Chapter 45 - 40: Going Deeper

In the rattling cargo hold of the truck, Zhou Chen rested with his eyes closed.

The bloody holes gouged into his arms by the metal Finger Tiger were still gruesome, but they had stopped bleeding. A tingling itch emanated from his fractured arm bones, a sign they were slowly healing.

Even for an Ascender still in his growth phase, a fracture of this severity was hardly serious—just a minor injury that would heal on its own in about three or four hours.

The whole fight was an act, a calculated play to infiltrate Birdman’s organization. First, he used the excuse of having awakened his powers by chance while on the brink of death. This plausibly established his identity as an Ascender. Then, he killed the iron-masked man—another Ascender—to showcase his impressive strength.

After saving Han Laohu and the others, he would go with them into Birdman’s den. This would be his chance to get close to Birdman himself, increase his value in the eyes of Eternal Fire, and officially join the criminal enterprise.

’Maybe I can even fleece them for some more good stuff.’

’I don’t need to worry about the details. The scene was chaotic; no one would’ve been paying that much attention. At most, they’ll just think I was unlucky to be targeted by the iron-masked man.’

’And I don’t even have to worry about the evidence at the factory. Operators from the Star Association are on their way. Once they arrive and lock down the scene, with Jiang Che pulling some strings behind the scenes, not a single trace will be left.’

Beyond that, there was also an expected reward.

—Wish Value.

Han Laohu and his men operated in the criminal underworld. Having chosen this path, none of them expected a peaceful end. They were long prepared for death.

But as the saying goes, it’s better to live a miserable life than to die well. They’d much rather live than die. Death was the end of everything; life meant they could continue their indulgent, extravagant ways.

So, by taking out the iron-masked man, he had effectively fulfilled their wish to stay alive.

With their lives on the line, the seven survivors had provided a substantial amount of Wish Value. Combined with the scattered bits of Star Dust, it was almost enough to form a new star, though he was still a little short.

The Wish Bottle currently contained only two stars, both originating from Li Guangjun’s dying wish. The rest of his Wish Value, apart from what he’d just squeezed out of these seven men, came mostly from playing the hero on various online forums...

The returns were rock-solid, even skyrocketing from time to time.

’Now *that’s* what I call a primary productive force, huh?’

Zhou Chen hadn’t yet decided what to do with all this Wish Value. The top priority, of course, was to restore his Soul. But now that he had Eternal Fire to serve as his personal cash cow, the need wasn’t quite so pressing.

’After all, wouldn’t swindling a few specks of Canaan Blue be far more cost-effective than using wishes to restore my Soul?’

After careful consideration, Zhou Chen decided to save the Wish Value for now. He was about to go undercover in the criminal underworld and needed an ace in the hole to survive.

After leaving the area around the lumber mill, the interrupted signal was restored, and Han Laohu hurriedly made a phone call to report the incident.

"...Alright, I understand. You guys come to the Nest first."

Birdman’s voice was disguised by a voice changer, turning it into a distorted electronic sound. He gave a simple command, then paused and said, "Have Li Ergou call Snow White. We don’t want people baselessly slinging mud at us later."

Hearing this, Li Ergou couldn’t help but sigh in relief. He knew he was going to live. Without hesitation, he picked up the phone to call his boss.

"An accident? I knew someone was up to no good... Alright, you can go be a ’guest’ at ’Birdman’s’ place for now."

Snow White’s voice was also modified by a voice changer, making it sound quite lovely. But for all anyone knew, the person on the other end of the line could be a three-hundred-pound matron.

After the brief report, the cargo hold fell silent once more, the only sound being the labored breathing of the injured.

Everyone could imagine the storm brewing in the Jinzhu underworld. Not only had both Birdman’s and Snow White’s factions been simultaneously provoked, but it was also a major slap in the face to the big boss behind them. A massive purge targeting the attackers’ organization was likely to erupt soon.

