The cruel reckoning spread silently.

Outside the Sky City Headquarters, within an ancient mansion, Li Yucheng pushed the door open expressionlessly. Seeing the person who had been waiting at the door for a long time, he threw the bag in his hand, "Get lost."

"Sorry to bother you, but it's my duty, please understand."

The person waiting still smiled, bent down to pick up the blood-stained bag on the ground, and surprisingly opened it in Li Yucheng's presence, carefully counting, "One, two, three, four..."

All ten fingers were there.

The bag was closed, and the person waiting still smiled, "Alright, I'll be off now. However, Guardian Lv asked me to convey a message to you—"

He paused, looking at Li Yucheng's cold face, and slowly said, "Children are still softhearted, they compromise themselves for the bigger picture, only taking ten fingers. But next time when the elders of the family come out to uphold justice... it won't be this easy."

With that said, he turned and left.

Behind him, the door slowly closed.

.

.

In Echo Technology's building, there was a cacophony of cries.

Under arrest, one after another of the once-dominant executives or managers were handcuffed, led out of the hall like cattle or horses, and sent into the prison van.

An even more brutal investigation continued, with voices of resistance constantly arising, only to be silenced by gunfire.

Only in Shang Tongwen's office, there was dead silence.

In this pin-drop silence, those cries sounded incredibly clear... even the ruthless comedy gradually playing out outside the window.

Among the towering skyscrapers, on various rooftops, silhouettes trembled, crossing barriers, their tears and snot flowing, or their expressions numb, like walking corpses, stumbling forward, step by step...

Among those unfamiliar faces, there seemed to be a few that were so familiar. And more that he had never even seen.

The faces that appeared in the explosion footage at the chemical plant, the thugs who fled from Cliff City, the leaders who orchestrated it all from behind the scenes, the intermediaries, and even the subordinates under Shang Tongwen who planned it all...

One after another.

In screams, wails, and pleas, they crossed the last step, spread unseen wings, embracing the sky, and even... the ground.

From a distant distance, their shouts and the crisp echoes of landing could not be heard clearly.

But every bloodstained bloom made Shang Tongwen's face and eyes twitch involuntarily.

"Limited by time, this is all I could gather."

A light sigh came from the speaker, filled with indifference and regret, "There could have been more performances, but due to the time constraints, most had to be purified and dealt with on-site, please understand."

Bang!

The wine glass shattered against the screen, cracks spread, severing the vague silhouette that wasn't there.

"Enough!"

Shang Tongwen's eyes were bloodshot, sneering, "It must have taken considerable effort to set up this great show... Lv Yingyue, that mad dog, even now wants to cause trouble for people!

If you want to kill, just do it, why all the nonsense!"

"You seem to have misunderstood, but it doesn't matter."

Isis's voice remained indifferent: "This was not arranged by Guardian Lv. If anything, it's one of the necessary conditions proposed by my master during the signing of the reconciliation agreement between both parties.

No compromises, no exchanges.

If not, it couldn't have been done!

In other words, Mr. Shang... What you've seen is the fireworks display before the final curtain of this slaughter and struggle."

The shattered screen, with star-like flashes creating an arc of what seemed like a smile, so delighted:

"—Including yourself."

Bang!

The outraged gunfire suddenly rang out.

Shang Tongwen continuously pulled the trigger, cursing and shooting the already shattered screen and speaker, until thick smoke caused the screen to fully collapse, and the empty magazine echoed with a soft clatter.

Amidst the slowly dispersing echoes, only heavy panting remained.

In the distance, on a rooftop, the last figure fell with a wail, disappearing.

No, there's one more...

There's still one last!

Now, the time has come.

In the distance, the chimes of a clock sounded.

"My master asked me to tell you—this has nothing to do with justice or victory, it's purely personal vendetta."

The sound from the sparking speaker was fragmented, so cruel: "No matter what happens, you must die."

Only with your death can the necessity of rules be proven.

Only by paying the price can the consequences of not adhering to order be verified.

Only when detestable bastards like you die out completely, will all fools understand—the consequences of breaking the rules in my presence!

"So please, Mr. Shang—"

She said, "If your death can awaken the awe in the hearts of those foolish people, then this is your final contribution to the world."

"You damned dreamer!"

Shang Tongwen could no longer contain himself, stomping on the smoking speaker, throwing the empty gun in his hand, roaring, cursing, screaming, shouting senseless accusations, but unable to dispel the nightmare-like flashes.

On the crack-ridden TV, Isis's eyes reappeared.

Watching coldly.

Letting the caged beast despairingly howl, curse endlessly.

He didn't know how long it had been when distant footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.

He stood there, stunned.

Bending down, hand trembling, picked up the gun from the floor, failed to grasp it, dropped it, then reached out instinctively, holding it tight, as if it were a glowing iron.

Pale face raised, looking at the blinking cruel stars on the screen.

Laughed bitterly.

In his hand, the empty gun was loaded with its final bullet, the trembling muzzle raised, aimed at himself.

Those bloodshot eyes lifted, full of ferocity:

"I'll be waiting for him below—"

"Is that so?"

Those condescending eyes, indifferent, "If there's really a Hell, then lift your head and behold."

In eternal torment and despair, witness how the grand brilliance that your kindling can't reach ascends step by step to the heavens!

Bang!

Shang Tongwen closed his eyes.

Blood mist spurted, and the last body fell skyward.

Flying sparks jumped from the screen, landed on the carpet, a silent flame danced, spread, the rolling smoke engulfed everything.

In the hellish light, all noises eventually subsided into nothingness.

Only applause rang out once again.

From the screen above.

In the venue thousands of miles away, the applause rang again, mixed with cheers and acclaims, filled with enthusiasm.

"...Finally, please allow me once again to express my gratitude to friends present here and those who couldn't attend."

At the end of his few minutes of speech, Ji Jue slowly said, "Now, the end of the Desert Sea Rally is just a short journey in everyone's life.

But I hope, in the not-so-distant future, we can meet again on another path.

I also hope that by then, you can still remember me."

The deep voice echoed in and out of the venue, Ji Jue raised his head, slightly smiled at them, nodded in farewell.

Just like that, stepped down the stage amidst the tidal applause, returning to the crowd.

The generous and impassioned music started, in the intermingling of glasses, the award ceremony continued.

Outside the window, under the bright spring sunshine, everything in the garden was brilliant, as if everything had been reborn. In the breeze, a wisp of faint dust danced silently in mid-air, gradually falling, returning to the soil.

Thus it settled.

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