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Chapter 295 Image Issues, Confessing Secrets

The sound of rushing water echoed in the spacious bathroom, filled with steaming heat.

Fang Cheng's voice was calm and low, and was mostly masked by the sound of water; it could only be heard clearly if one was very close.

Xu Hao was rubbing his back with heavy breathing when he heard this, he paused for a moment, and replied in a very low voice:
"We found some."

"How to say?"

Fang Cheng asked while rubbing his hair.

Although—there wasn't much hair to ruffle.

Hot water cascaded down his bald head, and the foamy shower gel slid over his skin, outlining his well-defined muscles.

"Boss, those investigators from Noah are really capable."

Like underground party members making a rendezvous, Xu Hao lowered his voice even further and changed how he addressed Fang Cheng, in order to make them seem closer.

“They’ve dug up almost your entire family history, your family background, your social connections, from elementary school to university, and your work experience after graduation. They know it all clearly, probably even better than you do yourself.”

"And... there's also..."

Xu Hao's Adam's apple bobbed, revealing obvious hesitation and apprehension:

"Tell me whatever you've found."

Fang Cheng's tone remained calm, as he was mentally prepared for any shocking news.

"They found out that your Fang family ancestors included a few... cough cough... well, people with a bad reputation."

Xu Hao seemed to have choked on the water, coughed twice, wiped his face, and then said:
"To take a recent example, during the chaotic Sixteen Kingdoms period, your Fang family produced a general known as the 'Butcher of Men.' According to records, he once massacred 100,000 surrendered soldiers, causing rivers of blood to flow, and the wailing of wronged souls could be heard at night."

"Hey boss, your family's history is really... wow, it's quite epic!"

As he got more into the conversation, Xu Hao smacked his lips, seemingly forgetting that they were currently having a secret rendezvous.

His words carried a hint of enjoying the drama, and he began his "storytelling" session.

"Going back a few hundred years, there was a notorious bandit who ate people, also surnamed Fang. He specifically targeted women with delicate skin, claiming it was a highly nourishing medicine that could help them cultivate unparalleled demonic skills..."

"As for modern times, don't even mention it. Serial killers and psychopaths, you can find the shadows of your Fang family in the files."

"And...and...your father..."

At this point, Xu Hao paused again, pondered for a while, and finally managed to come up with a rather literary phrase.

"enough."

Fang Cheng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a hint of coldness as he interrupted Xu Hao's increasingly enthusiastic "storytelling session."

Xu Hao immediately shut his mouth, realizing he had gone too far.

What are their next steps?

Fang Cheng remained silent for a moment, then asked.

They seemed unconcerned about the "dark history" that Xu Hao mentioned.

"Hey, you might not believe it, but it's true."

Xu Hao, who had been feeling uneasy, breathed a sigh of relief, and then, with a sense of shared hatred for the enemy, continued to report the intelligence he had gathered:

"Noah's gang of bastards has run into some trouble at home recently, and they're a bit short-handed, so they don't have time to keep an eye on you for the time being."

He paused, then added a few more words of explanation:
"The main reason is that your skills were too eye-catching when you single-handedly defeated dozens of Red Tiger Gang members last time."

“To deal with a fighting expert like you, they know that sending small fry or street thugs is just asking for trouble, and it might even alert the enemy and mess things up.”

"However, they haven't been idle. They're applying to their superiors to transfer more skilled people to Dongdu."

"So, at least for the next few days, you can breathe a little easier. I reckon it will be at least a week before there are any new developments over there."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly:
"Can you apply to take charge of this task? You can then 'investigate' me."

Xu Hao instantly understood Fang Cheng's meaning, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.

But then he faltered, saying with some difficulty:

"If possible, I will definitely try my best to fight for it."

"However... the boss I used to work for suddenly disappeared before New Year's Eve last year while on a mission, and the new guy who parachuted in now doesn't get along with me."

Fang Cheng understood immediately that the "missing boss" Xu Hao mentioned was most likely one of the two experts he had killed at the garbage disposal plant.

Xu Hao seemed to get angrier the more he talked, and continued to complain:

"Damn it, that guy isn't from the same faction as me. He's always looking out for me and finding fault with everything I do. It'll be difficult to take the job away from him."

His tone was filled with obvious displeasure and helplessness.

Indeed, wherever there are people, there is a world of intrigue and conflict.

