Chapter 124 - 104: Ascending to the Pinnacle

Li Chang’an’s voice snapped many of those present to attention.

The board members said nothing, adopting the air of spectators eager to watch a good show.

After all, to them, this was an internal matter of the Charles family. Besides, Charles had just promised them he could reclaim authority over the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team.

And now, Li Chang’an had delivered himself to their doorstep.

They were rather curious to see what tricks Charles had up his sleeve.

Charles didn’t respond to the topic directly. After staring at Li Chang’an for a long while, he sighed and said, "It seems you really are completely out of control. In that case, let me scrap you with my own hands!"

In any case, for Li Chang’an to show up at the company headquarters alone was a golden opportunity for Charles. It would allow him to establish his authority at the board meeting without much effort.

He just needed to personally crush a chess piece he had long since abandoned.

He took a vial from his pocket, then turned and jabbed it into one of his personal bodyguards behind him, saying flatly, "Control him!"

After the potion was injected, the bodyguard transformed into a grotesque monster, his entire body swelling up significantly as he lunged at Li Chang’an.

Seeing him pounce, Anna, who was by Li Chang’an’s side, raised her shapely brows. She took a step forward and said in a low voice, "Flames... Bloom!"

Her voice was like a silver bell ringing in the dead of night, sounding clear and cool in the empty meeting room.

However, the flames and heat that bloomed from her palm made everyone feel a searing pain and scorching heat rush toward them.

WHOOSH!

The grotesque monster, engulfed in flames, let out a roar. Its skin cracked inch by inch like porcelain, but its charge didn’t slow. Instead, it rushed forward with even greater speed.

The fire in Anna’s eyes burned brighter. She brought her five fingers together, and a seemingly endless torrent of flames formed a wall that was almost solid.

BANG!

The monster crashed into the wall of fire, making it tremble. Wisps of flame shot out in all directions like scattered dandelion seeds.

Anna grunted and took two steps back.

But she still managed to withstand the monster’s charge.

’Tier Three... No, a Tier Three Peak Transcendent!’

All the surrounding board members were shocked. They couldn’t help but look at the girl who was almost unreasonably powerful.

’Where on earth did Little Charles find such a young Tier Three Peak Transcendent?’

Charles was clearly a little surprised too, but only a little. He once again took out a vial and injected it into another person.

After being injected with the potion, that person also turned into a ferocious-looking monster and lunged at Anna.

Although the two monsters were in the bodies of ordinary people, under the catalysis of the Genetic Potion—sparing no cost—they could erupt with power comparable to a Tier Three, or even higher, Transcendent for a short time.

They had no fear of death and no rationality beyond tearing apart any enemy designated by their master. Their beast-like attacks soon had Anna falling back step by step.

However, her small, slender body always remained in front of Li Chang’an, attempting to shield him from all external threats.

...

Not far away, upon seeing Anna’s beautiful and delicate face, a thick wave of jealousy and anger flashed through Bob’s heart for some reason.

He looked at Anna greedily, then shifted his gaze to Li Chang’an and taunted, "Are you just a coward who only dares to stand behind a girl?"

Li Chang’an ignored him, his eyes still as calm and indifferent as ever.

Seeing that Li Chang’an was ignoring him, the anger in Bob’s heart clearly intensified.

He glanced furtively at his father, the elder Charles. After seeing his father watching him with a blank expression, he was suddenly galvanized. Under the somewhat confused gazes of the crowd, he took two or three quick steps, grabbed a steak knife from the table, and grit his teeth as he cut his palm open.

Blood dripped down. Bob swung one hand and roared, "Get over here! I’m going to show you what true Extraordinary is!"

As his voice fell, an astonishing scene unfolded.

—Charles had actually snatched Li Chang’an out from behind Anna, pulling him through the air!

Watching Li Chang’an get closer and closer, Bob’s eyes filled with contempt and savagery. He couldn’t help but laugh, a little manically, "I know you’re a Transcendent too, and a powerful one at that. But did you ever think that if Father could create you, he wouldn’t have a way to guard against you going berserk and losing control?"

Before his voice had even faded, he flicked the blood dripping from his hand onto Li Chang’an and laughed maniacally, "My blood is the weapon Father uses to control you! As long as you’re tainted by my blood, even just a single drop, your Extraordinary Power will be nullified, and you’ll become completely and utterly useless!"

Without a doubt, Bob was insufferably arrogant at this moment.

’This board meeting is the stage Father built for my grand debut, and the old geezers on the board are the audience witnessing my performance... ’

’And Li Chang’an is the clown destined from birth to be my stepping stone!’

’As long as I can kill Li Chang’an with my own hands today, everything he possesses will become mine! Bob’s!’

’Including the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team.’

’Including the fame and popularity Li Chang’an built up in Night City for so long...’

’And also including that beautiful girl, a Princess from a fairy tale destined to marry the prince!’

’Everything is so wonderful, the timing so perfect!’

However, just as Bob thought he was about to take the stage and control everything, a cold voice, like an eternal, unchanging iceberg, mercilessly shattered his fantasy.

Suddenly, Li Chang’an was in front of him. He had raised an arm and seized Bob’s throat as if grabbing a chick, and said flatly, "What were you blabbering about? I didn’t quite hear you."

