?Lan Sha had a faraway look in his eyes as he thoughtfully looked down at the auction stage while drumming his fingers against the sofa’s armrests.

  Just then, the door to the observation deck was pushed open. Lan Sha looked over and saw Gu Mang enter.

  “Sir.” Lan Sen politely bowed his head.

  Gu Mang removed her mask before greeting Lan Sha politely, “Godfather.”


  “You’re here.” Lan Sha stood up and flashed a warm smile. “Come and take a seat.”


  Gu Mang thus removed her down jacket, scarf, and cap and passed them to Bai Qingqing before walking over to him.

  Lan Sha glanced behind her. “You’re alone? Where’s Gu Si and that boyfriend of yours?”


  “Gu Si didn’t come, while my boyfriend has something on. He got me to bring you some gifts.”


  Hearing how naturally Gu Mang said the words “my boyfriend”, it only occurred to Lan Sha just then that the little girl from back then was all grown up and at the suitable age to look for a boyfriend.

  Thereafter, Gu Mang took the stack of gifts from Bai Qingqing and handed them over to her godfather.

  Right at the top was a long rectangular box that seemed to be a box for paintings, but Lan Sha wasn’t too concerned about what was inside it. After all, it was the thought that counted. However, even though he had seen pretty much all of the world and what it had to offer, his eyes and hands couldn’t help quivering a little when he saw the two boxes of ridiculously expensive tea leaves below.

  ?“Generous” was the first impression Lan Sha had toward Lu Chengzhou who he had never met before. He took the gifts from her and said while beaming, “He has gone to great expense. I’d like to treat him to a meal to thank him for the gifts. Bring him over someday.”


  Gu Mang nodded. “Okay, I’ll let him know.”


  Lan Sha passed the gifts to Lan Sen and instructed, “Put them away carefully.”


  “Got it.” As Lan Sen brought the stuff to a room in the observation deck, the other subordinates led Bai Qingqing outside and stood guard at the doorway.

  There were thirty minutes left before the auction started, so Lan Sha and Gu Mang sat down and chatted.

  When Lan Sen came back and wanted to pour some tea for Gu Mang, she said to him, “Water will do.”


  Lan Sen respectfully responded to her and took a cup to the water dispenser.

  …


  Yun Ling and Lin Shuang were there at the auction for fun and to see if there was any good stuff to bid for. As they were too lazy to go through proper procedures to book a private room for themselves, they sat at an inconspicuous corner of the free seating area.

  “Why are Lu Chengzhou and the others here?” Yun Ling wondered aloud as he stretched himself and leaned back against the seat while putting a leg atop his knee.

  Lin Shuang raised her eyebrows. “Who do you think could make him show up at the auction?”


  An answer immediately appeared in the quick-witted Yun Ling’s mind. “Lan Sha?”


  Lin Shuang nodded. “Dark Web’s hacking team is pretty capable, but they weren’t able to defend themselves against Lu Chengzhou’s attack and were forced to close a portion of the Dark Web’s trading page for a few days to prevent getting hacked again. I heard from He Yidu that they now refuse to take any missions related to Base 102.”


  “What the?! As expected of Lu Chengzhou! He can even drive the Dark Web to this state!” Yun Ling clapped his hands. “Then what’s his purpose for coming here tonight?”


  ?But Lin Shuang recalled the way Lu Chengzhou worked. “I think things will become a little chaotic here tonight.”


  “You think they will end up fighting?” asked Yun Ling worriedly.

  However, Lin Shuang could clearly see the excitement in his eyes, which had brightened up a little. The words “Fight! Fight!” were practically written all over his face.

  “The possibility of a fight breaking out between them… is quite high.” The corners of Lin Shuang’s lips twitched. Lu Chengzhou must’ve come here prepared.?

  …


  In the private room.

  Lu Chengzhou, He Yidu, and Qin Fang were seated in their respective single sofas, and tea was placed in the middle of the coffee table.

