It took Yang Shiyun a long time to slowly wake up. Seeing that Zhao Qiang was still by her side, she calmed down a little. "I...I'm not human?" It was a little funny to say this, but Yang Shiyun and Zhao Qiang couldn't laugh at all.
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't think like that. Don't you think you have thoughts and a spirit just like a normal person?"
Yang Shiyun pointed to her body and said, "But..."
Zhao Qiang said, "We haven't fully figured it out yet, but only a certain part has been replaced by a metal skeleton. Didn't you say you were once unconscious? Something must have happened during that time."
Yang Shiyun remembered: "Yes, that must be it. I need to find my memories. Someone must have tampered with my body during this time. I need to go back to America. I need to go back to America to find out the truth."
Zhao Qiang pressed Yang Shiyun down on the bed again: "Don't get excited. The truth will come out eventually. You need to recover now. Besides, you can't just go to the United States whenever you want. You need to prepare."
Yang Shiyun said, "Zhao Qiang, you have to come to America with me. You have to help me find out the truth."
Zhao Qiang hesitated for a moment: "But things here haven't been resolved yet. How about we wait until the enemy has completely revealed their true colors and then deal with them before going to America?"
Yang Shiyun said, "I can't wait."
Zhao Qiang said, "You'll need at least two days for your injuries to heal."
Yang Shiyun said, "Okay, let's wait two days. I'll have my third sister arrange the passports and plane tickets. We'll go to America on the third day, okay?"
Zhao Qiang was even more eager to know what was wrong with Yang Shiyun's health. He planned to try his best to find the group that had tried to assassinate him last time, eliminate them, and then head to the United States to find out the truth.
"Okay, two days it is. Don't take this too seriously. Just remember that you are still the same Yang Shiyun. Don't put any psychological burden on yourself."
Yang Shiyun said, "I will try my best to relax. You can go out now and let me calm down."
Volume 2 [653] Reliance Investment Company
[653] Reliance Investment Company
Zhao Ling and Chen Xinxin came from poor families, so making breakfast was no problem for them. After breakfast, Zhao Qiang walked into the streets of Shanghai, holding Xiao Baihe's information in his hand. She was an employee of Xinshi Investment Company, with no reputation whatsoever, so unremarkable that one might think she didn't even exist. She was not valued by the company, but she had never made any mistakes either.
The police on the street looked tense, constantly stopping and checking pedestrians and vehicles. Zhao Qiang smiled coldly. The police were just doing their job according to the law, and he couldn't stop them. He would let them check. Anyway, his car had already changed its color and appearance. If they searched it based on its original condition, they would probably never find anything.
Zhao Qiang hailed a taxi and headed to Xinshi Investment Company. On the way, the talkative driver told Zhao Qiang about what had happened in the early hours of the morning, describing it vividly. He said that the Autobots had attacked Earth, and the stock market almost crashed when it opened. Fortunately, the government eventually came forward to refute the rumors, saying that it was an experiment with special effects weapons. However, this could only fool netizens from other places. As for the locals in Shanghai, they would not believe it. They only believed what they saw. In the hospital, thousands of people had witnessed the Autobots fighting against the police.
Reliance Investment Company is not a large company; for a metropolis like Shanghai, it's just a company. It rents the sixteenth floor of an office building. When Zhao Qiang took the elevator up, it was during the busiest time of the workday. The receptionist was registering several visitors, and it took a full three minutes before Zhao Qiang was seen.
"Hello sir, how can I help you?" Even in the largest companies in Shanghai, the receptionists are always beautiful and highly qualified, exuding an admirable charm with every smile and movement.
Zhao Qiang smiled and said, "I want to find Xiao Baihe." Actually, Zhao Qiang wasn't sure if she could come back, but he had to try because he didn't have much time to waste in Shanghai.
Sure enough, the receptionist checked the computer and said, "I'm sorry, sir, Xiao Baihe is not at work today."
