Chapter 79 The Dance of Accomplices
Ten minutes.
The time Huo Shen gave him to sort things out was almost cruelly short.
Su Yan leaned against the wall, waiting for the weakness that had nearly drained his soul to subside before struggling to stand. He walked to the bathroom and repeatedly splashed cold water on his cheeks, trying to wash away the lingering burning sensation and the unsettling touch on his lips. The person in the mirror was pale, but the corners of his eyes were an abnormal red, and his lips were slightly swollen. He looked like someone who had been severely bullied but was pretending to be calm.
He took a deep breath and straightened his wrinkled collar. There was no time for him to think about Huo Shen's intentions, nor was there room for him to retreat.
When he opened the bathroom door, Huo Shen was already waiting in the living room. He had changed into a perfectly tailored dark gray suit, as if the man who had just punished and plundered Su Yan was just an illusion. He glanced at Su Yan indifferently, lingering for a moment on his slightly swollen lips. Without saying anything, he turned and walked out.
"Follow me."
Su Yan followed him silently. The corridor was eerily quiet, as if the previous chaos had never happened. But at every corner they passed, it seemed as if hidden gazes were cast upon them, filled with scrutiny and fear.
Huo Shen didn't take him to the deck or any public areas, but instead walked down the luxurious staircase to the lower level of the yacht. The atmosphere here was completely different from the upper level. The lights were dim, and the thick carpets absorbed all the footsteps, making it seem particularly quiet and depressing.
Finally, they stopped in front of a pair of wooden doors inlaid with intricate patterns. Two guards in black suits stood on both sides of the door. When they saw Huo Shen, they immediately bowed silently and saluted, then pushed the door open for him.
The scene inside the door made Su Yan's breath catch.
This was a small control room. A large circular screen displayed surveillance footage from various key areas of the yacht, including the master bedroom he had just left. Several technicians sat before the screens, concentrating on their work. In the center of the room, Assistant Zhou was restrained by two tall bodyguards, his hands tied behind his back, kneeling on the ground. His usually meticulously combed hair was now disheveled, his gold-rimmed glasses tilted to one side. His face shone with a mixture of shock and resentment, and even more so, the dejection of a failed plan.
It turned out that everything about him had never left Huo Shen's sight. That storage compartment was indeed a test. He and Assistant Zhou had simply jumped into the trap Huo Shen had laid long ago.
Huo Shen walked straight to the main seat and sat down, his posture lazy, but with absolute authority in control of everything. He gestured, and a bodyguard handed a document to Assistant Zhou.
"Take a look, Zhou Mingchen." Huo Shen's voice was calm, yet it was more oppressive than any harsh words. "The 'Scavenger' plan is quite detailed."
Assistant Zhou's body trembled violently, and he looked up at Huo Shen in disbelief. He then suddenly turned to Su Yan, who was standing behind Huo Shen. His eyes were so full of hatred that they seemed to bleed.
"It's you...it's you..." He wanted to curse, but under Huo Shen's cold gaze, he swallowed the rest of the words back.
Huo Shen chuckled softly, his laughter devoid of any warmth. "How long do you think you can hide this from me with those little tricks?" He leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Assistant Zhou like a hawk. "Using my resources, colluding with external enemies, and even trying to move against the people around me... Who gave you the courage?"
"Mr. Huo! I..." Assistant Zhou wanted to argue.
"Shut up." Huo Shen interrupted him indifferently, "Your value ends here."
He waved his hand, and the bodyguards immediately dragged the pale-faced Assistant Zhou out like a piece of trash. Silence returned to the control room, save for the faint hum of the equipment.
Huo Shen then turned his gaze to Su Yan, who had been standing there silently.
"come over."
Su Yan walked forward as he was told and stopped one step away from him.
Huo Shen looked at him with a deep gaze: "Now, do you understand what 'control' means?"
Su Yan's hands, hanging by his side, curled slightly. He understood. Huo Shen's control wasn't just about force and power; it was also about calculating and strategizing people's hearts. He watched Assistant Zhou's ambitions swell with cold eyes, while also tolerating the little tricks of this "variable" himself. Then, at the most crucial moment, he closed in and crushed everything.
"This USB drive," Huo Shen's eyes seemed to be able to penetrate his clothes and see the hidden bottle of shower gel, "Now, it belongs to you."
Su Yan suddenly looked up and looked at him in confusion.
"Zhou Ming wanted to use it to destroy the evidence and save himself. And you hid it." Huo Shen stood up, walked in front of Su Yan, and stared down at him. "This means that you chose to stand on the opposite side of his ambition. Whether your original purpose was to protect yourself or something else, now you hold a piece of evidence that can destroy him forever."
His fingertips gently lifted Su Yan's chin, forcing him to look at him.
"Su Yan, you're no longer an outsider. From the moment you hid it, you've already joined the game." His voice was bewitching and low. "Now, tell me, you're holding this knife. Do you want to use it to save yourself, or... are you just afraid?"
Su Yan's heart was beating wildly in his chest. Huo Shen was forcing him to express his stance, to clearly stand on his side, not just verbally but in action. He had a dangerous advantage, and Huo Shen had allowed him to have it.
This is a more dangerous game. He becomes the one holding the knife, but the person who handed him the knife can take it back at any time, or even turn the blade against him.
He looked into Huo Shen's bottomless eyes, in which his pale and resolute face was clearly reflected.
He took a deep breath, met Huo Shen's gaze, and spoke in a voice that was a little hoarse but very clear:
"I don't want to die." He paused, then added, "I don't want to... be manipulated by others."
He did not directly answer Huo Shen's question, but this was the most truthful answer he could give.
Huo Shen stared at him for a few seconds, and suddenly, a very faint, almost happy arc appeared at the corner of his lips.
"very good."
He let go of his hand and turned to look at the huge surveillance screen, which showed that the yacht was slowly sailing towards the port, and the city lights in the distance were like a dazzling galaxy.
"Remember your choice now." Huo Shen turned his back to him, his voice returning to his usual indifference, "The game has just begun. And now, you are mine..."
He tilted his head slightly and glanced at Su Yan.
"accomplice."
The two words fell lightly, but they were like the heaviest shackles, put on Su Yan's neck.
He stood behind the man who controlled everything, watching the changing lights and shadows on the screen, knowing there was no turning back. He had gone from being a pawn forced into the game to an accomplice who had taken the initiative.
Will the road ahead lead to deeper darkness, or a glimmer of hope for survival? He doesn't know.
He only knew that he had to hold tightly to the double-edged sword called "U disk" in his hand and continue on this road of dancing with the devil.
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