The man was middle-aged, not particularly handsome, but his mustache added a certain masculine charm. He dressed impeccably in a well-fitting suit and polished black shoes, his hair slicked back in a shiny pompadour. Overall, he looked like a mature, affluent, aristocratic older gentleman.
Jin Shangwu was a high-ranking official in the headquarters of a special national department. Officially, he was a leader in the strategic department, but his side job remained unknown for the time being.
"It's been decades. I thought you, the highest-ranking leader of Yanhai City's special department, wouldn't recognize your old classmate."
Jin Shangwu smiled and took out a cigarette case, offering one to the one-eyed man. It was a specially made cigarette, unavailable on the market, expensive, and virtually priceless.
The one-eyed man brought the cigarette to his nose and sniffed, marveling, "Incredible! A cigarette only the elite can smoke. One sniff tells you how precious it is. If it weren't for you, I'd probably never be able to afford one in my life. Just this one cigarette, if auctioned, would be worth at least ten thousand."
Jin Shangwu smiled casually. A pack of cigarettes worth two hundred thousand, offered along with a whole carton, spoke not only of his wealth but also of his power and influence. The cigarettes were made with ingredients extracted from some sort of evil creature using modern technology – a true luxury item.
Although he spoke casually, something felt off.
"You're joking. What elite? Just an ordinary person. With your status, you can have as many of these cigarettes as you want. If you like, I'll send you a carton later."
The one-eyed man looked at him, rubbing his fuzzy head. "No way. Everyone has their youth, and most are sentimental and loyal in their youth. What happened in the past is just experience. When we retire, we can look back on it all as memories."
What happened back then was simple.
"I can't afford this. I don't dare to take it, really." The one-eyed man waved his hand, distancing himself, even returning the cigarette he had just accepted.
Jin Shangwu asked, "Still holding a grudge?"
"If you want to eat, I'll treat you next time."
The one-eyed man didn't harbor any resentment towards Jin Shangwu. The past was the past. Thinking about it, it wasn't a big deal. They hadn't interacted in a long time, a generational gap separating them. It was because of loyalty that he lost an eye.
"Sigh, why bring that up? Did you come to Yanhai City to see me because you have something to discuss? Just say it. I'm very busy lately. I was just hungry and ate a bowl of wontons. It was quite good, only six yuan a bowl."
The one-eyed man deeply resented Hao Ren. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have met two mental patients and suffered so much torment in the beginning. Now, he even brought the patients back to the special department.
Thinking about this…
Jin Shangwu lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. "Before coming here, I went to see Hao Ren. He's still the same, hasn't changed much, except his hair has turned much whiter. I wanted to chat with him, but he was very busy and didn't say much before ending the conversation."
"Why did you look for him? All he thinks about now is making money. Are you rich? If you have money, you can talk."
"Did you give him money?"
The one-eyed man saw Jin Shangwu smiling, as if implying, "You're really smart. You guessed it right. We are indeed close, so you could guess that."
He suddenly felt how unwise he had been in the past.
Jin Shangwu smiled without speaking, clearly agreeing with this statement.
The one-eyed man laughed loudly. "Five million just to chat with him? You're dreaming! He has a wealthy sponsor, a hundred million a year. He's already being generous by even considering your five million. At least multiply it by twenty, and I guarantee he'll invite you to his office for tea and personally light your cigarette."
Hao Ren was impressive.
Jin Shangwu said, "Old Hao said he's very tired now, all for Qingshan, hoping his old friend could help. I thought after giving him the money, he would at least invite me to his office for a cup of tea, to chat. He refused the check and asked me to transfer the money. I transferred five million to him, and as soon as the money arrived, he said he had something to do and couldn't chat. People these days…"
"Indeed, the older they get, the wiser they become. I remember he used to be very honest."
"Oh, almost forgot the main point. Why did you come to me? I don't believe you're just bored and came to see me. That's not your style."
The one-eyed man was wary, afraid that the other party was setting a trap for him.
I'm rooting for you.
Just based on this, I'll definitely praise you more when we meet next time.
The one-eyed man was stunned.
Leaving Yanhai City and promoting him to headquarters was indeed a good thing, but recently, many problems had occurred in Yanhai City, such as the evil creatures that had disappeared for thirty years, the demons, and so on.
Jin Shangwu said, "Recently, there's a vacancy at the top. I've nominated you, and it's been approved. You can go to headquarters and take a position one level higher than your current one."
"I came here to tell you this in person. After all, it's better to discuss it face-to-face."
"You're not a traitor, are you?" the one-eyed man asked.
Now it was a bit harsh. Without bragging, he, the one-eyed man, was the mascot of Yanhai City, no, he should be the city's treasure. During his many years in office, Yanhai City had enjoyed favorable weather, the citizens lived and worked in peace, and even the evil creatures were much more docile.
Recently, the frequency of evil creature activity in Yanhai City had entered the top ten.
All the signs pointed to one thing.
Just hearing his name, evil creatures would wet their pants.
Don't you believe it?
