Ren Yuanhao sat on an ordinary chair with a smile, looking around the unremarkable apartment for the first time.
He wondered if the wallpapered walls were full of mottled, peeling porcelain? Did the dimly lit chandeliers also seem completely out of place compared to their previous residences? Were there even cobwebs clinging to them when they moved in, with mice still roaming in the old cabinets of some room?
Ren Yuanhao didn't reject such an environment, he just felt that the three girls were currently living in such conditions entirely because of him.
But with a major task at hand, righteousness came first. Although he couldn't be called a chivalrous hero, the spirit of chivalry had already permeated his every word and deed.
He didn't regret it, little did he know, neither did the three girls.
'What are you thinking about? Your expression is like a kind old grandpa.'
"Hey, hey, hey, that's a bit too much, I'm only a few years older than you!" Ren Yuanhao deliberately raised his voice.
The dog stuck out its red tongue, shook its head, and its paws danced on the screen. It seemed to have grown accustomed to this way of communication, with speed and accuracy improving considerably.
'No, no, no, I mean, you look very reliable. No wonder the three young ladies are so devoted to following you.'
"Alright, if you keep flattering me like this, I'll be flying off the handle. I need to check on Ye Lan's situation. After all, all our plans are based on her breaking through your family's 'net'. If this part goes wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable."
As Ren Yuanhao stood up, Ye Lan walked out from inside the door, and the two almost collided.
"Uh, are you okay?" Ren Yuanhao was quite concerned about her condition.
Ye Lan blushed, her eyes flickered, but the scars on her face still looked red and swollen, making her particularly pitiable.
"I'm fine. It's time to cast the net. Follow me."
Ren Yuanhao followed her into Ye Lan's room.
The room was still tidily kept. A Winnie the Pooh bear, as tall as a person, lay on one side of the bed. Ren Yuanhao also noticed that behind the Winnie the Pooh bear hung a lighter he had used before.
This lighter had quite a story behind it. Ren Yuanhao's thoughts drifted back to a summer beach one day.
"Yuanhao, we have successfully obtained the highest authority of the Dongfang family's supercomputer. The virus I compiled can last for a maximum of 1 hour without being breached. Of course, this is the maximum ideal value. I have accessed the operational and maintenance employee data of their family and found that I also know that man, and he is very strong."
Ye Lan pointed to the balding man on the screen.
"Zhou Zecheng? Is he that powerful?"
Ren Yuanhao didn't understand how hackers were ranked, but Ye Lan summarized the man's extraordinary abilities in a very simple sentence.
"This Zhou Zecheng, two years ago at the N Country Hacker Alliance, broke through the United States' largest security and antivirus system in the shortest amount of time, fifteen minutes ahead of the second place finisher."
"But you've now broken through the 'net' he built. Ye Lan, I trust you. I will also engage this man the moment I infiltrate the Dongfang family. You just do your part."
At this moment, Ye Lan smiled like a blooming flower and slowly extended her right fist, "What? Aren't you going to give me a fist bump like brothers?"
"My fist is specially made for hitting bad guys."
"Then just consider me a bad guy."
Ren Yuanhao smiled back, but instead of a fist bump, he offered a big hug.
This intimate gesture caught Ye Lan off guard, causing her to blush deeply and completely easing her tense emotions.
"Ye Lan, since your part is done, I'll give you an update later."
When Ren Yuanhao mentioned an update, Ye Lan suddenly remembered something. "Right, Yuanhao, why is your phone appearing at the Dongfang family's place?"
"What?" Ren Yuanhao's expression changed slightly. He then shifted his gaze to Ye Lan's computer screen, where the blinking red dot was now located at the Dongfang family's Sky Fortress, in the garden area.
"Ye Lan, when did this red dot appear here?"
Ye Lan retrieved the movement trajectory records. Upon seeing the timestamp, her heart suddenly gave a jolt. "It was around 3 PM. Right, this spot should be occupied by the eldest daughter of the Ji family, shouldn't it?"
"Exactly. Damn it, to think we have to enter the Dongfang family to stabilize the situation so early. It seems the plan can't wait any longer."
As Ren Yuanhao finished speaking, his newly replaced phone immediately rang.
He picked up the call right away, and heard a remarkably steady voice on the other end.
"Is this Brother Ren?"
"It is. Who is this?"
"I am the person in charge of coordinating the Ji family's cooperation with your plan. Miss has told me everything. I have now mobilized about ten elite members from my family, and we are awaiting your command."
Since the call was on speaker, Ye Lan could also hear it. Then, she pointed to the marked 'Ji Family' red housing area northeast of the 'Sky Fortress'. Ren Yuanhao immediately realized that this area had a huge traffic flow, with many shopping malls and supermarkets. It was a mixed crowd of people, and the more seemingly chaotic such places were, the less likely it was for elites or superpowered individuals from various families to be discovered. It was an excellent point of attack.
"Okay, everyone wait for orders in the Ji Family's red housing area to the northeast. I will notify the people from other major families one by one. Once everyone has gathered, we will commence the operation."
"We will follow Brother Ren's arrangements in all matters."
"Excellent, commence operation!"
...
At this time, Yun Jin City, under the dark red sky, was no different from usual. Some office workers who had finished their early shifts were tiredly heading home, students were returning in groups, and the sounds of cars and department store discounts mingled in the air.
Across the sky, painted with the colors of the sunset, a flock of geese flew in a V-formation. The autumn wind was chilly, and the evening clouds were as fiery as embers. Dongfang Xu and Ji Fu stood on the cold city walls, each with their own thoughts, feeling the wind constantly brushing past their ears.
"Ji Fu, don't you feel it's awfully cold here?"
Although Dongfang Xu was talking to Ji Fu, her gaze remained fixed on the flock of migrating geese.
"Of course it's cold. After all, the higher you go, the colder it gets. You, the esteemed eldest daughter of the Dongfang family, standing so high, how could you possibly absorb any warmth from people?"
Dongfang Xu let out a laugh, but she didn't know what emotions lay behind this laughter – was it self-mockery? Or perhaps a formal, polite laugh? At this moment, she suddenly realized that it had been a long time since she had clearly felt the smile that should naturally appear due to happiness.
-- Has this mask been worn for so long that even I believe the face on the mask is myself?