450: Chapter 450 The Illuminati's Progress, Continuing to Enhance Their Strength

"President, is there... something wrong with this Xiao Family?"

"Writing up to here, I hope readers remember our domain name wkan.com, take your pick."

Xiao Sa keenly caught this and asked in a low voice.

"There is no problem."

Fang Cheng's voice returned to calm, and he calmly explained:

"The Xiao Family is one of the aristocratic families I've mentioned to you before. With such local forces intervening, Noah Organization's branch in Dongdu can indeed steady its footing."

Xiao Sa sucked in a cold breath:

"What should we do then? Won't our previous plans be all for naught..."

"Hehe."

Fang Cheng chuckled softly:

"I never intended to drive them completely out of Dongdu."

Hearing this, Xiao Sa on the other end of the phone was stunned for a moment.

"With such an organization on the official blacklist standing out in the open, attracting official attention for us and blocking the wind and waves from all sides, isn't it a good thing?"

These words were like enlightenment dropping from above; Xiao Sa instantly came to a realization and sincerely praised:

"Brilliant, President! You are playing a big game of chess, letting them be targets in the open while we develop in the shadows. High, truly high!"

"Alright."

Fang Cheng interrupted his flattery and continued to ask:

"Over on Chen Chen's side, getting the news that the Xiao Family has stepped in, he should have breathed a sigh of relief as well, right?"

"Yes, his mood is much better."

Xiao Sa immediately returned to the main topic:

"However, Chen Chen is still very worried, afraid that after experiencing this incident, he will be settled accounts with in autumn by Noah Organization and purged as an abandoned chess piece."

"I heard he is secretly transferring assets and preparing to run away at any time."

"You tell him to stay peaceably in Dongdu and just observe the wind direction first."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng deliberated for a moment, then instructed:

"My previous promise remains valid. Starting today, Illuminati can officially absorb Red Tiger Gang as our peripheral force."

"But on the surface, he still needs to continue prevaricating with Noah Organization and keep an eye on their movements for us."

Fang Cheng didn't plan to let Chen Chen just run away like that; after all, this guy still had plenty of utilization value.

"Understood."

Hearing this, Xiao Sa hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"Of course, as a condition for protection, the protection fee he ought to pay cannot be a single cent less."

A trace of playfulness entered Fang Cheng's tone:

"A-Ren, you must know that in the Early Stage of Illuminati's establishment, the headquarters needs to be built, personnel need to be supported, and money is awaited in all aspects. We are very short on funds right now."

In Fang Cheng's eyes, Chen Chen was like a walking wallet, capable of bursting gold coins at any time.

And the entire Yuanchen Group and Red Tiger Gang were even a ready-made ATM that had to be tightly grasped in his hands.

"Yes! I will definitely pry the money out from that old fox Chen Chen for you!"

Xiao Sa's spirits perked up, feeling that he finally had a specific direction to contribute to the organization.

"And."

Fang Cheng's voice suddenly sank as he warned:

"You must tell Chen Chen that there are two kinds of businesses the Red Tiger Gang must never touch: first is white powder, and second is human trafficking."

"Rest assured, President, I will get the words across."

Xiao Sa immediately made a guarantee and explained a few more sentences about this:

"As far as I know, ever since the matter with Wu Shihao, the white powder business inside the Red Tiger Gang has been completely cut off."

"Chen Chen has always wanted to wash clean and go ashore, knowing that this thing cannot be touched, and issued strict orders more than a year ago."

"Wu Shihao secretly did it behind his back back then, and as a result, when something happened, it provoked police investigation, making Chen Chen also get filthy water all over his crotch."

"He also deeply detests such matters now and has let it be known that whoever dares to secretly mess with powder will have their limbs broken and be expelled from the gang."

"He is still quite smart."

Fang Cheng slightly nodded and gave a comment.

Xiao Sa paused, then said with some hesitation:

"As for human trafficking, if Noah Organization gives the order, I'm afraid Chen Chen will find it hard to refuse."

"Rest assured, Noah Organization is currently unable to protect itself, with Special Investigation Team watching them, and dares not make big Moves right now. As for a year or two later..."

Fang Cheng let out a cold snort, leaving his words unfinished.

But Xiao Sa instantly grasped the implication within.

A few years later, Illuminati's influence will be completely established. By then, who would still dare to point fingers at them?

For the President's grand blueprint, Xiao Sa did not have the slightest shred of doubt.

In his heart, this man, as dazzling as the sun, was the synonym for omnipotence.

As long as he closely followed his footsteps, he would definitely witness the arrival of a new era.

Amidst his excitement, Xiao Sa remembered the task on hand, immediately suppressed his churning emotions, and taking this opportunity, reported his recent work progress in detail.

"Right, President, regarding the preparation matters for Illuminati, I've also made some progress."

"Speak."

"According to your requirements, I have preliminarily screened two locations for the headquarters."

