Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

The Thousand Fists Association—an infamous underground organization in Southeast Asia. Their headquarters seemed to be in Singapore, but they were almost completely wiped out by Raven alone.

Now, it seems only Chen Tianwu is left. Raven recommended him to join World Serpent, assigning him the critical role of intelligence gathering and information support.

His contributions were vital—akin to what Welt provided for Anti-Entropy.

One could even call him indispensable.

But his path didn't end there.

Chen Tianwu and Anna both became Herrschers.

In the end, though, his story concluded with his death.

"Weren't you in Shenzhou? How did you provoke them?" Lin Wei sifted through the scattered fragments of information in his mind.

These guys have their hands in so many things, he thought.

Violence. Pornography. Drugs. Gambling. Fraud. Human trafficking. Dark money politics…

Underground organizations are always tied to these shadows of society. They're outlaws who live beyond the reach of laws and morals.

It was no surprise that he felt a chilling sense of despair being targeted by such people.

"I never provoked them! I swear!" The man stood up excitedly, then slumped back into his seat. His voice, now dry and weak, trembled as he continued.

After his wife passed away, the man—having lost everything—worked tirelessly, day and night, to support his daughter.

But the hardships left their mark. His daughter, who had endured so much, changed drastically. She became quiet, withdrawn, and secretive.

The man, burdened by a weary body and soul, lacked the energy to care for her properly. All he could do was hope that time would heal their wounds.

Then, one fateful night, the man came home, dragging his exhausted body. But he was greeted by silence—an ominous, crushing silence.

As if the heavens sought to destroy what little remained of this family, his daughter had disappeared.

A chilling message came from an unknown source. It demanded an exorbitant ransom for her return.

Desperate and drowning in despair, the man grasped at straws. He sold everything he had. He borrowed heavily. Somehow, he scraped together the ransom.

With nothing but hope left in his heart, he traveled to Singapore, praying he could bring his daughter home.

"So, they upped the price?" Lin Wei asks calmly, not finding it surprising.

He is at their mercy. Human greed is bottomless.

Since he needs them, it's only logical to be squeezed for everything.

"No, it's not just…" The man's voice shifts, exhaustion giving way to anger. His frustration boils over like a dying lion's final roar. "They took my money and planned to keep me too!"

"But you escaped."

Lin Wei calmly pours two cups of tea, pushing one in front of the man. His mouth must be dry after so much talking.

The man opens and closes his mouth again, struggling for words. He looks restless, his eyes darting around the room. He avoids Lin Wei's gaze as if it burns him.

"Is it that guy at the door?"

Seeing the man's reluctance, Lin Wei cuts straight to the point. His voice is flat, as if stating a trivial fact.

But his words strike like a thunderbolt, shattering the man's pretense and resistance.

"You… you know…?"

The color drains from the man's face. He grows pale as death, his eyes filled with despair. His voice trembles. "When?"

"There are two at the front door and one at the back," Lin Wei replies, his tone light, as if discussing the weather. "I suppose they're here to prevent us from escaping. There are also two in the lobby.

If our meal drags on too long, they'll probably break in. I wonder if they'd bother paying for damages."

His voice carries a hint of mockery, accompanied by a gentle smile. Yet each word pushes the man deeper into an abyss of despair.

"Brother Liu, you're a good storyteller, and your story is moving. I believe it's all your true feelings."

Lin Wei's calm demeanor hides the sharp awareness of someone who has faced life and death. The subtle changes inside and outside the hotel don't escape his notice.

For Lin Wei, this isn't a threat. It isn't worth anger. Those who have walked the edge of mortality know how to stay composed.

"...Lin... Ah Wei, listen to me…" The man tries to explain frantically, but Lin Wei interrupts him.

"The most masterful lies don't need any falsehoods," Lin Wei says, his tone calm and precise. "They only need to leave out a little information within a mountain of truth. Simple, yet hard to detect. Am I right?"

Lin Wei's sharp gaze locks onto the man's eyes, as if peeling back every layer of pretense. A chill runs down the man's spine, leaving him frozen in place.

