545: Chapter 545 The Clown Leader, His Soul Leaves His Body

Chapter 545: The Clown Leader, Primordial Spirit Leaving the Body

Under the cover of night, Dongdu resembled a dormant steel behemoth.

Countless streams of traffic converged into glowing blood vessels, surging and flowing through the crevices of the concrete forest.

Fang Cheng gazed at the bizarre and kaleidoscopic night view, his eyes flickering slightly.

He didn't actually know Shen Wei very well, and most things about him were hearsay.

But undeniably, he had always been good to him.

Starting from his initial days as a sparring partner at the club, Shen Wei, as the backer boss, had given him a salary that was already the top in the industry.

Later on, he even had Manager Li select him as the Annual Employee of the Year and hired him as the club's brand spokesperson.

Back then, it was the initial stage when he had just undergone Awakening of the System, making him most in need of money to buy supplements and resources to Cultivate.

At the same time, his maternal grandfather's cancer worsened, and he stayed in the intensive care unit every day, spending money like water, which stretched the family's financial situation to the limit.

His mother and uncle were furrowing their brows and borrowing money everywhere to raise the expensive surgical fees.

The red envelopes and high salary given by Shen Wei resolved the family's urgent needs, and it was no exaggeration to call it providing timely help in the snow.

More importantly, after guessing that he might be the murderer behind the "Port Warehouse Annihilation Case", Shen Wei did not use this as leverage to blackmail him into doing dirty work or seeking any benefits.

Instead, he valued his development potential and chose to keep the secret for him.

This kind of behavior could be said to be a brilliant investment and a rare display of Jianghu loyalty.

Although this person came from the underworld, he had long-term vision and did things very properly, completely unlike other Gang bosses who were blinded by greed and acted despicably.

Fang Cheng had always been a person who repaid gratitude.

If others respected him by a foot, he would respect them by ten.

Both out of emotion and reason, he had to step in and help out in this matter.

"However..."

Fang Cheng furrowed his brows slightly, his palms pressing against the windowsill.

Repaying a favor was one thing, but acting rashly was another.

What unknown truth was hidden in that so-called orphanage?

How many members did that Blood Thorn Mercenary Group have, and what was their specific strength?

Under the condition of severe intelligence shortage, rashly intervening in this level of extraordinary being combat was equivalent to walking a tightrope on the edge of a cliff.

Once he missed a step, the situation he had managed to build up with great difficulty, and even his life, would be thrown in.

Fang Cheng was no saint.

As the leader of the Illuminati, tied to the safety of many people, he had to calculate the costs and risks.

"Special orphans... capture... don't kill Shen Wei..."

Fang Cheng muttered to himself, a flash of electricity suddenly crossing his mind.

If it was really as A-Le guessed, the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group capturing Shen Wei was not for money nor territory, but targeted at the children in the orphanage who possessed special abilities.

Then, the cause and effect of this matter made complete sense.

As his thoughts turned, Cheng Jiashu's warning words in the television tower lounge the other day clearly resurfaced in his ears.

Representing the Noah Organization, the Xiao Family was conducting deep cooperation with the military, advancing a major project named "Human Genome Decryption Project".

During the experiment process, they needed a large amount of active Materials.

And the so-called active Materials included those wild extraordinary beings who were not on the government census list and were helpless.

For this reason, they even posted a high reward on the black market of Night City.

Stringing all kinds of clues together, the truth suddenly became clear.

This was by no means a simple Gang vendetta; it was a pure hunting behavior.

Once those children fell into the hands of these people, what awaited them was by no means a good destination.

Instead, it was a cold operating table, the despair of being imprisoned and tortured, and an inescapable Hell!

Thinking of this, the hesitation in the depths of Fang Cheng's eyes completely dissipated, replaced by a soul-stirring chill.

If it were merely to repay a favor, he might still deliberate repeatedly.

But involving treating children as lab mice for vivisection, this touched his bottom line.

You must know that back when he created the "Illuminati", Fang Cheng had solemnly made a vow to core members like Lin Chuqiao and the professor.

The purpose of this organization was to become a beacon illuminating the dark world, sheltering those extraordinary beings peers who yearned to enjoy a normal life but were not accepted by secular society.

If he chose to turn a blind eye today when facing this group of helpless children.

Then this beacon had yet to truly be built before it collapsed.

Looking back in the future, how could his thoughts be unobstructed?

After some weighing, Fang Cheng already had a decision in his heart.

He then turned around, his gaze falling on A-Le, who was still kneeling on the ground.

Because the previous movement of struggling to get up was too big, this fellow's wound burst open again, and the crimson blood completely soaked the bandage around his waist.

The pain made his body tremble uncontrollably, and bead-like sweat streamed down his face.

