Chapter Forty-Five: Resolving Troubles

Knock, knock, knock!

The sound of knocking echoed through the room.

Fang Tang was sitting on the sofa, handling some orders. He paused for a moment, looking toward the door. Through the glass, he could make out a woman with delicate features and a graceful figure.

She was, in short, exactly the type to please the eye.

Yet, even from a distance, he could see that her face was pale, her expression conflicted. She kept her head bowed, not daring to look at anything inside the room.

“Can I help you?” Fang Tang opened the door and asked coldly.

As soon as the woman saw Fang Tang appear, her expression changed. She glanced back at her two companions, noticing that both were watching from a distance. A hint of anger flashed across her face, but she said nothing.

She dared not voice her indignation.

Biting her lip, she forced a smile and tried to soften her tone. “Could we talk for a moment?”

“If you have something to say, you can say it here,” Fang Tang replied flatly, refusing her without a second thought.

The woman’s lips parted as if to protest. “I don’t have any weapons on me, not even a small knife. I came here of my own accord, and I mean that sincerely.”

Fang Tang narrowed his eyes, his gaze sliding past her to the two men in the distance, a chill settling over his features. Something shifted in his heart, and the corner of his lips twitched in a faint, sly smile. He stepped aside, leaving the door open.

A flicker of relief crossed the woman’s face. “Thank you!”

He closed the door with a click, locked it, and turned back to her.

“Strip.”

“What?” The woman froze, color draining from her face. She glanced nervously at the locked door, anger flaring in her eyes.

“What are you trying to do?” she demanded.

Fang Tang’s voice was as cold as ever. “You people want to target me, yet you don’t want to pay any price. Don’t you think that’s a bit greedy?”

“It’s not me—it’s them who want your supplies. I was against it.” She drew a deep breath, as if bracing herself for something. “I’m just a woman in this group. I have no real standing. I have no choice but to obey. If you help me, I’ll agree to anything.”

Fang Tang laughed.

His smile was mocking, his eyes gleaming with derision. He reached out, tracing a finger slowly down the woman’s face, his touch utterly devoid of warmth. “You say you have no status in your team?”

As his fingertip slid lower, the woman’s body tensed, trembling as if in pain.

“Mm…” she murmured faintly, closing her eyes in resignation.

Fang Tang’s smile faded. His finger stopped at her jaw, and his hand closed around her throat like a claw. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, “But then, why weren’t you the first one sent to check things out?”

The woman swallowed hard. “Chen Yang has a gun. He’s trained in hand-to-hand combat. Usually, it’s him who scouts for information.”

“Oh, is that so?” Fang Tang’s grip tightened, his gaze fixed steadily on her.

The woman struggled, mouth open, clutching his arm with both hands. Her voice was muffled. “I didn’t lie to you. They sent me to seduce you, to find out how strong you are.”

Fang Tang ignored her, tightening his grip even further. His expression didn’t waver.

Only when her face turned purple and her arms went limp did he finally let go.

She collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, eyes blazing with rage.

“At least you’re still capable of anger,” Fang Tang remarked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she snapped, glaring at him, baffled by his intentions.

“To survive here, you must treat this place as the end of the world. Relying on others will only get you killed. Only by growing stronger can you live. Don’t you understand even this? How did you make it this far?” Fang Tang looked down at her, his voice cold.

The woman seemed wounded by his words, her resentment rising. “I’m a woman. Besides my looks, what else do I have? I can’t compete with men in strength or skill. How can I fight back?”

“Foolish.” Fang Tang sneered, refusing to argue further. He returned to the sofa. “Tell me, what do those two have on them?”

She glanced at him, still sitting on the floor. “You want to make a move against them?”

“At least you’re not hopeless,” Fang Tang nodded. “Before you act, you’d better be ready for the consequences. Robbery can cost you your life.”

“They have guns, and they just made a deal with Fang Tang. They’re about to get bulletproof vests. With just a knife, I’m afraid you can’t beat them.”

“Oh?” A strange look flashed across Fang Tang’s face.

Bulletproof vests?

He pulled three vests from the newspaper and tossed them onto the table. “Is this your order?”

The woman froze, then her expression shifted to one of utter shock.

Pointing at Fang Tang, her voice trembled. “You… you’re Fang Tang?”

“Is there anyone else by that name?” he replied with a shrug and a sly smile. “So, you plan to use my own products against me?”

She was still reeling, nodding numbly.

Fang Tang smiled faintly, put the vests up for sale, and sent the link to the person who had placed the order. “Do you really think I’d make bulletproof vests without having a way to counter them?”

The woman stared at him blankly, unable to comprehend.

Did he have a weapon more powerful than a gun?

Ignoring her, Fang Tang collected three elemental stones as payment, completed the order, and put the newspaper away. He stood, drew a powerful bow from behind his back, nocked an arrow, and strode outside.

The two men were already donning their bulletproof vests, approaching him step by step.

Without a word, Fang Tang drew the bow, aiming at the older of the two.

From what the woman had said, this man was the leader; Chen Yang was merely a follower.

Deal with the leader first.

Thwack!

The black arrow absorbed the electric current and whistled toward its target.

Seeing Fang Tang approach with a bow, the man sneered, turning to Chen Yang. “A bow? That’s nothing compared to a gun. And we’re wearing—”

He never finished the sentence. The explosive bow pierced the vest and struck him squarely in the chest.

A moment later, an electric net unfurled, enveloping the man—and even catching Chen Yang beside him.

But Chen Yang, at least, had some training. He rolled aside instinctively, only grazing the edge of the net. Even so, the shock left him twitching all over.

It all happened in an instant. As soon as Chen Yang steadied himself, he saw his companion’s charred corpse collapse to the ground, a black arrow still lodged in his chest.

Stunned, Chen Yang looked in horror at Fang Tang.

But Fang Tang had already drawn another arrow, the tip aimed directly at him.

There was no escape.

Chen Yang knew from experience that no ordinary person could dodge such a shot, not even with training.

“No, wait—I didn’t—”

He didn’t finish. A chill bloomed in his chest as he looked down, seeing only the glow of the electric net spreading across him.

With both men dealt with, Fang Tang turned to the woman.

“So this is your team’s strength?”

She was utterly dumbfounded, staring at her two scorched companions, overwhelmed by a sense of having narrowly escaped death.

Fang Tang crouched beside her and spoke softly, “I saved your life. How will you repay me?”