The crisp morning sunlight finally spread across the city.
Standing before the mirror, Mu Chen adjusted his expensive formal suit one last time as he prepared to leave for the high-society engagement banquet.
The apartment was unusually quiet.
Inside his room, Han Ji Shen remained fast asleep, still recovering from the previous night’s heavy drinking.
As Mu Chen reached the front door, he raised his voice toward the back of the apartment.
Mu Chen: “Lan Hai! Make sure you arrive at the venue on time! Don’t you dare be late!”
A calm voice echoed from inside one of the rooms.
Lan Hai: “Understood.”
The moment the security door clicked shut behind Mu Chen, Lan Hai slowly rose from his bed.
With calm, deliberate steps, he walked toward the portrait of his late mother, Lan Xiuan, hanging quietly on the wall.
Standing before it, he gazed deeply into her gentle eyes as an unprecedented sense of clarity filled his heart.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Lan Hai: “Thank you, Mother… Thank you for clearing the darkness in my heart and showing me the right path.”
Within minutes, Lan Hai stood before the mirror, fully prepared for the battle ahead.
He wore a perfectly tailored black formal suit that complemented his tall, athletic frame.
Reaching into a small velvet box, he carefully took out the final heirloom his mother had left behind—a cherished ring.
Without hesitation, he slipped it onto his finger.
The instant he did, an unshakable confidence radiated from his entire being.
Without another glance back, Lan Hai walked out of the apartment and headed straight for the elite Grand Banquet Hall.
The moment he stepped inside the magnificent banquet hall, he was greeted by a dazzling display of luxury.
Towering crystal chandeliers illuminated the grand venue as hundreds of wealthy aristocrats, influential businessmen, and powerful corporate leaders mingled elegantly beneath them.
Lan Hai’s sharp eyes calmly swept across the crowd.
Almost instantly, they found the person he had come for.
There she stood.
Xia Qinue.
She wore a breathtaking gown that made her look like a celestial maiden who had descended into the mortal world.
Yet despite her stunning beauty…
There wasn’t the slightest trace of happiness on her face.
The light had completely disappeared from her eyes.
Lan Hai quietly made his way through the sea of distinguished guests until he finally stopped directly behind her.
He gently called her name.
Lan Hai: “Qinue…”
Hearing the familiar voice, Xia Qinue immediately turned around.
The moment her eyes met Lan Hai’s handsome figure dressed in the black suit, hope instantly returned to her tear-filled eyes.
Her lips trembled.
Xia Qinue: “Y-You… you actually came?”
Lan Hai didn’t answer.
Ignoring the countless eyes fixed upon them, he stepped forward without the slightest hesitation and pulled her tightly into his arms.
His embrace was firm.
Protective.
Resolute.
Leaning close to her ear, he whispered in a calm yet unwavering voice,
Lan Hai: “I want to spend the rest of my life by your side.”
“I’m never letting you go.”
Xia Qinue’s body trembled violently.
She slowly pulled herself back just enough to look into his eyes, disbelief written all over her face.
Her voice shook.
Xia Qinue: “W-What are you saying…?”
She glanced anxiously around the banquet hall.
Xia Qinue: “Look around us… Today is my official engagement ceremony.”
A furious roar suddenly shattered the silence.
Hua Tian: “You bastard! Is it your life’s mission to keep stealing what rightfully belongs to me?!”
An arrogant, rage-filled voice thundered across the banquet hall.
Hua Tian stormed through the crowd, his face twisted with fury.
Following closely behind him were five massive, heavily built elite bodyguards.
The moment he reached them, he violently shoved Lan Hai in the chest.
Hua Tian: “The last time we met, you dared to kiss her. And now, on the day of our engagement, you have the audacity to embrace her in front of the entire high society?! How dare a pathetic street beggar like you show me such disrespect?!”
Consumed by rage, Hua Tian grabbed Xia Qinue’s delicate wrist and forcefully dragged her away.
At the same time, he barked an order to his bodyguards.
Hua Tian: “Beat this pathetic insect until he’s nothing more than a bloody pulp! I’m heading to the rooftop banquet to greet the main guests.”
The five bodyguards immediately surrounded Lan Hai, forming a tight circle that blocked every possible escape route.
Cracking their knuckles, they stared at him with cruel smiles.
Bodyguards: “Stay exactly where you are, boy. If you dare take even one more step, we’ll break every bone in your body.”
Lan Hai slowly brought his palms together in a calm, respectful gesture.
His voice remained composed.
Lan Hai: “Please… step aside and let me pass. I ask this with complete sincerity.”
The bodyguards didn’t move.
Without another glance at Lan Hai, Hua Tian continued dragging the struggling Xia Qinue up the grand staircase toward the exclusive rooftop banquet.
