He raised his head slightly, his eyes gleaming with a peculiar light. "I can sense a certain principle in you. You and I are the same kind at heart." "Besides, this one hundred million reward should be enough to firmly establish such principles." Saying this, he shrugged, his demeanor exceptionally carefree. Fang Cheng stared at him, trying to see through him. Vaguely, he could feel that Cheng Jiashu’s words were indeed sincere, not fabricated, nor held any trace of threat or temptation. This strange sense of trust slightly moved a corner of Fang Cheng’s heart. Finally, Fang Cheng chose to nod and responded solemnly: "All I can say is that I’ll try my best." "Just doing your best is enough." Cheng Jiashu’s face showed a relieved smile, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He took a deep look at Fang Cheng, as if engraving this man’s image into his mind. He then bowed solemnly, murmured a word of thanks. Next, he turned and stepped into the light gate, his figure gradually becoming illusory in the glow. Finally, transformed into bits of green light, he disappeared completely. The dark hall returned to silence once again. Only the golden sphere of light remained, emitting a faint yet constant glow in the endless darkness. The wind swept through, making a whimpering sound, like the whispers of ancient ghosts. In the depths of the hall, those gigantic stone pillars cast overlapping shadows, making the already deep secret realm appear more vast and mysterious. Fang Cheng stood alone in the center of the grand hall. His gaze pierced through the darkness, looking in the direction where the palace’s first visitor had vanished. The white light gate gradually shrank until it completely closed, dissipating like a star and seeming as if it had never existed. Fang Cheng pondered for a while, only then retracting his gaze, and slowly walked back beneath the golden sphere of light. His fingers gently brushed over the warm glow, feeling the powerful pulse like a heartbeat. Everything seemed to unfold naturally, following the trajectory he imagined. Cheng Jiashu and the Special Search Team, the two most important pieces, finally prepared to join forces against the Noah Organization under his deliberate guidance. And he, the hidden manipulator behind the scenes, should do something too. The reason Fang Cheng refused Cheng Jiashu’s cooperation invitation was not to sit back and do nothing, or to "meditate and pray." The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Helping Cheng Jiashu is helping himself, this logic he understands. The Noah Organization is a sword hanging over his head; to severely wound it, or even eradicate it, can only be beneficial to him. Moreover, the existence of this organization has gradually affected his normal life. Now, with Cheng Jiashu proposing a plan for joint action, of course Fang Cheng is going to "help." But he absolutely cannot publicly help in the identity of "Fang Cheng" as an ordinary person, nor can he confront Gao Jin directly. That night in the barren suburban roadside, this Senior Investigator, clad in biological armor, had a battle with him. Though he wore a mask at that time, they could be considered to have had close "intimate contact." Just one encounter, the opponent will likely recognize him through physique, aura, and combat style as the true "White Owl." By then, the plan he painstakingly laid, letting Cheng Jiashu replace the "White Owl" identity to divert attention and hide his own secret, would likely be utterly exposed. This is definitely not what Fang Cheng wants to see. Thus, he used a reason that Cheng Jiashu could not refute, and one that fit his own "persona" to tactfully decline. Fang Cheng’s eyes flickered, many schemes surfacing in his mind. Perhaps he could continue to hide like a ghost, observing this approaching storm from the shadows. When the Special Search Team and Noah Organization fiercely clash, then seize the right opportunity. As the identity of "White Owl," appear abruptly, and act unrestrainedly, slaughtering... Upon this thought, Fang Cheng lifted his gaze, observing the large light sphere emitting gentle gold light. Numerous slender light threads extended from the sphere, like a neural network, connecting to the "Stars" on the dome representing link targets. His sight swept through the sea of stars on the dome. Finally, landed on a bright and stable star. A thought formed in his mind. Fang Cheng’s eyes slightly tightened, his consciousness instantly fired like an arrow, aiming at the target. The dark hall before his eyes was instantly shattered by a burst of flowing