Chapter 19: The Critical Moment  

What exactly was this Black Mist-like thing…  

The stirred coffee had long stopped moving, its ripples gradually settling into calm. The nearly merciless words left the person across the table speechless.  

The room had been cleared out in advance by Li Yide, so quiet it seemed devoid of people. Only Lin Yu’s blunt refusal echoed in the space, swirling around them.  

The staff who had served the coffee didn’t linger either, retreating respectfully and leaving the two in silent confrontation.  

Li Yide’s gaze was sharp as a blade. From the moment Lin Yu entered, his eyes had been locked onto him. He didn’t move, as if simply admiring, never once looking away.  

Li Yide’s hands had long tensed up, his expression turning unsettling, his eyes filled with an unyielding sternness.  

Suddenly, he spoke. “We’ll play by your rules. I want to follow your preferences.”  

His gaze softened gradually, and as the words left his mouth, the oppressive atmosphere eased. His hands resumed their motion, slowly stirring his coffee.  

Lin Yu lifted his cup to his lips, taking only a small sip, yet the bitterness still left him unable to speak.  

As expected, Lin Yu still couldn’t get used to coffee.  

His voice remained low, emotionless, as he delivered words that struck like a bolt from the blue: “Let’s not contact each other anymore.”  

“What?!”  

Li Yide’s eyes widened in shock, utterly baffled, as if he couldn’t comprehend the situation at all. With a loud “smack,” he slammed the table and stood up from his chair.  

The coffee in front of him swayed slightly from the force. His pupils constricted, yet his gaze remained fixed on Lin Yu. “What do you mean?”  

“Was the coffee bad today? Did I do something to upset you? Or have I been too busy lately and neglected you?” He slumped back into his seat, muttering to himself.  

Li Yide raised his eyes, staring intently at Lin Yu’s face for a moment before speaking again. “I’m sorry, baby. Forgive me. The company’s been swamped lately.”  

He leaned forward, as if trying to close the distance between them, eagerly reaching for Lin Yu’s hand on the table—only for Lin Yu to subtly evade his touch.  

Unfazed, Li Yide waited quietly for Lin Yu to continue.  

Lin Yu, who had been silent, finally looked up after a long pause. He stared for a while before speaking.  

“Why have you been suppressing our company all these years?”  

Li Yide’s pupils shrank. He froze for several seconds, his expression one of utter confusion, his eyebrows raised high, the rest of his face completely still.  

After a full half-minute of thought, he finally let out a relieved laugh.  

“So that’s what this is about…”  

“Haha, come on. If you like playing around, once we’re together, I’ll just hand over a few more companies to you. Easy.”  

Lin Yu remained indifferent. “Does your answer have anything to do with my question?”  

Li Yide rubbed his hands together suggestively, his gaze burning as he smiled at Lin Yu.  

“Sweetheart, if you like your family’s business, that’s fine. But my family’s stance is that our partner shouldn’t hold too much money, even if you’re…”  

Lin Yu couldn’t take it anymore, frowning as he interrupted. “So it’s just because of that?”

“Just because of this!” Li Yide beamed, brimming with confidence about what was to come, his gaze lingering unabashedly on Lin Yu.

“Do you know how much I like you? I’ve liked you since we were kids. I don’t even care if people call me gay—I really, really like you…”

…

Who could stand listening to this?

Lin Yu propped himself up with his arms, stood, dusted off his sleeves, and wordlessly turned to leave—

Li Yide narrowed his eyes, raising one hand while pressing a hidden miniature button in his sleeve without hesitation.

Suddenly—several burly men in suits rushed out from the corners of the café and outside the door, numbering about ten at a glance.

Each looked fierce and menacing, their faces hardened, muscles bulging with the marks of rigorous training—clearly skilled fighters. Unlike the stereotypical sunglasses seen in movies, they were all sharp and efficient in their suits.

None carried weapons, instead relying on bare fists, each one eager and radiating a ruthless energy. Perhaps weapons weren’t permitted, as they swung their fists, charging forward in the blink of an eye.

“Darling, you never reach out to me first. This time, you took the initiative—it must mean something. I was prepared long ago.”

“Lin Yu—I can’t accept this. I’ve liked you for so many years, and I haven’t even kissed you once.” The light in Li Yide’s eyes grew increasingly frenzied, yet he knew his own heart all too well.

He had yearned for Lin Yu’s acknowledgment for far too long. His desire to control Lin Yu ran deep, but the busyness of mundane life kept him from attending to every detail.

Li Yide felt he had no choice but to resort to force.

001 was on the verge of collapse, hopping desperately on Lin Yu’s shoulder with a despairing cry, “Host, don’t dieeeeeeeee—”

“Help help help…”

Lin Yu’s gaze sharpened as he watched a burly man’s body rapidly closing in. He bent low, dodging the attack, then swiftly flipped behind a table.

Though the café was spacious, the sheer number of opponents made escape seem impossible for an ordinary person—let alone Lin Yu, who, in Li Yide’s eyes, had never been trained in combat.

But Lin Yu was clearly no ordinary man.

Another burly man lunged, fist aimed straight at his face—

Lin Yu weaved left and right, narrowly avoiding several punches aimed at his head. With a sweeping kick, he unexpectedly knocked one man down, using his body as a shield against the relentless onslaught.

“Damn it, don’t hit his face!! I’ll dock your pay!” Li Yide, watching from a distance, couldn’t help but roar. “Just grab him!”

