CHAPTER 610: CHAPTER 339

Here, life and death are nothing but a gamble.

The weak can only bow, submit, and become the food and nourishment of the strong.

And everything he does is merely in the hope of having a chance to stand at the pinnacle of the food chain and not be a prey for slaughter.

The excitement slowly calms down, replaced by a deeper desire.

....................

As night falls deeper, the streets slowly quiet down.

The dazzling lights from the distant business district leave only a faint and distant glow here, sketching out the old silhouette of the tubular building.

Li Biyun is sitting on the couch in the living room, the TV is broadcasting the evening news.

She turns the volume down so low that the anchor’s clear and steady words sound like a faint lullaby echoing in the house.

In the kitchen, the clay pot has been simmering on low heat for a long time, the rich aroma of herbs and meat bones wafts out.

"Ha—"

Li Biyun lets out a gentle yawn, seemingly remembering something, she immediately stands up and walks toward the kitchen.

She lifts the lid off the pot, allowing the white steam mixed with fragrance to waft toward her.

She ladles out a bowl of soothing brain tonic soup with a mild color, and holding it carefully, walks toward her son’s bedroom.

The door is pushed open without a sound, leaving a crack.

Warm yellow light flows through the crack, soft and serene.

Li Biyun carries the soup bowl inside, sees the focused figure at the desk, and shows a gratifying smile:

"Chengcheng, drink the soup and then watch, don’t tire yourself too much."

Fang Cheng is bowing his head, holding a thick volume of legal studies in his hands.

Hearing the voice, he lifts his head and smiles at his mother:

"Thanks, mom, just leave it on the desk, I’ll drink it after I finish this section."

Li Biyun says no more, sets down the soup bowl, and gently closes the door.

The room returns to silence.

Fang Cheng withdraws his gaze from the closed door.

At the moment the door closed, the gentleness and concentration in his eyes instantly faded, becoming unfathomably deep.

As if two black holes that could swallow the light.

The thick tome remains open in his hands, but his mind is not on it at all.

After returning from Guilan District tonight, Fang Cheng chose to stay at home.

In five days, it will be the day of the graduate school admission retest. If he continues staying at Sea Sky Garden frequently, it would inevitably make his mother overthink.

In fact, he is already thoroughly familiar with the content that needs to be reviewed.

He’s merely using the lamplight, sitting at the desk, creating a perfect facade for himself.

At this moment, Fang Cheng draws his awareness inward, diving swiftly into the depths of his spirit.

There, he is engaged in silent secret communication with someone far away, over ten kilometers away.

Through the contact in his mind’s eye, a scene of the luxury hotel suite is vividly imprinted in his senses.

The soft wool carpet, the crystal chandelier suspended from the ceiling, the air thick with the scent of disinfectant and money.

"Expert? Boss? Are you still there?"

Xiao Shuai’s voice echoes in his mind, carrying a hint of barely concealed nervousness.

He has just attended a banquet hosted by the Red Tiger Gang Leader, now sitting at the edge of the soft bed.

Clutching a black briefcase tightly in his arms like it is the most valuable treasure in the world.

Inside it is the two million cash deposit for this task.

Xiao Shuai has never handled this much money in his entire life.

For safety, he has agreed to Chen Chen’s kind arrangement to stay at this five-star hotel.

The extra ladies arranged by Chen Chen were politely sent away by him immediately.

Now, alone in the room, he’s silently waiting according to instructions, for that mysterious expert to make contact.

After a brief detachment from consciousness, Fang Cheng strengthens the spiritual link again.

"I’m here, Xiao Shuai."

The responding voice echoes directly in the other’s mind.

"From today, you don’t have to go to such trouble, just call me Chairman."

"Chair... Chairman?!"

Xiao Shuai is initially startled, then his voice rises sharply.

He understood the meaning in the words, thrilled nearly to the point of jumping off the bed.

It is a kind of unrestrained joy suppressed for too long.

He thinks of that dark, damp home where it leaks when it rains, imagines his mother’s blind eyes filled with tears for him, recalls the past where he was beaten half to death for a few hundred yuan, lying like a dog in muddy water.

Even remembers the vow he made in his heart—he must rise to prominence.

And now, this opportunity seems to be right before his eyes.

Xiao Shuai’s voice contains a touch of uncontrollable trembling, an extreme excitement, and unlimited yearning for the future.

"Chair... man..."

After repeatedly confirming, he remembered a key question and asked somewhat timidly:

"Then... am I considered part of the organization now? What’s the name of our organization?"

Fang Cheng’s lips curl into a silent smile.

This title was just a spur-of-the-moment whim, casually said.

"You’re still in the internship assessment phase."

"Once you perform well, I’ll tell you everything, and then you’ll be officially part of it."

Fang Cheng’s voice is calm, with the authority a major figure should hold.

"Yes! Chairman! I will do my best, never disappoint you!"

Xiao Shuai immediately straightens his back, making a vow in his heart.

After the excitement, he forces himself to calm down, continuing to report the situation of tonight’s conversation with Chen Chen.

"Chairman, for this hunting task, Chen Chen initially offered five million.

"I noticed his tone was soft, his eyes flickering, so I immediately raised the price, tentatively quoting twelve million based on intuition."

"After several rounds of negotiation, we finally settled the price at ten million, a deposit of two million, paid on the spot."

"After reaching the agreement, Chen Chen hosted a banquet for me at East Capital International Hotel, very courteous, trying to win me over, even wanting to dig for information."

"Especially his secretary named Liu, who seemed smiling but had bad intentions, incessantly pouring me drinks, subtly probing."

"Luckily, I have an amazing alcohol tolerance, able to drink a thousand cups without staggering, until I got both of them intoxicated without leaking anything..."

Xiao Shuai paused, then his tone turned serious, as if fully adopting the role of an organization member.

"Chairman, Chen Chen doesn’t seem like a good guy, we must be wary..."

Fang Cheng listens quietly.

Xiao Shuai’s account aligns with what was seen and heard through Spirit Projection.

Though exaggerated about his performance, there’s no concealment.

Fang Cheng actually doesn’t need his confession; doing this was intentional, aiming to test the other’s character once more.

Loves to boast, good with words, but knows to keep things in check, can see clearly when it matters.

Fang Cheng adds another evaluation for Xiao Shuai in his mind.

"The deposit is temporarily kept by you."

Fang Cheng’s voice resonates again:

"You can take out two hundred thousand from it as recent activity expenses."

On the other end of the spirit link, Xiao Shuai freezes.

For an instant, his mind seems to crash, going blank.

He wonders if he’s having auditory hallucinations from being too nervous, finding it hard to believe.

Soon, the just calmed heat flows again, sweeping through him.

That’s two hundred thousand, not twenty thousand!

Chairman actually trusts him so much!

Xiao Shuai opens his mouth, but his throat feels like stuffed with cotton, unable to utter a sound.

Finally, intense emotions break through, in his mind forming a vow with a choking voice:

"Chairman... Rest assured! My life is yours from now on!"

A person who values emotions deeply.

Fang Cheng sees through it, adding another evaluation for Xiao Shuai.

Such individuals are easier swayed by feelings and easier to control.

Ending the secret communication, Fang Cheng slowly opens his eyes.

His consciousness returns to his body, the night outside remains thick.

He sits at the desk, recalling the information Chen Chen provided about the assassination target.

His lips slightly curl up:

"Scorpion... turns out to be a pervert as well..."