Chapter Seventy-One: An Unexpected Surprise

If accepting the task to assassinate Liu Ziyuan assigned by Lin Hei’er were discovered and his name ended up on the authorities’ blacklist, Chen Hao’s entire gaming plan would be thrown into chaos. Yet, faced with the blueprint for the command center, he simply could not refuse. The blueprint was worth at least ten million RMB; with this sum, all his worries in real life would be swept away.

After Chen Hao agreed to the task, Lin Hei’er visibly relaxed. She smiled and said, “If there’s anything you need help with, don’t hesitate to ask. As long as it’s within the rules, I can promise you.”

Internally, Chen Hao grumbled, “If I wanted to bed you, that would definitely be within the rules. Would you offer yourself to me?” He was somewhat displeased with her, so he mocked her in his heart.

In the game, effort always brought reward. Lin Hei’er would never truly give him anything; her words were merely for show.

Chen Hao nodded. “I do need help from both of you. To assassinate Liu Ziyuan, I’ll need excellent agility skills. Aunt Cuiyun promised to teach me such skills if I performed well. Does that still hold?”

Lady Cuiyu smiled gently. “Even if you hadn’t asked, I would have taught you. But there are too many people around now. Once the other players leave, I’ll instruct you personally. No need to worry.”

A weight lifted from Chen Hao’s heart and he smiled. “That settles it, then. These eight constables absolutely cannot be allowed to return, so Aunt Lin, I’ll need your help disposing of them. Before that, I’d like both of you to assist me in interrogating them.”

After the other players departed, Chen Hao, with the cooperation of the two beauties, interrogated the eight constables one by one, obtaining a wealth of information about Liu Ziyuan.

Once the interrogation was complete, Lady Cuiyun led Chen Hao to an earthen embankment and demonstrated the techniques of agility skills for him.

“Player Chen Baxian, congratulations on learning the agility skill ‘Cloud Ladder Vaulting.’”

Cloud Ladder Vaulting: Beginner (1/100). Increases movement speed by 10%, vertical jump height by 60%, and wall-climbing ability by 80%. Once mastered at the advanced level, one moves as lightly as a swallow and can scale walls and rooftops as if walking on flat ground.

Upon reading the attributes of Cloud Ladder Vaulting, Chen Hao couldn’t help but glance at Lady Cuiyun. This was a classic thief’s skill! Did Lady Cuiyun often engage in such activities?

Lady Cuiyun, sharp as ever, seemed to sense what Chen Hao was thinking. She smiled and said, “Those corrupt officials often possess ill-gotten wealth. I take some to aid the poor—it’s only right. You needn’t be surprised.”

Chen Hao’s heart stirred. If Lady Cuiyun could use this skill to rob the rich and help the poor, couldn’t he also target a few wealthy landlords to benefit himself? While his mind wandered, Lady Cuiyun poured cold water on his fantasy, saying, “Don’t imitate me, nephew. I practiced agility from childhood and am now at the grandmaster level, which allows me to enter the homes of the wealthy. There are many experts in the martial world. You’re already a bit old to begin; at best, you’ll master Cloud Ladder Vaulting to an advanced level. To rob the rich and aid the poor would be difficult.”

Chen Hao could only chuckle dryly. “Thank you for the warning, Aunt. I’ll be careful in the future.”

Watching Lin Hei’er and Lady Cuiyun depart, Chen Hao made his way to Penglai County, pondering how to eliminate Magistrate Liu Ziyuan without being discovered. He walked all the way to the county seat without finding a solution, but fortunately, the first base in the Huaxia region would take about a month to establish; he could plot slowly.

In the wilds outside Penglai County, Sansheng Shi’s face was clouded and gloomy after his resurrection. He had developed well after entering the game, but twice now he had suffered heavy losses at the hands of Chen Baxian. Always confident, he refused to believe he was inferior; instead, he suspected that Chen Baxian was deliberately targeting him with careful planning.

Wang Yu approached Sansheng Shi and said, “Boss, it’s all my fault this time. I checked the mountain twice and still didn’t notice…”

Sansheng Shi waved his hand. “It’s not your fault. The other side was intent on scheming against us; no matter how careful we were, we couldn’t have prevented it.”

During the period when Sansheng Shi couldn’t log in after dying, he had investigated the matter thoroughly in real life, so Wang Yu was not to blame. Even in his fury, Sansheng Shi remained rational, which deeply moved Wang Yu.

Sansheng Shi had become the leader of these young men not only thanks to his father’s status but also because of his own charisma. After a moment of silence, he looked toward the distance and said, “The prisoner cart was hijacked and Mr. Liu was killed. We can’t stay in Qilu any longer; let’s leave.”

“Where to?” Wang Yu asked curiously.

“To northern Ji, near the capital. There are many high-ranking officials and nobles there; maybe we’ll find some opportunities.” After speaking, Sansheng Shi seemed to remember something. “Yesterday you said the Butcher Knife gang are ours from Huayang, right? If that’s confirmed, bring them to the capital as well. We’re still short-handed.”

Wang Yu nodded. “It’s confirmed. Butcher Knife’s real name is Zhu Xiaodao, a notorious gangster in the Qinghe area. He said he’s planning a banquet for you at ‘Diamond’ this Sunday and hopes you’ll attend…”

Sansheng Shi interrupted, “Just a gangster. You can meet him yourself; tell him to have his men cooperate with us in the game, and promise him I’ll cover him in real life if needed.”

Wang Yu nodded. “A gangster isn’t worthy of your presence, Boss. But Butcher Knife said he’s prepared an ‘unexpected surprise’ for you; he swears it’s a virgin and assures you’ll be satisfied.”

Sansheng Shi nodded. “In that case, I’ll meet him.”

Wang Yu knew Sansheng Shi would agree. Boss Zhou was outstanding in every way, except for his natural fondness for women. He remembered Zhou lamenting, “After being with so many women, being fickle has become a habit. Once I sleep with a woman, I have no interest in a second time.”

Given Zhou’s status, his fondness for women was hardly an issue—he was never short of beautiful women. He had always been a master of seduction, able to have women of all types willingly offer themselves to him. Recently, though, he’d acted the part of a devoted lover to pursue Mayor Wang’s daughter, refraining from his usual escapades.

Boss Zhou had very high standards; he disdained women from brothels, and even if he was only playing, he sought pure student girls. Before he pursued Mayor Wang’s daughter, he would drive his Porsche around school campuses, flashing his identity as a county magistrate’s son, and beautiful girls would willingly come to him.

With the habit of changing women every few days, it was truly difficult for him not to indulge. At first, he was uncomfortable, but fortunately, his clever underlings devised a solution: they arranged for some pure young girls from various schools, quietly allowing Boss Zhou to enjoy them.

Now, outwardly, Boss Zhou’s eyes were only for Mayor Wang’s daughter, and his reputation in his circle had improved greatly. Yet, the truth was he still played with a pretty girl every couple of days. The difference was that, instead of seducing them himself, his subordinates delivered them to his room for him to enjoy.

(P.S.: My uncle has passed away, so I may be delayed for two days. I’ve set automatic uploads for one chapter per day, and I’ll be back by the weekend.)