Translator: CinderTL
"Conquered by you like this, cut off all escape routes~"
"My heart is firm, my decision foolish~"
"Conquered by you like this, I drank the poison you hid~"
"My story has ended, my love and hate have—Ah! Damn it, no, no, it hurts, it hurts!"
Thud!
Bang!
"I was wrong, sob..."
Lined up against the wall, seven young men knelt in a neat row, their synchronized singing of "Conquered" a truly moving sight.
Leading the group was Huang Mai, a natural tone-deaf singer with a grotesquely swollen right cheek, still bearing a prominent slap mark. Far from looking pitiful, he seemed almost comical.
"Did you remember what I said?" Jiang Cheng stood before them, wiping his hands with a wet wipe as he asked. His dark coat was speckled with bloodstains.
"We remembered," Huang Mai said, his nose bleeding. "Brother Jiang, President Pi, we're truly sorry. We beg you to accept our apology."
"Then this commitment letter..."
Just as Jiang Cheng pulled out the promissory note, Huang Mai snatched it away, tearing it to shreds and stuffing it into his mouth. He mumbled incoherently, "This was just a little joke between us and President Pi. You took it too seriously."
Watching Huang Mai tear up the promissory note and choke on the pieces until his eyes turned red, Jiang Cheng decided Huang Mai's sincerity was genuine. He told them to leave.
As soon as the gate opened, Huang Mai and his group vanished in a flash. Moments later, Miss Lin entered. "President Pi, Dr. Jiang, are you alright?"
"We're fine. Sorry to have alarmed you, Miss Lin," Jiang Cheng replied.
Seeing Jiang Cheng's expression, Miss Lin could guess what had happened. She glanced worriedly at the gate. "That Huang Mai is President Xue's grandson. I'm afraid President Xue won't let this go easily."
If Xue Jinhua hadn't been backing Huang Mai, Miss Lin would have had security throw those trashy thugs out long ago.
But now, everyone in the company knew President Pi Ruan was about to be fired. Aside from Miss Lin, no one cared about him anymore. They were all eager to distance themselves from him immediately.
Such is the way of the world: when the tea cools, the guests depart.
"I'll handle this," Jiang Cheng said, turning to Pi Ruan. "Focus on recovering. Get the contract sorted out quickly, and I'll talk to Xue Jinhua."
"Dr. Jiang, please be careful," Pi Ruan warned. "I know Xue Jinhua. She's full of schemes and plots. Now that you've completely broken ties with her, she'll stop at nothing."
After giving his instructions, Jiang Cheng left the company without returning to his studio. He immediately called Huai Yi, learned he was already home, and went to his place.
Upon entering, he saw Huai Yi's wary expression. His eyes were dark-rimmed, as if he hadn't slept well. "What's going on?" Jiang Cheng frowned. "You didn't actually call for some kind of special service after I left, did you?"
Huai Yi's face twisted in苦笑. "Brother Jiang, don't joke around. I'm in no mood for that. I was worried someone would come to my door at night to retaliate. You have no idea how I got through it."
Jiang Cheng had no patience for his complaints. He sat on the sofa and got straight to the point: he planned to take on a supernatural event soon, and he'd be looking for one on the website.
Of course, he'd be using Huai Yi's account to accept the job.
Huai Yi's expression darkened at the news. It was clear he was resisting.
After all, his last mission had yielded no benefits, and overusing his abilities had caused the Gate within him to stir restlessly.
But his hesitation vanished the moment Jiang Cheng pulled something from his pocket.
It was a sheet of white paper—a blank Lifeline Note.
Its Threat Level was far lower than the Red Blood Covenant, making it a coveted treasure among Disciples of the Door seeking to extend their lives.
"This... is for me?" Huai Yi's face flushed with excitement.
"No," Jiang Cheng said, toying with the Lifeline Note. "I just wanted to show it to you."
Huai Yi: "..."
He dared not snatch the Lifeline Note, so he grabbed Jiang Cheng's hand to stop him from putting it away. "Brother Jiang, I'll go! I'll go!" he pleaded.
After spending time with Jiang Cheng, Huai Yi had come to a realization: he was just a small fry struggling to survive. Who he worked for didn't matter as long as the price was right.
Whether it was the Night Watcher behind the website or Crimson, as long as they paid fairly, everything was negotiable.
Besides, judging by yesterday's events, the Night Watcher wasn't exactly known for its scruples.
It would be better to rely on the Crimson Executioner standing before him.
This was the nickname Huai Yi had given Jiang Cheng himself.
Jiang Cheng released his grip, pushed the Lifeline Note forward, and stared into Huai Yi's eyes. "I need to know how supernatural events are officially recognized, their threat levels, and the criteria for classifying them."
Huai Yi swiftly snatched the Lifeline Note and tucked it into his chest, forcing a smile. "Supernatural events often go unnoticed at first, easily mistaken for ordinary missing person cases."
"Take the Rongchuang Building Ghost Face Incident, for example. It was initially treated as a standard missing person case. But as the number of disappearances grew, the police realized something was amiss."
"The crucial turning point came when someone spotted half a Ghost Face protruding from a video."
"After compiling all the data, the case finally landed on the Night Watcher's desk."
Jiang Cheng nodded. The process was much as he had imagined. Any case involving an Abnormality would eventually find its way to the Night Watcher's office. After all, handling supernatural events was the very reason they existed.
With supernatural events occurring frequently, casualties among the Night Watchers were inevitable. To alleviate pressure and improve efficiency, they established this website to recruit individuals like Huai Yi to work for them.
Of course, they would provide fair compensation afterward.
By resolving supernatural events, they could also monitor the status of these individuals, achieving two goals with one stroke.
After all, disciples of the Door scattered among the populace posed a potential threat. They might succumb to corruption one day, evolving into a new supernatural event.
For individuals like Huai Yi, the website provided detailed information on various supernatural events, saving them the trouble of searching themselves.
They could choose assignments based on their abilities, inherently reducing their risk.
"Supernatural events are classified into four levels: A, B, C, and D. The higher the level, the more difficult the event is to resolve. This classification primarily applies to those of us who go to handle these situations," Huai Yi explained.
"The levels aren't fixed; the website updates them dynamically based on real-world circumstances. The Rongchuang Building Ghost Face Incident was initially classified as Class D, but after two website members who took the assignment went missing, it was reclassified as Class C."
It seemed that if more website members who accepted the assignment disappeared, the event's classification would be further upgraded, potentially reaching Class B or even higher.
(End of the Chapter)
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