C73 Chairman Lee and Sun Hao Joined Hands

In the CEO's office of Prosperous Group, Chairman Lee sat in his wheelchair, his gaze fixed on Sun Hao with an impassive face.

He spoke calmly, "Director Sun, unless my memory fails me, you were quite thoroughly thrashed by Lin Chen, weren't you?"

At Chairman Lee's words, Sun Hao's eyebrows twitched, and a flicker of annoyance crossed his eyes.

He responded icily, "Chairman Lee, did you come here just to mock me?"

Mock you?

A sneer curled Chairman Lee's lips, and a look of contempt flashed in his eyes.

If it weren't for the powerful backing Sun Hao had, he wouldn't waste his time on such a loser.

"Chairman Qian has been critically injured in a car accident, leaving Ann's Group teetering on the brink," Chairman Lee continued, his voice grave.

"If you're intent on revenge, you must act swiftly. Miss this chance, and you'll never best Lin Chen."

Suppressing his irritation, Chairman Lee spoke with a stern tone to Sun Hao.

"Revenge?"

"What exactly are you implying, Chairman Lee?" Sun Hao asked, clearly perplexed.

Having been recently hospitalized after Lin Chen's beating, he was completely out of the loop regarding Ann's Group.

"Lin Chen is Ann Lan's husband," Chairman Lee explained bluntly. "Eliminate him for me, and not only will you be rewarded with five hundred million, but Ann Lan will be at your disposal as well."

Realization dawned on Sun Hao, his eyes narrowing. He might have been arrogant and overbearing, but he was no idiot.

It was clear now; Chairman Lee was simply looking to use him as a pawn to take out Lin Chen and bring down Ann's Group for his own gain.

"Chairman Lee, as much as I'd like to dismember that young upstart," Sun Hao mused aloud, "with my current skills, facing him would be a death sentence."

The offer was alluring, yet the thought of being humiliated by Lin Chen once more was too much to bear.

"Director Sun, I've laid my cards on the table," Chairman Lee pressed, his tone laced with dissatisfaction. "Are you still going to keep your backers a secret?"

At this critical juncture, collaboration between both parties is undoubtedly a win-win scenario. Otherwise, once Lin Chen and Ann Lan are provoked, they won't be so easily handled.

"I can't interfere with that force!" A flicker of shock passed through Sun Hao's eyes. He truly hadn't anticipated Chairman Lee being so well-informed about his affairs.

"Given the circumstances, I'll lend you two aces."

"With them on your side, you'll be able to dismantle Lin Chen completely!"

Chairman Lee wasn't the least bit surprised by Sun Hao's reaction; instead, he seemed almost eager as he gestured towards two elderly men beside him. "These gentlemen are Head Tamers, the sworn brothers of my former bodyguard."

Head Tamer? The term sent an involuntary shiver through Sun Hao. As a martial arts master himself, he was well aware of the Head Tamer's fearsome reputation. Legend had it they could eliminate an enemy silently from a thousand miles away.

"Chairman Lee, if you have such formidable individuals at your disposal, why do you need my assistance?" Sun Hao asked, his voice steady despite the fear he felt inside.

He was wary of the Head Tamers, but Chairman Lee's behavior was peculiar, to say the least.

"Because I'm the chairman of Ann's Group! If I were to kill Lin Chen, that wretch Ann Lan would lose her mind and ensure we both go down in flames. Then, I can kiss my chances of taking over Ann's Group goodbye." Chairman Lee candidly shared the pretext he had concocted in advance.

He had anticipated that the power backing Sun Hao might not come to his aid. Otherwise, Sun Hao, with his domineering nature, would have already sought revenge against Lin Chen with that support.

The reason for lending Sun Hao the Head Tamers to target Lin Chen was straightforward. Chairman Lee couldn't gauge Lin Chen's true strength; if his plan failed, at least Lin Chen's wrath wouldn't be directed at him.

"Chairman Lee, I need to think this over," Sun Hao said, his brow furrowed. He suspected that Chairman Lee wasn't being entirely forthright with him, leaving him uncertain.

Chairman Lee was itching to lash out in frustration. He had laid out all the options for Sun Hao, yet the man was still dithering!

"Director Sun, if you're not committed to taking on Lin Chen, then let's call off today's arrangement."

After Chairman Lee finished speaking, he maneuvered his wheelchair, ready to make his exit. But as he approached the doorway, his expression shifted dramatically. "Lin... Chen, what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice strained.

"If I weren't here, I'd have missed quite the spectacle, wouldn't I?" Lin Chen, leaning casually against the doorframe, retorted with a sardonic smile. He hadn't expected to stumble upon Chairman Lee's plot the moment he stepped into Sun Hao's office.

"Tell me, Chairman Lee, did you have Sun Hao bring these Head Tamers to target me because you were afraid? Afraid that if I survived, you'd have to pin the blame on him?" Lin Chen pressed on, noting the pallor of Chairman Lee's cheeks.

"Kill him!" Chairman Lee, realizing his scheme had been exposed, hastily wheeled backward and barked the order at the two Head Tamers by his side. He was acutely aware that if Lin Chen lived through the day, there would be no mercy.

The Head Tamers nodded, producing a straw effigy and began piercing it with needles, their mouths emitting a series of eerie chants.

