A smile remained plastered on his face, like a painted mask.
His muscles were pulled taut; maintaining the expression had become almost instinctual.
He could even feel a faint itch as his skin grew stiff, but he couldn't move.
The slightest movement would betray his emotions.
And any betrayal would mean losing everything.
A faint whoosh of air brushed past his ear. Perhaps the window wasn't closed properly, or maybe it was just his imagination.
But his attention remained fixed on Ling Zhiwei.
The boy stood there quietly, his expression unreadable, yet he exuded more pressure than anyone else in the room.
'Has this kid lost his damn mind?'
A sudden, nameless fury flared within him.
According to the original plan, this person was supposed to disappear after tonight.
Resource allocation, timeline progression, the subsequent cleanup—everything had been properly arranged.
But now, the whole situation had been thrown into chaos.
