Three days later.
An ordinary-looking man appeared in front of the community entrance of an apartment near Qingcheng University.
He had an ordinary face, an ordinary hairstyle, and a stiff expression.
He bought a pack of cigarettes at the entrance before entering the community.
The man seemed unfamiliar with the community and spent a long time searching before finding Building 21 and going inside.
This was an old community with no elevator. Ascending the stairs, the man stood before the door of Apartment 2106 and knocked.
The door opened quickly.
Shen Yicong looked at the man outside, his eyes showing no surprise.
He respectfully opened the door, stepped aside, and said, "You've arrived."
After the ordinary man entered, he surveyed the apartment's furnishings. "En, Er Niang should have told you."
"Yes."
The man walked to the sofa in the room, sat down, and pulled at his hair.
"Why so slow, Zhijun, this isn't like you."
As he spoke, he tore off his scalp.
Soon, a human skin mask was thrown onto the table.
Golden hair was revealed, of exquisite Western beauty, like an elven king from a movie.
The man smiled elegantly, his aura as bloody as a vampire count. "You're disappointing."
Shen Yicong's expression was calm, a hint of coldness hidden in his eyes. "I apologize, but Qingcheng is the territory of the Gu and Qin families. These two families have deep roots here, and we haven't had an opportunity to act."
"En?" Cangying's voice had a nasal quality, drawing out a mocking tone. "Is it truly no opportunity, or are you unwilling?"
Shen Yicong remained silent.
Cangying chuckled. "I heard that book is in Qin He's hands. I've seen her photos recently, and she is truly—exceptionally beautiful."
"It has nothing to do with that," Shen Yicong said.
Cangying nodded. "I don't care about her background or her charm. I only want that book. If you have the ability, kill her directly and take the book. Perhaps she'll have a moment of happiness before she dies."
Shen Yicong slightly raised his eyes, his gaze chilling.
Cangying laughed. "I'll give you three more days. If I don't see that book after three days, I'll take over personally. You can go back to the US and accept punishment."
"Yes."
Cangying was finally satisfied. He took out another human skin mask from his pocket and put it on carefully.
For some areas that were not fitting properly, he said, "Come and help me secure it."
Shen Yicong walked over, and Cangying continued, "When I first came to China for business and you were being beaten, you said you would be my loyal servant, and that Chinese culture has a saying about repaying kindness with utmost devotion. It seems you've forgotten that. Your attitude now doesn't seem like that of a loyal servant, Shen Yicong. I must remind you, to others in the organization, you are the second-in-command, but to me, all of you are—"
"Your chess pieces," Shen Yicong finished.
He had carefully secured the mask for Cangying. This mask was made with special technology, unlike those on the market that made your face smile stiffly.
The man nodded with satisfaction. "Yes."
Shen Yicong lowered his eyes. "We Chinese have the saying 'tou tao bao li' (reciprocating kindness), meaning a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring."
Cangying smiled. "The history of your China is indeed very interesting."
Shen Yicong also smiled. "If you're interested, I can tell you another phrase."
"What phrase?"
"'Endure humiliation and bear the unbearable to achieve one's ambition,'" Shen Yicong said.
"It sounds very difficult. What does it mean?" Cangying asked with a smile.
The next second, a tearing sound, like paper ripping, echoed.
The blond man's eyes widened, and he immediately tried to struggle.
Blood spurted out. Shen Yicong forcefully pressed down on the man's shoulders, a mocking smile on his lips, his voice icy.
"Sometimes, it's hard to say who the player is, Mr. Cangying. What do you think?"
The man's resistance lasted only two seconds. His carotid artery was severed, and he stared with wide eyes before losing consciousness. He died within a minute.
Blood splattered on the walls, the windows, and the sofa.
Shen Yicong still held the dagger plunged into Cangying's neck. He pulled it down again forcefully, ensuring the man was dead.
"So, the sound of a severed carotid artery is so faint."
Shen Yicong withdrew the dagger, sat on the sofa opposite the corpse, and began wiping the dagger with wet wipes from the table.
His personality in the organization was always ruthless, wild, and rough, but beneath the surface, he was more meticulous than anyone.
Shen Yicong meticulously cleaned up the bloodstains in the room, finally dragging Cangying's body into the bathroom bathtub, turning on the shower, and disassembling the sofa cover.
...
The Qin family.
It was late at night when Qin He's mobile phone on the bed suddenly vibrated.
She immediately opened her eyes, rolled over, and picked up her phone from the bedside table. Recently, due to various pressing events, her nerves had been constantly on edge, even in her sleep.
Seeing the caller ID, Qin He's eyes sharpened, and she quickly got out of bed.
She didn't even have time to put on her slippers, running barefoot into the study next door.
She opened the system on her computer and quickly located a red dot.
This was a highly classified signal from Qing Yan Mansion, known only to the four managers.
With Qian Zimo and Zuo Xiuxian currently in Qingcheng, the only person who could have sent this signal was Di Shishi!
Qin He saw Di Shishi's location: a village along the river on the outskirts of Qingcheng.
She immediately put away her phone and called Qian Zimo. "We've found Shishi!"
Sending this classified signal required a password known only to their four managers. Qin He knew Di Shishi's unyielding personality well.
She should be in no danger.
Qian Zimo immediately began an investigation upon receiving the call.
A moment later, he sent back a message: "There's a mountain by the river near that village, a signal dead zone. Shishi must have accidentally entered that mountain earlier and has now reached the village. However, we still need to remain vigilant."
Qin He's heart finally settled. "I know. Then let's go pick her up now!"
It was one in the morning. Although Qin He had been living a normal life on the surface recently, in reality, she had been so worried about Di Shishi that she hadn't slept well.
Qian Zimo replied, "Alright. To avoid any unforeseen issues, you wait at home. I'll organize personnel to pick you up at the Qin residence."
Qin He agreed. "Be quiet when you come. Just call me when you're near my house. I don't want to wake my family."
Picking up Di Shishi would likely be without incident. Qin He changed into comfortable, tactical gear in her room.
After waiting for two hours in her bedroom, she received a message from Qian Zimo saying the convoy had arrived one street away from the Qin residence.
The Qin family's security level was currently extremely high. She temporarily shut down the security network, climbed over the wall to leave the Qin residence, and then reactivated it.
One street away, more than a dozen cars were parked silently.
Qin He glanced at them. Qian Zimo had already gotten out of the first car. "Let's go."
Qin He nodded and got into the car. "How is Shishi?"