Xiao Sa cleared his throat to make his voice sound steadier:

"One is near the Jinshui Fish Market in Linggang District. It's a mix of dragons and snakes there, with many old buildings and many monitoring blind spots, which fits the concealment requirements of a secret base."

"Moreover, it's not far from where I live now, and I'm quite familiar with the surrounding situation, making it convenient for me to look after it at any time. Any slight disturbance cannot hide from my eyes."

Xiao Sa paused, waiting for Fang Cheng's instructions. Seeing that no negative voice came from the other end of the phone, he continued:

"The other is at the Dingqiao Industrial Park in the west of JB District. There is a closed-down textile factory there, with a very large underground air-raid shelter."

"The place is big enough, which is convenient for us to expand manpower and modify training facilities later. Moreover, many factories in the industrial park have moved out, and there is basically no one at night. No matter what we do, it's not easy to attract attention."

"I plan to go for a field trip in person these two days to see which one is more suitable."

"Very good. After the inspection, send me the detailed information."

Fang Cheng slightly nodded, expressing affirmation for his work efficiency.

"As for the organization members."

Getting the President's approval, Xiao Sa's tone couldn't help but become excited:

"Yesterday when I went to the Jinshui Fish Market to scout out the location, I might have scouted out a suitable financial personnel."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Fang Cheng grew interested.

"His name is Wang Li, previously an accountant at a listed company, and his professional ability is very strong."

Xiao Sa immediately told what he had found out:

"I heard that because he bumped into the higher-ups cooking the books, he was framed in return, not only losing his job but also carrying a debt all over."

"His wife is seriously ill, and now he can only help people Move goods in the market to earn some hard-earned money. Life is extremely miserable, and he was even cornered in an alley and beaten up by debt collectors a couple of days ago."

Fang Cheng listened quietly on the other end of the phone, rapidly analyzing this information in his mind.

Being framed by his boss for exposing corporate dark secrets, and preferring to be ruined rather than wallow in the muck with them, this precisely proved that this person had a streak of righteousness in his bones.

A professional accountant had a relatively clean social circle and no messy interest relationships.

Now, his career was completely destroyed, his wife was seriously ill, debt-ridden, and he could only make a living by selling physical strength.

This situation perfectly matched Fang Cheng's proposed standards of "simple background, sterling character, and desperate predicament."

Such a person, once pulled out of the mire and given a new life, his loyalty should be fully guaranteed.

"Don't alert him yet."

Fang Cheng considered for a while and instructed:

"Send people to check his ancestral three generations thoroughly, confirm that every word he said is true without any concealment. Once the investigation is clear, I will go meet him in person."

"Yes, I will go handle it right away!"

The phone hung up. Holding his mobile phone, Xiao Sa felt a fire ignite in his chest, filled with endless strength.

Without a moment's delay, he strode to pull open the office door and walked out.

His heart could no longer hold back, wanting to add his own first brick to the magnificent building of Illuminati that was about to rise from the ground.

On the other end of the city, Fang Cheng stood in the bedroom and slowly put away his phone.

He walked to the window and cast his gaze outward.

In the courtyard, Grandfather was bending over, wearing gloves, meticulously tending to his flowers and plants, occasionally humming a little tune.

Mother carried a canvas vegetable basket, walked out of the house, and when pushing open the courtyard door, turned back to instruct:

"Dad, the sun is good today, don't work too long either. I'll go buy some prawns back to make fresh shrimp and tofu soup for you and Chengcheng."

The door hinge made a "creak" sound, and Mother's figure quickly merged into the stream of people outside the door.

Fang Cheng crossed his line of sight over the courtyard wall.

On the street downstairs, the playful noise of children chasing and the clear peddling shouts of vendors rose one after another, weaving into a vivid market scroll.

Looking further into the distance, Yulong Lake, surrounded by shade, rippled with fine golden light under the sun, like being sprinkled with countless diamonds.

The relatives in the courtyard, the hustle and bustle of the marketplace, the lake scenery in the distance...

Fang Cheng let out a soft breath, a trace of emotion inexplicably welling up in his heart.

What he wanted to protect was precisely the world composed of all these fragmentary daily routines.

The primary purpose of establishing Illuminati was to weave a net tough enough to isolate all potential threats outside.

But Fang Cheng's ambition went far beyond this.

When this net was big enough, when his eyes and ears spread across every corner of the city, when he possessed the power to pry open everything, perhaps...

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng's eyes suddenly turned sharp.

Perhaps he could start investigating that sealed-away old case from seventeen years ago.

That serial murder case that completely destroyed his father's life, and that shooting case full of doubts.

He wanted to find the real murderer, uproot those evils hidden in the darkness, and wash away all grievances for his father.

For a long time, Fang Cheng withdrew his gaze and slowly calmed the churning thoughts in his heart.

