"That should do it."
Meng Wanyue handed the phone back to Xu Mu. "But I think it's better not to take his phone with us. There might be a tracker in it."
"Alright, I’ll follow your lead."
Xu Mu nodded and tossed the phone onto the ground.
"There might be fingerprints on it. We should still be careful."
Meng Wanyue stomped on the phone with her foot.
Crack!
The phone shattered instantly, and the ground seemed to tremble slightly from the force.
"Wanyue, I’m glad you’re here."
Xu Mu gave her a thumbs-up.
[Affection Points +5]
Meng Wanyue lowered her head slightly, a little embarrassed, before asking, "Director Xu, where should we go next?"
Xu Mu hesitated for a moment before pulling out a keycard with the name of a hotel and a room number written on it.
"Let’s check out this hotel."
"Got it."
Meng Wanyue nodded.
……
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Mu Qingying watched as the feed on her laptop disappeared, unsure of what had happened to Xu Mu.
Lin Yang tapped his fingers rhythmically against the desk. He knew Jiu Zhi well.
If nothing went wrong, Jiu Zhi would likely extort some money first before killing Xu Mu.
But so much time had passed—why hadn’t he called yet?
Jiu Zhi was the type of man who couldn’t resist women.
He even liked recording videos while doing his "business."
Feng Yue was definitely his type—he wouldn’t just leave her behind.
"Lin Yang, seems like the guy you hired isn’t reliable. Maybe he’s already betrayed you."
Feng Yue sneered from the side. She had given up on pleading for mercy.
If she was going to die anyway, why not go out defiantly?
Lin Yang glanced at her with disdain. "Once he gets back, you’ll be thrilled. After all, he’s another old man."
Feng Yue’s gaze sharpened like a blade. "I’ll haunt you even as a ghost."
"Too bad I don’t believe in ghosts."
Lin Yang replied flatly.
Mu Qingying’s tears continued to fall, though she wasn’t entirely sure why.
Maybe it was because Xu Mu had risked his life to save her, even though he was also a victim in this situation.
……
Xu Mu and Meng Wanyue arrived at the hotel listed on the keycard.
It was located in Wu City.
"Wanyue, wait here. Go check his room and see if you can find anything useful."
Xu Mu parked the car on the roadside and handed her the keycard.
"Got it. This should be easy. Director Xu, wait for me in the parking spot ahead."
Meng Wanyue adjusted her sports cap and stepped out of the car, heading into the hotel.
Xu Mu drove off and parked further down the street.
After about ten minutes, Meng Wanyue reappeared and slid back into the passenger seat.
"What did you find?" Xu Mu asked immediately.
"I disabled the camera on the third floor. His room only had a small suitcase—just clothes, weapons, passports, and IDs. Nothing useful."
Meng Wanyue rummaged through her backpack. "As for electronics, there were some cameras and listening devices. Oh, and this."
She pulled out a high-tech smartwatch, likely the latest model.
Xu Mu took it and scrolled through the apps. One in particular caught his attention—the map.
When he opened it, his eyes lit up.
"Director Xu, what is it?" Meng Wanyue noticed his reaction.
"Look at his search history." He handed the watch back to her.
Meng Wanyue’s eyes widened in realization.
Several locations were logged: Wu City, this hotel, and one more—Wu City’s Old Street Steel Factory.
Xu Mu had just been to a fertilizer plant. Why would he search for a steel factory?
He quickly checked his phone and discovered that the steel factory was on the far east side of Wu City, also abandoned for years.
The fertilizer plant was on the west side—completely opposite ends of the city.
"It looks like Feng Yue and Mu Qingying might be held there."
Xu Mu closed his eyes, deep in thought.
"Director Xu, let me go rescue them. I can move faster alone," Meng Wanyue suggested.
"No. Lin Yang isn’t someone to underestimate."
Xu Mu rejected the idea outright.
No matter what, Lin Yang was the protagonist—a man with unnaturally high luck.
Even if Meng Wanyue was stronger, Lin Yang might still find a way to turn the tables through sheer chance.
Besides, Meng Wanyue might not even be stronger than him.
Just as Xu Mu was racking his brain, a police car drove past.
"Right! Why didn’t I think of this sooner?"
A grin spread across his face. "If we know the location, we can just call the police."
After all, the kidnapped women weren’t someone as close to him as Ye Tong.
Reporting this to the authorities was already going above and beyond.
With that in mind, Xu Mu pulled out his phone. But he wasn’t sure how to phrase the report.
After some deliberation, he decided to tell the truth.
Logically, someone like Lin Yang wouldn’t openly defy the law.
And since Xu Mu hadn’t broken any rules—aside from eliminating a criminal—he shouldn’t be implicated.
He dialed the number.
Xu Mu explained the situation—how he’d received a threatening call that morning, demanding he go to the steel factory.
The Xu family held considerable influence in Jiang City. The moment the authorities verified his identity, a rescue team was immediately mobilized.
Soon after, officers from the security bureau arrived to meet with Xu Mu.
The leader, a middle-aged man with a square jaw, approached him. "Xu Mu, is everything you said on the phone true?"
"Absolutely. If I’m lying, I’ll take full legal responsibility."
Xu Mu spoke with complete seriousness.
"Good. Then let’s move out."
The man immediately ordered the surrounding officers to follow in their vehicles.
……
At the same time.
Lin Yang was still waiting for Jiu Zhi’s call when one of his men rushed over in a panic.
"Boss, we’ve got a problem!"
"What is it?" Lin Yang frowned.
"I set up cameras along the only road leading here. Police cars are heading straight for us!"
The young man spoke urgently.
"What? How do they know about this place? Damn it—Jiu Zhi, that traitor!"
It never crossed Lin Yang’s mind that Jiu Zhi, a seasoned professional, could be dead.
The only explanation was that Xu Mu had offered enough money to buy Jiu Zhi’s loyalty—and now he’d betrayed Lin Yang.
"Boss, what do we do? The cameras are five kilometers out. At their speed, they’ll be here in minutes."
The young man was sweating bullets.
"Hah! I told you your teammate wasn’t reliable."
Feng Yue burst into laughter.
Mu Qingying, on the other hand, finally felt a weight lift from her chest.
If Xu Mu had convinced Jiu Zhi with money, then he must be safe.
Lin Yang’s hand flicked, and a dagger appeared. In an instant, he lunged at Feng Yue, stopping just a centimeter from her left eye.
Feng Yue instinctively shut her eyes in terror.
"Feng Yue, do you really think I won’t kill you?"
Lin Yang glared at Feng Yue and said coldly, "How about I start by ruining that pretty face of yours that seduces older men?"
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ey change clothes. Li Chuan contributed all his possessions, only to find that things were not as they seemed. Almost a year after joining, he hadn’t managed to get a single Daoist consort. Thinking he had been deceived, he was approached by a stunning senior fellow disciple who asked if he would like to form a spiritual bond. For those who don’t practice cultivation, they might not know what “forming a spiritual bond” is. Let me put it this way: A long-term relationship is called a “Daoist consort,” while a short-term relationship is known as “forming a spiritual bond.” From then on, Li Chuan discovered the true way to interact with the Yin-Yang Sect’s Daoist consorts. As long as he had enough spirit stones, he could form a spiritual bond with anyone, Whether it’s Senior Sisters, aunts, Daoist consorts of aunts, female elders, Daoist consorts of elders, or even the Daoist consort of the sect leader, anyone can form a spiritual bond as long as there are enough spirit stones.” I've already joined the Yin-Yang Sect, and you're telling me to focus on cultivation? Do you even know what the Yin-Yang Sect is all about?
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"