The Man Standing on Top of the Food Chain

Di Hao Hotel, VIP Room.

On the large round table, only Xu Li Chuan (Lawyer) and Brother Huo sat. The table was filled with all sorts of delicacy and delicious wine.

As the most luxurious hotel in Zhongdu City, this is usually the gathering spot of the upper society members. All sorts of novel ideas that the commoner cannot think of is carried out here every day. An ordinary millionaire’s expenditure here a day is enough to send many into despair.

The saying ‘the smell of meat in the luxurious house, the frozen corpse outside on the streets’ was apparent here. [1]

“Huo Qing, the Mayor is very upset about what you did.” Xu Li Chuan puffed out his cigarette smoke, arrogantly looking at Brother Huo: “Never mind your normal street fights, now you dare to interfere in Second Young Master’s business? You want the Mayor to owe you a favor? Who gave you the guts?”

Huo Qing, better known as Brother Huo, frowned as his eyes emitted a dangerous glow, but after hearing Xu Li Chuan’s words, he did not respond. This is because behind Xu Li Chuan stands the Zhongdu City Mayor, Shang An Guo, a force to be reckoned with.

Thus, Huo Qing only said while smiling: “Haha, Mr Xu, you’re mistaken. I would not dare to interfere in Second Young Master’s problems.” Saying so, he toasted to Xu Li Chuan: “It was because I saw how busy the Mayor is, thus thinking that these small issues should not disturb him, therefore I acted. I was muddled.”

Xu Li Chuan snorted: “Never mind that you acted, but the people you sent actually got killed! Do you know how much of disadvantage this puts us in?”

Huo Qing patted his chest and said: “Mr Xu, I was careless this time. I have already sent my men to investigate, I a.s.sure you that I will bring Li Anping to you within 3 days.”

“Why would I want him?” Xu Li Chuan slammed the table: “Li Anping is but a small fry, what’s the point? There is definitely someone behind the scenes manipulating this, trying to use Li Anping to attack the Mayor.”

“Mr Xu is right.” Huo Qing nodded.

“That’s why it is crucial for us to catch those hiding behind the scenes. We cannot allow those law offenders to inflict their revenge on the Mayor, affecting the people’s unity, and society’s stability.” Xu Li Chuan used to be a government official, thus he made it sound extremely patriotic.

Next he said calmly: “But what you said earlier is not wrong, you still have to start investigating from Li Anping. You mentioned three days earlier, then fine, I shall give you a week. If there are no results in a week’s time, you can prepare to leave Zhongdu.”

“Don’t worry Mr Xu, in one week’s time, even if he is a dragon or a tiger, as long as he dares to oppose the Mayor in Zhongdu, he’s dead meat.” Huo Qing toasted Xu Li Chuan again: “Speaking of which, Mr Xu has great foresight, I see this is why the Mayor has entrusted you with his matters, you really got down to the heart of the matter. I heard that Young Master Shang’s case was settled by you, it was a spectacular display of your skills and underhand tactics.”

Xu Li Chuan smiled and said: “Those are just small tricks.”

What followed was a series of praises and compliments, until even a veteran like Xu Li Chuan felt smug.

After the wine had nearly finished, and it was about time to end, Huo Qing stuffed a thick red packet into Xu Li Chuan’s arms. Xu Li Chuan nodded in satisfaction, as he accepted Huo Qing’s arrangement with glee and asked for two of Di Hao’s best ladies. After he had started working for the Mayor, he left his government official post and it made things more convenient for him in that he was less restrained when enjoying himself as he did not need to uphold a public image.

After Xu Li Chuan left, Huo Qing sat on his seat, lighted a cigarette in his hand, puffed out a breath of smoke and said to the empty hall: “How was it?”

Only to see that behind him, which was empty earlier, a handsome, gracious looking youngster slowly appearing. He seemed to have been standing there since the start and after hearing Huo Qing’s words, showed his presence.

He pulled out a chair, sat on it, and started drinking the wine on the table.

“This Xu Li Chuan, he’s just an unscrupulous man that only seeks his own benefits, why do you have to put up with him brother?” The youngster said unhappily.

