Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chapter 450 The Illuminati's Progress, Continuing to Enhance Their Strength

"President, is there something wrong with the Xiao family?"

Xiao Sa keenly noticed this and asked in a low voice.

"no problem."

Fang Cheng's voice returned to calm as he explained indifferently:

"The Xiao family is one of the powerful families I mentioned to you before. With such a local force involved, the Noah Organization's branch in Dongdu can indeed maintain its footing."

Xiao Sa gasped.
"What should we do then? Wouldn't all our previous plans have been for nothing...?"

"hehe."

Fang Cheng chuckled softly:
“I never intended to drive them out of the Eastern Capital completely.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Sa on the other end of the phone paused for a moment.

"Isn't it a good thing to have an organization on the official blacklist standing in the open, drawing the attention of the authorities and blocking the storms from all sides?"

These words were like a sudden awakening; Xiaosai instantly understood and exclaimed in sincere admiration:

"President, you are brilliant! You have played a grand strategy, making them targets in the open while we develop in the shadows. Brilliant, truly brilliant!"

"okay."

Fang Cheng interrupted his flattery and then asked:

"Chen Chen must have breathed a sigh of relief after receiving news that the Xiao family had intervened, right?"

"Yes, he's in a much better mood."

The dashing figure immediately returned to the main topic:

"However, Chen Chen is still very worried. He is afraid that after this incident, the Noah Organization will settle scores with him and use him as a pawn to be eliminated."

“I heard he’s secretly transferring assets and is prepared to flee at any time.”

"Tell him to stay in the Eastern Capital and observe the situation first."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng considered it briefly, and then gave the following instructions:
"My previous promises still stand. From today onwards, the Illuminati can officially recruit the Red Tiger Gang as our peripheral force."

"But on the surface, he still needs to continue to play along with the Noah organization and keep an eye on their movements over there for us."

Fang Cheng had no intention of letting Chen Chen get away so easily, after all, this guy still had a lot of value to him.

"clear."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Sa nodded in agreement.

"Of course, as a condition of providing asylum, he must pay every penny of protection money he is entitled to."

Fang Cheng's tone carried a hint of amusement:
“Ah Ren, you need to know that in the early days of the Illuminati, we needed to build a headquarters, support staff, and spend money on everything. We are currently short of funds.”

In Fang Cheng's eyes, Chen Chen was like a walking wallet that could pop out gold coins at any time.

The entire Yuanchen Group and the Red Tiger Gang are like a ready-made ATM, which must be firmly held in our hands.

"Yes! I will definitely pry the money out of that old fox Chen Chen for you!"

Xiao Sa's spirits lifted, and he felt that he finally had a concrete direction to contribute to the organization.

"besides."

Fang Cheng's voice suddenly turned serious, and he warned:
"You must tell Chen Chen that there are two businesses that the Red Tiger Gang absolutely cannot touch: one is heroin, and the other is human trafficking."

"Don't worry, President, I will pass on the message."

Xiao Sa immediately made a guarantee and then explained a few more points:
"As far as I know, the Red Tiger Gang's drug trade has been completely cut off since Wu Shih-hao's incident."

"Chen Chen has always wanted to clean up his act and go ashore. He knows that this stuff is not to be touched, and he issued a strict order more than a year ago."

“Wu Shih-hao did it secretly behind his back, which resulted in a police investigation and dragged Chen Chen into the mess.”

"He now despises this kind of thing and has declared that anyone who dares to play with drugs in private will have their arms and legs broken and be expelled from the gang."

"He's quite smart."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly and made a comment.

He paused for a moment, then said hesitantly:
"As for human trafficking, if the Noah Organization gives the order, Chen Chen will probably find it hard to refuse."

"Don't worry, the Noah Organization is in dire straits right now. With a special search team watching them, they dare not make any big moves at the moment. As for what will happen in a year or two..."

Fang Cheng snorted coldly, not finishing his sentence.

But Xiao Sa instantly grasped its meaning.

A few years later, the Illuminati's power will be fully established, and then who will dare to point fingers at them?
Xiao Sa had not a single doubt about the president's grand vision.

In his heart, this man, as dazzling as the sun, was the epitome of omnipotence.

As long as we closely follow in his footsteps, we will surely witness the arrival of a new era.

In his excitement, Xiaosa remembered the task at hand, immediately suppressed his surging emotions, and took this opportunity to give a detailed report on his recent work progress.

"By the way, President, I've also made some progress on the preparations for the Illuminati."

"explain."

"As per your request, I have shortlisted two locations for the headquarters address."

