CHAPTER 213: CHAPTER 210 【EMERGENCIES】

Chapter 210: Sudden Incident

That trip to Antarctica in my previous life...

Chen Nuo hadn’t come into contact with the alien Mother in his previous life, so he had no suspicions about the Octopus Monster website back then.

Now that Chen Nuo recalled it, the mission seemed somewhat suspicious!

·

Naturally, he couldn’t really take a shower.

The hard-won disguise technique would have been ruined by a dip in the water.

Chen Nuo sat on the couch in his room, idly browsing the Octopus Monster website on his laptop...

Half an hour later, precisely on time, the phone in the room rang again.

He picked up the receiver, and Vanel’s voice came through.

"I’m here, right at the hotel entrance."

"Okay."

·

Chen Nuo put on a baseball cap, shouldered his backpack, and went downstairs. As soon as he reached the hotel lobby, he saw Vanel at the entrance.

Vanel had a thick cigar in his mouth, standing by the roadside, leaning against a sleek black car that looked expensive.

The man was just as Chen Nuo remembered from his past life: short-haired, tall, and burly. Nearly two meters in height, he resembled a humanoid brown bear. He wore sunglasses and a gray shirt, its sleeves rolled high to expose muscular arms.

Below, he wore tactical pants and military boots.

The man saw Chen Nuo approaching from a distance, quickly tossed his cigar, removed his sunglasses, and extended his arms as he walked towards Chen Nuo.

"Harvey! I’m thrilled to finally meet the renowned Mr. Bigfoot!"

Chen Nuo’s expression remained unchanged as he and Vanel shared a manly bear hug.

"You’re taller than I imagined," Vanel laughed. "Actually, we’ve met once before, but you probably don’t remember."

"Oh?" Chen Nuo replied cautiously. He was a bit surprised.

"Three years ago, in Johannesburg, South Africa. You had completed a client’s task, and the client, to show appreciation, threw you a grand celebration party. I was at that party too."

"I don’t remember you," Chen Nuo shook his head.

"Of course you don’t remember. You were the center of attention that night," Vanel laughed heartily. "I was there on other business and just happened to attend. The party host is a long-standing client of our organization."

Chen Nuo knew nothing about this and naturally didn’t want to delve into it for fear of revealing himself, so he said nonchalantly, "Alright then, we can get to know each other properly this time. Speaking of which, is the payment really two hundred million?"

"Of course," Vanel said, his expression turning serious as he discussed the mission. "Our organization has always maintained an excellent reputation, and we won’t break our promise this time.

However, you’ll have to share the two hundred million with seven other contractors, and the distribution will be based on each person’s contribution."

"Who assesses the contribution?"

"Me."

"..." Chen Nuo looked at Vanel, his face immediately breaking into a warm, sincere smile. He hugged Vanel again, a hearty bear hug. "My brother! We go way back, don’t we? It’s been three years since South Africa! I’m sure our collaboration this time will be delightful!"

Vanel silently accepted Chen Nuo’s embrace, but inwardly, he made his first assessment of the man before him.

Greedy for money!

Indeed, just like the rumors about Bigfoot.

However, greedy people are easy to deal with.

"Alright, let’s head off now."

"Where to? Directly to the mission location?"

"No, no, no, my friend," Vanel shook his head with a smile. "We need to assemble with the other contractors first. Then we’ll brief everyone on the mission and make preparations."

Chen Nuo rolled his eyes appropriately. "Alright, then what are we waiting for? Let’s go."

As he spoke, he glanced at the black sedan behind Vanel. "Is it this one?"

"No, no, no, how could such a car be worthy of my friend!" Vanel laughed heartily. "I’ve prepared something much better."

With that, the man grinned widely, revealing a set of white teeth.

·

"This is what you call ’much better’?"

A few minutes later, sitting in the car, Chen Nuo looked at Vanel speechlessly and managed to force out a sentence.

Well, this car... how should I put it? It couldn’t be said to be too terrible.

At least all four wheels were intact.

It was just that when driven, everything in the car seemed to be CLANGING AND RATTLING, except for the glass. The seat beneath him was as hard as a wooden plank, its leather cover severely worn.