  “Everyone, be on standby.” Lu Yī spoke into his earphone as he stood behind the sofas. After that, he looked at Lu Chengzhou and respectfully said, “Young Master, we’ve taken control of the surveillance room, and all of our men are here. We can take action at any moment.”


  Lu Chengzhou lazily leaned against the sofa, his sharp eyes were naturally drooping down as he held a teacup in his hand. “Where’s Lan Sha?”


  “He’s on the third floor. Our men on that floor reported that he has two young ladies as guests and that they seem to be very important guests seeing how his trusted aide went to pick them up in person.”


  Hearing that, Qin Fang tutted. “Those guests sure are unlucky. Out of all the days to visit him, they had to come today.”


  “That’s true. I hope the talk goes well today without any other forces getting involved.” He Yidu raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked down at the free seating area.?

  Lu Chengzhou wasn’t interested to hear about Lan Sha’s guests. He instructed, “Seal off all entrances and exits on the third floor.”


  Lu Yī nodded. “Got it.”


  He Yidu then sent a message to Lin Shuang telling her and Yun Ling to stay at the free seating area tonight and not go wandering about. He soon received a reply from Lin Shuang. [Are you guys really going to fight?]

  [It’s not certain, but we can’t rule out that possibility either], replied He Yidu ambiguously.?

  …


  On the third floor.

  When Lan Sha heard that the day of Gu Mang’s takeover of Base 102 had been fixed and that it was just a few days away, he fell into deep thought for a few seconds. “This matter isn’t so simple. You have to be careful.”


  “I know,” replied Gu Mang before pausing to look at him. “Godfather, what kind of dealings do the underground market usually have with Base 102?”


  Having heard the news about Killer Alliance, Lan Sha returned her question with two more instead. “Why? Are you wary of me?”


  “No.” That wasn’t what Gu Mang meant. In a serious manner, she explained, “I’m not familiar with Base 102, so I wanted to find out more.”


  Lan Sha pointed outside with his chin. “Do you know who the President of the Underground Trading Guild is?”


  “I’ve tried looking into it before, but I couldn’t find anything,” answered Gu Mang honestly.

  The underground market was founded very early. At the time, Shadow League hadn’t existed yet. When Shadow League was later established, inside information about the underground market was very little. But the fact that Lan Sha was asking her this question meant that the president was someone she knew. She had an answer in her mind.

  Lan Sha filled his cup with tea. “For the sake of easy access to Base 102, your parents started the Twin Towers’ International Trading Center and the underground market. Later, when the internet became common, there was strong growth in the electronic trading market, and that was how the Dark Web started.”


  The Dark Web’s electronic trading platform was a grey area that dealt with many dark and dirty dealings. It had strict confidentiality rules, and both parties of the transaction remained anonymous unless they decided to reveal their identities.

  Gu Mang listened quietly.

  “I’m just temporarily taking care of it on your and Gu Si’s behalf. The Killer Alliance is nothing, so it doesn’t matter that you’re no longer a part of it. You still have me.” Lan Sha sipped his tea and gently said these arrogant words with a smile. He then added, “Go do whatever you want. I’ll have your back if anything happens. Understand?”


  “Yes.” Gu Mang rein in her aura and asked him in an extraordinarily respectful manner, “Godfather, do you know why my parents left Jijing Island? According to Gu Xian, my dad was supposedly the heir to Base 102.”


  “I’m not sure about the specific reason,” said Lan Sha as he recalled the past. “Your father left Jijing Island together with your mother and came looking for me after that.”


  Lan Sha was a genius hacker. He had his competitive moments when he was younger and loved taking on challenges. At the age of fourteen, he became famous internationally for hacking into Jijing Island’s security bureau but ended up on the highly wanted list by the Elders’ Association and the security bureau.

  He was saved by Gu Zhen, who only came to know who he was after that. As geniuses, they sympathized and thought highly of each other, especially after spending some time together. In the end, it was Gu Zhen who found a way to let Lan Sha fake his death to escape Jijing Island’s arrest. The two remained in contact for all those years.

