Chapter 48 The Butterfly That Cannot Fly Beyond the Vast Sea

bat; if the distance is too great, his abilities cannot be fully utilized. With one explosive step, Xie Pingan leaped up again, crossing his legs to kick Wang Zheng as though he were mid-air stepping!...Chapter 48: The Butterfly That Can't Cross the Vast Sea

"I thoroughly checked this office and didn't find anything unusual," Wang Zheng rubbed his temples, looking somewhat troubled. "When you were poisoned during our first meeting and now your father has been poisoned—something fishy is going on. There have been too many incidents lately, and I need to sort out the clues. After dropping you off at Jirong International today, Zhang Yong will take a team to protect you, and I'll ask Han Xingye to stay with you as well. That way, I can take some time off for myself."

Jirong International is the stronghold of the Shangguan family; it would be impossible for any other force to kidnap Shangguan Sishi here after years of careful cultivation by the Shangguans. Shangguan Sishi understood that when Wang Zheng said he wanted to take a break, in reality, he was going to investigate her father's poisoning case. Given Shangguan Sishi's intelligence, she could clearly understand that there should be some kind of agreement between Wang Zheng and her father. Nevertheless, it moved her deeply that Wang Zheng would put so much effort into helping the Shangguans.

"Alright, thank you," said Shangguan Sishi, knowing that Wang Zheng was a complex character with his own story to tell. Even though he couldn't share his story now, she had already noted in her heart how well he treated her. Perhaps to others, Miss Shangguan seemed domineering and straightforward, sometimes even annoying; but when she started taking something seriously or someone seriously, nothing could shake her resolve.

"Wang Zheng," Shangguan Sishi called out as Wang Zheng was about to leave the office.

“What is it” Wang Zheng turned back with a somewhat bright smile on his face.

“I understand. If you ever need support from the Shangguan family in the future, I will surely use all of Jirong International's resources to help you achieve your goals. Moreover, I believe that you will definitely be able to cure my father.” Shangguan Sishi’s tone was firm for her first sentence and softened for the second, with a look of tenderness appearing in her eyes: “The two statements have no causal relationship.”

“Miss Shangguan, this sudden change is really making me feel uncomfortable,” Wang Zheng said with a smile. "And there's one more thing: I’ll do my best to cure your menstrual irregularities."

To his surprise, Shangguan Sishi didn't argue back this time but instead smiled and said, “It’s always like this, so boring.”

As Wang Zheng walked out of Jirong International, he strolled aimlessly as thoughts of the recent string of events filled his mind. Looking up, he saw the disabled beggar from last time leaning on a small cart. Wang Zheng's gaze shifted momentarily, and he suddenly remembered the girl with captivating eyes.

That day, it was this girl who made a middle-aged beggar, worn down by life, smile; Wang Zheng knew that smile was full of hope, capable of changing one’s mindset entirely—it was also a reassuring smile.

Wang Zheng took out a coin and bent down to gently place it in the aluminum bowl in front of the beggar.

The usually expressionless middle-aged man raised his weathered face and gave Wang Zheng a warm, gentle smile.

Wang Zheng returned a smile but his heart stirred.

It started to rain at this moment. The late-summer rain was drizzling, not as refreshing as expected, yet it brought the coolness of early autumn.

Not having an umbrella with him, Wang Zheng stood listlessly on the bus stop platform for a while, watching people hurrying by, and suddenly realized how calm his heart had become—calm like still water. This was a mindset that the Great Killer Wang hadn't experienced in many years.

In the past, Old Man always taught him that if he could maintain a state of mind as placid as an ancient well, then it would be the time for him to make great achievements.

Although Wang Zheng never understood what "making great achievements" meant, with his bold and straightforward personality, he had always found it hard to achieve such a calm state. Especially after the final battle in Longlin, Wang Zheng often woke up from nightmares soaked in sweat, seeing Old Cheng covered in blood and comrades who had left appearing pale-faced before him. This was Wang Zheng's nightmare, also his weak spot.

The legendary Eastern Dark King wasn't without weaknesses; it was just that this weakness lay in the spirit rather than outwardly visible.

Wang Zheng was a fiery youth. According to the founder of a certain personality color theory, Wang Zheng was a typical red character—clear about likes and dislikes, unable to endure patiently or understand what it means when people say "revenge is not late after ten years."

The Old Man had once bluntly pointed out that Wang Zheng could be an unstoppable warrior, a talented general, but he wasn't a leader because he didn't know how to endure patiently. He didn't understand the meaning of bearing humiliation and hardship for greater goals or the importance of planning before action.

Even after all these years when Wang Zheng had appeared very cunning in his pursuit of revenge from others' perspectives, the fire inside him hadn't diminished. After that last battle, his heart had never calmed down again.

Of course, cruel life and reality were gradually making Wang Zheng understand the Old Man's words. At least now, if the Old Man saw him, he would surely praise how much progress Wang Zheng has made compared to before.

