Chapter 12 - chapter 12: The confrontation

'' Hmmm?'' hearing him, Young Master Ron hummed with a smirk as he took a glance full of arrogance at the third floor.

'' Get them here for me!'' ordered young Master Ron with a voice full of arrogance and authority.

''Yes, young master,'' Black Five immediately nodded in acknowledgment, his expression solemn and respectful. Without hesitation, he turned and began relaying the orders to the group of black-suited men closest to him, pointing at four of the men with a firm gesture, he commanded, ''You four! Go bring them out!''.

''Yes sire!'' they replied in unison, their voices resonating with a deep, powerful unity that seemed to echo like a dragon's roar. Each of them swiftly moved into action, heading to the building.

At the same time, one of the blackguards brought a fancy chair from somewhere and put it in the center between the entrance of the building and the line of black cars before he respectfully stepped back, returning to his position beside one of the black cars.

Young Master Ron, exuding an air of confidence and superiority, walked towards the chair and gracefully sat down in a Figure-Four leg lock sitting position. He put his left ankle over his right thigh and arrogantly raised his head high as he leaned his upper body very slightly to one side. his gaze sweeping over the surroundings with an air of nonchalant authority. His posture resembled that of a king sitting high up on his throne, casting a condescending look down on his subjects as if they were mere ants.

Behind Young Master Ron stood Black Five, a loyal and imposing figure who was like a shadow, always following him around wherever he goes. Black Five's presence was palpable, his sharp eyes fixated on the entrance of the building, observing the four black-suited men who entered the building.

As the four black-suited men made their way toward the entrance of the residential building, a sense of urgency and tension hung in the air. The residents who had witnessed the arrival of the ominous group of men were now peering out from their windows and doorways, exchanging anxious glances and hushed whispers. The atmosphere in the building had transformed from one of quiet normalcy to one of palpable unease.

Moments later, inside the apartment, while Hu Xian was scared to the point of not even being able to move a muscle by what he had just experienced, his parents were still unaware of what is happening. Inside the kitchen, his mother, Emma was still washing the dishes while the father was currently sitting in the living room, watching a football game.

Bang!

Right at this moment, a bang sound echoed throughout the apartment, breaking its tranquility and startling Hu Bao so hard to the point he jumped out of his seat. He turned around and saw the door of the apartment broken by a man dressed in black with two other men in black behind him. They were of course the four black-suited men who entered the building.

''Who… who are you?'' Hu Bao stammered, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and confusion. His eyes widened with shock and concern when he saw the door to their house being forcefully broken.

"Honey, what's… what's going on? Who… Who are these people?" right then, Emma, who was also startled by the noise, came out of the kitchen, her voice quivering with anxiety.

However, non of the four men paid attention to what they said. the one in the lead made a hand signal for the other three, commanding, ''You two! Get them! And you! Search for the others''.

Hearing what the man said made Hu Bao's heart sink as he realized the gravity of the situation. He glanced at his wife, his expression a mix of concern and panic. "Emma, go! run and call the police'' he said, urging his wife to run while he took a knife from the table, trying to project a sense of strength despite the fear that gnawed at him.

''But…'' Emma, full of doubts and fear, still wanted to say something, however, before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Hu Bao, his voice urgent, ''Hurry!''.

unfurtunitly, before she could even move, one of the men suddenly appeared behind her, moving with an uncanny speed that seemed almost supernatural. It was as if he had teleported behind her in an instant. He raised his hand and, with a swift and precise movement, pinched her on the back of her neck. The effect was almost immediate, unbelievably rendering her unconscious as she collapsed to the ground. The speed and precision of his actions left Hu Bao frozen in shock, his grip on the knife trembling in his trembling hand as he muttered '' Wh…wh…what?!'', his voice stuttering with disbelief and fear.

However, even though the man's abilities that seemed to defy all logic, shattered any sense of safety and normalcy he had held just moments before. He still mustered the courage to call out his wife's name in a desperate plea, ''E… Emma!''. the fear and concern were obvious in his voice.

When he saw his wife laying motionless on the ground, his instinct to protect his wife suddenly kicked in, taking the better out of him. his knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the knife. The rush of emotions within him was overwhelming, fueling a surge of determination to protect his family at any cost.

