Yue Yao breathed a sigh of relief, "I’m glad you think that way."

Li Yan gave a slight smile. Some things he feared would worry Yue Yao, so he hadn’t spoken them out loud. Although that person didn’t manage him, didn’t require him to pay tribute, except for occasionally asking him to work for free, seemed uninterfering in whatever achievements he had. But after all, when he was in his teens, he was taken away to undergo hellish training, witnessing an elimination system at the cost of lives, and there has always been a shadow in his heart concerning that person if he doesn’t break free!

The one he feared the most, that person—or their boss, seemed to live entirely in the shadows! Even among the few of them, they had never seen ’his’ true face!

This he found out in private conversations with Guan Ziyi and Yu Mocheng. Zheng Yuzun, He Zhengyuan, He Bin, and Zheng Yixuan, however, were a bit older than the three of them, and due to their lines of work, it wasn’t easy to connect, so even though they were very good friends, it wasn’t like with Guan Ziyi and Yu Mocheng where they could say anything. They also never talked about this issue with them.

Among them, assassin Li Yan was number seven; former mercenary, now vagabond Yu Mocheng number eight; electronics, information, hacker Guan Ziyi number nine; and Wang Jiaqi, the older than all three of them head of a theft group, number ten. Zheng Yuzun, involved with the International Criminal Police, was number six; He Zhengyuan, head of the Mortal Charity Foundation was number five; He Bin, responsible for financial investment at the Mortal Company was number four; senior lawyer Zheng Yixuan, having the largest law firm in S city, was number three; and then... nothing!

By this order, they should also have a number two and a number one. In their impression, besides the mysterious ’him’, there was no one else, in other words, if ’he’ was the boss, then there was another number two, hidden even deeper than ’him’, whose identity was unknown even among their brothers!

A mysterious boss was already daunting, and not knowing the truth about a number two made them even more cautious. Perhaps this number two had already died, or perhaps the number two was ’his’ alter ego. But just like a professional assassin’s hidden identity makes people indefensible, Li Yan also suspected that the day he wanted to deal with the boss, someone close might stab him fatally in the back and then say, "Haha, I am number two, showing you for betraying the boss!"

’He’, this boss, capable of doing so many things, able to cultivate and produce a batch of them, one could imagine he had vast power. Such a person would never be ordinary, nor appear randomly anywhere. But that number two, purposely not exposing himself, not associating with their group, could be anyone!

It’s easy to dodge an open spear, but hard to defend against a hidden arrow. A hidden enemy is the most terrifying. Thinking about possibly being watched by at least two pairs of eyes, it made Li Yan feel a little unnatural, but was filled with dread, he reckoned others might feel the same. But this was their fate, from the day they were chosen, it was destined to be watched by ’him’.

...

Seeing Li Yan looking silently outside, Yue Yao spoke softly, "Since you’ve decided, just let it go! Don’t think about it, just like before, treat him as nonexistent, or as a familiar, free old employer. Let’s go back!"

"You go rest first, I’ll sit for a while longer." Li Yan’s cigarette was not yet finished.

Yue Yao smiled slightly, "Haven’t you already reached a certain step? Don’t you want to strike while the iron is hot? Go for it! With Yurong’s passive personality in this aspect, if you don’t strike while the iron is hot, you’ll have to start all over again next time."

After saying this, she stood up and left, letting Li Yan think for himself.

Li Yan withdrew his thoughts, feeling that she made a lot of sense. He and Yurong had only gotten to an intimate level during New Year’s Eve, and if he struck while the iron was hot, he could probably win her over the second night. But because of being stuck in the ski lift the next day, the interest was all gone, and the following days were back to plainness.

Thinking of this, he quickly finished his cigarette and then returned to the bedroom.

Only to see Yurong already on the bed, holding a magazine as if preparing to sleep. Li Yan went to wash up and then got into bed.

Just as Li Yan was about to take the initiative to hug her, Yurong unexpectedly leaned towards him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Do you think... when people die, is there really nothing left?"

Li Yan, who was originally very excited, suddenly felt his enthusiasm dampen upon hearing her melancholy question, realizing he was mistaken; she wasn’t cuddling up for intimacy but merely needed someone to rely on in her low mood!

And what impacted her mood, undeniably, was the death of Liu Yuyang.

"It seems Christianity says that when people die, there are two destinations, going to Heaven, or down to Hell. Buddhism, on the other hand, is about causality and reincarnation; as long as one hasn’t reached enlightenment (Buddha, Bodhisattva, Arhat, etc.), one remains an ordinary person, who according to past causes and karma experiences the six realms of reincarnation. From our normal people’s perception, when you’re dead there’s nothing left, and the dead can’t convey their experiences to us."

After Li Yan gave this theoretical response, he reached out to hold her, trying to divert her gloomy mood, "You’re that sad for him, aren’t you afraid I’ll be jealous?"

Zhang Yurong raised her head and gave him an unusual look, seeming to think his words were a bit too much.