Luo Muchen, stood at the dock his imposing figure enough to scare a sleeping child. His gaze was fixed on the horizon at the approaching cargo ship.

He knew that Lee Ya wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation. She would never let this opportunity slip by. Her greedy self would most definitely intercept his shipment.

Luo Muchen had already outsmarted her redirecting the actual cargo elsewhere and now he lay awaiting ready to catch the snake in the chicken coop with a stolen chicken egg in its mouth.

As he stood there, the ground beneath his feet was littered with cigarette butts, evidence of his restlessness in his heart. His thoughts were wandering back to the image of Qie Xieling’s fleshy butt exposed for him to see.

He suddenly wondered how they would feel in his palm. He glanced down at his hand as he took a long drag of his cigarette. He clenched his fists realising how obscene his thoughts were. This wasn’t even the time or place to think of such things.

He proceeded to put his hand in his pocket before puffing out a thick cloud of smoke. His eyes narrowed when he suddenly saw Lee Ya’s henchmen emerge from the shadows, their speedboats encircling the cargo ship as it drew nearer.

Guns in hand they skillfully climbed onto the cargo ship like they had done this a dozen times before. They were most likely skilled hijackers who also partook in stealing the government money-printing machines that were imported by cargo.

Luo Muchen watched silently with no reaction on his face. He watched them from a distance, biding his time, allowing them to board the cargo ship before springing his trap.

With a swift signal, Luo Muchen’s own men appeared, storming the cargo ship with guns drawn. Lee Ya’s men realised too late that they had fallen into a carefully orchestrated ambush. Their speedboats were swiftly seized, leaving them trapped on the cargo ship with guns pointed at them.

Luo Muchen, maintaining his calm demeanour, ordered Butler Zhang, to bring the captured enemies back to the bunker. He want to deliver a message to Lee Ya so she wouldn’t dip her toes in other people’s business.

An hour later, the anguished cries of Lee Ya’s men echoed through the walls, filling the air with a chorus of pain. Luo Muchen wanted to hear from their mouth Lee Ya’s name, but these men were hardened and resilient, refusing to yield.

In another room, Luo Muchen stood with a cigarette in hand, smoke swirling around him like a haze. His mind was lost in a daze. The cries in the adjacent room became mere white noise, distant echoes that failed to penetrate his thoughts.

As the night wore on, Luo Muchen remained resolute. He told them not to stop until they were bleeding from all four orifices.

The air in the dimly lit room was thick with tension and the acrid scent of smoke. He leaned back in the worn armchair, taking a long drag from his cigarette, his eyes fixed on the closed door.

Just as he exhaled a cloud of smoke, a notification chimed on his cell phone, interrupting the stillness. Curiosity piqued, he unlocked the screen and his heart skipped a beat. A picture appeared, displaying Qie Xieling’s advertisement for Lykan, a prestigious car brand.

He knew as the world champion Qie Xieling was bound to receive such endorsement deals. The first picture was of Qie Xieling standing by himself looking into the distance. His tall figure seemed lonely in this image even a little lovelorn. He caressed the picture gently with his thumb but accidentally swiped to the next image.

His eyes widened as he saw the image unfold before him. In the second photo, Qie Xieling stood side by side with a young woman their bodies close, their gazes locked in a captivating intensity. The way the photos were uploaded it was like telling a story of someone desperate for love and like a cure she showed up to fulfill his wish.

The third image portrayed the girl standing between Qie Xieling’s legs as he sat on the hood of the car while his hand gently caressed her waist. His eyes held a smouldering desire. It was eerily similar to the eyes that he looked at him with yesterday. Luo Muchen clenched his jaw feeling some type of way. It was as though there was a lump in his throat.

He almost didn’t want to swipe to the next photo but he wanted to know. He wanted to see it with his own two eyes. In the final photo, she was seated on his lap inside the car, their bodies intertwined, their expressions filled with undeniable intimacy.

A surge of jealousy coursed through Luo Muchen’s veins, his heart clenching with an unfamiliar pain. He clenched his fist, his cigarette forgotten, as an overwhelming sourness swept over him. The images played on an endless loop in his mind, each one fueling the fire of his envy.

The room seemed to close in around him as he struggled to contain his emotions. He wanted to scream, to lash out, to smash his phone against the wall. The weight of his jealousy threatened to consume him, suffocating his rationality.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Muchen forced himself to calm down. He reminded himself that he was the one that rejected him in the first place.

He didn’t know why he was getting so jealous over Qie Xieling. The man was nothing but trouble. Despite being forgiven so many times he would still find ways to anger him. Luo Muchen didn’t like this feeling. The feeling of his emotions being this affected especially by someone who betrayed him.

He suppressed his emotions but the ache in his chest persisted, a reminder of the unspoken desires and hidden feelings that now felt like a cruel joke.

With a trembling hand, he swiped away the images, banishing them from his sight. He knew he had to confront his feelings, to find a way to move forward. But for now, he would focus on the task at hand.

Pushing aside the turmoil in his heart he got up and kicked the door open. "They still won’t talk?" he asked while folding the sleeves of his shirt. The moment the bloodied men saw him come in they trembled in fright.

They had never come face to face with this demon before but his reputation was infamous. One would rather die at the hands of his minions than at the hands of Luo Muchen.