Chapter 3: The Promise

Zhang Yue intended to give this pretty boy a “makeover,” lest any beautiful woman who saw him would be instantly bewitched. Yet, in Hua Tianyu’s eyes, Zhang Yue’s confident fist was no different from the sluggish movement of a Brazilian turtle. Before Zhang Yue could react, Hua Tianyu raised his hand—faster than the eye could follow—and left five deep finger marks imprinted on Zhang Yue’s cheek!

A scream pierced the air. The man, all six feet two of him, spun in circles from the force of the slap and staggered several meters before crashing headlong into the wall, finally collapsing onto the ground. And this was Hua Tianyu holding back, using only a fraction of his strength.

With a wet cough, Zhang Yue spat out two teeth.

Silence fell—absolute, unbroken silence.

The chubby man behind Zhang Yue was struck dumb, words caught in his throat, his eyes avoiding Hua Tianyu entirely, too afraid to look back his way.

“Line up according to your numbers,” Hua Tianyu said, his words calm and clipped. The crowd that had just moments before clamored for position now hurried back to their seats in utter silence, faces pale with terror.

A single slap had sent a burly man of six foot two crashing into the wall—was this even human? None of them had ever witnessed such a thing in their lives.

Wang Hong, who had been blocking the door, let out a heavy sigh of relief and cast Hua Tianyu a grateful, slightly peculiar glance.

Every woman, after all, harbors a hero in her heart.

…

“The two who were fighting…” Liang Hui’s face appeared in the doorway—a face that could freeze a man at three meters. Her gaze lingered on Hua Tianyu for several seconds, a fleeting warmth passing through her eyes, before she hesitated and declared, “Eliminated. The rest, continue.”

Wang Hong seemed about to protest, but in the end, could only give Hua Tianyu a grateful look.

Those who had been scrambling for numbers earlier now gloated over the outcome.

“Serves you right! That’ll teach you to meddle.”

“Two fewer competitors at once—excellent, just excellent!”

“Thought you were tough, huh? Now get lost.” The fat man in the flowered shirt had the memory of a goldfish; he’d already forgotten he’d used his own brute force to snatch the forty-second spot.

His eyes darted repeatedly to the doorway, just waiting for Hua Tianyu to step into the elevator—then he’d be number forty-one!

…

A minute later, Liang Hui reappeared, phone call just ended.

“Who is Hua Tianyu?” she called.

“I am,” Hua Tianyu replied, turning around with a faint, calm smile, waiting for her next words.

“You’re… Hua Tianyu?” Liang Hui was taken aback, her eyes flickering with a trace of relief, though her face remained impassive.

“You’ve been accepted. The position is… Specially Appointed Security Guard. The President herself made the recommendation.”

Wang Hong’s beautiful eyes widened with barely concealed joy. “Congratulations! You’re in!”

Liang Hui withdrew into the office, the corner of her eye catching the exchange between Wang Hong and Hua Tianyu—a hint of a smile quickly hidden.

The corridor erupted in commotion. Within a few short minutes, the crowd’s emotions had spun twice in complete circles; many were left reeling.

“Why?! Why was I beaten, yet he was hired? I got slapped for nothing!” Zhang Yue, clutching his burning cheek, was beside himself with frustration.

The fat man in the flowered shirt grew meek, quietly checking his number slip—thank goodness he hadn’t torn it in anger, perhaps he still had a chance.

“The President’s special appointment?!”

“The President of Swan Group, hiring him personally?”

Could this man have something special about him, to be personally appointed as Special Security by the president of an international conglomerate?

For the president to take such interest in a security guard—that was truly the pinnacle of the profession!

Yet Hua Tianyu remained tranquil, the very picture of nonchalance.

The corner of his mouth curled up, and he shrugged slightly to himself. So, the woman I held earlier was the president of Swan Group…

Leaving the Swan International building, Hua Tianyu saw the sun had nearly set and grabbed a simple dinner at a roadside stall.

Afterward, he pulled a slip of paper from his pocket.

On the paper, next to a now-dried, dark bloodstain, lingered the honest, open smile of a burly man Hua Tianyu could not forget.

He hailed a taxi and set off toward the address on the note.

Inside the cab, his phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, Hua Tianyu sat up straight, quickly sliding to answer.

Out of caution, he didn’t speak first.

“Captain, it’s Blood Wolf. I’m still alive!” Somewhere in a secret room, a battered man lay on the floor, two corpses twisted at impossible angles sprawled before him.

“Good! Any news of the other Dragon Soul brothers?” Hua Tianyu’s hand tightened into a fist—these teammates were always his deepest concern.

“No…”

“Are you badly hurt?”

“Hah, don’t worry, Brother Tian. I’m not dead yet. I’ll just find a quiet place to recover for a few days.” Blood Wolf forced a smile, wincing as the movement tugged at his wounds.

“I’m in Jiang City, Tiannan Province, in Huaxia.”

“All right, as soon as I can move, I’ll come to you,” Blood Wolf promised.

“I’ll be waiting.” Hanging up, Hua Tianyu added silently to himself: When the Dragon Soul brothers are all together again, I’ll lead you to settle this blood debt!

“To still be alive and see my brothers… it’s a blessing,” Blood Wolf murmured, closing his eyes. He’d lost too much blood; what he needed most now was rest.

…

“Sir, we’ve arrived—thirty-one yuan, but I’ll make it thirty for you.”

Hua Tianyu nodded, paid, and got out, unfolding the note once more.

Jiang City, Tiantong Road, Building 350, Unit 2, Room 301—Lin Lin.

This was his promise, made to Bear Lin Luohua before the man’s death.

Two weeks earlier, Dragon Soul had been ambushed by enemies far more numerous and powerful than intelligence had suggested, and the team was scattered.

When Hua Tianyu broke through the encirclement and doubled back to rescue his brothers, he found only Bear, clinging to life by sheer willpower. Only after handing Hua Tianyu the slip of paper did Bear finally close his eyes forever.

This was Bear’s daughter—his only hope.

Hua Tianyu was devastated. Dragon Soul had never failed before, and now he’d lost a brother with whom he’d shared countless days and nights. The responsibility weighed heavily on him.

He had to shoulder it. That was why he’d come to Jiang City.

Shaking off his memories, Hua Tianyu realized rain had begun to fall, adding a somber cast to the city’s night.

This neighborhood bordered the slums, and the rainy night lent it an even more chaotic air.

None of this troubled Hua Tianyu. If any fool crossed his path, he’d simply crush them one after another.

…

Unit 2, Room 301—a two-bedroom flat, single occupancy.

Just as he was about to knock, his professional instincts kicked in. He noticed many messy footprints at the door, made obvious by the rain.

Listening closely, he could hear a woman’s whimpers inside, along with the voices of several men.

“Brother Yong, is this stuff strong? There’s three of us—will it work?”

“Fat Dog, you idiot, this stuff came from my old man, straight from the Bear Country. Of course it’s strong! Every man there is a beast. But once a woman from Bear Country takes this stuff, even their beasts are left helpless!”

…