Chapter 111: Ambush on the Lake

The Changsheng Group is a true behemoth. Li Changsheng rose to prominence during the tides of the era. The business world is like a battlefield, and anyone capable of carving a bloody path through it is no ordinary individual. If he had the Hydra organization behind him, that would be even more terrifying. Furthermore, the Changsheng Group possesses a vast number of genetically modified humans—and by "vast," we are talking in the hundreds. Those hundreds are merely the ones in plain sight; no one knows how many more exist in the shadows.

After a deep sleep, Lin Xiaosu woke the next morning feeling as if his mind had been washed clean and clear. The bedroom door was pushed open, and a head poked through.

Ding Ruoshui! Seeing Lin Xiaosu already dressed, she emerged with her hands behind her back, bouncing out with the demeanor of a high school student and a radiant smile on her face. "What are we doing today?"

"What do you think?"

"It’s a bit warm today. Touring the lake would be cooler. Let's go to the lake."

"Fine!"

After breakfast, a white speedboat with blue floral patterns sped away from the villa’s pier, heading deep into South Lake. Ding Ruoshui wore a floral dress, shedding a bit of her usual elegant opulence for a look bursting with youthful vitality. Lin Xiaosu, in a T-shirt and shorts, looked every bit the sunny youth.

Ding’s mother smiled as usual, while Ding Lizhong’s brow remained tightly knit as always.

"Why are you furrowing your brows again? Hurry up and smooth them out for me..." Ding’s mother reached out and tugged at her husband’s face.

Facing such an eternally youthful wife, Ding Lizhong could only feel helpless.

Out on the lake, Ding Ruoshui took off her shoes and dangled her fair, delicate feet in the water, swaying them back and forth. "Hey, I feel like the danger is growing."

"What?"

"My mother looks at you with more and more affection. I don't get it. You aren't particularly handsome, and there’s a sinister glimmer in your eyes. Why does my mother always say you look so sunny?"

Lin Xiaosu shot her a look. "What do you mean, a sinister glimmer? That’s the light of wisdom!"

"Alright, alright, you're the wise one!" Ding Ruoshui said. "Then, oh man of wisdom, what do we do next? The better you act, the more my mother likes you, and the harder things get for me. If I tell her you were snatched away by another woman later, she’ll definitely make me duel that woman. I’ve dug a pit for myself and buried myself in it..."

"What do you mean? You aren't thinking of making this real, are you?"

Ding Ruoshui blinked. "Making it real... does that mean I get paid more?"

Good heavens... Lin Xiaosu rubbed his forehead and changed the subject.

The sun grew fierce, and the temperature began to rise. Even with the lake breeze brushing past the speedboat, it began to carry heat. Under such conditions, an average person, especially a pampered young lady, would struggle to endure it.

But this was where she defied expectations. Even under the scorching sun, she didn't shield herself or seek cover. Furthermore, if Lin Xiaosu were to connect all his interactions with her, he would be surprised to find that she almost never sweated. If this were related to ancient martial arts, it would be a high-level state known as "invulnerability to cold and heat." Yet, she had never displayed any such martial arts—at least, not in any of their interactions.

Lin Xiaosu had already checked all her records through his "Dragon Eye," ruling out the possibility of her being a genetically modified human. That left only ancient martial arts, but where could she have learned them? There were no traces.

In her life trajectory, there were only two anomalies. Once, during college, she took a one-year leave of absence, her whereabouts unknown. The other was after she dropped out of the Ruili Royal Academy; she spent a year and a half sketching in the Northwest. According to analysis, her tracks during that time were quite wild—she had roamed the grasslands, climbed snow-capped mountains, and entered places where few humans dared to tread.

Suddenly, the speedboat beneath them jolted slightly. Lin Xiaosu looked down with lightning speed. He was slightly startled to see the hull beneath the water had been sliced open by a sharp blade.

The next moment, with a boom, a powerful force surged from beneath the water, sending the speedboat flying high into the air. As it soared, the deck shattered, scattering into South Lake. Pedestrians on the shore paled.

Just as Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui were about to fall into the water as the boat flipped, Lin Xiaosu suddenly felt the tumbling beneath him come to a stop. The speedboat slammed flatly onto the surface with a deafening crash, kicking up a wave over ten feet high. He and Ding Ruoshui stood on the boat, and for the first time, Ding Ruoshui’s hair flew upward in a very strange, unnatural way.

"Get to the shore, quickly!" someone on the bank shouted.

Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui took a step, leveraging the boat's motion to leap onto the shore. They turned back to stare at the water.

The lake rippled, and a figure emerged—a young man with a smug, triumphant expression.

"What are you doing?" Lin Xiaosu asked in a deep voice.

"Just having some fun!" the young man laughed.

"Having fun... do you realize how dangerous this kind of fun is?" If they had been ordinary people, this incident could have caused them to fall into the water and potentially drown.

"I know. If someone dies, I pay them off. People aren't even dead yet, and you're still whining in front of me." The young man surged forward, landing in front of Lin Xiaosu with water dripping from his body. He tilted his head to study Lin Xiaosu. "Kid, you looking for a beating?"

