Chapter 895: Telephone

"Bang!" A bandaged fist, gripping brass knuckles, slammed hard into Li Huowang's left ribs. A distinct sound of ribs breaking instantly echoed.

But that wasn't the end of it. The bandages on the fist were quickly bitten open. Before the loosened strips could fall to the ground, they were swiftly pulled taut and tightened firmly around Li Huowang's neck.

As his brain became engorged with blood, Li Huowang's face instantly turned crimson. Veins bulged on his forehead, and oxygen deprivation gradually blurred his consciousness.

Just as he was about to be strangled to death, Li Huowang suddenly tilted his head back sharply, smashing it into his opponent's face.

Feeling the bandages around his neck loosen slightly, Li Huowang gritted his teeth and kicked off the ground forcefully with both feet. His entire body sprang high into the air, and he slammed forcefully into the enemy behind him.

The moment he landed, feeling his opponent trapped beneath his back, he immediately rolled backward and stood up, then raised his right foot and savagely kicked towards the opponent's head. His opponent's body quickly curled up, using her back as a shield to defend against Li Huowang's kick. She then used his force against him, forcefully sweeping at Li Huowang's other supporting leg, causing him to instantly totter.

"Time to eat." A flat voice made the two combatants, fighting for their lives, stop.

Li Huowang retreated three steps, glaring with a murderous look at Ba Nanxu, who was getting up from the ground. He touched his neck. Swallowing was now painful and difficult for him, a clear sign that his opponent's force had been intended to kill him.

Ba Nanxu reached up and touched the spot where Li Huowang had kicked her, wiping away blood from the corner of her mouth. She opened her lipstick-stained mouth, revealing blood-soaked gums. A forked tongue darted out from the blood, flickered quickly, then retracted. "Motherfucker, I'm really starting to like you more and more," she snarled.

Gritting his teeth, Li Huowang raised his middle finger at her, then turned and walked towards the bag of fast food.

The meal box contained Yangzhou fried rice and radish pork rib claypot soup. Li Huowang couldn't be bothered to pay attention to Ba Shengqing, who had brought the food. He picked up the disposable chopsticks and began eating voraciously.

While eating, he surveyed his surroundings. This was an abandoned factory, with rusty, mottled pipes and muddy puddles everywhere. He had been living here for some time. Zhao Shuangdian had said she would retaliate against the other side, but she hadn't reappeared since that day. If it weren't for these two siblings approaching him, Li Huowang would have almost thought they had forgotten him entirely.

Sparring was Li Huowang's suggestion; he wanted to become stronger. The Ba siblings, to their credit, were quite skilled, and their combat proficiency had improved rapidly during this period.

"Lunatic, you're on TV!" Ba Nanxu said, holding up her phone to Li Huowang as she ate. "Look at your one-eyed appearance; it's quite photogenic."

Li Huowang didn't even look, continuing to eat his fast food with his head down. "Still no news from Zhao Shuangdian?" he asked. "All I do every day is spar with you. Didn't she say we'd act next month? There are only a few days left."

"What are you so anxious about?" Ba Nanxu said, picking up a cigarette with her mouth and lighting it with a snap. "She's getting fake passports. It won't be long."

"Passports? What for?"

"What else? To leave the country, of course."

Hearing this, Li Huowang was stunned. He hadn't expected Zhao Shuangdian's counterattack to involve leaving the country. "So, all it takes is a passport to get to the other 'elephant'?" Li Huowang felt that things weren't that simple.

"Where are we going?" Li Huowang pressed on.

"Don't ask about the specifics," Ba Nanxu replied. "Anyway, once we get there, we'll just deal with them directly. You don't care about the details, do you?"

Li Huowang threw down his chopsticks and looked impatiently at the siblings in front of him. "Why wouldn't I care?" he retorted. "Don't forget they tried to kill me before! Call Zhao Shuangdian. I want to ask her myself what's going on."

Ba Nanxu gave Li Huowang an annoyed look and casually tossed him her phone. "Call her yourself," she said.

Li Huowang picked up the phone, quickly scrolled through his contacts to Zhao Shuangdian's name, and dialed directly. After a few brief rings, Li Huowang heard her sophisticated voice. "Hello? Li Huowang, what is it?"

"When are we leaving?" he asked. "Give me a definite answer; don't keep me hanging."

"We're leaving tonight," she replied. "Remember not to fall asleep."

"Alright, since we're acting tonight," Li Huowang continued, "it's time to reveal the details of the other 'elephant,' isn't it? As they say, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.'"

"There's nothing new to reveal," she said. "I've already explained; they are the same people who dealt with you before. I can't tell you what they look like in my eyes. You wouldn't understand if I did. After all, you're touching the elephant's trunk, while I'm touching its tusks. I will take you to their location. You just need to pay attention to what they look like in *your* eyes." Hearing this, Li Huowang remembered the people who had once monitored him.

After a brief pause, Li Huowang spoke again. "I need weapons."

"Yes, I understand that," she replied. "I'll prepare them for you. And I need you to promise me one thing: once we get there, everything must be under my command."

"Alright, alright!" Li Huowang impatiently moved the phone away from his ear, ready to hang up.

"Wait," Zhao Shuangdian said, her tone very grave. "This is very important; I need to confirm again: once we get there, any questioning or disobedience of my orders will be interpreted by me as you betraying your own 'elephant.'"

"Any questioning or disobedience of orders?" Li Huowang pondered her words carefully, finding them a little strange. "What exactly is the situation over there?"

"I'll explain once we get there," she replied. "It's not something I can clarify in a few words now." The phone hung up with a click, leaving a long dial tone in Li Huowang's ear.

Li Huowang tossed the phone back to the tattooed woman in front of him, his brow furrowed as he pondered the meaning of her words. There had been no such rules before. "Over there, is it that easy for me to betray my 'elephant'?" he wondered. "And if I really betray my 'elephant,' what will the consequences be?" He found it hard to imagine just how strange the world of Yu'er Shen truly was.

Two fingers, painted with black nail polish, extended towards Li Huowang and snapped. "Lunatic, are you full?" Ba Nanxu asked. "Come on." She knocked the hard brass knuckles in her hands together, producing small sparks.

Li Huowang looked at the woman before him. "Can I ask you a question?"

Ba Nanxu shook her head immediately. "Don't give me your crazy talk," she said. "I don't argue with lunatics. Are you coming or not? If not, I'm going back to open my shop."

"I'm coming!" Li Huowang gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and stood up again.