The moment he pushed open the massive double doors leading to the rooftop…
Every distinguished guest looked over in surprise.
Seeing the groom dragging the bride so violently instantly disturbed the festive atmosphere.
The patriarch of the Xia Family, Xia Zhang, immediately stepped forward.
His expression darkened as he roared in anger.
Xia Zhang: “Hua Tian! What is the meaning of this outrageous behavior?! Why are you dragging my daughter around in front of everyone like this?!”
Completely consumed by fury, Hua Tian shouted at the top of his lungs.
Hua Tian: “Your daughter has completely disgraced me!”
“The last time we met, she publicly kissed that worthless street rat, Lan Hai!”
His eyes burned with madness.
Hua Tian: “I swear to you… if she ever humiliates me like this again…”
“…I’ll kill her myself!”
Only minutes earlier…
While Hua Tian headed upstairs with Xia Qinue, Lan Hai remained surrounded by the elite security team.
He calmly looked the lead bodyguard straight in the eyes.
His voice was frighteningly steady.
Lan Hai: “Listen carefully.”
“The woman who just walked up those stairs is the person I love more than my own life.”
“There isn’t a single force on this planet capable of stopping me from reaching her.”
The lead bodyguard burst into mocking laughter as he flexed his massive arms.
Head Bodyguard: “Our orders from the Hua Family are crystal clear.”
“Your pathetic body stays right here. You won’t move a single inch until the engagement ceremony is over.”
Lan Hai slowly clenched his fists.
His knuckles turned white.
Then he gave one final warning.
Lan Hai: “I’ll only say this once.”
The head bodyguard smirked.
Head Bodyguard: “Oh?”
“And why only once, street rat?”
Lan Hai’s eyes turned ice cold.
Lan Hai: “Because after this…”
“…you won’t have the strength left to understand a second warning.”
The instant the words left his lips, Lan Hai exploded into motion.
Like a bolt of lightning, he launched himself into the air and executed a flawless flying kick.
BOOM!
His foot slammed directly into the lead bodyguard’s chest with devastating force.
The massive man was sent hurtling backward like a cannonball before crashing violently into a thick concrete pillar.
BANG!
The pillar trembled from the impact as the bodyguard collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Before anyone else could react, a second bodyguard lunged at Lan Hai.
Lan Hai’s reflexes were far faster.
He ducked beneath the incoming punch and drove a lightning-fast fist straight into the man’s jaw.
CRACK!
The sound of breaking bone echoed through the hall as the bodyguard’s jaw fractured instantly.
He collapsed before he even had the chance to scream.
Seeing two of their companions defeated in the blink of an eye, the remaining three bodyguards attacked together from different directions.
Heavy punches came crashing toward Lan Hai simultaneously.
His expression remained calm.
With flawless precision, he deflected each incoming arm before instantly closing the distance.
Using a perfect grappling technique, he seized their balance and unleashed a devastating Judo throw.
BOOM!
All three massive bodies were violently slammed face-first into the polished marble floor.
The entire hall shook beneath the impact.Groans of pain echoed as none of them could stand back up.
Lan Hai stood over the fallen men, his expression cold and emotionless.
His icy gaze swept across their battered bodies.
Lan Hai: “Didn’t I clearly tell you…”
“…that you wouldn’t have the strength left to understand a second warning?”
The last two bodyguards, who had stayed back until now, froze where they stood.
Their eyes widened in horror.
Their legs trembled uncontrollably.
Lan Hai slowly turned his gaze toward them.
His calm expression was far more terrifying than anger.
Lan Hai: “So…”
“Do the two of you wish to join your friends on the floor…”
“…or would you rather use your remaining legs to carry them to the nearest hospital?”
The two bodyguards immediately threw up both hands in surrender.
Their heads shook like rattles.
Bodyguards: “N-No!”
“No fighting, sir!”
“We’ll take them to the hospital immediately!”
Without wasting another second, they hurried over, grabbed their unconscious companions, and rushed away as fast as they could.
With the path finally cleared…
Lan Hai turned and sprinted toward the grand staircase.
However…
The instant his foot landed on the very first step.
A massive hand suddenly grabbed the collar of his suit from behind.
Before he could react, his entire body was effortlessly lifted into the air like a rag doll.
The next moment—
BAM!
Lan Hai was hurled violently across the hall.
His body slammed into a solid concrete wall with terrifying force.The impact smashed the back of his head against the stone.
Blood immediately streamed down the side of his face.
Grimacing in pain, Lan Hai slowly pushed himself back onto his feet, clutching his throbbing head.
A sarcastic smile appeared on his bloodstained face.
Lan Hai: “No wonder those pathetic guards were defeated so easily…”
Standing before Lan Hai was a mountain of a man.
The monstrous bodyguard towered over seven feet tall, his massive frame packed with explosive muscle.
