Chapter 502: 325. The Disappearing Qing Chen_3
For a moment, the image of daylight rose high again in his heart.
However, after Li Changqing dialed the number, the call was not connected.
The womanâs face grew solemn.
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On the 132nd floor of Luo Shen Building, Qingâs Shadow sat beside the dining table, watching Qing Chenâs phone light up: âWho would call in the middle of the night when theyâve got nothing better to do?â
He had no intention of answering the phone, and he didnât even look to see who was calling.
The room was pitch dark and quiet, save for the sound of the Shadow boiling water for himself.
After an unknown amount of time, Qing Chen gradually woke up, feeling a burning pain in his abdomen, hurting with every movement.
His arms and back had all suffered immense damage from Wang Bingxuâs kick.
Dazed, Qing Chen looked at the three twisted corpses lying on the floor of his living room: âWhat is thisâŠ?â
As Qingâs Shadow poured himself another cup of tea, he said leisurely, âThey are the offerings for your Puppeteerâs sacrifice.â
âAh?â Qing Chen really hadnât expected the other party to do such a thing, but he was more concerned about another issue: âWhy only three?â
Silence suddenly fell in the room.
After a long time, Qingâs Shadow spoke slowly, âI wonât quibble over such a foolish question with you. Iâm a sick person. I saved your life and found three offerings for you. You should be saying âthank youâ first, not asking where the rest are.â
âI didnât ask where the rest were,â Qing Chen said earnestly.
Qingâs Shadow tapped the table with his finger and said, âBut thatâs what you meant.â
Qing Chen asked, âThe power outage at Jinmao Tower, that was your doing, right?â
âCorrect,â Qingâs Shadow nodded.
âIf you hadnât wasted time cutting the power, you might have arrived earlier and I wouldnât have been hurt,â Qing Chen said, panting as he sat on the sofa.
âI find that you have quite a few demands for someone who owes his life to me,â Qingâs Shadow sighed. âIf I hadnât cut the power and taken the surveillance tapes, my identity could have been exposed. My identity is one of the Federationâs greatest mysteries, puzzling tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people. Isnât it more interesting to keep them puzzled rather than reveal the answer just to save a minor character like you?â
âWhy save me?â Qing Chen asked.
âNo reason. Keeping you alive just makes the Shadow conflict more interesting,â Qingâs Shadow said. âHowever, youâd better speak to me more politely next time. Do you know my life isnât going to last much longer? Every time I take action, it shortens my lifespan. Itâs like Iâm trading my life for yours.â
âThank you,â Qing Chen said sincerely.
No matter what, regardless of whatever the other party intended to use him for, the grace of being saved was real.
As he spoke, Qing Chen flicked his wrist, prompting the Puppeteer to sacrifice all three corpses in the living room.
Although both were accustomed to life and death, having corpses in the living room was still somewhat unsightly.
In a flash, all three corpses turned to ash. With just this battle, the Puppeteerâs second string had fully formed, reaching a length of 50 meters!
Not only that, but even the third string had grown more than twenty meters long.
If not for the fact that this string was much finer than a hair, Qing Chenâs wrist would hardly have been able to wrap it all.
âI may not have given you any Taboo items, but these offerings are a bit of advance benefit for you. Donât say I didnât give you anything,â Qingâs Shadow said.
Qing Chen thought that this Qingâs Shadow was quite the businessman, profiting immensely from such a costless deal.
Qingâs Shadow looked at Qing Chen: âAbout the offer I made earlier for you to join Qingâs Spy Agency, have you given it any thought?â
âWhereâs the job based?â Qing Chen asked.
âCity 10, thatâs where the real political center of the Federation is,â Qingâs Shadow said.
âIs it dangerous?â Qing Chen asked curiously.
âHow could being a spy not be dangerous,â Qingâs Shadow said.
âWhatâs in it for me?â Qing Chen asked.
âOnly those who have never held power would ask such a naĂŻve question. Just being permitted to enter the Spy Bureau is a privilege,â Qingâs Shadow sighed.
Qingâs Shadow continued, âQingâs Spy Agency has professionals in infiltration, assassination, and intelligence, with countless informants. We conduct external enemy investigation, control public opinion, internally monitor all members of Qingâs Family and military officers of the Federal Groupâs controlled armies, carry Federal Central Intelligence Bureau credentials, and can even get exemptions from the PCE Security Management Committee for killing someone in the street. Isnât that enough power and benefit for you?â
âIâll think about it some moreâŠâ Qing Chen said.
He always felt there was more to it than met the eye. If he agreed, the other party might have a series of plans waiting for him.
Once involved, he feared heâd be caught in the vortex of power and unable to extricate himself.
âUp to you,â Qingâs Shadow said in an indifferent tone. âYou had the chance to kill Qing Wen and Qing Zhong tonight, why spare them? Youâre so fond of Taboo items, you should know that together, those two have three Taboo items. Qing Wen originally had one, Qing Yi gave him another, and Qing Zhong also had one. Wasnât such a big temptation enough to sway you?â
âMurder can wait, but saving lives cannot. If not done timely, thereâll be no chance later,â Qing Chen said.
âA womanâs mercy,â Qingâs Shadow casually remarked.
âItâs not a womanâs mercy. If I donât save a friend in danger, what use is there for so much power,â Qing Chen retorted.
In fact, the benefits Qing Chen had forfeited that night were enormous.
Not just the one life for one secret promised by Qingâs Shadow, but also the three Taboo items those two had on them.
âDid you arrange the fight between Qing Wen and Qing Zhong tonight?â Qing Chen asked.
âOf course not. Why would I devise such a low-grade trick,â Qingâs Shadow said. âEvery Shadow conflict has these candidates who seem popular but are not very clever, or look formidable but are actually impulsive and brainless. Itâs quite normal.â
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A 5,000-word chapter, another one coming at 11 pm.
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