"Brother Liu," Lin Wei continues, his voice still flat and gentle, like a parent scolding a wayward child, "are you truly certain that handing me over will ensure you and your daughter return home safely?"

"Thump…"

The man collapses to his knees for the fourth time. This time, Lin Wei doesn't stop him.

The man's shoulders tremble as he covers his face. His voice cracks, raw with despair.

"I have no choice… I really have no choice!" he wails. "Lin Wei, I'm sorry, but I really have no choice! I only have this one daughter. I can't lose her again… I don't want her to be hurt ever again!

"I'm useless! I'm worthless! I can't do anything but watch!"

Tears stream down his face as he kowtows heavily—once, twice. The sound of his forehead hitting the floor echoes loudly in the room.

Lin Wei remains unmoved.

Calmly, he serves himself a bowl of fish soup. Taking a sip, he pauses, his expression faintly displeased—it's a bit bland. Would it kill you to use more salt?

He sets the bowl back on the table, already planning to give the waiter some constructive feedback later.

After letting the man sob for a while, Lin Wei decides the time is right. His voice cuts through the tension like a blade.

"Tell me what happened."

The emphasis on "tell me" carries a clear warning—this is your last chance. Don't test me.

"I told them there's someone here who's just like me, so they let me go…"

The man struggles to rise, his forehead swollen and red. It's a pity the hotel is so well-furnished—he can't even draw blood by hitting his head on the floor.

His voice is soft, barely louder than a mosquito's buzz. His entire being seems drained, like a puppet with its strings cut.

"I've been waiting for you at the subway station where you usually get off…" he whispers. "But I waited… and waited… You never appeared.

"I've been waiting for days, until they lost patience. If I couldn't find you today, they were going to take me back…"

"Tch, I'm truly lucky then," Lin Wei mutters, rolling his eyes. He gestures for the man to continue, his curiosity piqued by the mention of "someone just like me."

"Those Thousand Fists Association guys…" The man's voice shakes. "They don't want money… No, that's not right. It's not just money they want.

"I wasn't lying about that, Lin Wei. Believe me…"

He looks up at Lin Wei, his gaze pleading, but Lin Wei's expression remains unreadable, distant.

"My daughter… She wasn't kidnapped," the man admits, his voice cracking. "She went to Southeast Asia on her own.

"She'd been secretly investigating the disaster at Nagazora City. She uncovered strange connections to other disasters around the world.

"I kept telling her to stop, to drop it all. I told her to forget everything—to study hard, to live a happy, safe life…"

What a humble wish, Lin Wei muses silently.

"I was busy with work, so I was on a business trip for a few days," the man begins. "When I returned, she was gone.

"She left a letter on the table, saying there's an organization in Singapore—like an internet club or something—where they're all investigating the truth behind these disasters. She wanted to go see it for herself."

"..."

Lin Wei is speechless. How could she be this stupid?

"Then you received a ransom message, and you abandoned everything to come to Singapore?"

The man nods silently.

"Get up and talk. And then?" Lin Wei holds his forehead, exasperated. She really did scam her dad.

But the man stays on his knees, unmoving. Lin Wei doesn't bother urging him again.

"Then, I raised a lot of money and rushed to the designated location. I met you on the way..."

"Such a coincidence," Lin Wei mutters, his expression turning strange. Does this guy think I'm a member?

"They call themselves the Thousand Fists Association," the man continues. "That's true… they stole my money, that's true… they captured me, that's also true…

"But extorting money was just incidental. It seemed like they were targeting me, and all of us..."

"Us?" Lin Wei's gaze sharpens slightly.

"Us, the disaster survivors!" the man exclaims, his voice trembling with excitement.

"...So you decided to shift the danger to me?" Lin Wei sighs, piecing everything together.

"I'm also from Nagazora City, so I could also be their target, right?"

There's a darker implication in his words, but Lin Wei doesn't bother delving into it—it's unnecessary.

"Yes."

After a moment of silence, the man admits this.

He falls silent again before glancing at Lin Wei. Gritting his teeth, he adds, "I was also gambling! I don't know what your true identity is. Perhaps you're a member of the Thousand Fists Association? Then I would be embarrassing myself. But I couldn't think of any other way to get away... or maybe you're part of another mysterious organization. If that's the case—"

"To make us fight each other, right?"

