563: Chapter 563 Fresh Blood, A Man Stronger Than a Monster

On the viaduct, the traffic crawled slowly.

Fang Cheng did not answer immediately. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly spoke:

"How are their current conditions?"

"Very well-behaved, and very cooperative."

The professor was obviously well-prepared and answered logically:

"For the sake of safety, I also arranged for them to stay at Yunyin Cottage, having Lao Chen and Eagle Eye take turns watching them."

"They have keen perception and high vigilance. Once there is any disturbance, they can notice it immediately."

There was a hidden meaning in these words: Until you gave your nod, these three people were both rescued victims and placed-under-house-arrest suspects, with absolutely no possibility of escape.

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, then asked:

"Have their identities and backgrounds been checked?"

"We interrogated them overnight yesterday."

The professor flipped through the notes at hand, accompanied by the sound of turning pages, and reported in detail:

"Those two young people are a couple. The guy is named Xu Kuan, twenty-four years old, originally an ordinary auto mechanic. His Awakening ability is 'Mechanical Intuition'."

"This is a very rare talent. Although he cannot create machinery out of thin air, he possesses terrifying technical learning capabilities. As long as his hands touch it, he can intuitively understand the internal structure and operational logic of the machinery to quickly repair and modify it."

"According to his confession, after Awakening his ability, he came to Dongdu to make a living and quickly became the top modification Great Master in the underground racing circle. It was precisely because of this miraculous modification technology that he was targeted by the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group, which needed vehicles modified."

"His girlfriend is named Jiang Yun, twenty-two years old, formerly a nurse. Her ability leans towards the spiritual perception type."

"In addition to keenly perceiving various emotions of the people around her and distinguishing malice from goodwill, she seems... to also possess the potential for 'Mind Reading'."

The professor's tone seemed a bit uncertain:

"During the interrogation, there were several times before I even finished voicing the question that she seemed to already know in advance and quickly gave the answer."

"However, this is just my feeling and requires further observation."

After a slight pause, the professor continued:

"As for that little girl, she is an orphan without a formal name, calling herself 'Douzi', only thirteen years old this year."

"This child's ability is 'Animal Communication', allowing her to control small urban animals such as mice, sparrows, or stray cats and dogs."

"Previously, when she was drifting on the streets, she survived by commanding these little things to steal food from restaurant kitchens."

After introducing the three, the professor sighed:

"They are all drifters from other provinces, with no family relations in Dongdu. Their backgrounds are cleaner than a blank sheet of paper."

"Their current state is very terrified and confused. They are cowering in the room not daring to come out, completely not knowing where to go."

Speaking of this, the professor's voice raised a bit, carrying a hint of probing:

"I simply observed them; these people do not have a bad Heart-Nature, nor do they have much cunning."

"Although their ability ratings are not high and their frontal combat power is limited, they are all very special in terms of support."

"Xu Kuan can be responsible for equipment maintenance and vehicle modification, Jiang Yun is responsible for screening intelligence and early warning, and Douzi is a born scout."

"If properly cultivated, it will be very useful for the future development of the organization. My suggestion is to try to absorb them."

Fang Cheng raised his eyebrows slightly.

The Illuminati is currently in its founding stage, and manpower is in short supply.

If they are truly innocent and reliable, it is indeed an opportunity to replenish fresh blood.

But the key to the problem lies precisely in the word "Trust".

People's hearts are separated by flesh, so without long-term getting along and testing, who can guarantee that they are truly innocent, honest, and reliable?

The people like Lao Chen, Eagle Eye, Xiaoya, Panghu, and Feiying previously recruited by the professor...

That was guaranteed by the professor's own personality. Some of them are descendants of old friends, and some are acquaintances of many years, all of whom are well-known to each other.

Precisely because of this guarantee, Fang Cheng chose to accept them unreservedly.

And after being baptized by the battle last night, these new members also proved their loyalty and reliability with practical actions, completely capable of taking on heavy responsibilities, and even considering reusing them in the future.

But these three strangers are different.

The reason why Fang Cheng is so cautious, besides worrying about traitors appearing and leaking the secrets of the Illuminati...

Is more to establish rules at the very beginning of the organization's creation.

The tenet of the Illuminati is to become a lighthouse in the dark world, not a shelter, let alone a mob that anyone can enter casually.

Thoughts flashed through his mind, and he glanced at the phone screen display.

There is only ten minutes left until the time agreed upon with Lin Chuqiao.

"Got it."

Fang Cheng looked at the traffic ahead which was finally beginning to loosen, and said indifferently:

"Watch them well, and don't let any trouble happen."

"I am going to pick up Chuqiao now, and I will probably meet you at your place in the afternoon."

After speaking, he hung up the phone and threw it casually back into the bag on the passenger seat.

As the road ahead cleared, the engine let out a low roar.

The black sedan, like a flexible swimming fish, instantly passed through the gaps in the traffic and accelerated into the fast lane.

Fang Cheng cast his gaze at the continuously extending viaduct, his eyes deep and calm.

Whether those three so-called "potential stocks" are worth absorbing or not.