“I’m not putting up with him, I’m being wary of Shang An Guo.” Huo Qing snickered: “This Xu Li Chuan has been handling all of Shang An Guo’s illegal dealings for years, he could be said to be Shang An Guo’s spokesperson in the Zhongdu’s underground society. As long as we can have a good relationship with him, our position and standing in Zhongdu will be stable and secured.”

Seeing that the youngster was still displeased, Huo Qing did not take it to mind and continued: “Even without Shang An Guo’s instructions, Wolf and Ruo’s demise this time will definitely be pursued by me. Little brother, the matter has involved the ability users, I’ll rely on you to look into this. With your ability, we can gain the best results with minimum effort.”

“You can confirm that the other party is also an ability user?” Huo Fei seeing his brother’s solemn att.i.tude, curiously asked: “Although Wolf’s ability is good, if the opponent had a few guns, it is still possible to kill him. As for Ruo, although he is experienced, he is still human at best, with his age it was normal for him to have physically weakened.”

“You wouldn’t say this if you saw their corpses.” Huo Qing took out two photographs from his pocket while saying that, placing it before Huo Fei.

Even with Huo Fei’s years of grappling experience, he could not help but frown after seeing these two photos: “This is both of their corpses? It seems to be a strength based ability user.”

“We can’t say for certain, there are many different types of abilites, we can’t tell from just this, the details will have to be investigated by you.”

Huo Fei suddenly said: “The two of them died while going to kill Li Anping, who has gone missing. Do you think it is possible that Li Anping awakened his ability, murdered them and escaped?”

“How can that be possible, don’t think about it.” Huo Qing laughed: “Li Anping is a normal person from the start, without any form of fighting experience. Moreover, his body was already crippled, even if he awoke his ability, how could he fight against Ruo and Wolf who are seasoned fighters. You yourself are an experienced expert, you should know that the advantage an ability gives is ultimately inferior to the strength that one already holds.

Unless Li Anping got extremely lucky and awakened some heaven defying ability…” Saying so, he shook his head in disbelief.

At this time, Huo Qing’s phone rang, a panicky voice could be heard from it, and after a hearing a few lines, Huo Qing’s expression changed.

Huo Fei asked: “What is it? Something happened?”

“Chang Zheng is dead.” Huo Qing closed his phone, his face turning extremely grim: “Someone called the police, and when they arrived at the factory, found more than 30 corpses, including Chang Zheng. Other than one hostage, the rest are all dead.”

Huo Qing gripped his handphone, emitting some cracking sound, and said ominously: “I just instructed him to investigate Li Anping’s matter, and on the night, itself he already got into trouble. It is likely that the person who saved Li Anping had struck. Little Brother, you should start investigating from this clue.”

“Alright.” Huo Fei agreed quickly: “Its been months since I last worked, I feel like I’d get rusty if I don’t do anything soon.”

Seeing Huo Fei disappear into thin air, Huo Qing said fiercely: “No matter who they are, since they dared to kill my man in Zhongdu, they will have to pay the price. It is alright for you to kill the other people, but you must capture Li Anping and the instigator and bring them back to me. We can use this opportunity to gain a favour from Shang Zheng Bang and his father.”

Li Anping hid in a corner of the opposite factory. After confirming that the police had arrived, he left stealthily.

Moving in the shadows, feeling the overflowing energy in his body slowly receding, Li Anping said to Black in his mind: “Black, give me more details regarding your ability.”

After a short moment of silence, Black laughed and said: “After being possessed by me, you gained the ability to devour their souls through interaction, or simply just eat their physical bodies to strengthen your body and spirit. Your muscular endurance, flexibility, agility and even memory, reaction speed etc will be strengthened in the process.

That is to say, you can constantly get stronger through devouring humans. But from what I saw at the hospital, your ability level is still very low, although you can devour ordinary humans through physical touch, for ability users you need to kill them first before consumption.”

This time, when hearing these information, Li Anping did not show any expression of disgust, but instead thought about what Black had said calmly.

“It has to be humans? Can’t I devour animals as well?”