But he still straightened his spine, his knees nailed to the ground like they had grown roots.

It seemed as long as Fang Cheng didn't agree, he intended to keep kneeling down.

"Get up."

Fang Cheng's voice remained flat, but the chill in his tone dissipated quite a bit:

"I'll take this matter."

A-Le suddenly raised his head, those eyes that had dimmed due to despair instantly lit up, like sparks on the verge of extinguishing being reignited.

But he didn't get up immediately. Instead, he braced his hands on the ground, knocking his forehead heavily against the floor, making a muffled thud.

"Mr. Fang, if we can rescue the Chairman this time, A-Le's life will belong to you from now on!"

His voice was hoarse and dry, yet it exuded a sense of determination:

"Even if I am smashed to pieces, I will have no complaints!"

Fang Cheng looked at this blood-stirring fellow beneath his feet and sighed inwardly.

To be A-Le to do this much to save the boss he followed was indeed worthy of respect.

As for A-Le rashly finding his way to his home, he was driven to a dead end, so he couldn't be blamed.

Putting himself in another's shoes, if it were him, he would probably make the same choice.

Fang Cheng then stepped in front of A-Le, reached out a hand, and grabbed his arm.

"Stop kneeling, a man's knees are worth gold."

While speaking, he exerted a slight force with his hand.

A tremendous force was instantly transmitted over, and A-Le didn't even have time to make any reaction.

His whole body was lifted up lightly like an infant, and then steadily pressed to sit on a chair.

Fang Cheng turned and walked to the coffee table, picked up a paper cup, poured a cup of warm water, and handed it in front of A-Le.

A-Le took it with both hands full of gratitude, the warmth of the cup wall transmitting through his fingertips.

His lips moved, seeming to want to say something more, but because his throat was tight, he could only emit a few incoherent sobs.

"Alright, enough nonsense."

Fang Cheng didn't give him a chance to continue being emotional, waved his hand, and his gaze suddenly turned sharp:

"Since we are going to act, we must first figure out the opponent's background."

"You just said there were three people who acted from the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group this time. Aside from the skinny guy who can turn invisible, the foreign devil who sets fires, and that cannibalistic muscular monster, who else is left?"

"There is one more person."

A-Le gulped a large mouthful of water, moistening his thirsty throat and forcing himself to calm down again:

"However, this fourth person never made a move from beginning to end."

"Oh?"

Fang Cheng raised his eyebrows slightly.

"That person should be their leader."

A-Le furrowed his brows tightly, his brain spinning at high speed, trying hard to recall that terrifying scene last night:

"He wore a funny clown mask on his face, ordinary clothes, and had a medium build. If he weren't holding a gun in his hand, he would look like an ordinary passerby seen everywhere."

"But he gave me the most dangerous feeling, even more terrifying than that cannibalistic monster."

A look of dread appeared on A-Le's face, and his fingers holding the water cup tightened involuntarily:

"I remember very clearly that at that time, the muscular monster was red-eyed from killing, grabbed Lao Hei's head and exploded it with one hand, opening its big mouth to bite the corpse."

"The man wearing the clown mask just coughed lightly."

"Then, that monster immediately shook its whole body like a tamed wild dog, instantly let out its mouth, threw the corpse aside, and obediently went to chase and kill others."

Speaking of this, A-Le swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and his throat felt a bit dry again:

"A person who can suppress this kind of bloodthirsty monster is definitely a ruthless character, and his strength is unfathomable."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, secretly keeping it in mind.

Such a calm and mysterious figure often possessed bizarre and unpredictable abilities, making them the hardest to deal with.

After pondering for a moment, he then asked:

"Where did they go after capturing Chairman Shen? Do you know?"

"I don't know the specifics."

A trace of entanglement appeared on A-Le's face:

"According to my speculation, after they captured the Chairman, there were only two places they could go."

"Either continue heading to that orphanage, or return to the headquarters of the Dongcheng Association."

"This afternoon, dragging my injuries, I secretly sneaked near these two places, found a high vantage point to observe for a long time, and found that everything was calm and peaceful without any anomalies."

"This shows that the Chairman probably hasn't yielded and compromised yet, and their scheme hasn't succeeded."

"Therefore, my idea is to keep an eye on these two places, wait for them to show up, and then have Mr. Fang step forward to negotiate with them to see what they actually need and whether it can be peacefully resolved."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng furrowed his brows slightly.

Doing this was purely leaving it to luck, pretty much like waiting by a tree for a hare.

What if the other party had no intention of going to these two places at all? Wouldn't they have to wait in vain forever?

It was simply too passive.

Seeing Fang Cheng shake his head, seemingly very dissatisfied with this plan, A-Le panicked in his heart and quickly added:

"Right! There is another detail!"

