Chapter 64: Head-to-Head: Within Five Steps

"That's right." Feng Yuxuan looked at Su Jie.

On the surface, it seemed like a heart-to-heart talk, but deep down, he felt that even saying one more word to him was a waste of time. "My patience and time are limited. Do you know how many important people I meet every day? I made time to meet you personally just to tell you—stay in line. It’s good for your sister, good for you, and good for your whole family."

"Are you threatening me?" Su Jie felt a flame burning inside him, yet he remained still.

"It's not a threat, it's just a fact." Feng Yuxuan wasn’t worried about Su Jie secretly recording or filming anything. He raised a finger. "Your little tricks are amateurish. If you weren’t Su Muchen’s younger brother, even my subordinates’ subordinates wouldn’t spare you a glance. Remember, this meeting with Lu Shu and those people is a one-time thing. I’m only allowing it this once. If it happens again, as per usual protocol—whatever betrays me must be destroyed. I think you know the consequences for those who’ve crossed me."

"Back then, you slept with a small-time celebrity. Later, she had a falling out with you and publicly accused you online. But the information was wiped clean shortly after, and not long after that, she disappeared overseas. That was your doing, wasn’t it?" Su Jie picked up on what Feng Yuxuan truly meant: if Su Muchen jumped ship, he would destroy her.

Normally, with how deep his martial arts had become, Su Jie didn’t get riled up by anything. But seeing Feng Yuxuan’s blatant threats, his anger nearly exploded. The only reason he didn’t strike was because he was holding back.

"Don’t think that just because you’ve trained a bit, you’re suddenly someone important." Feng Yuxuan spoke bluntly, clearly not denying the incident with the celebrity. "People like you are still just low-class. Other than being aggressive, what else are you good for? I could casually find ten goons who could each beat you ten times over. Honestly, with your level of martial arts, I could flatten you with one hand."

"You really think provoking me like this will make me lash out?" Su Jie’s gaze suddenly turned sharp like a blade, radiating an unprecedented killing intent.

That’s right—killing intent!

The intense urge to kill someone.

Su Jie had a calm personality and rarely got angry. Even after years of training, while he had gone hard in fights, he had never felt this kind of intense urge.

Even when facing "Gray Wolf," he had never wanted to kill.

But now, standing in front of the impeccably dressed, commanding Feng Yuxuan, he truly felt the desire to kill.

For the first time, the killing intent in his heart was so intense, so uncontrollable.

It was like a wild horse breaking free, galloping without restraint.

"Just be a regular citizen and stop fantasizing all the time. A few days of training and you think you're a martial arts hero? A few high test scores and you think you’re destined for greatness? Commoners are just commoners. They don’t rise."

Feng Yuxuan clearly had no patience left to talk to Su Jie. He turned and walked away.

Su Jie forced himself to suppress the killing intent in his chest and kept a clear head. He didn’t shout any dramatic lines like "the river flows east for thirty years, west for thirty years—don’t look down on the poor youth."

Because he didn’t think he was beneath Feng Yuxuan.

Even if the other party was worth hundreds of billions and commanded enormous influence—they were both just men. Two shoulders, one head. No one had three heads and six arms.

"Within five steps, we’re all just flesh and blood."

Su Jie watched Feng Yuxuan leave and muttered to himself, "Even the Bodhisattva of mercy has the wrath of a Vajra."

Feng Yuxuan returned to the car. From a distance, Su Muchen watched her brother walk out and asked, "How did the talk with my brother go?"

"Very well." At that moment, Feng Yuxuan seemed like a completely different person—gentle and charming. "Your brother’s misunderstandings about me have more or less been cleared up. After he graduates, talk to him about joining Haoyu Group. I’ll give him a decent position. After all, we’ll be one family in the future."

"What family?" Su Muchen didn’t look too happy. "I’m a researcher. Let’s wait until this project is completed before we talk. Our contract is only until then, and whether we renew it or not is something I’ll have to discuss with the rest of the team."

"Up to you. We don’t keep people by force here. Don’t worry, I’m not as petty as the rumors say." Feng Yuxuan opened his arms generously.

"Then take me to the research institute," Su Muchen told the driver.

The driver looked at Feng Yuxuan. After getting his nod, he drove off.

After dropping Su Muchen off at the research institute, Feng Yuxuan returned to his office.

His office was massive—around two to three thousand square meters, taking up an entire floor. It was luxuriously decorated with high-end carpets, rows of bookshelves, and a separate high-tech gym area.

The desk alone was big enough to lie ten people side by side.

There were many buttons on the desk.

He pressed one, and shortly after, a female secretary in professional attire, standing at a striking 1.8 meters tall, walked in. "Boss, what are your instructions?"