light. Consciousness passed through a splendid tunnel made of light and shadows. Countless scenes flashed past rapidly—tall buildings, streets, neon lights... In the next second, his vision suddenly regained clarity. A warm feeling mixed with the aroma of food and the scent of old furniture greeted him. Before his eyes was a small square table, with three dishes and a soup set upon it. A plate of glossy braised pork ribs, a dish of stir-fried greens, a plate of peanuts, and a bowl of steaming salted vegetable tofu soup. For an ordinary family, this was already quite a sumptuous meal. "A-Ren, eat more meat, you look like you’ve lost weight from overwork recently." An aged, gentle voice sounded. Through Xiao Shuai’s eyes, Fang Cheng saw a gray-haired old woman sitting across from him. Although her eyes were open, they were cloudy and unfocused, clearly having been blind for many years. Yet her face bore a satisfied and peaceful smile. It was Xiao Shuai’s mother, Li Guifen. "Mom, I’m not thin, I’m strong." Xiao Shuai’s voice came, deliberately slow and gentle: "You should eat too. Last time you went for a check-up, the doctor said you need to supplement more protein nutrition now." As he spoke, Xiao Shuai picked up a piece of rib with both meat and fat, carefully removed the bone, and placed the meat into his mother’s bowl. Fang Cheng did not immediately speak to interrupt. He was like a silent ghost, quietly "sitting" at this dining table, observing everything in front of him. This small room, less than twenty square meters, looked much brighter than the last time he saw it. The walls were freshly painted, and there was a brand-new LCD TV in the corner. Although the screen was not large, for this family, it was a luxury. Xiao Shuai’s clothes were no longer from a street stall but a shirt that looked quite quality. His sitting posture was very straight, and his eating actions had become much more refined, no longer gobbling down food like before. It seemed he was making an effort to adapt to his new identity and trying hard to give his mother a better life. "A-Ren, at the company... is your work going well? No one bullying you, right?" Li Guifen asked with concern as she slowly chewed. "Everything’s fine, of course." Xiao Shuai immediately replied with a relaxed tone: "Mom, don’t worry. I’m now the assistant to the department supervisor, managing a few people, and Boss Chen values me, so no one dares to bully me." "That’s good, that’s good." Li Guifen nodded with relief: "You, be diligent, speak less, and do more work. It’s not easy for people like us to have a decent job, so we need to cherish it." Xiao Shuai, chewing rice in his mouth, replied with a cheerful smile. Fang Cheng silently watched all this. He watched Xiao Shuai, after finishing dinner, skillfully tidy up the dishes, rushing to the kitchen to wash them. The narrow kitchen seemed a bit cramped, but he worked diligently. The sound of water flowed as he washed the pots, humming an off-key tune. It was not until Xiao Shuai dried his hands and walked out from the kitchen that Fang Cheng decided to end this moment of tranquility. Then he gathered his consciousness and, deep in Xiao Shuai’s mind, called out in a calm and even tone. Xiao Shuai, who was pouring water for his mother, suddenly froze. The unexpected call almost made the thermos in his hand slip out. Xiao Shuai’s mind buzzed, and his heart raced. Because according to their previous agreement, if the situation was urgent, he could directly recite the Chairman’s revered name in his mind. Then, through some miraculous spiritual link, they could contact each other and respond promptly. If it was just for routine work reports, they would use phone contact. A few days ago, the Chairman had just ordered to suspend all unnecessary contact to minimize risks. And now, the Chairman had unexpectedly initiated contact again. This could only mean one thing — there was an extremely important, perhaps life-and-death, mission to be issued. "A-Ren, what’s wrong? Did the water spill?" Li Guifen’s ears were keen and heard the sound of the cup shaking. Xiao Shuai quickly calmed himself and handed over the cup, his voice controlled so well that it betrayed no emotion. Fresh chapters posted on Nove1Fire.net "I’m just a bit tired, thinking of going to lie down for a while." "Go ahead, rest if you’re tired. You have work tomorrow." Xiao Shuai responded and quickly walked into his bedroom, gently closing and locking the door behind him. He leaned against the door, took a deep breath, and respectfully responded in his mind: "Chairman, A-Ren is here, please instruct."