This discovery, like a cold hand, clenched his heart.
Looking at Feng Jincai, who sat on the sofa with a fake smile, and Zhuo Feng, who wore a sullen face, acting as if he owned the world.
Xu Hao secretly gritted his teeth.
The chairman was right; this is damn well a Hongmen Banquet!
A trap specifically set to fish people in!
He was incredibly relieved that he suppressed the impulse to contact the chairman.
Otherwise, the next one to urgently excuse himself might have been him.
Just as Xu Hao was lost in thought, Ma Biaoâs thunderous voice resonated once again.
He paced around the circular conference table, as if delivering a speech, spitting with each word.
"Everyone, Iâve been mingling in East Capital for half my life. From a small outpost, Iâve climbed to this position today. And what got me here? Itâs brotherhood, itâs the rules."
"But now, look at our East Capital Branch. Itâs in chaos. Some people have forgotten their origins, forgotten who provided them with their meals!"
"I support Station Chief Feng, I support the organization. We need a big clean-up to root out those traitorous bastards and restore harmony, turning our East Capital Branch back into one big loving family!"
With that, his fan-like hand landed heavily on Xu Haoâs shoulder.
"Haozi, donât you think thatâs right?"
"Huh?"
The sudden slap jolted Xu Hao back to awareness.
Seeing Ma Biaoâs face up close, he forced a laugh and replied ambiguously:
"Yes, yes... Brother Ma is right."
Amidst this uproar, Chen Chen, the Gang Leader of the Red Tiger Gang, appeared unusually calm.
He didnât show exaggerated displays of loyalty like the others.
He just held his teacup, taking occasional sips, occasionally glancing at the silver metal box at the front of the conference table, which supposedly contained confidential files.
He was unsure of the true intentions of the Noah Organizationâs upper echelon.
But he could guess that things would not be as simple as Feng Jincai suggested, merely burning a file and pretending itâs over.
As Ma Biao and others said, the repeated intelligence leaks had already shaken the foundation of the organization.
Next would inevitably be an overwhelming internal purge.
He thought about his secret collusion with a mysterious assassin organization, planning to break free from the Noah Organizationâs control, even leaking "Scorpion" information which led to the assassination of a high-ranking officer...
Chen Chenâs heart involuntarily sank.
Would these matters be traced back to him?
His eyes flickered slightly as he looked up at the clock on the wall.
It was already past nine-thirty, almost ten.
The deadline for destruction at midnight was approaching, and this bizarre meeting seemed about to end.
Yet this calmness felt like a sword hanging over his head in Chen Chenâs heart.
With time, it fell lower and lower.
Even though his heart was turbulent, Chen Chen forced himself to stay calm.
Years of Martial World experience had taught him that in unclear situations, rash actions were the biggest mistake.
Besides, whether it was the Demon Hunting Operation or the so-called "Tree of Life" plan, these intelligence leaks had nothing to do with him.
As long as his secret dealings with the assassin organization were not exposed, he believed he could weather this storm.
Chen Chen muttered silently in his heart:
"Iâve been learning to live a quiet and peaceful life for so long, itâs time for it to be effective..."
In the conference hall, the discussions and performances intermittently continued without stopping.
The floor-to-ceiling windows occupying nearly the entire wall had unknowingly been stained with fine rain droplets.
Reflecting the neon lights of the city outside, the rain flowed down, creating mottled light traces.
Making the outlines of the towering buildings across the way appear hazy, distorted, strange and fantastical.
..................
Under the same night sky, across from the Noah Building.
Two figures stood facing the wind on a concrete wall barely a few feet wide atop a parapet.
Beneath them, stretched the nearly three hundred meters high exterior of a skyscraper.
The vehicles on the street below merged into flowing rivers of light.
Pedestrians with umbrellas seemed as small as crawling ants.
The slippery wall surface glimmered ghostly under the night sky, a slight misstep would plunge one into the abyss made of lights and darkness.
The two stood firm on the edge of the roof terrace.
The high-altitude wind, mixed with rain, whistled past their ears, flapping their clothes loudly.
One of them was tall and strong, wearing a black trench coat, with thick eyebrows like swords and a stern expression.
