542: Chapter 542 New Members Arrive in Dongdu, Figures in the Dark

As the night grew deeper, the hustle and bustle of the city gradually settled down.

A black Land Rover SUV steadily drove into the "Cuihu Yipin" high-end apartment complex.

The greenery here was exceptional, and the air was filled with a faint floral fragrance, making it feel like a completely different world from the dusty construction site earlier.

The streetlights cast elongated shadows of the phoenix trees by the road, slowly sweeping past the car windows.

Fang Cheng held the steering wheel with both hands, gazing at the road ahead and deliberately slowing down.

Beside him, Lin Chuqiao propped her chin with one hand, looking at the familiar scenery outside the window with a faint smile rippling at the corners of her lips.

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After coming out of that private-cuisine restaurant on Baiyun Street, the two went to see a newly released horror movie.

Although the plot of the movie was clichéd, it couldn't scare two people who had witnessed truly big storms.

But the atmosphere of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the dark made tonight's date appear exceptionally Perfection.

The car slowly moved along the winding tree-lined path and finally stopped under a brightly lit apartment building.

Fang Cheng pulled the handbrake, unlocked the central control, and turned to look at the beauty in the passenger seat:

"You've worked hard today, accompanying me to the construction site for a whole day."

"If every day could be compensated with a big meal and a movie, I'd accept a few more days of hardship."

Lin Chuqiao unbuckled her seatbelt, but she wasn't in a hurry to get out of the car. Instead, she lazily leaned against the backrest, tilted her head, and smiled:

"However, tomorrow won't be this easy."

"The decoration of the Jinshui Fish Market has reached a critical stage, and the hard decoration has just entered. I really won't feel at ease if I don't keep an eye on those Materials, so I'm afraid I'll have to spend the whole day there."

"Don't push yourself too hard regarding the decoration; your health is what matters most."

Fang Cheng looked at her slightly tired yet still radiant face, his tone softening a bit:

"Go up early to rest, take a hot bath, and don't look at those blueprints and Materials tonight."

"Got it, Boss."

Lin Chuqiao smiled and uttered a playful rebuke, pushing open the car door.

That pair of long legs wrapped in flesh-colored silk stockings gracefully stepped out of the car, and her high heels landed lightly, making a crisp sound.

She closed the car door, but instead of leaving directly, she leaned over slightly, placed her hands on the half-rolled-down car window, and leaned forward to look at Fang Cheng.

Just as she was about to wave goodbye, her movement suddenly stopped:

"Oh dear, I almost forgot."

It was as if she had just remembered something, and she frowned with a bit of distress:

"My Maserati is still left over at the factory and hasn't been driven back. I'm afraid I'll have to take a taxi to the company tomorrow morning."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng couldn't help but laugh. Looking into her eyes, which carried a hint of anticipation, how could he not understand her little thoughts:

"Take what taxi? I'll come pick you up early tomorrow morning."

After a pause, he added another sentence:

"It's on the way to drop you off at the fish market anyway. I'll go check out the progress too, and we can have breakfast together afterwards."

"You said this, no sleeping in or being late, oh!"

Hearing this, Lin Chuqiao's previously furrowed brows instantly smoothed out, a bright and moving smile hooked at the corners of her lips, and her eyes shimmered:

"Then I'm leaving, bye-bye, good night."

"Good night."

Watching Lin Chuqiao's swaying and graceful figure walk into the unit door, until the sensing glass door slowly closed, Fang Cheng withdrew his gaze.

Shifting gears, he stepped on the gas.

The Land Rover's body slowly turned around and drove away from this quiet high-end residential area.

Returning to the main road, the traffic was much sparser and had become much emptier.

The tall buildings on both sides were still flashing with neon lights, and mottled lights and shadows constantly swept past the car windows.

The carriage was very quiet, with only the slight tire noise of the tires grinding against the road surface.

Fang Cheng operated the steering wheel with one hand, his thoughts seeming to fly along with the flowing light outside the window.

"Hum—Hum—"

The mobile phone placed on the armrest box suddenly vibrated, breaking this tranquility.

The screen lit up at the same time, displaying the two words "Professor".

Fang Cheng lowered his head to look, then pressed the answer button and casually turned on the speakerphone.

