Free Web NovelChapter 336: Haven’s Answer!!
Xin’s hands trembled.
The gun felt heavier than ever before.
His breathing was uneven.
His eyes remained fixed on the young man standing before him.
"You..."
"How could you be so strong...?"
"Who... who... who are you?"
Ghost looked at him calmly.
No pride.
No arrogance.
Nothing.
Just calm.
"Like you said."
"I am nobody."
Xin instinctively stepped backward.
The confidence from earlier had completely disappeared.
"Don’t..."
"Don’t get close."
"I will shoot you."
Ghost glanced at the gun.
Then at Xin.
Then in a movement so fast that nobody could react...
His hand flashed forward.
The gun vanished.
Xin blinked.
The weapon was already in Ghost’s hand.
Before he could even understand what happened...
Ghost had removed the magazine.
Then the slide.
Then the remaining parts.
Metal pieces clattered across the floor.
The gun was reduced to scrap in seconds.
Xin’s face turned pale.
He immediately raised both hands.
"I..."
"I surrender."
"We made a deal, right?"
"You take her away."
"You take this bag of money too."
Ghost raised an eyebrow.
Xin hurriedly continued. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"Not enough?"
"I can give you more."
"I have plenty."
"Whatever amount you want."
Ghost stared at him for several seconds.
Then sighed.
The look in his eyes was not anger.
It was pity.
Pure pity.
"It’s your lucky day today."
He tossed the dismantled pieces of the gun aside.
Metal slid across the floor.
"I will not kill you."
Ghost turned away.
Xin’s legs almost gave out beneath him.
A huge breath escaped his lungs.
Ghost walked toward Wang Yi.
She was still staring at him.
Completely shocked.
As if she were looking at a stranger.
Or perhaps seeing him for the first time.
Ghost stopped beside her.
"I hope you take this situation seriously, Xin."
Then he slowly turned his head.
The warmth disappeared from his face.
His eyes became ice.
"Next time."
"You won’t be this lucky."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Xin felt his chest tighten.
Even breathing became difficult.
His back was soaked in sweat.
"I understand."
Ghost stared for another moment.
Then looked back at Wang Yi.
But Xin suddenly spoke again.
His voice shaky.
"Is there something on my face?"
Ghost frowned slightly.
"What?"
Xin swallowed.
"No."
"It’s..."
"It’s just..."
"You are so strong..."
Ghost said nothing.
Instead he turned toward Wang Yi.
"Let’s go."
"Your father is waiting at the art school."
Wang Yi nodded quietly.
"Let’s go."
The two began walking toward the exit.
Past the machines.
Past the silent workers.
Past the unconscious men.
Every step echoed through the factory.
Xin stood behind them.
Watching.
His eyes filled with resentment.
With humiliation.
With hatred.
Then suddenly...
"No!"
He lunged.
A hidden pistol appeared in his hand.
Bang!
The gunshot echoed throughout the factory.
Ghost’s instincts reacted instantly.
He turned.
Wang Yi pushed him,
The bullet grazed her torso.
A shallow wound.
But blood instantly appeared.
The projectile continued past her.
Striking a metal pipe behind.
Clang!
Ghost caught Wang Yi before she could fall.
"Hey!"
"Hey!"
"No."
"No."
"No."
His voice became frantic.
Something almost nobody ever heard.
"Keep pressure on it."
"It’s a flesh wound."
"You’ll be alright."
"You’ll be alright."
He gently lowered her to the ground.
Then stood up.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
And turned around.
Xin was still holding the pistol.
His hand shaking violently.
His eyes wide.
Like a madman.
"Dieeeee!"
He pulled the trigger again.
Click.
Nothing.
Click.
Nothing.
The magazine was empty.
Xin’s face changed.
"Damn!"
Ghost’s eyes met his.
For a moment...
The Ghost that terrified battlefields across the world returned.
The bloodlust.
The coldness.
The darkness.
Everything.
"How dare you hurt her."
The next instant he vanished.
Xin barely saw a blur.
Then...
A hand wrapped around his throat.
Boom!
His body slammed against a large heated industrial pipe.
The impact shook the metal structure.
Before he could react...
Ghost pushed his face directly against the scorching surface.
A horrible scream erupted.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
The smell of burning flesh appeared instantly.
The machinery drowned out much of the sound.
But not enough.
Workers froze in terror.
Several stumbled backward.
Others looked away completely.
Xin screamed.
And screamed.
And screamed.
Ghost’s eyes were terrifying.
