Chapter 434: Chapter 164: Shattering Transformation
Meng Huang’s figure began to tower, swelling as if something inside could no longer be contained by its flesh, scrambling to burst out.
His skin cracked, and something rustling like quicksand continuously leaked from the fissures. Lumps of something were also sloughing off his body. With every piece that fell, a part of his humanity seemed to flake away.
In just a moment, his form had grown to over three meters tall. The empty space around him was filled by a massive, illusory silhouette, its shifting shadows writhing across the faces of everyone present.
All this was happening in plain sight, under the gazes of every member of the Meng Clan. They stared, dumbfounded and utterly bewildered.
Only a few higher-ranking clan members who knew the truth seemed to realize something, their eyes filling with terror as they looked at Meng Huang.
Chen Chuan stood his ground calmly. He glanced around, confirming that the entire room, and even the outside, was covered in an Esoteric Ritual. It wasn’t painted with Esoteric Materials, but directly integrated into the building materials and concealed by the complex decorations.
At the same time, the good lighting was used to hide its darker aspects. When not activated, it had no effect on people whatsoever. No wonder he hadn’t felt anything strange earlier.
From the current situation, this had to be some kind of powerful binding ritual, likely designed to deal with entities like Meng Huang.
Meng Huang slowly raised his head, covering one side of his face. One eye peeked out, staring at Meng Lai as he said, "A ritual?"
He glanced at the shocked Meng Clan members on the Ring Screen and grinned. "But it doesn’t matter. I just have to get rid of everyone who saw this today."
One of the Meng Clan members on the Ring Screen couldn’t help but demand, "You’re like this... you’re not even human anymore! Do you still think you can inherit the company?"
Meng Huang actually chose to answer him. "Of course. Why else would I bother playing this game with you all?"
"You think we’ll accept you? You think the people outside will accept you?"
"Why wouldn’t they?"
Meng Huang’s expression turned playful.
"Once I control the company, I’ll just have to cede enough benefits, make some major compromises, and promise to operate within certain limits. Tell me, do you think they’ll accept me then?
The Processing Bureau? It doesn’t matter if they’re unwilling. I’m sure some people will be.
You say I’m not human. Even if I’m not human on the outside, as long as my actions seem human, and what you see and hear seems human, does it really matter what’s behind it all?"
He looked at Meng Lai and seemed to smile. "Since you can tolerate a substitute using a Consciousness Coordinator, why on earth can’t you tolerate me?"
As he spoke, he slowly lowered his other hand. On the half of his face where the skin had split open, a much larger eyeball squeezed out, occupying nearly the entire cheek. The edges were lined with sharp teeth, and it was filled with a chaotic mess of blood vessels. It was as if his physiological organs and certain external features had been completely scrambled together.
The members of the Meng Clan on the Ring Screen watched in horror. A few of them suddenly started to vomit.
Facing this scene, Meng Lai remained calm, or rather, he had long been prepared. He spoke to everyone on the other side of the Ring Screen, "You’ve all seen it. Now you know why I chose Xiaoshu."
"Second Brother, what’s happened to him?"
"Yeah, Second Uncle, what is this?"
Not everyone knew the truth of the world. The vast majority of the Meng Clan members didn’t involve themselves in business, simply enjoying life with the money and profits provided by the clan and the company. Of course they couldn’t figure out what was happening.
Meng Lai didn’t explain. He looked at Chen Chuan, who was standing nearby, and said solemnly, "Mr. Chen, Xiaoshu’s safety is in your hands. Please get her away from here safely."
Chen Chuan nodded. He could see that although the ritual was restricting Meng Huang’s power, it wouldn’t be able to hold him for long. Perhaps only for a little while.
Meng Shu stood up, bowed to Meng Lai, and then started to walk out with Yan Yi.
Meng Huang suddenly looked back. It wasn’t a normal look, as his body didn’t move. Only the massive eyeball on one side of his face rolled over, yet it felt as if everyone had been targeted by his gaze.
The security guard he had brought with him had been standing motionless ever since entering, not even reacting to the bizarre changes in his boss. But now, hearing Meng Huang’s words, he instantly charged forward, throwing a punch at Chen Chuan and the others. Before the attack could land, a gust of wind swept by, and Aunt Yu appeared, blocking his path.
Her seemingly slender arm simply lifted slightly to block the fist. The specially-made floor suddenly sank, and the surrounding furniture screeched as it shifted.
Chen Chuan didn’t spare so much as a sideways glance. He walked directly out with Meng Shu, using his Realm Token to contact the Processing Bureau on a private channel and show them the situation here.
Meng Lai then looked at Meng Zhenghuai and said apologetically, "Great-Uncle, I’m sorry for dragging you into this today."
"Sigh. Don’t say that. I’m already a hundred and twenty years old. Back then, I even lied about my age, saying I was two years younger just to become an apprentice. I’ve more than lived my life to the fullest.
If I hadn’t come today, he wouldn’t have dared to show up, would he?
Xiaolai, your great-uncle will back you up one last time. You were right to choose Xiaoshu. You’ve done right by the Meng Family..."