''Bastard! What did you do to her?'' his voice crackled with a mix of anger and fear as he pointed his still trembling hand that held the knife toward the man who had rendered his wife unconscious.

Seeing Hu Bao's display of bravado and pointing a kitchen knife at him, made the man's lips curve into a cold, almost amused smile. the mere thought that this feeble ant in front of him actually dares to fight back seemed to entertain him, it was as if he were watching a gnat challenging a towering giant.

''Hoh! Even feeble ants are now trying to resist, huh!'' he remarked, his amusement seemingly intensifying.''And what are you trying to do with that child's play?'' he continued, his voice laced with contempt and sadistic enjoyment of the situation.

Hearing the man's voice, which was filled with arrogance and mockery, added to his strong protective instincts, further fueled Hu Bao's anger and Blurred his thinking which in turn affected his judgment of the situation.

''You bastard… die!'' in this moment of blurred judgment, fueled by adrenaline and a rush of emotions, Hu Bao loudly yelled at the man before he lunged forward with the knife in his hand, his aim directed at the man's abdomen.

The man, who had incapacitated Emma with a mere touch, stood motionless, not taking any defensive measures nor trying to dodge Hu Bao's assault at all. He seemed like a statue, unmoving and unaffected, as if he was entirely indifferent to the knife that was about to reach his abdomen.

Just before the knife could pierce through the man's abdomen, he suddenly moved his left hand at lightning speed, stopping the knife with his two fingers. his voice dripped with mockery as he said, ''Tch…futile struggle!''

His fingers were like steel clamps, effortlessly halting the knife's deadly trajectory with casual ease. ''w…what?!'' Hu Bao's eyes widened in shock, his heart pounding in his chest when he saw the knife on which he put all of his strength, being stopped effortlessly by the man with only two bare fingers.

The man's amusement only grew as he effortlessly held the knife between his fingers. With a swift flick of his fingers, he took the knife from Hu Bao's shaking hand, playing with it like a toy.

Hu Bao's hands were now empty, resulting in his bravado being shaken, replaced by an overwhelming sense of dread. He took a step back, his breathing shaky as he stared at the man who had displayed such extraordinary abilities.

As The man's eyes bore into him, his lips curled into an even colder smile full of contempt and mockery as he taunted, ''Scared already?'' his voice dripping with disdain. ''You still haven't seen anything yet!'' he continued. He then applied the slightest pressure, causing the knife that was now in his hand to snap into pieces with a sharp crack.

''This…this! How… how is this possible!'' Hu Bao's eyes widened in disbelief as the pieces of the broken blade fell to the ground. fear mingled with helplessness washed over him, leaving him trembling and vulnerable in complete despair as in that moment he knew that he was facing something beyond his comprehension, a force that could effortlessly overpower him. Upon this realization, he was paralyzed, unable to make another move due to the overwhelming fear he felt toward this unknown force.

''Yes, that's how ants should react! Hhhhh !'' Seeing Hu Bao shaking with fear and despair, made the man laugh out in satisfaction.

''Hurry up! can you afford the consequences of kipping the young master waiting?'' right then, the black-suited man who seemed to be the leader of the four men, and who had initially ordered the capture of everyone in the apartment when they have just broken in, ordered again with a loud voice.

Hearing the order, the man's expression instantly shifted from that of amusement to seriousness. ''Looks like playtime is over, ant,'' he said with a voice that was still full of mockery and disdain as he looked at hu bao. Just as he finished his words, he instantly disappeared from where he was standing, directly appearing in front of Hu Bao, who was already in despair from what he had just experienced.

Hu Bao was unable to react before feeling a powerful punch that seemed to carry the weight of the whole world behind it land on his stomach.

The impact was overwhelming, and a searing pain shot through his abdomen. The force of the blow lifted him off the ground, and he was sent flying backward, crashing against a wall with a loud thud. His vision blurred, and the pain was excruciating, rendering him senseless as he slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Meanwhile, in his room, Hu Xian was still kneeling down, drenched in cold sweat while shaking with fear due to what he had experienced earlier. However, when he heard the loud noises mixed with his father's screams and the man's laughter that came from outside his room, he tried to regain some semblance of control over his trembling limbs.