Even a powerful multinational organization like Noah cannot avoid factionalism and infighting.

Fang Cheng breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least for now, he still had some room for maneuver and time to prepare.

I turned off the tap, picked up a towel to dry myself, and casually asked:

"You said they encountered trouble and had to redeploy a lot of manpower. What exactly happened?"

"This...hehe..."

Xu Hao, a little embarrassed, scratched his signature tuft of blond hair and explained:

"I was so busy asking about things related to you that I didn't really look into this in detail."

"I vaguely heard that a rather powerful figure has appeared out of nowhere in Dongdu, and he is specifically going against the Noah Organization, causing them to suffer many losses and lose some of their manpower."

"Find out the truth about this as soon as possible."

Fang Cheng's tone left no room for argument.

After all, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. It's never a bad thing to know more about the enemy.

"Alright, I've got this covered!"

Xu Hao also turned off the tap and quickly patted his chest to assure him.

After this period of "cooperation," he no longer felt the same restraint and fear towards the unfathomable man before him as he had at the beginning.

Instead, it added a subtle feeling of... sharing the same boat.

The two quickly washed themselves clean and put on their clothes.

Fang Cheng stood in front of the mirror, looking at his bald head, which gleamed brightly under the bathroom light.

Upon closer inspection, the pores on the scalp were slightly raised, but the hair roots had not yet broken through the skin's barrier.

When touched with your finger, it has a slight frictional feel, similar to fine sandpaper.

Logically speaking, it has been more than a week since he shaved his head, and an ordinary person's hair should have grown a stubble by now.

Moreover, given his current superhuman physical recovery ability, this growth rate is clearly extremely abnormal.

Fang Cheng couldn't figure out the reason, nor did he care to think about it.

He then took out a black wig from his bag, put it on skillfully, and tidied himself up in front of the mirror.

His originally fierce and cold demeanor, which was made by his bald head, softened considerably.

He looks like an ordinary boy next door, except his eyes are still deep and bright.

If he wore those gold-rimmed glasses, he would be even less likely to be noticed.

Fang Cheng admired his new look and secretly plotted his next move.

Since intelligence indicates that the Noah Organization is temporarily unable to attend to its own affairs in the next few days.

That's a good time to intensify training and try to improve the skills of "running," "sparring," and "meditation," which are close to breaking through their bottlenecks, to the next level.

In this world, only absolute power can bring true security.

Only by constantly becoming stronger can one better cope with the troubles that follow and protect oneself and those around them. As for the afternoon, Fang Cheng plans to go to Wanghu Town.

My mom told me that my uncle, Li Dingjian, returned from his "business trip" last night.

It's time to go and have a serious talk with him.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng suddenly turned around.

But Xu Hao was seen putting on his pants while curiously watching himself put on a wig.

So he casually explained:
"Maintaining a good image makes things easier."

Xu Hao nodded knowingly and grinned:
"You know what, boss, you actually look pretty good wearing this thing, way cooler than bald!"

After completing their secret rendezvous in the bathroom, the two said a brief goodbye and went their separate ways.

Xu Hao slipped away as if his feet were greased, his eyes darting around rapidly, afraid of bumping into someone he shouldn't have seen. He quickly crouched down and slipped out.

Seeing his thieving appearance, Fang Cheng shook his head speechlessly, then walked towards the locker room, preparing to leave the club.

....................................

Inside a luxury suite at Yuehu Hotel.

Sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling onto the soft carpet.

It was the weekend, and the lakeside was teeming with tourists. The laughter of children and the shouts of vendors drifted into the air like cheerful musical notes.

Fang Cheng put down his backpack and stood quietly by the window, his gaze following the boats bobbing on the lake.

This moment of peace and tranquility stirred a ripple in his heart.

When will I be able to truly put down this heavy burden?

Why not enjoy life in the sunshine like these carefree ordinary people?
"Dong dong dong."

A knock on the door suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Fang Cheng took a deep breath, then suppressed this fleeting longing and turned to open the door.

The person standing at the door was his uncle, Li Dingjian.

He was still wearing that familiar pilot jacket, with his usual lazy smile on his face.

But deep within those eyes, which held a hint of cynicism, seemed to lie some complex emotions that were hard to describe.

"uncle."

Fang Cheng stepped aside to let him in.

