Let you raise pigs?But kicked me out of the classmate group?

Chapter 1369 Black Gold Card and Blood Ore
Chapter 1370 Black Gold Card and Blood Ore
bathroom.

With Charlie's chatter shut out, only one sound remained in the world—the powerful, dense spray of water from the showerhead hitting the smooth tiled floor. Steam quickly rose, filling the entire space and blurring the huge mirror and chrome faucets.

Qin Hao stood under the huge rain shower, his eyes closed. The warm water, like dense needles, lashed down from above his head, meandering down the lines of his taut muscles. He tilted his head back, letting the water pound against his cheeks, wash over his eyelids, and rush into his ears, trying to drown out all his chaotic thoughts.

He scrubbed his arms, neck, chest...everywhere vigorously.

The areas wiped with the airport medical assistant's disinfectant wipes were repeatedly rubbed by him with the hotel's shower gel, which had a strong herbal fragrance. His skin became red, hot, and even a little stinging.

He rubbed the patch of skin on his sleeve where the bloodstain had been, almost with his fingernails, until the skin turned a bright red and was almost broken, as if he wanted to scrape away the invisible filth along with some uneasy premonition.
Water, carrying foam and a faint hint of blood (perhaps from ruptured capillaries caused by vigorous scrubbing), flowed down, swirling and disappearing into the gleaming white drain.

But that cold, heavy feeling clung to my heart like a maggot clinging to my bones, impossible to be washed away by the flowing water.

He wiped the water from his face and opened his eyes.

In the misty mirror, a blurry yet cold face was reflected. Water droplets rolled down his wet black hair, slid over his high nose, tightly pursed thin lips, and sharply defined jawline. Even in the warm steam, his eyes remained as cold and icy as a deep pool.

Iron ore

These three words are like a brand, clearly imprinted in my mind.

The chaotic situation in the Zangwe region, the deeply entrenched local armed groups, the greedy intercontinental brokers, and the covetous mining giants... this was inherently a dangerous game.

He came alone, with Charlie, a ticking time bomb, which was like walking on the edge of a cliff.

Every step requires careful planning, like walking on thin ice.

What now?
The Predator's Black Gold Card is like a double-edged sword, radiating brilliance.
It could easily cut through many obstacles, but it also completely exposed him and Charlie to the most dazzling spotlight.

Why is Abdul Zahir so generous?
Was it merely to repay a life-saving debt?
In a place like Albaza Airport, a tycoon who controls the top security forces in the African continent...

How could it be such a "coincidence" that he was violently robbed by thugs all by himself?
What kind of power struggles are involved behind that torn-up marriage agreement?
This "knife" was handed over too quickly and too heavily!
The vortex it stirred up could very well drag him and Charlie, along with their destination—the Ironfruit Mine—into a deeper and more unpredictable dark current.

The person in the mirror had an increasingly sharp gaze, like a quenched blade, piercing through the misty vapor, scrutinizing themselves and also this sudden, sugar-coated, enormous change.

He turned off the shower.

The sound of running water stopped abruptly, leaving only the dripping of water in the bathroom.

I picked up a large, soft white bath towel and vigorously dried the water droplets from my body; every inch of my skin felt sensitive from being soaked in hot water and scrubbed so vigorously. I changed into the soft bathrobe provided by the hotel and fastened the belt.

When Qin Hao opened the heavy frosted glass door of the bathroom, stepping out with warm steam and the fresh scent of shower gel, the scene in the living room made him pause.

Charlie didn't sprawl on the sofa to watch the sunset or continue sipping his champagne as he had expected.

The guy stood by the heavy main door of the suite, his back to Qin Hao, leaning slightly forward, holding a folded piece of paper that looked like an ordinary hotel notepad in his hand.
The last rays of the setting sun shone through the French windows, casting a warm red glow on the ends of his golden hair.
But at this moment, he was enveloped in a stiffness that clashed with the warm colors.
His expression froze.

His lips, which usually wore a carefree smile, were now pressed tightly into a cold, hard line.
Those bright blue eyes, which always sparkled with excitement, were now fixed on the note in their hand, their pupils filled with disbelief and a chilling, icy coldness, as if they had been doused with ice water.

