25 Stealth

10:30 PM.

Qiao Yuyan leaped down from the balcony of the Huo residence and headed toward the location sent by Lin Shiyue. Just outside the complex gates, she spotted a battered electric tricycle parked on the side of the road, looking completely out of place against the luxury entrance.

"Boss!" the golden-haired man in the vehicle spotted her, poked his head out, and waved.

"Where did you get this three-wheeler?" Qiao Yuyan asked, swinging her long leg over to sit in the passenger seat.

Once she was settled, An Chen started the engine. The tricycle sputtered like a tractor, "putt-putt-putting" loudly and shattering the night’s tranquility. Late-night pedestrians couldn't help but glance over. Both of them were thick-skinned and paid no mind to the stares as the tricycle carried them further away into the distance.

Only when the streets became sparse did An Chen explain loudly: "The van we had before didn't have plates and got caught by the traffic cameras."

The tricycle he had just assembled didn't have plates either, but because it was small, it could be tucked away anywhere. It was just a bit noisy, but since they weren't staying in the Xia Kingdom for long, a disposable vehicle like this was fine.

Qiao Yuyan grunted in acknowledgment. An Chen "putt-putt-ed" for over forty minutes before ducking into an urban village. The area was densely packed with shanties, and the narrow alleyways wound like a labyrinth; the widest paths were barely two or three meters across, while the narrowest allowed only one person to pass sideways. The ground was pitted and uneven, and the tricycle jolted along until it finally stopped in front of a small inn. The neon sign was broken, leaving only the character for "Official" flickering in the dark.

Qiao Yuyan hopped off and followed An Chen through a ground-floor storefront piled with clutter. They climbed a narrow, dark staircase along the wall; the wooden steps were old and rotten, creaking with every footfall.

"It’s impressive that you could find such a retro inn in this day and age," Qiao Yuyan remarked with a click of her tongue.

"Heh," An Chen whispered, "it couldn't be helped."

The Chenxing Park villa complex, where their employer lived, was the most prestigious high-end district in Chenxing City. Its residents were either wealthy or powerful, and the complex was self-contained with no surrounding buildings, dedicating all adjacent land to landscaping—a very domineering setup. They needed a quiet, stable place for Lin Shiyue to safely hack the villa's security, and only this urban village, the closest to the complex, fit the bill.

Reaching the third floor, An Chen opened the middle door. "We’ve rented out all the surrounding rooms."

Qiao Yuyan nodded and stepped inside. The room was tiny, containing only a one-meter-wide bed where Aure was lying, his legs dangling far off the edge. On the other side of the room, Lin Shiyue faced a wall of monitors, her fingers flying across the keyboard as data and images flickered rapidly.

"Boss." Seeing Qiao Yuyan, Aure sat up, and the bed frame let out a harsh, protesting creak.

"Boss," Lin Shiyue also turned to greet her, "the villa’s security has been compromised; we can go in at any time."

No matter how strict the villa's security was, it couldn't compare to the Gu Group. With the help of the "little idiot" (AI), she had taken control of the monitoring system without much effort.

"Good." Qiao Yuyan walked over to the brick-supported, wobbly nightstand, picked up the pistol resting there, and manipulated it with practiced ease. She turned to An Chen and asked, "How’s the power?"

An Chen grinned. "Won't kill anyone."

Qiao Yuyan nodded. "Fine. Aure, stay here and protect Shiyue. You come with me."

Qiao Yuyan and An Chen changed into tactical gear and stood beneath the nearly five-meter-high wall of the villa complex. The entire perimeter was constructed of hard granite, carved with exquisite patterns that looked incredibly expensive. They hunched low, their figures blending into the night. Patiently waiting for the security patrol to move away, the two of them ran, leaped, and vaulted over the wall with a single push, the entire process executed without a sound.

They landed silently on the grass inside. Following Lin Shiyue’s instructions through their earpieces, they bypassed the patrols and arrived outside a villa. It was a three-story structure with a wide front door flanked by two bronze wall lamps, casting a soft, warm glow. The villa was surrounded by lush trees and flowers, and in the center of the courtyard sat a fountain with clear water trickling down a white marble sculpture.

Several burly bodyguards stood outside. Qiao Yuyan and An Chen exchanged a look, and An Chen nodded slightly. They hid in the shadows of the trees and slowly approached. Before the bodyguards could react, a few muffled groans rang out, and they all collapsed to the ground. Qiao Yuyan and An Chen emerged from the shadows.

The front door had a complex mechanical lock. An Chen pulled a thin wire from his pocket, inserted it into the keyhole, and with a soft "click," the door swung open. Qiao Yuyan followed him inside. A massive crystal chandelier hung above the hall, illuminating the space as brightly as day.