  “Your mother was already pregnant at the time.” Lan Sha rubbed his fingers against the teacup. “Your father asked me to protect her, while he was on the sub-island. Your mother joined him after giving birth to you. The underground market already had some reputation by then, but it completely made a name for itself internationally in just six months after that. That was when Base 102 came seeking to work together.”


  Lan Sha had been the one dealing with Base 102 the entire time. He said, “Your memories might not be clear, but before the matter of you hitting the man got blown up, the parents who had spent most of the time at your side weren’t your real parents.”


  “I know,” said Gu Mang while nodding.

  Gu Zhen and Bai Xu got plastic surgeries to make themselves look like Gu Yin’s parents. Although they would come back to visit her at times, she and Gu Yin were looked after by the latter’s parents most of the time.

  Her mental state was terrible at the time when she beat up the man until he was semi-paralyzed. Her nerves felt like they had exploded when she saw how injured and damaged Meng Jinyang was.

  Still, she remembered that it was from then on that strange people would come knocking on their door. Gu Yin’s parents went missing after that, while her own parents came back. Of course, she knew what ‘missing’ truly meant.

  Base 102 was in chaos, the Gu family fell from grace, and there was a reshuffling of forces on Jijing Island. All these things happened almost at the same time when Gu Zhen and Bai Xu returned to Changning County.

  “Your parents were basically at Base 102 for those few years. But…” Lan Sha paused before adding, “They weren’t able to get their hands on the medicine’s formula.”


  After a few seconds of silence, Gu Mang looked up at Lan Sha. “Godfather, I want to go into Base 102 as soon as possible.”?

  Lan Sha turned to face Lan Sen. “How long until will it be done?”


  It was clear that Lan Sha himself had been expediting the arrangements to enter Base 102 as well.

  “Our map isn’t complete. We don’t have details of the area with restricted access.”


  Hearing that, Gu Mang said, “My parents left me a few items, and a complete map of Base 102 is one of them.”


  Lan Sha wasn’t surprised that Gu Zhen and Bai Xu had left something for Gu Mang. It was just that it wasn’t his place to ask about it before she brought it up. He didn’t want her to get the wrong idea and think that he had approached her with ulterior motives, resulting in a crack in their relationship.

  “That makes things easier,” said Lan Sha. “Once everything is ready on my end, I’ll get you into Base 102. The day after tomorrow at the latest.”


  Gu Mang nodded.

  “A lot of people have been eyeing Base 102 recently.” Lan Sha put down his teacup.

  Gu Mang had no idea who he was talking about. “Hm?”


  Lan Sha smiled. “It’s nothing important. I’ve already ordered the closure of a portion of the trading page, so everything is fine.”


  Just then, a female host appeared at the auction. With a few smiles and words, she managed to liven up the place. Things were really bustling below.

  The underground market only provided a platform for the auction and didn’t get involved in the actual transactions themselves.

  Lan Sha turned to look at Gu Mang. “Let me know if anything catches your eyes. I’ll bid it for you.”


  “Okay,” responded Gu Mang obediently.

  Apart from antique calligraphy and paintings, the items put up for auction included diamond jewelry, jade, relics, other works of art, famous wine, and a pharmaceutical company’s drug production line. There were all sorts of items, but they cost a lot as well.

  Room No. 9 on the second floor had bid for the most expensive set of diamond jewelry that consisted of a necklace and a ring. The reason why the set of jewelry ended up so expensive was due to a bidding war. It was unlikely that anyone’s bid would surpass that of the big boss in Room No. 9 tonight.

  Halfway through the auction, Lan Sha asked Gu Mang, “Didn’t see anything you like? You don’t have to stand on ceremony for me, you know.”


  “No, I’m not exactly interested in those items.”


  Lan Sha let out an awkward cough and said, “The next item is a phoenix blood jade bangle. Take a look at it later and see if you like it.”


  “Okay.” Gu Mang responded before taking a sip of water.

  However, she didn’t say a word throughout the bidding of the bangle, and it eventually went to the person in Room No. 9 again.

  …


  At the free seating area.

  “D*mn it! Is Lu Chengzhou stocking up on goods?!” said Lin Shuang with mixed emotions.