As for the car’s air conditioning... it had been on for ten minutes, and the air from the vent was still damn warm to the touch!

"My friend, this car is an absolute treasure." Wearing sunglasses, Vanel drove the rickety off-road vehicle with the flair of a Ferrari, careening through the streets of Rio de Janeiro, horn blaring to scatter pedestrians, all while grinning broadly. "The money I spent on this car," he said, "could buy several new Maybachs."

Several Maybachs?

Then at least install a new air conditioner!

Chen Nuo sighed, rolled down the window to let the outside breeze dispel the stuffiness.

·

The city of Rio de Janeiro, well, it has the famous nickname "The City of God." If you watch tourist promotional videos, you’d be amazed and impressed.

But upon actually arriving, the first impression is: dilapidated, old, and crowded!

The city is large, but its slums are what make it truly world-renowned...

One-fifth of the city’s population lives in the slums!

From the highlands to the lowlands, the slum houses were built against the hillsides, layer upon layer. At first glance, they resembled the piled-up tin shacks common in China during the eighties and nineties.

Densely packed and stacked in layers, it was undoubtedly a hell for anyone with severe claustrophobia!

The streets are narrow and chaotic, with raggedly dressed children running, screaming, and playing. On some streets, a group of children kicking a football would scatter when a car approached, only to return to the road once it passed.

In various deep alleys, suspicious individuals conducted all sorts of illegal transactions...

The country’s government is also rife with corruption, its inefficiency in handling matters utterly baffling.

The city is plagued by violent crime, corruption, drug trades, and various gangs...

Robberies can happen at any time in any street or alley...

Chen Nuo knew that in his previous life, when the city later hosted the Olympic Games, it had almost become a laughingstock to the world; its infrastructure was appallingly poor.

The local government’s biggest headache during the Olympics was the robbery or kidnapping of athletes and tourists. They had considered cleaning up before the event, but their efforts repeatedly failed to gain traction...

·

Chen Nuo sat for nearly an hour in this vehicle, which was more like a tractor than a car.

During the ride, Vanel, who was driving, actually pulled a bottle of vodka from the glove compartment. Holding the steering wheel with one hand and the bottle with the other, he used his teeth to pop the cap open, took two large GLUGS, and then gestured to Chen Nuo, "Want a sip?"

"No," Chen Nuo shook his head.

I forgot to mention, this guy Vanel is from Bear Country.

Finally, as the sun neared the horizon, the car left the urban area and ascended a road up a relatively undeveloped hillside.

At last, it arrived before a manor that exuded an air of antiquity.

The metal gate slowly opened. Before it was fully ajar, Vanel slammed the accelerator, sending the car hurtling into the courtyard, where it stopped in the plaza.

Chen Nuo clearly felt that as the car stopped, it performed a tailspin. The vehicle’s body jolted noticeably; its rear had evidently struck the fountain in the courtyard plaza.

"We’re here. This is our base before we set off."

Smiling, Vanel kicked open his car door and jumped out.

Chen Nuo grumbled a curse as he got out and looked up at the manor.

It appeared to be of a century-old architectural style, with a distinct religious influence.

The design was beautiful and quite imposing.

Chen Nuo whistled. "Nice place. In Rio de Janeiro, you guys actually managed to get such a good house."

"You’re right, this is indeed a nice place," Vanel laughed heartily, then explained, "This place has a history of over two hundred years.

After the defeat of the southern plantation owners in M Country’s Civil War, many migrated south to South America, continuing their plantations and use of slave labor, establishing roots here.

This place was built by a major slave owner and plantation master over two hundred years ago.

However, over time, this place changed hands several times, eventually falling into the possession of a local major drug trafficker."

"Then how did it end up in your hands?"

"I killed that drug trafficker. Snapped his neck with my own hands," Vanel chuckled.

·

Chen Nuo carefully observed the surroundings. Despite the historical facade, he noticed many surveillance cameras—rare for this era—installed from the gate all the way here.

And the moment Chen Nuo stepped out of the car, he sensed observation from at least four covert directions.

Secret sentries?