All of Jinzhu City’s illegal enterprises might be about to be completely reshuffled.

Thirty-some minutes later, the group parked the truck by the roadside and walked into the city. They eventually arrived near a nightclub with flashing neon lights and, led by Han Laohu, entered through a secluded back door.

Next, they passed through an employee corridor, entered a private elevator, and went straight up to the strictly sealed-off fourth floor.

To their surprise, the place was almost unnervingly spacious and clean. With white walls, white floor tiles, and only sparse, simple furniture, it didn’t look anything like a smuggler’s den.

On a huge leather sofa sat a man with his legs crossed. He wore an exquisite suit, his hair was combed immaculately, and on his face was a Golden Bird Mask. He was smoking a cigar and scrolling through his phone. When he saw them arrive, he gave a crisp SNAP of his fingers.

Beside him, a henchman in a suit stepped forward holding a metal case. Another henchman opened the case and carefully took out a vial of Alchemy Potion—a Blood Bottle.

"This is a welcome gift for you. Go ahead and heal your injuries," Birdman said, looking at Zhou Chen with a wide grin.

’That grin, that cocky posture... it’s all so familiar.’

Zhou Chen, who had seen Li Guangjun’s memory fragments, recognized him at a glance. This was the Ascender that Li Guangjun had met in the lottery shop.

’So, it seems ’Birdman’ wasn’t just propped up by Eternal Fire. He’s a core member of Eternal Fire who came here to build a smuggling empire.’

Zhou Chen pulled his thoughts back, glanced at the Blood Bottle held in the henchman’s hands, and sneered, "Isn’t this welcome gift a little... shabby?"

"Oh? You’ve got a big appetite, I see." Birdman took a drag from his cigar, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "What do you want?" he asked, intrigued.

"Naturally, something an Ascender would need."

"Money? Nutrient solution? Equipment? Forbidden Objects?" Birdman said nonchalantly. "Pick one. I flatter myself that I’m quite capable."

"You can get your hands on a Forbidden Object?" Zhou Chen was slightly surprised. That stuff was a hundred times harder to obtain than any contraband.

"Of course. There’s nothing I can’t get my hands on." Birdman said, brimming with confidence. He raised a finger and wagged it. "But a Forbidden Object will cost extra, and you don’t have the means. So forget that one. You can pick anything else."

"I need a weapon and armor—Ascender-grade. Preferably Alchemy Equipment." Since Birdman had laid his cards on the table, Zhou Chen didn’t hold back. He made an outrageous demand, confident the man would meet his needs.

’Now that I’m an Ascender, and with my Star Association identity as a cover, my value in the eyes of Eternal Fire will naturally skyrocket.’

"I thought you were going to ask for ’that thing’," Birdman said with a meaningful smile.

’So Birdman really does know my identity...’ Zhou Chen remained perfectly calm; this wasn’t unexpected. He replied coolly, "I would’ve taken it, if you were offering."

"A pity. Too late," Birdman said, shaking his head with a regretful shrug, as if to say *you missed your chance*.

He flicked the ash from his cigar and said, "Come back tomorrow at this time. I’ll have your weapon and armor. I have some business to take care of today. As you saw, some bastards are provoking me."

He was, in other words, telling him to leave.

"I’m not in a hurry. I’ll just wait here for you to finish. There’s something I want to talk to you about."

With a complete lack of self-awareness, Zhou Chen swaggered over to the sofa, casually plucked the Blood Bottle from the henchman’s hands, sat down, and started tending to his arm.

Birdman narrowed his eyes, contemplating for a moment. Finally, he waved his hand, signaling his men to leave Zhou Chen be.

"Fine, then. You can stay and listen."

With that, he shed his flippant demeanor, becoming stern and authoritative. "Qin Sheng," he commanded in a grave tone, "tell all our men to get ready. We’re repaying them in kind—an eye for an eye, blood for blood.

We have to show everyone what happens when they provoke us!"

"Here’s the plan..."