"Keep an eye on Su Muchen’s team for me. I want to know when they go out, what they’re doing, and who they meet with." Feng Yuxuan gave the order, then slammed the desk in frustration. "Wasting half a day on some punk—ridiculous!"

"Boss went to see Su Muchen’s younger brother, didn’t he? That kid’s still in high school," the female secretary, Feng Yuxuan’s confidante, remarked. "For someone like the boss to meet someone like that—what an insult."

"Every day, countless CEOs of listed companies, foreign consortium leaders, even high-ranking politicians line up to see me. Yet I had to put on a show and cancel this morning’s event. And that little punk not only didn’t appreciate it, he even tried to step on my head!" Feng Yuxuan slammed the table. "If this project weren’t at such a critical stage, I’d have made him disappear off the face of the earth already."

"Boss, we must endure small slights to achieve the bigger plan. Once our project succeeds, everything will fall into place. I’m also following your orders and looking for a new team to replace them," the secretary replied with meticulous care.

"This must be done. Also, how’s my third brother doing now?" Feng Yuxuan asked.

He was referring to Feng Hengyi.

"Mr. Yi signed a few training assistants at Minglun Martial Arts Academy. He also partnered with Liu Zihao on a project. Aside from that, he’s constantly asking the group for money. He’s only been back for less than three months and has already requested five hundred million yuan in cash from the company. Most of it’s already spent, and there are no detailed reports on the project. The shareholders are starting to complain. Do you think we should report this to the old man?" The secretary frowned.

"Don’t worry about it. Let him dig his own grave. That little brother of mine has been doing special ops training since he was a kid, but he doesn’t get the nuances of business or people. He’s just a blade in the old man’s hand—or maybe an experiment. The old man can still tolerate him for now, but once he causes financial trouble for the company and threatens its foundation, that’ll be the best chance to push him out," Feng Yuxuan waved his hand. "Just give him whatever he asks for. I guarantee he’ll be gone within a year."

"Understood. I’ll proceed as you say," the secretary nodded and walked out.

Once she left, Feng Yuxuan pressed a button and five men entered. Every one of them looked fierce and battle-hardened. Two of them had knife scars and bullet wounds all over their bodies—they looked like they had walked straight out of a war zone.

"Get ready. Time for today’s training."

Feng Yuxuan was a skilled fighter himself. That was why he dared to say he could take down Su Jie with one hand.

He had trained every day since he was young, focusing on combat and martial arts—specifically military-style lethal techniques, not flashy competition moves. He knew very well that with his status and wealth, there was no need to step into a ring—just to defend himself if attacked.

He had, in fact, survived several real-life assassination attempts.

Shua!

He stripped off his clothes, revealing a physique only a seasoned fighter would have. Two female massage therapists entered and applied ointments to his body, working out the tension with massages and deep tissue work to fully relax him.

An hour later, he launched into a burst-intensive training regimen.

Squats, deadlifts, battle ropes, bench presses, target shooting—all as fierce as a storm.

That was just the warm-up.

After warming up, he sparred with the five warriors in simulated combat.

Like a perpetual motion machine, he trained nonstop for four hours before stopping.

Then came the team of health specialists who ran physical checks, took measurements, and returned to develop personalized nutrition and wellness plans.

Many outsiders saw him as a playboy, but in reality, no matter how busy he got, he carved out four hours a day for training and recovery—without fail.

Otherwise, with his indulgent lifestyle, his body would’ve long since broken down.

But not only had it not broken down, it had actually gotten stronger.

That was also why he looked down on Su Jie. The money he had spent on his body over the years—he couldn’t even count. The annual costs alone were more than Su Jie could earn in ten lifetimes.

His investment in Liu Zihao and partnership with Minglun Martial Arts Academy was, in fact, largely driven by interest in the academy’s secret health and wellness techniques.

Meanwhile, Su Jie lay sprawled on his bed back home, not training but thinking.

He had secretly recorded Feng Yuxuan’s earlier comments, but when he got back, he discovered that the equipment had been interfered with somehow—nothing had been captured.

Then he suddenly understood why Feng Yuxuan had the audacity to threaten him so brazenly.

"How do I take down Feng Yuxuan? How do I help Sis get out safely? How do I improve myself?" These were the only things on Su Jie’s mind. "Haoyu Group has many business rivals. Since Sis’s team has caught Lu Shu’s eye, it must mean they’re incredibly valuable. If I can drive the tiger to eat the wolf, it might work. But I also have to beware of being eaten myself…"

Sometimes, when you use one beast to drive away another, they might just team up and devour you together.

In business, there are no permanent enemies—only permanent interests.

That was why Su Jie didn’t trust Lu Shu and the others.

He was certain that if Haoyu Group offered them greater benefits, those young masters would sell out Sis’s team in a heartbeat.