Zhao Qiang said, "Really? That's a pity. I wonder where she lives. I'd like to meet her."
Revealing employees' addresses is not allowed by the company, so the receptionist remained silent. Zhao Qiang chuckled and changed his approach, saying, "Miss, do you have time for lunch? I'd like to invite you to lunch."
The receptionist smiled and said, "I hand over my shift at 10:50." It was obvious that she also had a good impression of the tall and burly Zhao Qiang. As a coastal open city, it wasn't unreasonable for her to have a meal with a man she didn't dislike.
Zhao Qiang said, "I'll wait for you." It's already past ten o'clock, so one more hour won't make a difference.
The receptionist smiled faintly and said, "Whatever, my name is Xu Ying."
Zhao Qiang said, "My name is Zhao Qiang. You go ahead and do your work." After saying that, Zhao Qiang casually found a corner and sat on a chair. Xu Ying stopped looking at him. She still had a lot of work to do and didn't want to lose her job because of Zhao Qiang's arrival.
Zhao Qiang wasn't staying at Xinshi Investment Company without a purpose. After all, this was where Xiao Baihe worked, and if he looked carefully, he could find something useful. Although the front desk was semi-closed and people couldn't enter the office area without permission, who was Zhao Qiang? He had X-ray vision glasses, and with his brain's precise analysis, he had almost complete control over the situation in this building. He could even collect sounds from a certain place and then separate and amplify them in his brain.
Zhao Qiang easily found Xiao Baihe's desk. The desk was very clean, probably tidied up by her before her outdoor trip. A few documents were placed against one corner, and all the drawers were locked. Zhao Qiang used his X-ray vision to enter the folders, quickly identifying the data as information on clients of Xinshi Investment Company. This was of little use to Zhao Qiang. He then began to see through the drawers, which was more difficult due to the several walls blocking the view.
The items found were all women's belongings, including a pack of spare sanitary napkins. Zhao Qiang checked the brand; it was a Japanese company. He wrote down the company name, intending to investigate its background later. Of course, this might have nothing to do with Xiao Baihe, but Zhao Qiang couldn't take it lightly.
Then Zhao Qiang found several pieces of underwear in another drawer. The style was very sexy and revealing. Zhao Qiang was a little puzzled. Xiao Baihe did not look like a promiscuous woman. Moreover, why would she wear such underwear in the company?
Just as Zhao Qiang was preparing to further search Xiao Baihe's drawer, the sound of leather shoes rang out, followed by greetings from employees. "Hello, President Gu..." Zhao Qiang turned around and saw a woman in her thirties walking in. She merely nodded slightly to the greetings from those around her and walked straight past the reception desk without registering. Zhao Qiang flipped through the documents in his hand and recognized her as Gu Yue, the owner of Xinshi Investment Company.
Zhao Qiang turned around, cleverly concealing himself in a corner. He had a gut feeling that Gu Yue was no ordinary person, and he feared trouble if she saw him. Several other people waiting to enter Xinshi Investment Company were gathered around, whispering and effectively blocking Zhao Qiang's view. Zhao Qiang patiently waited a few more minutes, taking the opportunity to search Xiao Baihe's drawers. He found no valuable information. Thinking about it, it made sense; if Xiao Baihe were truly a secret agent, she wouldn't be so careless as to leave useful information in her office.
The elevator stopped on the thirteenth floor, and several people came out. Zhao Qiang immediately shrank back because he saw Xiao Baihe. Xiao Baihe was still dressed in an inconspicuous manner. Although Zhao Qiang had come to see her, he was more interested in observing what she would do when she returned to the company. If the receptionist did not reveal herself, Zhao Qiang would prefer to observe from the shadows.
Fortunately, Xu Ying was explaining something to two salespeople who had come to collect debts, so she didn't notice Xiao Baihe's entry. There was also a receptionist at the front desk, but they wouldn't question company employees, so they let Xiao Baihe enter the office area on her own. Xiao Baihe didn't go back to her desk but went straight to the company manager's office.
