[Thank you for your concern; my father's surgery went very smoothly.
The updates may be late, but they will not stop.
Actually, I was planning to write a "Leave of Absence" notice two hours ago. I'm really exhausted today.
But after typing the first sentence, I deleted that thing, clenched my teeth, opened the manuscript document, and started typing!
I said I would go all out with this book, and I truly will show you!
I ask for monthly votes!
I ask for monthly votes!]
·
The yacht had already returned to the west coast of the island.
The noon sunlight and sea breeze seemed very peaceful, as if last night's slaughter and explosions had never happened.
It was only when walking up the cliffside to Limestone Castle that one could see the traces of last night's fierce battle.
The Captain followed cautiously behind the young man. He saw that the castle's grand gates had been shattered into pieces by a massive impact. The original thick iron doors and solid wall bricks were gone, leaving only a gaping hole where the castle entrance had been.
There were also scattered fragments of firearms on the ground.
After entering through the main gate and counting along the way, the Captain found that all seven core members of the Abyss Organization left to guard the headquarters had been annihilated.
In addition, out of more than twenty armed security members, three were dead, eight were injured, and the rest had been knocked unconscious—the Captain could tell they were incapacitated by a Special Ability similar to 'Spiritual Storm.' For ordinary people, unless a Mentality Series Psychic intervened, it could take a day or two for them to recover.
Additionally, some administrative and service staff from the Abyss Organization had scattered in the chaos of last night. The few who remained saw the Captain returning with the young man; they wore terrified expressions, showed no inclination to resist, and quickly adopted a stance of complete surrender.
Seeing the young man's calm demeanor, the Captain could not muster any anger and merely bowed his head deeply.
·
What was especially striking was the young man's extreme familiarity with Limestone Castle's interior. He led the way from the outside to the inner parts, all the way to a central location in the castle, without needing to ask the Captain for any guidance.
The Control Room, the Conference Hall, the Armory, even the Activity Room... On this entire walk, Chen Nuo navigated as if in his own backyard, not requiring the Captain to utter a single word of introduction.
"The Control Room needs to be rebuilt, as the security monitoring system and automated weapon systems were mostly destroyed last night.
Hmm, the Conference Hall also needs redecorating. The last stand was there, and I was a bit heavy-handed; the ceiling has collapsed.
As for the Armory, there's no need to reinstall the blast-proof door—actually, it's quite pointless. If an enemy can reach the Armory door, an enemy capable of penetrating this deep into the core, then a single blast-proof door is completely meaningless."
Chen Nuo said as he walked, and the Captain merely nodded, taking note.
He gathered the seven or eight remaining administrative and service staff of the Abyss Organization.
Standing at the entrance of the Conference Hall, half its ceiling collapsed, Chen Nuo stood on the steps and addressed the people before him.
"My demands are simple: clean up the aftermath. Fix what has been damaged. Bury the dead. Treat the injured.
After all of this is done, those who wish to leave may do so. Those who wish to continue working here are also welcome to stay.
But until all the work I've requested is completed, no one is allowed to leave."
The seven or eight staff members looked at each other and then unanimously turned to the Captain.
The Captain looked up and saw Chen Nuo smiling at him, a hint of sharpness in his eyes.
His heart sank, and he quickly spoke up, "Follow this gentleman's orders. Starting today, he is the master here."
The group sighed with relief; if their former boss had succumbed, then there was no need for them to make things difficult.
Although human nature is complex, and outward obedience to authority does not guarantee the absence of inward dissent, Chen Nuo believed such concerns were unimportant at the moment.
In the Underground World of Psychics, these ordinary staff members were merely a subsidiary part.
Furthermore, the matter of people's hearts could be dealt with gradually; there was no need to rush.
After sending these people off to work, Chen Nuo and the Captain went to a room at the top of the castle, one that offered the broadest view.
This was originally the Captain's personal office.
The vast room, unlike the castle's ancient exterior, was designed in a rather cold, Nordic minimalist style. The round room featured a steel frame structure with 360-degree large floor-to-ceiling windows.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows, Chen Nuo skillfully pressed a few buttons on the desk, and a large screen automatically rose from the wall.
The Captain was stunned. But then again, this guy even knew the password to my own safe…
Chen Nuo ignored the Captain. He went to the liquor cabinet for a glass, then retrieved the bottle of whiskey he had bought from Old Pierre's tavern from his backpack, opened it, and poured himself a drink.
He also adeptly took some ice cubes from the fridge in the cabinet.
"Do you want a drink?" Chen Nuo glanced at the Captain.
"…I'll pass."
"Suit yourself." Chen Nuo carried his glass to the desk, leaned back in the chair, and propped his legs up on the table. He stretched lazily, then took a sip of whiskey.
