Miss Lanhua’s eyes lit up at his words. Then, from out of nowhere, she produced a sharp scalpel and walked toward Guangzai.

She moved with a gentle gait, her light-brown, wavy hair glinting under the lights. Wiping the scalpel in her right hand on her left sleeve, she looked at Guangzai with the joyful, ardent gaze of a woman deep in love.

"Mr. Liang, after I... cut it off, can I peel off some of his skin, too?"

"Go ahead!"

The cold voice sent a chill down Guangzai’s spine!

As Miss Lanhua approached step by step, Guangzai tried to get up, but Cheng YuanYu kicked him down, grabbed him by the hair, and slammed him onto the coffee table, spread-eagled and facing the ceiling.

A man nicknamed Steel Blade and Mr. Qian pulled special steel alloy ropes from the coffee table drawer, the kind typically used for restraining large, aberrant beasts.

The two men swiftly tied Guangzai’s limbs to the four legs of the table.

Guangzai’s head dangled over the edge, his hair brushing against Di Yunliang’s shoes.

Cheng YuanYu placed one hand lightly on his neck, not enough to hinder his speech but ready to crush his windpipe the instant he shouted.

Meanwhile, a bald man nicknamed "Baldy" quickly got up to shut all the windows and draw the curtains. He then turned on the television and cranked up the volume.

The group worked in perfect sync, their movements so practiced they seemed rehearsed.

"Mr. Liang, spare me! Boss! Please, let me go!"

Guangzai was terrified out of his mind.

As he watched Miss Lanhua gently crouch down, one hand reaching softly for his belt, a wave of sheer terror washed over Guangzai.

The Illuminati was no sanctuary for the kind-hearted. Guangzai had become a wanted fugitive after some of his crimes came to light, forcing him to join the organization for shelter.

But he had barely set foot in the door. Before he could even begin to enjoy the arrogant swagger that came with being a cultist, he was forced down the path of a cornered sewer rat.

In truth, he’d never really understood the cult’s methods. Perhaps today was his chance to learn.

At this moment of crisis, Guangzai’s mind raced, and an idea suddenly struck him!

"Mr. Liang, I was wrong! I can still be useful! Mr. Liang, spare me, I have a plan."

"Oh? And what plan is that?"

Di Yunliang didn’t tell her to stop. Miss Lanhua continued her work, slow and methodical, savoring every moment.

Guangzai began to tremble uncontrollably from fear. On the brink of being unmanned, he forced himself to calm down, cleared his mind, and spoke in a rapid-fire torrent:

"Mr. Liang, we need money to expand, but we’re short on cash. It’s not convenient for us to raise funds openly, but I can get to the people behind the red-light districts. We can control them, take their money, and grow our operations from the shadows. They’d never dare call the police!

Mr. Liang, I can do it! Please, spare me, I’m begging you!"

As he spoke the last words, Guangzai’s voice broke into a muffled whimper. He could already feel the ice-cold blade against his skin.

"Stop!"

Miss Lanhua’s hand paused, but not before the tip of the scalpel broke his skin.

"How boring!"

Like a little girl whose favorite toy had just been snatched away, Miss Lanhua’s expression turned sulky.

Di Yunliang’s command was absolute. Though clearly displeased, Miss Lanhua put away her scalpel.

Di Yunliang crouched down and pressed his lit cigarette against Guangzai’s face. Guangzai didn’t make a sound; he had lost all control of his body.

"Remember what you said. You won’t get a second chance. I’m giving you one week to make it happen. I want at least ten million in operating funds. Understand?"

"Y-yes... *sob*, I can do it... *sob*... Mr. Liang, believe me."

With that, the group left.

Only Miss Lanhua stayed behind. She gently cleaned him up, untied the ropes, fetched him a new pair of pants, and carefully helped him put them on.

But Guangzai seemed to be in a state of shock. Miss Lanhua helped him onto the sofa and used a towel to wipe the grime from his face.

Guangzai stared at Miss Lanhua’s delicate features, unable to understand how someone who seemed so gentle could be so cruel.

"That was scary, wasn’t it? It’s okay. Mr. Liang is actually very reasonable, as long as you complete your tasks!"

Miss Lanhua said nonchalantly.

Guangzai’s blood ran cold. He wasn’t afraid of Mr. Liang; he was afraid of the seemingly gentle Miss Lanhua. But he didn’t dare say a word.

"I’ll take you home. You can sleep at my place tonight!"

A fresh wave of terror gripped Guangzai.

"I don’t—"

"Shh!"

A slender, snow-white finger pressed against his lips. The touch was delicate and ice-cold.

This was the very hand that had almost made him a eunuch. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Let’s go. You’re coming to my place tonight."

Then, she linked her arm with his and led him downstairs.

He had no idea that after they left the apartment complex, Cheng YuanYu and the others were standing by the window of Unit 504, silently watching as Miss Lanhua led him into a car and drove away.

In the darkness, the glowing red tips of their cigarettes looked like the eyes of hungry beasts, flaring and fading in succession.

...

「At 10:00 p.m.」

The Martial Arts Administration Bureau was brightly lit. In the large third-floor conference room, Deputy Director Wang Jie was reporting on a directive issued by the municipal government.

"...In short, that is the situation. Under a severe crackdown from headquarters, we have achieved unprecedented results... The upper echelon of the cult, the Illuminati, has been wiped out. Countless mid-level cadres are dead or injured. Only a few high-ranking members, such as the operative codenamed Dust Priest, have managed to escape...

According to reliable intelligence, the remnants of the Illuminati are likely hiding out in remote areas. Y-City has been confirmed as one of their likely destinations, so we must prepare our own countermeasures and preventative actions.

Now, I will outline the specific operational arrangements."

Wang Jie brought up a new file on the presentation screen.

"First, we will coordinate with the county Public Security Bureau, security outposts, and their subordinate township police stations to monitor and secure all key locations and major transportation routes. We will be looking for any suspicious individuals...

Second, we must be prepared for immediate deployment. These cultists are exceptionally brutal and could launch a surprise attack on civilians at any moment...

Third, based on our analysis of the Illuminati’s past activities, there is a high probability they will target high school martial arts students. We must strengthen security measures accordingly...

Fourth, we must crack down hard on all criminal activity, especially missing persons cases. Should any be discovered, they are to be handled with the utmost severity to prevent these cultists from joining forces with local troublemakers....

..."

After the meeting, the head of the Field Operations Team, Bu Xiuwen, was heading home. Just as he reached his car, he ran into Ji Kai, the Head of the Logistics Department, who was also getting off work.

Ji Kai casually offered Bu Xiuwen a cigarette.

"Xiuwen, do you think any of those Illuminati guys have already infiltrated our area?"

"It’s hard to say... They caught a batch of them over in Y-City, but you know the old saying: if you see one cockroach, there are dozens more hiding in the corners. I’m inclined to believe they’re already here."

For a moment, the two forty-something men fell silent. Life in the county was relatively quiet, so their branch of the Martial Arts Administration Bureau wasn’t particularly powerful. Still, as an official government body, they weren’t an organization that common thugs could trifle with.

Bu Xiuwen continued,

"I read up on the Illuminati back when I was in the academy. The organization is actually quite simple."

"Simple?"

"Yes. Pure, unadulterated evil. They gain power through slaughter, which makes it easy for them to entice the dregs of society. But most of their members are extremists who act on radical, brainless impulses."

"Sigh. It looks like a storm is brewing."

"All we can do is our duty. If things go south, we die. That’s all there is to it."

"Haha, you’re right! That’s all there is to it!"