Whether guarding the present or investigating the past, wanting to hold fate firmly in one's own hands required absolute strength as a Foundation.

Fang Cheng walked to the center of the bedroom and continued his afternoon workout.

His feet apart, his hands slowly lifted, holding an imaginary circle in front of his chest, striking an opening Move of Tai Chi.

Then dropping his shoulders and elbows, stepping forward and extending his arms, a Move of "Wild Horse Parts Its Mane" unfolded slowly like floating clouds and flowing water.

His movements did not pursue external rigidity and fierceness, but everywhere exuded a charm of integration and freedom.

As the Move was continuously practiced, a marvelous sense of coordination spread throughout his body.

It was as if every joint and every inch of muscle was connected by an invisible airflow, forming an integrated whole.

About an hour later.

Fang Cheng slowly closed his stance, his hands crossed in front of his abdomen, and his feet together.

A long breath was exhaled from his chest and abdomen, and the strength of his whole body was completely restrained, with Qi sinking into the Dantian.

In the air before him, a light-blue light screen quietly emerged.

[ Tai Chi Experience + 4 ]

[ Tai Chi lv1 (227 / 250) ]

It only needed twenty-some more points of experience to level up.

Fang Cheng turned his head to look out the window; the afternoon sunlight was still warm and bright.

Thinking about it, he stepped to the window and pulled the thick curtains closed.

The room suddenly darkened.

Fang Cheng sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and then began to Cultivate Visualization.

The practice method of Visualization was different from past Meditation.

As he entered the deep state, his consciousness did not sink into emptiness, but directly crossed the boundaries of matter and spirit.

As if breaking free of physical shackles, in an instant it soared upwards, then transformed into a blazing great sun hanging high in the sky.

Overlooking from above, the Inner Scene World was completely in view.

This island, isolated and hanging in the dark Void Realm, bathed in sunlight, still appeared somewhat desolate.

In the center of the island, a towering golden palace stood alone.

In the northwest corner was the abandoned psychiatric hospital used for trials.

Aside from that, there were micro-mountain ranges with peak heights of no more than several hundred meters, and rivers stretching for several kilometers.

The entire world lacked sufficient details and Life Qi.

Fang Cheng's gaze swept across, his mind stirring slightly.

I saw the flat ground on the eastern side of the island begin to rumble, soil churning.

Several smoothly-lined hills rose from the ground, adding some undulation to the monotonous terrain.

Then, several wide roads emerged out of thin air, extending successively from the foot of the palace and traversing all directions of the island.

As for the flattened area around the palace, amidst flashing lights, black floor tiles laid themselves out automatically.

Soon, a magnificent square formed.

In the center of the square, a fountain water column shot into the sky, surrounded by exquisitely shaped statues and gorgeous porches.

Fang Cheng tirelessly modified his own world, just like playing a sandbox game with extremely high freedom.

I don't know how much time had passed when a soft voice seemed to come from the horizon, piercing through the barrier of spirit and drifting into his ears.

"Chengcheng, come down to eat..."

It was Mother's shouting voice coming from downstairs.

Fang Cheng opened his eyes, a flash of golden light vanishing in the depths of his pupils.

Orange afterglow seeped through the gap in the curtains, reflecting on the dark floor.

Unwittingly, it was already dusk.

The panel before his eyes flickered with a slight glow, popping up a prompt message.

[ Visualization Experience + 3 ]

[ Visualization lv3 (42 / 1000) ]

Fang Cheng felt the subtle growth of Mental Energy, with thoughts in his heart.

Just as Ma Jianguo said, Visualization and Meditation were indeed two different paths.

The core of Meditation lay in "maintaining tranquility", emptying distracting thoughts, experiencing nothingness, a passive acceptance.

While the essence of Visualization was "dynamism", using one's own will as the dominant factor to actively construct and influence the mental world.

Every time he used his mind to modify the Inner Scene World, it was an active application of mental power, a tempering of his own will.

Just like building the psychiatric hospital instance dungeon before, letting Xiao Sa and Xu Hao practice and gain experience inside, all of it had brought him quite a bit of experience.

Fang Cheng stretched his muscles and bones after sitting for a long time, then got up and went downstairs.

The dining room was brightly lit, and meals had already been set on the dining table.

A few home-style stir-fries, a plate of emerald-green Qingming cakes, and a few snow-white mochi.

And a steaming pot of fresh shrimp and tofu soup, its savory aroma rushing to the nose.

"Did you wash your face? Sit down quickly, it just came out of the pot."

Li Biyun handed over a pair of chopsticks. She thought her son was tired from morning exercise and was catching up on sleep in his room during the afternoon.

Grandfather Li Zhenhua had already sat down, picked up a Qingming cake, chewed it carefully, and sighed:

"This taste is still the best, I just don't know if your uncle will be able to eat it this year."

"He loved eating this the most before, and I have no idea what he is busy with down south, not returning for so long."

(End of Chapter)