Chapter 54 Everything Must Be Settled

When everyone dispersed, the suite suddenly became quiet, and the warm atmosphere of shared hatred and solidarity subsided, leaving only a subtle silence in which one could almost hear each other's heartbeats.

Liao Feng and Ruan Xingfeng stood there, looking at each other in silence. The air still lingered with the warmth of the previous intense emotion, as well as a slight awkwardness of not knowing how to be alone.

They were both reluctant to leave first, as if there was an invisible gravitational force nailing them firmly to the spot. They just wanted to stay with each other for a moment longer, just a second longer in this brief calm after the storm.

The neon lights of the city outside the window shone through the glass, casting bright and dark shadows on Liao Feng's well-defined profile, making him look both familiar and somewhat distant.

After a long time, Ruan Xingfeng finally seemed to muster up the courage. He slowly and cautiously moved to Liao Feng's side, his movements so gentle as if he was afraid of disturbing anything.

He raised his head and looked into Liao Feng's deep yet tired eyes. His voice was soft, yet with an unprecedented clarity and determination: "Sir..."

He used this long-lost name, which was distant yet implied intimacy.

"Let's put aside all our grudges and hatred for now, okay?" He whispered softly, as if discussing something extremely precious and fragile. "Right now, I don't want to dwell on who's right or wrong."

He leaned forward slightly and gently rested his forehead on Liao Feng's chest, feeling the steady and powerful heartbeat coming from there.

Then he stretched out his arms and put them around Liao Feng's neck. It was a hug that was full of dependence and a hint of timidity.

"Right now, I just want to be with you." His voice was muffled by Liao Feng's clothes, but every word was clear. "Let's face your enemies together, our enemies. I don't want to stand against you anymore, nor do I want to just stand behind you... I want to be by your side."

He spoke these words very slowly, and every word seemed to come from his heart.

This was a decision he made after careful consideration, and it was his purest heart after putting aside all pride, guilt and insecurity.

He no longer begged for forgiveness, nor did he justify the past. He simply stated a fact, a fact that he wanted to share the future with Liao Feng.

Liao Feng's body stiffened imperceptibly for a moment when he approached.

Ruan Xingfeng's body temperature, the faint smell of alcohol on his body mixed with his own fresh breath, and the touch of his soft hair brushing against his jaw.

They are such real reminders of the brief hug backstage and the intimacy from even longer ago.

He didn't push away immediately, nor did he respond immediately.

He could feel the slight trembling of Ruan Xingfeng's arm around his neck, and could hear the cautious pleading and desperate determination in his words.

The flame of hatred was still burning deep in his heart, but at this moment, another more complex emotion was quietly growing, an impulse of a tired soul longing for rest, and the loosening under the ice caused by this faint but persistent warmth.

After a long while, just when Ruan Xingfeng almost thought that he would not get any response and his heart slowly sank, Liao Feng's chin rubbed the top of his head very lightly.

Then, a warm big hand, with a hint of hesitation, finally slowly and heavily fell on Ruan Xingfeng's back and patted him gently.

No words.

But this action, which did not push him away and even had a hint of clumsy comfort, was worth a thousand words to Ruan Xingfeng.

The tense nerves relaxed instantly, the tip of the nose felt sore, and the eye sockets became hot again.

He buried his face deeper into Liao Feng's chest, greedily absorbing this moment of warmth and peace.

He knew that the iceberg between them had not melted in an instant, and the road ahead was still full of thorns and unknown dangers.

But at least at this moment, the tightly closed door between them finally cracked open a tiny gap, letting in a ray of light called "possibility".

After a few days, Li Mingyuan finally found Liao Chen's team after day and night investigation. The first opportunity was the one on the castle side.

The forest outside the castle was silent, with only the rustling of wind through the treetops.

A six-man team moved silently through the shadows of the forest like a real wolf pack. They were wearing advanced optical camouflage and almost blended into the environment.

Kirill's calm and clear voice came from the communicator, with a hint of electrical noise, but extremely stable, as if he was in a warm study instead of commanding a cross-border raid.

"Tower A, target marked, infrared scan shows two. Clear them simultaneously." "Roger that," the captain's voice was low and curt. After two barely audible "pops," the communicator replied, "Clear."

"The main and backup power lines have been analyzed using satellite imagery. Demolition team, you have ninety seconds." "Understood."

