The Black Swan Restaurant buzzed with laughter. Shendai Yunluo, in a white hunting robe, shone like a pearl amidst the crowd. This high-end restaurant lacked neither celebrities nor important figures from City 22. However, the aura of Shendai Yunluo, a core member of the Shendai Consortium, was unmatched by anyone. Even Shendai Yunhe left shortly after his arrival.
At this moment, the playboy was playing games with everyone in turn. Qing Chen observed for a while; this expert never lost at any game. Purely through skill and sweet words, he charmed the dozen or so girls around him.
Qing Chen sighed inwardly, This guy is a real veteran of the drinking scene.
“Chen Sui, take these two bottles of champagne to table two,” Manager Wang said.
“Oh, okay, Manager Wang,” Qing Chen carried two bottles of champagne and carefully placed them on the table.
But just as he was about to turn to leave, someone grabbed his wrist. The hand was white, and the fingers looked like they were made for playing the piano.
In an instant, before Qing Chen's muscles could tense, they relaxed. He looked up and smiled at Shendai Yunluo, “Hello, is there anything else you need?”
Shendai Yunluo said with a smile, “Join us for a drink. I know the rules of the Black Swan; you can provide drinks.”
“Huh?” Qing Chen was stunned. He glanced at Manager Wang, who quickly signaled for him to sit down.
Qing Chen turned to Shendai Yunluo and smiled, “Okay, at your service.”Shendai Yunluo laughed loudly, “That’s right! Manager Wang, open another bottle of champagne, one for each of us! Let’s drink until we’re drunk tonight! To celebrate… what are we celebrating?”
Shendai Yunluo said as if remembering something, “Let’s celebrate my escape from the Ten Councilors’ review! Haha!”
Qing Chen looked at this top-tier A-Class expert. He suddenly felt that the other party's drunken madness didn’t seem fake. It’s just that this expression, combined with the immaculate hunting robe, looked unusually pale.
Shendai Yunluo pushed the girls around him with a smile, “Don’t all cling to me; there’s another gentleman here.”
The girls were also having fun; one by one, they ran around the table and kissed Qing Chen on the forehead.
Qing Chen was so nervous that he wanted to hit someone, “Don’t! Don’t!”
But he was just a waiter at the Black Swan Restaurant. Even if he revealed his identity, he wasn’t sure he could escape from Shendai Yunluo unscathed. He was currently only a B-Class and couldn’t beat an A-Class. Before, the two Shikigami of Shendai Yun Cang almost killed him.
After the playful commotion, Qing Chen had a lipstick mark on his Face[-]. Shendai Yunluo said with satisfaction, “Don’t wipe it off! Come, let’s play a game; the loser has to drink!”
This drinking session lasted from 10 PM to 4 AM. Shendai Yunluo showed no intention of taking any of the girls with him. He seemed to simply enjoy drinking here.
As for Qing Chen, he started pretending to be asleep on the table from 12 AM.
The moment all the girls passed out under the table, Shendai Yunluo suddenly sat up straight and smiled, “I know who you are, and I know you’re pretending to sleep. I was wondering how long you could keep it up, but you actually managed four hours… with so many beautiful women around, aren’t you bored?”
Qing Chen sat up and looked around, finding that the Black Swan Restaurant was empty, except for a bartender dozing off against the bar.
He knew that Shendai Yunluo must have seen through his identity to drag him, a waiter, to drink.
He also knew that it must be the Cloud Mirror’s doing.
After returning to the Inner World, Shendai Yunluo actually found the body of the person he had killed and used the ATS-088 Shikigami, Cloud Mirror, on him!
This Shikigami has a distance limit, about the size of a city, but I happened to be in City 22.
Thinking of this, Qing Chen was no longer flustered.
Shendai Yunluo wasn’t here to kill him.
Qing Chen calmly asked, “So you spent so long drinking with those women just to see how long I could pretend to be asleep? You’re quite bored.”
Shendai Yunluo sat among the women, sober and upright. Qing Chen suddenly thought of a phrase… aloof and independent.
It seemed very suitable for Shendai Yunluo at this moment.
Shendai Yunluo smiled with interest, “Remarkable composure. You didn’t even try to run. Of course, running isn’t shameful. You still have more opportunities to grow; you don’t have to die young here.”
