their movements. He calmly hoisted Zhang Junwei into a chair by the mahjong table.

"Warn us before jumping in!" Old Wang shouted, pulling Lin Li close as they stood behind Huang Ji, ready for a fight.

Without looking back, Huang Ji deftly pulled a gun and a knife from Zhang Junwei’s body with both hands.

"Great! A gun!" Old Wang exclaimed with delight. While Huang Ji was undoubtedly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, having a gun would immediately establish control over the situation.

"Give it to me! I know how to use it!" Old Wang proclaimed, confident in his marksmanship. After all, back in the United States, he had faced off against armed mercenaries.

To his surprise, Huang Ji casually tossed the gun aside like it was garbage, opting instead to keep the knife and press it against Zhang Junwei’s neck.

"Don’t throw it away!" Old Wang was dumbfounded. Who discards a gun to rely on a knife? Even if you couldn’t use it, at least it could be a deterrent!

He rushed to retrieve it, but it was too late—one of the henchmen had already picked it up.

At this moment, Zhang Junwei, whose vision had somewhat cleared, realized he was being held at knifepoint. His first instinct wasn’t fear but to push Huang Ji away and roll free.

People often assume that holding a knife to someone’s throat ensures compliance, but that’s not always the case. Zhang Junwei had escaped such a situation before, catching his opponent off guard and putting distance between them.

Confident in his experience, he prepared to act.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

But before he could make a move, Huang Ji abruptly reversed the blade and plunged it downward. The icy knife slid precisely between Zhang Junwei’s neck and collarbone, piercing the flesh. Blood instantly oozed from the wound.

"Ah! It’s in! Stop, stop! Damn it, pull it out already!" Zhang Junwei shouted in terror. Was this guy insane? Stabbing someone’s neck wasn’t like slicing tofu—it was life-threatening!

Feeling the cold steel and the searing pain by his neck, Zhang Junwei froze, afraid to move even an inch for fear of accidentally "killing himself."

"Calm down, brother! Don’t shake your hand, please!" He was utterly stiff, not daring to resist.

What he didn’t know was that Huang Ji’s stab was exceptionally precise, akin to a surgical maneuver. Although it appeared to be a dangerous wound near the neck, it avoided all vital areas and was merely superficial.

But Zhang Junwei wasn’t aware of this. All he saw was Huang Ji’s frosty demeanor and unhesitating ruthlessness, which sent shivers down his spine.

Huang Ji knew exactly what he was doing. Zhang Junwei would stay obedient now. Leisurely, he reached into Zhang Junwei’s pocket and pulled out his phone, completely ignoring the group of henchmen behind him.

"Let go of my boss! Hey, I’m talking to you! I’ll shoot!" the henchman with the gun shouted, brandishing the weapon.

Zhang Junwei seized the moment to chime in, "Brother, this has nothing to do with you. I’m only after the old man."

Huang Ji remained silent, casually flipping through the phone’s call log. It was as if he were browsing the internet, calmly absorbing the information behind the names and numbers he saw.

Seeing Huang Ji ignore him, Zhang Junwei gritted his teeth and barked, "I’m paid to do a job. Even with a knife to my neck, you can’t threaten me! Go ahead, kill me if you dare. That old man isn’t leaving this warehouse today!"

He then turned to his men and yelled, "If he kills me, shoot him! Take them all out!"

Still, Huang Ji continued examining the phone without a care.

This attitude enraged the group. The henchman holding the gun, emboldened by the weapon in his hand, was especially riled up. The very act of having a gun gave him a palpable boost in confidence.

When Huang Ji didn’t even glance at him, the henchman suddenly chambered a round with a loud click-clack and pulled the trigger.

"Don’t!"

"Stop!"

Zhang Junwei and three of his closest aides simultaneously shouted, trying to stop him.

But it was too late—the henchman fired three consecutive shots, all hitting both Huang Ji and Zhang Junwei.

Old Wang furrowed his brow. Something felt off.

Zhang Junwei’s fury was palpable as he glared at the henchman.

"Huh?" The henchman was confused. Inspecting the gun in his hand, he exclaimed, "It’s a toy?"

The weapon was an ultra-realistic replica gun, custom-made with a steel frame to pass as the real deal. In theory, it could be converted into a functional firearm with the right modifications, but as it stood, it only fired plastic pellets.

Only Xiao Zha and two other confidants knew the truth about the gun. The rest of the crew had always assumed it was real.

Huang Ji brushed off the plastic pellets and smiled at the shooter. "Not bad. Planning to take over as boss, huh?"

"I-I’m sorry, boss. I missed!" the henchman stammered, hastily covering his tracks.

"You son of a—" Zhang Junwei’s face turned dark with rage.