"Boss, let me handle them," Chung Yu urged, a hint of urgency in his voice. "Head Tamers are not to be underestimated."

Sun Qing'er, however, remained serene, her delicate features betraying no concern. "Patience," Lin Chen advised Chung Yu with a shake of his head. "Let things play out a bit longer."

He had heard tales of such individuals from the old man – mere outcasts of the Mao Mountain lineage, their practices nothing more than trivial sorcery. Still, this was Lin Chen's first encounter with Head Tamers, and his curiosity was piqued.

"Wait too long, and we'll be the ones taking the hit!" Chung Yu protested, but he didn't bother to argue further. Clenching his fists, he charged at the duo.

"Disciples Yao Bi Song and Lin Jing Zhong of the Five Northern Ghosts, I summon you to return the shadow soldiers to the altar and cast the immobilizing curse—arise!" The Head Tamers, sensing the formidable aura emanating from Chung Yu, cried out in unison.

And in that moment, Chung Yu found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move.

No matter how much effort he put in, he felt utterly mired in a deep bog.

"Brat, you had the audacity to kill my junior brother? Today, you'll taste the terror of a Head Tamer's curse!"

After subduing Chung Yu, their gazes shifted to Lin Chen, eyes filled with icy malice.

Yet, upon glimpsing Sun Qing'er's ethereal beauty, a lascivious glint flickered in the depths of their eyes.

"By my command, let the curse descend!"

At their word, a red needle pierced the center of the straw figures' foreheads.

Lin Chen suddenly sensed an enigmatic force attempting to seize control of his body.

Alas, the moment it infiltrated him, it was forcefully expelled.

"We're done for, completely done for this time!"

Pinned to the spot, Chung Yu's eyes brimmed with despair at the sight of their actions.

"Using a strand of my hair as a conduit to harness the forces of nature—is this the extent of a Head Tamer's power?"

"It seems rather unimpressive."

While Chung Yu was debating whether to grovel before the Head Tamers, Lin Chen's voice, dripping with scorn, reached his ears.

"Eh, boss, you're okay?"

Catching Lin Chen's nonchalant shrug out of the corner of his eye, Chung Yu couldn't contain his astonishment.

"Who am I, you ask? What can some lowly Head Tamer possibly do to me?"

With a light tap of his feet, Lin Chen freed Chung Yu in an instant.

Meanwhile, the Head Tamers coughed up a gush of crimson blood, their eyes fixed on Lin Chen in utter horror.

"This... it can't be!"

"Our curses have never failed. How can you stand there, completely unscathed?"

They were struggling to believe it.

Their Head Taming had been infallible for years, yet now it couldn't even scratch Lin Chen?

"Chung, get back here."

"Let's have my attendant practice on these two Head Tamers."

"It's a total waste to possess such power and not know how to wield it."

Lin Chen casually beckoned Chung Yu over.

He then turned to Sun Qing'er and commanded sternly, "Finish them off!"

Upon hearing his order, Sun Qing'er's face took on a trace of unease.

She had never taken a life before!

"With your circumstances, you're far from being ornamental in this lifetime!"

"Besides, I can't look after you forever!"

Lin Chen noticed the reluctance in Sun Qing'er's eyes and offered her a gentle reminder.

Sun Qing'er was quick on the uptake. She instantly grasped the subtext of Lin Chen's words.

He was essentially encouraging her to get some training. Otherwise, a defenseless girl could end up as nothing more than a tool for others in the face of unforeseen dangers.

"Yes, Young Master."

Sun Qing'er acknowledged Lin Chen with a nod and began to approach the two wounded Head Tamers.

She had previously learned some cultivation techniques from the Sun family. Although her strength was only at the Houtian level, dispatching two gravely injured Head Tamers posed no challenge for her.

"Truly worthy of being the Young Master's maid—so astute."

"Since you're set on growing stronger, today I'll pass on a cultivation technique to you!"

"Continue with this, and not only will your constitution improve, but your cultivation will skyrocket!"

Lin Chen regarded Sun Qing'er with a hint of surprise, then reached out and playfully squeezed her cheek.

As he did so, a soft glow radiated from his palm, transferring directly into Sun Qing'er's mind.

"What's this?"

Feeling the unexpected emergence of a cultivation technique in her mind, Sun Qing'er was taken aback.

"Draw strength from others to empower yourself."

"This may be a technique from the darker side of cultivation, but it suits you exceptionally well."

"Remember this, though: in the realm of cultivation, there's no inherent good or evil. It's the balance of morality that truly matters."

Lin Chen's tone grew serious as he concluded.

"Young Master, thank you."

Sun Qing'er, biting her red lips, looked at Lin Chen with gratitude and a touch of complexity in her eyes.

She had realized that despite his harsh words, Lin Chen had a good heart from the moment he chose to spare her.

"Smack!"

Lin Chen gave Sun Qing'er's behind a firm slap.

He grumbled, "Thanks for nothing!"

"If you weren't somewhat useful, I would have gotten rid of you by now."

Lin Chen had thoroughly figured out Sun Qing'er.

Since he couldn't bring himself to eliminate her, he was committed to saving her completely.

As for the person Sun Qing'er would evolve into in the future, that was of no consequence to him.