Kirill sat in the command center thousands of miles away, dozens of screens before him, displaying real-time satellite thermal imaging, diagrams of the castle's structure, team members' vital signs, and first-person perspective footage. His fingers raced across the virtual keyboard, his azure eyes sharp as an eagle's.

"Technical team, I have taken over the other side's last firewall. Their internal network is now mine. Start data stripping, and prioritize transferring 'ghost accounts' and 'contact network' data." "Da, Kapitan! (Yes, Captain!)" The technician's excited response with an Eastern European accent came from the headset.

A cold smile curved Kirill's lips. This wasn't a family force; it was his own personal force, cultivated over the years and completely loyal to him—the "Winter Wolves." They were efficient, precise, and merciless.

Inside the castle, the alarm system was as silent as a dead person. The Wolf Pack team moved in unmolested, quickly seizing key nodes.

The occasional internal guards we encountered were dealt with precisely and quickly before they could raise the alarm. This was not a battle, but a silent massacre and precise surgical operation.

"Primary target: underground vault and data center, secured." "Data stripping 87% complete." "Paper ledgers found, destroyed."

Kirill listened to the reports, his expression unwavering. Until, "Captain, we've found something... you might want to take a look," the captain's voice was grave. The screen showed a scene from the underground chamber: there weren't just servers and cash, but also... cages.

Inside were several young orcs with haggard faces and frightened eyes. They had obviously been kidnapped for some ulterior motives.

Kirill's face darkened instantly, and his previous calmness was replaced by a cold anger. Liao Feng was right, these scum had no bottom line at all.

"Record all evidence. Prioritize personnel safety. Contact Interpol's 'Victor'; he'll know what to do." His voice held a hint of undeniable ruthlessness. "As for the rest...burn it. Leave no trace."

"clear!"

After Kirill finished dealing with this side, he began to summarize and write a report with his teammates. It was his rule to make a report after doing anything.

On the other side, work was also carried out in the area that Song Xuexi was in charge of, and the command center on the top floor of the Chamber of Commerce was brightly lit.

The huge circular screen no longer displays stock candlestick charts, but has switched to real-time data streams from major global financial markets and dozens of account monitoring interfaces marked with "targets."

Song Xuexi was wearing a neat black suit and trousers. She stood in front of the command desk with sharp eyes, like a general about to launch a battle.

She is surrounded by a capable team of financial analysts and traders.

"All target accounts have been locked." "Short-selling leverage is in place." "Joint funding (Chuangyu, part of the Li family's working capital, and some short-term bridge capital provided by Kirill) is fully in place."

Song Xuexi listened to the reports, expressionless. She glanced at her watch, waiting for the precise moment when several major global markets would simultaneously open or enter their active trading session.

"Boss Song, time's up." Song Xuexi took a deep breath and, without hesitation, gave the order in a decisive tone: "Operation codename 'Avalanche.' Begin. First wave, targets A1 to A7. Sell at full speed to penetrate their stop-loss levels."

After the order was given, the only sounds left in the entire command center were the rapid typing of keyboards and the calm counting sounds.

On the screen, the stock prices of the overseas shell companies that were targeted plummeted like balloons that had been punctured, instantly triggering market panic and a chain reaction.

"Target Group B's accounts are trying to buy!" "Eat up their buying orders!" Song Xuexi said coldly, "Eat up as many as possible. I want to see how much money they have to fill it!"

This was a financial crushing defeat without a doubt. Faced with Song Xuexi's precise command and the massive combined funds, the opponent's remaining funds were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, instantly devoured without leaving a trace.

"Target's net asset value across all public markets has evaporated by over 65 percent." "We're seeing massive panic selling. They're finished."

Song Xuexi looked at the dismal green on the screen, and a cold smile finally appeared on her lips. Under the "avalanche", not a single blade of grass grew.

She also completed her task and started writing a report to send to Liao Feng later. They agreed to finish the report to Liao Feng at the same time, which she thought was very cool.

On the other side, the work in the area that Li Mingyuan was in charge of was also going smoothly. In a secret room of a private club, several communicators of different models were placed on the table in front of Li Mingyuan. He no longer had his usual playful smile, and his eyes were rare in their seriousness and... excitement.

He is not just a young master who only knows how to eat, drink and have fun. As the third young master of the Li family who is the most "down-to-earth" and has the most extensive network of contacts, there is no news in the gray areas of this city and even the surrounding areas that he doesn't know.

"Mr. Li, there's been some activity at that abandoned logistics warehouse in the western suburbs. I saw a few unfamiliar tough guys go in. They don't look like locals."

