But no matter how much he composed himself, his rage could not be concealed.

"I really want to know which noble family this little guy belongs to. I don't want to teach him a lesson on behalf of his parents just to have some old folks spring up!"

"HEH HEH HEH, although we dare not kill the scions of the Federation's influential families, if we really mess with him, are we supposed to fear those old guys? ..."

Apparently, they weren't completely ignorant of Wang Zhan's data and background. At the very least, they had their own estimates about the power hidden behind Wang Zhan. The middle-aged man's derisive words to Wang Zhan were clearly an attempt at provocation. He might enjoy provoking others, but it was too much when someone tried to act high and mighty on his turf. Consequently, even the middle-aged man's face darkened instantly. He coldly said to Wang Zhan, "Kid, do you even understand what you're saying!"

This was the first time since becoming a Martial King that he had encountered such a gravely disrespectful youth. He could dismiss Yao Yao previously; after all, he was a significant figure in the lower levels of Ming State Underground City and couldn't be bothered to haggle with such an insignificant woman. But he never expected such an insignificant boy to dismiss him so lightly.

Did he think that mastering some enigmatic mental technique gave him the power to obstruct a formidable Martial King? This was utterly audacious! He was a Martial King, a true and genuine king of martial arts, a powerhouse who had advanced further, standing on the shoulders of giants! What right did Wang Zhan have to treat him with such disdain? Moreover, even geniuses were few and far between. Therefore, the middle-aged man found it utterly unbelievable that two powerful Martial King-level individuals, both outstanding geniuses, could suddenly emerge in his own territory. This would be impossible even in any of the Federation's Martial Arts Academies, including the Four Greats! Thus, in the middle-aged man's eyes, Wang Zhan's arrogance was simply a death wish! He was provoking a Giant Beast whose depths ordinary Martial Artists could never fathom, all while appearing incredibly naive.

However, how could he know? The Federation's geniuses were indeed few and far between, and they typically came from either the Federation itself or the Four Greats. But ironically, Wang Zhan was, through and through, an exchange student from the Four Greats, even though he hadn't attended a single day of classes there yet. However, this didn't diminish his status in the slightest. Similarly, Yao Yao came precisely from the Federation. Furthermore, she hailed from one of the Federation's directly affiliated institutions—the Federation Science Institute! She was a key figure and a shining prospect within the Federation Science Institute, embodying the future potential it could achieve. One of them had captured the full attention of the Federation's Four Greats, a testament to his strength. The other had steadily risen through the ranks of the Federation Science Institute. Having repeatedly undergone treatments with various genetic modification agents, her inherent potential seemed boundless, constantly fueling her growth. This naturally proved her talent. Therefore, they weren't merely geniuses who had appeared out of nowhere; they were genuinely formidable figures of the younger generation, the kind seen only once in a century. Especially Wang Zhan, who had once featured in many seemingly insignificant yet memorable moments for many young people in the Federation.

Of course, if this middle-aged man—who was clearly Boss Chen's younger brother—surfed the internet like a young person instead of behaving like an old fogey, he might have understood just how far off his speculations about Yao Yao and Wang Zhan truly were. He would then naturally grasp the unpredictable predicament he would face after rejecting Wang Zhan's gesture of goodwill.

But it seemed the situation had now become irrevocable. Because Wang Zhan's disrespect towards a Martial King had clearly enraged these 'big rats' lurking in a corner of the Underground City. Similarly, the faint, dismissive contempt in Wang Zhan's eyes as he met the middle-aged man's suddenly frigid stare was palpable to the onlookers. Then, he nonchalantly smiled at the middle-aged man and said, "You will understand soon!"

Immediately, Wang Zhan looked around and directed his gaze back to Boss Chen. "Boss Chen, I'm not interested in the affairs between you and your brother, nor am I interested in what you've been through. However, I am curious: now that you have the option to join them and immediately gain the power to break free from my influence, what choice will you make?"

There was no need to pretend. Even though the fiercely imposing men around them remained hidden in the shadows, waiting for their leader to make a move or for a response from Boss Chen beside Wang Zhan, Wang Zhan could see it all clearly. There were four Martial Kings in the surroundings. Although all four were low-rank Martial Kings, none of them, including Boss Chen's brother, was to be trifled with. Furthermore, there were also numerous Grandmaster-level individuals present—a stark contrast to the Quan State Underground City. The latent power of such an enormous Underground City was evident. So, Wang Zhan was genuinely curious about Boss Chen's choice and was preparing to see which side he would fall on.