"President, sorry to disturb your rest so late."

A cultured and refined middle-aged male voice came from the other end of the phone, appearing quite polite.

"It's fine, Professor."

Fang Cheng held the steering wheel with both hands, his gaze calmly gazing at the road conditions ahead:

"I'm out taking care of some business, currently in the car, rushing home."

While speaking, he gently turned the steering wheel to change lanes, overtaking a slow-moving truck, and then asked:

"Has the matter of recruiting organization members been settled?"

"Yes, fortunately I did not fail the mission."

There was a trace of travel-worn fatigue in the Professor's tone, but more of it was excitement:

"I just came out of the airport. This recruitment operation to the other provinces went very smoothly."

"You've worked hard, Professor."

Fang Cheng offered a word of comfort, then continued:

"Tell me the specific situation."

"Yes."

The Professor cleared his throat, his tone becoming solemn:

"This time for the first batch, I brought back a total of five new members."

"Some of them are old friends I knew before, some are descendants left behind by deceased friends, and others are reliable candidates personally recommended by them."

"These people have clean backgrounds. After investigation, their character is absolutely top-notch, and we know them inside and out."

"Oh?"

A flash of anticipation flickered in Fang Cheng's eyes:

"What kind of people are they? What abilities do they possess?"

The Professor weighed his phrasing, then began to introduce them in detail:

"Among these five people, two are rare Mental Energy-type Awakened individuals."

"One of them is the daughter of my deceased friend, named Xiaoya, who just Awakening 'Telekinesis Control'."

"Although she can currently only move objects of a few kilograms, her advantage lies in her stable Mental Energy. She is very young and has extremely strong plasticity."

"As long as she receives a little training, she can handle delicate combat or auxiliary tasks. I plan to assign her to the Intelligence Department first and keep her by my side to teach her personally."

"The other is called Old Chen. The ability he awakened is 'Super-sensory Hearing'."

"Not only is his hearing acute, able to capture conversations up to a kilometer away at most, but he can even emit infrasound waves for interference attacks. He is a rare and excellent intelligence reconnaissance expert."

Speaking of this, the Professor's tone paused slightly, and then he continued:

"In addition to this, there are three combat-type members."

"One has awakened 'Visual Reinforcement', possessing dynamic vision locking and farsightedness capabilities. He is a born sharpshooter and can hold his own whether placed in the Action Department or the Intelligence Department."

"The remaining two are both physical reinforcement types. One is the strength type, thick-skinned and fleshy, able to tank and fight; the other is the speed type, flexible in movement and skilled in raids."

"These two have rich practical combat experience and are precisely the assault force urgently needed by the Action Department right now."

Listening to the report, Fang Cheng nodded with satisfaction.

The Illuminati is currently in a period where personnel are needed, and the addition of this fresh blood is undoubtedly timely assistance.

"Well done."

He pondered for a moment and quickly made arrangements:

"Tomorrow morning at nine, bring these people to the Jinshui Fish Base to see me. Tonight, find a star-rated hotel for them to stay in and get a good night's rest. All expenses will be charged to the organization's account."

"There's no need to be that troublesome."

The Professor on the other end of the phone smiled, his tone sincere:

"I still have this little bit of pocket money myself, just consider it my contribution to the organization..."

"No."

Fang Cheng directly interrupted him, and although his tone was gentle, it exuded a sense of majesty:

"Business is business, and personal is personal. If the organization wants to go far, the rules must be established upfront."

"If even basic logistical expenses have to be paid out of pocket by individuals, what difference do we have from a Jianghu amateur troupe?"

"This is a matter of principle, and it is also related to the Foundation that allows the Illuminati to develop and grow."

The other end of the phone fell silent for two seconds, followed by the Professor's voice filled with awe and respect:

"I understand. President is insightful, it was my narrow-mindedness. I will handle it according to your instructions."

"Mhm, see you tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone, Fang Cheng threw the phone onto the passenger seat, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

With this batch of newcomers, plus the original nine backbone members, the framework of the Illuminati could be considered initially set up.

And...

Fang Cheng looked at the flashing red light at the intersection, slowly stepped on the brake, and stopped to wait.

