Chapter 116: 【Mire】

Ten o'clock in the morning.

Lin Jinliang, feeling refreshed and invigorated, walked out of his hotel room with his arm around a radiant and blissful young woman.

The chaos caused by the beast-man uprising the night before last had resulted in extensive damage to many buildings. Public morale was low, and fear and unease were rampant. Lin Jinliang had granted everyone in his company, himself included, a day off yesterday, encouraging them to stay home.

He, however, had spent his time with a woman he had recently picked up—the very same charming lady currently in his arms. He had spent the day showing her around, comforting her and assuring her she had nothing to fear, and by nightfall, they had naturally found themselves in a hotel bed.

After a night of absolute harmony, Lin Jinliang felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction, a comfort that radiated from head to toe. He glanced down at the woman in his arms, a flicker of smugness in his eyes. Moments later, this shifted to a look of bloodlust, though it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

He held her close, whispering sweet nothings as they chatted and laughed their way to the hotel lobby to check out.

It should have been a routine affair, but the receptionist, a round-faced woman, let out a sharp shriek the moment she saw Lin Jinliang’s face, recoiling in terror.

"Miss, are you alright?" Lin Jinliang asked, his tone gentle and concerned.

His attempt to soothe her only made matters worse. The receptionist turned deathly pale, her body trembling, and she went completely rigid with fear.

"What… what is going on?" the woman in Lin Jinliang’s arms asked, looking bewildered and unaware of what the receptionist was afraid of.

"I have no idea," Lin Jinliang replied with a smile, though his eyes flashed with alertness. He could sense that the woman was terrified of him—deeply, profoundly terrified. He had seen this look on many women before, but those fears had been rooted in different circumstances. He hadn't revealed anything aggressive, so why was she trembling? Lin Jinliang was puzzled.

"My apologies, my deepest apologies." A male shift supervisor hurried over. As he processed the checkout, he said apologetically, "My colleague hasn't been in the best mental state lately. Her roommate mentioned she had another nightmare last night, which has been affecting her work. I’ll give her the day off to go home and rest, so she doesn't cause any further trouble for our guests."

"It's quite alright," Lin Jinliang said with a smile. "The battle the night before last was truly terrifying for many. A few days of rest will do her good."

"So that's why she was so affected," the young woman chimed in. "It really was frightening. I still have lingering fears myself; if it weren't for Brother Liang, I’d be hiding at home, too afraid to step outside."

"You need to go home, quickly!" the receptionist suddenly cried out to her.

"Huh?" The young woman froze.

"It’s nothing, nothing at all. She’s suffering from a bit of hysteria." The supervisor pulled the receptionist back and apologized. "She’s developed a bit of a phobia from the fright. Please, don't take it to heart. Of course, there are still some lingering beast-men running around outside, so if you have nothing urgent, it would be best for you to stay home."

"Oh, thank you," the young woman nodded, feeling uneasy. She clung to Lin Jinliang’s arm as they walked toward the main entrance.

They had been laughing and sweet just moments before, but this strange encounter left the young woman feeling instinctively tense. She was just about to tell Lin Jinliang she wanted to head home when—

"Whoosh!" "Swish!" "Thud!"

A barrage of rotten eggs, spoiled fruit, decaying vegetables, plastic water bottles, and jagged stones suddenly rained down on them from every direction.

"That's him! It's that animal! Kill him! Kill him!"

"Scum! Degenerate! Beast! This is exactly what a hypocrite looks like!"

"A hypocrite is at least human; a beast like Lin Jinliang is no longer even that!"

Public indignation roared, and the cries for blood were deafening.

The sudden turn of events left the young woman paralyzed with shock, and even Lin Jinliang was utterly bewildered. He shielded the woman, batting away the incoming projectiles, and shouted, "Friends, there must be some misunderstanding! I, Lin Jinliang, have always acted with fairness, justice, and integrity! If there is some misunderstanding—"

*Whoosh!*

A sharp gust of wind struck from the side. Instinctively, Lin Jinliang channeled his internal energy and threw a punch.

*Bang!*

The object he struck exploded, splattering pulp and juice all over his face and head. It was a watermelon—a rotting, oversized watermelon that had been smashed against him.

Lin Jinliang, his suppressed anger finally boiling over, roared, "Friends, if you continue this, I will not be so polite!"

"Ha! Not polite? Are you going to slaughter us in the middle of the street?"

"I knew you weren't any good! Smash him! Everyone, smash him to death!"

"Lin Jinliang, I actually respected you once! To think your true face is so disgusting! Go ahead, show us how 'impolite' you can be!"

The shouting was cacophonous. People on both sides of the street—men, women, young, and old—were pointing at Lin Jinliang and cursing relentlessly. The young woman was completely lost, cowering in his arms and shivering. Lin Jinliang, meanwhile, was a mix of shock and fury. He couldn't understand where he had slipped up—how, in the span of a single night, had he become a target for everyone?

Just as he lowered his head, trying to force his way through the street—

"Lin Jinliang! You animal, give me back my sister's life!"

A roar exploded, drowning out the shouting crowd. A teenage boy, his eyes bloodshot and brandishing an E-grade alloy saber, charged from the crowd and hacked frantically at Lin Jinliang.

*Swish! Bang!*

Lin Jinliang sidestepped and kicked the boy away. "Xiao Gang? What madness is this? Calm down!"

"Madness? Did you go mad when you slaughtered my sister? Why didn't you calm down when she begged you to let her go!" The boy scrambled up, his voice hoarse as he lunged again with his saber.

Lin Jinliang’s expression changed drastically. He realized where the leak had occurred. Even so, he refused to openly admit his crimes. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he snarled, kicking the boy away again and shielding the woman as he tried to break through to the end of the street.

*Whoosh!*

A powerful force hit him from behind. As Lin Jinliang turned to block, he was met with a palm strike.

*Bang!*

*Pfft!*

The collision sent blood spraying from Lin Jinliang’s mouth, and he was knocked back seven or eight steps. The woman in his arms lost her balance and fell to the ground, screaming.

No one paid her any mind. A large man who had delivered the blow stood there, his eyes red, shouting, "Lin Jinliang, give me back my daughter’s life!"

"Lin Jinliang, give me back my sister’s life!"

"Lin Jinliang, I want your life!"

More and more warriors with bloodshot eyes and murderous intent surged from the crowd. These fighters, ranging from Professional level to Master level, swarmed him, venting their rage as they descended upon him.

Lin Jinliang, only a second-rank Professional, lasted only a few seconds before being overwhelmed, trampled to the ground, and beaten to death.

By the time the Public Safety Bureau arrived, Lin Jinliang had been reduced to a pile of pulp.