Of course, Wang Zhan behaved this way because he already had a well-thought-out plan. In fact, just as when he went to Quan State, Wang Zhan was confident he could smoothly achieve his objectives as soon as he arrived. The same was true of Ming State City now. Now that all these 'big rats' had revealed themselves to him, how could Wang Zhan, who was known for taking his cut from every situation, possibly let them leave so easily?

But he also knew very well. One can never truly know another's heart, and besides, the means he had used to draw Boss Chen into this situation weren't exactly honorable. Therefore, whatever decision Boss Chen made would be his own, stemming from his true feelings, and Wang Zhan wouldn't question it. All Wang Zhan could do was wait quietly for a response, to see if Boss Chen would be friend or foe.

However, just moments before, when faced with Boss Chen's display of compassion, the cold indifference Wang Zhan had shown was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine! Even Yao Yao, who was closest to Wang Zhan, had felt it, let alone Boss Chen, who already had his own complications!

Nevertheless, what surprised everyone on the scene was that just as Boss Chen's brother, seemingly having anticipated this outcome, was preparing to mock his elder brother—"It's your favorite part again…" he was targeting Boss Chen's perceived hypocrisy: his tendency to either flee or hide, but in any case, never to commit to cooperation with Wang Zhan. Boss Chen, to everyone's surprise, simply shook his head with an air of resignation and then, with a relaxed smile, said, "Little brother, why must you keep testing me? While I do feel some guilt towards you, my brother, that doesn't mean I'll change my decision."

After saying this, Boss Chen directly returned to Wang Zhan's side. This made the middle-aged man standing opposite them, Boss Chen's brother, look even more thunderous.

"Chen Zhong, you're something else! After all these years, you've finally dropped the hypocritical act! I thought you were going to give another grand, self-righteous speech. I never expected this. But do you even realize what you're doing? Now that you've shed even that facade of hypocrisy—the only thing you had left—do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you? Or do you believe that by relying on this kid, you can actually stand up to me, to the power I inherited from Father?!"

He glared coldly at Boss Chen—Chen Zhong—as well as Wang Zhan and Yao Yao. He truly hadn't expected his elder brother to make such a choice, one so utterly different from his actions over a decade ago. Back then, Chen Zhong had sanctimoniously betrayed him, leading to more than ten years of hatred, resentment, and fury from the middle-aged man. But who would have thought this coward, supposedly having learned his lesson, would now once again stand against him, and still with such self-righteous conviction! Could it be that he, his own brother, would always be deemed inferior to those outsider characters?

But Boss Chen, now once again standing opposite his younger brother, simply looked at him and sighed. "Of course, I know what I'm doing. And I've never forgotten the purpose of my coming here. Though it might well become my Hell, it also represents a sliver of hope. As my younger brother, and a descendant of our father, you should understand: Father entrusted the bulk of the Ming State Underground City's power to us not so we could live out our lives in peace and safety, but so we could provide a sanctuary for others. Regrettably, from the reports I've received over the years, you haven't done that. Instead, on the foundation of Father's legacy, you've built something like a new federation. So, I feel no guilt about the choice I'm making now…"

Of course, there were some things Boss Chen left unsaid. His decision was also driven by a deep-seated unease. He could sense that Wang Zhan was genuinely unafraid, holding nothing back, even when facing a group of Martial Kings who clearly had them outnumbered. His confidence remained absolute! Recalling Wang Zhan's past deeds and his way of operating, Chen Zhong found he no longer needed even a moment's hesitation to make his choice. Moreover, his interactions with Wang Zhan over this period had instilled in him a profound wariness and fear of this unfathomable young man. So what if the Snakehead had backers? Even if the Snakehead himself had been a high-level Martial King with even more powerful forces behind him, he still ended up dead. And before he died, Wang Zhan had ruthlessly interrogated him! The official story outside was that the people behind the Snakehead were responsible for his death, a claim Boss Chen could only scoff at. What a joke! Who else but Wang Zhan, this youngster with such deadly ruthless means, could pull off such a blatant 'thief crying thief' maneuver! Then there was Chen Zhong himself. He was an ordinary person; logically, if Wang Zhan had chosen to reveal his strength, Chen Zhong would have had no way to resist. But was that truly the case? One should know, from the very beginning of their interactions, Wang Zhan had never once revealed any of his true power to him. He had always kept his strength concealed.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.