Chapter 101: Threat

Tanya pouted in grievance, her hands nervously clasped in front of her. This really wasn’t her fault—she had only kicked aside an annoying stone, nothing serious. Was she expected to stand there like some wooden figurine, unmoving?

She looked to Chu Ning for help, certain that he would have a solution.

Chu Ning sighed helplessly, marveling that truly exceptional people shine like fireflies in the darkness. With a playful wink, he seemed to say, "Watch closely, it’s time for my performance!"

At a time like this, words of persuasion would only backfire, provoking more resistance and worsening the situation. Chu Ning leaned in, whispering conspiratorially in Tanya’s ear, “I’ve spotted the target. Let’s slip away quietly while they’re distracted by their argument.”

“The target?” Tanya looked around in confusion. She really couldn’t tell who the target might be. Even sorting by gender eliminated most people, and among the remaining women, none fit the description.

She wasn’t so oblivious as to mix people up, especially since the target’s features were unusually distinctive—unlike the faces shaped by the surgeon’s mold, the mole at the corner of her right eye made her stand out.

The factory fell silent; everyone’s eyes were fixed on Chu Ning and Tanya, occasionally sweeping the room in search of the elusive target.

“You’re done arguing? Go on, don’t stop now!” Zhaoqing snapped irritably. He regretted speaking up—why bother getting involved? If they weren’t still useful to him, he’d have stayed far away from these stress-inducing fools.

“Heh, but isn’t there important news now? Young man, could you tell us where the target is? My old eyes aren’t what they used to be—I didn’t catch a glimpse of the target anywhere!”

An elderly man in a traditional suit asked, his eyes gleaming sharply as he coughed theatrically and stared unblinkingly at Tanya, waiting for Chu Ning’s answer.

Tanya couldn’t help but shrink behind Chu Ning, unable to withstand the old man’s scorching gaze, which seemed intent on devouring her. She began to doubt her own identity—how could she, a ghost representing evil, be so bullied by mere mortals?

And ever since becoming a ghost, it seemed everyone could push her around! Truly, the weak are always destined for exploitation, whether human or ghost.

“Hmph, how would I know where the target is?” Chu Ning felt a surge of irritation as others stared at Tanya. It was as if someone had claimed his belongings without permission—how could anyone remain in a good mood?

“Oh, so you don’t know where the target is? I was right, wasn’t I?” The old man smiled benignly at Chu Ning, his tone gentle as he pressed the point.

The old man’s smiling face radiated warmth and friendliness, but as he silently drew a revolver from his belt, the atmosphere turned tense and dangerous.

Truthfully, Chu Ning detested threats, especially when a gun was pointed at him. A dangerous aura emanated from him as he watched the old man’s every move, ready to send him straight to hell at the first opportunity.

But if the gun wasn’t aimed at him—well, then it was none of his concern. Chu Ning’s expression relaxed, but he remained wary of the old man’s intentions.

“Could you please tell us where the target is? Please!” Tanya stammered, trembling. She wasn’t sure she could dodge a bullet, especially since if the other party had the confidence to aim at an incorporeal being, perhaps they had bullets designed for special targets, just like in the movies.

“Don’t worry, try to stay calm. I’ll do everything I can to get you out of here, trust me!” Chu Ning reassured Tanya, who was being threatened. He couldn’t fathom their logic—using Tanya’s life to threaten him?

Tanya almost burst into tears—easy for him to say, he wasn’t the one with a gun pointed at him. She forced a flattering smile, hoping Chu Ning would exchange information for her safety.

“Actually, I don’t know where the target is…”

The old man’s finger tightened on the trigger at those words, his half-closed eyes taking careful aim at Tanya’s head. He let out an exaggerated sigh, “What a pity, a bullet wasted for nothing.”

In the old man’s mind, Tanya’s elimination took precedence over Chu Ning. After all, ghosts possessed special abilities and might turn the tide, so when facing a human-ghost duo, it was best to deal with the troublesome one first.

“But hasn’t anyone noticed that there’s one less person in the workshop?” Chu Ning remarked with a sly smile. While keeping watch for danger, he had realized that someone was missing—someone who had left a deep impression on him, someone hard to forget.

How amusing, to have someone else eliminate your target before you!

A scream rang out.

A gunshot followed.

“Now there are two fewer people,” the old man said coldly, twirling his gun and tucking it away so swiftly that almost no one saw the motion. The only confirmation was the sound of gunfire and the sight of a body collapsing to the floor, a bullet wound in the center of their brow.

“Huh, I’m unharmed?” Tanya checked herself over, finding everything intact. Maybe the shot missed? But the blood pooling on the floor told a different story.

Tracing the trail of blood, she saw a corpse staring lifelessly up at her. Tanya blinked—was this person killed in her stead? Could it be that she’d awakened a new power? The thought lingered in her mind.

“Alas, old age really is catching up to me! To think I’d miss my target—what a shame,” the old man lamented, though none could tell if he was sincere.

A person had been shot dead for no reason, yet no one at the scene seemed inclined to demand justice. After all, the victim was alone—his death meant nothing to the rest.

This left Chu Ning with the faint suspicion that the old man had done it on purpose; otherwise, how could he have so conveniently killed a lone individual? He had to admit, though—the old man’s marksmanship was impressive.

“So it wasn’t my new ability awakening in a moment of crisis after all!” Tanya grumbled, disappointed. She’d hoped the threat would unlock some hidden potential, but reality had doused her hopes with cold water.

At the instant the shot was fired, Chu Ning sensed the bullet’s trajectory in the air—not aimed at Tanya at all. He gave up on revealing his own power by stopping the bullet midair, realizing there was nothing special about it.

It was just an ordinary, mass-produced cartridge. Tanya had been completely fooled by the old man; even if the bullet had struck her, it wouldn’t have been fatal—at most, it would have caused her pain.