Gu Yue had barely sat down, and the tea on the table hadn't even been brewed, when someone knocked on the door. Without Gu Yue's permission, the door creaked open. Gu Yue looked displeased; no leader would be happy with such a rude intruder.
Xiao Baihe walked into Gu Yue's office. Unlike subordinates who are reserved when meeting their boss, she casually sat down on the sofa and said in an unfriendly tone, "Gu Yue, what do you mean?"
Gu Yue put down the tea leaves she was holding. She enjoyed brewing her own tea and savoring the tranquility that tea ceremony brought. Hearing Xiao Baihe's questioning, Gu Yue sat down in her executive chair, crossed her arms over her stomach, and said, "I haven't even asked you what you mean yet. This is my office. Please ask for my permission before you come in."
Xiao Baihe said casually, "I knocked on the door."
Gu Yue raised her voice: "But I didn't agree to let you in."
Xiao Baihe said, "I'm already in. Why is President Gu planning to kick me out again?"
Gu Yue's face began to flush red, probably from angering Xiao Baihe. After a few seconds, she managed to suppress her anger and said, "What is it? Speak quickly, my time is precious."
Xiao Baihe said, "Your time is precious, but does that mean my time can be wasted?"
Gu Yue tapped the table and said, "Xiao Baihe, don't forget, whether it's internal or external matters, I am your leader."
Xiao Baihe said, "That's a title you gave yourself, isn't it? I'm asking you, why did you send someone to assassinate Zhao Qiang?"
Gu Yue's face darkened instantly: "You have no right to interfere in this matter."
Xiao Baihe stood up abruptly: "I've already gotten close to him and will soon be able to extract his secrets, but because of your assassination attempt, he's now extremely suspicious of me. Gu Yue, you've ruined my entire plan."
Gu Yue said, "I know what I'm doing; I don't need your instructions."
Xiao Baihe said, "I will report your problem to the higher-ups. You can just wait to be investigated."
Seeing that Xiao Baihe was about to leave, Gu Yue suddenly leaped over the desk in the middle and grabbed Xiao Baihe's collar in a flash. Xiao Baihe naturally resisted, and with a ripping sound, Gu Yue tore off her coat. Xiao Baihe was standing in front of Gu Yue almost naked from the waist up, and her sexy bra made men's noses bleed.
Gu Yue sneered, "You bitch, you still like being abused, don't you? I'll satisfy you." As she spoke, Gu Yue reached under the desk and found a leather whip hanging there. With a snap, Gu Yue lashed the whip across Xiao Baihe's body. Xiao Baihe's face changed, but she didn't resist. Although her expression was one of pain, there was still a hint of lust in her eyes.
Zhao Qiang had imagined countless possibilities, but he never expected it to be like this. After glancing at Xu Ying, who was still busy, Zhao Qiang quietly followed a few employees into the office area. When he arrived at Gu Yue's office, Zhao Qiang politely knocked on the door and then suddenly pushed it open. He was so strong that the push almost broke the lock.
Gu Yue held the whip in her hand and lashed it across Xiao Baihe's body with a snap, shattering one of Xiao Baihe's bra cups. Her full breasts swayed in the air. Just then, Zhao Qiang walked in and chuckled, "I'm sorry to have disturbed your enjoyment."
Gu Yue saw Zhao Qiang's hand tremble, and Xiao Baihe's expression also changed. She covered her chest with her hands and squatted down. Zhao Qiang remained calm. He casually closed the door. The employees outside paid no attention to the situation, probably because they had already been educated. In addition, the soundproofing of this office was very good, so even if the sound was loud, it would be very muffled outside.
"You... how did you get here?" Gu Yue's voice trembled. Xiao Baihe huddled in a corner, remaining silent.
