Just a few photos were enough to make that man, who lived on the edge of a blade in the Middle East, tear up.
Immediately after, he clicked on the voice message.
When Chu Yao's voice, trying its best to sound cheerful but unable to hide its raspiness and trembling, echoed in the mental space...
The atmosphere in the group dropped to freezing point.
The sweeter she smiled in the photos, the more piercing the suppression in her voice felt.
After a long while.
[Soldier King Lone Wolf]: "She's lying to me."
[Soldier King Lone Wolf]: "She's smiling in the photos, but her voice... it's clearly trembling. She's scared! She's doing her best to hide her fear!"
[Soldier King Lone Wolf]: "She deliberately sent old photos because she doesn't want me to see how she looks now... She must be suffering terribly right now!!"
[Soldier King Lone Wolf]: "Those bastards from the Qin Family, what have they pushed her into? I'm going to kill their entire family!!"
The violent aura emanating from the words almost overflowed from the screen, even carrying a hint of a bloody scent.
At this moment, the Soldier King completely broke down.
The more sensible his sister was, the heavier the killing intent in his heart became.
[Nameless Guide]: "That's only one part of it. Mainly, she's crying tears of joy because she heard news of you."
[Marvelous Doctor of Chinese Medicine]: "I feel the same way."
[Peking University]: "Big Brother Soldier King, you're a bit triggered."
[Soldier King Lone Wolf]: "What you guys are saying makes sense!"
[Soldier King Lone Wolf]: "Senior... I can't thank you enough. I had a tiny shred of doubt about you before. I'm a beast. From today on, you are like my second parent, Chu Feng's savior!"
[Soldier King Lone Wolf]: "Even if I have to assassinate the President of the American Federation, I won't hesitate."
[Nameless Guide]: "Cultivate well and do not let your mind be clouded. As for assassinating the President... that won't be necessary."
[Nameless Guide]: "It's late. Let's disperse."
After finishing his profound act, Fang Ming decisively went offline.
The more you say, the more likely you are to make a mistake; this kind of enigmatic departure was the most captivating.
Turning off the computer, Fang Ming walked to the window.
Outside, the night view of Rong City was as bustling as ever.
In the distance, the Qin Corporation Building was still brightly lit, looking like a giant beast coiled in the center of the city, looking down on all living beings.
"Qin Xiao... why would he target Chu Yao at a time like this?"
Fang Ming looked at the building with deep eyes.
He couldn't figure it out and didn't bother to think more. After finishing his crayfish and drinking his ice-cold cola, he took a comfortable bath, returned to the bedroom, drew the curtains, and collapsed onto the bed.
In his dream, he was no longer that bowing and scraping villain's lackey, but standing at the peak of the world, stepping on the villain, with the school beauty Chu Yao by his side, and a Soldier King behind him calling him brother-in-law.
Tsk, this dream... it's truly sweet... Over the next three days, Rong City was like a giant steamer, making everyone feel listless.
Fang Ming lived a dull and split life.
By day, following Qin Xiao's instructions, he arranged for Chu Yao's two roommates to return to school early to help monitor her every move.
By night, he returned to his thirty-square-meter rental room, closed the door, and threw all those hypocritical masks outside.
With the air conditioner on, drinking chilled drinks and playing games.
During this time, the Soldier King Chu Feng quieted down a lot in the group. He was probably busy playing a real-life version of PUBG in the Middle East and had no time to post, only occasionally asking Fang Ming to forward a few greetings to his sister.
Wednesday night, Nightfall Club.
This was Rong City's top luxury den, a private property under Qin Xiao's name, and the gathering place for their core henchmen.
In the massive private booth, the lighting was dim and suggestive, the subwoofers made hearts tremble, and the air was a mixture of expensive perfume, tobacco, and the smell of evaporating alcohol.
The forces under Qin Xiao were actually clearly demarcated, like a miniature imperial court.
One group consisted of pure martial thugs like A Biao; they were the blades in Qin Xiao's hand, responsible for the bloody dirty work.
Another group was the neutral faction like Old Ghost, responsible for intelligence gathering, commercial smearing, and money laundering—the so-called "strategists."
