291: Chapter 291 Cooperation with a Super Psychopathic Serial Killer

"Ugh——"

All of Xu Hao's movements came to an abrupt halt, his sneak-attack punch hanging limply down as his feet left the ground.

His entire body was lifted up by Fang Cheng with one hand, his throat locked tightly as if by iron pliers.

A sense of suffocation instantly surged through his entire body like a tide, his complexion turning from pale to blue-green, and then rapidly swelling into a terrifying purplish-red.

He struggled desperately, his hands flailing blindly at Fang Cheng's arm, but it was as futile as an ant trying to shake a tree—immovable.

Fang Cheng looked expressionlessly at Xu Hao, who was struggling in vain within his grip. Deep within his icy pupils, killing intent coalesced as if it were tangible.

However, right at the moment when that killing intent was about to burst forth, a familiar face flashed abruptly through Fang Cheng's mind. He loosened his five fingers slightly and casually tossed Xu Hao back onto the sofa like trash.

"Cough, cough, cough…"

Xu Hao crashed onto the sofa, clutching his neck and coughing violently, gasping heavily for air with eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

In that very instant, he truly felt the approach of the Grim Reaper.

His throat burned fiercely, as if scorched by a hot iron, and every swallow felt like being cut by a knife.

The muscles in his limbs trembled uncontrollably, leaving him without even the strength to stand back up.

Fang Cheng looked down at him from above, his tone devoid of the slightest emotion:

"If it weren't for your father's sake, based solely on your attack against me just now, you would already be a corpse."

As he spoke, he stepped forward, his tall figure shrouding the trembling Xu Hao like a shadow:

"Now, tell me everything you know about that organization in detail."

"As long as you satisfy me, I can consider sparing your life, and I can temporarily keep your secret regarding your colluding with the Special Investigation Team."

Xu Hao panted heavily, cold sweat soaking the shirt on his back.

Looking at the man before him who looked refined yet exuded a terrifying aura, a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

Resist? It was simply impossible.

From his sudden violent outbreak to being subdued, the entire process was probably not even a single second!

Strength, speed, technique… an all-around, crushing gap!

He couldn't even touch the corner of the opponent's clothes! This was simply not a contest on the same scale!

Xu Hao finally understood now that the draw he achieved during their spar in the ring last time was entirely due to the opponent holding back.

And it wasn't just holding back a little bit—that damn thing was practically draining the Pacific Ocean!

Struggling inwardly for a moment, Xu Hao lowered his head despondently, his voice sounding unusually hoarse due to the previous suffocation:

"What do you want to know?"

He knew that he no longer had any bargaining chips at this moment.

"Why is the Noah Organization targeting a lowly sparring partner like me?"

Fang Cheng asked straightforwardly.

"They… aren't just targeting you."

Xu Hao replied listlessly, though inwardly he couldn't help muttering a complaint: If you're a lowly sparring partner, then what does that make me, a fart?

Hearing this, Fang Cheng's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, and then he let out an "Oh," signaling for Xu Hao to continue.

"They received an assignment from above to investigate all the recently emerging combat experts in Dongdu whose skills are rather eye-catching."

Seeing Fang Cheng stare at him with an icy expression, Xu Hao had no choice but to honestly continue confessing:

"Or rather, they are preparing to place 'abnormal individuals' like you—whose skills are outrageously good, who have no obvious background, and haven't joined any official institutions—onto a long-term observation list."

Fang Cheng's gaze flickered slightly. This was slightly different from his previous guess.

After pondering for a moment, he then asked:

"How is the investigation progress? How many people have been listed as targets?"

"I'm not clear on the specific progress; I'm a newcomer and temporarily lack the qualification to execute missions. But according to the news I've ferreted out, there are at least dozens listed as preliminary investigation subjects. You… are just one of them."