Listening to reports is useless; he still has to wait until the afternoon to see them in person before making a decision.

After all, seeing is believing, hearing is doubting.

...

Jiangbei Suburbs, Qinghe Ancient Town.

Nestled in the lush woods is a farmhouse guesthouse named "Yunyin Cottage".

Surrounded by large areas of farmland, in a remote location, and coupled with the fact that it is not a holiday, tourists are scarce, making this place extraordinarily quiet.

Inside a suite on the second floor of the guesthouse, the afternoon sunlight passed through the lattice window and slanted onto the clean wooden floor.

The furnishings in the room are very simple: an Eight Immortals table, two bamboo chairs, and two single beds placed against the wall.

On the desk in the corner stood two blue and white porcelain vases, inserted with a few branches of newly plucked wildflowers, their petals still bearing dew.

The room was very quiet, with only the rustling sound of wind blowing through the treetops occasionally coming from outside the window.

On the bed on the left sat a young man and woman.

The man wore a washed-out blue shirt with his cuffs rolled up carelessly, revealing somewhat rough forearms.

A few unhealed scars could still be faintly seen on them.

His expression was somewhat dull, his sitting posture stiff, and his hands tightly grasping his knees.

The woman snuggled close to him, wearing a beige cardigan with her long hair casually tied up behind her head.

Although without makeup, her facial features are delicate, except that her eye sockets are a bit red, obviously having just cried not long ago.

In the darkest corner of the room, a small figure was still cowering.

That was a child of about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing an adult jacket that obviously did not fit, with the trouser legs rolled up several folds.

The hair was messy like a chicken's nest, the face covered with dirt, making it impossible to see the true appearance or distinguish the gender.

Only a pair of eyes as vigilant as a beast were exposed, staring fixedly in the direction of the room door.

They are precisely the three extraordinary people rescued by the Illuminati from the clutches of Blood Thorn: Xu Kuan, Jiang Yun, Douzi.

Right now, the three of them were like frightened birds, and even though they were in a safe room, their nerves remained taut.

"Brother Kuan..."

Jiang Yun buried her head on Xu Kuan's shoulder, her voice trembling slightly:

"You say... how will the people of the Illuminati deal with us? Will they be like those beasts of Blood Thorn, selling us to those perverts as experiment Materials?"

Xu Kuan's body stiffened, and he reached out to hug her shoulder, patting it somewhat clumsily:

"Don't... don't be afraid, I will protect you."

"Protect me?"

Jiang Yun raised her head, her red and swollen eyes carrying a hint of resentment:

"If you could really protect me, that night we wouldn't have been by that group of people..."

Halfway through her words, she seemed to realize something and quickly stopped.

Xu Kuan's face darkened instantly, his lips moved, but he couldn't say anything.

Watching her boyfriend stiffen like a piece of wood there, his face full of guilt and self-blame, Jiang Yun's heart suddenly softened, and she also regretted that her words just now were a bit heavy.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that."

"No, blame it all on me."

Xu Kuan took a deep breath, and his tone suddenly became incomparably firm:

"This time is different, Xiaoyun, I swear, this time no matter who it is, as long as they want to hurt you, they will step over my corpse first!"

"Bah bah bah!"

Jiang Yun quickly reached out to cover his mouth, reproaching coquettishly:

"Don't swear randomly, good things don't happen but bad ones do! We are going to live well together."

Xu Kuan did not speak, only silently tightening his arms, holding Jiang Yun with a bit more force.

Interrupted like this, the depressed atmosphere between the two eased slightly.

But soon, that fear called "unknown" surged back like a tide.

"You say... what on earth is the background of that Illuminati?"

Jiang Yun leaned in Xu Kuan's arms, her eyes hazy:

"The Blood Thorn Mercenary Group is so ferocious and doesn't even take the military people into their eyes, yet in their hands, it was as simple as pinching to death a few ants."

"Why do you think they brought us over?"

Xu Kuan shook his head, his eyes also full of confusion.

If the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group was a group of bloodthirsty jackals, then the Illuminati seen last night was simply a giant dragon from the abyss.

In the minds of both of them, that nightmarish battle surfaced involuntarily.

Silver Wing Building rooftop, flames soaring into the sky.

The military's armed helicopters were like an angry swarm of wasps, machine guns roaring, and rockets bombarding wildly.

If the pilot hadn't scrupled about their few important "goods" and deliberately avoided the bombing area, they probably would have turned to ashes long ago.

Those two arrogant Blood Thorn members cried for their fathers and mothers under the coverage of that terrifying fire network, like stray dogs.

Yet that man was calm and fearless.

Just like a demon god walking out of mythology, his whole body bathed in golden light flames, he actually shook an armed helicopter with his Physical Body of flesh and blood, living and blasting apart a steel behemoth.

That cognition-surpassing battle scene still makes people's Soul tremble when thinking about it now.

"That president... is even more like a monster than a monster."

Jiang Yun murmured, her body trembling involuntarily.

Xu Kuan felt his girlfriend's fear, tightly gripping her cold palm, wanting to pass a little temperature over.

