Transaction

Early the next morning.

Just as the sky began to brighten, Xu Rong received an emergency notice. Before the workday even started, she rushed to the old residential area and brought Wu Tao into the hidden Pingjiang City Demon Hunting Department.

The yellowed building looked incredibly dated, but stepping inside revealed a completely different scene.

Taking the elevator down to the fourth underground floor, they arrived at a high-end parking garage filled with various vehicles. Captain Hao had been waiting alone for quite some time. Seeing Wu Tao approach, he immediately pressed a button in the hall.

As the green button lit up.

A suspension device rose in the middle of the parking lot, and a pitch-black sedan slowly ascended. Under the lights of the garage, its dark exterior reflected a steady and profound gleam.

Looking at the car, Captain Hao nodded in satisfaction.

Only then did he turn to Wu Tao, smiling as he began to introduce it.

"Mr. Wu."

"Headquarters has agreed to your visit and is willing to help you find that mysterious entity. However, our Pingjiang City is nearly a thousand kilometers away from the main bureau. You must take this vehicle and travel via a special route."

"Please rest assured, sir. This is the vehicle with the highest security level in our branch. The body is made of special materials with extremely low visibility. It will absolutely not leak any of your privacy, and it will guarantee your safety throughout the entire journey."

Listening to the middle-aged man's explanation, Wu Tao remained unmoved.

After sizing up the high-end sedan that did not even have windows, he casually replied.

"This car indeed has a considerable degree of secrecy. Let alone people outside being unable to see the situation inside, even the person sitting inside probably won't be able to see the scenery along the way. You really put a lot of thought into this."

Having the truth punctured with a single sentence, Captain Hao looked a bit embarrassed.

Wu Tao continued speaking, a faint smile already appearing on his face.

"This kind of approach is completely unnecessary. You don't actually think this thing will work on me, do you?"

As his voice faded.

Captain Hao's old face was already flushed red with embarrassment.

He had not expected this gentleman to speak so bluntly. Not only did he pierce through the intention of wanting to guard the secret location of the main bureau with a single remark, but he also mercilessly rebuked them. He was truly domineering and overbearing.

He was indeed an expert; his words and actions were completely free of scruples.

Facing this gentleman, no matter how awkward he felt, he did not dare to show any dissatisfaction. He could only use the motion of adjusting his glasses to slightly cover it up, taking the opportunity to lean in and explain with an apologetic smile.

"Mr. Wu..."

"I also know you are no ordinary person, and this method means little to you. But the rules and regulations are what they are. We still have to go through the formalities and procedures, otherwise, if the main bureau asks about it later, it will be hard for me to explain."

"Hehe, regarding this matter, you see..."

Looking at Captain Hao rubbing his hands together with an apologetic smile, Wu Tao could only reply helplessly.

"Alright."

As long as he could go to the main bureau, there was hope of finding Sister Han. All the other conditions were nothing to him, and taking a car ride mattered even less.

With a casual response, he got into the sedan and immediately buried his head in sleep.

The sedan slowly started moving with almost no noticeable sound. Its perfect performance brought an incredibly comfortable experience. In the blink of an eye, it smoothly drove into the depths of the underground passage.

Watching the taillights of the successfully departing car from afar, Captain Hao finally let out a long sigh of relief. Xu Rong, standing beside him, was also filled with emotion, secretly praying that everything would go smoothly.

It had to be said, the high-end sedan was indeed very comfortable.

Wu Tao slept peacefully throughout the entire journey. Before he could even react, the car had already stopped. The sensible driver even opened the door for him, sparing him the need to lift a finger.

He stepped out of the car with sleepy eyes, only to see a group of neatly dressed middle-aged men, led by an old man, stepping forward to give him a warm welcome.

"Mr. Wu!"

"Welcome, Mr. Wu!"

In the blink of an eye.

The courtyard of the hidden manor was filled with bigwigs offering their congratulations. The patrolling guards in the distance clicked their tongues in secret amazement, and even the passing staff upstairs could not help but stop and hide by the windows, looking out with curiosity.

"What kind of big shot has arrived?"

"Holy crap!"

"Why is Instructor Liu dressed so formally, and even personally welcoming them?!"

"Look, look!"

...

Such a scene was too rare at the Demon Hunting Department's main bureau, inevitably drawing peeping gazes from all directions.

However, when their gazes pierced through the layers of welcoming bigwigs, they saw that the person walking right in the center was actually a young man. Wearing slippers and shorts, he had a lazy look on his face. To put it harshly, even pulling a random person off the street would be better than this guy.

Suddenly.

Many onlookers frowned and scratched their heads, wearing baffled expressions as if doubting their own lives!

Who on earth was this?

He looked sloppy and lazy, yet he was actually receiving such a grand reception. It was simply unbelievable!

