Chapter 17 Out of Control Ripples
The fleeting glimpse of "Lin Qingyu's side..." on the phone screen was like a stone thrown into an icy lake, stirring up huge waves in Su Yan's heart.
Huo Shen read the message calmly, locked the screen, and didn't even change his expression. He continued to chat with the silent people in the box for a few words, then stood up and left with Su Yan.
On the way back, the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive. Su Yan leaned against the window, pretending to look at the night view outside, but his heart was already in turmoil.
What happened to Lin Qingyu? Was he caught trying to take the money? Or was there something else going on with him? Was Assistant Zhou's message a report or a request for instructions on how to proceed?
Every guess pointed to a worse outcome. If Lin Qingyu was exposed, he would definitely not be able to escape unscathed. Huo Shen's calmness at this moment was more like the dead silence before the storm.
The car drove into the underground garage of the apartment. Huo Shen got out first, and Su Yan followed behind him, every step feeling like stepping on cotton.
The elevator slowly ascended, the only sound in the small space being the gentle ticking of numbers. Su Yan could feel Huo Shen's gaze on him, calm yet carrying the pressure of a knowing gaze.
"bite--"
The elevator arrives.
The moment the door opened, Huo Shen did not walk out as usual. Instead, he suddenly reached out and supported the elevator wall next to Su Yan, trapping him between himself and the cold elevator car.
Su Yan shuddered with fear, and suddenly looked up, meeting Huo Shen's eyes, which were so close to him. There was no longer the coldness they had in the club, nor the usual playfulness, but a deep and inquiring look.
"Are you scared tonight?" He repeated the question he asked in the club, but his tone was completely different, deeper and more oppressive.
Su Yan's heart was beating wildly. He forced himself to calm down, lowered his eyelashes, and answered softly, "Yes... a little."
"Just a little?" Huo Shen's fingers gently lifted his chin, forcing him to look at him. "I see that you have been uneasy since you saw Assistant Zhou's message."
He had indeed noticed it! Su Yan's blood almost froze.
"I... I'm worried..." Su Yan's brain was working rapidly, looking for a reasonable excuse, "I'm worried that something might have gone wrong with the 'Prometheus' project again, and it might affect you..." He directed his worries to business.
Huo Shen stared at him, a smile on his lips. He stroked his chin with his fingers, not too hard or too soft, yet full of threat. "Really? I thought you were worried about someone else."
Su Yan's breathing stagnated.
"For example, that little bastard who didn't know what was happening and secretly ran back, and even dared to go to the 'Night Color' bar and borrow money under my name." Huo Shen's tone was understated, but every word was like a heavy hammer hitting Su Yan's heart.
He knows! He knows everything!
Fear instantly seized Su Yan's mind. His face turned pale and his body began to tremble uncontrollably. It was over. Everything was over.
Seeing him almost faint from fear, the inquiry in Huo Shen's eyes faded, replaced by a kind of...almost helpless mockery.
"You're so timid, yet you dare to play such a trick behind my back?" He let go of her hand, his tone tinged with disdain, "I've already asked Assistant Zhou to deal with Lin Qingyu. As for you..."
He paused, looked at Su Yan's desperate eyes, and said slowly: "Since you have been quite good tonight, and... for the sake of this face, let it go this time."
Su Yan suddenly looked up and looked at him in disbelief. Just... let it go?
Huo Shen turned and walked out of the elevator, his back straight and cold, and left a cold word:
"But there won't be a next time. Remember, everything you have, including your compassion, belongs to me. Don't try to challenge my bottom line again."
Su Yan slumped against the elevator wall, his whole body drained of energy. The combination of the relief of having survived and the humiliation of being completely seen through and powerless to resist nearly tore him apart.
Huo Shen didn't punish him severely, not out of mercy, but because in his eyes, he was always just an insignificant "possession" that could be manipulated at will. He tolerated this little action like a master tolerates a pet's harmless mischief.
This realization is more despairing than any punishment.
However, as Su Yan dragged himself out of the elevator, he had no idea that the "handling" Huo Shen had described would be far more brutal than he had imagined. Lin Qingyu's disappearance wasn't the end of the matter, but rather the beginning of a bigger storm. A week later, a news story about a cafe waiter who had disappeared, suspected of being due to a massive debt, and whose family had reported the matter to the police and the media for help, began to spread quietly within a small circle.
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