“Because you know my true identity, you have a psychological advantage. But I also know that the Cloud Mirror isn’t in your hands but in Shendai Kongyu’s,” Qing Chen said slowly, “I heard that you, Shendai Yunxiu, and Shendai Kongyu are ostensibly very incompatible. The Secret Spy Agency’s speculation that you were able to escape the trial unscathed is that the Ten Councilors wanted to use you to balance Shendai Yunxiu. But now I think your relationship might be better than imagined.”
Shendai Yunluo’s smile didn’t change, “You’re so smart. You can guess so much from just a little information. I really want to kill you here. However, tonight is a good day, so let’s forget it. Since we both have each other’s secrets, we should have a drink together!”
“What did you come to me for?” Qing Chen asked.
“I originally wanted to ask what you came to City 22 for, but the moment I saw Shendai Yunhe, I understood,” Shendai Yunluo said, “Are you going to kill him? Or shall we make a deal? I’ll help you kill him, and you’ll owe me a favor. Otherwise, it’s difficult for a B-Class to kill an A-Class.”
“I don’t do business with the Shendai Consortium,” Qing Chen said.
“Don’t say that. I’m not necessarily like other Shendai members. My grandfather was friends with the Li Clan’s head of the family,” Shendai Yunluo smiled.
Qing Chen looked at him in astonishment. The old man who committed suicide on Li Xiurui’s dream path was the grandfather of this Shendai chosen one!
“You seem surprised. You’ve been killing people since you time-traveled and haven’t had time to investigate my identity?” Shendai Yunluo said, “My grandfather was friends with Li Xiurui. Even if he was an undercover agent, even though I’ve become an A-Class, my life in the Shendai Consortium is destined to be devoid of high positions. I might be targeted by some ancestor one day, so don’t be so hostile toward me.”
But Qing Chen didn’t think so. He knew that Shendai Yunluo and Shendai Yunxiu acted so well, certainly to support a greater ambition; it couldn’t be that simple.
At one point, he had a sudden realization. No wonder Shendai Yunluo pretended to go to Hokkaido in the Outer World. He went to Hokkaido because he guessed I was causing trouble in Osaka to give Shinguji Maki a chance to see her mother.
So, if someone went to Hokkaido, I had to act quickly to attract more attention.
Shendai Yunluo forced me to act to help them eliminate Yunwu, Yunye, and Yunjue; he was using me as a knife.
At this time, Shendai Yunluo seemed to guess what he was thinking and smiled, “Don’t worry; I won’t touch that little girl’s mother. Of course, I know she isn’t an important person. I’m just telling you that I’m proud and disdainful of using underhanded tactics against ordinary people. I’m different from the other Shendai members you’ve met…”
Qing Chen thought for a while; he still didn’t want to make a deal with Shendai Yunluo.
Not for any other reason, but Shendai Yunluo’s ambition seemed immense; one day, he would inevitably become a pillar of the Shendai Consortium.
And Shendai Yunluo may not know that Qing Chen’s goal is even bigger now.
Seeing that Qing Chen still didn’t speak, Shendai Yunluo shrugged, “If you don’t want to make a deal, then… kill Shendai Yunhe first. Once you kill him, I’ll come and kill you. But let me remind you; Shendai Yunhe isn’t easy to kill.”
With that, the playboy stood up and strode out of the Black Swan, as casual as he had been when he arrived.
Qing Chen heard the footsteps and quickly pretended to be asleep again.
Manager Wang patted him, “Wake up; everyone’s gone. Move them to the sofa; wait for them to wake up before you leave.”
Then, Manager Wang threw an envelope, “1,000 yuan. That’s the payment for accompanying the guests for drinks, your commission.”
Qing Chen was amused and exasperated. What the heck, how did I become a bartender?
Shendai Yunluo had opened quite a few bottles of wine last night. Every time he opened a bottle, Manager Wang was happier. He wished that Shendai Yunluo, this playboy, would open all the wine in the store.
Qing Chen thought for a moment and said, “Why is it only 1,000? He opened many bottles of wine, and the commission is so little?”
Manager Wang said angrily, “You’ve been lying on the table sleeping since 12 AM. The 1,000 yuan is for the few bottles of champagne. Otherwise, you wouldn’t get a cent!”
