Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chapter 340 The Hunting Ground of Reinforced Concrete, Call Me Chairman
Jiangdong District, CBD area.

The afternoon sun streamed down through the gaps between the towering buildings, shining into the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

On the top floor of the Yuanchen Group building, in a luxurious and spacious office.

Chen Chen was sitting behind a mahogany desk, holding a book with a gilded cover titled "The Road to Financial Freedom".

He appeared to be studying the book intently, but his gaze was not actually focused on the text on the pages.

His slightly furrowed brows revealed his hidden anxiety.

Boom, boom.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Chen Chen shouted without looking up.

The office door was gently pushed open a crack.

A figure nimbly slipped in, then turned around and gently locked the door behind them with a click.

"Chairman!"

The visitor was Secretary Liu.

He held a black phone in both hands, his face beaming with barely concealed excitement. He lowered his voice and spoke rapidly:

"We have news! It's from Xiaosa's side; they've agreed to cooperate!"

The cell phone in Secretary Liu's hand was Chen Chen's private line used to contact special channels.

Chen Chen's eyes lit up instantly, and he seemed to be full of energy.

He slammed the book shut with a thud and abruptly stood up.

"it is good!"

He had been waiting for this news for so long that his patience was almost completely worn out.

"Quickly arrange a meeting with that thug... no."

He started speaking, then immediately changed his mind, a serious expression appearing on his face:
"Mr. Yue Xiaosai, come to our group to discuss cooperation in detail."

This once powerful underworld figure appeared unusually agitated, pacing back and forth in his office.

He then suppressed his overwhelming joy, turned around abruptly, stared intently at his trusted secretary Liu, and carefully instructed her:
"You personally send an inconspicuous car to pick him up, making sure he is absolutely safe and private on the road."

"Also, prepare the deposit immediately, two million in cash, not a penny less."

"Chairman."

A hint of hesitation flashed across Secretary Liu's face as she cautiously reminded him:

"Two million...isn't that too much? According to the previously agreed 20% ratio, the total price would be ten million."

"We don't have much money to begin with, and there are many places to spend money. Winning over members of parliament and bribing the police station is a bottomless pit, and we still need to spend a lot of money."

He paused and added:
"Moreover, moving such a large sum of money at once is likely to attract the attention of higher authorities."

"Anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem!"

Chen Chen's tone was resolute and left no room for argument:
"What we need most urgently right now is absolute military force that can deliver the final blow."

"Money can be earned back, but once an opportunity is missed, it can never be found again. No matter how much the other party demands, we only have one strategy."

"We'll overwhelm him with money, show him our sincerity and strength, so he can't refuse and won't dare to play any tricks."

"If we can keep that assassin firmly on our ship, the whole plan will be half successful."

Chen Chen's eyes sharpened. He walked up to Secretary Liu, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a deep voice:

"As for the funding issue, use your brain. Break it down into smaller amounts and transfer funds through several different overseas accounts or shell companies. Take a roundabout approach and raise funds in batches."

"As for the attention from above?"

At this point, Chen Chen's lips curled into a cold smile:
"As long as those troublesome guys in the field operations department are taken care of, who will have the energy to check our accounts for a short period of time?"

"At that time, the entire intelligence network of the Eastern Capital branch will be paralyzed, and that will be our golden period to make our move."

"Afterwards, find a pretext to make some unprofitable investments, and this amount of money can be quickly washed away without leaving any trace."

Although Secretary Liu had reservations after hearing these words, he still nodded solemnly:
"Okay, I understand. I'll go and find a way to raise the money right away."

As Chen Chen's confidant, Secretary Liu knew that this was a high-stakes gamble.

He had already sat at the same card table as Chen Chen, betting his entire fortune and life, their fates intertwined.

Since there's no way to escape, the only option is to fully cooperate and gamble on ultimately being on the winning side.

After a moment's thought, Secretary Liu whispered his question about the most crucial issue at hand:
"Chairman, we do not yet have a complete grasp of the exact whereabouts of the Poison Scorpion."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chen frowned slightly, as if he was pondering something.

He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed at the city view outside.

After a moment's hesitation, he finally spoke:

"In order to avoid the special investigation team, they have all scattered to various corners of Dongdu recently."

