chapter 4 Covering the sky with one hand ===

"Thorpe Chen, don't come over, don't worry about me..."
On the other side of the phone, Gloria Ye's voice was heard, but someone immediately covered her mouth and the call was abruptly cut off with a click.
"Damn it." Thorpe Chen furiously punched the wall and then rushed out of the door.
A few steps out, his phone rang again. He hesitated for a moment and answered.
"Thorpe Chen, this is Jenna Lin. Remember me? The one who hit your car today."
"I remember. You're not asking for the repair money now, are you? I need a few days," Thorpe Chen responded, a bit surprised.
"No, my grandfather is in critical condition. Everything you said was accurate. I beg you to save him," Jenna Lin said anxiously.
"I'm really sorry, but I have to go to the Dynasty Club now. It's an emergency..." Thorpe Chen said as he kept walking.
"What are you doing there?" Jenna Lin asked, startled.
"There's a guy named Eddie Zou. I owe him some money, and he's kidnapped my wife," Thorpe Chen coldly said, "I'll contact you once I've settled this matter."
Ending the call, Thorpe Chen quickly headed to the Dynasty Club.
Eddie Zou's Dynasty Club is the largest club in Fengling City. He's also a major player in Fengling's underground world, known for his ruthlessness.
Rumour has it that he's backed by one of the four major families, giving him a lot of clout.
Upon reaching the club's private room, Thorpe Chen found a man sitting on the couch, puffing on a cigar and looking fierce. That man was Eddie Zou.
Rupert, his head wrapped in gauze, stood to one side. Two other men held Gloria Ye captive, and another sinister-looking man was playing with a scalpel.
"Thorpe Chen, didn't I tell you not to come? Why are you so foolish? They'll kill you," Gloria Ye cried.
"Don't cry. It's not good for the baby. Don't worry, I'll handle this," Thorpe Chen reassured her. Turning to the others, he said, "Let go of my wife. If there's any issue, deal with me."
"Is this the guy?" Eddie Zou looked at Thorpe Chen in surprise, then at Rupert.
"Brother Zou, it's him. Both of our brothers are still in the hospital because of him," Rupert replied with malice.
"You're really useless. This young punk was able to do this to you? Don't let others know you work for me; it's embarrassing," Eddie Zou scolded.
"Yes," Rupert replied, looking ashamed.
"I told you to let go of my wife," Thorpe Chen said coldly.
"You dare to be so arrogant in my presence?" Eddie Zou ordered, "Chop off one of his arms first."
"Yes, Boss Zou." A hefty man stepped forward, brandishing a machete and moving towards Thorpe Chen.
Gloria Ye screamed in fear. Another man held her down firmly.
Whoosh. The machete swung towards Thorpe Chen's head.
"Thorpe Chen... Watch out!" Gloria Ye screamed. Overwhelmed by fear, she fainted.
"My wife..." Enraged, Thorpe Chen grabbed the machete and delivered a powerful punch to the big man's chest.
His fury unleashed his potential. The punch had the strength of a warrior. With a crunch, several of the man's ribs broke, and he was sent flying five meters away.
As Thorpe Chen approached Gloria Ye, another man tried to punch him. Thorpe Chen grabbed the punch, twisted the man's arm, and with a crack, the arm was twisted gruesomely, forcing the man to retreat in pain.
Holding the unconscious Gloria Ye, Thorpe Chen quickly realized she had just been startled. He settled a bit, helping her to a couch.
Seeing the handprint on her face, however, he was filled with fury once again.
"Rupert, didn't you say this guy was just a punk?" Eddie Zou was startled. Thorpe Chen's combat skills were impressive, which was unexpected.
"I've known this punk for years. He's always up to no good," Rupert replied, equally stunned.
"Who slapped my wife?" Thorpe Chen asked calmly.
"I slapped your wife. And you, Thorpe Chen, even at death's door, you're still so arrogant. I..."
Before Rupert could finish, Thorpe Chen appeared in front of him, landing a heavy punch to his chest.
There was a crunch, and Rupert's chest caved in. Blood, mixed with pieces of organs, spewed from his mouth.
With a thud, Rupert lay twitching on the ground. That punch was nearly lethal; if he survived, he'd be severely disabled.
"Doctor, kill him," Eddie Zou exclaimed in shock.
The effeminate man, who had been playing with a scalpel, suddenly leaped up. With a swift step, he charged towards Thorpe Chen. Simultaneously, he reached for his waist, and two daggers appeared in his hands.
This guy was a professional assassin—fast, accurate, and ruthless. He twirled the daggers in his hands, creating two arcs of light, and suddenly approached Thorpe Chen, aiming his daggers at Thorpe Chen's vital spots.
Thorpe Chen stretched out both hands, blocking the assassin's wrists. However, the assassin quickly flipped his wrist, and the dagger reversed its direction, aiming for Thorpe Chen's chest.
Thorpe Chen quickly retreated. With a ripping sound, his clothes were torn open.
Thorpe Chen was taken aback. His strength was not weak, having integrated the consciousness of a warrior. Infuriated, he had just broken through to the realm of a martial artist. While this assassin was formidable, he wasn't a match for Thorpe Chen.
What Thorpe Chen lacked was combat experience. If the dagger had advanced an inch further just now, his guts would've spilled out.
He clenched his fists, held his breath, and began to take the situation seriously.
The assassin flipped the dagger in his hand, leaped up, performed a stunning mid-air spin, and lunged at Thorpe Chen.
Thorpe Chen let out a deep shout, took a step forward, and kicked out.
Boom! The airborne assassin flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against the wall. He spat out a mouthful of blood and was clearly unable to get up.
Eddie Zou was shocked. He stood up, intending to press the alarm bell in front of him. It was his private room, and if danger arose, pressing it would cause a hundred or so men outside to rush in.
But as he made his move, Thorpe Chen quickly picked up a fallen dagger and flung it. With a thud, the dagger pierced through Eddie Zou's palm.
"Ah..." Eddie Zou screamed in pain.
Immediately after, a cold dagger was pressed against his throat.
"Thorpe Chen, even if you kill me, you won't survive. Neither you nor your wife will escape," Eddie Zou said through the pain.
"I told you, three days. I would return your money," Thorpe Chen coldly responded. "But you kidnapped my wife and hit her? Do you have no sense of righteousness at all?"
"Righteousness? If I cared about that, I wouldn't have survived until now. Thorpe Chen, what do you want?" Eddie Zou spat venomously. "Do you really dare to kill me?"
"Kill you?" Thorpe Chen grinned. "That would be too merciful. Perhaps you don't know what 'worse than death' means."
As Thorpe Chen spoke, he suddenly grabbed the dagger impaled through Eddie Zou's palm and twisted it violently.
"Ah..." Eddie Zou screamed, vision darkening. With Thorpe Chen's twist, that hand might be rendered useless.
"Thorpe Chen, I will kill you. I swear I will end you. I'll slice your wife's stomach open in front of you, so you can get an early look at your son," Eddie Zou shrieked.
Eddie Zou was genuinely enraged. After all, he was a dominant figure in Fengling City. When had he ever been beaten so brutally?
"Really?" A hint of murderous intent flashed in Thorpe Chen's eyes. "Do you truly believe you can take on the world by yourself?"