"You actually know how to enjoy life quite well. The place you found is very nice, and it's comfortably furnished, with plenty of good drinks... all the things I like.
Sitting in this spot every day, watching the sea outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the sunrise in the morning, the sunset in the evening. And occasionally enjoying a fine drink, a cigar...
You are indeed someone who likes and knows how to enjoy life, Captain."
The Captain did not respond.
Chen Nuo smiled, then slowly spoke.
"So, I understand that the more someone enjoys life, the less willing they are to die."
After pondering for a moment, the Captain raised his head, his expression complicated. "I indeed don't want to die."
"Then work for me," Chen Nuo said with a smile.
"…Aren't you afraid I'll harbor ulterior motives?" the Captain frowned.
I had originally thought that, at most, this young man would want to pry all the secret wealth of the Abyss Organization from my lips. As for his earlier questions about whether I wanted to live or die... even if he decided to spare me, he would surely extract all value from me and then cast me out, leaving me exiled. But... to stay and work for him?
"Of course, you harbor ulterior motives. You do even now." Chen Nuo's casual remark made the Captain's face turn pale.
Chen Nuo looked into the Captain's eyes. "No need to be nervous. It's normal to harbor ulterior motives. Last night, I killed all the key members of your team, effectively annihilating your decades-old Abyss Organization. I seized your headquarters and everything...
If you didn't harbor any hatred, that would be strange.
Your hatred for me is unimportant; I don't care about it.
I don't need an unwaveringly loyal dog—I couldn't care less what you truly think!
Regardless of your inner thoughts, you must execute every command I issue flawlessly.
I only care about results, nothing else.
Understand?"
"Understood."
"You can hate me in your heart, but if your actions betray even a hint of defiance, I will kill you.
Understand?"
After a few seconds of silence, the Captain finally sighed. "…Understood."
"Good," Chen Nuo said cheerfully. "Now, I want the information on all the Abyss Organization's 'Gold Diggers' worldwide."
"…Okay."
The Captain walked to the screen, entered several lines of passwords on the console below, and retrieved the data.
"Currently, the Abyss Organization has a total of fifteen 'Gold Diggers' worldwide: two in North America, three in South America, seven in Europe, and one in Australia. There were two in East Asia... but we temporarily severed ties with them, and they've entered silent mode after you threatened them last time."
Chen Nuo glanced at the list on the screen, giving the Captain a meaningful look.
"Very good. First point: you haven't lied to me."
Chen Nuo nodded in satisfaction. Fifteen Gold Diggers. This number matched the information I acquired after exterminating the Abyss Organization in my previous life.
The Captain was wise; he hadn't lied or concealed anything.
In fact, the Captain wasn't really being honest; he simply didn't dare to be otherwise. The young man before him seemed to have such a thorough understanding of everything about the Abyss Organization that the Captain couldn't muster the courage to lie or deceive him. Heaven knows if his questions are genuine inquiries or merely tests.
"The second matter, you also have an Octopus Monster website account, right? Give it to me... Oh right, and those accounts of your subordinates, give them all to me."
"..." The Captain gave a wry smile and said, "My account's USB drive is in the second drawer on the left side of the table in front of you. There's an electronic combination lock, the password is..."
Before he finished speaking, Chen Nuo had already pulled open the drawer, then swiftly entered the password himself, unlocking it.
"..." A muscle twitched at the corner of the Captain's eye.
Damn it! How much does this guy possibly know?!
Looking at the silver USB drive in his hand, Chen Nuo whistled softly.
Finally, a new alias.
A silver-grade account. Nice!
"The third matter... I know you must have some special connections with the local authorities. So, I need you to promptly get me a set of identity documents.
I want the complete set! They must be authentic—the kind that can be verified in official computer systems."
"Sure! That's not a problem." He paused, as if afraid of a misunderstanding, and added, "But it will take a few days. You know, it's not hard to use official connections to get a set of fabricated identity documents, but certain procedures must be followed, so a few days are unavoidable."
"A few days?"
"Yes, about a week."
"Five days. I'll give you five days," Chen Nuo said with a smile.
"Okay!"
Chen Nuo nodded. "Alright, that's all for now. You can go get to work. Clean up the mess outside.
Oh, and for dinner, seafood soup with salt-baked lobster, and a bottle of last year's Baron's red wine."
The Captain took a deep breath. His face was filled with a respectful expression, showing not the slightest hint of dissatisfaction. He nodded in agreement and then turned and left.
Chen Nuo watched the door close. He then gently swiveled his chair to face the sea, placed his hands behind his head, and leaned back, stretching out comfortably.
So... now for a five-day vacation.
·
The Captain's display of submission was perfect!
