689: Chapter 684 I Need Your Help

"He might be..."

"But what he stole was wealth already built upon filth and sin."

"He targeted those so-called 'upper-class individuals' who exploited loopholes in the rules, turning the blood, tears, and national hatred of others into capital to flaunt in their display cases."

"Those people look glamorous and righteous, yet they are greedier and more shameless than any common bandit."

"They dare not let the matter escalate, dare not let the sunlight shine into their dark corners."

"That's why Moretti could succeed time and again, becoming a 'ghost' that exists only in legend."

Shen Yan's tone remained calm, but the content of his words struck Chen Guangke's heart like a heavy hammer.

Chen Guangke's worldview, from childhood, was strictly black and white.

Good people, bad people.

Police, thieves.

But under Shen Yan's description, a massive gray area appeared in this world, one that could not be simply defined.

"In his own way, he is maintaining a kind of distorted fairness."

"He uses theft to judge the sins that the law cannot judge."

"A person like this cannot be summarized by the simple word 'thief'."

"He is a symbol, a nightmare that keeps wealthy people with guilty consciences awake at night."

Shen Yan paused and continued speaking.

"And the Knights Templar is one of the top forces among these wealthy individuals."

"They are Moretti's old rivals, trying to capture him for decades, not just to recover the treasure, but to force him to open his mouth and bury all the secrets he knows."

"So, tonight, we are not helping a thief."

"We are saving a 'ghost' that can cause them pain and fear from a huge interest group that lives by plunder."

"This favor is worth far more than ten star of ishtars."

"As for the 'Key of Solomon'..."

Shen Yan's gaze became profound.

"That object involves secrets on another level."

"A secret that even I cannot fully see through to this day."

Chen Guangke let out a long breath.

He looked at Shen Yan, his eyes filled with shock.

The height at which Shen Yan stood, the scope he saw, had long surpassed his imagination.

He wasn't just making money or building a commercial empire.

He was overlooking the operating rules of this world from an almost divine perspective, and then placing his own chess pieces on the board.

"I understand, Yan Zi."

Chen Guangke nodded heavily.

"In the future, you don't need to explain things like this to me."

"Wherever you point, I will strike."

Shen Yan smiled and patted his shoulder.

"We are brothers."

Just then, the door to the rest cabin opened.

Moretti walked out. His expression had returned to calm, but the sharpness in his eyes seemed to be replaced by a deep exhaustion.

He walked up to Shen Yan and handed him a black metal card.

On the card, there was only an ancient key pattern.

"This is the clue to the 'Key'."

Moretti said in a deep voice.

"It's not on me; it's in a place only I can open."

"This card is a token of faith."

"You helped me escape a disaster, and I will give you what you want."

"Also..."

He looked at Shen Yan, his eyes complex.

"If you ever need this old man's help in the future, contact me anytime."

"I owe you one."

Shen Yan put away the metal card.

The texture was cold, but the key pattern on it seemed to carry a strange warmth.

"Fair enough."

He only replied with two words.

Moretti looked at him deeply, his gaze holding too many things.

There was relief from surviving a disaster, apprehension about the unknown, and a re-evaluation of the young man, Shen Yan.

Finally, he just nodded slightly and turned back into his rest cabin.

There was no thanks, nor any farewell.

Two days later, the submarine quietly surfaced at a port in an unknown neutral country.

When Moretti left, Shen Yan didn't even leave the control cabin.

Chen Guangke reported that the old man merely carried a simple travel bag and blended into the crowd at the dock like an ordinary tourist, quickly disappearing.

"Yan Zi, you just let him go like that?"

"Yeah."

"Aren't you afraid he'll go back on his word? Or sell our information to the Knights Templar?"

Shen Yan's gaze fell outside the porthole; the unfamiliar port was just a blurry block of color in his sight.

"He won't."

"A person who can be hunted by the Knights Templar for decades understands the value exchange best."

"We gave him a chance to live; he gave us the clue to the 'Key'."

"This is a fair trade."

"Besides..."

Shen Yan smiled.

"He is a smart man, and smart men do not choose to make an enemy of an opponent they cannot see through."

Chen Guangke asked no more questions.

He only needed to know that every decision Shen Yan made had a profound consideration behind it that he could not reach.

That was enough.

The submarine returned.

The star of ishtar was casually placed in a storage compartment on the control console.

This peerless treasure, which could drive countless wealthy people mad and even lead to death, seemed less important in Shen Yan's eyes than that inconspicuous metal card.

Its historical mission was half complete.

The other half was returning to its rightful owner.

Shen Yan pulled up the system's daily intelligence report.

The intelligence was simple, consisting of only one line:

[The bloodline of Ascher Weissberg awaits lost glory in the Diamond Stars of Antwerp.]

Antwerp.

The Diamond Capital of the world.

The corner of Shen Yan's mouth lifted slightly.

A bit interesting.

He always felt that the intelligence provided by the system was like a report from a top consulting firm.

It never gave you the final answer, only the most precise direction.

The rest of the path had to be walked by yourself.

This was both a test and a pleasure.

He picked up the satellite phone and dialed a number.

The call was quickly connected, and a cool, capable female voice came through.

"President Shen, is the matter in the US handled?"

It was An Ran.

"It's handled, very smoothly."

Shen Yan's tone was relaxed.

"There's something, I might need your help with."

"Go ahead."

An Ran never wasted words.

"Help me investigate a family, Ascher Weissberg."

"A European Jewish family from the WWII era; they should have some reputation."

"I need to know where their descendants are now, their names, and what they do."

"There is only one requirement: absolute secrecy."

An Ran on the other end of the line was silent for a few seconds.

She didn't ask Shen Yan why he needed to investigate this.

She just keenly grasped the keywords.

WWII, Jewish family.

This often involved huge hidden fortunes, artworks, and deeply entrenched historical grievances.

"Okay."