The boss of a foreign organization called the police, claiming that he was defrauded by me

"Very good." Yang Xia nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. "The current dissemination effect is even better than I expected. Those with 'ulterior motives' should notice this soon. Next, we just need to continue to move forward according to the steps we had previously agreed upon."

Sun Zhengming responded and added, "Also, Yu Meiren just sent a message saying she saw what happened in the live stream and asked if we could help share the relevant content on her account to further expand its influence."

"Need not."

Yang Xia shook his head. "Yu Meiren's fan base is not quite the same as the target audience we're trying to reach this time, and her current focus is on promoting her new drama. There's no need to involve her. Just let her move forward with her work normally. If she needs help later, I'll talk to her about it."

"Ok."

The car drove smoothly through the night, the streetlights outside the window receding like a string of flowing points of light. Yang Xia put down his phone, leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and mentally reviewed each step of his plan—from starting the live stream to "selling titles."

This piqued Thomson's interest, and then Sun Zhengming "came to arrest him."

Creating buzz was a meticulously planned process, with each step linked to the next. Now that these steps have been successfully completed, all that's left is to wait for the "target individuals."

They took the bait willingly.

He knew that this seemingly accidental "livestream incident" was just the beginning of the whole plan. More "accidents" were yet to come.

And there were "turning points," but every step was under his control. Just like now, the discussion on the platform continues to ferment, and more and more people are beginning to pay attention to the "Great Zhou Dynasty nobility titles."

Yang Xia is under investigation.

This was exactly the outcome he wanted—only by making a big fuss could he force those hiding in the shadows to step forward and participate in this meticulously designed "game."

in.

The car drove into a quiet alley and finally stopped in front of an inconspicuous little building. Sun Zhengming got out of the car first, opened the door, and gestured for Yang Xia to enter.

He made a gesture. Yang Xia opened his eyes, his face now calm. He got out of the car, looked up at the small building in front of him, and said softly, "Let's go. Next, we should prepare for the next step."

The two walked side by side into the small building, the door closing gently behind them, completely shutting out the outside noise. Meanwhile, the discussion on the platform continued; fans' worries and curiosity, netizens' speculations and controversies, all fueled the spread of the story. No one knew that this seemingly sudden "storm" was actually a meticulously planned "performance," and even fewer knew that this "performance"...

Behind this lies an even more sophisticated and massive plan.

Night, like a thick, black velvet blanket, completely enveloped the dungeons of the Yan Kingdom's capital. The damp air, thick with the smells of rust and mildew, slowly seeped through the cracks in the dungeon's stones, each step leaving a soft, rustling sound as the soles of shoes scraped against the flagstones.

The soft sound was particularly clear in the silent passage. Carter hunched over, completely concealing himself in the shadows. His black night clothes blended into the surrounding darkness, with only his wary eyes occasionally flashing a cold light in the dim torchlight.

He was a spy for the Nebula Kingdom's fleet, agile and skilled in infiltration and reconnaissance. His sole objective in infiltrating the Yan Kingdom's dungeon was to confirm whether Yang Xia was truly imprisoned there. The rumors he'd heard at the port during the day still echoed in his ears; some said it was about a man claiming to be the "King of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Yang Xia was arrested by the Yan Kingdom government for allegedly swindling and was imprisoned deep in the dungeon; some said this was a smokescreen deliberately released by the Yan Kingdom to lure out the enemy. But Captain John didn't believe it. He had to see Yang Xia imprisoned with his own eyes before he could feel at ease—after all, Yang Xia knew too much, and if he escaped, he might ruin the Nebula Kingdom's secret plans.

The dungeon passages were winding and circuitous, with a jailer standing guard at the cell door every few dozen steps. They carried spears, wore scimitars at their waists, and their eyes scanned the surroundings warily. Carter held his breath, using the shadows cast by the torchlight to move as swiftly as a nimble cheetah. He avoided the patrolling jailers and dodged the hidden sentries in the corners, his fingers lightly tracing the cold stone walls, carefully identifying the cell numbers—according to the information he had gathered earlier, Yang Xia should be imprisoned in the deepest section for serious offenders.