Chen Nuo smiled and retracted his spiritual power.

·

As they entered the main hall of the manor, people came out to greet them.

A few servants dressed in somewhat dated maid outfits, two of whom were Black.

Chen Nuo waved his hand. "I don’t have any luggage."

"Then let me show you to your room first. It’s on the third floor. The dining area is in the restaurant on the first floor. The chef here is quite good, makes excellent grilled meat, and there’s some fine wine too," Vanel said to Chen Nuo with a smile.

Just as he was speaking, someone descended the stairs, their robust laughter echoing from afar.

"Vanel, let’s see who you’ve brought this time!"

On the stairs stood a robust man, comparable in stature to Vanel.

He had blond hair and a roughly shaved beard, leaving stubble on his skin.

He wore a tactical vest over tactical pants, a military knife in a sheath on his thigh, and a pistol holstered under his left arm.

The man walked over, glanced at Chen Nuo, and laughed, "Vanel, make the introductions."

"Luke, nicknamed Lion," Vanel said to Chen Nuo with a smile. "You’ve probably heard of him."

Then, nodding to the blond, robust man, he pointed at Chen Nuo. "Harvey, nicknamed Bigfoot."

Chen Nuo and Luke looked at each other, merely nodding without any overly enthusiastic gestures.

Luke’s eyes held obvious caution, but the smile on his face didn’t fade. "I’ve heard your name, friend. You’re very formidable."

"You too," Chen Nuo replied, his expression largely unchanged.

Luke, nicknamed Lion. Chen Nuo had heard of him.

A prominent figure in the Underground World, a master of Body Technique. It was said he’d been a Mercenary in Africa for a few years when younger. Somehow, after his Special Ability awakened, he became a powerhouse in the Underground World.

His exact strength was unknown, but he was certainly not weak.

However... for Body Technique masters like Luke, their natural nemeses were experts of Mentality Series abilities.

Thus, standing before Chen Nuo, facing the renowned Telekinesis expert "Bigfoot" Harvey, Luke’s enthusiasm visibly diminished.

"I just had dinner at the restaurant; I’m heading back to my room," Luke nodded to Vanel. "So, any plans for the evening?"

"Nothing for tonight," Vanel said with a smile. "Free time. You can do as you please, but it’s best not to leave the manor."

"This damn place is so boring," Luke shook his head. "Can’t we go find some fun in Rio?"

"Of course, as long as you don’t cause too much trouble," Vanel considered for a moment. "However, I personally suggest you don’t go out tonight, because we might gather tomorrow morning to discuss the mission details.

Luke, I’d rather not see you show up drunk at the meeting."

"Fine," Luke sighed with a hint of regret. "Why wait until tomorrow?"

"Because not everyone has arrived yet," Vanel said with a smile. "Another important person will only reach Rio de Janeiro tomorrow."

Luke shrugged, clearly somewhat dissatisfied and unconvinced, but he wasn’t reckless. With a simple nod to Chen Nuo, he excused himself and left.

"And you, my friend? Shall I take you to your room to rest, or would you prefer to eat something at the restaurant first?"

"I have no luggage to bother with in the room. Let’s go straight to the restaurant," Chen Nuo said with a smile.

"Alright."

·

The restaurant was on the left side of the first floor, quite spacious, capable of accommodating dozens of diners simultaneously.

It had been set up buffet-style, with two rows of tables laden with various South American dishes, and a live cooking station where a chef was carving roasted meat.

When they entered, there were already people inside.

In the farthest corner from the windows, five people in combat gear—four men and one woman—sat at a long dining table.

These individuals were fully armed, their holsters containing real firearms.

When Chen Nuo and Vanel entered, these people were the first to look over alertly.

However, upon seeing Vanel, they averted their gazes.

The woman among them nodded at Vanel in acknowledgment.

"Mercenaries from Steel Fire Company, participating in our operation," Vanel briefly introduced to Chen Nuo. "These people are excellent, very professional, and have a good reputation for getting things done."

Chen Nuo simply nodded, indicating he understood.

However, among the five mercenaries, Chen Nuo took a second look at the woman who had nodded to Vanel.