"Try to contact one of Scorpion's trusted men first, and under the pretense of delivering supplies, find out his hiding place."

"Remember, don't alert anyone. Once the location is confirmed, then pass the information on to our 'Mr. Assassin'."

"understood."

Secretary Liu memorized every detail, then bowed and quickly left.

The office fell silent once more.

Chen Chen stood alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze deep and unpredictable.

Outside the window, the entire Jiangdong District presents a bustling and prosperous scene.

The towering buildings below seemed like submissive giants, while the endless stream of vehicles appeared as insignificant as ants.

This is the land where he struggled for half his life before finally gaining a foothold.

In his eyes, it was like a jungle of reinforced concrete, a huge and ruthless hunting ground.

Here, life, death, fame, and fortune are all just a gamble.

The weak can only bow their heads and submit, becoming food and nourishment for the strong.

All he did was hope that he too could have a chance to stand at the top of the food chain, instead of becoming prey to be slaughtered.

Chen Chen's excitement gradually subsided, replaced by a deeper desire.

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

As night deepened, the old factory street gradually quieted down.

The dazzling lights of the distant commercial district are now just distant and faint halos, outlining the old silhouette of the tenement building.

Li Biyun sat on the sofa in the living room, with the evening news playing on the television.

She turned her voice down so low that the anchor's clear and steady enunciation sounded like a faint lullaby echoing in the room.

In the kitchen, a clay pot simmered over a low flame for a long time, wafting out a rich aroma of herbs and meat.

"Ah--"

Li Biyun yawned softly, as if she remembered something, and immediately got up and went to the kitchen.

Lifting the lid, white steam carrying a fragrant aroma wafts out.

She ladled out a bowl of soothing and brain-boosting soup with a warm, mellow color, and carefully carried it towards her son's bedroom.

The door was silently pushed open a crack.

Warm yellow light spilled from the crack in the door, soft and peaceful.

Li Biyun carried the soup bowl inside and saw the focused figure at the desk. A relieved smile appeared on her face.

"Chengcheng, have some soup before you start looking at it. Don't overwork yourself."

Fang Cheng was looking down, holding a thick law book in his hands.

Hearing the sound, he immediately looked up and smiled at his mother:
"Thank you, Mom. You can put it on the table first. I'll drink it after I finish reading this part." Li Biyun didn't say anything more. She put down the soup bowl, glanced at the book in her son's hand, and gently closed the door.

The room fell silent once more.

Fang Cheng turned his gaze away from the tightly closed door.

The moment the door closed, the gentleness and focus in his eyes vanished, replaced by an unfathomable depth.

They resembled two black holes capable of swallowing light.

The thick, professional legal classic was still open in his hands, but his mind was not on it at all.

After returning from Guanlan District tonight, Fang Cheng chose to stay at home.

In five days, it will be the day of the postgraduate re-examination. If I continue to live in Haitian Garden, my mother will inevitably worry.

In fact, Fang Cheng already knew the material he needed to review by heart.

He was merely using the lamplight to sit at his desk and create a perfect facade for himself.

At this moment, Fang Cheng focused his mind inward and quickly sank into the depths of his spirit.

There, he was having a silent, secret communication with someone more than ten kilometers away.

Through the eyes of the linker, the image of a luxuriously furnished hotel suite is clearly reflected in the senses.

Soft wool carpets, crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and the air filled with the smell of disinfectant mixed with money.

"Expert? Big shot? Are you still there?"

A dashing voice echoed in my mind, tinged with an undisguised nervousness.

He had just attended a banquet hosted by the leader of the Red Tiger Gang and was now sitting on the soft edge of the bed.

He clutched a black briefcase tightly in his arms, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

Because inside is a two million yuan deposit for this mission.

Xiao Sa had never handled so much money in his entire life.

For safety reasons, he accepted Chen Chen's offer and checked into the five-star hotel.

The ladies who had been specially arranged by Chen Chen were also politely asked to leave immediately.

Now, he is alone in his room, silently waiting for the mysterious expert to contact him, as instructed.

After a brief withdrawal of consciousness, Fang Cheng re-established his mental connection.

"I am here, carefree."

