C4 From the Black Beach

Tang Ye wasn't taken aback to see Lei Ming there.

Wang Hao might also be present.

"You're the one who just called me, aren't you?" The man seated at the piano bench rose to his feet.

His features were fair and delicate.

He regarded Tang Ye with a poised gaze.

Lyi Tianzhao, twenty-four, revered by Zluftin's elite as "Mr. Lyi," was the very person Tang Ye had referred to while answering Lei Ming's call at the hospital. In just four years, Lyi Tianzhao had consolidated power over Zluftin, bringing Lei Ming, the former dominant force, to heel. His personal wealth neared five billion yuan, excluding his stake in the Lyi family's enterprises.

"Yes, it was me," Tang Ye acknowledged, turning his attention to Lei Ming standing nearby.

It was indeed him!

Lei Ming's pupils shrank abruptly as Tang Ye began to speak.

He recognized the voice from the phone call.

"Tang Ye, male, twenty-five, raised in an orphanage with a high school education. Four years ago, he married into the Shen family, taking Shen Chuxue, the eldest daughter, as his wife. Three years ago, he was jailed for vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence. He's just been released today," Lyi Tianzhao stated coolly as he lit a cigarette and sat back down, fixing his eyes on Tang Ye. "What makes you think my sister's company is in trouble?"

Tang Ye was utterly unfazed.

His phone number was registered under his real name, and someone of Lyi Tianzhao's stature in Zluftin could easily look up anyone.

"Because I've been to Black Sand Beach," Tang Ye revealed.

Black Sand Beach!

Lyi Tianzhao's expression turned intriguing at the mention of the place. Initially, upon receiving Tang Ye's details from his subordinate, Lyi Tianzhao suspected a ruse. Yet, upon witnessing Tang Ye's entrance into Oceanview Hall, he doubted that Tang Ye was deceiving him, as there was no hint of fear on Tang Ye's face. Now, after hearing "Black Sand Beach," Lyi Tianzhao found himself halfway convinced by Tang Ye's earlier phone claims.

Black Beach, a place from which no one emerges alive.

Yet, Tang Ye did.

Why?

Because Black Beach incarcerates the most heinous felons in the entire nation, along with certain key figures imprisoned for unique reasons. To outsiders, Black Beach is a deathly hell with no escape. But from another angle, it's also a repository of the country's deepest secrets. Extract any convict from there, and you could easily rock an entire domain.

Lyi Tianzhao had no reason to suspect Tang Ye of lying. Lying would serve Tang Ye no purpose.

"Step outside," Lyi Tianzhao said, glancing at Lei Ming and the others.

The two men silently withdrew.

"How can anyone believe they've survived Black Beach? You claim you have, but why should I believe you?" Lyi Tianzhao approached the expansive wine cabinet and poured himself a glass of white wine.

"I didn't come here to persuade you of my escape from Black Beach," Tang Ye stated.

Lyi Tianzhao set down his glass and spun around, his right hand level with his shoulder.

Click.

Three steps from Tang Ye, Lyi Tianzhao engaged the safety of his pistol, aiming the dark, icy barrel straight at Tang Ye's brow.

Simultaneously.

Lyi Tianzhao's piercing gaze fixed on Tang Ye.

In a flash!

Tang Ye reacted.

As the gun aimed at him, he kicked aside the piano stool between them and lunged at Lyi Tianzhao, his hands moving with force. His left thumb bent, pressing hard against the nerve three inches behind Lyi Tianzhao's elbow. Lyi Tianzhao's arm went numb, and the gun slipped into Tang Ye's waiting right hand.

Click-click.

Tang Ye's hands were swift; the compact, sleek pistol was dismantled in his grip in under ten seconds.

"Sig Sauer P938, hit the Bachoso black market in 2012. Yours is custom-made, isn't it? Quite refined." Tang Ye nonchalantly tossed the dismantled parts onto the piano, then pulled out a tissue to wipe the grease from his hands.

He then turned to a slightly dazed Lyi Tianzhao and offered a slight smile.

It was astonishing.

Just five or six seconds had passed, and the gun was already disassembled?

Lyi Tianzhao's top bodyguard, renowned for his speed, took at least ten seconds to disassemble a firearm.

What did five or six seconds represent?

It was two to three seconds faster than a military sharpshooter.

No matter his origins, Lyi Tianzhao was convinced that Tang Ye's identity was far more complex than his investigations had revealed.

"Quite impressive," Lyi Tianzhao commented as he turned back to grab an empty champagne glass, filled it, and offered it to Tang Ye. "Shall we talk?"

"I'd be delighted," Tang Ye replied, accepting the glass and joining Lyi Tianzhao on the adjacent sofa.

They sat down, facing each other.

"Spill it. What's happened to my sister's company?" Lyi Tianzhao disliked beating around the bush, a trait Tang Ye had already discerned.

"I have one condition."

"What's that?" Lyi Tianzhao arched an eyebrow.

"Ten million." Tang Ye held up a finger. "In U.S. dollars."

Lyi Tianzhao narrowed his eyes slightly. Ten million in U.S. dollars?

"Do I look like a fool to you?" Lyi Tianzhao scoffed.

"The information I'm about to share is worth at least a billion," Tang Ye stated with unwavering confidence, compelling even Lyi Tianzhao to take him seriously.

Leaning back into the sofa and casually crossing his legs, Tang Ye glanced at his wristwatch before fixing his gaze on Lyi Tianzhao.

"It's a deal," Lyi Tianzhao declared, eager to uncover the billion-dollar information the Shen family's son-in-law claimed to possess.

"Half a year ago, the Lyi family fell out with the Fang family. Since then, your sister's business has been plagued by minor issues. BioAesthetics, her company, developed a new freckle-removing cream about half a month ago, correct? Knowing your sister's penchant for quickly mitigating losses, she would have already started mass production. Soon, this new cream will hit the shelves at her chain of beauty salons. I suggest she investigates whether the last thousand bottles of cream from the production line contain an excessive amount of salicylic acid."

If this news were true, it would be worth well over a billion.

His sister's BioAesthetics was currently valued at 1.5 billion. Should any issues arise with the product ingredients, the fallout would be catastrophic.

To the Lyi family, a billion was just a drop in the bucket.

But what mattered most was the medical cosmetic company itself. It represented three years of his sister's dedication. If the company encountered any problems, Lyi Tianzhao couldn't bear to think how his sister, a formidable businesswoman, would react.

Lyi Tianzhao pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

The call connected almost immediately.

"Speak." The voice on the other end was icy.

"Sis, can you talk right now?" Lyi Tianzhao asked, urgency lacing his voice.

"What's the matter?"

Lyi Tianzhao shot a look at Tang Ye before responding, "I think you need to send someone you trust to the production line to inspect the latest batch of anti-acne cream for any issues..."