Late, 11:03 PM.

With midnight fast approaching, Feng Bujue didn't have much time to waste on the road. So, he had Hill drive directly toward the castle along the highway, planning to deal with any blockades as they came.

Unexpectedly, less than two kilometers from the castle, they encountered dozens of soldiers and police officers fleeing in a panic.

These men looked terrified and staggered, some wounded, others covered in blood and bits of internal organs...

Seeing this scene, Feng Bujue quickly deduced what had happened ahead. He sneered, "Heh... looks like... the Count solved the encirclement problem for us." He turned to Hill and said, "Floor it, and get past them before they can react."

"Understood." Hill responded and immediately did as he was told.

At this moment, the group of police and soldiers who had fled from near the castle were almost all in a state of shock. Some had weak legs, some were dry heaving... their vehicles had all been destroyed, and many had even dropped their weapons. When they saw a car coming towards them, only a few reacted and waved for Jue-ge to stop. But, under Jue-ge's instructions, Hill naturally ignored the obstruction and sped past, quickly leaving the crowd behind.

"Excellent." Feng Bujue continued, "Mr. Hill, you've done a great job. To this point... your mission is basically complete."

As he spoke, Jue-ge reached into his bag and once again retrieved his [Compound Anti-Gravity Catapult].

"No! Don't! Don't kill me!" In the same second, Hill caught a glimpse of Jue-ge's hand movements and begged for mercy.

"What's with the jumpiness..." Feng Bujue said in a very calm tone, "What makes you think I'm going to kill you?"

"Don't pretend!" Hill replied excitedly, "I've seen this kind of scene too many times in movies. The subtext of 'your mission is complete' is 'you're useless now'! And you're just like those people in the movies who kill to silence witnesses, pulling out a weapon while you're talking!"

"Heh heh heh..." Feng Bujue laughed, "What are you taking me for? A bloodthirsty maniac?"

After this question was asked, Hill didn't dare answer. In his heart... he had already given a definite answer.

"Indeed, for the past dozen hours, I've been using your life to coerce you into doing things," Jue-ge said, after a few seconds, continuing from his previous statement. "But whether or not to silence you after the task is done... that requires a motive." He shrugged. "Most of the time, silencing is to eliminate witnesses or to avoid paying the reward... but I have no intention of doing either. On the contrary, I'm happy to fulfill my original promise... to let you live."

"You..." Hill hesitated for two seconds, then asked boldly, "Aren't you afraid that I'll tell everyone what happened today?"

"What if you do?" Feng Bujue said, "Do you think that would have any effect on me?" He tilted his head and gave the other man a meaningful look. "Besides... how can you be sure... that your 'telling everyone what happened today'... isn't part of my plan?"

His words were somewhat deliberately mystifying, but they were very effective on Hill.

"Okay..." Hill didn't continue to discuss the issue with Jue-ge. As far as he was concerned, he should thank God for surviving today. "Then... what are you going to do about the chip in my back?"

"No need to do anything," Feng Bujue replied, "That thing only lasts for a limited time in the human body. It will dissolve on its own in a few days and be metabolized by you. At most, it will cause diarrhea or constipation."

"What? So it's okay to just leave it alone?" Hill exclaimed in surprise.

"Heh... what did you think?" Feng Bujue said, "Although this chip can be considered a product of magic and hyper-technology, it's just a temporary device that took ten minutes to make. Even its power comes from the bioelectricity generated by your own movements and the energy from your emotional fluctuations. Otherwise, what do you think something the size of a fingernail relies on to keep itself running?"

"So that means..." Hill belatedly realized, "Actually, when I'm away from you, I just need to find a place to sit down and stay calm... and the chip will automatically fail."

"That's right, Mr. Hill, that's exactly what it is," Feng Bujue replied.

"Ha... hahaha..." Hill laughed, a long-lost laugh, "If I had known... I would have run away this afternoon."

"In fact, if you had simply brought back Van Helsing's diary and handed it over to me several hours ago, your mission could have ended earlier," Feng Bujue added. "However, you chose to play games with me as I expected... heh... so, you're the kind of person who is neither smart nor stupid, which is really a headache."

As they spoke, the car had already reached the drawbridge at the main gate of the castle.

Hill slowly stopped the car, and Feng Bujue took the opportunity to unbuckle his seatbelt and prepare to get out.

"Hey, you forgot something." Hill turned his head and noticed that Feng Bujue had left the catapult on the seat.

"That's a gift for you." Jue-ge replied after stepping out of the car. "You'd better keep it safe, because you'll be using it soon."

"Uh..." Hill wanted to ask why, but Feng Bujue had already started walking forward quickly, crossing the moat without looking back.

In fact, Jue-ge's words did come true in the near future... Three days after the incident, Hill was found and arrested by the military. By that time... the chip in his body had disappeared, and his credibility was low. Thus... this catapult, with its technology far exceeding the planet's standards, became the only evidence that Hill was "coerced" into committing the crime.

It was only then that Hill realized... the reason why Mr. F had left this item in the car in the first place.

Just as Jue-ge had repeatedly emphasized and promised, as long as Hill obediently followed instructions, he could "live" after the job was done.

Feng Bujue said it, and he did it, even if the price was giving up a piece of equipment and getting nothing in return...

Jue-ge was such a contradictory person. Sometimes he would be meticulous and stingy to the point of being waterproof, unwilling to part with a single hair, and would even be willing to be a shrew and play tricks. But at other times, he might stubbornly do some inexplicable and unprofitable things for a single sentence or a single thought, and be indifferent to the cost...