"You are going to hell tonight."
Nobody doubted those words.
Not for a second.
The workers felt genuine fear.
Because the young man standing there no longer looked human.
He looked like a monster holding another monster by the throat.
Then a weak voice came from behind.
"Don’t do it..."
Ghost froze.
Wang Yi was holding her wound.
Breathing heavily.
Yet still looking at him.
"Don’t lose yourself."
"Remember why you’re here."
"It’s not worth it."
"Not for a loser like him."
Her voice trembled from pain.
Yet she forced herself to continue.
"Let’s go."
"I’ll make sure he spends the rest of his life in prison."
Ghost remained silent.
His grip tightened.
Then loosened.
His eyes slowly closed.
Meiling’s teachings.
The circles.
The breathing.
The calm.
The control.
Everything resurfaced.
A deep breath escaped him.
His hand opened.
Xin collapsed onto the floor.
Coughing violently.
Crying.
Trembling.
Ghost never looked at him again.
Instead he rushed toward Wang Yi.
Her clothes were stained with blood.
The sight made him frown.
"Let me take you to the hospital."
Before she could protest...
He carefully lifted her into his arms.
As if she weighed nothing.
Then he began moving toward the exit. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Fast.
Very fast.
"Don’t worry."
"You’ll be alright."
Wang Yi looked up at him.
Despite the pain.
Despite the blood.
She still smiled.
A small smile.
"I’ll be fine..."
"Troubled kid."
Ghost shook his head.
"Don’t talk."
Outside...
The driver immediately noticed them.
The rear door flew open.
Ghost carefully adjusted Wang Yi inside.
Making sure she was comfortable.
Then suddenly...
BOOOOOM!
A massive explosion erupted behind them.
The ground trembled.
Heat rushed through the air.
Ghost immediately turned.
The factory was engulfed in flames.
Fire climbed into the night sky.
Windows shattered.
Smoke billowed upward.
Even Wang Yi looked back.
Her eyes widened.
"What happened...?"
"If we were still inside..."
Ghost stared at the burning structure.
Then remembered the bullet.
The pipe.
The sound.
The impact.
Realization appeared on his face.
"That bullet."
"When it hit the pipe..."
"It caused a gas leak."
The flames intensified.
Part of the building collapsed.
Ghost sighed.
A cold expression settled on his face.
"He dug his own grave."
The driver immediately started the engine.
"We should leave, Boss."
"Local enforcement will be here soon."
Ghost nodded.
Then climbed inside.
The door closed.
He looked once more at the burning factory.
Then at Wang Yi.
"To the hospital."
The driver accelerated.
"Here we go."
As the car disappeared into the Shanghai night...
The factory continued burning behind them.
And somewhere inside those flames...
Xin’s obsession, pride, and ambition were turning into ashes.
Present
Inside the apartment in Shanghai.
The metallic smell of blood lingered heavily in the air.
Bodies lay scattered across the floor.
Broken furniture.
Spent magazines.
Dark stains spreading across the wooden floor.
The room looked less like an apartment and more like the aftermath of a battlefield.
Xin slowly removed his hoodie.
The scar running across his face was finally exposed.
The scar he had carried for four years.
The scar he hated every time he looked into a mirror.
Reina glanced at him.
Then immediately looked away.
As if she had seen something unpleasant.
That simple reaction made Xin’s eye twitch.
His gaze returned to the television screen.
Ghost was still standing there.
Calm.
Silent.
Watching.
Xin pointed at the screen.
"What is wrong with fighting for your love?"
"Did you not fight for yours?"
The room became silent.
Even Ren stopped smiling for a moment.
Xin slowly began laughing again.
A twisted laugh.
A laugh that sounded closer to crying than amusement.
"But do you think you can save her?"
Ren frowned.
"What the hell are you blabbering about?"
Xin ignored him completely.
His eyes remained fixed on Ghost.
"Her name is Chloe, right?"
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Ghost remained expressionless.
Not a single muscle moved.
Not a single word came out.
Xin smiled wider.
"I heard she is in Paris."
"Visiting her grandfather."
"How about I do the same thing to her face..."
His fingers slowly brushed across his scar.
"...that you did to mine."
The smile on his face became ugly.
Cruel.
Obsessive.
"I heard she is beautiful."
"I wonder how you will feel when I tear her into pieces."
His laughter echoed throughout the room.
Loud.
Mad.
Unstable.
"You lose this time, Ghost."
"You lose."
"You cannot do anything."