“Hahahaha.” Black laughed wildly: “Try getting a tiger to eat gra.s.s or make a lion eat vegetables. This lifeform called human, is our necessary food.”

“Food huh.” Li Anping replied: “That means, you’re not human?”

“Human?” Black said in disdain: “My standing in this world far surpa.s.ses your kind, but this is not information that the current you should know. Li Anping, don’t think that after your mentality change, you had already been reborn. Although you have released a portion of the restraints in your mind, but to turn that into power, you still have a long way to go.”

“Alright, but at the factory and the hospital, what was that sudden burst of power that I felt?” Li Anping did not pay heed to Black’s words, but instead asked what he was curious about: “I felt that when I was in that mode, I was much stronger than now, and my body got larger too. Not just the body, but in all aspects. It was as if there was a voice in my head telling what I should do.”

Black replied: “When devouring people, I can choose to use that energy to strength your body or to store it. When the energy is stored up, it can be used to heal your body in crucial situations, or it can be used to force out your full potential, strengthening your body const.i.tution. Thus, the more energy that is stored up, the more we are able to have a burst of power as well as heal yourself, the harder it would be to kill you.

For example, back in the factory, you consumed a total of 34 people. I helped you store up 10 person’s worth of souls. Even if your head was chopped off now, as long as you can put it back on your neck, it can be healed. Of course, as you get stronger and your body’s ma.s.s gets denser, the amount of energy required for healing will increase proportionally. Just consuming these people is not nearly enough. It is a pity you gave up on their flesh.” Black’s tone was full of regret.

“I won’t eat human flesh.” Li Anping frowned: “Moreover, I will only devour the souls of those who deserve it. When absorbing souls, how do I choose whether I want to use it for body strengthening or storage?”

“The knowledge has already been within you for a long time.” Black said: “Thinking back, the memory of this information was given to you when you chose to communicate with me subconsciously.”

Li Anping ignored him and thought hard, indeed he instantly understood how to use this energy to strengthen himself or to storage it.

“There is something I am very concerned about.” Standing on the streets at midnight, the images of many people flashed through Li Anping’s mind, Grandma, Anna, Wei Shi Shi, Shang Zheng Bang……

“The person sent to kill me at the hospital that day, was he an ability user? In this world, are there many ability users?”

“I would advise you to forget about revenge for now, and work hard on increasing your strength. The forces that you are going to oppose are very strong, completely unlike an ordinary person like Chang Zheng. To exact revenge, the police, and in fact the military may become your enemies.”

Black saw through Li Anping’s thoughts instantly, and advised: “And you are not the only ability user in this world. According to the information I have, within you humans, there are quite a number of ability users. I heard that they cla.s.sify the ability users into ten levels. The current you is not even qualified for Level 1.”

Black’s words were out of Li Anping’s expectations. He did not think that under this seemingly peaceful world, such a horrifying truth was hidden underneath.

He alone could slaughter 30 odd men who lived by the blade. But within the ability users, he was the weakest kind of existence?

“These don’t matter.” Seeing Li Anping’s shock, Black laughed: “As long as you use my ability well, constantly strengthening yourself from devouring others, and accepting my training, before long you will be the strongest man in this world.”

“Training?” Li Anping suddenly stopped in the alley, unknowingly, many pairs of greedy gazes had already been fixed on him.

In the alley, four ruffians surrounded Li Anping, looking at him with ill intentions.

“Hand over your wallet, bank card, and its pa.s.sword.”

“Lad, I would advise you not to be foolish, or it’d be bad if your body was cut open.” One of the ruffians took out a b.u.t.terfly knife and said.

Seeing the other person had taken out a knife, Li Anping’s eyes shone coldly.

Because once the knife was revealed, the situation had become different.

At the same time, Black’s laughter reverbed in his head: “Good, now we shall begin your first lesson. Kill—- Kill them.”

Within a few seconds, devastating screams were heard. The pleas echoed in the darkness of the night. After this night, Zhongdu City was destined to change.

[1]: A chinese proverb meaning income inequality/ rich-poor divide.