Chapter 9: The Instinct of the Beast

Chapter 9: Animal Instinct

Before long, the people in the private room began to disperse. As the clock struck midnight, Wang Wuliang and his department manager strolled out of the main entrance and stood under the overhanging eaves.

Less than two meters away, a torrential downpour raged. Spray from the rain even lashed at their trouser legs.

"Manager Wang, my wife is rushing me, so I’ll head off first. The designated driver I called for you will be here shortly."

Seeing that his ride-hailing car had arrived, the department manager waved and ducked into the vehicle. Watching the taillights vanish into the darkness, a tipsy Wang Wuliang let out a hiccup and hummed a cheerful tune: "Today is a good day..."

The occasional breeze cooled his flushed face, bringing the evening’s gathering back to mind. A lecherous smirk curled his lips. Although this was a small company, the overall quality of the staff was decent, and there were several women who caught his eye. He could already envision a blissful future at this firm.

"Though, it would have been even better if I could have stayed at Fox Network," he muttered, his mood shifting as he let out a frustrated sigh.

At Fox, he had only been a mid-level manager, but it was a corporate giant. The female employees there—whether in looks or temperament—were far superior to those at this current small company. "Pity, but that’s just my rotten luck."

He didn't regret his actions; he always targeted colleagues with a calculated plan. The most critical part of his method was the "compliance test." Simply put, he would start by making reasonable, achievable requests, then gradually increase the demands, breaking down the target's bottom line step by step. Throughout this process, he utilized soft violence, such as verbal degradation—insulting their appearance, character, and competence—to slowly erode their self-confidence.

Only those who were completely submissive after this screening became his true targets. Unfortunately, despite all his calculations, he hadn't accounted for the target's husband. Once the man confronted the company, Wang had been forced to resign. He wasn't top management, after all, and the board certainly wouldn't waste resources protecting him.

Still, he didn't feel like he had lost much. Even though that target had promised her husband she would stop seeing him, she still stayed in touch privately and had even discussed coming to visit him during her vacation next month.

"I need to be more careful this time. You have to play the long game to catch the big fish." Wang Wuliang chuckled and rolled his stiff neck. Suddenly, he noticed a figure standing in the rain, three or four paces away, wrapped entirely in a black raincoat.

He blinked, squinting through the gloom. "Are you... the designated driver?"

The figure in the raincoat didn't speak, merely nodding.

"You got here fast, but I have to say, even if you don't care about yourself, you should think about your employer in this kind of weather," Wang complained. "You didn't even bring an umbrella? Did you expect me to wait for you inside the car?"

"Good thing I brought one." Wang opened his umbrella, walked past the figure, and added, "Follow me. My car is parked around the corner, less than twenty meters away."

He hadn't thrown the keys to the driver because his car contained private photos he didn't want anyone else handling alone.

In the pitch-black downpour, they hadn't walked more than ten meters before the bright lights of the storefront faded into a dim, hazy glow. Even the streetlights could only illuminate a meter or two ahead.

Thump!

Wang wasn't watching his footing and stepped into a small puddle, losing his balance and stumbling forward. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side, steadying him. It not only saved him from a soaking but also caught the umbrella that had slipped from his grasp.

It was the person in the raincoat who had saved him.

Shaken, Wang took the umbrella back. "Thanks. Which platform are you with? I’ll be sure to leave you a good review."

The raincoat figure shook his head, remaining silent. *Is he a mute?* Wang wondered. He decided not to press the issue. If the man could drive and follow traffic rules, that was all that mattered.

As they turned the corner, the area was almost pitch-black. The two nearest streetlights were broken, and only the faint, distant glow of further lights remained.

"What kind of hellish weather is this!" Wang pulled out his phone to turn on the flashlight; he didn't want to step in another puddle.

*Thwack!*

With a dull thud, Wang Wuliang collapsed to the ground, his neck struck hard. His phone and umbrella clattered to the floor.

The figure in the raincoat tucked away a wooden club, quickly snatched up the phone, and dragged Wang by his armpits into a narrow, dark alleyway. In the torrential midnight rain, the only witness to the scene was perhaps the umbrella, which had been blown away by the gale to parts unknown.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the KTV, a designated driver stood waiting, looking left and right in confusion.

Half an hour later.

Inside a dim, lightless restroom, there was a small window nearly two meters above the ground. A soft sound came from outside, and a hand reached up to the sill, followed by another.

It was the person in the black raincoat.

As he climbed through the window, a flash of lightning illuminated the room. For a brief moment, the broken mirror above the sink reflected the figure—claws bared, like a demon!

He calmly removed the raincoat, revealing an ordinary face with fierce, predatory eyes.

"What a beautiful day it is today," Jiang Ren smiled. He tidied up the scene and walked out of the restroom.

This wasn't his rented apartment, but a common hotel room. Having stayed here once before, he was familiar with the layout. After drying himself off with a towel, Jiang Ren lay back on the bed, feeling relaxed.

He opened the system interface.

His Destiny Points had reached the required amount. Without hesitation, he initiated the Hunter instance and immediately purchased a talent from the shop.

[Item: Animal Instinct]
[Description: You will possess the intuition of a beast. Neither danger nor hostility will be able to escape your perception.]
[Note: Trust your instincts, though they may not always be perfectly precise.]
[Price: 30 Destiny Points]

It was undoubtedly a practical talent.

Exiting the shop, Jiang Ren’s vision went black. He found himself back in front of the colossal clock. Looking at the counter-clockwise movement of the hands, he finally understood: the clock was like a video progress bar. Whenever he wanted to restart, the position had to be pulled back from the previous end point to the beginning.

The moment the sound of an infant’s cry pierced the air, Jiang Ren was reborn once more.