Lin Yu glanced sideways at another attacker’s movement, tilting his head just in time before nimbly vaulting behind the counter. A bodyguard’s fist struck the marble surface instead, leaving him clutching his hand in pain.

He couldn’t just dodge—he had to fight back.

As the bodyguards closed in, Lin Yu’s retreating steps brought him closer to the wall. Though he’d already taken down a few, this body’s strength was pitifully weak.

He wasn’t a trained fighter, had never undergone professional training, and his reflexes were far too slow to keep up with his own instincts!

Too weak—this body.

【001, activate Source Power, release level 10%, enhance physical parameters.】  

A low, rhythmic voice calmly transmitted the command into 001’s system. In less than 0.001 seconds, 001 had completed all the settings.  

【Understood, Host.】  

Lin Yu immediately felt the familiar surge of power coursing through his limbs and meridians. He rotated his wrist, his gaze sharp as cold sunlight, piercing straight into the soul of anyone who met it.  

—He caught a punch from a burly man.  

But he didn’t rely on brute force. Instead, he twisted his waist, pushed off the ground with his toes, and released his grip before delivering a swift kick to the man’s vital spot.  

The bodyguards, already hesitant due to Li Yide’s orders, were caught off guard by Lin Yu’s sudden movement, creating an opening for him to slip through.  

He sidestepped, nimbly weaving past the remaining bodyguards, then flipped a table and hurled it toward them. Though the impact was minimal, it bought Lin Yu enough time to bolt for the door.  

He burst outside, only to find—  

Li Yide’s preparations had been thorough.  

More burly men stood waiting beyond the door.  

Lin Yu’s expression remained impassive as he drove a fist straight into one bodyguard’s face, sending him reeling, teeth bared in pain, unable to speak.  

A cold, monotonous voice—distinct from 001’s—echoed in Lin Yu’s mind.  

*”Administrator reminder: Be mindful of remaining Source Power duration.”*  

“No worries. I finish fights quickly.”  

Lin Yu threw an uppercut, landing it squarely on another man’s chin. He followed up with a powerful kick, sending the muscular figure flying several meters back.  

……  

The surrounding streets had long been cleared. The towering, impersonal European-style buildings stood like landmarks at the city’s heart.  

Zhang Modu slowly rolled down his car window, his reflection in the glass betraying his conflicted emotions.  

He had arrived minutes earlier with his own team of bodyguards—far more skilled and numerous than Li Yide’s—fully expecting that Li Yide’s men wouldn’t dare harm Lin Yu seriously.  

He had even ordered his security team to bring weapons that were borderline illegal for use in a bustling urban area.  

Zhang Modu had instructed his men to stand by, ready but not to intervene. Yet now, they could only watch in stunned silence.  

A bearded, bald man crouched near the café, eyes wide as he muttered, “One guy taking on over a dozen… Is he even human?”  

Zhang Modu frowned, his initial concern for Lin Yu’s safety replaced by disbelief at how effortlessly the latter was handling the situation.  

He pressed a hand to his chest, lips pressed into a tight line, fingers gripping the steering wheel as he turned to the black mist-like system floating beside him.  

“Seems I didn’t need to play the hero after all…”  

He glanced away, his expression still troubled. “Do you think Lin Yu… is human? Even for a Child of the Micro-World, this is beyond excessive.”  

“System, tell me… Can someone like me really hope to win over someone like him?”  

In the distance, Lin Yu moved with increasing ease. At his feet lay groaning, muscle-bound men clutching their knees, arms, and other injured parts.  

Yet Lin Yu remained composed, like a machine executing pre-programmed commands.  

Cold. Swift. Ruthless.  

Words befitting a god of slaughter fit Lin Yu perfectly—without the slightest hint of dissonance.

The pile of men at his feet grew taller, and Li Yide stepped out of the coffee shop, arms crossed as he watched from the sidelines.  

But Li Yide was clearly not at ease—he was so shocked he could barely speak.  

Zhang Modu licked the corner of his lips. Just as Lin Yu had nearly taken down all of his opponents, Zhang estimated that Lin Yu’s stamina was nearly depleted and that he wouldn’t be able to handle another wave of attacks. He raised his hand, signaling for the entire security team to move in.  

—A perfect opportunity to both showcase the other’s strength, cementing his reputation, and to offer timely assistance.  

Over thirty armed men swiftly subdued Li Yide’s original bodyguards. Seeing the situation turn against him, Li Yide quickly ducked back into the coffee shop.  

Zhang Modu signaled the team leader to follow Li Yide while he jogged over to Lin Yu’s side. Gently, he took one of Lin Yu’s hands and cradled it with exaggerated care.  

“Are you alright, Ayu?”  

Lin Yu remained expressionless. He lowered his gaze, watching the chaos unfold before him. Only when the commotion gradually settled did he finally turn his attention to Zhang Modu beside him.  

He studied the other man’s face for a long moment before slowly shifting his focus to the “thick, black, mist-like mass” floating beside him.  

It was impossible to miss.  

Lin Yu frowned slightly. The last time he had activated his Source Power, he had seen this thing—but now, it was even clearer.  

What exactly was this Black Mist?  

And how did Zhang Modu know his location?  

Last time, when he had clearly been in the company lounge, there had been traces to follow.  

But this time—how had Zhang pinpointed his exact whereabouts?