Then he took a deep breath and comforted:

"Don't think too much, anyway, the bespectacled professor last night was quite polite to us."

Hearing this, Jiang Yun forced a smile on her face:

"You're right, my intuition tells me that they don't have that kind of naked malice towards us."

"Since that president is so powerful, he shouldn't make things difficult for two small extraordinary people like us, right?"

Although comforting themselves like this, the confusion in the bottoms of both of their eyes could not be melted away no matter what.

Awakening supernatural abilities, they originally thought it was a gift from heaven, and from then on they could live a superior life.

But reality gave them a fierce slap in the face.

This damned superpower did not bring wealth and status, but instead looked like a hot branding iron.

Not only did they have to evade official investigations, but they also provoked a vicious force like Blood Thorn that ate people without spitting out bones.

They were forcibly dragged out from their peaceful lives and reduced to prisoners.

Having managed to escape the wolf's den, they now fell into the tiger's den of unknown background.

The bright and brilliant sunlight near early summer shone on them through the window.

Yet both of them felt a trace of desolation as if they were in winter.

This world is full of malice towards extraordinary people.

They are like duckweed swaying in the wind and rain, completely not knowing where the wave will shoot them next moment.

Jiang Yun sighed, forcing herself to pull away from that despairing emotion.

She turned her head, looked at the dirty child cowering in the corner, and asked softly:

"Douzi, you let Xiaobai out for so long, did you scout out any news?"

In the corner, Douzi still maintained a posture full of vigilance.

Hearing this, she only shook her head gently, her voice a bit weak:

"Xiaobai's hearing is not very good, and its brain is also stupid; it needs to stay a while longer before it can understand."

Jiang Yun nodded and said no more.

She knew that "Xiaobai" was actually a dirty big mouse, a pet that this child depended on for life, and also an intelligence agent.

During the days imprisoned by Blood Thorn, they relied on this inconspicuous little mouse to secretly transmit news, discuss countermeasures, and seek ways to save themselves.

It was also at that time that Jiang Yun learned that this child possessed the magical ability to control small animals.

Just as the three of them were discussing in low voices.

In the corridor outside the door, a slight sound of footsteps suddenly came.

Following closely, a few words of conversation floated in vaguely,

"President, you're here?"

"Hello, President."

Those were the two Illuminati members guarding outside, their voices full of respect and a hint of awe.

The hearts of the three people in the room beat fiercely, as if being pinched by something.

"Mhm, Lao Chen, Eagle Eye, you've worked hard."

A steady and peaceful male voice sounded, with no discernible emotional fluctuation.

"Not hard, not hard, hehe."

One of the members hurriedly responded, his tone revealing restraint, and then asked again:

"This Young Miss, she is Minister Lin from the Logistics Department mentioned by the professor, right?"

"Hello everyone."

A clear and soft female voice followed, like a spring breeze brushing the face.

"Hello, hello, I am Lao Chen, and this is Eagle Eye. We are both newcomers who participated in last night's operation. Please take care of us in the future."

"President, they are inside, let's go in first."

This was the voice of the bespectacled professor, interrupting the brief pleasantries.

"Alright, continue guarding outside and don't let anyone get close."

The steady male voice sounded again.

"Yes!"

The two Illuminati members immediately responded in unison.

The footsteps got closer and closer, finally stopping outside the door.

That man stronger than monsters... has he come?

Jiang Yun and Xu Kuan exchanged glances, both seeing the terror in each other's eyes.

The two subconsciously stood up, their palms tightly clasped together.

Douzi in the corner curled up into a ball even more, wishing she could stuff herself into the wall seam.

Creak—

The old wooden door was pushed open by someone.

Sunlight poured in through the doorway, and three figures walked in against the light.

Walking on the far left was the old man who claimed to be a professor last night.

He wore a pair of black-framed glasses, looked scholarly, and still held that familiar black briefcase in his hand.

On the right was a tall beauty wearing a light purple one-piece long dress.

Her figure was tall, and her appearance was bright and moving.

Especially that pair of peach blossom eyes that seemed to be able to speak, even if they just swept over faintly, they carried a natural charm.

Jiang Yun usually fancied herself to have some beauty, but the moment she saw this woman, a sense of inferiority unexpectedly arose in her heart.

But what the three of them could least ignore was the man walking in the middle.

He was tall and upright, wearing a simple black shirt with his cuffs rolled up casually.

His facial features were well-defined, and his eyes were as deep as an abyss.

The moment he stepped into the room.

The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly.

An invisible sense of oppression rushed forward, just like a rising scorching sun suddenly descending into this small, cramped room.

Although that terrifying Qi and Blood power was restrained without being released, the heat wave it brought up made the indoor temperature rise by several degrees out of thin air, making people feel as if they were in a melting pot.

Jiang Yun and Xu Kuan only felt their scalps go numb, fine cold sweat instantly oozed from their foreheads, and their pupils contracted violently.

It's him.

The man who punched through the man-eating monster on the top floor of the Silver Wing Building last night and physically withstood the bombardment of armed helicopters.

The president of the Illuminati!