222: Chapter 222 The Treasure in Contest

Chapter 222: The Contended Treasure

"Everyone has earned enough money. It is time to consider enjoying life..."

Li Dingjian's words echoed in the room, the air thick with the smell of tobacco and a hint of tension.

No one interrupted, and everyone was waiting for the professor's reaction.

The professor maintained his calm posture, hands crossed on the tabletop, his gaze piercing straight through his lenses at Li Dingjian.

His expression didn't fluctuate much, as if he had anticipated this scene long ago.

Li Dingjian stopped speaking as well, pressing the crushed, deformed cigarette into the ashtray, pulling out a new one, and lighting it with a snap.

A deep blue flame flickered and danced on the tip of the cigarette, reflecting his cynical yet slightly stubborn face.

"Crow."

The professor broke the silence, his voice low and steady:

"I understand your feelings. We have all experienced moments on the brink of life and death; no one wants to experience that fear and helplessness again..."

Li Dingjian did not reply, only exhaling a puff of smoke that slowly dispersed in the air, blurring his expression.

"However."

The professor paused for a moment, then added a bit more weight to his tone:

"Do you really think quitting can solve the problem? People like us have been caught in the whirlpool of fate since the first day we were born. Joining the team only makes this whirlpool look a bit murkier."

"Do you think those enemies and government officials will let us go just because we choose to quit? No, they will chase after us like hounds, biting tightly until we completely vanish from this world."

Amidst the rapid-fire questioning, the professor looked at Li Dingjian with eyes as sharp as if they could see through everything:

"And your family. Whether you quit the team or not, they are always in danger of being implicated, and nothing will change because of this."

Li Dingjian's fingers trembled slightly, the ash falling to the floor. He still didn't make a sound, just lowering his head to look at the burning cigarette butt.

"The Jianghu has never been a place where you can just walk away unscathed whenever you want."

The professor suddenly sighed softly, a trace of vicissitudes and helplessness appearing on his face, as if the passing years were pressing down on his shoulders at that moment.

"This world is strictly stratified and ruthless; often, it eats people without spitting out their bones. We can only choose to huddle together for warmth and eliminate the hidden dangers around us together to truly ensure the safety of ourselves and our families, rather than fighting alone and returning to that isolated and helpless state."

Saying this, the professor's tone gradually slowed down, leaving some time for Li Dingjian to digest and think.

The room fell back into a brief silence.

The other team members exchanged glances, seemingly having much to say, yet not knowing where to begin.

At this moment, the professor spoke again:

"Crow, since you suggest that we also quit, perhaps we can ask for everyone else's opinion."

As he spoke, he turned his head and cast his gaze toward Dachui, who had the closest relationship with Li Dingjian.

Under everyone's gaze, Dachui awkwardly scratched his head.

"I don't have any other skills. If I quit the team, I'm afraid it will be hard to support myself."

He stammered, his already rough hand rummaging through his messy hair, squeezing out a somewhat ashamed smile on his face:

"You guys also know that I've always been lavish. The money I earned the last few times was almost all gambled away by me at the gambling table."

"Sigh, I also know this bad habit of mine is no good. When my luck is bad, money flows out like water. So I swore a big goal: once I earn 100 million, I will definitely quit gambling and never touch those things again."

Bailing bit her lip and said with slight hesitation:

"My sister's illness is finally cured, and life should have been easier. But for a moment of greed, listening to someone's bewitchment, I invested all the money in my hands into a so-called financial innovation project, thinking I could easily sit back and collect money and take fewer risks in the future. As a result, those scammers..."

Saying this, she lowered her head, desperately suppressing the regret in her heart. Obviously, her previous savings had all gone down the drain.

Monkey still sat there silently, playing a blade trick with the dagger in his hand, and said in a muffled voice:

"I need money, a lot, a lot of money."

Without much explanation, everyone knew that as a retired special forces soldier, he used most of his money to support the orphans of his comrades-in-arms.

The professor had been listening to everyone's recounting, then raised his hand to push up the glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, sweeping a profound gaze across every team member:

"You all know that from the very beginning, I didn't lead everyone to where we are today just for money."

"Through multiple missions, our team has grown increasingly mature and strong, sharing affection, tacit understanding, and a common goal. These are far more precious than money."

Hearing this, Li Dingjian felt deeply helpless.

The professor's previous words struck his heart like a heavy hammer.

Indeed, if he left the team and encountered any danger in the future, as someone isolated and helpless, not to mention himself, even the safety of his family would be difficult to guarantee.

Seeing Li Dingjian's hesitant expression, Dachui couldn't help taking a step forward, patting his shoulder, and saying in a rough voice:

"Crow, I can understand your feelings, truly. Last time on the sea, if you hadn't been smart enough, both of us would have lost our lives there. So even if you quit the team, we are still brothers."

