One of the members—Sister Qiao…
Chuanliu fell silent.
"At first, I didn't believe it. We had clearly worked towards a common goal. Yet, when we needed her most, she chose to protect herself? She even allowed 'Ace of Clubs' to seize the opportunity and cooperate with Cao He."
Tang Qing rubbed her forehead, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.
"But when I realized I could no longer contact Sister Qiao, I knew I was wrong. Paradise Island was in chaos, and I was too naive."
Chuanliu looked into the woman's eyes. "So, you chose to live in seclusion?"
"If the world won't accept me, why should I fight tooth and nail to squeeze in?" Tang Qing sighed and looked at Chuan Liu. "But you can, at least I think you can."
A thin mist, like a veil, gently draped over the deep canyon. The morning sun pierced through the mist, softly illuminating the tranquil Black Spade Mountain. At this moment, all things seemed to be awakened, bursting with vitality.
A man and a woman walked slowly down the mountain in the morning light. They didn't exchange many words, but there was an unspoken understanding between them.
"I can buy you a maximum of seven days. During these seven days, I will not interfere with your actions. But after seven days, if everything remains the same, I will send a top assassin to protect you as agreed. However, whether you can emerge unscathed from this turmoil by then will depend on your own fate."
This was Tang Qing's last speech to Chuan Liu. It was also the only thing Tang Qing could fight for for Chuan Liu under the rules of the martial arts world.
Chuanliu knew what these seven days meant to her. Now, the most urgent task was to find the person who issued the kill order and, by any means necessary, silence him forever.
Cao He, the "King of Hearts," is a powerful figure in the City of Hearts, a man second only to the king and wielding immense resources. Even without the support of the three Long brothers, the "King of Hearts" is a force to be reckoned with.
Chuanliu has never clashed with any high-ranking officials before, and she felt a little heavy-hearted.
They descended the mountain along the other side of Black Spade Mountain, and the mountain river came into view again. As the terrain decreased, the river became wider and wider, like a silver ribbon dancing in the mountains.
Having temporarily escaped the pursuit, their speed increased significantly. Just two days later, in the afterglow of the setting sun, they had already entered the territory of the City of Hearts.
It was evening when they arrived at the base of what is now "Red Heart Nine" Polar Fox. Polar Fox was slightly surprised by their sudden visit, but then warmly welcomed them and arranged accommodations for them.
The fox was in much better condition than the last time I saw it. Its originally yellowish skin had regained its color, and it was no longer as thin as before. It looked radiant.
When a person stands at a high place, regardless of whether he is truly suited to that place, a group of people will flock to him and elevate him to the heavens.
Are you settling in well here?
Chuanliu asked, glancing around at the base that used to belong to Jiulong. The once opulent decorations had been almost entirely removed, and the number of people under Jihu had also decreased significantly.
Jihu nodded, signaling the servants to leave, leaving only Chuanliu and himself in the room. He then said, "After you and Brother Wu left, the higher-ups came again. They said they need to liquidate Jiulong's assets, and the non-personal portion will be moved and confiscated."
Chuanliu took a sip of water and asked, "High-level? Which one specifically?"
Extreme Fox pondered for a moment, "It seems to be... 'King of Hearts'. His men even went directly to Jiulong's secret room and took away the machine that had been completely dismantled."
Chuanliu frowned. "Could they still be after the memory card? Even though that machine was broken, it can still be used after being pieced together, right?"
Extreme Fox rarely showed a cunning expression, with a triumphant smile in his eyes. "Hehe, I've already taken the motherboard in advance. Even if a genius assembles a machine, there's nothing they can do if they don't have enough parts."
"You're something else," Chuanliu chuckled. "Did they cause you any trouble afterward?"
Jihu shook his head. "As you know, although I replaced Jiulong, I have no management experience, and the higher-ups won't put such a big piece of meat as the red-light district in my hands."
This business was originally assigned to Susan, but after Susan finally figured it out and patched up the loopholes that Jiulong and the others had made, Cao He suddenly jumped out at this moment.
Using Susan's poor management during the adjustment period as a reason, he still told Huang Chunling ("Red Ace") that this business should not be handed over to someone inexperienced. Perhaps because Susan did indeed suffer significant losses during her management, Chunling eventually agreed to Cao's proposal.
According to their plan, the red-light district business will now be handed over to Mr. Cao He, the experienced manager of "Red Heart K."
Chuan Liu understood; Cao He was indeed reluctant to give up this lucrative opportunity. "Then hand this place over to Cao He now. He won't have any objections to you occupying this base?"
Extreme Fox shook his head and said, "He doesn't know about your relationship with me, nor does he know that you've already told me that he's the mastermind behind the computer incident. So, I guess he's trying to play the good guy and recruit me into his camp. So, apart from secretly plundering my assets, he's at least polite to me on the surface."
However, I've declined his invitations both openly and subtly many times, and I suspect he's losing patience. But since I was personally appointed by Chunling, he won't openly break ties with me.
As if remembering something, Jihu suddenly asked, "By the way, Chuanliu, what's your plan for secretly coming to the City of Hearts this time? Is there anything you need me to do?"
Chuan Liu's lips curled into a smile, a sly glint in her phoenix eyes. "There really is something."
"..."
On the third day, at Susan's residence.
"Does Brother Qian Liu know you're here this time?"
Susan poured Chuanliu a glass of water and sat down next to the girl.
"Nobody knew I was coming this time. But if you want to talk to Brother Qian Liu, I have no objection." The latter raised his teacup and took a small sip.
Susan chuckled and teased, "I don't need to report everything to Brother Qian Liu. Judging from your sneaky behavior, you haven't offended someone and are seeking refuge here, have you?"
Hearing the woman's words, Chuanliu's smile vanished, and he said seriously, "You're half right. I'm being watched."
Seeing Chuanliu's serious expression, Susan also stopped smiling.
——
Storage card balance: 306.55
Identity card:
One "10 of Diamonds";
Fragments of "Plum Blossom 2";
One "WD Special Edition" card;
One dose of the antidote.
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