Qing Chen was stunned for a moment, “I understand.”
At 6 AM, Qing Chen, with messy hair, left the Black Swan. It wasn’t until just now that he woke up each girl and sent them off in their cars.
What kind of thing is this? Shendai Yunluo drank his fill and left, and I have to stay and clean up the mess…
Qing Chen turned to look and saw that the young man from the Blackwater Gang was asleep on the side of the road.
“So unprofessional,” Qing Chen sighed.
He took the Light rail back to the Ninth District. At 6 AM, the Light rail was also busy; it was full of night workers returning to the Ninth District.
When he reached the 43rd floor of his pigeon coop, he saw Zhang Mengqian sitting on the stairs, hugging his knees.
There were bruises on his Face[-], and blood on his hands.
Qing Chen, holding a paper bag of food, stood in front of the boy, “What happened?”
Zhang Mengqian looked up at him and stubbornly said, “All your money is in large bills. When I went to buy protein bars, someone saw me, and they robbed me on my way back.”
Qing Chen nodded, “Don’t show off your wealth here; it’s my fault.”
Zhang Mengqian suddenly looked up at Qing Chen and asked, “Why do people have to live so hard?”
Qing Chen thought for a moment and said, “If you feel you are progressing in Weight training… then someone must be living a peaceful life for you. For those born into exploitation, life is like this.”
Zhang Mengqian: “?”
The boy thought he would hear some inspiring encouragement, but he heard such a cruel sentence…
Qing Chen took out a bun from the paper bag in front of him, “Eat. I bought it from a breakfast shop in District 4.”
He walked past the boy, who immediately stood up and whispered, “Where is the person from the Blackwater Gang who followed you last night?”
“Oh, he fell asleep at the entrance of the Black Swan Restaurant where I work.”
…
…
In a dilapidated factory in City 22, Luo Wanya sat on a diesel drum in the middle of the factory, stirring the fire in front of him, “This place is really hard to find.”
He looked at the windows and walls full of holes, “Although it’s a little cold, it’s not easy to find such a place on the edge of the city.”
Zhang Qinghuan flattered him, “That’s right. I’m most familiar with this Lower Third District. This area was originally going to be demolished and redeveloped. But the developer was driven away by the residents of the Eighth District. So, it’s been empty. In fact, those residents were also forced out by a gang. A gang wanted to use this land to launder money, but the city officials didn’t get enough money, so they didn’t give them the land. They were unhappy and caused trouble.”
“What happened later?”
“Later, of course, the gang was taken care of,” Zhang Qinghuan chuckled, “Nowadays, gangs can’t go against those officials. You can’t fight against fate.”
While the two were talking, seventeen people were kneeling opposite them, their legs bound, their mouths stuffed, and their eyes covered with black tape.
Behind Luo Wanya were more than 30 family members and more than 20 Arts Society members.
Luo Wanya looked at Zhang Qinghuan and handed him a silenced pistol, “These are the people we’re going to kill, the Shendai Consortium’s Time Travelers. To be honest, we don’t usually do this, but this matter is too important, so everyone must show their loyalty.”
Zhang Qinghuan and his men were all nervous.
Last night, while Qing Chen was drinking, Luo Wanya and the others weren’t idle. Following Qing Chen’s information, they captured one Time Traveler after another who had already been facial-recognized.
Qing Chen killing Shendai Yunhe and Luo Wanya leading people to kill Time Travelers are like two intertwined threads, happening simultaneously.
At this time, Luo Wanya wanted to absorb Zhang Qinghuan into the Guardians’ Union and use the Arts Society to establish the Guardians’ Union in the north.
The most important thing is not to be betrayed by the Arts Society.
Although the Leader repeatedly reminded the Guardians’ Union not to do anything without bottom lines, killing the Shendai family’s Time Travelers is clearly something with a bottom line.
At least that’s how Luo Wanya understands it.
He smiled at Zhang Qinghuan, “Shoot. After you shoot, we can become a family, and there are many things waiting for us. By the way, which gang is your Arts Society’s enemy? Let’s clean them up while we’re at it.”
“The… Blackwater Gang!”
Luo Wanya was stunned. He thought, Isn’t this just a coincidence!
…