He looked less like a human and more like a walking fortress.
The moment Lan Hai saw him, a sarcastic laugh escaped his bloodstained lips.
Lan Hai: “Good grief… what prehistoric laboratory did they dig this giant beast out of?”
Without saying a word, the seven-foot giant charged forward with astonishing speed.
His enormous fist tore through the air with enough force to shatter concrete.
Lan Hai reacted instantly, ducking beneath the devastating punch.
However, what followed was a brutally one-sided exchange.
The giant completely overwhelmed him through sheer physical strength.
Closing the distance in an instant, he wrapped both arms around Lan Hai’s waist and effortlessly lifted him off the ground.
Before Lan Hai could struggle free—
BAM!
The giant violently slammed him spine-first into the concrete wall.
CRACK!
A painful snap echoed through the hall.
Lan Hai’s entire body convulsed as he coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood.
His breathing stopped for a moment before he collapsed onto one knee, clutching his chest in agony.
Lan Hai: (Gasping painfully.) “Damn it… that absolute monster just broke one of my ribs…”
The giant slowly advanced, his enormous shadow swallowing Lan Hai whole.
It was obvious he intended to finish the fight with his next attack.
As Lan Hai struggled to catch his breath, his frantic eyes swept across the surroundings.
Suddenly, they locked onto something lying near a fire extinguisher—a massive industrial hammer.
A cold smile slowly spread across his bloodstained face.
Lan Hai: “So what if you’re built like a mountain… I’ve spent my entire life learning how to deal with wild beasts exactly like you.”
The giant stopped a few steps away and looked down at him with complete disdain.
His deep voice rumbled like thunder.
Giant Bodyguard: “Pathetic insect… You actually believed defeating a few ordinary guards made you a great martial artist?”
The moment the giant stepped within striking distance, Lan Hai exploded into motion.
Gripping the heavy hammer with both hands, he poured every ounce of strength into a vicious upward swing.
CRUNCH!
The iron hammer smashed directly into the giant’s jaw and nose.
Bone shattered instantly.
Blood erupted from the giant’s nose as his enormous body staggered backward in a daze.
Lan Hai refused to give him even a single second to recover.
Charging forward with relentless momentum, he swung the hammer again.
CRACK!
The second strike slammed into the giant’s shoulder joint, instantly dislocating his arm.
Without slowing down, Lan Hai spun his body and delivered a third devastating blow straight into both kneecaps.
THUD!
The seven-foot titan collapsed like a falling mountain, his unconscious body crashing heavily onto the floor.
Breathing heavily as blood continued to drip from his forehead, Lan Hai casually rested the massive hammer across his shoulder and looked down at the fallen giant with icy eyes.
Lan Hai: “You should be grateful that I chose to hold back today… otherwise, I would’ve personally dragged your soul straight into the depths of Hell.”
Without another glance, he tightened his grip around the bloodstained hammer.
His suit was soaked in blood, and crimson trickled steadily down his forehead.
Yet his steps never faltered.
With unwavering determination, he marched straight toward the rooftop banquet hall.
Back in the present, Lan Hai stood at the entrance of the rooftop banquet, breathing heavily as he forced his way through the frozen crowd of aristocrats.
Completely ignoring the gasps of horror that followed his bloodstained appearance, he ran straight toward Xia Qinue and, without the slightest hesitation, pulled her tightly into his arms once again, wrapping her in a fierce, protective embrace.
Hua Tian’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot with fury.
Consumed by rage, he charged forward in a desperate attempt to tear Xia Qinue away from Lan Hai.
However, before his hand could even touch her gown, Lan Hai’s arm flashed through the air like a bolt of lightning.
Still gripping the heavy industrial hammer in his other hand—
CHATAAK!
A thunderous slap landed squarely across Hua Tian’s face.
The sheer force behind the strike echoed across the entire rooftop like a gunshot.
For a single heartbeat…
The entire banquet fell into absolute silence.
Every aristocrat.
Every business tycoon.
Every member of the Xia Family.
Every member of the Hua Family.
Stood completely frozen.
No one could believe what they had just witnessed.
Lan Hai slowly lowered his hand as blood continued to trickle from the wound on his forehead, staining his handsome face crimson.
His eyes were completely bloodshot, overflowing with a terrifying, murderous intent as they locked onto Hua Tian.
His voice remained calm.
Yet every single word carried a chilling killing intent.
Lan Hai: “If you ever dare lay a single finger on Qinue again…”
He tightened his grip around the heavy hammer resting at his side.
Lan Hai: “I won’t just break your limbs…”
His cold gaze pierced straight through Hua Tian’s soul.
Lan Hai: “…I’ll personally tear them from your body by the roots.”
The rooftop remained deathly silent.
Not a single person dared utter a word.