Volume One: At the Pinnacle from the Start Chapter Fifty-Four: Is It True or False?

Chen Jing stood there in a daze, his gaze vacant, as if he were possessed.

“Hahaha! Surprised, aren’t you? My ability is enchantment and mind control,” the scantily clad woman declared with a loud laugh. “Anyone who meets my gaze falls under my enchantment ability—I can control them completely.”

With that, she picked up her pistol and advanced toward Chen Jing step by step, the burly man following close behind. They closed in on him, and the woman pressed her gun directly against Chen Jing’s head. He remained motionless, a blank expression on his face, utterly unresponsive.

Pressing the muzzle to his forehead, she observed his utter stillness, his face devoid of emotion. The woman licked her sultry red lips, clearly pleased by his reaction. Those under her control would stand mute and motionless, devoid of thought or will, responding only to her commands—like marionettes. That was precisely why she hadn’t used her power on Zhang Jingzhi to force her to reveal Molly’s whereabouts; it would have been futile.

After a moment’s thought, rather than shooting Chen Jing immediately, she issued her first order.

“Hand me your knife and pistol,” she commanded.

Without hesitation, Chen Jing drew his pistol and knife, passing them to her.

She smiled, signaling her male companion to take the weapons from Chen Jing.

The burly man watched Chen Jing’s eyes intently as he took the gun and knife. Chen Jing’s face betrayed no emotion, his gaze unfocused. The man accepted the weapons, then, without a word, raised the pistol and fired three shots at Chen Jing’s head.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three shots, the bullets grazing his scalp. Chen Jing didn’t move an inch, his expression unchanged, unfazed even with the muzzle pressed to his head. Of course, the man had deliberately missed; he was still testing Chen Jing, for the man had always seemed too dangerous to trust so easily under control.

Seeing Chen Jing’s lack of reaction, the burly man finally relaxed, certain that Chen Jing was truly under their power. There had been instances where the control failed—then, the victim’s face and eyes would show struggle, some flicker of resistance. In the face of sudden danger, no one could feign such utter calm, unless they could deceive their own mind; the body would instinctively flinch, pupils constrict, scalp tingle. Yet Chen Jing had shown nothing.

“Don’t worry, he’s under control. I can sense he has no abilities. If he isn’t an Ability User, there’s no way he could resist me,” the woman said. She knew her limitations well—if her target’s ability level surpassed hers or if he had particular powers, her control might fail. At first, they suspected Chen Jing was an Ability User, which would explain how he wiped out so many of her subordinates. But at close range, she sensed nothing from him—he was just an ordinary human.

It strained belief that a normal person could have killed all her people, but now, knowing he was just a regular man, she was certain her control had taken hold.

The burly man frowned, still skeptical. “Is he really just an ordinary man?” His voice, raspy but functional, surprised Chen Jing—he had thought the man mute.

She nodded. “Yes, just a normal person. Probably a specially trained operative from some organization. Judging by his combat and shooting skills, he must have undergone years of rigorous training. Ability Users rarely focus so much on physical skills—they train their powers instead. Plus, during the fight, he never used any abilities. If he had them, he would have.”

Convinced by her analysis, the burly man relaxed, the tension draining from his body as he withdrew his power. He couldn’t sustain it indefinitely and, with no apparent threat, saw no need.

The woman turned away from Chen Jing, issuing orders without a backward glance. “Break his arms and legs, then tie him up. We might still need him. Delivering him to our superiors could offset the consequences of failure. Also, find that bitch. If we locate Experimental Subject 18, the mission will still be a success. The dead are dead—as long as we complete the task, that’s all that matters.”

She moved forward, but after a few steps, stopped, sensing something was wrong. Why hadn’t her partner responded? She turned, confusion on her face—only to be struck by a scene that chilled her to the core.