He cleared his throat, making his voice sound more composed:
"One is near the Jinshui Fish Market in the Lingang District. It's a mixed bag of people, with many old buildings and blind spots in surveillance, which perfectly meets the secrecy requirements of a secret base."

"Moreover, it's not far from where I live now, and I'm quite familiar with the surrounding area, so it's convenient for me to keep an eye on things at any time, and nothing can escape my notice."

Xiao Sa paused, waiting for Fang Cheng's instructions. Seeing no dissent from the other end of the line, he continued:

"The other one is in the Dingqiao Industrial Park, west of JB District. There is a closed textile factory there with a large underground air-raid shelter."

"The place is big enough, which will make it easy for us to expand our manpower and upgrade our training facilities in the future. Moreover, many factories in the industrial park have moved out, so there are basically no people at night, and it will not be easy to attract attention no matter what we do."

"I plan to personally visit the site in the next couple of days to see which one is more suitable."

"Very good, send me the detailed information after the inspection."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, acknowledging his work efficiency.

"And then there's the issue of organizational members."

Having received the president's praise, Xiao Sa's tone became excited:

"When I went to the Jinshui Fish Market yesterday to scout out the location, I may have found a suitable finance person."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng became interested.

"His name is Wang Li. He used to be an accountant at a listed company and was very capable."

Xiao Sa immediately recounted what he had found out:
"I heard that because he caught the higher-ups falsifying accounts, he was framed and not only lost his job, but also ended up with a lot of debt."

"His wife is seriously ill and can only earn a meager living by moving goods in the market. They are living a very miserable life. A couple of days ago, he was cornered in an alley and beaten up by debt collectors."

Fang Cheng listened quietly on the other end of the phone, quickly analyzing the information in his mind.

Because he was framed by his superior for exposing the company's shady dealings, he would rather be disgraced than compromise his principles, which proves that he has a strong sense of justice.

A professional accountant has a relatively clean social circle and no messy vested interests.

Now, his career is ruined, his wife is seriously ill, he is burdened with debt, and he can only make a living by selling his physical labor.

This situation perfectly matches Fang Cheng's criteria of "simple background, excellent character, and being trapped in a desperate situation".

Once such a person is pulled out of the mire and given a new lease on life, his loyalty should be fully guaranteed.

"Don't disturb him yet."

Fang Cheng considered for a moment and then gave the instructions:
"Send people to investigate his family history for three generations thoroughly to confirm that everything he said is true and there is nothing he is hiding. Once the investigation is complete, I will go and meet him in person."

"Yes, I'll do it right now!"

After hanging up the phone, I held it casually, feeling a fire burning in my chest, filled with inexhaustible energy.

Without a moment's delay, he strode out of the office.

My heart was already overflowing with anticipation; I wanted to contribute my first brick to this magnificent edifice of the Illuminati, which was about to rise from the ground.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Fang Cheng stood in his bedroom, slowly putting away his phone. He walked to the window and looked outside.

In the courtyard, Grandpa was bent over, wearing gloves, carefully tending to his flowers and plants, humming a little tune from time to time.

My mother, carrying a canvas vegetable basket, came out of the house. As she pushed open the courtyard gate, she turned back and gave me some instructions:
"Dad, the sun is shining brightly today, so don't work too long. I'll go buy some prawns and make you and Chengcheng a prawn and tofu soup."

The door hinges creaked open, and the mother's figure quickly merged into the crowd outside.

Fang Cheng looked over the courtyard wall.

Downstairs on the street, the sounds of children chasing and playing, along with the clear cries of vendors, rose and fell, weaving together a vivid picture of everyday life.

Looking further into the distance, Yulong Lake, surrounded by lush greenery, shimmers with tiny golden lights under the sunlight, like it's sprinkled with countless diamonds.

Family members in the courtyard, the hustle and bustle of the city, the distant lake...

Fang Cheng let out a soft sigh, a strange feeling stirring within him.

What I want to protect is the world made up of all these small, everyday things.

The primary purpose of the Illuminati was to weave a strong enough net to keep out all potential threats.

But Fang Cheng's ambitions go far beyond that.

When this network is vast enough, when its eyes and ears are everywhere in the city, when it possesses the power to move anything, perhaps...

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng's eyes suddenly sharpened.

Perhaps then we can begin investigating that cold case that has been buried for seventeen years.

The serial murders that completely destroyed my father's life, and the shooting case full of suspicious details.

He wanted to find the real murderer, uproot the evil hidden in the darkness, and clear his father's name of all injustice.

After a long while, Fang Cheng withdrew his gaze and slowly calmed the turbulent thoughts in his heart.