She had neat short hair, a very upright posture, and exuded a fierce aura. Her facial features were sharply defined and beautiful, especially her high-bridged nose.

She was Caucasian, but her skin was tanned, clearly from constant sun exposure, giving her a very healthy appearance.

Even seated, the athletic curves of her figure were evident.

Like a beautiful female leopard.

Vanel, noticing Chen Nuo’s gaze, leaned in and whispered with a chuckle, "Admiring Selena? She’s a rose with thorns, not to be trifled with."

Chen Nuo frowned and glanced at Vanel.

Vanel chuckled. "I’ve known her for nearly three years. The last guy who tried to make a move on her, a captain from another Mercenary Corps, ended up with three broken ribs. The lingering injury forced him into retirement. He’s raising cattle on a ranch in Texas now.

This woman isn’t someone just anyone can mess with."

After a pause, Vanel’s tone shifted, laced with a hint of instigation. "However, my friend, if it were you, I think you could definitely try. After all... you’re not an ordinary person.

A stunning rose like her, you could certainly pluck her thorns and then enjoy her thoroughly."

Chen Nuo sighed. "Do I look that lecherous?"

Vanel just smiled, patting Chen Nuo on the shoulder.

Damn, what an act.

Bigfoot Harvey’s reputation for lechery was as notorious in the industry as his greed!

Besides that table of mercenaries, one other table in the restaurant was occupied.

Vanel scanned the room and then decisively led Chen Nuo towards it.

Only one person sat at this table.

When Chen Nuo and Vanel entered, the person merely glanced up at them before returning to vigorously gnawing on a roasted rib.

"Miss Ryoko, hello."

Upon reaching the table, Vanel greeted her with a smile. "May we sit down?"

At the dining table sat a young woman.

Asian, with long hair, wearing a tracksuit jacket, and thick, black-rimmed glasses.

She seemed young. As for her appearance...

Well, to be honest, there wasn’t much to say about her appearance.

Her face was round, her body was round, and even her greasy hands clutching the ribs were round.

However, the plump woman looked up, her eyes seemingly vacant as she regarded them. Her eyes should have been large, but unfortunately, they were squeezed into mere slits by the flesh on her face.

Seeing her blank expression, Chen Nuo understood.

Clearly... she hadn’t understood.

As if not at all surprised, Vanel slowed his speech and repeated in English, "May we sit down?"

"Ah, yes." Sato Ryoko understood this time. She immediately stood up in a Japanese manner, quickly wiped her greasy hands on her tracksuit, and bowed slightly. "Please, sit down!"

Vanel smiled, guiding Chen Nuo to sit, then introduced her. "This is Sato Ryoko, a Japanese person."

Seeing Chen Nuo’s puzzled expression, Vanel wasn’t surprised and said with a smile, "Miss Ryoko is a newcomer to the Underground World, holding a Black Iron Level rank on our website. It’s not strange that Mr. Harvey hasn’t heard of her.

But..."

Here, Vanel’s tone changed, and he spoke seriously, "However, Miss Ryoko is also of the Mentality Series. Though she’s a newcomer and not well-known, her strength has been recognized by our evaluators!"

Chen Nuo raised an eyebrow.

A master of the Mentality Series?

Though curious, Chen Nuo didn’t probe her with his spiritual power—in the Underground World, it was considered a highly hostile and unfriendly act for two Mentality Series masters to scan each other with spiritual power.

Vanel then turned to Sato Ryoko.

Sato Ryoko blinked her small eyes at them.

After a moment’s thought, Vanel switched languages, introducing in broken, heavily accented Japanese, "This is Mr. Harvey, our comrade in this operation, and also a very famous expert."

Vanel’s Japanese clearly wasn’t fluent, but he spoke slowly and used the right keywords. Sato Ryoko looked puzzled for a moment, then nodded in understanding.

She understood.

The plump woman stood up again and, in Japanese style, bowed to Chen Nuo.

"Nice to meet you. Please take care of me!"

Hmm, this woman’s voice is a bit sharp, but it’s quite pleasant.