Feeling the terrifying force crushing his throat, Bob’s eyes widened involuntarily. He desperately tried to use his rare Spiritual System Extraordinary Power to break free.

But no matter how he struggled, the hand remained as motionless as an iron clamp.

Bob struggled for a long while, gurgling, before saying with a face full of disbelief, "Your Extraordinary... Extraordinary Power... it wasn’t nullified? Th-this... how is this possible?"

Li Chang’an chuckled contemptuously. "Heh, you think I need to use an Extraordinary Ability to kill you? You really think too highly of yourself!"

He didn’t kill Bob outright. Instead, he crushed his throat and tossed him aside casually, his gaze once again turning to Charles. "Father, if you have any other tricks, you’d better use them now. Otherwise, you won’t get another chance."

Looking at Li Chang’an, who acted as if nothing had happened, then at the blood from Bob on his skin, and then at Bob, who was lying on the ground, his body contorted from asphyxiation, Charles’s eyelids trembled. After a long moment, he finally spoke, "Why weren’t you affected by Bob? This is impossible!"

Just as Bob had said, when Charles first created Li Chang’an, he had left some backdoors in his genes, precisely to prevent Li Chang’an from later escaping his control.

Logically, under the influence of these backdoors, as soon as Li Chang’an touched Bob’s blood, his Extraordinary Power should have been sealed, turning him into a complete and utter cripple.

This was also the biggest reason why Charles had never treated Li Chang’an as a person and, more importantly, never feared him losing control.

Because whenever he wanted, he could take back everything Li Chang’an possessed—not just his power and position, but also his life and everything else.

But now, when he had played this trump card, Li Chang’an didn’t react as expected.

At least, judging by his current aura, he didn’t seem affected by the blood at all.

Seeing the utter disbelief in Charles’s eyes, Li Chang’an glanced at the blood Bob had dripped on him and smiled. "Oh? So you were talking about those genetic defects? I found and fixed those years ago."

He approached Charles step by step, continuing as he walked, "I was quite curious back then why someone as perfect as me would have genetic defects. So this was the backup plan you prepared, Father... If this is the only trump card you had ready, then it seems I overestimated you."

His tone was extremely relaxed as he spoke.

But the psychological pressure he exerted on everyone present was like that of a predator on its prey, making them tremble uncontrollably.

This description might seem ridiculous. After all, who among those present at this board meeting wasn’t a figure standing at the pinnacle of world power?

Every one of them was a predator among predators.

And yet, before Li Chang’an at this very moment, they all couldn’t help but feel this way. They didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly, terrified of attracting the attention of this god of slaughter.

Watching Li Chang’an approach step by step, Charles said, "What do you want? I can disown Bob and make you the heir again!"

Seeing that Li Chang’an still showed no sign of stopping, a cold sweat finally broke out on Charles’s forehead. He continued, "After I make you the heir, I will immediately step down as chairman of the group and hand the company over to you!"

Only then did Li Chang’an stop walking.

Seeing this, Charles let out a heavy sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face.

’I truly never imagined Li Chang’an would be unaffected by Bob’s blood, so I haven’t made sufficient preparations today. I can only try to placate him for now.’

’As long as I can get through this, I can immediately mobilize the entire company’s resources to kill Li Chang’an for good!’

However, he had just opened his mouth, about to say something.

The steak knife Bob had used to cut his hand earlier was now somehow protruding from Charles’s chest. Li Chang’an said flatly, "The things I want, I will take for myself. I have no need for you to give them to me."

Charles clearly hadn’t expected this. He stumbled back two steps, pulled a light-blue vial from his pocket, and tried to jab it into himself.

Li Chang’an unceremoniously snatched the vial from his hand and said with a chuckle, "Such an expensive potion. Every single vial is a precious asset of the company. It would be a waste to use it on a piece of trash like you. I’d better hold on to it for you!"

Charles had never dreamed he would die at the hands of a "son" he had never even deigned to look at properly. His face was now a mask of indignation.

But without the potion and with no one daring to help him, no matter how many life-saving tricks he had up his sleeve, he had no way to use them.

After killing Charles with nonchalant ease, Li Chang’an turned his head to look at the board members, whose faces had long since gone deathly pale. He asked, "What just happened?"

The board members glanced at Li Chang’an, then at Charles’s body on the floor. They swallowed involuntarily and shook their heads. "Nothing happened!"

Li Chang’an was clearly not satisfied with this answer. He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing happened?"

Sensing the added weight in his tone, the faces of the board members changed drastically. As if suddenly remembering something, they jolted as if waking from a dream and hurriedly said, "At this board meeting, Charles announced that he was deposing Bob as heir and reinstating you as the heir to the Yunxiao Group. Then..."

At this point, they all wracked their brains, clearly unsure how to plausibly continue the story.

It had to be said, the guys who managed to become group directors were no slouches. A Eureka Moment soon struck one of them, and he continued, "After saying all that, Charles accidentally slipped while eating, and a knife pierced his heart, killing him instantly... Yes, his heart was pierced, and he died on the spot!"

Only then did Li Chang’an nod in satisfaction.

After wiping the blood from his suit, he got up and walked to the meeting room door. "I’ll have to trouble you to stay here a little longer. I’m going out to take care of something. Once I’m done, you can all go home."

With that, he closed the door to the meeting room, leaving Anna inside to stand guard over the group of powerful board members.

...