Before the various gazes could take a few more looks.

Under the escort of a group of top bosses, the long procession went straight into the conference room. The entrance was strictly guarded, and the formation was extraordinary. This triggered another wave of shock and suspicion, and no one dared to casually utter another word of gossip.

The young man in slippers they saw today was engraved in everyone's hearts.

All sorts of speculations continuously brewed, and the working atmosphere at headquarters became tense and subtle.

Compared to the tension of the uninformed crowd.

Inside the conference room with its tightly closed doors, there was a completely different, warm and cheerful atmosphere.

The table was filled with precious fruits, and naturally, top-quality fragrant tea was not lacking. Many high-ranking officials smiled apologetically and exchanged pleasantries. Their conversation was as intimate as family chatter, and bursts of laughter rang out from time to time.

"For Mr. Wu to personally grace our Demon Hunting Department with his presence truly makes us feel incredibly honored."

"We had long heard that you possess extraordinary abilities, sir. Seeing you today, you are indeed exceptional."

"This is what you call a true marvel!"

"Yes, yes, yes. Compared to you, sir, we are truly terribly vulgar."

"Haha..."

Facing all sorts of polite formalities, Wu Tao merely gave a faint smile. Although these people, having reached their current status, were still not worth mentioning in his eyes, they could be considered highly experienced. Their ability to casually handle people was naturally beyond question, and there was no need to pay it too much mind.

After listening to a few sentences, he got straight to the point and looked at the old man in the seat of honor.

"There's no need for pleasantries."

"You should be very clear about my purpose for coming here. Where exactly is Sister Han? Do you have any way to contact her?"

As his soft words fell, the entire room went silent.

Although the smiles on everyone's faces did not diminish, no one dared to speak up on their own accord anymore. They seemingly had not expected Wu Tao to be so direct, and could only cast their gazes toward the seat of honor.

The old man did not show any unusual expression. After a slight pause, he continued to reply with a smile.

"Mr. Wu."

"To tell you the truth, deep in the northern grasslands of Hohhot, a restricted zone has recently appeared. It is occupied by a large number of high-level Phantom Spirits, posing a massive threat to us. It has reached a critical point that endangers the future of countless citizens. This matter is truly a bit thorny."

His words sounded like an irrelevant answer, but they were full of profound meaning.

Wu Tao nodded slightly.

"Mhm."

He appeared to be lying lazily on the long chair, but in secret, a sharp light flickered in his eyes, and his consciousness was fluctuating.

Though his body was in the hidden conference room, controlling the outside world was still as easy as lifting a finger. At the exact moment his voice faded, ten clones had already appeared on the vast grasslands.

In the blink of an eye, the sky was filled with a mist of blood!

Inside the conference room, it remained as peaceful as before, even starting to become unusually quiet.

Seeing that Wu Tao only gave a faint response, many people's eyes darkened. They quietly exchanged glances, feeling somewhat puzzled. They did not know if this person failed to understand the profound meaning in the words, or if he was playing dumb. How could he just casually reply and leave it at that?

After waiting for a few breaths, there was still no movement.

Finally.

The leading elder could no longer sit still. He gave a light cough and spoke directly.

"Ahem..."

"Mr. Wu, if you can help us clear out the Northern Forbidden Zone, we will take you to find that Sister Han. We each get what we need, fair and square."

As his words faded, everyone's gaze simultaneously turned toward him.

Their eyes seemed to flicker with anticipation, mixed with a complex, scrutinizing gleam. They were all waiting for Wu Tao's reaction, hoping to use it to gauge the true weight and mettle of this mysterious powerhouse.

Who would have thought.

Wu Tao simply gave a nonchalant response, his tone completely unchanged.

"Alright, take me to see Sister Han."

When his words fell, the expressions of the crowd noticeably darkened.

The leader sat up straight, his eyes locking intently onto Wu Tao. His demeanor suddenly became somewhat forceful, seemingly holding fast to their absolute bottom line.

"Mr. Wu, perhaps you did not hear me clearly. This is a transaction. Only when you have truly resolved the northern threat will we fulfill our promise. No matter how long it takes, as long as the condition remains unmet for even a single day, we cannot possibly take you to find her."

"Of course, this agreement remains permanently valid."

Upon hearing this, Wu Tao slowly stood up.

"I understand what you mean, but this matter will not take much time at all."

"The hidden danger you speak of has already been resolved."

Hmm?

Resolved?!

Everyone's eyes widened at his words, their faces filled with deep suspicion.

Even though they knew this newcomer possessed terrifying methods, the Northern Forbidden Zone was unimaginably dreadful. How could it be resolved so easily? Let alone just by taking his baseless words for it.

Besides, the man was still sitting right here!

Was he not just using his overwhelming strength to bully them and make a fool out of everyone present?