Secret Buyer-Chapter 31: Assault
Redemption in suffering can breed ’loyalty,’ and naturally, it can also create a profound emotional debt,
but it’s still a path.
The only one who can make the deal is Zhong Mountain, so he won’t play the good guy, and doesn’t mind pushing a bit to let the girl fall into an even deeper inferno and more difficult circumstances.
"Four more days overdue..."
He muttered to himself:
"Indeed, I have the authority to extend this time, but why should I help you? What do you have that is worth my help?"
"Hmm, with this overdue time, you’ll be completely thrown into purgatory, and your mother should be... beyond saving, right?"
Zhang Fusheng calmly stared at the tender face.
Chen Nuanyu remained silent for a moment, seemingly understanding his meaning, her face showing a look of humiliation, but eventually.
She trembled, lowered her head, and then awkwardly and clumsily stuck out her tongue to gently lick his palm.
Zhang Fusheng’s mouth twitched slightly, with no extra movement.
Although that wasn’t what he meant... but indeed, it was necessary to completely tear down the girl’s pride and self-esteem.
He needed someone desperate, like Zhong Mountain lying in the quasi-morgue, quietly waiting to die.
"Is it merely this?"
The young man coldly looked at the girl kneeling before him.
The latter trembled slightly, lowered her head, thinking about things unknown.
After a while.
As she hesitated and struggled, Zhang Fusheng stood up, calmly said:
"I will consider the postponement, depending on your performance."
He knew that tearing down the pride of an arrogant person couldn’t be done instantly, unless extreme measures were used,
but those measures would yield a heavy and indelible hatred.
That wasn’t what he wanted.
"A pseudo-genius, built on potions... Do you know how long it took me from accessing a contemplation technique to achieving great success, reaching the level of ’I should see myself as such’?"
The girl shook her head blankly, seeing the faint treasure light emanating from the man’s skin.
"Half a day."
Zhang Fusheng said indifferently:
"Apart from an eternal burning heart and an extraordinary face, there’s nothing noteworthy about you. Your greatest value might be the interest generated daily after incurring a huge debt."
"I need to see your other value, not just this exterior, understand?"
He reached out, condescendingly stroking the girl’s head.
"...I understand." Chen Nuanyu murmured.
"Good girl."
Zhang Fusheng turned around and left decisively, as if she really wasn’t worth mentioning or any sentiment.
The door opened, and the bright light in the corridor spilled in, falling on the young man’s body.
Under the illumination, an iron mountain-like shadow loomed over him, collapsing with a roar, covering Chen Nuanyu.
After he walked away, the shadow dispersed and she remained kneeling on the ground, staring dazedly at the light outside the door, unable to speak for a long time.
......
After using the restroom, pressing five pumps of hand soap, and seriously washing his licked palm.
"Was this the right thing to do?"
Walking out of No. 19 Bar, Zhang Fusheng pondered uncomfortably, no formal learning, clueless himself... was his act acceptable?
Didn’t feel very satisfactory... but couldn’t go any further.
He sighed softly.
’Ding-a-ling-ling!’
Answering the phone, Zhu Xiaoming’s loud voice came from the other end.
"Old Zhang, we found a treasure restaurant and are having a meal... how’s it going with Chen the Great Genius over there?"
"Nothing much, just finished eating, already separated."
"Oh, I see, are you joining us later for a meal?"
"I’m not coming, I have some things to do tonight. Before the Jiang Banquet in mid-month, isn’t there a farewell dinner for our class teacher? Let’s meet then."
As he spoke, Zhang Fusheng furrowed his brow slightly, feeling a bizarre stinging sensation on his body, but not intense.
"Alright then."
Zhu Xiaoming smacked his lips:
"Actually, Lu Yao and I don’t really want to go to the farewell dinner, there’ll definitely be loads of people fawning over us, it feels weird... I’ll hang up now, whether to go or not, we can decide then?"
"Sure, see you later."
After hanging up the phone, he looked around for a moment, unable to identify the source of his discomfort, didn’t think much, walked on the shady path, and made another video call.
"Hey, Dad, how’s Dongling Snow Mountain?"
"It’s fun, the snow mountain actually has hot springs in it..."
In the video, Dr. Zhang, evidently in a changing room or similar place, glanced around, then frowned:
"I was about to call you. I contacted my old friend earlier, he said the Lower Three Districts are becoming restless."
Zhang Fusheng’s expression turned serious:
"What’s the situation?"
Zhang Wentao shook his head:
"Not clear on specifics, he could only access a little information due to his position, said it’s best not to visit the Lower Three Districts for the next five days or half a month, especially the Eighth District and Ninth District."
He paused, then continued:
"Why don’t you leave the Martial Arts Dojo, buy a train ticket, and come to Dongling Snow Mountain too? I talked to your mom, we’re going to stay here for about half a month more, or you can go to your uncle’s, you used to miss Sister Xixi, right?"
