"It's not that easy to win over an envoy," Mu Chunsheng shook his head. "This envoy is different from the previous ones; he's very shrewd. A strong person with power, status, and intelligence won't be easily manipulated."
"Then all this effort of ours will be for nothing?"
"...Not necessarily." Mu Chunsheng watched the direction Chen Ling had left, his eyes narrowing slightly, like a venomous snake staring at its prey. "I have a premonition that the money we've spent on this envoy might yield returns far beyond our imagination..."
Thud—
A thick stack of property deeds and documents was thrown onto the desk.
Jian Changsheng stared blankly at the scene. After a long moment, he looked at Chen Ling, utterly bewildered.
"These... these are..."
"The properties I bought."
Chen Ling sat back in his office chair and said unhurriedly, "A casino with a monthly turnover of over a million, and three jade shops with an average monthly turnover of 150,000. They're all in prime locations in Red Dust Main City, fully staffed, so you don't need to worry."
Jian Changsheng was utterly dumbfounded.
"Prop... properties??" Jian Changsheng's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Beside him, Red Heart 9 directly spat out the water he had just drunk, instinctively letting out a curse.
"Didn't I say I'd help you solve the hideout problem?" Chen Ling picked up the casino's property deed. "This casino has a huge flow of people and is involved in some grey areas of industry, making it highly discreet. It's perfect for covering other Twilight Society members. The diverse mix of people inside also makes it a good place to gather information.
"As for the three jade shops, they're just smoke screens. You can play around with them if you have nothing else to do, but those kinds of places aren't very suitable for stationing personnel."
"I know you were going to solve my hideout problem... but..." Jian Changsheng stammered, unsure where to begin complaining. "But I didn't expect... your solution to be so simple and brutal... How much did you spend on these?"
"Not much, about twenty million."
"Boss, do you still need bodyguards?" Red Heart 9 immediately leaned in. "I don't even need a salary; just give me a casino too."
Red Heart 9 had been with the Twilight Society for some years. Over these years, he had met many talented individuals and eccentrics during missions, developing their own forces within the domain, either openly or secretly, to provide shelter for other members. But a lavish magnate like Chen Ling, who directly ascended to become a consortium and then frantically bought properties for the Twilight Society, was truly unheard of.
It wasn't that others lacked the ability to make money; the problem was that even if they did, they often lacked a legitimate identity. Not everyone, like Chen Ling, had the title of a Golden Society envoy.
"Red Heart 6! You're a true friend!!"
Jian Changsheng finally recovered, overwhelmed with excitement. Just a few days ago, he couldn't even afford steamed buns, and now, in the blink of an eye, he owned properties worth tens of millions. He clapped Chen Ling hard on the shoulder. "I owe you one for this! I'll definitely repay you in the future!!"
"?" Chen Ling's expression was a little strange. "Did you misunderstand something...? I bought the properties, but I didn't say I was giving them to you."
Jian Changsheng froze in place.
"I merely bought them for your convenience to operate. To put it plainly, it's to give you a safe place where you can work as an employee... or even as a supervisor if necessary." Chen Ling's lips curled into a slight smile.
Jian Changsheng: ...
Jian Changsheng slumped back onto the sofa, dispirited. His dream of getting rich had been completely shattered before it even began.
"There's one more thing." Chen Ling's expression turned serious. "The treasures I consigned to the auction house are almost all sold. At most, after I collect the payment tomorrow, I'll have to return to the Ancient Treasury of Theatrical Arts..."
Jian Changsheng and Red Heart 9 exchanged glances, both understanding Chen Ling's meaning: his time acting as the "Golden Society envoy" was running out.
"After that, we'll have to rely on brute force to search for the treasury," Jian Changsheng sighed.
"Not necessarily."
Chen Ling recounted the matter of the Huadu Consortium to them.
Jian Changsheng's eyes lit up slightly. "Looking at it that way, there's a high probability that painting is with the Huadu Consortium..."
"Then let's go straight for them!" Red Heart 9 said, cracking his knuckles as if he couldn't wait any longer.
"Before I leave tomorrow, there should still be an opportunity to have a meal. Zong Wen from the Huadu Consortium has also invited me as a guest... I can help you investigate one last time," Chen Ling said seriously. "If we don't find it this time, then you'll have to search through each consortium in Red Dust Main City one by one... But if we do find it this time, you'd better act before I leave."
"You mean..."
"If I'm still at the Huadu Consortium at that time, I might be able to use my envoy status to buy you some time."
Jian Changsheng nodded slightly. "Understood. It's about seeing if there's a chance to pull off one last job before you leave! If there's an opportunity, we'll coordinate from inside and out and take him down directly!"
"In that case, shouldn't we first establish a signal? To confirm whether the item is with the Huadu Consortium?"
"That makes sense..."
"And even if you discover the painting, you two absolutely must not break in by force... We need a meticulous plan!"
"Yi ya!"
"You want to go too? Are you sure?"
"Yi ya yi ya!!"
"Don't rush yet. We have a whole night to plan... Let me think."
Chen Ling found paper and pen from the desk. After a moment of thought, he began to lay out the plan. "First, we need someone to familiarize themselves with the Huadu Consortium's layout beforehand, and simultaneously scout their defensive arrangements... No, perhaps it doesn't need to be that complicated. If the painting is truly inside, I can find an opportunity to leave a clue somewhere...
"That way, we..."
Four heads huddled around the desk, gathered around the paper Chen Ling was writing on, as if seriously discussing something, nodding occasionally.
Audience expectation value: 3Current expectation value: 71
Meanwhile, at the Huadu Consortium.
A girl in a black dress walked through a magnificent European-style corridor, her slightly-heeled dance shoes echoing softly in the spacious area.
Cleaners sweeping the pathways on either side showed expressions of surprise in their eyes when they saw the girl pass by. After she had walked away, they secretly gathered, pointing at her receding figure and whispering among themselves.
"Is that her?"
"It must be. That's the big star who's been making waves recently. My son is a loyal fan of hers!"
"Her name is... what was it again?"
"Liu Qingyan! She's the rising star our master has been heavily promoting recently. You don't know that?"
"Honestly, Liu Qingyan's looks and figure are much better than those actresses our master promoted a few years ago. No wonder she's so popular..."
"But usually, she doesn't seem to visit our residence much. This is my first time seeing her."
"Me too... It would be great if I could get an autograph later."
Amidst their whispers, Liu Qingyan slowly stopped in front of an office.
The butler in front of the office nodded slightly when he saw her, then knocked on the office door.
"Chairman, Liu Qingyan has arrived."
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