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Novel Catalog
Chapter 39
The air around Hei Hu seemed to freeze, as though the entire world had shifted its focus onto him in that instant. He stood there, mouth slightly agape, his instincts screaming at him to run or fight—anything but stand frozen in the presence of this man.
Jiang Ning’s footsteps were steady, almost methodical, as he approached. There was no rush in his movements, no need for bravado. But the aura he emanated was undeniable—an overwhelming presence that silenced the chaos around them.
Every step he took felt like a drumbeat echoing in Hei Hu’s chest, shaking him from the inside. The usual bravado, the swagger Hei Hu had carried himself with for so long, now seemed hollow. His mind was clouded, unable to reconcile the fear that gripped him with the image of the unassuming man in front of him.
The workers—those who had once followed Hei Hu without question—watched the scene unfold with a mix of awe and trepidation. They had all heard of Jiang Ning’s reputation, but seeing it firsthand was something entirely different. There was no need for theatrics or grand gestures; Jiang Ning was calm, composed, and yet exuded a terrifying power that seemed to suffocate the space around him.
Hei Hu swallowed hard, his throat dry. “Who are you?” he forced out, his voice shaky.
Jiang Ning smiled, a faint but chilling curve of his lips. “You don’t need to know my name, Brother Hu,” he said softly, his voice carrying a weight that belied the calmness. “But you should know that in this place, you’re no longer in control.”
The words hit Hei Hu like a punch to the gut. For the first time in years, he felt small—insignificant. His reputation, his power, everything he had built had crumbled to dust under Jiang Ning’s gaze.
“I—” Hei Hu tried to speak, but his words faltered. He had never been one to back down from a fight, but there was something about Jiang Ning that made him hesitate. It wasn’t just fear; it was a profound realization that he was outmatched, outclassed in every sense.
Brother Gou, still at the periphery of the conflict, glanced at Jiang Ning with a look of respect. He had seen Jiang Ning handle situations like this before, with the same calm efficiency that now enveloped the entire scene. The difference was that Jiang Ning wasn’t just dealing with a rival; he was dismantling Hei Hu’s entire sense of self, piece by piece, with nothing more than his presence.
“You’ve made a lot of noise, Brother Hu,” Jiang Ning continued, his voice still steady. “But the only thing you’ve achieved is showing everyone here how weak you really are.”
Hei Hu’s fists clenched, his pride wounded beyond repair. But even as the anger bubbled up inside him, he couldn’t ignore the overwhelming sense of helplessness. No matter how many men he had, no matter how many threats he made, he wasn’t a match for the man standing before him.
“Don’t think this is over,” Hei Hu snarled, but there was no conviction in his words. It was a desperate attempt to regain some semblance of control, but it fell flat.
Jiang Ning’s eyes, cold and calculating, flicked toward Brother Gou, who immediately stepped forward, signaling to the workers to go back to their tasks. The conflict was over. The balance of power had shifted.
With a final glance at Hei Hu, Jiang Ning turned, his back to the defeated gangster. “It’s over, Brother Hu,” he said over his shoulder. “Go crawl back to your hole, before you make it worse for yourself.”
Hei Hu stood there, his body trembling with a mix of rage and fear, unable to respond. The realization hit him all at once: he had been bested, not by force, but by something far more devastating—his own inability to control the situation.
As Jiang Ning walked away, his figure becoming smaller in the distance, Hei Hu knew that his reputation was shattered. The workers, the men who had once followed him, now saw him for what he truly was: a broken man, clinging to a dying empire.
And in that moment, Hei Hu knew one thing with absolute certainty: Jiang Ning wasn’t just a rival. He was the end of everything Hei Hu had built.