Listening to Xu Hao's explanation, Fang Cheng still had a puzzle left unresolved in his heart:

"How did they suddenly set their sights on me? Is it because of what you mentioned just now?"

"Because… you've been rising too fast over at the Dongcheng Association recently."

Xu Hao glanced at Fang Cheng and said in a low voice:

"Old Ghost Shen seems to value you a lot, treating you as a key target for cultivation. Plus, as a sparring partner at the Global Elite Club, your fame is growing larger, and many professional fighters praise your physical fitness."

"Even people at the club where I usually practice boxing are discussing you. Nowadays, whether in the underworld or the fighter circles, you're considered somewhat famous, so naturally you entered their scope of vision."

"However…"

Speaking to this point, Xu Hao seemed a bit hesitant, his eyes flickering for a moment.

"However what, speak!"

Fang Cheng's eyes suddenly turned sharp, radiating a tangible oppressive force.

Xu Hao's body trembled, not daring to conceal anything, and he said in a low voice:

"As they investigated further, they discovered that you are very likely the mysterious expert who destroyed the Red Tiger Gang's drug factory last year. At least according to the descriptions of those eyewitness Young Misses, your physical features are seventy to eighty percent similar, and thus you became the target of the organization's key observation."

Fang Cheng frowned slightly, not expecting that his seemingly insignificant contact with the Dongcheng Association would unexpectedly draw the focused gaze of Noah.

Turning his thoughts, his gaze instantly fixed brightly on Xu Hao as he continued to ask:

"How long have they been investigating?"

"It seems they just started. After I accidentally discovered your name appearing on the list, I immediately ran to the club wanting to make a deal with you using this news, and as a result…"

Xu Hao's attitude was very honest, though his voice grew smaller and smaller, stopping right there without continuing.

Fang Cheng knew what he meant, frowned in thought for a moment, and let out a slight breath.

Then, he asked feigning curiosity:

"Aside from investigating abnormal individuals, do the Noah Organization's people in Dongdu not have any other actions?"

"They do. They were actually investigating another more important matter before."

Confessing to this extent, he no longer had any thoughts of hiding secrets for the organization.

Xu Hao swallowed a mouthful of saliva, glanced around his surroundings, and asked in an even lower voice:

"Have you heard about that massacre at the Linggang District dock warehouse last year?"

Fang Cheng's heart stirred, but outwardly he remained unmoving, as if he had just heard a very ordinary case.

Seeing that he had no particular reaction, Xu Hao continued:

"That night, someone washed Wu Shihao's branch in blood, reportedly killing nearly two hundred Gang members. The corpses were piled up like a small mountain, and the methods were extremely cruel and bloody… Tsk tsk!"

He smacked his lips, seeming to savor the rumors he had heard, or perhaps trying to conceal his inner fear:

"This matter shook the entire Dongdu underworld and also alerted the Noah Organization. The higher-ups dispatched quite a few people back and forth to investigate the culprit's traces in secret."

"However, those guys each had their nostrils turned up to the sky, putting on superior airs all day long. The entire Red Tiger Gang was tossed around by them several times up and down, yet they couldn't even investigate a single hair…"

His tone carried obvious complaints and disdain, as though he looked down a bit on those colleagues.

"Oh? One person killed nearly two hundred people? So strong?!"

Fang Cheng raised his voice in feigned surprise, then nodded thoughtfully:

"No wonder it could make the Noah Organization mobilize with such fanfare to pursue them. This assassin turns out to be a real hero and good fellow. If I get the chance, I really want to witness it, and it would be even better if we could make friends."

His acting skills could be called flawless; his tone and demeanor carried a few parts shock and admiration, as if he truly appreciated some "fierce man" he had never met before.

"Friends? Forget it!"

Hearing this, Xu Hao couldn't help but scoff:

"That murderer is indeed very strong, just like a monster. However, according to the private analysis and speculation of the organization's investigators, that fellow is most likely a super major pervert who lacked a father and mother to discipline him since childhood and whose psychology is extremely distorted!"