Although Chen Nuo was somewhat curious—according to his knowledge, Japan didn’t really have any particularly outstanding Ability Users in the Underground World. The few that did exist, he had heard of.

But this Sato Ryoko was a complete unknown.

Where did she pop up from?

However, his face naturally showed none of this.

Chen Nuo smiled, nodded, and said, "Nice to meet you."

Turning to Vanel, Chen Nuo said calmly, "I actually know a bit of Japanese."

Vanel nodded.

This wasn’t surprising.

Telekinesis masters, due to their well-developed spiritual power, usually possessed strong learning and memory capabilities. Mastering multiple languages was common for them.

In the Underground World, Mentality Series Ability Users were often like this.

—Provided they were diligent enough and willing to learn.

But this Sato Ryoko before him...

Observing her, although she had greeted them, her mind seemed distracted, her eyes frequently darting towards the table laden with food.

However, after Chen Nuo greeted her in Japanese, Sato Ryoko’s attention clearly shifted from the food to him.

"Ah! You speak Japanese very well."

The woman clapped her hands happily. "That’s great! Finally, someone I can talk to!"

She looked Harvey up and down, then proactively took a crab leg from a plate on the table and placed it before Chen Nuo. "Please enjoy!"

This woman is definitely a foodie!

He glanced at the table before them.

Several plates were piled high with crab legs, ribs, smoked fish, roasted meat...

Sato Ryoko’s mouth was greasy, and there were bits of meat on her face. The tracksuit she wore was also dirty, with oil stains on the cuffs and sides.

As if sensing Chen Nuo’s puzzled gaze, Vanel smiled and said, "Don’t be surprised. I was also a bit hesitant about her joining our operation, but the evaluation team assured me her strength definitely meets the standard."

"That’s good," Chen Nuo nodded, picking up the crab leg before him and starting to eat.

Vanel got up, went to the counter, and returned with a bottle of wine.

"We now have seven members. One more will arrive tomorrow morning. Then we can discuss the details of this operation. Some specific key information can only be announced at the meeting.

I hope Mr. Harvey can understand this."

Chen Nuo chewed the crab meat heartily, saying in a nonchalant tone, "Although this kind of thing is troublesome... considering the generous pay from Octopus Monster, I can understand."

"..." Vanel hesitated for a moment, then said seriously, "Please call us ’Amazing World Company’! Please refrain from using the term ’Octopus Monster’ when face-to-face with our company members!"

"Alright," Chen Nuo shrugged. "Of the seven members who have arrived, besides myself and Miss Sato here, ah, and Luke whom I met earlier.

Who are the others? You can tell me that, right?"

Vanel nodded. "Of course, this information can be shared now."

As he spoke, he glanced at Sato Ryoko.

He found that Sato Ryoko wasn’t paying any attention to their conversation; the plump woman was entirely focused on demolishing the food before her.

While eating, her face displayed that exaggeratedly blissful expression characteristic of Japanese girls.

"Delicious, delicious!!!!"

Well, Vanel gave up trying to communicate with Sato Ryoko and looked directly at Chen Nuo.

"Besides you, Luke, and Sato Ryoko, the other four participants who have already arrived are:

Gray Cat, Black, Mentality Series..."

Chen Nuo nodded; he had heard that name.

"...Professor, Mr. Yongke—I’m sure you’ve heard of him. He’s a renowned veteran among adventurers."

Chen Nuo nodded again. This name was more famous than the last. However... so-called adventurers were often just sophisticated tomb raiders.

Yes, they had those abroad too.

"The Orderer, Bonfrey..."

Chen Nuo raised an eyebrow!

This name made Chen Nuo frown.

Because... this Orderer, Bonfrey... he was a member of the Wizard’s Cultivator Association, and a core member at that, a very senior one.

Although his strength didn’t reach the Wizard level, he was said to be among the top figures in the Cultivator Association.

"The last one... Golden Bird, the beautiful Miss Elisa. I’m sure you’re even more familiar with this name..."

Just as Vanel was announcing the last name with a hint of pride in his tone...

Suddenly!

BOOM!!!!

A deafening explosion!!

The entire room seemed to shake violently!

Chen Nuo instantly dived to the ground, a shield of Telekinesis already enveloping him!