Since the new members recruited by the Professor have already arrived in Dongdu, it can just resolve the current shortage of manpower.

Over at Jiuchang Street, Monkey and Dachui have been tailing for four or five days in a row.

Even if an Awakened's energy is more abundant than an ordinary person's, they couldn't withstand such consecutive days of high-concentration mental monitoring tasks.

Even iron-forged people need to rotate and rest.

Fang Cheng calculated inwardly.

Tomorrow, let the new members get familiar with the situation here first, and Acquired, arrange for Old Chen with 'Super-sensory Hearing' and the sharpshooter with 'Visual Reinforcement' to replace them.

Also, over at Wanghu Town, there has always been a lack of manpower responsible for monitoring and protection.

Those two physical reinforcement guys can be sent over to hold down the fort, with uncle leading them.

As for the little girl with telekinesis potential...

Fang Cheng thought of Lin Chuqiao, who was similarly busy running off her feet.

Right on time, she can be sent to follow Lin Chuqiao.

She can act as a close bodyguard and also run errands like Xiaosa, assisting in handling the complicated affairs of the base's preparation and construction.

In this way, the manpower in hand became active.

However, before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the mobile phone screen that had just gone dark lit up again.

The displayed number turned out to be Monkey's.

Fang Cheng raised his eyebrows slightly and quickly answered.

"President!"

Monkey's voice was kept very low, but his speaking speed was more urgent than any previous time:

"That man is here again!"

Fang Cheng's eyes instantly condensed, and he asked in a deep voice:

"Just arrived? Are you sure it's the person from daytime?"

"Sure, President."

Monkey answered crisply and neatly:

"Dressed exactly the same as in the afternoon. Just now, Dachui and I watched with our own eyes as he sneaked into the Tubular Building."

"Because of your order, we didn't dare to act rashly and reported to you at the first instance, asking for instructions."

Fang Cheng's brows knitted tightly, and then he asked another sentence:

"Did he come alone?"

"Yes, no other suspicious personnel were found tailing behind."

Monkey's tone was very resolute.

What on earth does this guy want to do?

Fang Cheng's hand holding the steering wheel couldn't help tightening slightly, and a cold, fierce light flashed in his eyes.

Since the other party returned at this time point and went straight to his residence, they obviously had a clear purpose.

"Keep a close eye on him, don't let him run."

Fang Cheng pondered for a moment and immediately issued an order:

"I'll be right there!"

"Yes!"

Hanging up the phone, Fang Cheng stuffed the phone back into his cross-body bag, raised his head, and stared at the intersection ahead.

The numbers of the red light countdown appeared exceptionally dazzling in the night.

Three, two, one.

The moment the green light lit up, Fang Cheng immediately released the brake and stepped deeply on the gas pedal.

Accompanied by a low, powerful roar from the engine.

The Land Rover's front slightly lifted, instantly accelerating to pass through the intersection and speeding towards Jiuchang Street.

...

The night was deep, but Jiuchang Street still hadn't gone to sleep.

The barbecue stalls by the street were still smoking, and the smell of cumin and pepper drifted along with the wind.

A few drunks who had drank too much wobbled and vomited against the base of the wall, making incoherent curses in their mouths.

The black Land Rover SUV quietly drove into the narrow street, its huge body almost grazing past the illegally built sheds on the roadside.

Finally, it steadily stopped in an empty space dozens of meters away from the Tubular Building.

Fang Cheng pushed the door open and got out of the car, shutting the door with a backhand.

There was no sound of locking.

His movements were very light, as if deliberately trying not to disturb anyone.

Raising his head to look at the floors with sporadic lights on, Fang Cheng pressed the miniature communicator hanging on his ear, walking upstairs quickly while asking in a low voice:

"Still inside?"

"Still inside."

Monkey's voice came immediately:

"Haven't seen the target come out."

"You and Dachui guard the hallway exit well, don't let people run away."

"Understood."

Cutting off the communication, Fang Cheng's figure flashed and had already plunged into the darkness of the hallway.

His footsteps were light and swift, landing on the concrete steps like cotton wool falling, and almost not a sound could be heard.

In the blink of an eye, the ninth floor was reached.

