Chapter 56: The Edge Unveiled

With a thunderous rumble, an armored vehicle led the way, followed by a number of motorcycles.

Screech—

The armored vehicle braked sharply, its body skidding sideways and leaving a deep tire mark on the ground.

The vehicle stopped just fifty meters from the dock.

The door swung open, and a middle-aged man with a demonic face tattooed across his features stepped out, concealing himself behind the door. His gaze swept coldly around before fixing on Choi Ji-yun. In a chilling voice, he said, "Captain Choi, hand over the Sunflowers, and I'll make your end swift."

At his words, all the mercenaries behind him raised their guns, aiming toward the dock.

Sunflowers? Li Changsheng’s heart skipped a beat. He quietly opened Choi Ji-yun’s silver briefcase, revealing three plants inside.

They looked exactly like the small yellow flower he'd found in the ship’s cabin.

So this is called a Sunflower...

Seeing the two sides locked in confrontation, Li Changsheng simply sat up straight, watching coldly from the sidelines.

Choi Ji-yun replied icily, “Demon-face, keep dreaming.” Yet her heart tightened.

Demon-face was the codename for this man in the underworld—before the cataclysm, he had committed countless crimes. Cunning and ruthless, he had repeatedly escaped military pursuit.

Demon-face sneered, his expression twisted. Ignoring Choi Ji-yun, he shouted instead at the soldiers beside her, “You soldiers, listen up! Just now, Captain Choi Ji-yun was declared a traitor to the Freemasons by a councilor.”

Choi Ji-yun’s voice was low and steady. “You think we’ll believe such tricks?”

Demon-face chuckled and tossed a recorder forward, which played a message.

An aged voice came through: “Soldiers, I am Han Jaeyong, one of the twelve councilors. Captain Choi Ji-yun, acting without authorization and secretly communicating with Zoe from the Rex Institute, has been declared a traitor to the Freemasons.”

“Damn it, so he’s the one who exposed me!” Choi Ji-yun froze, then understood.

Her mission was to rescue researcher Zoe from the Rex Institute. But no sooner had she made contact than her whereabouts were discovered. With no other choice, she had fled with the case Zoe gave her.

Her mission had been officially authorized, her movements secret—yet she was still betrayed by a councilor.

Thinking of what the Freemasons had become, she sighed inwardly. The Freemasons were the last remaining official power after the cataclysm, sheltering elite survivors from all walks of life.

It was governed by the councilors of twelve great families.

But in the face of the apocalypse, human nature crumbled. Han Jaeyong must have struck some secret deal with the Rex Institute.

After a moment’s silence, Choi Ji-yun addressed the soldiers, “This has nothing to do with you. Whether you leave or stay is your own decision.”

Those soldiers recognized the voice from the recorder. Seeing that Choi Ji-yun offered no defense, they exchanged uneasy glances, wavering.

Demon-face watched all of this, coaxing, “Think of your families in the Freemasons. Is it worth risking their lives for a traitor? The Rex Institute only wants Choi Ji-yun—nothing to do with anyone else. You’re free to go.”

After a long pause.

“Sorry, Captain.”

Suddenly, one soldier couldn’t take it anymore. He stood, apologized to Choi Ji-yun, and left to the side. Demon-face waved his subordinates to let him pass. With this as precedent, the remaining soldiers soon followed.

After all, they were outnumbered, and their families were still inside the Freemasons. It wasn’t worth dying for a captain accused of insubordination.

Seeing the soldiers leave, Demon-face grinned savagely. “Captain, you’re all alone now.”

When the mercenaries had stormed in, the soldiers had already turned pale; some had even become weak-kneed. Now, realizing the mercenaries were only after Choi Ji-yun, they breathed sighs of relief—even as they cast her sympathetic glances.

But sympathy was one thing; their own lives came first. None dared reach out to help.

“Boss, this is obviously a councilor colluding with Rex…” one member of the squad whispered, unable to watch.

“Shut up!” the one called “Boss” barked, shoving him forward and signaling the rest to follow—getting them away from this mess as quickly as possible.

Demon-face’s gaze swept over the departing soldiers, a cold glint in his eyes. Before the cataclysm, he would have gunned them down without a second thought.

But now, every subordinate lost was one less survivor.

He only wanted to use the briefcase and Choi Ji-yun as bargaining chips with the Freemasons and the Rex Institute—no need to complicate matters.

“Captain, you’re all alone. Still want to struggle pointlessly?” Demon-face taunted.

“You talk too much. If you want to die, come here,” Choi Ji-yun retorted, raising her gun. She glanced at Li Changsheng, who still sat impassively, and made a decision—tossing him a short knife.

Demon-face noticed, his gaze turning cold as it settled on Li Changsheng.

Li Changsheng twitched his lips, drained his glass of wine, and caught the knife. He smiled wryly—nothing is more troublesome than a petty man or a woman. It was bad luck to get on a woman’s bad side. He’d only meant to watch the show, and now he was being dragged in.

But then he thought—if the Rex Institute conducted experiments everywhere, it was only a matter of time before they reached Civilization City. A confrontation was inevitable. Besides, he was quite interested in the Sunflowers from the Institute.

Spinning the knife in his hand, Li Changsheng noticed a few words written on the blade.

“Start the boat—quick!”

He shrugged and said loudly, “The yacht’s out of fuel—it can’t start.” His voice was so loud that even Demon-face and his men could hear it clearly.

Choi Ji-yun shot him a hateful glare, speechless with frustration.

This man is strong, but not too bright…

Demon-face sneered mockingly, “Captain, with your standards, how did you end up with such a fool for a lover?”

“Or maybe this pretty boy’s only got skills in bed,” his underlings jeered.

Bang!

Choi Ji-yun’s expression shifted. She turned and fired a shot at Demon-face.

Clang!

The bullet struck the armored vehicle’s door window.

“Bitch! Once I’ve got you, I’ll let my brothers have their way with you and your little lover. We’ll see how tough you are then!” Demon-face, startled, lost patience. No more cat-and-mouse—he waved his men to open fire, aiming his own gun at Li Changsheng.

But as soon as he gestured—

Whoosh—

A short knife shot forward in a flash of blood-red light, heading straight for his skull. Crack! The bulletproof glass shattered! The bloody blade didn’t slow; Demon-face barely had time to widen his eyes as his forehead exploded with a dull thud. His massive, headless body crashed to the ground.

The knife flew on for a dozen meters before clattering to the ground, ringing with a chilling, metallic note.

His head… exploded?

The entire scene was stunned into silence! The distant soldiers were speechless, and even Demon-face’s men, ready to shoot, stood frozen in shock.

Li Changsheng stood, a fireman’s axe suddenly in his hand.

“Perhaps my skills aren’t limited to the bedroom,” he said.