The other was slightly thinner, wearing a ghastly white mask on his face.
"Theyâre having a meeting."
Gao Jinâs gaze pierced through the wind and rain, locking firmly onto the building across with the large "NOAH" emblem.
Even through the rain, with his exceptional eyesight, he could still capture the silhouettes bustling inside a conference room on the top floor.
"Do you know the specifics of the meeting?"
Cheng Jiashu spoke, his voice passing through the mask, sounding somewhat muffled.
Tonight he was wearing a black combat suit, outlining smooth and powerful muscle lines.
His whole figure almost merged with the night behind him, and with the mask, he resembled an Evil Ghost from Hell.
"The messages we received suggest it involves a confidential file from the Noah Organization."
Gao Jin replied.
"Oh?"
Cheng Jiashu tilted the mask slightly, turning his gaze towards him:
"Is it related to whatâs in the biolab as well? Do we need to change our target?"
"No need."
Gao Jin slowly shook his head, his attitude resolute.
"We are unclear about what exactly is in that box, thereâs no need to act rashly."
"Moreover, with so many people present, thereâs no chance of succeeding at all."
He glanced at the collaborator beside him, asking in a flat tone:
"Are you daring enough to rush in alone to face this bunch of lunatics?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Jiashu let out a light laugh:
"I wouldnât mind. As long as you can cover the attacks for me and let me touch that password box, I promise to bring it out intact for you."
Gao Jin shook his head again:
"Forget it, changing tactics in the face of the enemy is a big taboo, letâs stick to the original plan."
As he spoke, his eyes turned sharp.
"Now that theyâre gathering in one place, the defenses elsewhere are bound to be relatively lax, itâs exactly the right opportunity for us to infiltrate."
Cheng Jiashu nodded slightly, then asked:
"What about the coordinates you promised me, were they set up in advance?"
"Theyâve been in place four hours ago, been waiting for you all along."
Gao Jin, his expression calm, gestured: "You can try sensing the target and establish the connection first."
Cheng Jiashu said no more, closing his eyes.
He stood at the edge of the roof terrace, letting the wind and rain hit him, his figure unwavering, like a statue deep in thought.
After about half a minute, he reopened his eyes, a faint glimmer seemed to flash through them.
A mysterious passage seemed to open at the depths of his pupils.
"Letâs begin then."
"What about your friend, is he really not coming?"
As preparations for action were underway, Gao Jin couldnât help but ask.
At hearing this, Cheng Jiashuâs mind flashed to Fang Chengâs serious face, claiming to cultivate himself.
The lips beneath the mask curled up slightly, he shook his head and said:
"He has more important things to do."
After a pause, he added in a relaxed tone:
"Wish me luck."
"It should be, wish us luck."
Gao Jin corrected.
Seeing that even this serious guy could say something to liven up the mood, Cheng Jiashu chuckled lightly.
His gaze went past Gao Jin, looking towards the prosperous city veiled by the curtain of rain in the distance.
"Letâs hope next time we wonât meet in such wind and rain."
The leaden-gray clouds had somehow completely engulfed the sky, pressing heavily over the city.
The rain intensified, pounding densely on the rooftop, splashing fine droplets.
In the distance, the Noah Building stood amidst the continuous rain, like an island engulfed by darkness.
Cheng Jiashu took a deep breath, adjusting his breathing, the strange glow in his eyes growing stronger.
An exact location marked by the Spiritual Mark surfaced clearly in his mind.
Buzzââ
A low hum appeared out of nowhere.
The space in front of him, like a shattered mirror, underwent a distinct distortion.
Light was drawn by an invisible force, converging towards a point before him, collapsing into a constantly inward-rotating pitch-black vortex.
The vortex suddenly expanded, then rapidly contracted, with irresistible gravity, drawing Cheng Jiashuâs figure from the edges inch by inch until completely engulfed.
With his disappearance, the distorted space swiftly reverted to its original state, leaving only a barely perceptible ripple.
Soon, it was swept away by the wind and rain, as if nothing had happened.
Gao Jinâs expression remained unchanged, he then pressed the communication switch on his earpiece, his voice steady and powerful.
"Ali, Ah Liang, the âNight Raidâ operation is officially starting."