"Think about it, if a normal person were asked to kill two hundred chickens in a row, their hands and legs would go soft. He actually managed to slaughter so many people in one breath without changing his expression…"

As Xu Hao spoke enthusiastically, he almost forgot his own plight as a "prisoner".

Nor did he have any idea that the "psychologically distorted super-perverted murderer" in his mouth was standing right in front of him at this moment.

And because of his description, his brow twitched slightly, a trace of dangerous fierce light flashed in his eyes, and he stared at him coldly.

"But what truly gives the Noah Organization a headache is not how many people from the Red Tiger Gang died."

Xu Hao didn't notice any abnormality, and continued talking to himself, his voice lowering even further, as if revealing a heaven-shaking secret:

"I heard that that night, Wu Shihao's side lost an extremely important 'experimental subject'. They have been tracking down that murderer's whereabouts, wanting to retrieve the experimental subject—this is their most important mission."

"Experimental subject?"

Fang Cheng's gaze condensed, instantly pulling back the fierce light in his eyes, and he pursued:

"What kind of thing is that? Is there any progress in the investigation?"

"Just living test subjects participating in medical experiments, how would I know what specifics they are."

Xu Hao shook his head, a trace of helplessness showing on his face:

"They act very cautiously and keep things strictly confidential to the outside world. I'm just a rookie who recently joined the organization and can't touch this kind of core information yet. I only know that they attach great importance to this experimental subject, investing a massive amount of manpower and material resources."

Fang Cheng fell silent for a moment, digesting all the information, before suddenly shifting the topic and looking at Xu Hao with sharp eyes:

"The changes happening to your body, along with the 'experimental subject' you mentioned, are all related to the human body modification experiments secretly conducted by the Noah Organization, right?"

Hearing this, a self-deprecating smile appeared on Xu Hao's face, and he slumped listlessly on the sofa:

"Since you already know so much, why bother asking…"

This was tantamount to admitting it.

He himself was perhaps one of the Noah Organization's many failed or semi-finished "experimental subjects".

Fang Cheng nodded and stopped pursuing this topic.

Looking at the man before him whose confidence had been completely crushed, he then slowly spoke up, making a demand that left Xu Hao dumbfounded:

"Starting today, you will be my inside man. Contact me regularly and tell me all the intelligence you know regarding the Special Investigation Team and the Noah Organization."

Xu Hao abruptly raised his head, staring in shock at Fang Cheng, unable to speak for a moment.

"You also want me to be your inside man?"

Fang Cheng looked at him with a peculiar gaze, catching a key word.

What did he mean by "also"?

Realizing he had let it slip, Xu Hao quickly shut his mouth, his eyes dodging evasively.

Fang Cheng didn't dwell too much on this question, and then smiled slightly:

"That's right. You should understand that this is the best choice for you, or even the only choice."

"Otherwise, the secret between you and the Special Investigation Team will sooner or later be known by the Red Tiger Gang. You should be clearer than me what consequences you'll face then."

Fang Cheng's tone seemed calm, but it carried an unquestionable sense.

Xu Hao sat on the sofa, irritably scratching his hair, his face intertwined with resentment and helplessness.

Seeing his struggling expression, Fang Cheng continued to up the stakes:

"Besides, since you already have a cooperative mission with the Special Investigation Team now, what difference does it make to take on one more task? When you have too many lice they stop itching, and when you have too many debts you stop worrying—the logic is all the same."

"I have no grudge against official institutions like the Special Investigation Team; I'm mainly concerned with the movements of the Noah Organization. When this organization is uprooted and wiped out in Dongdu, won't you be able to gain freedom?"

Xu Hao remained silent, his heavy breathing particularly clear in the quiet room.

He clenched his fists tightly, violently weighing the pros and cons in his heart.

Although Fang Cheng's words were harsh, every single sentence hit the vital point.