No matter what he was thinking inside, the fact that he worked diligently was enough for Chen Nuo.
It didn't take five days. Four days later, a new passport and a thick stack of assorted identity documents were in Chen Nuo's hands.
They included everything from a birth certificate and educational history to even proof of assets.
Although fake, they would appear completely authentic to any official.
It was a Lonihil passport, under the Britain Commonwealth, allowing visa-free entry into the EU. All the information was recorded and verifiable in official systems.
During these four days, Chen Nuo went into full vacation mode.
Chen Nuo thoroughly enjoyed the Captain's treasured fine wines, high-quality cigars, and top-tier ingredients sourced from around the world.
Chen Nuo felt fortunate that among the staff who hadn't fled, two were cooks from the logistics team, one of whom even had a Cordon Bleu certification.
For four days, Chen Nuo enjoyed delicious food, fine wine, and cigars.
He sunbathed on the beach and, when bored, took the yacht out for deep-sea fishing.
He even deliberately gave the Captain several apparent openings to make a move or attempt an escape.
But the Captain was wise enough not to make any move.
As before, Chen Nuo didn't need the man's loyalty, nor did he expect any loyalty from him.
As long as he obeyed and did his job, that was sufficient for Chen Nuo for now.
As for the long term... Chen Nuo had other methods.
The reconstruction of Limestone Castle was also underway in an orderly fashion.
The town on the East Coast received many job opportunities.
The brothers who sold tools took on much of the castle's maintenance work, and other workers from the town also got the chance to earn extra cash.
Once, while Chen Nuo was sunbathing on a castle tower, he saw Old Pierre driving a tractor on the open ground below, also working.
The island's population was small, and the town didn't have many people, so Old Pierre clearly hadn't passed up the chance to earn some extra money.
·
On the sixth day, Chen Nuo picked a modified Hummer H2 from the Captain's private garage. He drove it out of the castle, through the small island town, to the dock on the East Coast.
There, Chen Nuo boarded a fishing boat and departed.
As for the Captain...
The day before Chen Nuo departed, he forcefully used his Telekinesis to collapse the Captain's Consciousness Space, completely destroying his innate abilities within it!
From then on, the Captain became an ordinary person, his behavior and actions no different from anyone else's... except perhaps his mental state would be poorer for the next few months, making him prone to fatigue and drowsiness.
To recover his strength, unless an expert Mentality Series Controller, someone like Wizard, could intervene and rebuild the fragments of his innate aptitude within his Consciousness Space—the parts Chen Nuo had shattered—it would likely take at least five or six years for his mind to self-repair.
Completely destroying him wasn't impossible... but if he were, the Captain would end up like He Rong, that woman afflicted by the Seed of Misfortune—a complete idiot.
For now, keeping him alive still had some use.
The Captain didn't show much resistance to his Special Ability being temporarily disabled.
He even felt relieved—if my Special Ability was disabled, it meant my life was truly saved. Otherwise, he could have just killed me with a single stab.
Of course, what the Captain didn't know was that... Chen Nuo had planted a "Seed of Misfortune" in his Consciousness Space!
The power of this Seed of Misfortune was actually of rather limited use.
For highly powerful Psychics, this Seed of Misfortune was almost useless, as those with strong spiritual power could at least achieve internal inspection of their Consciousness Space.
Planting a Seed of Misfortune would be easily detected.
Therefore, it could only target ordinary people.
But the Captain, now an ordinary person with his Special Ability temporarily disabled, was unable to detect this.
However, when Chen Nuo planted the Seed of Misfortune, he had separated a bit of his own spiritual power and wrapped the Seed in a protective cocoon with it.
Given the Seed of Misfortune's constant corrosive rate, this cocoon could roughly ensure the Captain's safety for three months.
·
Chen Nuo left Lonihil Island by boat, and ten hours later, he reached a larger island nearby with a small civilian airport.
There, Chen Nuo took a plane to Hawaii.
And then... at a travel agency in Honolulu, Chen Nuo collected a plane ticket he had reserved under a new identity at the counter.
"Mr. Lingsheng Zhang, this is your ticket to Tokyo. I wish you a pleasant journey!"
Chen Nuo smiled, accepted the envelope from the staff, and nodded.
"By the way, our company also has an excellent service foundation in Tokyo. If you need services during your trip to Japan, we can provide..."
"No need," Chen Nuo said with a smile, showing his white teeth, "I'm very familiar with Tokyo."
Leaving the travel agency, the young man, backpack slung over his shoulder, hailed a taxi on the road.
"Aloha! To Honolulu International Airport," Chen Nuo said with a smile to the driver after getting into the back seat and closing the door, "Please make it quick."
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KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
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