As for Fang Ming, although he held the title of 'confidant' and accompanied Qin Xiao in and out of high-end venues every day, because of his ordinary background with no status or foundation, in the eyes of these old foxes, he was just a sycophant who climbed up by flattering.
The only ones who truly respected him were the simple-minded and stubborn Wang Meng, and another low-profile underling who was usually silent.
At this moment, the booth was filled with smoke and chaos.
Several scantily clad hostesses were vigorously twisting their waists, trying to win the favor of these "big brothers."
Fang Ming leaned alone on the leather sofa in a corner, a blind spot for the lights.
He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing a bit of his collarbone, and carelessly swirled a half-glass of whiskey with an ice sphere, his expression indifferent, as if he were out of place in this noisy scene.
"Oh, isn't this our Great Manager Fang?"
A sarcastic voice pierced through the noisy music. The speaker was a burly man with a bare chest and a full back tattoo of Lord Guan—A Biao.
He was the leader of the thugs, with a gold chain as thick as a finger hanging around his neck, dazzlingly bright under the lights.
A Biao had always looked down on a "pretty boy" like Fang Ming, feeling that besides opening car doors and handing tissues to Qin Xiao, he had no real skills.
Holding a heavily made-up girl, he squinted at Fang Ming, raising his glass but not drinking, instead slamming it heavily onto the marble coffee table with a sharp "bang."
"What? No need to bring foot-washing water to Young Master Qin today? You actually have time to drink with us rough men?"
Fang Ming took a sip of his drink, his tone calm but laced with a hint of coldness: "If you've got so much damn energy to spare, go hit a punching bag in the gym. Don't sit here being sarcastic."
"Fuck, what did you say?"
A Biao suddenly stood up, his muscular body tensing instantly, the flesh on his face trembling. The atmosphere in the booth immediately became tense.
The hostesses were so frightened that they turned pale and huddled in a corner, not daring to make a sound.
"Hey, hey, hey, that's enough, A Biao. We're all brothers here. Why are you trying to start a fight?"
Just as A Biao was about to explode, a man next to him, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking refined and elegant but with several age lines etched at the corners of his eyes, spoke up slowly.
This was Old Ghost.
A veteran who had been around since the time of Qin Xiao's father's generation, a typical "smiling tiger"—highly experienced and ruthless, he was the "think tank" of this group.
Old Ghost didn't stand up; he just reached out and pressed down on A Biao's wrist, applying gentle pressure. His tone was light but carried an unquestionable weight:
"We're all working for Young Master Qin, so why the division? Brother Fang relies on his brain, while we rely on strength and methods. It's just a different division of labor. Both of you, say less."
Saying that, he turned to look at Fang Ming, pushing his glasses up. Behind the lenses, those shrewd eyes held the depth of an elder looking at a junior:
"Brother Fang, A Biao is a direct person with no filter. Don't lower yourself to this rough man's level. Come, let your elder brother have a drink with you."
Fang Ming glanced at A Biao, who was still huffing with indignation, and then at Old Ghost, who seemed to be a mediator but was actually putting on airs. He saw through it all.
This Old Ghost called him "brother" but who knows what he was thinking inside. In his eyes, Fang Ming was just a lucky youngster who had climbed up.
But this was good. The more chaotic Qin Xiao's camp was, with everyone harboring their own schemes, the better it was for him.
Fang Ming raised his glass. Although his posture was neither humble nor arrogant, he gave Old Ghost face, clinked glasses with him, and drained it in one go.
After a few drinks, Old Ghost waved the girl beside him away and leaned slightly toward Fang Ming, lowering his voice with a hint of testing and curiosity:
"Brother Fang, you're by Young Master Qin's side every day. There's something I'm quite curious about. Do you think Young Master Qin has had a change of heart lately?"
Fang Ming raised an eyebrow, staying calm: "What do you mean by that?"
Old Ghost rubbed the stubble on his chin, his eyes puzzled: "In the past, when Young Master Qin went after women, he either threw money at them or had us... heh heh, anyway, it was simple and crude. But this time with that college girl, why is he being so slow?"
"I heard from the brothers below that Young Master Qin won't let us use force or kidnap her directly. Instead, he's spending a lot of time blacklisting a little girl's jobs? What's the point? Since when did our Young Master Qin have such leisure?"