A Heinous Method

No mistake!

That voice was unmistakably Lin Chen’s!

An Yi’s lips curled into a smirk. Was this little bastard actually asking him for a favor??

Hahaha!

Damn it all!

Lin Chen, you’ve finally come crawling to me!

Beg me!

The other end of the call, hearing no response, spoke up first: "This is Lin Chen."

"I know it’s you. What do you want? I’m busy here—every minute counts for millions."

An Yi sat on the bed, legs crossed, his expression dripping with arrogance.

"I’ve got a situation. I need your help."

Lin Chen’s voice was stiff, his tone serious.

Truth be told, An Yi was the last person he ever wanted to ask for anything!

Even through the phone, he could practically see An Yi’s smug, punchable grin.

But there was no choice. In all of Jiangbei City, the only one who could help him now was that bastard!

"Well, well, well! Am I hearing this right? The mighty Lin Chen, the legendary soldier, is actually begging little old me for help? I’m honored!"

An Yi’s tone oozed with the glee of a petty villain, barely holding back his laughter.

Then, his laughter died in his throat.

Because at that moment, the system’s voice rang out.

"Ding! Side quest triggered: [Aid the Chosen One].

Rewards: +100 Villain Points, +0.5 Charm Points, +50 Favorability from Lin Chen!"

Holy shit!

100 Villain Points!

The stingy system is finally splurging!!!

An Yi swallowed hard, his eyes gleaming with greed.

Usually, the system dangled measly 10-point rewards—this was ten times that in one go!

And there was even a 0.5 boost to Charm Points!

No idea what that did, but hey, better than nothing.

As for the 50 Favorability from Lin Chen… who cared!

Lin Chen took a deep breath on the other end, barely suppressing his anger. "Forget it if you don’t want to help!"

"Hey, hey, hold on! We’re brothers, no need to be so formal!"

An Yi quickly stopped him, chuckling. "What’s the matter? Just say the word—between us, no problem!"

Hearing An Yi’s exaggeratedly cheerful tone, Lin Chen frowned.

Something’s off here.

What’s this guy scheming now?

But there was no time to dwell on it. He gritted his teeth and said, "Let’s meet. Pick a place."

After hanging up, Shen Muxuan bounded over excitedly, her sparkling eyes full of mischief.

"I heard it, I heard it! A man just asked you out!"

An Yi: "…"

This silly girl, what kind of dramas has she been watching?!

---

Evening.

The sky blazed with crimson hues, the riverbanks shrouded in twilight. The setting sun seemed to plunge into the water, staining both sky and river blood-red.

Two young figures stood by the shore, their shadows stretching long under the dying light.

"So, Qin Yao’s been kidnapped by the Heaven Organization?"

An Yi rubbed his chin, pretending to think deeply.

Not that he actually had any clue—he knew nothing about the backstory.

"Uncle Fu woke up. Based on what he said, there are at least two more A-rank assassins involved," Lin Chen said grimly.

An Yi raised an eyebrow. "A-rank assassins—are they strong?"

Lin Chen replied, "Their skills are probably on par with yours."

An Yi nodded. "Damn, that’s impressive. Absolute badasses!"

Lin Chen: "…"

After a moment, An Yi asked seriously, "Any leads?"

"Only this one."

With that, Lin Chen kicked over a nearby trash can.

A bound, muscular man with a mohawk tumbled out—Tiger Cannon, the assassin Lin Chen had previously defeated.

"Mmgh!"

Tiger Cannon glared hatefully at Lin Chen, struggling against his restraints.

"Wow, where’d you pick up this hunk?"

An Yi whistled, eyeing Tiger Cannon’s burly frame. "Not bad taste—solid build."

Ignoring An Yi’s nonsense, Lin Chen said coldly, "He’s tight-lipped. I’ve tried everything, but he won’t talk."

Assassins loyal to their organizations were trained to endure torture. Breaking them wasn’t easy.

An Yi gave Tiger Cannon a once-over.

Sure enough, the man bore signs of rough treatment—bruises, cuts—but he’d held firm.

Rip!

An Yi tore off the duct tape covering Tiger Cannon’s mouth.

"You little bastard! Just kill me already! You’ll get nothing from me!"

Watching Tiger Cannon’s unyielding defiance, An Yi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of admiration.

Now this was a man of steel.

"They’re trained to resist interrogation. Normal methods won’t work," Lin Chen said, frustrated.

An Yi smirked. "Oh really?"

Seeing the glint in An Yi’s eyes, Tiger Cannon felt an inexplicable chill down his spine.

What the hell was this guy planning?!

Squeak! Squeak!

An Yi suddenly produced a filthy, scraggly rat, its beady red eyes furious as it gnashed its teeth, trying to bite his fingers.

"That’s disgusting. Aren’t you worried about diseases?"

Lin Chen took a step back, grimacing.

He’d never been fond of rodents, especially not this stinking, mangy thing that reeked of decay.

An Yi grinned at the rat, its fur matted with grime. "Lin Chen, undo his belt."

"What? Why?" Lin Chen was baffled.

"Trust me, I’ve got a way to make him talk. Beating people up is so last-century."

An Yi waved a hand, as if he held the secrets of the universe.

Hearing this, Tiger Cannon’s face turned ashen.

That rat, ravenous and vicious… he had a terrible suspicion.

Lin Chen hesitated but obeyed, slicing through Tiger Cannon’s belt with a knife.

An Yi dangled the rat cheerfully. "Hungry, little guy? Time to show off your digging skills. Go wild."

Lin Chen frowned. "Where are you planning to put it?"

"Guess."

An Yi winked playfully.

Tiger Cannon’s rear suddenly felt very, very unsafe.

"Rats, y’see, love digging. Sharp claws, sharper teeth—they’ll gnaw through anything. And when they’re starving? Oh boy, they’ll chew through intestines, liver, kidneys, lungs… whatever’s in their way—"

"STOP! STOP! DON’T PUT IT IN! I’LL TALK! I’LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING!"

Tiger Cannon, a hardened assassin, burst into tears.

You monster!

What kind of sick, twisted mind comes up with this?!

This little bastard deserves to rot in hell!