Chapter 44: So, It Was Him
Chen Ning had been prepared.
The moment the giant gorilla shattered the tempered glass, sending shards flying everywhere, he leaped backward, putting over ten meters between himself and the enclosure.
He then assumed a convincingly shaken expression as he came to a stop beside Liew Ruyan.
“Your safety measures seem inadequate,” he remarked, gesturing toward the broken window. “Looks like your gorilla is now on the loose.”
Even Chen Ning had to admit, he felt a little shameless saying that — because, in truth, he was deliberately planting the idea in Liew Ruyan’s mind: the gorilla broke free on its own.
Liew Ruyan was already speaking into a miniature communicator pinned to her collar.
“Security, this is Level B10, Land Animal Pavilion. The colossal gorilla has breached its enclosure. The situation requires immediate containment.”
“Copy that. Dispatching a team now. Ms. Liew, please ensure your personal safety. Security is on the way.”
Security were on their way, but the escaped gorilla had already spotted Chen Ning and Liew Ruyan. The creature had been caged for too long — freedom sent it into a frenzy. Its eyes gleamed with wild excitement, and when it saw Liew Ruyan — a delicate human female — something primal exploded inside it.
With a thunderous roar, it pounded its chest like a war drum and charged. Its massive body was like a truck, unstoppable.
Despite her delicate and graceful appearance, Liew Ruyan possessed remarkable composure. Knowing there was no outrunning an enraged gorilla, she didn’t flee when it charged. Instead, in one fluid motion, she drew a Compact “Thunderclap” Palm Pistol. And Chen Ning could tell at a glance—it was a high-powered, enhanced model.
Despite its small size and single-shot capacity, the “Thunderclap” pistol packs a massive punch.
The enhanced version’s firepower rivals that of a grenade. If Liew Ruyan aims true and hits the gorilla’s vital spot, she could indeed bring the colossal beast down with a single shot.
Chen Ning was counting on the gorilla to cause more chaos—to shatter more enclosures and release more animals. So the instant Liew Ruyan took aim with her Thunderclap pistol, he grabbed her arm and pulled. “It’s too dangerous! Run!”
Because of Chen Ning’s pull, Liew Ruyan’s shot missed the gorilla, sailing past its head and striking the tempered glass of another enclosure. With a thunderous crash, the glass shattered, and a panicked rhinoceros burst out, charging into the chaos.
Liew Ruyan had not expected to miss. Before she could recover, the colossal gorilla was already less than two meters away. It closed the distance in an instant, its massive arms spreading wide as if to crush her in a deadly embrace.
Liew Ruyan froze in terror, unable to move or scream.
But before the beast could reach her, Chen Ning’s blade flashed — a standard-issue Tang Sword, lightning-quick and razor-sharp. The sword bit into the gorilla’s arm with a clean, brutal stroke — severing the entire limb.
“ROAAAR!!”
The gorilla’s scream shook the floor. In pain and rage, it went completely berserk.
A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Chen Ning’s lips as he pulled the stunned Liew Ruyan along.
“Let’s move!”
They bolted just as the beast thrashed behind them. When they reached the Marine Hall, the enraged gorilla charged again — a roaring missile of muscle and fury.
Chen Ning shoved Liew Ruyan to the left and dodged to the right. The beast thundered between them, slamming headlong into a massive aquarium. Cracks spiderwebbed across the glass.
As Chen Ning and Liew Ruyan watched in shock, the rampaging rhinoceros charged out and—whether attempting to emulate the gorilla or simply unable to stop—slammed headlong into the glass of the octopus tank.
Chen Ning had once heard that an enraged rhino would charge a train, a claim he never quite believed. Now, he was a firm believer in the rhino’s sheer stubbornness.
The glass, already fractured by the gorilla, could not withstand this final thunderous impact from the rhino.
CRAAAASH!
With an explosive crash, it gave way under the water pressure, and the giant octopus was swept out in the deluge.
Just then, two security guards from this floor, armed with assault rifles, were the first to arrive on the scene. They took one look—a rhinoceros, the colossal gorilla, and a massive octopus all roaming free—and were instantly horrified. In near-unison, they raised their rifles and aimed at the gorilla.
The beast, clever enough to sense the danger, lunged at them in defiance.
Seeing the chaos, the two guards immediately opened fire. Their assault rifles roared to life, unleashing a hail of bullets.
While some rounds struck the gorilla, a spray of stray rounds shattered other aquatic tanks.