His fingers, gripping the note tightly, turned white at the knuckles.
An eerie silence filled the living room.
Only Charlie's slightly heavier breathing and the muffled, deep rumble of machinery from the distant mines outside the window, like the heartbeat of the earth, could be heard.

"Charlie?"

Qin Hao's voice broke the silence, carrying a hint of barely perceptible alertness.
Charlie seemed to be startled awake by the sound, and his body trembled violently!
He slowly turned around, his movements somewhat stiff.
The setting sun illuminated half of his face, while the other half remained in shadow, making his expression appear obscure.

He looked up, his gaze passing over the expensive wool carpet in the center of the living room, and landing on Qin Hao.

His eyes were incredibly complex, showing lingering shock, confusion, and a hint of fear at finally realizing the seriousness of the situation.

He did not answer Qin Hao immediately.

Instead, he read out the contents of the note in a dry, almost sleepwalking voice, word by word.
The sound wasn't loud, but in the luxurious and spacious suite, it struck Qin Hao's taut nerves clearly:
"A note...tucked under the door."

Charlie's voice trembled almost imperceptibly. He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing, before continuing with difficulty.
"There's only one line of printed text above..."

He took a deep breath, as if he needed to use all his strength to squeeze out the rest of his words, and the last glimmer of hope in his eyes was completely extinguished.
"Someone reminded us... of the welcoming ceremony at the Iron Fruit Mine."

He paused, his voice suddenly dropping even lower, carrying a chilling coldness.

"...likes seeing blood."

Qin Hao knew that they had indeed been targeted. While the Predator Group was protecting their safety, there were many others who wanted a piece of the pie.

"The battle has begun."

Without saying much, just one sentence reassured Charlie a lot;
"Damn it, this is blatant provocation. We haven't even really made contact with the iron ore mine yet, and these wolf cubs have already set their sights on it."

Charlie stormed into the living room and sank into the huge, soft, off-white sofa.
"We had an appointment with one of the mining companies to discuss development the day after tomorrow, but it seems the situation is about to change. We need to be fully prepared for all the plans."

Qin Hao still reminded Charlie, lest the kid suddenly do something reckless;
With Lao Qin by his side, Charlie quickly regained his composure. He held the dark silver Predator contact card in his hand, examining it closely, occasionally blowing on it and wiping it with his bathrobe sleeve. His azure eyes gleamed with eager anticipation.

"I'm telling you, Lao Qin,"

Charlie didn't even look up, continuing to blow on the silver card with undisguised excitement in his voice;
"Look at this thing! It's high-tech! Shall we give it a try? Calling the predators! Service urgently needed!"

He deliberately used a high-pitched voice, imitating some exaggerated tone.

"Job posting: One beautiful local tour guide! Requirements: Passionate, stunning figure, excellent singing and dancing skills! Knowledge of minerals preferred! Compensation..."

He chuckled, waved the silver card in his hand, and said, "Use this card to swipe! What do you think? Isn't my idea brilliant?"

Qin Hao ignored him.

Water was still dripping from her wet black hair, trickling down her forehead and dripping along her jawline onto the collar of her bathrobe, leaving a small, dark stain.

He walked to the sofa and picked up the landline phone.

His finger paused on the button for a moment, as if he was thinking about something, before decisively pressing the front desk number.

A brief waiting tone came through the receiver.

"Hello, hotel front desk, how can I help you?"

A young woman's voice came through, using standard service phrases with a rhythmic accent characteristic of the African continent.

"Send two dinners to the room,"

Qin Hao spoke, his voice low and hoarse from being rinsed by hot water, his tone calm and even.

"Keep it light. Avoid strong local spices."

There was a sudden two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

The brief silence felt unusually jarring in the quiet room. Qin Hao's fingers, gripping the receiver, tightened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Then, the female voice rang out again, still in a sweet and professional tone, but this time, the sweetness seemed to be deliberately intensified, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible, excessive enthusiasm.

"Yes, Mr. Qin. I'll arrange it for you right away. Two light dinners, without strong spices. Is there anything else you need, Mr. Qin?"

"No."

Qin Hao's voice turned cold.

"Enjoy your meal, Mr. Qin."

The phone hangs up.

Beep. Beep. Beep.
A busy tone came through the receiver.

Qin Hao slowly put down the phone, the receiver base making a soft sound as it touched the body.

"click"

He stood there, water droplets from his wet hair dripping silently onto the cashmere carpet beneath his feet.