Zhao Qiang lit a cigarette with a flick of his lighter, took a puff, and then said, "I didn't expect you guys to have this kind of hobby. Is it influenced by the Japanese?"
With a flick of her wrist, Gu Yue aimed directly at Zhao Qiang. The whip whistled through the air, revealing that Gu Yue was indeed a skilled fighter. Her earlier lashing of Xiao Baihe was merely playful banter between the two; if such a strike were to land on Xiao Baihe, she would likely be dead.
Zhao Qiang snorted. Now that he had plenty of energy, it was time to show Gu Yue his strength. The whip flew over, and Zhao Qiang grabbed the tip. With the help of his energy, the whip was firmly controlled. Gu Yue pulled hard but couldn't budge it. Zhao Qiang's hand trembled, and Gu Yue could no longer hold onto the whip. She flew backward toward Zhao Qiang, but Zhao Qiang grabbed the handle with his other hand in time. Then he lashed out with a sharp crack, and Gu Yue was lashed hard across the chest. Her clothes tore open like tattered cotton, revealing a bloody welt on her skin.
"Ouch!" Gu Yue cried out in pain.
Volume 2 [654] War
[654] Battle
Zhao Qiang swung his whip back and lashed it at Xiao Baihe. Although their conversation inside the room had been extremely quiet, Zhao Qiang could still make out the details by observing their lip movements through his X-ray vision. He wasn't going to show any mercy to these two foreign spies; he'd give them a few lashes first. Didn't they like to enjoy themselves? Then let them taste the whip.
To Zhao Qiang's surprise, Xiao Baihe, who had been dodging and weaving, suddenly stood tall in front of him as the whip lashed out, her eyes closed, ready to take the blow. Although her personality might be a bit unusual, this whip would definitely not be a pleasant experience for Zhao Qiang; it would be a serious injury. But knowing this would be the outcome, Xiao Baihe still came forward, and Zhao Qiang found it hard to bring himself to do it. His hand trembled, and he lashed the whip onto the desk. Crack! A deep welt appeared on the desk.
Xiao Baihe didn't receive the whipping blow. She opened her eyes and glanced at Zhao Qiang, who glared at her, implying that he would deal with her later.
Gu Yue reached down and touched her chest; it was blood. Her expression twisted with rage as she said, "Zhao Qiang, you've chosen the path to hell when there's a way to heaven. Since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, don't blame me for being impolite."
Zhao Qiang said, "Please don't be so polite."
Gu Yue chuckled coldly, "Haha..." With her laughter, Zhao Qiang felt the air around him shift. Two masked men in black appeared before him, crouching on the ground. Before Zhao Qiang could even make out their figures, a flurry of hidden weapons shot towards him, followed by the two men's long swords. They were identical to the men who had assassinated Zhao Qiang on Wulong Mountain.
However, the Zhao Qiang of today is different from the Zhao Qiang of that day. That day, Zhao Qiang expended most of his energy to escape from underground, so that battle was almost a life-or-death struggle. But now, Zhao Qiang has plenty of energy and a better understanding of these black-clad assassins. Naturally, he will no longer be subdued by them. Facing the rain of hidden weapons, Zhao Qiang advances instead of retreating, counterattacking the two black-clad assassins as they unleash their attacks.
Bang! Bang! Bang! All the hidden weapons struck within centimeters of Zhao Qiang's body. A short sword, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, pierced the abdomen of the first black-clad man charging at him. The black-clad man's longsword also struck Zhao Qiang's head. However, Zhao Qiang's short sword successfully pierced the black-clad man's abdomen, while the black-clad man's sword failed to sever Zhao Qiang's head. Zhao Qiang's sword tilted upwards at a 45-degree angle, the tip piercing the black-clad assassin's heart. The assassin's heart ruptured instantly, and a gush of blood surged to his throat, spitting out a "whoosh" at Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang, prepared, punched the black-clad assassin in the head, sending him flying sideways. The blood sprayed all over Gu Yue, who was standing nearby.
