The group walked through the spacious underground hall. The surrounding staff cast curious glances their way, whispering to each other but not daring to discuss them aloud.
Just as they passed by Wen Tonghai, the old man suddenly paused, turned his head, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"You've got some skills, kid."
Lin Mo grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.
"Of course, old man. I'm an ally of justice, after all."
This baffling exchange left a few sharp-eared people nearby stunned.
With those words, Lin Mo followed Long Tianqi into the distance.
Wen Tonghai stood where he was, watching Lin Mo's retreating back. An incomprehensible gleam flashed through his cloudy old eyes.
Following behind Lin Mo, Dongfang Shuye's head was full of question marks.
What was up with Elder Wen? Hadn't he wanted to skin Lin Mo alive the last time they met? Why the sudden change of heart today?
He quickened his pace, moved closer to Lin Mo, and lowered his voice.
"Elder Wen..."
"It's obvious," Lin Mo said without looking back, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "He admires me, but I can't say the same for him."
Without standing on ceremony, Lin Mo followed Long Tianqi into the office. Acting as if he had no bones, he sank directly into the guest sofa.
Long Tianqi closed the door behind her, cutting off all outside sights and sounds. When she turned around, her heroic face was covered in frost.
"Are you crazy? You didn't even give a heads-up before coming, just swaggering in like that?"
Her voice was kept low, but her anger was like boiling water. "What do you think Yanhuang Awakening is? A wet market?! Do you know how many pairs of eyes out there are just waiting to eat you alive?!"
Lin Mo leaned back on the sofa, hands resting behind his head. Hearing this, he merely lifted his eyelids lazily.
"Oh? So you mean to tell me they'd actually dare to make a move on me right here in the Yanhuang Awakening Headquarters?"
"Why wouldn't they!"
Long Tianqi's chest heaved, infuriated by his lackadaisical attitude. "When pushed into a corner, some people will do anything! You have no idea how many people want you dead right now!"
"Pfft."
Lin Mo couldn't hold back a laugh.
He sat up a bit straighter, his pitch-black eyes startlingly bright under the lights. Looking at Long Tianqi, he enunciated every word with nonchalance.
"Then tell me who wants me dead, and I'll just kill them first."
Those words were arrogant to the very bone.
Long Tianqi was momentarily speechless, not knowing how to retort. Finally, she let out a heavy breath, walked behind her desk, sat down, pulled a women's cigarette from its pack, and lit it.
Pale smoke curled upward, blurring her expression.
"Alright, tell me your purpose for coming here."
Long Tianqi knew Lin Mo wasn't the type to sit still; he definitely had something important to do by coming to the headquarters.
The smile on Lin Mo's face deepened. He extended a finger, pointing neither at Long Tianqi nor himself, but rather at the office door that had just been closed.
"It's simple. I'm here to help you catch a mole."
He spoke slowly, his tone as certain as if he were stating an established fact. "The next person to knock on that door is the most deeply hidden ghost within Yanhuang Awakening."
As his voice faded, the office plunged into a momentary dead silence.
Long Tianqi's fingers, holding the cigarette, froze in mid-air.
Even Dongfang Shuye, who had been standing quietly to the side like empty air, suddenly snapped his head up, his gaze glued to the door.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Three moderate knocks sounded, but at this moment, they felt like three heavy sledgehammers smashing ruthlessly against Long Tianqi's heart.
"Director."
A steady male voice came from outside the door.
Long Tianqi's pupils violently contracted. Her gaze darted back from the door like lightning, locking onto Lin Mo!
Dongfang Shuye's breathing hitched.
It was him?
How could it be him?!
Lin Mo simply raised his index finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, a mischievous, spectacle-watching glint in his eyes.
Long Tianqi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the stormy waves in her heart, and her voice returned to its usual steadiness.
"Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Minister Xu, dressed in a sharp suit and leather shoes, walked in holding a report.
"The inventory of the Chai family's assets has been completely finalized. Everything has been absorbed into Yanhuang Awakening's logistical resources, and dedicated personnel will review it."
Having finished his report, Xu Wendong seemed to just notice Lin Mo on the sofa. He showed a perfectly measured look of surprise before smiling warmly and taking the initiative to greet him.
"Ah, it's Consultant Lin. Hello, I am Xu Wendong, Minister of the Strategic Department for Yanhuang Awakening."
Lin Mo didn't move, remaining sunken in the sofa. He merely lifted his head and looked Xu Wendong up and down with an examining gaze before speaking unhurriedly.
"Hello, Minister Xu. I heard that when I first arrived in Tianjing, you warned the others early on not to provoke me."
These words carried profound implications.
The smile on Xu Wendong's face didn't falter in the slightest.
"You flatter me, Consultant Lin. I simply felt that Yanhuang Awakening and Consultant Lin share the same goals. There was no need for internal friction. Giving them a heads-up to restrain themselves was beneficial for everyone."
His response was watertight, perfectly clarifying his stance while maintaining his demeanor.
However, in Lin Mo's eyes.
This Xu Wendong was darker than anyone from the Chai family.
As black as ink.
Because of this, Lin Mo was highly interested in the man.
He was itching to perform a soul search on him right then and there, but he looked past Xu Wendong, locking eyes with Long Tianqi behind him.
This could be considered an internal matter for Yanhuang Awakening.
At that moment, Lin Mo pulled a SIM card from his pocket and tossed it onto the desk.
"I killed that outcast from the Zhuge family and found this SIM card on him. I tried dialing the only number saved on it, but there was no sound on the other end. Can you trace it?"
Dongfang Shuye frowned and picked up the card.
"I should be able to. I'll go check right now."
With that, Dongfang Shuye took the card and left the office.
Long Tianqi closed the report in her hands.
"Minister Xu, I'll discuss the details of the Chai family's assets with you later. Right now, Lin Mo and I have more important matters to discuss."
Xu Wendong smiled, nodded, and turned to leave without any hesitation.
However, as he closed the office door, the smile in Xu Wendong's eyes faded significantly.
He still didn't reveal anything overtly suspicious, merely walking back toward his own office.
Back inside, Long Tianqi couldn't help but speak first. "Are you sure?"
"If I told you this guy is the blackest soul I've ever seen, darker than pitch black, what would you think?"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