"Got it. Thanks, brother. I'll treat you to a drink later." Li Mingyuan spoke into one of the communicators and immediately switched to another channel: "Uncle Wen! The warehouse at 'Old Place' in the western suburbs is suspected to be an enemy stronghold. There might be a 'hard bone'. Could you, your old 'wolf cubs', check it out? If you can capture them alive, that would be the best. If not... you can do whatever you want."

As he made the arrangements, he kept more than a dozen chat windows open on his computer, constantly receiving fragmented messages from various "friends": "Mr. Li, the car you're looking for was last seen at the dock area."

"A few veterans who used to work for the President's family suddenly wanted to escape today, and were 'invited' to have tea at the station by our people."

Li Mingyuan is like the center of a spider web, weaving together countless seemingly insignificant pieces of information, accurately locating the hiding places and escape routes of Liao Chen's remnants in the country, and clicking to eliminate and destroy them.

This is not the official family power of his elder and second brothers, but the connections he has built himself and the "private soldiers" he can mobilize. His actions are more flexible and more... unconventional.

After finishing all this, he was tired, so he asked his subordinates to prepare a report and then went to eat.

On the other side, Ruan Xingfeng was not like them who were doing things behind the scenes. Instead, he stood in the most glamorous place to fight for victory for Liao Feng.

In a highly confidential security office of the Supreme Legislative Council, Ruan Xingfeng was faced with a mountain of encrypted files and a computer connected to the internal network.

His face was a little pale, but his eyes were extremely firm. He was doing something extremely dangerous but crucial: using his highest authority to access some foreign-related files related to the former head of state that were classified as top secret, and to establish a secure connection with international judicial institutions.

"Identity verification passed, Commissioner Ruan Xingfeng, authority level: highest." "Data packet 'Hammer of Justice' encrypted transmission in progress, recipients: International Criminal Court, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Interpol." "Domestic arrest warrant issuance process initiated, target: Liao Chen..."

Each of his actions was rigorous and swift. This was not a simple report, but an official, transnational, and simultaneous legal action.

The evidence he provides will become the most powerful basis for legally freezing the other party's assets and issuing a red notice on a global scale.

At the same time, he connected to an absolutely reliable, encrypted line that was owned by the official media. "The materials have been sent to your designated secure email address. Release them on time in three hours, regardless of whether I contact you or not." "Commissioner Ruan, this... is too risky!" "Do as ordered. This is an order, and I will bear all consequences."

After hanging up the phone, Ruan Xingfeng leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. He knew he was walking a tightrope, and if he failed, there would be no recovery.

But he also knew that this was the fastest and most thorough way to nail the opponent down from the rules level.

His battlefield wasn't on the streets, but between the rules and the keyboard. He used rules as weapons, launching the final "deer cry," whose clear and melodious voice could reach the heavens, announcing the arrival of judgment.

Ruan Xingfeng sent a message to the others the moment he finished, and then set off to Liao Feng. At the same time, Liao Feng's communicator was filled with concise and powerful reports from various fronts:

"Mission 'Howling North Wind' completed. The target node has been cleared, the chain of evidence has been obtained, and the innocent people have been handed over." - Kirill.

"'Avalanche' has taken effect. The target's economic lifeline has been cut off." - Song Xuexi.

"'Deer's cry' has resounded across the globe. The target social identity has been declared dead." - Ruan Xingfeng.

"'Tiger Roar and Wolf Howl'...Done, call it a day! Go home for dinner!" - Li Mingyuan.

All external branches have been completely cut off, and Liao Chen and his cronies are now trapped in a nest, with nothing.

Liao Feng turned off the communicator.

Now, only the final goal remains.

He leaned back, and all the things from his childhood came to his mind: his mother's tenderness, his father's serious love, his grandfather's generous smile, his grandmother's loving smile, and the gentle smiles of his grandparents in the photos.

Then he thought about the death of his grandparents, his mother's pain, his father's verbal abuse and violence, the time he spent with Li Mingyuan, the dark years after breaking up with him, and then coming back to meet Ruan Xingfeng. Everything that happened in his 30-year-old life played in his mind like a movie. At this time, Ruan Xingfeng pushed open the door and came in, hugging him without saying a word, as if to comfort him.

"Everything is almost settled. Now I have to go and respond to that bastard and his shameless bitch mother." After a long time, Liao Feng pushed him away. Liao Feng didn't have a good word to say about Liao Chen and the people around him. Ruan Xingfeng nodded and followed him.