564: Chapter 564 A Lighthouse Standing Firm Amidst Stormy Waves

Fang Cheng stepped into the room without speaking at first.

Then he walked straight to the Eight Immortals table, pulled out a bamboo chair, and sat down boldly.

With this seating, the heat wave filling the room seemed to have finally found its source, surging and gathering toward him in full force.

The air began to flow again, but the high temperature still hadn't dissipated in the slightest.

Fang Cheng sat upright in the chair, calmly examining the three people in front of him.

The Professor and Lin Chuqiao stood on his left and right sides like two Protectors.

This silent gaze was more unsettling than any harsh interrogation.

Douzi curled her entire body into a ball, buried her head even lower, and even her breathing became cautious.

It was like the instinctive submission and trembling of a small beast facing a top predator.

Xu Kuan turned sideways, trying to shield Jiang Yun with his not-so-broad shoulders.

But his tightly clenched fists trembled uncontrollably, and his whole body felt as if it were being roasted over a fire, his shirt instantly drenched in sweat.

Jiang Yun lowered her eyelids, her hands clenched so tightly they turned white, her nails almost digging into her flesh.

Driven by immense fear, she instinctively activated her ability.

She wanted to find a trace of security by perceiving the other person's emotions, just like she always did.

In the past, when facing others, even those vicious thugs from Blood Thorn, she could see murky yellow light representing greed or crimson representing killing intent.

But at this moment, when her perceptive tentacles timidly probed toward that man,

she froze.

There was nothing.

No malice, no goodwill, not even a trace of color representing emotion could be found.

She felt as if she were standing on the edge of a bottomless abyss, with only a dark Void Realm swallowing all things before her eyes.

That elusive unknown and power made her feel far more powerless to resist than straightforwardly released killing intent.

In a trance, she even hallucinated.

Deep within that dark abyss, a scorching sun seemed to slowly rise.

Dazzling, scorching, and overbearing, it caused her mind to ache and covered her in cold sweat.

Just as the psychological defenses of the three were about to collapse,

"My surname is Fang, and I am the president of the Illuminati."

Fang Cheng suddenly spoke.

Accompanying this simple introduction, the high temperature enveloping the entire scene instantly dissipated like a receding tide.

It was as if the oppressive feeling just now was merely everyone's illusion.

A faint smile appeared on Fang Cheng's face, and his tone was as peaceful as if chatting about daily household matters:

"I suppose you should have already met me last night on the rooftop of the Silver Wing Building."

As he spoke, he pointed to the chair opposite:

"Don't be so nervous, sit down and talk."

Xu Kuan and Jiang Yun's bodies instantly relaxed, their tense expressions suddenly easing.

"Ah... Yes, thank you, thank you, President Fang..."

The two incoherently thanked him repeatedly, then timidly moved to the edge of the bed and sat down.

The cold sweat on their bodies still clung to their clothes, but their hearts no longer held the previous sheer terror; instead, a sense of trance arose.

It felt as if the terrifying-Aura monster from just now and the amiable man before them were simply not the same person.

Watching the three go from extreme tension to instant relaxation, their emotions completely manipulated by every word and action of Fang Cheng,

the Professor standing aside pushed his glasses, a flash of sharp light passing behind the lenses.

This was the art of controlling people.

First awe the mind and soul with the might of thunder, then soothe the emotions like spring rain.

If their psychological defenses weren't shattered first, during the subsequent conversation, these few people would probably still hold onto unrealistic wishful thinking and hide things.

Only by making them deeply realize the huge gap in status between the two sides could one truly control the situation.

"Everyone relax, it's safe here."

Lin Chuqiao spoke at the right moment, her voice gentle and clear, with a refreshing spring-breeze smile on her face.

Her gaze turned gently, falling on the child in the corner who looked like a little beggar.

Then she took out two exquisitely packaged chocolate candies from her handbag and walked over in high heels.

"Here."

She bent down and handed the candy to Douzi.

Douzi cast a quick glance at Lin Chuqiao, then looked at the candy emitting an enticing sweet fragrance.

Her throat quietly rolled as she swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

But she was still too afraid to reach out, only curling her body tighter.

Lin Chuqiao showed no impatience or the slightest disdain; she directly pulled over that pair of filthy little hands and stuffed the candy into her palms.

Casually rubbing her messy hair, she said with a pampering tone:

"Eat it, it's very sweet."

After finishing all this, she stood up and returned to Fang Cheng's side.

This small yet genuine kindness, like a warm current, completely melted the originally stiff atmosphere in the room.

Xu Kuan took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and asked:

"What do you want to do with us? If you want money, we don't have any; if you want our lives, I, I..."

Because of tension, his voice trembled a bit, and he spoke stammeringly.

Fang Cheng leaned against the back of the chair, looked at his appearance, and asked indifferently:

"What use do I have for your lives?"

Xu Kuan was stunned for a moment and opened his mouth.

