With the Tycoon's approval, Lin Yu disappeared into the night before the members of Jiang'an Hall arrived after the boat docked.

It wasn't that he was in a hurry to claim the Hunters' Association bounty as the Tycoon had suggested.

For Lin Yu...

The cleanup work wasn't finished yet.

In the darkness, the False Face ability became ready again, and Lin Yu changed his appearance once more.

Dressed in a white lab coat with a shoulder bag, he approached a business sedan by the riverbank.

Tapping on the driver's window, he watched as it rolled down smoothly to reveal Almond's face.

The woman was clearly on high alert but pretended to be relaxed.

"What's up, little sister? Need a ride?" Almond asked casually with a toothpick between her teeth.

Lin Yu, now in the form of a delicate young girl, smiled.

"No, I don't need a ride... Sister Almond of the Marauders."

He cheerfully called out her name, and the moment her expression changed dramatically as she reached for a weapon inside her jacket—he struck first.

A pistol pressed against Almond's forehead—though it had no bullets, she obviously didn't know that.

She immediately raised her hands. "Whoa—calm down."

Lin Yu had used this trick too many times.

With cowards like Almond, whether the gun was loaded didn't matter.

She wouldn't dare take the risk.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Zhu Ming, a veterinarian by profession... Not affiliated with any organization yet, but you could say I'm a reserve member of the Free Alliance now."

Almond looked confused but relieved at Lin Yu's words.

While ordinary people would avoid the Free Alliance...

If Marauders members had to choose—

"At least you're not from the Order. So... Zhu Ming, what do you want? Are you here representing the Master Thief?" Almond asked.

Lin Yu shook his head. "Miss A Nian does know about this, but it's not directly related... Mainly doing a friend a favor to earn some extra cash—and complete the Free Alliance's assessment."

"I regret to inform you that apart from that Craftsman uncle, all your teammates are dead... Though I can't guarantee that Craftsman is still alive. Hope he's a good swimmer."

As Lin Yu spoke, undisguised panic flashed across Almond's face.

"What? What do you mean?"

She understood—Lin Yu had killed all her companions and forced Heavenly Artisan to disappear.

But Almond didn't understand...

Why she was the only one left.

"I hate boring things," Lin Yu said with a gentle smile. "Negotiations are so dull. If you'd come planning to kill A Nian, I might have even helped you."

"Pity... Your leader was an idiot who could only think of 'safe' plans."

"That's why I'd never join your Marauders—frankly, you're no different from the Order to me."

Lin Yu rambled on in a mild tone that made his abnormality obvious to Almond.

Almond swallowed hard. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Nothing. What I want to say isn't important. What matters is... you want to live, right?"

Lin Yu looked at Almond and lowered the gun.

"Then—go back where you belong. Run back with your tail between your legs while I still find the idea amusing!"

"Or... try seeking 'revenge'."

Lin Yu stared eagerly at Almond, lightly licking his upper lip.

Almond didn't hesitate for a second. The moment Lin Yu fully put away the gun, she slammed the accelerator to the floor and frantically rolled up the window.

Soon, the business sedan disappeared down Riverside Avenue.

After watching the taillights vanish, Lin Yu slowly exhaled.

"Good. Just one last step now."

Using Zhu Ming's phone, he sent a message to A Nian, then changed into blood-stained clothes, threw the shoulder bag and phone into a flower bed, and dove into the river.

The river through Jiangcheng was wide with a steady current—anyone who could swim wouldn't drown here.

And Lin Yu happened to know a thing or two about swimming.

It was excellent cardio for maintaining physique and lung capacity—very helpful for becoming a competent actor.

After floating in the river awhile, he came ashore at a gently sloping bank he'd scouted earlier.

By now, False Face had changed again, this time into Heavenly Artisan's miserable appearance.

Slumping onto a riverside rock, he soon heard a plain Nissan sedan stop on the road above the bank.

Li Nian—who definitely didn't have a driver's license and whose family certainly didn't own a Nissan—stepped out of the driver's seat and walked down to the bank.

Seeing the dejected "Heavenly Artisan," she shoved her hands in her pockets and grinned.

"Hey, heard you came to Jiangcheng... to talk to me?"

Lin Yu pretended to startle defensively, standing up while maintaining a guarded posture even after recognizing Li Nian.

He proactively took out the Bone Crusher and placed it by the riverbank.

"You can have the hammer... Will you let me go?"

Li Nian seemed genuinely surprised by his action.

Then she spat in annoyance.

"Tch! I lost!"

Seeing her reaction, Lin Yu acted even more nervous.

"What? Are you going to kill me here?"

Li Nian tilted her head. "Huh? I wasn't planning to kill you!"

"Then how did you find me here?!" Lin Yu shouted agitatedly.

Li Nian grinned and said breezily, "Well... intuition!"

Hearing this, even veteran actor Lin Yu—who had orchestrated this entire scenario—almost burst out laughing.

Of course Li Nian had found the location—he'd sent it as Zhu Ming.

"Heavenly Artisan will appear here—now's the best time to negotiate with him. Want to bet he'll hand over the [item] voluntarily?"

That's why Li Nian had spat in frustration after Lin Yu's first line.

Though she hadn't replied to Zhu Ming, she'd tacitly accepted the wager in her heart.

"What kind of intuition is that?" Lin Yu continued playing Heavenly Artisan on the verge of a breakdown.

"I've never offended your Free Alliance... Why won't you or that veterinarian leave me alone?!"

"I came to Jiangcheng just to negotiate with you—you weren't even my main target! Why are you doing this to me!"

His hysterical performance even made Li Nian feel somewhat guilty.

The Master Thief scratched her head and offered a weak excuse:

"Well... actually that 'veterinarian' isn't officially one of us yet."

"A reserve member? That's what she called herself too—this isn't funny!" Lin Yu said indignantly in Heavenly Artisan's voice.

"I've never heard of the Free Alliance having peripheral members or reserves!"