"Acheng, how have you been lately? Your mom keeps saying you're really busy with work, and you're often nowhere to be seen."

Li Dingjian entered the room and sat down on the soft sofa as if he knew his way around.

His gaze seemed to casually sweep around the room before finally settling on Fang Cheng with a hint of inquiry.

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, talking about everything from the grandfather's health to the progress of the house renovation.

But the atmosphere gradually became subtle, as if there was an invisible veil separating the uncle and nephew, making them both feel somewhat uncomfortable.

The thrilling treasure hunt that took place more than a week ago at the Lu Family Manor in Misty Mountain.

It was as if an inescapable shared secret was swirling in their hearts.

Both sides harbored doubts, yet neither knew where to begin to break the ice.

In the end, it was Fang Cheng who broke the somewhat stagnant silence.

He looked calmly at Li Dingjian, his tone direct and frank:
"Uncle, that night, the guy in the professor's team called 'Crow,' was you?"

Li Dingjian's smile froze slightly, then turned into a soft sigh.

He didn't deny it, nodded, and rubbed his temples.

"Sigh, yeah, I knew I couldn't hide it from your cunning eyes."

Then he raised his head, his eyes suddenly sharpening as he stared intently at Fang Cheng:

"That 'White Ghost' who wore a ghost mask, shattered the Golden Bamba Bottle with one punch, and incidentally saved all our lives, that must be you, A-Cheng?"

"it's me."

Fang Cheng did not deny it and appeared very open and honest.

"You kid..."

Li Dingjian was at a loss for words.

I felt a mix of shock, lingering fear, and indescribable relief and pride.

A mix of emotions flashed across his face, finally settling into deep worry.

"Acheng, why did you get involved in such a dangerous thing?"

"Still getting involved with Black Wolf's gang? Tell your uncle honestly, is someone forcing you? Or are they threatening you with something?"

He pressed for more information.

Fang Cheng shook his head, his tone firm:
"No one forced me; it was all my own idea."

Then he asked back:
"But why did you, Uncle, join the professor's team and take such a big risk with them?"

The listlessness on Li Dingjian's face vanished instantly, replaced by tightly furrowed wrinkles on his forehead.

He sighed and began to speak:
“If I hadn’t taken the risk with the professor and the others, where would I have gotten so much money to pay for your grandfather’s surgery and buy him a house for retirement? That’s no small amount.”

"My mom and I are trying to figure out how to get the money..."

"Acheng, you don't need to say anything."

Li Dingjian immediately interrupted Fang Cheng, waving his hand with a wry smile:

"After all, I am the eldest son of the Li family, and some responsibilities must be borne by me, not by you or your mother."

"If I were truly a complete and utter failure, I might choose to run away and make excuses, but your uncle here does have some ability..."

At this point, the tense expression on his face relaxed considerably:

"Fortunately, everything went smoothly. We've raised enough money, and your grandfather's surgery was successful. He has now recovered."

“Now that Grandpa is alright, you should step back and stop associating with those people. It’s too dangerous.”

Fang Cheng continued to persuade him, his tone filled with genuine concern.

Li Dingjian shook his head again, a complex and unfathomable light flashing in his eyes:

"No, Acheng, this isn't over yet."

"I still have something very important to finish. To be honest, it's one of the few ideals I've had in my life, and it's also related to you..."

He abruptly changed the subject, not continuing, but simply chuckled, his tone carrying a feigned ease and longing:

"Once I've handled this matter perfectly, I'll completely retire from this life, buy a big yacht, go out to sea every day to fish and sunbathe, and never have to deal with these fighting and killing nonsense again!"

"When the time comes, Acheng, whatever fish you want to eat, your uncle will catch it for you..."

Li Dingjian paints a picture of a leisurely and affluent retirement life, as if such days were readily available.

This was the first time Fang Cheng had seen his lazy and easygoing uncle display such a persistent, even fanatical, expression.

A sense of doubt arose in my mind.

Could that seemingly refined professor be a pyramid scheme leader who brainwashed my uncle to some extent?

Li Dingjian seemed to have sensed Fang Cheng's worries.

She immediately changed the subject, staring intently at him, her tone becoming serious:
"Alright, stop talking about me, let's talk about you."

"Acheng, how did you acquire such amazing skills? Tell your uncle the truth, don't hide anything from him!"

(End of this chapter)