Just as he was about to reach the area for serious offenders, a loud shout suddenly came from the cell ahead, breaking the silence of the dungeon: "Let me out! Let me out now! Are you blind? You dare to imprison even the King of the Great Zhou Dynasty?"

Carter stopped abruptly, his eyes lighting up instantly—that voice, wasn't it Yang Xia's? He quickly ducked behind a stone pillar, peering out in the direction the voice came from. There, in the deepest cell, stood a familiar figure before the iron bars, gripping them tightly, his face flushed red, his voice filled with anger and resentment.

"What exactly did I do? You accuse me of deception, but who did I deceive?"

Yang Xia's voice grew louder and louder, tinged with a deliberate sense of grievance, "Isn't the entire Yan Kingdom supposed to be a land of etiquette? Is this how you treat your guests? Locking people up in the dungeon and ignoring them without a word, not even a single person came out to respond. Are all your officials dead?"

Carter, hiding behind a stone pillar, smirked coldly. He had initially worried the rumors were untrue, but now it seemed Yang Xia was indeed imprisoned here, and judging by appearances, the Yan government had treated him like an ordinary swindler, offering no special treatment. This completely dispelled Captain John's worries. He quietly took a few steps back, making sure no guards were watching him, then turned and silently made his way back towards the dungeon exit—he needed to deliver this "good news" as soon as possible.

Tell Captain John.

In the cell, Yang Xia stared in the direction Carter had disappeared, his anger vanishing instantly, replaced by a knowing smile. He released his grip on the bars, lightly brushing off the dust, his eyes gleaming with calculation. His earlier shouts hadn't been genuine anger; they were a deliberate performance for Carter's benefit. He had anticipated John would send someone to confirm his situation; after all, he was a significant threat to the Nebula Kingdom. His goal was to make Carter believe he was indeed imprisoned by the Yan Kingdom's government and utterly powerless to resist—only then would John lower his guard, and might even take more drastic actions.

Yang Xia leaned against the cold stone wall, closed his eyes, and began to organize his thoughts on the next steps. He had already shared his suspicions with Sun Zhengming. The Yan official was not only intelligent but also cautious. After hearing his analysis, he immediately understood the key point—John would never tolerate someone who knew his plans living. Once Yang Xia's imprisonment was confirmed, he would likely send someone to silence him. Therefore, Sun Zhengming had already made preparations, not only strengthening the dungeon's security but also arranging elite guards to lie in ambush around the cells, waiting for the Xingyun Kingdom's people to walk right into the trap.

Meanwhile, at the Nebula Kingdom fleet's temporary base outside the dungeon, Captain John paced anxiously in his room. He wore a dark blue captain's uniform with a gold badge on his chest, and his once neatly combed hair was now disheveled with anxiety. He glanced at the doorway every now and then, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table, making a "tap-tap" sound, each tap revealing a hint of unease.

"Why isn't he back yet? Could something have happened to Carter?"

John muttered to himself, his brow furrowed. His first mate, unable to sit still any longer, stood up and said, “Captain, don’t worry. You know Carter’s skills; the Yan Kingdom’s jailers might not be able to find him. Perhaps he’s already found Yang Xia and is on his way back.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a loud bang as the door was opened.

With a thud, Carter burst in, panting, his face beaming with excitement. His night clothes were dusty, and beads of sweat clung to his forehead, clearly indicating he had run all the way back.

"Captain! First mate! I've found him!"

As soon as Carter entered, he shouted excitedly, "I saw Yang Xia in the deepest cell of the dungeon! He was locked in an iron cage, shouting and yelling that he was the king of the Great Zhou Dynasty and cursing the Yan government for being unreasonable. It seems he's really under house arrest!"

Upon hearing this, John's tense nerves instantly relaxed, his anxiety vanished, and replaced by ecstatic joy. He slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter: "Great! Excellent! This is truly heaven's help!"

Laughter echoed in the room, causing the teacups on the table to tremble slightly.

The first mate breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "So the rumors are true. With Yang Xia imprisoned by Yan, he can no longer hinder our plans."

"No, being imprisoned is not enough."