Meng Zhenghuai was halfway through his sentence when two subordinates, clearly Fighters, came up, supported him, and gently carried him directly out of the room.
Meng Lai watched them leave but didn’t move to follow. In that short time, Aunt Yu had gradually overpowered Meng Huang’s security guard. It was clear the fight would be decided in another moment.
He retracted his gaze and looked at the now towering Meng Huang. "May I ask, which one are you? Or rather... which one of *Them* are you?"
Meng Huang’s massive eyeball swiveled to stare at him. "Why are you asking this now? Have you had a change of heart? Or are you trying to make some kind of deal with me?"
Meng Lai said naturally, "I just want to confirm your identity to facilitate our subsequent conversation. After all, you are all different. One must adopt different attitudes for different entities."
Meng Huang had now grown to over four meters tall, his head almost touching the ceiling. He leaned his massive body down to look at Meng Lai. "You’ve already made a move against me, and you still want to talk?"
"Is there a problem?"
Meng Lai smiled and said matter-of-factly, "You things have always believed only in strength. If I didn’t have the power to restrain you, why would you ever be willing to sit down and listen to me? I think the time is now right."
A mist flickered in Meng Huang’s eye but seemed to quickly recede. "It seems you’ve been preparing for today for a very long time."
Meng Lai admitted, "Yes. Today’s situation is what I had hoped for. The impact can be confined here without affecting the company. Even if some news leaks out, there are ways to explain it to the public."
"But your power seems a bit weak. This alone probably isn’t enough."
Meng Huang glanced around, then looked down, his gaze seeming to penetrate the floor. "Your real body... it must be sleeping at the bottom of this manor right now, isn’t it? I can feel it."
Meng Lai nodded. "You’re right. If that weren’t the case, if you hadn’t confirmed that information, you wouldn’t have come today, would you?"
Meng Huang seemed slightly surprised. "So the information Meng Xu gave me was deliberately leaked by you? But it doesn’t matter. As long as the information is true, that’s all that counts." As he spoke, he twisted his body, and the room seemed to shake. He muttered, "Soon. Very soon."
Meng Lai seemed unconcerned. He said calmly, "You don’t need to worry about the ritual’s power being insufficient. Even if I can’t handle you, people from the Processing Bureau will be here shortly to send you on your way."
But Meng Huang reacted as if he’d heard something funny. He said playfully, "You’re pinning your hopes on the Processing Bureau? But they might not be able to make it."
「At the same time, inside the Processing Bureau.」
For the last half hour, Director Wu hadn’t had a moment’s peace from the calls coming in from City Hall.
Several districts in Central City had erupted in Fighter-related violence simultaneously. One incident, in particular, happened directly across from City Hall, causing an extremely negative impact.
Multiple media outlets had expressed concerns about Central City’s safety and crime involving Fighters. Although they didn’t name the Processing Bureau, everyone knew who they were pointing the finger at.
Several City Hall officials and council members also announced they wanted to inspect the Processing Bureau and demanded they immediately dispatch more personnel to the incident sites, especially the one near City Hall.
But he had rejected all of them.
He believed Meng Huang, along with Ferris Wheel and a few other companies, were intentionally instigating these events. Therefore, he firmly refused to divert his forces. He was prepared to commit his personnel to the Meng Manor to solve the problem once and for all, rather than deal with lingering aftereffects later.
He said to Vice Director Fang, "If they have the guts, they can fire me on the spot. Otherwise, I’m seeing this through today, no matter what."
Vice Director Fang was about to say something when a call came in. His expression turned grim, and he immediately answered it. After listening, he looked at Director Wu with a complicated expression. "Director Wu, I’m afraid it’s out of your hands this time. We just got a message from the Defense Hall. There’s unusual activity at the Ring Screen, and they need us to divert personnel for support."
Director Wu frowned. "The Ring Screen has its own routine operations team on guard. Why the sudden request for personnel?"
"That incident from before... you know the one." Vice Director Fang sighed. "I heard they lost too many people, which created gaps in some areas."
A flash of anger crossed Director Wu’s face, and he slammed his hand on the desk. "Then why didn’t they say so sooner?"
Vice Director Fang shook his head. "The higher-ups have their reasons."
"What about the reserve personnel? Don’t they have reserves?" Director Wu tapped his fingers repeatedly on the desk.
After a moment, Vice Director Fang said slowly, "You know how it is. They won’t use those people unless it’s an absolute last resort. They’re the last line of defense."
Director Wu paced back and forth, his brow furrowed tightly. After a while, he finally spoke. "But since it’s a defense issue at the Ring Screen, I won’t hold things up. That place is indeed more important..."
At the same time, he spoke into his Realm Token, "Have Old Wan and Xiaolu stay behind. Everyone else, return. The Bureau has new assignments. Tell those two to rendezvous with Mr. Chen. And tell them not to force it. If the situation is unsalvageable, their only priority is to protect our own people."
After giving his orders, his expression remained grave. Sparing two people was the most help he could offer. He could only hope that this time, it would be enough.
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