Outside the window, the lights of Zangwei lit up one after another, outlining the contours of the mining area and the city, like a huge, shimmering net of temptation and danger.

It's so fast.

Even the room number he registered under the alias "Qin Yuan" had been precisely located. The overly sweet female voice at the front desk, and the two deliberately emphasized "Mr. Qin," were more than just enthusiastic service.

This dinner might not be so easy to swallow.

The commercial struggles, like the mineral dust rising silently in the Zangwei night, have already begun to spread quietly.

"Hey? Old Qin? What are you spacing out for?"

Charlie's voice broke the silence. He was still lounging lazily on the sofa, swinging his legs, completely oblivious to the subtle pauses and forms of address during the phone call, only interested in dinner.

"A light diet is good! I just finished a fight, so I really need to soothe my stomach!"

What do you think they'll send?

"lobster?"

"steak?"

"Still the specialty of roasted antelope from the African continent?"

"Hey! Why don't you say something!"

Qin Hao turned around.

Beneath his wet bangs, the last trace of relaxation brought on by the hot bath had completely vanished from his deep eyes, leaving only an icy calm and a sharp alertness.

He walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

With his back to Charlie, his gaze pierced through the glass, directed towards the sparsely lit mining area on the city's edge, which resembled a lurking behemoth in the night.

Charlie

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the noisy background music on the television.

"Ok?"

Charlie finally took his eyes off the silver card and looked at Qin Hao's tall but cold back.

"Give me your silver card,"

Qin Hao didn't turn around; his voice was as calm as stating a fact.
"Keep it safe. Don't try it out."

Qin Hao stopped talking.

Qin Hao's heart sank as he held the paper, his fingertips feeling the rough fibers of the paper.

"A predator's knife, and someone's already wanting to test its sharpness?"

Qin Hao's voice was calm, even carrying a strange hint of amusement, but beneath that calm lay a bottomless, icy pool.

He raised his hand and picked up the internally encrypted satellite phone from the bedside table, his movements smooth and steady.

The phone was answered after only one ring.

Commander Ali's voice came from the other end, clear, steady, and with the conciseness characteristic of a predator.

"Mr. Qin."

Alibaba

Qin Hao's gaze fell on the anonymous letter.

“Our ‘new friend’ sent us a warm welcome letter. The contents were quite imaginative.”

"From now on, if a fly flies into my and Charlie's room, I need to know if it's male or female, where it came from, and where it's going."

"Put eyes on every entrance and exit of the hotel, and every blind spot of the surveillance cameras."

"Especially the banquet hosted by Tieguo Mining this time."

His tone was completely flat, as if he were assigning a routine task.

"Also, find out how this letter got under our door. I need to know which hand handed it over."

"Understood, Mr. Qin."

Alibaba didn't waste any words.

"The security level has been upgraded to 'Black Shield'."

"Your and Mr. Charlie's absolute safety is the predator's highest command."

"We will find the hand that delivers the message."

Several decisive commands were given from the other end of the phone, followed by a crisp hang-up.

Qin Hao put down the phone and casually tossed the note aside.

"It seems."

Charlie walked to the minibar and took out a can of chilled beer.

"The banquet tomorrow night won't be boring."

Charlie shook the beer can, looked at Qin Hao, and a fierce smile appeared on his lips.

"Is someone in a hurry to arrange seats for us, or... a coffin?"

Qin Hao walked to the wardrobe and opened the door.

Several impeccably ironed suits were hanging inside.

"coffin?"

He chuckled.

"That depends on who lies down there."

His fingers lingered on the collar of the navy blue suit, his gaze deep, as if piercing through the clothing before him.

The game of chess is about to unfold, a game fraught with peril.

The rooftop ballroom of the InterContinental Zangway Hotel.

as if.

A dazzling bubble suspended above the chaos.

A huge crystal chandelier cascaded down, illuminating the gilded columns, the gleaming marble floor, and the well-dressed people moving among them in perfect detail.

The air was filled with the scents of expensive perfumes, the strong aroma of cigars, and the slightly acidic bubbles of chilled champagne.

There is also something more subtle and viscous—

desire.

calculating.

And greed that was carefully concealed.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the rustling of clothes, the atmosphere was vibrant and lively.

Montenegrin.

English.