Chapter 4: Turning the Tables, First Blood
The next morning, Chen Mo walked into Qingcheng International like nothing had happened. No fear. No hesitation. Just another day at the office.
But inside, his mind was running three steps ahead.
Whoever sent those thugs knew he was investigating. That meant playing it safe wasn't an option anymore. If they wanted a fight, he'd give them one—but on his terms.
He started making noise.
In the break room, he "casually" discussed suspicious data patterns with a junior analyst, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. Director Wang walked past. Chen Mo saw his shoulders tense. Good.
Later, he cornered Deputy Finance Director Liu with a few pointed questions about some "irregular transactions." Nothing accusatory—just enough to make the man sweat.
"I'm just trying to understand the flow here, Director Liu. Some of these numbers don't quite add up." Chen Mo smiled pleasantly.
Liu's smile didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sure it's just a clerical error. Our systems aren't perfect."
"Of course. Just doing my job."
By the afternoon, Chen Mo's little performance had made its way through the office grapevine. Exactly as planned.
That evening, he deliberately took a different route home. A street with fewer cameras. More shadows. The perfect spot for an ambush.
His [Danger Sense] hummed softly at the back of his mind.
Two men stepped out from behind a parked van. Baseball bats rested against their shoulders. Cheap leather jackets. Crooked grins.
"You the consultant making trouble for people?" The one with a gold chain stepped forward, twirling his bat lazily. "Word is you don't know when to quit."
Chen Mo's heart hammered, but he kept his voice steady. "Who sent you? Director Wang? Or someone with deeper pockets?"
"Doesn't matter who sent us." The second man moved to block the escape route. "What matters is you wake up tomorrow with a real good reason to find a new job."
The bat swung.
[Emergency combat protocol activated! Temporary skill granted: [Basic Combat]. Duration: 3 minutes.]
Heat flooded Chen Mo's limbs. His body moved before his brain caught up.
He sidestepped the first swing—barely—feeling the air whistle past his ear. His arm snapped out, elbow slamming into the guy's ribs. The man gasped, folded. Chen Mo followed through with a kick to the back of his knee. He went down hard, bat clattering on the pavement.
Gold Chain stared, eyes wide. "What the—"
Chen Mo scooped up the fallen bat, spun, and cracked it across Gold Chain's forearm. The impact sent a jolt up his arm. Bone met metal. The man screamed, dropping his own weapon.
Chen Mo stood over them, chest heaving, bat held loose at his side. His voice came out low, steady, dangerous. "You tell whoever sent you that if they want to play games? I play for keeps. Next time, I won't pull punches."
The two men scrambled to their feet, clutching their injuries, and ran. Their footsteps faded into the darkness.
The moment they were gone, Chen Mo's legs nearly gave out. He leaned against the wall, gulping air, heart pounding.
Holy shit. He'd just fought off two guys with baseball bats.
[Temporary combat skill deactivated. Host status: Mild physical strain. No serious injuries detected.]
He barely heard the system. His mind was already racing ahead.
They'd tried to scare him. They'd failed. And now—now he had leverage.
He pulled out his phone, dialed.
Li Bingyan picked up on the second ring. Her voice was cool, but there was something underneath. Curiosity? Concern? "It's late, Mr. Chen."
"I had visitors tonight." He kept his voice calm, professional. "Baseball bats. Friendly chat about quitting. I think we're getting close to something they don't want found."
A long pause. When Li Bingyan spoke again, her voice was quieter. "Are you hurt?"
"No. But they showed their hand." He straightened up, feeling the adrenaline fade into a cold, clear focus. "They're scared. Which means we're on the right track. I need you to play along with something tomorrow."
"What do you need?"
Chen Mo smiled into the darkness. "To smoke out the real rat."
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End of Chapter 4