If it weren't for the ground sinking in Mount Tai and a group of evil creatures escaping…
Coupled with the damn demon running to Yanhai City, the frequency of evil creature appearances had skyrocketed.
The one-eyed man smiled, "Just kidding. Thanks for the offer, but I'm used to Yanhai City. If you had asked ten or twenty years ago, I would definitely have gone with you. Now, I can't."
He was able to become the leader of Yanhai City…
Everything he said was true.
"I don't understand what you mean," Jin Shangwu said.
He relied on his brain.
Based on the current situation, he guessed a few points…
Did he rely on a pair of iron palms that could smash the heads of evil creatures?
No…
Anyway, his meaning was very clear now.
Whoever transfers me from Yanhai City is a traitor, trying to pave the way for the evil creatures.
If he was truly transferred away from Yanhai City, and there was a gap during the transfer period, Yanhai City would lack a god-like powerhouse like him, and something big would definitely happen.
The evil creatures would immediately counterattack, and the consequences would be unimaginable.
The one-eyed man said, "I don't want to, I don't want to."
Jin Shangwu looked at the one-eyed man and wanted to say, "You've done enough. There's really no need to be so stubborn about staying in Yanhai City." The recent data wasn't only available to Yanhai City; other special departments in major cities already knew about it.
Do you really think I'm stupid?
"Don't you really want to think about it?" Jin Shangwu pressed.
There was already a precedent.
"This opportunity is really rare," Jin Shangwu said.
The situation was not good.
Danger lurked everywhere.
Jin Shangwu sighed. He knew this guy's temper, it hadn't changed. He knew it was useless to say more, it would be a waste of breath.
Just then…
The one-eyed man smiled. "What's this, compensation? If I can take a position at headquarters, it seems you've put in a lot of effort."
"Sigh!"
The manager was scared, afraid of being beaten up, so he brought the caretaker along. If he was beaten, at least the caretaker could take the brunt of it.
The two looked around.
A van slowly stopped.
The caretaker and manager brought Lin Fan and the others down.
But soon…
They adjusted their mentality.
Special Department Headquarters.
So high-end, so sacred. Although they managed thousands of pigs and were very experienced, they felt very nervous in this place. It wasn't that they were lowly, but the psychological pressure was a bit much.
He instantly became emboldened, feeling a surge of energy from his chest to his abdomen.
Lin Fan pondered who he should look for.
We did nothing wrong, we didn't break the law. They stole our pigs, and we came to ask for money. It's only right and proper, no one can say we're wrong.
After figuring this out…
Go home?
That wouldn't work either, so he thought of coming back here.
The first person he thought of was Xiao Bao.
But Xiao Bao wasn't home.
The one-eyed man and Jin Shangwu were chatting, completely unaware of Lin Fan.
"Hello, can you help me?"
He was surprised to find the one-eyed man right there.
At this moment…
The one-eyed man was very surprised. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Lin Fan, but why would he appear here? Then he saw the two strangers following behind.
Strange, who were they?
Lin Fan appeared next to the one-eyed man, a little embarrassed, as this was a troublesome matter for him.
"Hmm?"
"Yes."
Basically, without even thinking, when two mental patients appear in front of you and ask you this, you don't need to say much. No matter what it is, as long as it's doable, you basically agree.
Jin Shangwu's attention was immediately drawn to the evil rooster. He could smell the evil aura. He frowned slightly but didn't say anything. After all, he wasn't the only one who noticed it.
Since the one-eyed man didn't react, it meant he had a plan.
No need.
I can be taken advantage of a few times, it's your skill, and it also shows that I'm not smart enough.
Except for the acupuncture to treat his eyes.
Thank you!
The manager looked at Lin Fan, then at the one-eyed man. The one-eyed man's appearance made him a little scared, as if a terrifying executioner stood before him.
"Don't be nervous, just say what you need to say."
"Manager, he's a good person. You can discuss any needs with him."
Lin Fan pulled the manager over, then stood there with Old Zhang.
He didn't exaggerate, and he didn't even dare to overcharge for the meat, calculating everything at the factory price.
His request was humble, just to get some compensation. He couldn't lose money on this.
The one-eyed man patted the manager's shoulder, steadying his trembling legs. What was there to be afraid of? Someone like him, who had dedicated his life to Yanhai City, should have a kind face. Although he looked serious, the light in his eyes was definitely warm.
The manager slowly explained the situation.
Then he touched his pocket. Regrettably, he had some money, but seeing Jin Shangwu there, he smiled and said:
"Can you cover me for now?"
"Hmm."
The one-eyed man nodded. "What you said is reasonable and well-founded."
Old Zhang whispered, "He really is a good person. I really want to help him cure his eye."
Am I a sucker?
Jin Shangwu looked at the one-eyed man, his expression a little strange. He did have money, but he felt like something wasn't quite right about spending it this way.
Lin Fan patted his shoulder and said, "There will be a chance."
Yes, there will indeed be a chance.
Being targeted is a terrifying thing.