He Li and Xu Shuya’s private talk lasted for fifteen minutes. Throughout the entire time, He Li remained silent, eating his meal, while Xu Shuya spoke volubly, with the air of someone who commanded armies and held all the cards.
She also declared that she would be He Li’s vanguard for his secret mission, telling him to just charge forward while she handled the logistics.
He Li himself didn’t even know what his secret mission was.
Regardless, under Xu Shuya’s grand pronouncements, He Li acquiesced. He didn’t care anymore, as long as Xu Shuya could bring him intelligence. Nothing else mattered.
By the end, He Li, eating the takeout food Xu Shuya had packed, was full and ready to smoke a cigarette while continuing to listen to Xu Shuya’s impassioned speech.
Suddenly,
Xu Shuya stopped and leaned closer to He Li, asking mysteriously, "Master, what exactly is your mission?"
He Li breathed a sigh of relief. *Finally, you asked. If you hadn’t, I would have broken down.*
He Li calmly took a drag from his cigarette, exhaled slowly, glanced at Xu Shuya, and lowered his voice.
He said,
“Godslayer!”
…
The headquarters of the Martial Arts Spirit Management Association was located by the West Lake. Unlike Binjiang, the Spirit Management Association in Wulin City had two buildings, connected by a skywalk.
The left building housed the various departments of the Spirit Management Association, while the right building was solely used for storing weapons, equipment, and various laboratories.
The funding for the Wulin Spirit Management Association ranked at the T1 level worldwide. This was due to the capabilities and combat prowess of its previous directors. When it came to securing funds, there were no subtleties; it was all about brute force.
On the top floor of the Spirit Management Association building, Zhao Tongzhi sat on a sofa, with her three "henchmen" opposite her: Kong Yuan, Ma Liang, and Gong Jia'an. These three essentially represented the highest combat power in the Hunter Group, besides Zhao Tongzhi herself.
Kong Yuan, a middle-aged woman, still maintained a seductive demeanor, refusing to accept her aging. In her words, "Don't talk about me getting old. I play for confidence. Since my looks can't attract young studs, I'll use money. I have money anyway."
She was arrogant and insightful.
Ma Liang sat on the sofa with his arms crossed, silent and meditating. His old face was so wrinkled, it looked like someone owed him millions.
Gong Jia'an was the youngest and most normal of the three. He had a good personality and upright character. He always spoke with a smile, wearing glasses that gave him a scholarly air. If he were thirty centimeters taller, reaching 1.7 meters, he would likely be very popular with girls. However, his height was only 1.4 meters; he suffered from dwarfism.
With a bang, the hall door was roughly pushed open. Qian Hongshan, the first to undergo divine modification, stumbled in. All four glanced at Qian Hongshan simultaneously and then simultaneously looked away.
Except for Zhao Tongzhi, who was indifferent, the other three were somewhat displeased. Why the need to crash the door upon entering? Did he want to show off his strength, his style, or just get beaten up?
However, considering this fool wouldn't live much longer, the three of them ignored Qian Hongshan.
“Team Leader, the Godslayer warriors have been deployed to their designated positions. Once combat erupts, they will reach the battlefield from various locations within thirty seconds.”
Qian Hongshan went straight to the liquor cabinet, picked up a bottle, took a hard swig, wiped his mouth, and said to Zhao Tongzhi.
Zhao Tongzhi said, "Oh, alright. You've worked hard. Rest well for the next few days. Once the headquarters delivers the weapons, we will officially enter a state of combat readiness."
Qian Hongshan didn't leave. Instead, he plopped down on a stool in front of the bar, holding the wine bottle, and asked, "Team Leader, if those gods really come, how many of us 'Godslayer warriors' will survive?"
As Qian Hongshan finished speaking, before Zhao Tongzhi could reply, Ma Liang, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, spoke first:
"Undergoing divine modification was your choice. No one forced you. Before participating in the modification, you also received considerable compensation. The exchange was fair. Now that you've gained power and received your reward, you want to back out?"
Qian Hongshan’s eyes suddenly turned blood-red, staring murderously at Ma Liang’s back.
"Ma Liang, don't say that. Fear is a natural human emotion."
Zhao Tongzhi waved her hand at Ma Liang. Ma Liang let out a cold snort and slowly closed his eyes.
Zhao Tongzhi smiled at Qian Hongshan and said, "I don't know how many will survive because I don't even know if I will survive. But one thing I can guarantee is that if any of you wish to withdraw, I will agree.
However, this must be done before the war begins. Once the war starts, if anyone deserts, don't blame me."
Zhao Tongzhi always spoke with a smile, her narrow eyes squinting, her expression innocent and carefree. Yet, from such a face came incredibly terrifying words.
The air in the hall became heavy, as if frozen. Kong Yuan and the other two looked at Zhao Tongzhi, who was holding her phone and speaking. They understood that Zhao Tongzhi was not joking.
This girl had very low demands on her subordinates; as long as they completed the mission she assigned, that was enough.
If you had objections, you could raise them before the mission, and as long as the demands were not excessive, they could generally be met.
But, if the mission was not completed, or if you abandoned it midway,
Then, you would die.
This girl didn't care how talented you were or what connections you had. If you made a mistake, you deserved punishment. And Zhao Tongzhi had only one way of punishing: killing you directly. Remember not to make mistakes in your next life.
"Haha... Hahahaha..."
Qian Hongshan suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter unrestrained and exaggerated, with a hint of relief, disdain, and boldness.
Kong Yuan and the other two remained silent.
Zhao Tongzhi blinked in confusion. She didn't understand why Qian Hongshan was laughing. She looked at the three people sitting opposite her, as if asking them if she had said something wrong.
"Understood. No one will withdraw. I just wanted to know how many of us eight monsters will survive in the end, because, in a sense, we eight are the real insiders."
Zhao Tongzhi shook her head and said, "I'm not sure either. But if you want to survive, you have to fight with all your might. Who can guarantee victory?"
Qian Hongshan tilted his head back, drained the bottle, his blood-red, bloodthirsty eyes showing a hint of sadness and dejection. He squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth:
"Whether I live or die doesn't matter, as long as you don't treat us as cannon fodder."
Zhao Tongzhi nodded, met Qian Hongshan's gaze, and smiled, "I will... fight alongside you."
Qian Hongshan gently placed the empty wine bottle down, glanced at the three people, then looked deeply at Zhao Tongzhi, nodded, and slowly walked out of the hall. Then, he turned around, and unlike the fierce door-crashing entry, he gently closed the hall door as he left.
…