Ever since choosing the path of cooperating with the Special Investigation Team, he had no way back.

Furthermore, Fang Cheng's threat was like a sharp sword hanging over his head, making it impossible for him to harbor any wishful thinking.

Rather than waiting passively, it was better to take the initiative; perhaps he could still fight for a glimmer of a chance for himself.

"Alright, I promise you."

Xu Hao finally spoke, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness and compromise: "But you must promise me one condition."

Seeing that he still dared to throw out bargaining chips to negotiate conditions at a time like this, Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

"I need protection."

Xu Hao took a deep breath, looking straight into Fang Cheng's eyes:

"If the Special Investigation Team or the Noah Organization finds out that I'm working for you and leaking news to you, I need you to guarantee my safety."

Fang Cheng nodded, showing understanding:

"As long as you do as I say, I will certainly try my best to protect you."

Yet Xu Hao didn't believe it just like that, and said through clenched teeth:

"I need you to swear!"

Fang Cheng looked at the complex light in Xu Hao's eyes, mixed with fear, resentment, and a final shred of hope, and fell silent for a moment.

Then, he slowly raised his right hand and said in a solemn tone:

"I, Fang Cheng, hereby swear that as long as you, Xu Hao, do not betray me and faithfully provide intelligence, from now on if you fall into fatal danger because of me, I will definitely step in to help with all my might. If I violate this oath, may I lose all my strength throughout my body and ultimately meet a miserable death."

After hearing these words, Xu Hao's tense body finally relaxed slightly, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

Although the deep-rooted unease in his heart was not completely eliminated.

But at least, the promise given by the mysterious and powerful man before him temporarily gave him a sliver of illusory security.

He knew that he no longer had a way back; he could only choose to believe, choosing to gamble on this.

"At least this guy is perversely strong."

Xu Hao comforted himself inwardly: "Even if we can't beat that regular army of Noah and the Special Investigation Team, he should still have some grasp of bringing me along to run away at a critical moment…"

Laying down his complexes, Xu Hao's attitude also became much more at ease, and he began to consider practical issues:

"Then how will we contact each other in the future? My phone definitely won't do; those grandsons from the Special Investigation Team might have installed monitoring equipment on it, and who knows if our calls can be intercepted by them…"

As he spoke, he slapped his forehead, seeming to remember something, and hurriedly shifted his buttocks, wanting to find the phone he had tossed aside earlier, but he couldn't find it anywhere.

Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught sight of a pile of black debris scattered on the ground.

That phone was shockingly smashed to pieces; the plastic casing and metal parts were twisted and deformed, making it almost unrecognizable from its original appearance.

Xu Hao's heart gave a jolt, only then realizing that Fang Cheng had already dealt with this hidden danger long ago.

In fact, when Fang Cheng sneaked into the room, he used the Scavengers Eye to scan the entire room, confirming there were no suspicious items before showing himself to converse.

At this moment, after careful consideration, he replied:

"In the past few days, if you have an emergency or important intelligence, come to the Global Elite Club to find me. You can use the pretext of visiting your father, and they shouldn't suspect anything."

Pausing for a moment, he added:

"After a while, once I'm settled, I will give you a completely safe new contact method."

Then, Fang Cheng's topic abruptly shifted, carrying a warning tone:

"Remember, any important movements regarding the Special Investigation Team and the Noah Organization, especially those involving myself, must be told to me at the first instance."

"If you dare to conceal it and not report, or intentionally provide false news… Hmph, by then, even if the Noah Organization doesn't touch you, I will let you taste what it means to wish you were dead rather than alive. Don't doubt my methods!"

The icy killing intent diffused once again, causing Xu Hao to involuntarily shiver, and he immediately responded loudly:

"I, Xu Hao, have always been a man of my word in the underworld. A real man's spit is a nail; since I've promised you, if I still dare to play tricks, may I meet a miserable death!"