  The corners of Yun Ling’s lips twitched. “My heart still feels freaking pain at the thought of missing out on the ten billion mission!”


  …


  Seeing how Lan Sha no longer asked Gu Mang if any of the jewelry caught her fancy, he had probably figured out that Gu Mang was more interested in arms and weaponry than jewelry.

  The bidding of a few more items came and went.

  Feeling bad that she almost fell asleep out of boredom, Gu Mang took out her phone and played mobile games to keep herself entertained. She had drunk several glasses of water already.

  Lan Sha looked at the bustling auction stand and then at Gu Mang’s uninterested face.

  The next item for auction was a jade pillow. Through the speakers, the host’s voice echoed throughout the observation deck. “Our next item for auction is a jade pillow. I believe everyone has heard the rumors about the Sleeping Jade…”


  Gu Mang froze and looked down to the basement. She had only managed to get a small piece of the Sleeping Jade in the past, but this one was the size of a pillow.?

  Seeing that Gu Mang was finally interested in something, Lan Sha asked, “Want this?”


  Gu Mang nodded. “I need it for medical research.”


  “You’re here to buy stuff for your research institute?” Lan Sha broke into laughter.

  Gu Mang raised her eyebrows nonchalantly.

  Lan Sha smiled. “It’s rare to find something you want. I didn’t make you come for nothing after all.”


  It was known throughout the world that the Sleeping Jade was rumored to have miraculous effects. The rich paid attention to their health a lot, so it was only natural that many people participated in the bidding for it.

  Lan Sha didn’t bid for the Sleeping Jade at the start, and it was only when only one bidder was left that he joined in the bidding. The other bidder was naturally very willing to give up since Lan Sha was interested in it. Lan Sha abided by the rules and successfully won the bidding of the Sleeping Jade without letting the person who had put it up on auction suffer a loss.

  Gu Mang put her phone away and stood up. “Godfather, where’s the restroom?”


  She had drunk a tad too much earlier.

  Lan Sen respectfully answered, “Please follow me, Ms. Gu. I’ll get someone to take you there.”


  Gu Mang thus followed him out.

  Bai Qingqing, who was guarding outside, turned to face Gu Mang when she saw her come out. “Young Lady.”


  Lan Sen called a cleaner over and ordered her to take Gu Mang to the restroom. As Bai Qingqing was Gu Mang’s bodyguard, she naturally tagged along as well.

  Lan Sen watched them disappear around the corner and was just about to head back into the room when he saw his subordinate quickly walking over to him.

  “Boss, the guest in Room No. 9 wants to meet Mr. Lan.”


  Room No. 9? Lan Sen furrowed his eyebrows slightly. “Is that the head of BESE?”


  The subordinate nodded. “Yes.”


  Lan Sen fell deep in thought for several seconds before asking, “How many people are there in that room?”


  “Four. Three of them seem to be the senior executives, while the last one seems to be an assistant.”


  It was the first time Lan Sen encountered this situation as nobody had ever requested to meet Lan Sha during the auction.

  “I got it. I’ll let Mr. Lan know.” He then turned around to enter the room and report the matter to Lan Sha.

  “No,” said Lan Sha without the slightest hesitation.?

  …


  In the private room.

  Qin Fang hung up the underground market’s internal landline and said to Lu Chengzhou heavily, “Brother Cheng, Lan Sha refused to meet us.”


  Lu Chengzhou tapped his fingers against the sofa’s armrests.

  “I figured as much. We were too obvious,” said He Yidu as he wiped his gold-rimmed glasses.?

  “Isn’t he afraid of offending us then?” asked Qin Fang in perplexity.?

  He Yidu put on his glasses, his eyes looking sharp as he looked at Lu Chengzhou. “Brother Cheng, what should we do now?”


  Even though there wasn’t any emotion on Lu Chengzhou’s face, He Yidu could clearly detect the murderous aura the former was emitting. A cold and heavy pressure descended upon the room.

  A few seconds later, Lu Chengzhou said, “Take action.”