But he found that he didn't know what to say at all, instantly freezing in place with a flushed face.

Seeing this, Jiang Yun nearby also suppressed the shock and suspicion in her heart and emboldened herself to say:

"President Fang, we are very grateful to your organization for rescuing us from the hands of Blood Thorn."

"If there is anything you need help with, please feel free to speak. We will cooperate fully and dare not neglect."

As expected of someone who had been a nurse and seen the world, she spoke much more coherently than Xu Kuan and understood the current situation better.

Fang Cheng glanced at her a bit more and got straight to the point:

"I want to know, during the period when the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group kidnapped you, how did they contact and trade with the military? Did anyone else come to inspect the goods?"

Hearing this, Jiang Yun furrowed her slender brows, recalled carefully for a moment, and shook her head:

"No."

"After we were captured by Blood Thorn, we were locked up in a small dark room the entire time. We had no idea what was happening outside and hadn't seen anyone other than those few Blood Thorn members."

"It wasn't until last night that we were secretly transferred to the rooftop of the building by them, preparing to conduct the transaction."

Speaking of this, a look of lingering fear appeared on her face:

"At that time, I heard that dark-skinned shorty talking with the masked person, saying they were going to package and sell us to the military, seemingly... to be sent to a laboratory to make Materials."

"What about your identity information?"

Fang Cheng stared at her with piercing eyes and continued to ask:

"Is there really no record on the military's side?"

"Absolutely not, I can guarantee that."

Realizing something, Jiang Yun answered very affirmatively.

To prove she wasn't lying, she eagerly straightened her back and looked straight into Fang Cheng's eyes.

"Why?"

Fang Cheng asked in a deep voice.

Jiang Yun's expression turned dim. She subconsciously glanced at Xu Kuan beside her, and seeing Xu Kuan cast an encouraging gaze at her, she said bitterly:

"Because Brother Kuan and I... have both experienced some rather unpleasant things."

"To completely sever ties with the past, we both chose to leave our hometowns, spent all our savings to buy brand-new fake identities, and live in Dongdu."

"We live very cautiously. Normally, when looking for jobs, we only go to small workshops, and we rent houses in urban villages where ID registration is not required. We rarely even interact with colleagues, afraid that others will discover our abnormalities."

At this time, Xu Kuan proactively reached out and tightly grasped Jiang Yun's somewhat cold palm.

Jiang Yun smiled at him, a trace of tender memories flashing in her eyes:

"Later, by chance, Brother Kuan helped me... and we realized that we were both anomalous humans with special abilities."

"In this strange city, there is danger everywhere. We have witnessed with our own eyes anomalous humans whose identities were exposed being captured by officials or harmed by so-called kindred."

"The two of us are lucky, but we dare not trust anyone. We can only huddle together for warmth, like two mice hiding in a sewer, carefully avoiding all light for fear of dying upon seeing the light."

Speaking of this, she paused, her gaze looking toward the child huddled in the corner:

"As for Douzi, she is an orphan and doesn't even have a full name."

"Unless Blood Thorn's people are omniscient immortals, they definitely have no idea where she actually comes from."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng nodded slightly, having made up his mind.

It seemed the situation was better than anticipated.

Blood Thorn captured anomalous humans to trade with the military as goods. The key lay in the attribute of being an "anomalous human" rather than their true household registration identity.

And since it was a shady black market transaction, it definitely wouldn't go through regular procedures.

After all, if organizing human trafficking were exposed, it wouldn't be a minor storm.

What the woman in front of him said had high credibility; for the time being, there was no need to worry about the military finding this place along this clue.

At least, besides the Illuminati members, everyone who had seen them—whether the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group, the military contacts, or the punks of the Flying Crane Gang—had all turned into corpses.

No.

There was also a red-haired foreign devil lying on the operating table.

Thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind, Fang Cheng's expression unchanged, and then he asked:

"Then what plans do you have for the future?"

As soon as this question came out, the atmosphere in the room instantly became a bit heavier again.

Xu Kuan and Jiang Yun looked at each other, both seeing the confusion, helplessness, and deep anxiety in each other's eyes.

Plans?

After last night's event, what plans could they possibly have?

"We... don't know."

Xu Kuan lowered his head, his voice extremely dry, his hands painfully clutching his hair:

"We definitely can't go back to our previous residence, our jobs are gone, and who knows if we'll encounter thugs like Blood Thorn again... We really don't know where else we can go."

Even if they escaped the devil's den, the world was so vast that there seemed to be no place left for them to stay.

At this time, the Professor, who had been silent all along, suddenly stepped forward and said in a solemn tone:

"Although your identities haven't been exposed for now, for the sake of safety, I suggest you'd better honestly stay here during this period and go nowhere."

Hearing this, Jiang Yun and Xu Kuan's bodies instantly tensed, a trace of shock and suspicion revealing in their eyes.