Whether it's protecting the present or investigating the past, to firmly grasp one's destiny in one's own hands, one must have absolute strength as a foundation.

Fang Cheng walked to the center of the bedroom and continued his afternoon exercise.

Stand with your feet apart, slowly raise your hands, and gently hold them in a circle in front of your chest, assuming the starting posture of Tai Chi.

Then, with shoulders relaxed and elbows dropped, he stepped forward and extended his arms, and the "Wild Horse Parts Its Mane" move was slowly and gracefully executed.

His movements do not pursue outward ferocity, but rather exude a smooth and natural charm.

As the moves were practiced continuously, a wonderful sense of coordination spread throughout the body.

It was as if every joint and every muscle was connected by an invisible current, forming a unified whole.

About an hour later.

Fang Cheng slowly finished his stance, placing his hands together in front of his abdomen and bringing his feet together.

He exhaled a long breath from his chest and abdomen, and all his strength was gathered up, sinking his energy to his dantian.

A pale blue screen quietly appeared in the air before our eyes.

[Tai Chi Experience +4]

Tai Chi Level 1 (227/250)

I only need about 20 more experience points to level up.

Fang Cheng turned his head and glanced out the window; the afternoon sun was still warm and bright.

After thinking for a moment, I walked to the window and drew the thick curtains.

The room suddenly went dark.

Fang Cheng sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and began to practice visualization.

The practice of visualization is different from traditional meditation.

As he entered a deeper state, his consciousness did not sink into emptiness, but directly crossed the boundary between matter and spirit.

As if breaking free from the shackles of the body, it instantly soared upwards, transforming into a magnificent sun hanging high in the sky.

From above, the interior world is fully visible.

This island, suspended in the dark void, still appears somewhat desolate despite being bathed in sunlight.

In the center of the island, a majestic golden palace stands alone.

In the northwest corner lies the abandoned mental hospital used for training.

Besides these, there are miniature mountains with peaks no more than a few hundred meters high, and rivers stretching for several kilometers.

The world lacks enough detail and vitality.

Fang Cheng's gaze swept over them, and a thought flickered in his mind.

On the east side of the island, the flat ground began to rumble and the soil churned.

Several sleek hills rise abruptly from the ground, adding a touch of undulation to the monotonous terrain.

Then, several wide roads appeared out of thin air, extending out from the foot of the palace and running through all directions of the island.

As for the leveled area around the palace, black floor tiles were laid out on their own amidst the shimmering light.

Soon, a magnificent square was formed.

In the center of the square, fountain jets of water shoot into the sky, surrounded by exquisitely crafted statues and magnificent porticoes.

Fang Cheng tirelessly modified his world, as if playing a sandbox game with a high degree of freedom.

After an unknown amount of time, a gentle voice seemed to come from the horizon, penetrating the barrier of the mind and drifting into the ear.

"Chengcheng, come down for dinner..."

It was her mother calling from downstairs.

Fang Cheng opened his eyes, and a golden light flashed and disappeared deep in his pupils.

Orange rays of sunlight shone through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating the dark floor.

Before I knew it, it was already dusk.

A faint light flickered on the front panel, and a notification message appeared.

[Visualization Experience +3]

[Visualization lv3 (42/1000)]

Fang Cheng felt the subtle increase in his spiritual power and pondered something.

As Ma Jianguo said, visualization and meditation are indeed two different paths.

The core of meditation lies in "maintaining stillness," which is to clear away distracting thoughts, experience emptiness, and passively accept.

The essence of visualization is "dynamic," which is to actively construct and influence the spiritual world by taking one's own will as the guide.

Each time you use your mind to transform the inner world, it is an active use of spiritual power and a tempering of your own will.

Just like when they built the mental hospital instance before, allowing Xiao Sa and Xu Hao to train inside, it brought them a lot of experience.

Fang Cheng stretched his muscles from sitting for so long, then got up and went downstairs.

The dining room was brightly lit, and the food was already set on the table.

A few simple stir-fries, a plate of bright green Qingming cakes, and a few pieces of snow-white glutinous rice cakes.

There was also a pot of steaming hot shrimp and tofu soup, its delicious aroma filling the air.

"Have you washed your face? Sit down quickly, it's fresh out of the pot."

Li Biyun handed him a pair of chopsticks, assuming her son was tired from his morning exercise and was taking a nap in his room that afternoon.

Li Zhenhua had already sat down, picked up a piece of Qingming cake, chewed it slowly, and sighed:

"This tastes the best, but I wonder if your uncle will be able to have it this year."

“He used to love eating this. I don’t know what he’s been up to in the south. He hasn’t come back for so long.”

(End of this chapter)