But somehow, whenever Wang Zheng saw or thought of those girl's eyes, his heart had never been as peaceful or tranquil, a feeling so mysterious it could be called magical.

As bus No. 91 pulled up, Wang Zheng mysteriously reached into his pocket for one yuan coin and stepped onto the bus with an unspoken expectation deep in his heart.

No. 91 runs from downtown to the southern suburbs of the capital city.

It was already evening, and the night had begun to fall. The train lights were unusually on, with most passengers being people heading home from work. Wang Zheng, full of anticipation, squeezed his way to the center of the carriage and looked around. To his surprise, his expectations became reality, causing a sudden, uncontrollable joy inside him.

The girl was sitting at the back of the train near the window seat, her big eyes gazing out the window with a faint smile curving her lips. She seemed peaceful in the noisy and crowded carriage.

This was Wang Zheng's second time seeing this girl. Somehow, he always found himself affected by her mood.

Rain fell outside the window, tapping against it and adding a chill to the late summer early autumn weather. The car windows were covered in a thin layer of white mist from passengers' breaths.

The girl was smiling gently; her eyes glowed warmly as she pointed at the window with her delicate fingers, producing another soft chuckle.

"With such a smile, this must be a young woman who is in love," Wang Zheng thought to himself, feeling an inexplicable slight pang in his heart.

The girl held her phone and occasionally glanced at it as if waiting for something. But she didn't show any sign of impatience.

By now the No. 91 bus had been running through Beijing's rain for nearly an hour, with several batches of passengers getting on and off, but the carriage was still crowded. Housing prices in downtown Beijing were too high to rent, so many people chose to live in the southern suburbs and commute by long-distance buses.

The girl continued smiling out at the fleeting scenery outside and then cautiously wrote two characters with her finger on the misty window:

許放 (Xu Fang).

Suddenly, Wang Zheng's heart felt inexplicably painful.

The handwriting was exquisite and graceful. The girl looked at what she had written, stretched out a hand to erase it but stopped in the air as if unwilling to do so.

Whether out of shyness or something else, her face was slightly flushed, yet the smile in her eyes never dimmed. At this moment, Wang Zheng suddenly felt envious of the man named Xu Fang not because he wanted such a girl but simply because someone cared for him so much.

"Who in this world is thinking about me" Wang Zheng tilted his face upward. The dim yellow light inside the car illuminated his face, and a faint smile curved his lips, tinged with bitterness.

Wang Zheng is someone who believes in feelings. This girl came into his eyes gracefully, beautiful and serene, like a dream of Wang Zheng's.

For many years, the great killer Wang has been standing at the edge between life and death, facing numerous perilous situations where his life was on the line. Throughout these years, he never once thought about matters of love or romance nor had he ever taken an interest in any girl proactively; he also lacked experience in dating. Wang Zheng respects Old Man greatly and acts according to what Old Man has told him: stick to one's heart and become stronger.

Even with UpAbove Shishi, Cheng Fei, and Han Xingye, three beautiful women of different personalities around him, Wang Zheng never entertained any other thoughts because he knows that his great vengeance is yet to be fulfilled. If he were to糾纏於兒女情長 at this moment, how could he face the comrades who fell beside him

Wang Zheng can't explain where this feeling comes from—it's admiration, pity, or something else. He calmly observes her smiling and daydreaming.

If he can't articulate his feelings, then it’s best to admire her from a distance.

This is the simplest thought in Wang Zheng’s mind.

At this moment, bus route 91 had already stopped at its terminal station, South Suburb Bus Terminal. Unconsciously, this trip from downtown took nearly two hours.

The rain had stopped by now, and the night was deepening. The girl got off the bus and slowly walked away. Fortunately, there were many people in the south suburb—mostly migrant workers or students who rent their homes here—and safety wasn't too much of a concern.

Wang Zheng followed her from afar, watching as she entered a neighborhood called Warm Home, then took an elevator. After a while, a light turned on in Room 80X, like a star shining in the night sky.

Wang Zheng looked up and squinted his eyes to observe her. He had no intention of going upstairs or peeping from windows at this girl. Whether she lived with someone called Xu Fang was irrelevant to him. Wang Zheng wasn't interested in what work this girl did, where her home was, or how old she was. It’s rare for the great killer Wang to be desireless; he didn’t want to disrupt his peaceful mindset. He simply looked up from below for ten minutes before turning around and leaving.

If he feels restless in the future, coming down here to sit and look at the lights upstairs might be a good choice.

Exactly twenty hours after Wang Zheng left the South Suburb Warm Home neighborhood, on the other side of the capital city, three men and one woman disembarked from the Beijing International Airport.pect was that Wang Zheng had already instructed the elite squad from State Security to lie in wait on the high-rise buildings surrounding them. Some were close by, others far away. These people were e...