Another assassin in black attacked earlier, aiming for Zhao Qiang's back. However, the sharp blade encountered strong resistance at Zhao Qiang's back. This assassin was quite strong, actually managing to push the blade in. The extremely hard longsword snapped with a crack, and there wasn't even a knife mark on Zhao Qiang's back.
The assassin in black was naturally terrified, but Zhao Qiang wouldn't give him much time to react. Separating his energy shield was already a huge drain on his strength, and Zhao Qiang also knew that these two could split into multiple bodies after they died. So, he had to deal with four people next, so he couldn't delay. Zhao Qiang grabbed the horrified assassin in black and snapped his head off with a crack, then casually tossed it toward Xiao Baihe.
Xiao Baihe was dumbfounded. She hadn't witnessed Zhao Qiang kill the assassins who attacked him that night. Xiao Baihe only thought that Zhao Qiang had escaped by luck. If Xiao Baihe hadn't had no intention of killing Zhao Qiang at the time, he would probably be dead by now. But who would have thought that Zhao Qiang would be so powerful? Xiao Baihe knew exactly what kind of strength those two black-clad assassins had, but they couldn't even last a single round against Zhao Qiang.
Even Gu Yue was dumbfounded. Although Zhao Qiang had wiped out all the assassins she had sent, leaving her with no one to report to, Gu Yue still didn't believe that Zhao Qiang had such great strength. You know, the black-clad assassins were all people with superpowers. Not to mention how much money it would cost to train one, such people were extremely hard to find. But in Zhao Qiang's hands, they were as vulnerable as children. It seemed that rashly trying to assassinate Zhao Qiang was a stupid decision.
As Zhao Qiang had predicted, things changed even before the two black-clad assassins' bodies hit the ground. Suddenly, four more black-clad figures appeared from behind them. Zhao Qiang didn't know what was going on, but he knew these four assassins were just as strong as the two he'd just dealt with. Therefore, he needed to use more energy to fight them. Fortunately, the enemy was unaware that his energy was limited, so Zhao Qiang didn't show any fear. If the black-clad figures continued to split into multiple groups, Zhao Qiang would fly away at the opportune moment. After all, this was Gu Yue's territory, so Zhao Qiang didn't need to worry about anything.
When Gu Yue saw the four assassins in black, her expression finally calmed down. She waved her hand casually and said, "Go and kill him. Since he's delivered himself to our doorstep, we can't let him go. Zhao Qiang, you've chosen the path to hell when there's one. No wonder I'm ruthless."
Four assassins in black surrounded Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang said to Gu Yue, "I don't think we know each other. Why have you tried to kill me so many times?"
Gu Yue said, "Why waste so much time on this? Let's save this question for when we're in hell."
Zhao Qiang said, "What can't we talk about? If it's about money, I can satisfy you."
Gu Yue said, "Some beliefs are beyond your control. For our better development, you must die."
As soon as the word "death" was uttered, a black-clad assassin pounced on Zhao Qiang. They attacked him from four directions. Even if Zhao Qiang could defend the front, how could he defend the rear? So Zhao Qiang's strategy was to risk injury to kill one of them first, otherwise he would fail at every turn if he attacked from all four directions at once.
Zhao Qiang couldn't determine which of the four was weaker, so he could only kill the man in black directly in front of him, leaving the other three to attack him as they pleased.
The black-clad assassins, still wielding long swords, attacked four vital points on Zhao Qiang's body. The one directly in front targeted Zhao Qiang's heart. Worried about losing energy too quickly, Zhao Qiang activated his armor and moved his energy shield inside it. This way, he could use the armor to offset some of the enemy's attacks, saving as much energy as possible.