His eyes shone with madness.
"Bring Wang Yi to me."
"Bring her yourself."
"Come alone."
"I might consider letting your girl live."
"Bring Wang Yi."
"Surrender."
"And maybe Chloe survives."
The room became completely silent.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Even Xin stopped laughing.
Waiting.
Expecting anger.
Expecting panic.
Expecting desperation.
Instead...
Ghost smiled.
A small smile.
Calm.
Almost amused.
"Are you done with your performance?"
Xin froze.
His expression instantly darkened.
Ghost continued.
"Did you think Avelin could harm Chloe?"
The smile disappeared.
His eyes became cold.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
"Avelin is sitting inside an Interpol black site prison right now."
Xin’s confidence visibly cracked.
Ghost took another step toward the camera.
"Did you think I was not prepared for Paris?"
"The day your people poisoned Louis..."
"I already saw your plan."
His voice was calm.
That calmness was somehow more terrifying than shouting.
"The hospital building belonged to you."
"But the people inside belonged to me."
Xin’s breathing became heavier.
Ghost continued.
"I knew Avelin was waiting for Chloe."
"I knew she was watching."
"I knew she was preparing."
A brief pause.
Then a faint smile.
"But she never met her."
Xin’s eyes widened.
"No..."
Ghost looked directly into the camera.
"Do you know where Louis is right now?"
"Star Harbor."
"Safe."
"And Chloe?"
A pause.
"She was brought back on the very next flight."
The words landed like a hammer.
Xin’s face turned pale.
"No..."
"No..."
"This cannot be..."
His voice became shaky.
"I was talking to Avelin."
"Until today."
Reina suddenly coughed.
Then spoke in a perfect imitation of Avelin’s voice.
"Everything is proceeding as planned."
Xin’s pupils shrank.
His head snapped toward her.
Reina grinned.
Ren burst into laughter.
The realization finally hit.
Every report.
Every update.
Every reassurance.
Had been fake.
Ghost had been watching him the entire time.
Ghost spoke again.
And this time there was no smile.
No amusement.
Nothing.
Only judgment.
"It’s over, Xin."
The room felt colder.
"You killed my brothers and sisters."
"You murdered people who trusted me."
"You murdered people who trusted Graveyard."
His eyes darkened.
"The Graveyard is coming for you."
"They will bring you back to the base."
"And then..."
A brief silence.
"You will learn what real pain is."
For the first time...
Fear appeared in Xin’s eyes.
Real fear.
Not fear of death.
Fear of what came before death.
Xin forced himself to laugh.
A desperate laugh.
A weak laugh.
"Do you think you can take me out of this country?"
"I have politicians behind me."
"I have support."
"If I do not return alive..."
"Haven and China will be at war."
He pointed toward the screen.
"You lose, Ghost."
"You really lose."
Ghost looked at him.
Then slowly shook his head.
Almost like a teacher correcting a foolish student.
"Are you still dreaming?"
His voice became colder.
"Then let me wake you up."
Xin’s smile slowly faded.
Ghost continued.
"The Chinese spy who helped you use those missiles..."
"Has already been captured."
Xin froze.
"The governments of Haven and China are already negotiating."
"The matter will never become public."
"The existence of the spy will disappear."
"The scandal will disappear."
"The politicians will protect themselves."
Ghost’s eyes narrowed.
"But you..."
His voice became deadly calm.
"You will be abandoned."
The words struck harder than any punch.
Xin took an involuntary step backward.
"No..."
Ghost continued mercilessly.
"Haven owes Graveyard an answer."
"They owe the families of the dead an answer."
His eyes seemed to pierce straight through the screen.
"They owe me an answer."
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Then Ghost spoke the final words.
Slowly.
Clearly.
Like a sentence being handed down.
"Your destiny has arrived, Xin."
"You spent four years chasing revenge."
Ghost’s gaze never wavered.
"But from this moment onward..."
"There is no revenge."
"There is no escape."
"There are no negotiations."
"There is only the bill for everything you have done."
Xin stood frozen.
The blood drained from his face.
Even his hands had stopped trembling.
Ghost’s voice echoed one final time through the room.
"From now on..."
"There is only pain."
Xin felt something he had not felt in years.
Not hatred.
Not obsession.
Not anger.
Fear.
[A/N: If you’re wondering how Xin learned the true identity of the kid from the art school, that he was actually the Ghost of the Graveyard, revisit Chapter 329: Curse. The clue was waiting there the whole time. ^_~]