The Chen Jing she thought firmly under her control was now gripping the burly man’s clothes with one hand and wielding the knife he’d just surrendered with the other, lifting the entire man off the ground. The burly man clutched at his throat, mouth agape, but no sound came out. Blood welled between his fingers, spilling down his arms to the floor.

“No!” the woman screamed in disbelief, terror etched on her face.

Twisting the knife, Chen Jing ignored her shrieks and smiled. “See? It doesn’t matter whether you have powers or not. If you can’t use them, in the end, it comes down to knives and guns. That’s why Ability Users still need to train their bodies.” With that, he released the burly man, letting his body collapse to the ground.

Shaking out his right hand, Chen Jing strode toward the woman.

She was still reeling, frantic. “Impossible! You were under my control! How could you have your own will? You’re not an Ability User—how could you not be under my power?”

Chen Jing shrugged, not bothering to answer. He stopped before her, let his hand trail lightly across her cheek and down her chest, then gripped her throat, smiling. “Unfortunately for you, I’ve undergone intensive mental training. I let myself fall under your control on purpose.”

The realization dawned on her and, feeling his grip tighten, she panicked. “Don’t kill me! I can still be useful! I’ll do anything you want—be your woman if you want!” She yanked down her minuscule camisole, exposing her heaving, pale chest.

Chen Jing spared her a glance but didn’t loosen his grip. Without mercy, he squeezed with all his strength.

A sickening crack.

Her babbling ceased; her hands dropped limply as her life faded.

Chen Jing let go, watching her corpse slump to the floor. He muttered, “She couldn’t even be bothered to wear a bra… all purple and sagging…”

In Chen Jing’s book, there was no such thing as “never kill a woman.” For those who lived perpetually on the edge of death, the only rule was: if they’re the enemy, kill them without hesitation—or risk being killed yourself. This was a lesson written in blood for members of the Empire, learned over countless missions.

He glanced around to ensure there were no survivors, then pulled out his phone and dialed Sun Ruoqing.

The reason Chen Jing had found this place so quickly was, of course, thanks to the Empire’s intelligence network—more precisely, after calling Sun Ruoqing, he’d had his younger colleague Xie Yuanshan access the surveillance system of Xiang City, which had led him straight to this abandoned factory.

When he’d arrived, Xie Yuanshan had already sent him the profiles of these Pandora members, so Chen Jing knew their abilities in advance. That’s why he had chosen to play weak and pretend to be controlled, waiting for the Hardened Man to lower his guard—then strike. Once the Hardened Man was dealt with, the outcome was sealed; he was the only disaster-level Ability User who posed any threat to Chen Jing.

“Hello, Mirror, how’s it going? Are you hurt?” Sun Ruoqing’s cool voice came through as soon as she picked up.

“It’s all taken care of. I’m fine. Zhang Jingzhi is safe. All the Pandora members have been eliminated—including seven Ability Users and the two disaster-level Controllers: one with hardened skin, one with enchantment. Both are dead,” Chen Jing reported as usual.

Sun Ruoqing nodded. “Good. I’ve sent a team over. They’ll handle the cleanup.”

“Alright. I’ll bring Zhang Jingzhi back now. I’m in a hurry.”

“Good luck in the competition tonight, Mirror!” She knew he was pressed for time because of the Voice of China contest.

“Mm!” Chen Jing nodded, hung up, and walked toward Zhang Jingzhi’s hiding place.

After a few steps, he paused, thought for a moment, then returned to kneel beside the woman’s corpse.

Don’t misunderstand—Chen Jing wasn’t about to do anything perverse. He’d simply realized the Empire’s cleanup crew would be thorough in documenting every detail, and her corpse would surely be noted as “exposed.” What would people think of him then?

So, he tugged the camisole back up to cover her chest. As for why he’d grabbed her so casually before—well, cough, he just wanted to see if something that size was real or fake.

Author’s note: Disaster-level Ability Users are also called Controllers. The term “Disaster” sounds villainous, so the world has adopted the more palatable title “Controller” for those at this level.