"My hearing is a bit better than ordinary people. When escaping, I faintly heard the leader answer a phone call."

"The wind was very loud, but I am sure I heard the words 'Jiangdong CBD New District', and he also said... to send a helicopter over to pick up and drop off goods."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng was slightly startled.

Jiangdong CBD New District was the most prosperous financial center in Dongdu, where every inch of land was worth gold.

There were skyscrapers everywhere, buildings dense like a concrete forest, and streets narrow and congested.

Where was there any venue where a helicopter could safely land and pick up and drop off goods?

Unless...

Fang Cheng turned his head to look out the window, his gaze piercing through layers of building shadows, looking at that brightly lit area in the distance.

In the bustling area of the city, a place that wanted to avoid the public's sight and was suitable for helicopters to conduct secret "goods" handovers.

There was only one possibility.

That was the rooftop of a skyscraper.

At the beginning of their design, many super-high-rise buildings would reserve helipads on the roof.

A bright light instantly flashed in Fang Cheng's eyes.

Combined with the black market mission posted by the Xiao Family in Night City, the "goods" in the words of the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group were obviously the extraordinary beings they captured.

As a result, the answer was ready to come out.

After all, such a sensitive vivisection transaction would easily encounter twists and turns if conducted on the ground, attracting the Special Investigation Team's review.

And air transportation was undoubtedly the safest and fastest way.

If you wanted to intercept, unless you could Flight or were likewise Driving a helicopter in pursuit, you could only sigh in despair.

At this thought, the fog lingering before his eyes dissipated for the most part.

Fang Cheng immediately raised his head to glance at the wall clock; the pointer was currently pointing at the ten-thirty position.

There was an even more important point.

Such shady business could never be carried out in broad daylight, and nine times out of ten, they would choose to act in the middle of the night.

Right now, that group of fierce bandits was very likely located on the rooftop of a certain skyscraper.

If they wanted to save people, now was the time to race against time.

But they couldn't just rush over on a hot head; necessary intelligence work had to be done in advance.

And the information currently provided by A-Le was obviously not enough to support a successful raid.

"Wait for me a moment."

After careful consideration, Fang Cheng already had a preliminary plan in his heart.

He didn't explain much, just simply instructed A-Le.

Immediately, he walked to the open space in the center of the living room and sat cross-legged directly on the floor.

His hands hung down naturally, his spine was held straight, and his breathing rhythm quickly became long and smooth.

In just two or three breaths, his whole body became still and motionless, as if an old monk entering meditation.

A-Le held that disposable paper cup, sitting stiffly on the chair with a stunned expression.

He looked at Fang Cheng, who was resting his eyes, and the corners of his eyes couldn't help twitching twice.

This... was he sleeping?

Moreover, at this critical juncture where things were burning his eyebrows?

At that moment, a sense of absurdity even welled up in A-Le's heart. He wanted to open his mouth to urge him, but was deterred by the invisible Qi emanating from Fang Cheng's body.

He stared at Fang Cheng's calm and wave-less face, and various rumors about extraordinary beings suddenly flashed through his mind.

He had heard that those true experts all possessed magical and unpredictable extraordinary abilities.

Perhaps, Fang Cheng was like the Immortal in legends, with his Primordial Spirit Leaving the Body, letting his soul wander outside?

Thinking of this, A-Le forcefully suppressed the anxiety in his heart and swallowed the words that reached his lips back into his stomach.

Since he had placed his bets on him, he could only believe in him implicitly.

The room quieted down, so quiet it was somewhat oppressive.

Only that old-fashioned wall clock on the wall made a monotonous and mechanical sound.

"Click", "click".

Every sound was like knocking on A-Le's tight nerves.

The wind outside the window seemed a bit louder, blowing the aluminum alloy window frame to emit a slight vibration sound.

A-Le didn't dare to move around blindly, afraid of disturbing Fang Cheng, and could only maintain that rigid posture.

The wound on his abdomen was still aching faintly, and cold sweat slid down his temples, dripping into his collar, bringing a sticky coolness.

He frequently raised his head to look at the pointers of the wall clock, and then stared closely at Fang Cheng, who was motionless.

The passage of every second was a torment for him.

Ten minutes.

Twenty minutes.

When the hour hand was about to point to eleven o'clock, a speeding modified sports car in the distance made a harsh roar, breaking the silence in the room.

Right at this moment, Fang Cheng, who had been like a sculpture all along, flickered his eyelashes slightly.

Subsequently, those tightly closed eyes slowly opened.

There was no sleepiness in them; instead, they were clear and bright.

Resembling two bottomless cold springs, a soul-stirring golden light vaguely flashed past.

"Mr. Fang?"

A-Le had been staring at him all along, and seeing this, his body immediately leaned forward, asking eagerly:

"How is it? Can we take action?"