Lin Wei finishes the man's sentence and watches as he lowers his head again, courage drained.

"So you thought, by making us fight each other—if I had an organization—you could use the opportunity to take your daughter and flee? Or at least give your daughter a chance to escape, right?" Lin Wei says.

His voice carries no anger or resentment. In fact, he admires the man's desperate courage.

"And if you're really unlucky, and I am a member of the Thousand Fists Association, then it wouldn't get any worse than what you're going through now. So you might as well take the chance. If you're lucky, you pull me down with you. If not, at least you can get some blood on me, right?"

The man remains silent, as if silently agreeing to everything.

Resolute and despicable.

Lin Wei can't help but sigh.

Life is always like this—beauty interwoven with ugliness, both breathtaking and frustrating.

"Is there anything else to add?" Lin Wei asks softly.

The man's breathing grows heavy. After a moment, he moves closer on his knees, grabs Lin Wei's feet, and begs, "Please, save my daughter!"

Lin Wei smiles helplessly and pulls the man to his feet.

"Let's eat first," Lin Wei says calmly. "We're still busy. And remember to take a shower later. How can you go pick up your kid looking like this?"

Humanity is always like this—so nauseating it makes you want to vomit, yet at the same time, you can't bring yourself to ignore it.

Besides, Lin Wei is curious about the "Thousand Fists Association," a name he's only heard in passing. What exactly are they up to?

"Ah? Ah! Thank you! Thank you..." The man stammers, stunned.

He had given up all hope after being seen through, but he never imagined he'd be given another chance. Overwhelmed, he's on the verge of kneeling to kowtow again when Lin Wei glares at him sharply.

The man freezes in place, standing stiffly, his mind a chaotic mess, unsure of what to do.

"Need me to feed you too?" Lin Wei says sarcastically, already eating.

"Oh, oh, yes, eat, eat..." The man finally finds his bearings. He sits back in his seat, picks up his chopsticks, and starts devouring his food like a starving refugee.

At first, he eats with desperate urgency. But gradually, his movements slow. Tears well up in his eyes, and he starts to sob quietly.

Lin Wei sighs. Without a word, he places more food in the man's bowl and pours him another cup of hot water.

"It's all over. Let's eat."

The man's sobs deepen into soft whimpers, and soon, he's crying openly.

After a moment of silence, a gentle yet concerned voice echoes in Lin Wei's mind.

"Lin Wei, you didn't use your Divine Key? You were almost tricked by him…"

It's Yae Sakura. Though she feels sympathy for the man, her worry for Lin Wei outweighs it.

"Sakura," Lin Wei responds inwardly, his tone calm. "How can a Divine Key grasp the complexities of human nature? Even a true Key of Sentience couldn't do that. Over-relying on a Divine Key's ability could lead to one's downfall."

He picks up his cup of tea, lightly swirling it. The tea sways within the cup, creating a misty image in the steam. Lin Wei chuckles softly.

"Did you forget what I used to defeat Fu Hua? Or what I relied on to overcome the Herrscher and get to where I am today?"

He finishes the tea in a single gulp, his smile fading as his tone grows serious.

"I fought my way out first. Then, I received the Divine Key—not the other way around."

As if the weight of his words had settled, his expression softens again.

"You have to understand, Sakura. The most important thing is you."

"..."

Yae Sakura falls silent, her thoughts drifting to painful memories—times when she had been outmaneuvered by the Herrscher.

She still wasn't resolute enough.

For a moment, the air is heavy with unspoken thoughts. Neither of them speaks, the silence stretching between them like a fragile thread.

Lin Wei, however, shifts his attention. He leans down, gently comforting the protesting Pandora.

"Let's go," he finally says, standing up and stretching slightly. "Take me to the Thousand Fists Association members. I can't let our guests wait any longer."

A smile curls on Lin Wei's lips. It's faint, but dangerous enough to send chills down anyone's spine.

"Huh? Isn't it supposed to be me, the guest?" he adds with a playful smirk. "Whatever. Let's go crash their party!"