Instantly, multiple enclosures were torn apart, and the remaining giant octopuses were swept out in the rushing water.
Despite over a dozen bullet wounds, the gorilla still managed to reach the two guards. It swatted them aside with its massive palms before finally collapsing, unwilling but defeated. Blood gushed from its wounds, staining the water on the floor…
Meanwhile, the panicked rhinoceros had turned and was now charging toward Liew Ruyan.
Soaked from the tank water, she had just managed to reload her Thunderclap pistol. But in this life-or-death moment, her hands trembled with fear, making it impossible to aim.
Chen Ning appeared beside her, calm as steel. He took the gun from her hands — and fired.
The enhanced round exploded through the rhino’s skull.
The beast toppled into the flooded floor, blood mixing with the seawater.
Four giant octopuses writhed toward them.
Chen Ning tossed the empty pistol back to Liew Ruyan and drew his Tang sword once more.
“Let me handle this.”
On land, octopuses were sluggish prey. Against a Double Level Two War Soldier like Chen Ning, they were nothing. A tentacle lashed out — he sliced it clean off. Then he moved like a shadow through water, his blade flashing again and again.
Then, like a wolf among sheep, he began swinging his sword relentlessly. Before Liew Ruyan’s astonished eyes, Chen Ning moved through the chaos, and in mere moments, had brutally hacked apart all four giant octopuses. One by one, they collapsed into spreading pools of blood.
Chen Ning slid his sword back into its sheath. “Why are you just standing there?” he calmly asked the stunned Liew Ruyan.
“Check for any other damaged cages or tanks—we can’t let more animals escape. And see to those guards the gorilla threw. Are they even alive?”
“R-Right! On it!” she replied, snapping out of her daze.
She didn’t notice that behind her, Chen Ning knelt down, placing one palm in the bloody water. Quietly, he invoked the Devouring Art the Crimson Tyrant had taught him.
The blood in the water moved — trickling, swirling, rushing toward his hand as if pulled by invisible threads.
If Liew Ruyan had looked closely, she would have seen the impossible — the crimson water flowing against gravity, drawn toward Chen Ning’s skin.
Chen Ning drained the blood from the colossal gorilla, the rhinoceros, and the four giant octopuses until they were nearly depleted, only then ceasing his grim work.
By the time he rose, a squad of fully armed security troops had arrived. They froze at the carnage — beasts dead, water everywhere, the air thick with the stench of blood.
The two guards were seriously wounded but alive.
Liew Ruyan gave brisk orders to clean the mess and send the injured to the hospital.
Finally, disregarding her drenched and somewhat disheveled state, she approached Chen Ning and addressed him with an apology.
“Honored guest. Due to the failure of our security measures tonight, you were subjected to a frightful experience. To convey our sincerest apologies, I have decided to grant you Tier 3 VIP status. From now on, you will enjoy a discount on all your purchases here.”
Chen Ning was inwardly amused. She’s sharp, he thought. Even now, she’s finding ways to retain a customer. A VIP card costs their enterprise nothing, yet it might just secure a client’s loyalty. He had to admire her cleverness.
Feigning clear dissatisfaction with the evening’s events, he replied indifferently, “We’ll see. Goodbye.”
“I’ll escort you out,” she said quickly.
Liew Ruyan hadn’t anticipated the night descending into such chaos.
The substantial financial loss was one thing, but seeing Chen Ning in his special forces uniform and the standard-issue officer’s Tang Sword—something only distinguished officers carried—left her deeply uneasy. Had she just offended a potentially invaluable client?
After sending him off, she finally returned to her office, intent on changing clothes. But just as she entered, her female assistant rushed in, carrying a laptop.
“Manager Liew , you’ll want to see this.”
Frowning, Liew Ruyan took the computer. The playback on the screen showed a security feed — and in the footage, Chen Ning could be seen punching the same spot the gorilla had struck, right before the glass shattered.
Her almond-shaped eyes widened with shock and fury.
“So that’s how it is! He set this up!”” she snarled in a mix of fury and disbelief.
She slammed the laptop shut.
“I knew something was wrong! It was that bastard scheming all along. I want a full investigation—now!
Get me his file and his current whereabouts. He will pay double for tonight’s losses.
If he’s short by so much as a single copper coin, I’ll have him locked in a cage and sold to one of those noble lords with a taste for pretty-faced boys!”
Join the Discussion