"Because, although I don't like to go against smart people, it doesn't mean I don't like to deal with smart people."

Mo Qingchen sighed softly and continued, "But it seems we've gone too far this time... You're smarter and more beautiful than I thought."

Chuanliu looked at him calmly, his tone filled with deep skepticism, "Are you trying to say that you're actually here to help me?"

"Heaven is my witness, I have always said this!" Mo Qingchen solemnly raised three fingers.

"But why should I trust you, and why should I keep a 'dark gate' assassin like you by my side?" Chuanliu leaned forward and asked, propping his head up with his hand.

"You want to go find 'Queen of Spades,' right? I can tell you, Tang Qing isn't staying at her own 'Queen of Spades' residence. You'll just be wasting your time there," Mo Qingchen said confidently.

Chuanliu asked, "What do you mean?"

Mo Qingchen replied, "We in the 'Dark Gate' have our own base, and no one except members of the 'Dark Gate' knows where it is. So... without me, you won't find Tang Qing."

Chuanliu raised an eyebrow slightly. "This is the cooperation you were talking about?"

Mo Qingchen nodded. "That's right. I can take you to the 'Dark Gate' base, and I can protect you until you arrive, but I have my conditions."

Chuanliu: "Oh?"

Mo Qingchen: "My conditions are 300,000 yuan, and a long-term cooperative relationship with 'Square 10'. That shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"

Chuanliu fell silent for a moment, seemingly assessing how worthwhile the deal was.

After a long pause, she nodded. "Deal, but I'll give these to you after everything is done."

Mo Qingchen replied without hesitation, "No problem."

Then, Zhuiming released him.

Mo Qingchen stretched his stiff shoulders and regained his smile. He patted Zhui Ming and said, "From now on, we're colleagues. May I ask how to address this brother?"

Zhuiming merely glanced at him coldly, his expression icy beneath the mask.

Chuanliu replied, "His name is Aqiang, and he's my bodyguard."

“Oh,” Mo Qingchen nodded, and continued, “Now that we’ve reached an agreement, I have some news to tell you. I heard that Mandala of the ‘Dark Gate’ has also been added to the assassin’s list to kill you, right after me.”

"After you?" Chuanliu looked at the waiter who had been killed with a single blow, his face full of doubt.

“Um…” Mo Qingchen scratched his head, “I’m not sure how many places after me it is, but what I can be sure of is that there are no more assassins after Mandala, because everyone feels that with Songluo and Mandala as the two top assassins ahead of them, it’s not their turn.”

Chuanliu nodded and asked, "What do you know about mandalas?"

Regarding Mandala, the only information Chuanliu currently has is that she is "skilled in using poison." She knows far too little about this top assassin.

Mo Qingchen thought for a moment and said, "As his name suggests, Mandala is skilled in using poison, and the poison he uses is the Mandala plant. Legend has it that his poison has a faint floral fragrance. If you smell a small amount of the poison, you will become drowsy and unable to exert any strength. Even if you are injured, you will not feel any pain. If the dose is large, you will faint directly."

The datura flower was used as an ancient sleeping potion, and Paradise Island truly is a place where "talented people abound".

Chuanliu understood and continued, "And what about his appearance?"

The latter shook his head. "I don't know. I've never seen her before. I don't even know if she's a man or a woman. Maybe... only Tang Qing has seen her? But there's a rumor that someone with such a beautiful name must be a beautiful woman."

As night fell, the three of them prepared to check into an inn in the small town of Red Peach City.

With Mo Qingchen's arrival, Chuanliu and Zhuiming had a much easier time, leaving all the miscellaneous tasks to this newly joined vengeful spirit.

"Xiao Chen, go and book a room."

"Xiao Chen, I'm thirsty, go get me two glasses of water."

"Xiao Chen, please tell the hotel staff to arrange dinner for us."

"Xiao Chen..."

To Chuanliu's surprise, Mo Qingchen seemed to possess a truly admirable quality of being hardworking and conscientious, and she didn't object to Chuanliu's constant orders.

Watching the man walk out of the room to negotiate with the front desk, Zhuiming smiled and whispered to Chuanliu, "Aren't you afraid he'll rebel if you treat him like this?"

Looking at the closed door, Chuanliu said calmly, "He's the client now, and clients are meant to be exploited."

Zhuiming naturally understood what Chuanliu meant. He asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "You still have doubts about him?"

Chuanliu nodded silently. "Let's take another look."

Dinner was ready, and the two walked out of the room, where Mo Qingchen was already waiting for them.

He proudly stated, "I watched the chef prepare each dish myself, there's absolutely no problem!"

Unexpectedly, Chuanliu made a "please" gesture, indicating that he should go first.

Mo Qingchen frowned, looking aggrieved, and said, "Are you still doubting me? Please, I've been so sincere..."

"Then prove yourself." Chuanliu remained unmoved.

The midday probing was repeated again. If it weren't for the darkness, Mo Qingchen would have thought he'd been transported back in time and into a ghostly maze. He'd wasted the entire afternoon arguing with these two.

The man pursed his lips, but still took a bite of each dish. Seeing that he was alright, Chuanliu began to eat.

The three of them spent the day unharmed.

The next morning, we packed up and set off again.

This place truly lives up to its name as the City of Hearts; even this small border town is exceptionally lively. This time of day is when many residents have just finished their revelry and are preparing to go home. The streets are teeming with people, especially drunkards, gamblers, and clients of prostitutes.

Chuanliu silently surveyed the crowd before him. Walking on the street like this was too unpredictable and fraught with risks.

For safety reasons, the three chose a relatively quiet pub on a street corner as their observation point. They sat by the window, quietly observing the outside world and waiting for the street to calm down.

As they entered the tavern, it was during the changing of the guards' shift. A seemingly drunk waiter ran in after them and said to another waiter, "Brother, I'm so sorry, we were having so much fun last night that we forgot the time."

The latter handed him his employee ID with some dissatisfaction, muttering, "You newbies, you dare to be late on your first day! I'm just a nice guy who's willing to wait for you, otherwise you'd be in for a scolding from the boss!"

The waiter, blushing, thanked him repeatedly before seeing the man off.

He seemed to have just noticed the three of them. He straightened his apron, smiled, and walked over. "Would the three guests like something to drink?"

Mo Qingchen pointed to the water that had already been poured for them, then waved his hand.

The waiter nodded. "Please let me know if you need anything."

The waiter left, but returned shortly afterward with a kettle.