"The servants have all retired. The employer is in the underground wine cellar with two bodyguards," Lin Shiyue reported in real-time as she connected to the villa's internal cameras. "There are no other guards elsewhere."

Hearing this, they headed straight for the cellar entrance, their thick-soled boots swallowing the sound of their footsteps. Before long, they reached a corner where two tall, imposing men stood guard. They were dressed in black suits, muscles tense, scanning their surroundings with vigilant eyes—clearly well-trained professionals.

Qiao Yuyan assessed the environment. There was almost no cover in front of the cellar door; a direct assault would likely alert those inside. She frowned, instinctively looking up at the high ceiling. A moment later, she signaled to An Chen with her eyes. He understood and stayed put.

Qiao Yuyan adhered to the wall like a gecko and climbed toward the ceiling. The two guards stood at the door, completely unaware of the movement above. Suddenly, a rush of air sounded from overhead. They looked up sharply, only to see a dark shadow descend and crash into them with full force. Before they could cry out, their vision went black, and they lost consciousness.

Once Qiao Yuyan had neutralized the pair, An Chen emerged from the corner and hurried to her side. They pulled a bugging device from their pockets and stuck it to the door. The audio from inside the cellar came through their earpieces clearly.

"Gu the Second, can't you beg for mercy one more time? Does your nephew not even give you that much face?" a voice filled with dissatisfaction spoke first.

"Beg for nothing," another voice replied with a hint of disdain. "How can you even say that? How could your brother be so short-sighted? With all that money, what kind of woman can't he find? Why did he have to sexually harass a female employee? Can't he just spend some money to find someone willing outside?"

In the earpiece, Lin Shiyue provided a timely reminder: "Gu the Second is Gu Tingzheng, the second in line of the Gu family from the Gu Group. This villa is registered under his name. The brother they are talking about is Liang Feng, a distant cousin of Wang Hongzhi’s wife."

Wang Hongzhi was the eldest son of the chairman of the Rongsheng Group and their employer for this debt collection.

Qiao Yuyan grunted and glanced at An Chen. He understood, pressed himself against the door, and skillfully manipulated the lock with his tools. A moment later, the cellar door clicked open. They pushed the heavy wooden door, and the rich scent of wine wafted out.

Inside, the cellar was lined with racks of expensive wine. To ensure the quality of the collection, the lighting was dim, with only a few wall lamps casting a faint, warm glow. Two men sat at the bar. One, a middle-aged man in a gaudy shirt with slicked-back hair, muttered, "Ai, who knew he was that kind of person, obsessed with forcing things? Now look, my wife is nagging at me every day; it's driving me crazy."

Based on the conversation, this was Wang Hongzhi, and the other was Gu Tingzheng.

Gu Tingzheng, wearing a dark shirt with his sleeves rolled up, swirled the crimson liquid in his red wine glass. He scoffed, "What can be done? I’m telling you, he can forget about ever stepping foot into the Gu Group. If you really feel like you can't face your wife, just stuff him into Rongsheng."

Wang Hongzhi leaned in, draping an arm over Gu Tingzheng’s shoulder, and smiled obsequiously. "You know how it is—I can't call the shots at the company yet, and my dad has always looked down on him."

Gu Tingzheng sneered, "It’s perfectly normal for the old man to look down on him."

Seeing Gu Tingzheng’s irritation, Wang Hongzhi weighed the situation. After all, the guy was just a distant cousin, and his wife was really just worried about her pride; it wasn't worth offending Gu Tingzheng to the point of no return. He wisely stopped begging.

He changed the subject. "By the way, are you sure it’s really okay for us to withhold the final payment? We absolutely cannot let the old man find out, or I’ll be in deep trouble."

He had learned by chance from his father that there was a mysterious dark web hidden in the secret corners of the world, and it was said that as long as one had money, they could obtain anything they dreamed of. He had stolen the access credentials for the dark web from his father, and he couldn't let his father find out.

Gu Tingzheng looked disdainful. "What could possibly happen? This is the Xia Kingdom. So what if people from the dark web can get into the Gu Group? If they dare to cause trouble here, they’ll be treated just like the previous batches—deported immediately, sent back to wherever they came from."

"You're right," Wang Hongzhi said, his tense nerves relaxing. "This isn't the Lin Kingdom."

The two men smiled at each other and raised their glasses.

Just as their glasses were about to clash, a third red wine glass unexpectedly appeared from the side, colliding with theirs and emitting a crisp, clear "ding."