The uncle’s family lives in another city.
Zhang Fusheng shook his head:
"There’s no need, I’m at the Martial Arts Dojo every day. Even if I go out, it’s the Third District, so there’s no problem."
As he spoke, he rotated the camera to show his dad the surrounding villas occupying vast areas, almost like little estates.
"You’re quite enjoying it."
Dad clearly thought the Dojo was nestled in this nearly inaccessible villa area, smiled and cursed, then said:
"Alright, just be careful. It’s best not to leave the Dojo at all. By the way, I’ll give you Old Yu’s number, my friend. If you really run into something and need to return to the Lower Three Districts, contact him. He’s an old comrade of mine, very trustworthy."
"Got it, Dad."
"Okay, won’t keep you, your mom must be getting anxious."
After hanging up again, Zhang Fusheng furrowed his brow, cultist, Taoism...
He still couldn’t connect these two terms.
"Regardless of whether it’s that Taoism, to remain unscathed amid the Federation’s relentless chase, it must be an unfathomable behemoth."
His eyes flickered slightly, Chen Nuanyu was indeed a good means to engage with Taoism.
Precisely because of this,
he didn’t plan to discard the girl after the transaction. Isn’t Taoism recruiting her?
Perhaps it could be developed into a connection... The identity of Zhong Mountain should be truly utilized.
This was also why he wanted to drag Chen Nuanyu deeper into the swamp.
Zhang Fusheng once received feedback from the Contract that loyalty couldn’t be directly purchased, but one could turn the other into an absolutely obedient, completely controlled puppet.
But he didn’t want a puppet.
So, to gain loyalty, a ray of light, a helping hand in despair and hardship, is probably the fastest method.
"What should it be called?"
"Secret Society? The Fusheng Club?"
Recalling some organizations from novels and movies in his previous life, he muttered:
"This world doesn’t have Tarot; surely, I can’t craft twenty-two Major Arcana cards myself..."
"Playing cards feel too low-grade."
"How about High Heaven Association?"
Zhang Fusheng talked to himself, recalling the ’High Table Meeting’ in a certain film series.
Suddenly, he stood still.
That strange stabbing sensation abruptly became intense—not physically.
It’s mental.
Is it... a premonition?
Suddenly a strong pain as if his brow was about to split again.
He quickly turned his head, and in the next instant, with the sharp sound whistling past his ear, a hole blasted into the trunk behind him, 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
His hair standing upright, Zhang Fusheng quickly dodged into the shade of the trees, silently counting down.
One second, two seconds.
Upon counting to the second second, a faint muffled sound came from the distance, one that normal people couldn’t possibly hear; but with Zhang Fusheng’s current hearing, he could catch it... a sniper rifle with a silencer.
Though not capable of hearing a fly’s wings fluttering a hundred meters away, when concentrating, his heightened senses could detect a fly passing twenty meters away.
Two seconds, the gunman was over six hundred meters away, to the west.
Coincidentally, there happened to be a villa there.
Hidden behind the tree trunk, Zhang Fusheng suddenly felt his scalp go numb again, rapidly rolling sideways, and in the next instant, the trunk blasted out a small hole,
Another two seconds later, a massive roar echoed!
Changed guns!
Damn it, what kind of gun can blast through a tree trunk nearly half a meter thick??
Twice narrowly escaping death, the feeling of panic mixed with inexplicable excitement enveloped him, causing his breathing to falter slightly.
A third wave of stabbing pain surged through his body.
Roll.
A bullet hole was left there, then followed by a huge gunshot echoing.
"Enough already?!"
Zhang Fusheng suddenly looked up, stomped hard, and struck out with vigor, kicking up the fallen dead leaves, sweeping into a massive tiger’s head!
Perfectly covering every angle of that spot.
Six hundred and fifty meters away, atop the villa.
The gunman raised an eyebrow:
"That wasn’t in the info..."
Through the scope, he locked onto the target the moment the dead leaves scattered, firing immediately.
But just before the trigger was pulled, the target had already rolled away once more.
"Damn it, how is he doing that?!"
The gunman’s pupils shrank, watching as the boy in the distance once again whipped up the dead leaves, enveloping the forest floor,
This time, the swirling dead leaves lingered longer; the boy seemed to be... boxing in the forest?
The fierce gusts from his punches kept smoke and leaves swirling incessantly.
Attempted shooting blindly a few times.
"Mission failed." He shook his head; if he lingered any longer, the Public Security Bureau would arrive; this wasn’t the Lower Three Districts.
Just as he was about to retract the sniper rifle.
Through the scope, the gunman saw the smoke in the woods six hundred meters away suddenly tear apart, with a silhouette rushing forth at unbelievable speed,
Each footstep cracked the ground like a spider’s web, then darted tens of meters in distance!
"Does First Refinement have this speed??"
He pulled the trigger, and again!
The third shot fired as the silhouette crossed the six hundred meters, now at the foot of the building.
