The man died again—this time without even a chance to make a sound. The moment he turned his head, Pei Rong mercilessly slit his throat with a blade.
The man felt a strange chill on his neck. Instinctively, he reached up—only for his fingers to come away drenched in shocking crimson. His eyes widened in disbelief.
A slashed throat was as fatal as a pierced heart. In an instant, his breath failed him, and he collapsed to the ground.
Luo Qing’s pupils contracted as he stared at Pei Rong, frozen in place, his slender body rigid with shock.
Once again, he was forced to confront the sheer ruthlessness of this organization. These people truly saw no value in human life. Killing was as effortless as drinking water to them.
And yet—that had been a living person.
Luo Qing gazed at the corpse, a cold dread seeping into his bones, as if the blood spilled were his own. His pale fingertips trembled faintly.
Pei Rong pulled out a tissue, leisurely wiping the blade clean. "The boss has changed," he said, his voice calm. "So the rules change too."
"From now on, you only answer to me."
His eyes settled on Luo Qing, who seemed thoroughly shaken, and he smiled faintly. "Don’t worry. I’m not the type to abuse my power."
"As long as you complete your missions properly, I won’t make things difficult for you."
"However…" His tone shifted, the corners of his lips curving slightly. "If you fail, you’ll face the consequences—my way."
Pei Rong’s first order to Luo Qing was simple: Kill Jiang Yan and Lin Xingyi.
An impossible task.
Both Jiang Yan and Lin Xingyi were highly skilled, armed with guns, and constantly guarded. Attempting to kill them would be suicide.
But none of that mattered to Pei Rong. He gave Luo Qing three days. If the two were still alive by then, it would count as a failure.
Luo Qing’s lips pressed into a tight line, his slender fingers curling unconsciously, knuckles whitening from the force.
Three days.
Three days wouldn’t even be enough to kill two ordinary people—let alone two high-ranking figures in the organization. From the start, Pei Rong had never intended to give him a real chance to succeed.
What he wanted, it seemed, was Luo Qing’s failure all along.
Luo Qing slowly lowered his gaze, lost in thought as he clenched his fingers. Finally, he took a deep breath and stepped away from the corner.
He still had three days left.
Three days—not too long, but not too short either. No one could predict what the future held.
***
The rainy season brought evening showers, leaving the abandoned factory damp and gloomy. Even in early summer, a lingering chill hung in the air.
Normally, when off-duty, the team members would gather under warm lights, drinking until they were thoroughly drunk before turning in for the night.
But ever since the two VIPs arrived, no one dared to drink in the common area anymore. Few even ventured there.
Luo Qing, however, was the opposite. A cramped room might offer a sense of security—but when that room also held two tall, imposing men, that security twisted into danger.
So these past two days, he’d spent most of his time in the common area. Like now.
Luo Qing sat on a chair in the hall, with Jiang Yan and Lin Xingyi flanking him on either side. The three of them were chatting idly.
Jiang Yan and Lin Xingyi clearly still didn’t know that Luo Qing’s mission had shifted from accompanying them to killing them. They dressed as flamboyantly as peacocks in full display.
Not that it mattered—their efforts were wasted on blind eyes. Luo Qing barely spared them a glance the entire time.
On the surface, their conversation seemed harmonious, but in reality, Jiang Yan and Lin Xingyi did most of the talking. The more they spoke, the more the atmosphere thickened, tension simmering dangerously between them.
“Not going back yet?” Jiang Yan asked Lin Xingyi with a light chuckle. “Skip class for too long, and even your brother won’t be able to cover for you.”
“Skipping class is no big deal,” Lin Xingyi replied breezily, as if it were nothing. He smiled back at Jiang Yan.
“You, on the other hand—shouldn’t you be working on that mission my brother assigned you?”
“His temper isn’t exactly forgiving. Fail, and the consequences will be… severe.”
His tone carried a hint of concern, but his eyes gleamed with malice, clearly wishing Jiang Yan would drop dead on the spot.
Both men wore smiles, though neither reached their eyes. In the end, Lin Xingyi was the first to leave.
He headed in the direction of the restroom.
Initially, bodyguards had shadowed the two men relentlessly. But after these past couple of days, they’d grown lax. Now, the path to the restroom stood empty—not a soul in sight.
Jiang Yan’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, a fleeting glint passing through their depths. In the end, he too stood up and headed toward the restroom.
Lin Xingyi had just stepped out when he came face-to-face with Jiang Yan. One look at that indifferent gaze, and Lin Xingyi instantly understood Jiang Yan’s intention.
He wants to kill me.
Lin Xingyi smirked coldly. What a coincidence—I was just thinking the same thing.
Among the bodyguards Jiang Yan had brought, some were loyal to him, others to his elder brother. Over the past two days, neither of them had found an opportunity to strike. But now, the bodyguards were all preoccupied with Luo Qing, and the restroom was a blind spot.
This was the perfect chance.
***
After the two left, Luo Qing didn’t return to his room either. He slumped lazily in his chair, fiddling with his phone.
In truth, his mind wasn’t on the device. He kept replaying the scene from earlier—Jiang Yan’s expression had seemed off just now.
Why did he follow him?
"Ding ling ling, ding ling ling." The ringtone snapped Luo Qing out of his thoughts. He glanced at the phone on the table—Lin Xingyi had left it behind.
Luo Qing lowered his gaze. Three seconds later, he picked up the phone and walked in the direction the two had gone.
But before he could get close, Lin Xingyi’s voice carried over from the restroom.
"Brother Luo Qing, is that my phone?"
Without waiting for an answer, Lin Xingyi continued, "I’m in the middle of something—can you answer it for me?"
It wasn’t a request but a statement. Luo Qing no longer had a reason to approach. His steps halted, and he had no choice but to accept the call on Lin Xingyi’s behalf.
The moment the call connected, a man’s icy voice came through.
"Where are you?"
The voice was unnervingly cold, sharp with the authority and pressure of someone used to command. Just two words, yet they instinctively evoked fear.
This was no ordinary man.
Luo Qing glanced at the caller ID, then slowly lowered his eyes. "He’s unavailable at the moment."
On the other end, the man seemed momentarily silent—whether surprised it wasn’t Lin Xingyi or for some other reason, it was impossible to tell.
Several seconds later, the man spoke again. "Who are you?"
Luo Qing didn’t answer the question. Instead, he replied calmly, "Do you need something from him? I can pass it along."
The man paused inexplicably, his icy tone softening slightly. "Are you his classmate?"
"No," Luo Qing said flatly.
The man didn’t press further. His voice turned detached, leaving no room for refusal.
"Tell him I’m coming to pick him up in person."
With that, the man hung up. Just then, Lin Xingyi emerged from the dead-end hallway near the restroom, acting as if he’d really just been using the toilet. He glanced at Luo Qing holding the phone and asked casually, "Who was it?"
Luo Qing handed the phone back. "Your brother."
"Who?!" Lin Xingyi’s voice rose sharply, clearly rattled.
Just moments ago, he and Jiang Yan had been on the verge of killing each other—until they heard familiar footsteps approaching. Luo Qing’s footsteps.
But neither of them was in any state to be seen by anyone, which was why Lin Xingyi had asked Luo Qing to answer the call.
He never expected it to be his brother.
Had he known, he would never have let someone else pick up.
Lin Xingyi frantically checked the call log, confirming it really was his brother. His expression tightened with panic as he turned to Luo Qing. "What did he say? You didn’t tell him I skipped class, did you?"
Luo Qing relayed the man’s words exactly. "He said he’s coming to get you himself."
Thank you for the chapter!!
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