With a few crisp hums, the sound of the enemy's longsword colliding with Zhao Qiang's armor reverberated. Zhao Qiang's armor was then shattered, but the longsword was blocked when it encountered the energy shield. The black-clad assassin tried his best but could not break through it. At this moment, Zhao Qiang's attack on the black-clad assassin directly in front of him also succeeded. He fired an electromagnetic gun at the black-clad assassin's head. No matter how powerful the assassin's protective skills were, it was useless. The bullet, enhanced by the electromagnetic force, not only pierced through the assassin's body but also shot through the building and disappeared without a trace.
With a thud, the assassin in black fell to the ground. His body shuddered, and two more assassins in black appeared on either side. Gu Yue, hiding in a corner of the office, chuckled coldly: "Let's see how you deal with these assassins. They're endless; you're doomed."
Zhao Qiang actually knew that these men in black could only split themselves a limited number of times, otherwise they would be invincible. However, Zhao Qiang had no idea how many times these men in black could split themselves.
Having more people makes things easier. Zhao Qiang planned to take out another one with the electromagnetic gun, but his wrist was struck by a black-clad assassin, and he could no longer hold the electromagnetic gun, which clattered to the ground. At the same time, knowing that Zhao Qiang's body was not easy to break, these men in black turned to attack Zhao Qiang's head and eyes, and even tried to pierce Zhao Qiang's ear with a long knife. Zhao Qiang's situation was not good either.
With a whoosh, a shield appeared in Zhao Qiang's hand, which he had to use to block the enemy's attacks. In his other hand was a short sword. He defended and attacked at the same time. Another man in black was stabbed to death by Zhao Qiang. Then he continued to split into multiple clones. There were more and more enemies. Zhao Qiang was also a little troubled. It seemed that these black-clad assassins had a higher ability to split into clones than those from Wulong Mountain.
Gu Yue shouted loudly, "Kill him! Kill him!"
Zhao Qiang regrets not having developed any new weapons recently. If he had some magical weapons on hand, they might have been very effective. Now he can only rely on energy to fight them head-on, letting the enemy's attacks hit him but being blocked by the energy shield. Then Zhao Qiang takes the opportunity to kill another assassin in black.
"Don't let him get close." The last black-clad assassin Zhao Qiang killed didn't have a clone, so he knew that his power had reached its limit. The black-clad assassin also knew his own situation, so he loudly reminded his companions to keep their distance from Zhao Qiang. Otherwise, if Zhao Qiang were to kill them with a suicidal attack, it would be difficult to avoid him.
With a deafening crash, the office wall was smashed through by a black-clad assassin who had leaped into the air. Employees in the outer office area fled in terror, screaming all the while. As the wall collapsed, the battleground shifted to the office area, sending papers flying everywhere. Zhao Qiang had secretly accumulated a massive amount of energy, preparing for his final strike. A powerful surge of energy erupted, enveloping the remaining black-clad assassins. Suddenly finding themselves unable to move, the assassins were all visibly alarmed.
Even Gu Yue hadn't expected Zhao Qiang to pull this stunt, suspending her experts in mid-air. The black-clad assassins struggled desperately, but it was as if an invisible hand held them firmly in place. Then, Zhao Qiang let out a loud shout, and the bodies of the black-clad assassins in mid-air exploded with a bang. Gu Yue and Xiao Baihe were so shocked by the shout that they covered their ears, and countless bits of minced meat suddenly fell from their bodies. Gu Yue and Xiao Baihe were terrified and jumped up to shake off the filth. At this moment, there were no black-clad men left. At the same time, Zhao Qiang had also consumed a lot of energy, but it was better than the last time, since the energy-consuming part of the underground escape hadn't happened.
"How...how did you do that?" Xiao Baihe asked in astonishment. Suspending several black-clad assassins in mid-air and rendering them immobile, then causing their bodies to explode, was something that no ordinary superhuman could do. Even in Gu Yue's memory, the most powerful superhumans did not possess such skill.
Zhao Qiang snorted but didn't answer, and walked step by step toward Gu Yue.