Chapter 025: Counterkill?

Kingpin's massive body slammed into the wall with a loud crash, shaking dust from the walls and sending a painting clattering to the floor.

Kingpin's enormous muscles did not shield him from the sonic cannon; when the sonic wave swept over his body, the oscillating vibrations shattered several of his bones.

Kingpin lay on the ground, twitching uncontrollably, unable to stand for the time being.

He stared at his trusted subordinate in disbelief.

But from his subordinate's mouth came Wang Bo's voice: "I warned you, Kingpin. You're too arrogant. You think you're so powerful, with all your protection, that you can run rampant in this world?"

"No, you can't. You're just an ordinary man."

"I admit, among ordinary people, you're better than most—even better than ninety-five percent of the world."

"But that's not enough to justify your arrogance. You should be more humble, Kingpin."

"Killing you would take no effort at all, and you'd never even know who I am. But luckily for you, you can't die just yet."

"Because the White Witch has her eyes on you. If you die, your men will be leaderless, and the White Witch's people will easily take over your entire empire."

"So I need you alive, to keep leading your organization, everything you have. But you must go into hiding and never let the White Witch find you, or even I won't be able to save you."

Faced with Wang Bo's contempt, Kingpin struggled to his feet. Though his face twitched and sweat poured from his forehead, he still stood up.

It was clear he was enduring the pain.

Even facing an enemy who looked down on him and could kill him at any moment, Kingpin showed no sign of backing down. "King never hides. Never!"

Wang Bo was a bit troubled. This guy just wouldn't listen. "So, you plan to go head-to-head with the White Witch?"

"No one, no matter who, will ever break me." Kingpin had his pride. He had risen from a nobody thug to where he was today, through countless trials.

Death was not enough to make him retreat.

"I don't know who you are, and I don't know who the White Witch is. But if someone wants to take everything from me, fine—they can have it, but only over my dead body."

Kingpin laughed, proud and defiant.

Wang Bo said, "Even if the White Witch can turn you to stone, leaving your soul to wail and break down?"

Kingpin's laughter abruptly stopped.

Wang Bo sighed, controlling the mechanical soldier disguised as Kingpin's trusted man, and said, "Let me introduce you. The White Witch, ruler of Narnia, a master of magic, a witch who once froze a world for a hundred years, preventing spring from ever coming."

"Anyone who opposes her gets turned to stone. As for whether they can still think, I'm not sure. Honestly, if they can't think, that's not so bad."

"But if they can think, then it's terrible. You know, once you're stone, you can't move, eat, talk to anyone, or even breathe. But you can still think."

"That's the cruelest torture of all."

"How long could you endure? A month, three months, a year, three years? Through endless ages, you'd be like a stone, witnessing the passage of time, but no one would notice you."

"You'd be alone, only yourself, thinking endlessly, silently, until your mind collapses into madness, or you choose to stop thinking."

"Tell me, Kingpin, is that what you want?"

Kingpin stared at Wang Bo in silence, a curse on the tip of his tongue that he didn't know whether to utter. Though he considered himself a man of strong will,

the mere thought of the future Wang Bo had described sent a chill down his spine.

As the other had said, it was nothing short of torture—a torment that even a tough guy like him couldn't endure.

"The White Witch from Narnia? Do you think I'd believe such an absurd lie?"

"Believe it or not, you know the truth in your heart," Wang Bo said nonchalantly. "If you don't believe me, I can't help it. After all, it's you who's courting death, not me."

With that, Wang Bo turned and walked away.

"Oh, one last reminder: if you don't want to die, hide yourself, Kingpin!"

"That's your only way out."

After Wang Bo left, Kingpin stared grimly at the wrecked room, saying nothing.

A knock came, and a gaunt man pushed the door open. Seeing the mess, he was stunned. "Boss?"

Kingpin looked at his right-hand man, his gaze seeming to pierce through the man's heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

His right-hand man felt his scalp crawl under that stare.

"Boss?" Kingpin's right-hand man felt something was off with his boss—those eyes looked like they wanted to kill him. It must be an illusion, definitely an illusion.

Seeing the man tremble under his gaze, Kingpin finally confirmed that this guy was indeed his man, not an enemy in disguise. He withdrew his stare and said in a low voice, "Tell everyone: from now on, prepare for battle."

"Yes, Boss." His right-hand man agreed without hesitation.

In the organization, his boss was the true king; no one could defy his orders.

"But Boss, who is our enemy?"

"A woman, a woman called the White Witch!" Kingpin said darkly.

But in his heart, his enemy was not just the White Witch.

There was also a mysterious man.

He was the one Kingpin wanted dead most, but this man was too mysterious—so mysterious that even Kingpin didn't know who he was.

"The phone number I asked you to look up—how's that going?" Kingpin turned, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

The right-hand man shook his head. "Sorry, Boss."

Kingpin closed his eyes and suddenly punched his right-hand man, sending him flying.

"Next time, I'll bury you alive."

"Yes, Boss." His right-hand man gagged and nodded frantically.

…

Meanwhile, through Friday, Wang Bo learned that Kingpin had begun preparing for war. He nodded in satisfaction. In his view, Kingpin, now ready for battle, should be able to hold out for a while.

As for turning the tables? Impossible.

Given Kingpin's strength and methods, he was no match for the White Witch—they weren't on the same level. Wang Bo had warned him not in hopes of a counter-kill, which was unrealistic.