I wasn't curious about his question; what surprised me was why he was asking me.
He knew I wouldn't answer directly.
"You don't need to say anything, I already know. I hate him. That bastard killed so many of my men and still wants to dominate me! Does he think he can bully me so easily? Liu Shiyi, that old schemer, I'll kill him one day!"
Yang Lianting rambled on before downing his glass of wine.
The bar was stocked with all kinds of expensive liquor and cigarettes.
These luxurious items were acquired at the cost of countless lives.
Liu Shiyi deserved to die. So did Yang Lianting, and even more so, the boss behind them.
"Let's make a deal," Yang Lianting said, seeing my silence.
"Hm?" I frowned, waiting for him to continue.
"You spy on Liu Shiyi for me, pass on any intel, and I'll ensure you live a worry-free life. Including your pretty cousin, I won't touch her. How about it?"
Yang Lianting seemed sure I would agree, speaking openly.
"Deputy Director Yang, are you asking me to die? Liu Shiyi is extremely smart, and I'm not even one of his trusted men! I can't gather intel!" I answered ambiguously, wanting to hear his plan to have me monitor Liu Shiyi.
"Haven't you heard the saying? 'The clever can outsmart themselves!' He thinks he's the smartest, but there are always smarter people out there! Liu Shiyi is nothing!"
Yang Lianting's hatred for Liu Shiyi was evident in his voice.
He claimed to hate Liu Shiyi and wanted him dead, and I believed him.
In their world, they'd use any means to gain power, including bribing each other's close associates.
Their brotherhood was fake, and behind each other's backs, they wished for the other's downfall to seize control.
This was why Liu Shiyi kept a wrench as his bodyguard; it was hard to find a loyal enforcer.
As for me, there might be other reasons.
Watching him swirl his wine glass, I suddenly remembered the blood tests from my hospital stay...
Could it be that my tissues matched with Ace's?
Otherwise, why would Liu Shiyi help me so much? It couldn't just be to make money from underground fights...
Thinking about this, I asked, "I heard that those who match with someone in the park are kept and well taken care of. Is that true?"
"Who did you match with?" Yang Lianting asked, hitting right at my suspicion.
"I don't know." I shook my head, feeling a chill down my spine.
I hadn't thought of this before. Now I knew I needed to escape.
"Actually, everyone gets a medical checkup before entering the park. Those who match someone won't live long. You and I are the same, which is why I want to kill Liu Shiyi and climb the ranks. You killed Piton, and while he doesn't seem to care on the surface, it might be related to the person you matched with. Who it is, I can't guess."
Yang Lianting had a slight, almost imperceptible smile in his eyes.
"Tell me what to do."
"I won't need you to take any risks. Just tell me Liu Shiyi's whereabouts daily. Since you're now Ace's favorite, if something happened to you, he'd kill me first."
"Do you think I matched with Ace or Liu Shiyi?" I wanted to gauge his reaction, assuming he'd have more information as a deputy director.
Yang Lianting stared at me for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "Probably not. If you matched with Liu Shiyi, that sickly man, would you still be alive? And Ace, well, he seems too health-conscious to need a transplant."
I twitched my lips but said nothing.
"If you help me get rid of Liu Shiyi, I'll help you become deputy director. Then we can control this park together, enjoying endless wealth and glory. As for Maodinglun and Wrench, I have ways to deal with them. Make them turn on each other... and we'll pick them off one by one. I trust your abilities. To show my sincerity..."
Yang Lianting got up, opened a safe, and placed twenty stacks of RMB in front of me.
Ha, just 200,000 to buy my loyalty? He underestimated me.
"Deputy Director Yang, I won't take the money. It's inconvenient and I don't want to give anyone leverage. But consider what you're asking as friends gossiping." I pushed the money back, smiling calmly. "Last night, Professor Ace took me to the Golden Casino, and I won about a million."
Yang Lianting was visibly stunned, his face turning sour.
He didn't expect me to refuse the money.
He quickly recovered his oily smile. "Oh, you really are a treasure, no wonder Professor Ace likes you so much."
With that, he poured a white substance on my pants.
... I held back a punch.
The sticky stuff smelled foul and looked disgusting.
"Don't blame me. If I don't do this, Liu Shiyi will suspect. Come on, sweetheart, kiss me! Give me a big kiss!"
Drunk, Yang Lianting removed his robe, striking poses and caressing himself.
A grown man licking his fingers, pouting, and leering at me while dancing sensually from head to toe.
I...
I could die right there.
"Baby, what are you hesitating for? Come on! Harder!"
"Yang Lianting! Can you be any more shameless?"
I clenched my fists, speechless and stunned.
His seductive dance, sleazy expression, and disgusting moves were a visual assault, shooting my blood pressure through the roof.
"Come on, baby! You lead, I'll follow! I want to see how strong you are…"
Yang Lianting shamelessly moved closer, covering my mouth with his saliva-soaked hand, then sticking his plump butt out and moaning.
"Ugh! You forced me to hit you!"
I couldn't take it anymore, punching him in the face.
"Boom"
Yang Lianting flew back, landing by the coffee table.
"Pervert! Disgusting."
I pounced, pinning him down, and slapped him hard twice.
"Ah, so good! Harder! Yes, yes, more... harder... ah!"
His twisted reaction shattered my sanity.
"You pervert! I'll beat you to death!"
I slapped him dozens of times before collapsing beside him.
Too disgusting, I felt numb all over and struggled to breathe...