As if he hadn't seen their reactions, the Professor continued to analyze in a calm tone:

"The battle last night happened in the city center; the commotion was too big and the impact was very bad. Especially that armed helicopter crashing and killing an entire team of special operations personnel, this is a supreme humiliation for the military."

"According to the intelligence we investigated, the military has now blockaded all entry and exit intersections of Dongdu and is frantically searching the whole city for suspicious personnel."

The Professor paused, his gaze sweeping over the two:

"Dongdu right now is an inescapable net. As long as you step out of this door, you are very likely to be found abnormal and captured back."

These words were not alarmist.

Jiang Yun and Xu Kuan's complexions instantly turned pale.

Douzi buried her head even deeper under her knees, not daring to move at all.

As if terrifying beasts existed right outside.

After a long while, Xu Kuan spoke again, his voice somewhat apprehensive:

"Then... living here, do we have personal freedom? Can we leave at any time?"

Hearing this, the Professor was startled and turned to look at Fang Cheng.

Fang Cheng nodded slightly toward him, his expression calm.

Receiving the nod, the Professor turned back, his tone slightly easing:

"Of course, our Illuminati are not bandits like Blood Thorn who treat people as goods. Your legs grow on you; you can leave whenever you want, and we will never stop you."

Speaking of this, his words changed:

"However, since you can't think of a suitable destination for the time being, there is now a path laid out before you, depending on how you choose."

Hearing this, Jiang Yun and Xu Kuan immediately raised their heads to look at him, a trace of light flashing in their eyes.

"Our Illuminati was established not long ago and currently lacks like-minded personnel."

The Professor looked at the three with burning eyes and continued:

"If you are willing, you can choose to stay, join the organization, and become a member of us."

"Join you?"

Jiang Yun bit her lip and asked somewhat hesitantly:

"The Illuminati... what difference is there from the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group? Will it also..."

She didn't dare finish her words, but the meaning was obvious: Will it also use us, or treat us as goods traded with others?

After all, having just left the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's lair, having such concerns was inevitable.

"If you think we are the same as that group of scum, then we wouldn't have made a move last night."

Lin Chuqiao also took a step forward, the smile on her face restrained a bit, adding a bit of solemnity:

"President Fang's original intention in founding this organization was never to vie for power and profit, let alone to bully the weak."

She looked into Jiang Yun's eyes, her voice soft yet full of strength:

"Just like you, we have all experienced the same encounters; this world is full of malice towards us."

"Because we possess this bit of special ability, we are regarded as freaks, studied, and hunted, only able to hide in dark corners like mice, stripped even of the qualification to live as an ordinary person."

Lin Chuqiao's words were like a hammer, heavily striking the hearts of the three.

This was precisely the pain and grievance deeply buried in their hearts for many years.

Xu Kuan's eyes turned red, and Jiang Yun couldn't help covering her mouth, tears swirling in her eye sockets.

"The significance of the Illuminati's existence is to build a true home belonging to anomalous humans."

Lin Chuqiao opened her arms, her tone sincere and enthusiastic, as if portraying a dream within reach:

"Here, there is no discrimination, no oppression, and no need to live wearing masks. We are family sharing weal and woe, compatriots helping and loving each other."

"What we want to do is to help all kindred like us who yearn to enjoy a normal life but are not accepted by secular society."

"We want to tell this world that we are not monsters, nor are we goods to be traded at will. We have the qualification to stand in the sunlight, the qualification to possess the dignity of being born human."

"This is also why we would risk being encircled and suppressed by the military to rescue strangers like you."

"Home" and "dignity"?

For Xu Kuan and Jiang Yun, who had been in long-term fear and drifting, these words had a fatal attraction.

Even Douzi, huddled in the corner, quietly raised her head.

In those vigilant eyes, for the first time, a light named "yearning" flashed.

"Il-... lu-... mi-... nati..."

Jiang Yun muttered to herself, repeatedly chewing on those three words, her eyes gradually becoming bright.

"Yes."

At this time, Fang Cheng, sitting upright, finally spoke.

He stood up, his tall figure blocking the sunlight outside the window, yet casting another even grander shadow in the hearts of the three.

"Light represents truth and love, and illumination is our action."

Fang Cheng's voice was low and powerful, echoing in the small room, carrying an unquestionable belief:

"The tenet of the Illuminati is to use light to dispel the fog, illuminate the darkness, and ultimately clear away all filth to establish a new order."

His gaze swept over the three, and he extended a hand, as if inviting them to embark on a great journey together:

"We not only want anomalous humans to live with dignity, but we also want to use our power to correct this distorted and corrupt world and make it return to the right track."

"This is very difficult, and might even lead to death, but it's worth a try."

Xu Kuan and Jiang Yun looked up at the man in front of them.

At this moment, in their eyes, this man was no longer a terrifying monster.

But a towering mountain, a lighthouse that stood firm amidst the raging waves.

An unprecedented passion and sense of belonging inexplicably surged within their chests.