A little past nine in the morning, Yang Bin finally dragged himself out of bed.
After days of roughing it outdoors, coming back to the villa and crashing on a premium Simmons mattress was pure bliss. He'd earned the extra sleep.
He walked downstairs to find Zhong Yuansen and Zhao Kun already busy with breakfast.
"Huh, you two are up early?" Yang Bin raised an eyebrow.
"Uh... Boss, I barely slept. Too wired." Zhao Kun scratched his head sheepishly.
Hard to blame him. You don't suddenly gain the ability you've been dreaming about and just roll over for eight hours.
Yang Bin nodded, then turned to Zhong Yuansen.
"And you?"
"I... got dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn for a sparring match." Zhong Yuansen's expression was pure resentment.
"......"
"Who won?" Yang Bin asked, curious.
"Him." Zhong Yuansen rubbed his chest with a wince. "Those fists are no joke. One punch damn near caved me in."
"That Wang Ruikai was a complete idiot. Such a powerful ability totally wasted on him." Zhao Kun's eyes lit up. "Old Zhong's rocks? One punch and they're gravel. Once I close the distance, he's done."
"That's because you already know all of Old Zhong's tricks. Go in blind and you might end up with a spike up your ass too."
"......"
"But purely in terms of raw combat power, Zhao Kun's ability is more straightforward. Arms turn to metal, fist power skyrockets. Once he's in your face, you're not stopping him."
"Old Zhong's ability is more versatile though-sneak attacks, ranged offense, earth walls for defense. Can't say one's stronger than the other. They've each got their edge."
"Yeah, those earth spikes are a real pain in the ass. Fighting him, you've gotta watch below at all times or your backdoor's getting remodeled."
"Seriously, Old Zhong, can you not be so dirty about it? Always going for the ass." Zhao Kun groaned.
"The point of a fight is to kill the other guy. There's no 'dirty' or 'honorable.' If it kills them, it's a good move. If you die playing fair, what good did honor do you?" Zhong Yuansen shrugged, unbothered.
"Old Zhong's got a point. Spoken like a true veteran who's been around the block a few extra years," Yang Bin said. "Doesn't matter how you do it. If the other guy's dead, you won."
"Yeah, I get it. Just venting." Zhao Kun nodded.
"Go wake the others. Breakfast's ready."
"On it."
---
Not far from Jinghe Garden, a convoy of heavy trucks rolled to a stop.
Groups of evolvers poured out of the vehicles.
These were the Wang family's forces-cultivated in secret, kept hidden until now.
Wang Ruikai's death had pushed the family past the point of restraint. No more hiding their strength. They'd mobilized everything.
Beyond the Wang family's own people, Ma Zhongguo had also sent a contingent. They were partners now. A gesture of support was expected.
The moment the crowd disembarked, they surged into the Jinghe Garden complex, converging on a single villa.
---
Inside the villa, the seven members of Star Fall Squad sat around the dining table eating breakfast.
"Brother Bin, what's the plan today?" Chen Hao asked.
"We stay in today." Yang Bin's voice went cold. "There's going to be a fight. The Wang family will come. It's time we showed them what Star Fall Squad's fangs look like. Otherwise every stray dog and alley cat will think they can waltz in here and rob us."
"But Boss, what if they've got serious firepower?" Zhong Yuansen frowned.
"You're all Tier 5 now. Standard rifles and submachine guns aren't much of a threat. If they bring anything heavy, I'll take it out first."
"The Wang family is still just a family. Having guns isn't surprising, but heavy ordnance? That's military-grade. They shouldn't have access to it. Don't worry too much."
"Hell yeah. Then I'm going all out." Zhao Kun cracked his knuckles. "Just awakened my ability-I'm itching for a real fight."
"You probably won't get to cut loose." Yang Bin's tone turned serious. "Don't use your ability against the Wang family. They knew Wang Ruikai's power. If they see it on our side, they'll connect the dots. Some things can't be exposed yet."
"Ah... fine." Zhao Kun deflated, but nodded.
Just then, the sound of chaotic footsteps erupted outside.
"They're here." The squad exchanged glances.
Yang Bin activated True Vision Eye and scanned outward.
Seven or eight hundred people were charging toward their villa.
Some carried melee weapons. Others held submachine guns.
Among them: two Tier-5 Evolvers, two to three hundred Tier-4 Evolvers, and the rest at Tier-3 Peak.
Yang Bin swept the entire force carefully. No heavy weapons. He exhaled.
No heavy weapons meant this was manageable.
Outside, the mob surrounded the villa in a tight perimeter, cutting off any escape route.
Wang Zhendong, the Wang family's man in charge, and Shen Hong, Ma Zhongguo's second secretary, both fixed their eyes on the building.
"Confirmed they're still inside?" Shen Hong asked.
"Confirmed. We've had eyes on the place. People were moving around inside not long ago. No one's come out." Wang Zhendong's voice was certain.
He didn't dare underestimate this woman. Ma Zhongguo had several secretaries, but she was the only one he'd elevated to Tier 5. That said plenty.
A man like Ma Zhongguo wouldn't prioritize someone's advancement just because she was attractive or talented in certain... areas.
This woman had something exceptional about her.
"Then don't waste time. Breach the door," Shen Hong said.
Wang Zhendong nodded and was about to give the order-
The front door swung open on its own.
Seven figures walked out, unhurried.
Every gun barrel snapped toward them instantly.
"Well, well." Yang Bin smiled, utterly indifferent to the hundreds of muzzles pointed his way. "Jinghe Garden's lively today."
Wang Zhendong's face darkened completely.
Beside him, Shen Hong's brow furrowed.
These people were too calm.
Calm enough to make her uneasy.
"My nephew Wang Ruikai-did you kill him?!" Wang Zhendong's voice was ice.
Even with the evidence stacked, he wanted to hear them say it.
"Wang Ruikai?" Yang Bin pointed toward a villa in the distance. "The idiot from that house over there?"
"Yes!" Wang Zhendong's jaw clenched.
"Oh, yeah. We killed him." Yang Bin's tone was flat, almost bored. "Moron broke into our place to steal from us. What else were we supposed to do?"
"......"
Hearing the admission, Wang Zhendong's fury erupted.
"Good. Then you'll all join him in the ground. Kill them!"
The gunmen opened fire the instant his words left his mouth.
BRRRRRRT-
A storm of bullets tore toward the seven.
An earth wall erupted from the ground in front of them, swallowing every round. A massive boulder followed, arcing overhead and crashing down into the crowd. Several bodies crumpled beneath it.
"Ability users!"
Wang Zhendong and Shen Hong both went pale.
But what came next shook them far worse.
Yang Bin-who'd been standing at the doorway a heartbeat ago-was suddenly in the middle of the crowd. The Barbell Rod swept in a wide arc. A dozen men around him split at the waist.
"Another ability user?!"
"That man... he's far beyond Tier 5." Shen Hong's face was grim, the unease in her chest now a full alarm.