Simultaneously, beside Chen Nuo, Sato Ryoko had somehow scrambled under the table, curled into a ball, still tightly clutching a beef bone.

Vanel reacted just as quickly, dropping to the ground while drawing his military saber.

The mercenaries at the nearby table also reacted with incredible speed, dropping their utensils, drawing their guns, and instantly forming a loose tactical circle...

Glass on the restaurant walls shattered in several places from the tremor!

Vanel lay on the ground for a few seconds. Seeing no further movement, he turned and yelled to Chen Nuo and the others, "Stay here and don’t move!"

Then he signaled to the mercenaries, quickly jumped up, and rushed out of the restaurant.

The mercenaries, highly professional, unhesitatingly followed Vanel out.

Chen Nuo slowly got up from the floor, squinting as he surveyed his surroundings.

In the restaurant, besides himself and Sato Ryoko, only a few trembling service staff remained.

Chen Nuo hesitated, then looked at Sato Ryoko under the table. "Want to come out?"

"...No, I think it’s better for me to stay here," Sato Ryoko’s voice was clearly tense.

Then, she brought the meaty beef bone to her lips and took a fierce bite.

A commotion of chaotic sounds and footsteps echoed from outside the restaurant.

Chen Nuo carefully extended some spiritual power, sensing numerous heavily armed mercenaries rushing around outside, checking and searching...

After a good while, Vanel returned to the restaurant, his face ashen.

He sat down at Chen Nuo’s table, picked up his wine bottle, and took a long swig.

Putting the bottle down, Vanel looked somewhat resigned.

"What happened? Was it an attack?" Chen Nuo asked, curious.

"No, no one attacked," Vanel sighed, his tone frustrated as he muttered a curse.

"What in the world happened!" Chen Nuo demanded. "I’m a participant you invited! If something happened, I have the right to know!"

"Of course!" Vanel sighed, but his following tone grew increasingly strange. "Two pieces of news: one good, one bad. Which do you want to hear first?"

"...The bad news."

"The bad news is, the list I just gave you has changed."

"Hmm?" Chen Nuo raised an eyebrow.

"Just now, Miss Golden Bird Elisa and Lion Luke got into a fight... Damn it, how were we supposed to know those two had a feud!"

"And then?"

"Then, unfortunately, our number of personnel has dropped from seven to six.

Lion Luke is dead."

What the fuck?

Someone’s dead already?

I just said hello to that Luke a little while ago!

"Furthermore, Golden Bird Elisa herself was injured. The medical team is treating her, but the prognosis isn’t good. She probably won’t recover in time and won’t be able to continue with this operation.

So, that means we only have five people here now. Even including the VIP arriving tomorrow, we’ll only have six in total."

Chen Nuo blinked. "Then... the good news?"

Vanel’s spirits lifted, and he said quickly, "The good news is, I’ve already reported this to the company. The company’s emergency response team said they’ll invite some top-notch replacements to join this operation as quickly as possible.

Due to the sudden incident, we can’t thoroughly vet and assess members. The company’s plan is to select from high-level experts with reliable backgrounds in our database and invite them.

Harvey, have you ever heard of the... ’Senior Security Advisory Group’?"

Chen Nuo froze for a moment...

No way...

"My colleagues from the emergency response team just said they will immediately send invitations to those Senior Security Advisors and will increase the remuneration... Rest assured, this is good news for you! The pay for Senior Security Advisors won’t come from this operation’s two hundred million reward! It will be covered separately under the security advisor budget.

In other words, with Luke dead and Golden Bird injured, it’s good news for you.

It means two fewer people to split the money with."

Chen Nuo remained calm. "So who do you plan to invite? That Senior Security Advisor..."

"...We’re currently shortlisting candidates. After all, those big shots aren’t available at a moment’s notice. But my colleagues from the affairs team told me they are already contacting one of them.

Hmm... I think this is a name everyone in the Underground World knows.

The renowned... Star Sky Empress!"

...Damn it!

In Chen Nuo’s mind, ten thousand cute alpacas stampeded past in formation...

·

BANG BANG BANG.

·