The people on the bank turned pale. This was a genetically modified human! In modern society, their numbers were growing. Most were restrained, but among any hundred people, there are all sorts. Some who were former street thugs, once granted power, became lawless and caused trouble everywhere. This one was clearly that type.

Ding Ruoshui’s voice reached Lin Xiaosu’s ear: "This person is one of Li Songtao's men, named Du Qi."

Li Songtao was the third son of Li Changsheng, Chairman of the Changsheng Group. What kind of person was he? A standard, silver-spooned second-generation heir. He relied on his father’s wealth and power to act recklessly. Unlike typical heirs who just bullied the weak, this era’s heirs had squads of genetically modified humans under their command, magnifying their malice and making them not just annoying, but truly dangerous.

Given Ding Ruoshui’s status, she usually didn't care about ordinary people, but Li Songtao was clearly an exception. Their fathers worked in the same group, and the Li family patriarch was her own father's direct superior.

Ding Ruoshui’s voice was very soft, but Du Qi still heard her. His gaze shifted to her: "The little lady knows my background? Good. Since you know, no need for nonsense. Kid, kneel and kowtow to apologize, then send your girlfriend over for me to play with for a couple of days, and I'll spare you for your insolence today!"

When these words were spoken, everyone on the bank heard them clearly. They were all horrified. This genetically modified human had capsized their boat for no reason, nearly causing them to drown, and not only did he not apologize, but he demanded the victims kneel and even set his predatory sights on the man's girlfriend.

Is there no justice in this world?

Ding Ruoshui’s face darkened instantly; she was truly angry. Previously, she had considered Li Changsheng’s face and didn't want to escalate things, but now that they had insulted her directly...

Lin Xiaosu lifted his hand slightly, pressing it onto Ding Ruoshui’s shoulder. "This man is just a dog in someone else's hand. It’s beneath my dignity to argue with a dog. Let’s face the master instead... Li Songtao, I see you. Turn around!"

He moved his hand to activate his "Dragon Eye," aiming his gaze at a teahouse by the lake.

On the teahouse balcony, near their side, a young man wearing a snow-white T-shirt slowly turned around. He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with delicate features, looking like a promising college student, but his air of arrogance was extraordinary. His clothes were all top-tier luxury brands. Around his neck hung a jade pendant—a true imperial green. The gloves on his hands were strangely shaped and incredibly flashy, from the top luxury brand "Dofili Mountain Troll," costing over ten million on the market.

What was perhaps most flashy were the four or five people standing before him—their genetic-human traits were quite obvious. These five surrounded him like stars around the moon; in this era, it was the most ostentatious way to flaunt wealth.

He was Li Songtao, the third young master of the Changsheng Group—someone even the elites of Jiang City dared not provoke.

Li Songtao’s gaze dropped, landing on Lin Xiaosu. "Kid, Du Qi ruined your boat, just ask him for compensation. Don't point your finger at me!"

"Haha!" Du Qi laughed toward the sky. "Do you think he has the guts? If he dares to even make a peep, I’ll head to Feng City immediately and kill his mother. Also, I heard he opened a detective agency in Feng City with two young ladies inside. I’ll definitely rape those two as well, and film a video for the brothers to enjoy."

The few genetic humans in the teahouse all laughed. "Old Seven is getting more and more out of hand."

"Don't say that. Even if he’s just talking big, Old Seven is the type to actually do it."

"Would he really? I don't believe it. Old Seven, I’ll be waiting to see your video..."

The passersby were stunned. With the enhancement of genetic humans, these rich heirs were truly lawless.

Ding Ruoshui, who had been genuinely furious, felt a jolt in her heart at this moment, catching onto something. This group actually knew his background. They knew he had a mother back home, they knew about the detective agency, and they even knew there were two women there. They had investigated so thoroughly that it proved today’s incident had been planned!

What was their goal?

In a private room in the teahouse, two women sat, one in purple and one in white. The woman in white was Liu Qianxun, and the woman in purple was Li Ziyi, the apple of Li Changsheng’s eye.

Liu Qianxun looked at Li Ziyi with her beautiful eyes. "Ziyi, is this to force him into a murderous rage?"

Li Ziyi smiled. "Of course!"

"By pushing him like this, will he really kill Du Qi in broad daylight?"

"He knows the law, so of course he wouldn't dare do that!" Li Ziyi said. "But as long as Du Qi keeps pushing him today and tomorrow, or even follows him to Feng City and shows clear hostility toward his mother, he won't dare to gamble!"

"If he doesn't dare to gamble, does he really have to kill Du Qi?"

Li Ziyi smiled faintly. "People who work as detectives are very confident. They will firmly believe in their own methods of killing, that no one will be able to find out. When that time comes, that will be when our Jiang City’s number one detective faces off against him."

And there was also the number one detective of Jiang City! Liu Qianxun’s heart leaped. She truly understood the brilliant plan of this purple-clad strategist.