The lighting bulb in the corridor had been broken for a long time, and the surroundings were pitch black, permeated with a moldy smell and cooking fumes.

Only the faint light leaking through the door cracks of a few households barely outlined the contour of the aisle piled with debris.

Fang Cheng's eyes were piercingly bright, resembling a leopard hunting in the dark night, abruptly scanning a circle.

In the corridor, besides those abandoned old furniture and cardboard boxes, there was no figure of anyone, nor any signs of an ambush.

Therefore...

Fang Cheng's eyes condensed, his sight piercing through the darkness, landing on one of the house numbers—908.

That was his home.

Fang Cheng slowed his breathing, his muscles quietly tensing up, approaching step by step silently.

When passing by the door of Room 906, the loud voice of neighbor Auntie He came from inside:

"Xiumei, did you forget to turn off the faucet again after taking a bath? How wasteful it is for the water to flow like this!"

"Oh dear, I forgot! Going to turn it off right now!"

Zhou Xiumei's slightly dazed voice sounded right after.

Listening to this familiar and trivial conversation, Fang Cheng was expressionless, but his eyes became increasingly cold.

His fists clenched tightly, and a slight creaking sound came from between his knuckles.

He slightly quickened his pace, sweeping past Room 906.

Finally, he stopped at his own doorway.

Relying on his extraordinary sensory perception, Fang Cheng keenly discovered an abnormality.

On the concrete floor below the doorknob, there was actually a drop of dark red trace that had not yet completely dried.

Blood?

Fang Cheng's pupils shrank slightly.

He took a deep breath, then turned sideways, gently pressing his ear against the cold security door.

Invisible ripples rippled outward in all directions, passing through the thick door panel and probing into the darkness.

The noise from the surrounding neighbors was all filtered out, leaving only the commotion generated in this room.

An extremely faint yet somewhat hurried and chaotic breathing sound was clearly captured and transmitted to his eardrum.

The person was right inside.

And, it seemed injured?

Fang Cheng's gaze flickered slightly, thoughts spinning rapidly in his mind, and he immediately made a decision.

He slowly took out the key from his pocket, grabbed the doorknob, and deliberately made a crisp sound of metal collision.

"Click."

The door lock made a soft sound, and the latch retracted.

Fang Cheng pushed the door open and entered, gently closing the room door without going to press the switch on the wall.

The room was pitch black, the curtains were tightly drawn, and only fine light drilled in from the gaps.

But for Fang Cheng, this level of darkness did not affect his vision at all.

He only glanced at it, and quickly locked onto the corner of the living room.

In the shadow on the side of the wardrobe, a human-shaped outline was curled up.

Fang Cheng pretended as if he hadn't discovered anything, walking two steps in the living room nonchalantly, and muttered casually:

"Why is there a power outage?"

While speaking, he groped his way towards the table and picked up the teapot:

"Ah, I'm dying of thirst, let me drink some water first."

Just the moment his fingers touched the teacup, the person hidden in the shadow seemed to heave a sigh of relief, and their breathing rhythm showed a slight pause.

Right now!

The laziness in Fang Cheng's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a suffocating murderous intent.

"Bang!"

The red pine wooden floor under his feet suddenly shattered.

Fang Cheng's entire body was like a cannonball leaving its chamber, kicking up a shrill sonic boom, and instantly spanning a distance of three meters.

Too fast!

The person in the shadow had no time to make any reaction at all, only feeling darkness before their eyes as a terrifying giant force struck.

"Mph!"

Fang Cheng's right hand clasped the other's throat like an iron clamp, heavily pulling upwards using the momentum.

"Thud!"

With a muffled sound, the person was forcefully lifted up and pressed against the wall, shaking the wall plaster down in a rustle.

Immediately following, Fang Cheng's knee rose fiercely, propping against the other's lower abdomen, instantly stripping away all of the other's ability to resist.

"Cough... cough cough!"

The person let out a painful muffled grunt, their body instinctively wanting to struggle.

Yet they found that under the suppression of absolute strength, even moving a finger was very difficult to do.

"Fang... Fang Cheng... It's me..."

A hoarse voice was squeezed out with difficulty from between the fingers.

Fang Cheng's brows knitted, why did this voice sound a bit familiar?