civilwarnovels Chapter 1307 - 634
Chapter 1307 - 634
The afternoon in the Old Town brought with it a somewhat lazy sunlight.
Looking east from the rooftop terrace of the old seafood freezing plant, scattered residences lined the winding coastline, almost brushing against the waves.
The salty sea breeze crossed over the low rooftops, carrying the distant sound of cargo ships’ whistles from the port, lazily drifting over.
By the concrete railing at the edge of the terrace stood a man and a woman, the man handsome and upright, the woman alluring and charming.
Downstairs in the hall and on the floors, the dull sounds of a drill boring holes and a hammer striking walls echoed intermittently.
The two continued their conversation undisturbed by the noise below, appearing relaxed and at ease.
"Whew—"
Lin Chuqiao exhaled softly, her hands casually resting on the rough cement railing.
The sea breeze tousled her silky black long hair, with a few strands clinging to her fair cheeks.
Her face showed slight weariness, but there was an undeniably charming allure.
She had been tirelessly busy with various preparations for the base all this time.
Fortunately, the construction team had successfully entered, boldly demolishing those old plasterboard partitions in accordance with the plans, to re-divide the space and lay out the pipelines.
As long as she endured this most tumultuous half-month, the subsequent tasks would fall into place smoothly.
Thinking this, she slightly turned her head, extending her slender, red-nailed fingers to tuck the stray strands behind her ear.
Her enchanting eyes glided over, sizing up the man beside her.
"Brother Cheng, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you around."
She had a subtle, elusive smile on her lips and teased with a playful tone:
"I heard from Xiao Shuai that a few days ago you went to take the Special Search Team’s spring recruitment exam?"
"Mm."
Fang Cheng gently nodded, with his hands in his pockets, gazing at the shimmering sea far in the distance.
"Isn’t that just too surreal?"
Lin Chuqiao covered her lips and chuckled, her ample chest slightly rising and falling:
"Our Illuminati is, after all, an organization planning to establish a new order in the underworld. It’s surprising that you, as our leader, would go take a government exam, becoming an official."
"If this gets out in the future, the bosses of other forces might laugh their big teeth off."
Fang Cheng turned his head, meeting her gaze, and said calmly:
"Know your enemy, know yourself, and you’ll always win. The Special Search Team holds the most thorough intelligence network in the East Capital. How could we pave the way for our organizational development without infiltrating to understand the government’s cards?"
Offering a casual explanation, he didn’t dwell on the subject, instead changing the topic naturally:
"How’s the progress of the base construction?"
"With money, things are easier to handle."
Lin Chuqiao’s eyebrows slightly raised as she replied cheerfully:
"We have two bases under construction simultaneously, with the construction team working shifts. In half a month, the basic renovations will be done, and then we just need to install security equipment and servers.
As for the Jiangbei Industrial Park over there, it’s a bit more troublesome since the project is massive, and moving in will take at least another month."
After reporting the progress, Lin Chuqiao suddenly frowned slightly, sighed, and leaned her slender waist against the railing.
"It’s easy to get the hardware, but software is hard to find. Right now, we’re very short on talent in all areas at the Illuminati, like on my side, I’m short of someone who can manage accounts."
Saying this, her eyes shifted, focusing on the side profile of Fang Cheng’s face.
"Brother Cheng, the accounting candidate you asked me to keep an eye on before is in big trouble now, and that’s why I sought you out today."
Fang Cheng withdrew his gaze from the distance and asked:
"Wang Li?"
"Yes, didn’t you mention before that you wanted to handle this personally?"
Lin Chuqiao stood up straight, her expression turning slightly more serious:
"His situation now is worse than Xiao Shuai reported. His wife’s kidney disease has worsened. Previously, it could barely be managed with thrice-weekly dialysis, but two days ago, the doctor gave the final ultimatum that a kidney transplant must be done soon."
She paused, a trace of sympathy flickering in her eyes:
"They’ve found a kidney donor, but the preliminary surgery fees and subsequent anti-rejection medication costs are astronomical. To raise the money, he’s already borrowed heavily from loan sharks."
"That’s not all."
Lin Chuqiao’s tone grew slightly solemner as she continued:
"He also has a seventeen-year-old daughter named Wang Yao, who’s still in high school."
"Feeling guilty about the family’s financial difficulties, she secretly took a job promoting drinks at a bar called ’Blue Ice’ without telling her father."
"But the gangs in that area set a trap for her, deliberately breaking a few bottles of exorbitantly priced imported liquor, forcing the girl to sign an indenture contract. Now she’s been held by those thugs, and it’s been almost two days since there’s been any contact."
Fang Cheng listened quietly, then asked:
"How did Xiao Shuai interact with him before?"
"Xiao Shuai, following my instructions, approached him under the guise of a trading company and offered a salary far above market rate."
Lin Chuqiao recalled the details of the past, speaking slowly:
"However, this man is indeed shrewd. He knows clearly that he’s a person whose license has been revoked, carrying a bad reputation, and that no legitimate company would dare hire him."
"If any company offers a high salary and specifically wants him, it must have a shady background and might want him to engage in illegal activities. So, although desperately needing money, he remained cautious and didn’t agree."
"Having such vigilance is a good thing."
Fang Cheng nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of admiration:
"Doing finances requires a tight lip and meticulous mind. To stand firm in the mud while maintaining the last line is more valuable than mere business skills. Once such a person is loyal, you can trust them completely."