Li Dingjian raised his head to look at the partner who had once saved his life, and his heart couldn't help warming slightly.

Bailing's crisp voice subsequently rang out as well:

"Crow, although I hate to see you go, I also know you have your difficulties. No matter how you choose, everyone is a partner who has been through life and death..."

As she spoke, her eye sockets turned slightly red, and her voice couldn't help carrying a hint of choking.

Monkey, who had always been taciturn, was also staring unblinkingly at Li Dingjian at this moment, likewise waiting for him to make a decision.

Gazing at the concerned looks cast by everyone, Li Dingjian took a deep breath and turned to look at the professor:

"I want to ask you a question: to achieve the goal you mentioned, how much money and how much time are actually still needed?"

After pondering for a moment, the professor answered with a serious expression:

"It's hard to give an exact answer. Previously, I felt it would take at least ten years or more, but now if we can seize an opportunity, perhaps we can shorten the plan to within five years."

Li Dingjian furrowed his brows slightly, his heart full of doubts.

Before he could press further, the professor paused for a moment and quickly explained:

"The opportunity I am talking about is the target of our upcoming action, and also what this gathering is going to discuss."

Subsequently, with a solemn expression, he looked at everyone and smoothly entered the main topic of the meeting:

"Three months ago, a massive explosion occurred in Xishan, blowing open an underground palace with a two-thousand-year-old Seal. A batch of antiques flowed out from that underground palace, causing various factions to compete and contend for them, creating quite a bit of turbulence. In particular, those plutocratic families moved upon hearing the wind, even willing to offer hundreds of millions to acquire them."

"Professor, are we preparing to do artifact trafficking business?"

Hearing this, Bailing's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help blurting out.

"No, our purpose is not for money."

But the professor shook his head, giving a rather unexpected answer: "This operation is mainly to enhance everyone's strength."

Hearing this, Li Dingjian and the other three team members couldn't help being stunned.

Enhance strength? Could it be that the professor had found some divine martial arts or a Spirit Pill through special channels, needing to exchange and buy them with antiques worth hundreds of millions?

Everyone's hearts were filled with curiosity and guesses.

The professor did not continue explaining, but first looked around at the team members in the room and slowly began to speak:

"Compared to ordinary people, our team is already very powerful. Each member has mastered at least one special ability. Crow's sensory pulse can resonate with electronic and mechanical devices, making him a born lock-picking and decryption expert. Dachui, after beastification, can increase his body hardness and self-healing ability by several fold, capable of holding off a thousand men at a critical moment. Monkey has sharp visual insight and exquisite combat skills, coupled with Bailing's disguise and mimicry arts, which have helped the team turn danger into safety multiple times."

"But this is far from enough. If we face truly powerful organizations in the future, as well as the proud sons of heaven coming from those plutocratic families, our bit of capability is simply not worth mentioning, and we are still too weak after all."

Hearing this, everyone resonated deeply with a lingering sense of shared sorrow.

Especially Li Dingjian and Bailing, whose physical qualities were relatively poor, could only undertake auxiliary tasks in operations, requiring extra care and protection from other companions.

Just like in the last mission, facing the encirclement, interception, and fierce firepower of the Red Tiger Gang, if Li Dingjian didn't have Dachui helping block bullets by his side, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Speaking of which, after several operations, the team would always deduct half as public funds to achieve the "common goal" mentioned by the professor.

But in reality, most of this money was spent on purchasing strengthening potions to enhance the physical quality of the team members.

After all, only with a sufficiently strong physique could one preserve their life in a hail of bullets and more smoothly achieve the mission objectives.

However, that kind of strengthening potion had obvious side effects and diminishing effects.

After injecting it at most twice, the body would produce strong discomfort reactions. Muscle spasms and dizziness were minor issues, and severe cases could even develop mental illnesses.

Besides, they were already different from ordinary people to begin with, more or less suffering from mental issues.

Furthermore, subsequent injections had negligible enhancement effects, at most serving as a temporary stimulant, which was almost equivalent to wasting resources.

But even so, in order to have a bit more chance of survival in dangerous operational missions, everyone could only bite the bullet and use it, falling into a dilemma.

"According to reliable information I obtained, among that batch of antiques, there are several extremely special items. They reportedly contain sarira formed by the cremation of the Physical Body of a certain living Buddha who passed away two thousand years ago. This is also the focus of contention among those factions."

The professor paused slightly, mystery flashing in his eyes, and then continued:

"These sarira contain unimaginable energy. Once we can successfully acquire them and crack their mysteries, there is hope to find a method to further Breakthrough the limits of the Physical Body and raise our ability Rank."