John's laughter suddenly stopped, and his eyes instantly turned cold. "Yang Xia knows about our Nebula Kingdom's plans. If he is persuaded by the Yan Kingdom's government to reveal our secrets, the consequences will be unimaginable. Moreover, he is currently imprisoned in the dungeon, and the Yan Kingdom's government may torture him to extract a confession. At that time, our plans will be completely ruined."

Carter and the first mate's expressions also turned serious. They both understood John's meaning—Yang Xia had to die. Only the dead could prevent the secret from being revealed, and only with Yang Xia dead could the Nebula Kingdom's plan proceed smoothly.

John walked up to Carter, patted him on the shoulder, and said solemnly, "Carter, this is the perfect job for you. You are the most skilled in our entire fleet, and your stealth techniques are top-notch. There is no one else more suitable for this mission than you."

Carter immediately straightened up, his eyes resolute, and said, "Please give your orders, Captain! I guarantee I will complete the mission!"

"it is good."

John nodded and continued, "Now go and choose a skilled assassin. The two of you will infiltrate the dungeon again. This time, there's no need for reconnaissance. Just take action and do everything in your power to kill Yang Xia. We absolutely cannot let him leave the dungeon alive. As long as he's dead, our Nebula Kingdom's plan will not be leaked in the slightest, and subsequent operations can proceed smoothly."

"Yes!"

Carter agreed without hesitation, turned around and walked towards the door to choose a partner and prepare for the second infiltration.

John watched Carter's departing figure, a ruthless smile curling at the corner of his lips. He walked to the window, gazing in the direction of the Yan Kingdom's capital in the distance, his eyes filled with ambition: "Yang Xia, don't blame me for being ruthless. Blame yourself for knowing too much and blocking the path of the Nebula Kingdom."

Inside the dungeon, Yang Xia leaned against the railing, leisurely watching the moonlight outside the window. He had long suspected that John would send someone to silence him, so Sun Zhengming had begun making arrangements after Carter left. Most of the ordinary jailers who had been guarding the dungeon had been replaced with elite Imperial Guards. They wore jailer uniforms, but each one was exceptionally skilled, with eyes as sharp as eagles. The number of sentries around the cells had also doubled, and every corner was under tight surveillance, making it difficult for even a fly to get in. There were even two hidden guards on the roof of Yang Xia's cell, armed with crossbows, ready to deal with any emergencies.

Sun Zhengming stood at the end of the dungeon passage, watching his men methodically set up their trap, a satisfied look on his face. He knew John was suspicious and ruthless; he wouldn't sit idly by and wait to be killed. Once he confirmed Yang Xia's imprisonment, he would surely send someone to silence him. Everything he was doing now was to lure John into a trap.

—Not only must Yang Xia be protected, but the Nebula Kingdom spies who came to assassinate him must also be captured and extracted from them more secrets about the Nebula Kingdom's plans.

"My lord, all preparations have been completed, and the secret guards are in place. If the people from the Nebula Kingdom dare to come, we guarantee they will not return alive."

A commander of the Imperial Guards walked up to Sun Zhengming and reported in a low voice.

Sun Zhengming nodded, his eyes serious, and said, "Very good. Tell the brothers to be on high alert and not to let their guard down. The spies from Xingyun Kingdom are quite skilled, and they may be carrying weapons. We must be careful to avoid unnecessary casualties."

"Yes!"

The commander of the Imperial Guards respectfully responded and turned to relay the order.

As night deepened, the torches in the dungeon gradually burned out, leaving only a few dim oil lamps flickering gently in the wind. Carter, accompanied by a tall, highly skilled assassin, once again infiltrated the dungeon. This assassin, named Black, was the most formidable killer in the Nebula Kingdom's fleet, proficient with a knife, ruthless in his actions, and had never missed a shot.

The two cautiously moved towards Yang Xia's cell along the previous route. But halfway there, Carter sensed something was wrong—the previously loosely guarded passageway was now unusually tight. Two jailers stood guard at each cell door, their posture upright and their eyes sharp; they were clearly not ordinary jailers. The patrols had also doubled in number, their grip on their spears tighter, their steps more hurried, as if they were deliberately searching for something. (End of Chapter)