Chapter 26: Damn, Trouble Has Come

Outside.

At some point, a voice crackled through the earpiece of a man in a black suit. After listening intently, he strode over and began dragging Ni Feihong inside.

"Let go of me! Bastard, let go!" Ni Feihong struggled futilely.

Ma Weimin had been skulking in the car all along, watching the situation spiral out of control yet helpless to intervene, so he decided to keep hiding. He knew that if he stepped out, all he would accomplish was to deliver himself as cannon fodder—utterly useless. He had tried to reach Zhang Jing, hoping she might be working on a case, but her phone was off and unreachable. So Ma could only continue his cowardly vigil.

Later, peeking out through the tinted windows, he noticed a fleet of Range Rovers pull up—Huo Laosi, that notorious pauper, had actually arrived. Yet Ma, currently dodging "family" members, didn’t want complications, so he stayed hidden, quietly observing.

Now things had reached a point—Jiang Fatty was no longer interested in playing it safe, and Ni Feihong looked as if she were being dragged away for execution. Ma knew he could no longer sit by and do nothing. With no other choice, he summoned his courage and got out of the car.

Earlier, even if he had interfered, it would have changed nothing; it wouldn’t have been bravado, just another pointless gesture. But now, with the stakes higher, it was worth a gamble. Ma knew he couldn’t intimidate Jiang Yaowen, but perhaps he could scare Huo Dongjun—a real possibility.

The sight of Ma, who had been hiding like a coward, suddenly stepping out of the car left everyone dumbfounded.

Ni Feihong, now extremely anxious, sensed things escalating. Seeing Ma get out, a chill ran down her spine; she shot him a frantic look, urging him to run and call the police.

Ye Gongmin cursed his luck—he'd kept his mouth shut out of loyalty, no one had even noticed Ma's presence, and now the kid decided to blow his own cover? At least he could have stayed hidden as a potential informant for when things spiraled out of control.

But no, the kid had panicked and revealed himself.

Amidst everyone's disbelief, Ma closed the BMW's door behind him and, pointing with a trembling finger, declared, "How dare you! Let go of that witch—no, I mean, let go of that lady!"

The entire scene froze.

It was utter idiocy.

Strangely, though, nearly a third of the black suits recognized Ma. No one spoke; even the man who had been about to drag Ni Feihong inside stopped, not daring to report what was happening.

Ni Feihong nearly fainted. Instead of running, the fool had chosen this moment to grandstand. Still, this was the only chance, so she started hurling insults: "Fku! Who the hell are you? Get lost!"

This loser...how dare he...

Given that this body harbored a grudge against Ni Feihong, Ma's face darkened instantly, slipping into "Demon King" mode. He said nothing, ignored the commotion outside, and strode straight toward the abandoned warehouse.

As he passed, the man holding Ni Feihong tried to speak, but the Demon King merely shot him a glance. That was all it took—the man recoiled, stood silent and motionless, still gripping Ni Feihong but rooted to the spot.

Ma entered the warehouse without hesitation.

Inside, Huo Dongjun was lighting a cigar, oblivious to who had just arrived.

Jiang Yaowen caught sight of Ma and was stunned, glancing around in confusion. "Did you come to the wrong place?"

Hearing this, Huo Dongjun assumed the rumored "number one beauty" had been brought in and was preparing to take a closer look.

But when he saw who it was—he began to cough violently, smoke pouring from his nostrils.

What the hell!

As Huo nearly coughed up a lung, his two bodyguards stood perfectly still. Jiang Yaowen hurried over, patting Huo Dongjun on the back, "Mr. Huo, are you alright?"

"I...you @#￥" Huo Dongjun was so flustered he could barely speak, his words devolving into gibberish as he stood up hurriedly.

As the "Demon King" approached, Jiang Yaowen tried to step in, but Huo Dongjun finally caught his breath, blurting anxiously, "Second Brother, why are you here?"

With that, Jiang Yaowen's expression changed drastically. He took a step back, turned away, acting as if he’d seen nothing at all, and the entire scene fell into silence.

Ma had no idea what business they were discussing, nor what to say or do, so he fell back on his usual tactic—remaining silent while fixing Huo Dongjun with a steady gaze.

Huo Dongjun began to feel uneasy.

As the seconds ticked by, Ma's demeanor grew increasingly mild, making Huo Dongjun hesitate, recalling Zhang Ziran's cryptic words: "He seems different." But who knew what tricks that woman was playing?

Ma, quick-witted, noticed Huo’s hesitation and sensed danger. He quickly recalled all the ways Ni Feihong had wronged him.

Damn... she’d had him fired multiple times.

That old resentment surged back, and his aura shifted once more.

Huo Laosi rubbed his eyes. Damn, this really was "him"—the Demon King, the very one everyone had feared since childhood.

Huo Laosi took a deep breath, not daring to think further. "Second Brother, what brings you here?"

Ma hesitated still, uncertain how to respond. He couldn't tell if Huo Laosi was conducting private business or acting on behalf of this body's interests. By all rights, this body had long since passed the "dirty money" phase, and the current trouble could be written off as the randomness of a vast forest. But he wasn't sure.

The less said, the better.

Contemplating his options, Ma continued to watch Huo Dongjun with a peculiar gaze, never losing his composure.

Five seconds passed.

Huo Dongjun finally surrendered, almost in tears. "Second Brother, please spare me this time. It’s not that I’m doing this for myself... it’s... it’s..."

"It’s what?" Ma asked quietly.

Huo Dongjun steeled himself and blurted out, "It’s your... Thirteenth Aunt’s business..."

Thirteenth Aunt? What kind of nonsense was that?

Frustrated, Ma realized he knew nothing about the family’s dealings and had no idea how to respond. Judging from that strange dream, this body seemed to despise the "princes and princesses" of the family, even its own father—there had apparently been something like a palace coup. So, theoretically, the so-called Thirteenth Aunt was the old drunkard's sister, whom this body probably also disliked.

Ma decided to take the risk, his face turning cold and grim.

Seeing the Demon King's expression, Huo Dongjun finally relaxed, clapping his hands. "Exactly, I’m not fond of Thirteenth Aunt either. But you know me, Second Brother—I’m a pushover, a nice guy, easy to bully."

Ma nearly burst out laughing.

So Huo Dongjun was everyone’s favorite doormat? That was news. But Ma managed to keep a straight face.

At least he’d gleaned some information: Thirteenth Aunt to this body was Thirteenth Aunt to Huo Dongjun. With his surname Huo, it seemed Huo Laosi’s mother was this body’s paternal aunt, making Huo Laosi the old drunkard’s nephew—probably the fourth in his generation, hence the nickname.

Ma gave a slight nod for him to continue.

Huo Dongjun exhaled in relief and went on: "Thirteenth Aunt has always been entangled with drug cartels from both the north and south. In recent years, she’s fallen out with the CIA—they’ve been at each other’s throats. Now, with so much dirty money, they need new channels to launder it."

Ma was stunned by this revelation. What on earth had he gotten himself into?