The response echoed directly in the other person's mind:

“From today onwards, you don’t need to go through all this trouble. Just call me President.”

"The...the president?!"

Xiao Sa was stunned for a moment, then his voice suddenly rose.

He understood the meaning behind those words, and he was so excited that he almost jumped out of bed.

It was a kind of ecstasy that had been suppressed for too long.

He thought of that dark, damp home that leaked whenever it rained, of his mother's blind eyes that always wept for him, and of his past when he was beaten half to death for a few hundred dollars and crawled in the mud like a dog.

He was reminded of the vow he had made in his heart—to make something of himself.

And now, this opportunity seems to be right in front of us.

His carefree voice even trembled slightly, a sign of extreme excitement and anticipation for the future.

Although this opportunity is fraught with danger, it at least brings him some hope and light.

"President..."

After repeatedly confirming, he thought of a crucial question and asked somewhat nervously:
"So... now that I'm considered a member of the organization, what's the name of our organization?"

A silent smile appeared on Fang Cheng's lips.

This name was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, something I said offhand.

"You are currently in the probationary period of your internship."

"Once you've performed well, I'll tell you everything about the organization. That's when you'll officially join."

Fang Cheng's voice was calm, revealing the authority befitting a great man.

"Yes, President! I will definitely work hard and never let you down!"

Xiao Sa immediately straightened his back and made a solemn pledge in his heart.

After the initial excitement subsided, he forced himself to calm down and continued to report on his meeting with Chen Chen that evening.

"President, Chen Chen's initial offer for this hunting mission was five million."

“I could tell that he was speaking softly and his eyes were a little daring, so I immediately raised the price and tentatively quoted 12 million based on my intuition.”

"After several rounds of back-and-forth negotiation, we finally settled on a price of ten million, with a deposit of two million, which we paid on the spot."

"After reaching an agreement, Chen Chen hosted a banquet for me at the Dongdu International Hotel. He was very polite and tried to win me over and get information out of me."

"Especially his secretary, surnamed Liu, who looks all smiles but is actually full of bad intentions. He kept pouring me drinks and subtly probed my background..."

"Luckily, I have a high alcohol tolerance; I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, and I didn't let a single word slip through my fingers until I had both of them completely passed out..."

Xiao Sa paused for a moment, then his tone became serious again, as if he had completely taken on the role of an organization member.

"President, Chen Chen doesn't seem like a good guy. We definitely need to be careful..."

Fang Cheng listened quietly.

The narration was elegant and largely consistent with what he had seen and heard through mental projection.

While there may be some exaggeration in his performance, the main parts are not concealed.

In fact, Fang Cheng didn't need him to explain the content of the meeting at all.

This was done intentionally, simply to test the other party's character once again.

He likes to boast and has good speaking skills, but he knows how to keep his mouth shut and is clear-headed when it matters.

In his heart, Fang Cheng added a new comment to the word "carefree".

"The deposit is temporarily entrusted to you for safekeeping."

Fang Cheng's voice rang out again:
“You can take out 200,000 yuan from it as operating expenses for the near future.”

On the other end of the mental link, Xiao Sa was suddenly stunned.

For a moment, his mind seemed to freeze, going completely blank.

He even wondered if he was hallucinating because he was too nervous, and he couldn't quite believe it.

Immediately, the heat that had just subsided suddenly exploded from his chest and swept through his entire body once more.

That's 200,000 yuan, not 200 yuan!
The chairman, how could he trust a lowly thug like me so much?!
He held the briefcase tightly with both hands and opened his mouth.

It felt like there was a wad of cotton stuck in my throat, and I couldn't make a sound.

Finally, that scalding heat broke through the defenses, transforming in my mind into a choked vow:
"President...don't worry! My life, Xiaosa's life, is yours from now on!"

This guy is a sentimental person.

Fang Cheng understood, and added another comment to the description of Xiaosao.

Such people are more easily swayed by their emotions, and also more easily controlled.

After ending this secret communication, Fang Cheng slowly opened his eyes.

Consciousness returned to the body, and the night outside the window remained thick.

He sat at his desk, his mind replaying the intelligence Chen Chen had provided regarding the target.

The corners of his mouth slightly raised:

"Scorpion... he's a pervert too..."

(End of this chapter)