"Shen Lang, you really are lucky. Good things always seem to find you."
After Qin Long and his group had put Qin Bianque and Black Rose into the car, Song Shadao, standing in front of Shen Lang, punched him lightly on the chest and chuckled, "A few years ago, Qin Bianque, a professor at Dragon Capital Medical University, disappeared. Many people looked for him, including myself, but no one found him. In the end, you found him. Don't you think that's lucky?"
"It wasn't me who found him; someone told me."
Shen Lang looked at Song Shadao and said, "I never expected the person they wanted me to protect to be Qin Bianque, someone who had been missing for years. Uncle, I'd like to ask you a question: how credible is Qin Bianque's claim that he was an undercover agent for the Killing Path Society?"
Shen Lang was half-believing, half-doubting Qin Bianque's assertion that he was undercover for the Killing Path Society and could only hope for an answer from the wily old Song Shadao.
"Zero—"
Song Shadao looked at Shen Lang with a serious expression. "After I captured Hyena, I learned that Qin Bianque had indeed surrendered to the Killing Path Society over the years. Do you remember the bronze liquid Alice drank before she died last time?"
"Does it have something to do with Qin Bianque?"
Shen Lang had a vivid memory of Alice's situation. At the time, Alice was outmatched by Gu Qinghan, but after taking out a test tube and drinking the mysterious bronze liquid within, her strength surged dramatically. Her cultivation level jumped by a whole tier, from the Yellow Realm to the Profound Realm, and she almost injured Gu Qinghan. Hearing Song Shadao bring up the past, Shen Lang was very curious.
"The bronze liquid in the test tube is a new drug developed by the Killing Path Society in recent years. It's called 'Hope.' Even an ordinary person can gain immense strength after drinking it. The Killing Path Society has used it to recruit many experts to fight for them."
"According to Hyena's confession, the person who developed 'Hope' was Qin Bianque, and he is now one of the important backbone members of the Killing Path Society organization."
Hearing Song Shadao's words, Shen Lang's expression changed slightly. "Uncle, could Hyena be lying? Is the information accurate?"
"Shen Lang, you understand the strength of the Martial Guard Department too little."
Song Shadao chuckled upon hearing Shen Lang's words. "The Martial Guard Department has the world's best psychologists, interrogators, and a large number of excellent criminal investigation talents. We have people meticulously analyze and repeatedly verify every word spoken by a prisoner."
"Hyena's words are almost certainly true. Qin Bianque, in order to suppress his younger brother Qin Yanluo's reputation, defected to the Killing Path Society, hoping to use them to become a world-renowned doctor. Over the years, he has committed countless sins."
Song Shadao continued, "We now have Qin Bianque in our grasp. What we need to do next is to interrogate him and uncover the truth."
"Shen Lang, you can trust your uncle, but I don't trust the friend you mentioned."
A hint of defense and wariness flashed in Song Shadao's eyes. "Your friend asked you to protect Qin Bianque, which proves they are no pushover. I hope you keep your distance from them; it'll be for your own good."
"Don't worry, Uncle, I know what I'm doing."
Shen Lang knew Song Shadao was concerned for him and was deeply touched. "While I act boldly, I don't overstep boundaries."
"Good—"
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Song Shadao was very pleased and smiled. "Since you know what you're doing, I feel at ease. I'll head back to the Martial Guard Department. We can get together for tea when we have time."
"Safe travels, Uncle."
Suddenly having a mother and an uncle, Shen Lang felt a surge of warmth, realizing he now had family.
After Song Shadao drove away, Shen Lang also returned to the villa.
However, as soon as Shen Lang entered the villa, he received a message of inquiry from "Bing."
"Shen Lang, you handed Qin Bianque over to the Martial Guard Department?"
Seeing the message on his phone, Shen Lang knew this was inevitable and replied, "Yes."
"Shen Lang, I asked you to protect Qin Bianque until he died, not to hand him over to the Martial Guard Department. Do you realize how much trouble this will cause him?"
"Bing's" tone was clearly laced with dissatisfaction. "Shen Lang, you've disappointed me."
"Bing, you didn't tell me that the person I needed to protect was Qin Bianque, nor did you tell me that Qin Bianque had ties to the notorious Killing Path Society and had been conducting experiments for them all along."
"Given our relationship, I can help you, but I can't help you by getting into trouble."
"Handing him over to the Martial Guard Department is actually protecting him. If he truly is an undercover agent for the Killing Path Society, the Martial Guard Department is the safest place to be from their pursuit."
"You..."
"Bing" on the other end was unhappy with Shen Lang's words but couldn't refute them, so they stopped replying.
Shen Lang sensed that "Bing" was angry, but he knew he had done the right thing. Qin Bianque was a person mired in trouble, and Shen Lang didn't want to invite more problems.
Furthermore, he sensed that "Bing's" identity was not simple, and he couldn't easily ask "Bing" for favors in the future.
"Brother, you're back?"
Two minutes after Shen Lang entered the house, Gu Qinghan, who had been resting in her room, heard the commotion and came downstairs.
"Sister—"
Seeing Gu Qinghan, Shen Lang offered a warm smile. "You went out with Ye Shishi and you seem much happier. That's good."
"This time, it's thanks to you, Brother. Otherwise, I might have gotten engaged to Qi Tuojiang without realizing it and lived my whole life as a manipulated puppet."
Gu Qinghan sat beside Shen Lang, her smile as radiant as a flower. "With a brother like you, what need do I have for those unscrupulous, bottomless relatives?"
Speaking of which, Gu Qinghan suddenly looked at Shen Lang. "I heard you let Ye Shishi stay here?"
"This..."
Shen Lang's smile froze upon hearing this, unsure how to respond.
"Brother, I'd like to stay here too. Whatever conditions Ye Shishi met, I'll meet them too. Is that okay?"
Gu Qinghan used to live at home, but after severing ties with her family, she couldn't possibly live there anymore. She also needed a place to stay.
Although Gu Qinghan wasn't the eldest daughter of the Gu family, she had earned a considerable amount from her salary and bonuses over the years, making buying a house easily within her means. However, she simply wanted to be closer to Shen Lang.
"Of course, that's not a problem. Sister, you can stay for as long as you want. As for rent and other miscellaneous things, you don't need to give anything, nor should you."
Shen Lang looked at Gu Qinghan and smiled. "Ye Shishi is already living here, so one more person won't make much difference."
"Thank you, Brother—"
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Gu Qinghan beamed and kissed Shen Lang directly on the cheek.
However, in the next second, as Gu Qinghan's lips landed on Shen Lang's cheek, the villa door was pushed open, and a stunningly beautiful face appeared in the eyes of Shen Lang and Gu Qinghan.