"Even, it is said that they also conceal some kind of method capable of curing the chronic mental ailments plaguing us extraordinary people."

"Therefore, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once missed, I'm afraid it will be hard to have a similar fate-changing turning point in the future."

The news thrown out by the professor was like a stone stirring up a thousand ripples, causing everyone present to be extremely surprised and deeply moved.

A blazing light ignited in Dachui's eyes, and his burly body leaned forward slightly, obviously unable to hold back his inner excitement.

Bailing was the same; her cheeks flushed slightly, excitement and anticipation flickered in her eyes, and her hands unconsciously clenched tightly together.

Hearing these words, Li Dingjian paused the cigarette being brought to his mouth, his brows tightly locked as if recalling certain things.

"Is the opponent we need to face this time even more powerful than the Red Tiger Gang?"

Monkey, who had always been taciturn and sitting in the corner, suddenly spoke up and asked at this moment.

His voice was not loud, but it went straight to the crux of the issue.

Dachui and Bailing instantly snapped back to their senses, and their hearts, which had just been boiling, sank abruptly again.

That's right, their team used the slogan "acting on behalf of heaven" to specialize in robbing those lawbreakers, gang bosses, and corrupt officials.

But they always adhered to one principle: absolutely never provoke people who shouldn't be provoked.

Since this operational target was a rare treasure with mysterious energy, the enemies they would face were no longer as simple as gang thugs; they were very likely powerful entities that none of them could afford to provoke.

"This operation is very dangerous. I will not force everyone to participate; I leave the choice to yourselves."

The professor leaned his head back against the back of his chair and said with a calm expression: "You can now vote by raising your hands. If there are fewer than three people participating in the operation, then we will simply give it up."

As his voice fell, the room instantly fell into silence, and everyone's breathing could be clearly heard.

At this moment, not only Li Dingjian, but everyone needed to carefully weigh things in their hearts and make a fate-related choice.

"Professor, I'm in!"

After a while, Dachui broke the silence first, his voice ringing out in the room like a great bell as he raised his hand high:

"I trust you. Back then when I was at my wit's end, if I hadn't met you, I'm afraid I would have long been hunted down as a monster or locked up in a dark laboratory. Following you, I gained human dignity and hope for life. This opportunity is rare, and I'm willing to take a gamble with you!"

Bailing bit her lip and nodded along: "I'll participate too, for the team and for my own future."

Monkey nodded slightly to indicate agreement.

At this time, everyone's gaze refocused on Li Dingjian, the team member who originally wanted to quit.

Li Dingjian's brows were tightly knitted as he asked the professor with an extremely cautious expression:

"Have you formulated a secure plan?"

Hearing this, the professor smiled slightly, his eyes revealing the confidence of holding victory in a strategizing grasp:

"As the team leader, isn't my role reflected in this aspect? I already have a preliminary plan, which can minimize the factors for the probability of combat occurring and bring into play your respective strengths and specialties."

Li Dingjian had already been shaken. At this point, he took a deep breath of smoke, then stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray, finally making up his mind:

"Alright, I believe you. I'll participate in this operation too."

Seeing everyone's opinions unified, a gratified smile appeared on the professor's face, and he immediately spread out a stack of carefully prepared materials and drafts:

"I plan to officially launch the operation in a week. Before that, we need to make foolproof preparations. Now let's start refining the issues on the details..."

Inside the room, paper friction made rustling sounds, and everyone's discussions rose and fell one after another.

The sunlight outside the room also gradually slanted westward, hiding behind high-rise buildings.

...

Late at night, Yuehu Hotel.

Fang Cheng finished his bath, wore pajamas, and lay leisurely on the bed in his room.

Holding the remote control in his hand, he kept searching for TV programs while thinking in his mind about his uncle's somewhat abnormal words and deeds today.

He originally said he would come back in the afternoon to go boating on Yulong Lake together, but as a result, he didn't rush back to the hotel until past nine o'clock at night.

Afterwards, he quite strangely looked for him to chat for a while, asking about this and that, showing warmth and concern.

He especially inquired about his physical condition, asking if he felt any abnormalities or experienced hallucinations or the like.

Fang Cheng almost thought his hidden identity had been seen through by his uncle.

Through his uncle's facial expression, one could clearly see that he had a very heavy preoccupation.

While pondering, the mobile phone discarded beside the pillow suddenly rang with a series of rings.

Fang Cheng glanced at the phone screen, seeing that the number displayed on it belonged to Ma Donghe.

His brows instantly furrowed, and doubts arose in his heart:

"In the middle of the night, why is this guy calling me?"