Chapter 58

Thank you for the sand and silt’s tip.

At the bottom of the luxury yacht, in Ye Nan’s cabin, a bookshelf stood neatly arranged, filled entirely with ancient Eastern poetry and prose, various masters’ handwritten copies.

These were collected by Ye Nan himself; as a wealthy man in America, he naturally enjoyed life to the fullest. Someone once said, “Man is born to enjoy,” and Ye Nan wholeheartedly agreed.

Knock knock knock! A series of knocks came at the door. Ye Nan heard it and immediately knew who it was. He smiled and said, “Come in.”

The door creaked open, and Jack walked in, wearing a black tank top and a sharp, neat crew cut. His rat-like eyes darted around constantly, making him look thoroughly sleazy.

“Jack, you’re here.” Ye Nan closed the book in his hand and looked at him calmly. “Do you know your mission failed?”

“Respected Mr. Ye Nan, the mission’s failure has nothing to do with me,” Jack hurriedly defended himself. “It was that damn G’er—had she not been determined to leave, I would have already obtained the Blood Orchid and presented it to you, Respected Mr. Ye Nan.”

“And sir, our team member Ban has died. He was swallowed whole by a giant python. What a pitiful death—he was my companion, the one I brought along. Wuhu…”

Jack broke into loud sobs, weeping and blaming himself. “It’s all my fault! If it weren’t for me, Ban wouldn’t have come here. If he hadn’t come here, he wouldn’t have died here. His corpse was eaten by the giant python—no trace, not even a scrap remains. It’s all my fault. This is all my doing.”

Ye Nan watched Jack’s hysterical crying with cold eyes, saying nothing. He knew Jack’s nature—purely a man who saw money in everything. Not even a close friend, let alone his own girlfriend, would be spared if the price was right. This display was nothing but an attempt to win his sympathy.

Ye Nan picked up his book again and studied it carefully—Zhu Ziqing’s “Moonlight over the Lotus Pond.” Indeed, it was perfect for cultivating one’s disposition.

But Jack’s sobbing grew louder, his constant apologies for Ban growing unbearable. Ye Nan lost all desire to read, his mind growing irritated.

“Enough.” Ye Nan roared. Jack instantly clamped his mouth shut. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

Jack finally fell silent and recounted the events.

Originally, after receiving Ye Nan’s promise, he immediately contacted his friends Shan and Ban, then recruited Captain Evanson, tour guide Paul Shaolong, and crewman Ma Deng.

Using jungle exploration as an excuse, they gathered several genuine adventurers and successfully avoided the local Shur tribe and some cannibal clans, locating the Blood Orchid. But this was only the beginning of their nightmare…

Jack poured out his entire experience, then excitedly said, “Sir, give me another chance. I will complete my mission—we’ve already found the Blood Orchid’s location. All we need to do is kill those damn pythons, and I’ll deliver it to you.”

“Hmm…” Ye Nan’s fingers tapped lightly on the desk, producing a steady dong-dong-dong. With each beat, Jack’s heart swayed in rhythm.

Ten million—that was the price Ye Nan offered. Find the Blood Orchid, and he’d receive ten million U.S. dollars. The advance payment was one million.

Originally, with that sum, he’d planned to flee immediately. He had no intention of hunting the Blood Orchid. But the lure of ten million was too great—too great to resist. For it, he’d risk his life…

Now, just as success seemed within reach, those damn pythons ruined everything. And that even more damn old hag, G’er, had panicked and wanted to retreat. Fortunately, Ye Nan had arrived. Seeing the mercenaries Ye Nan brought, Jack’s mind immediately sparked.

Pythons might be fierce, but they were still animals. Could they withstand a machine gun? And from their attire, Jack knew these weren’t ordinary guards—he’d only seen such black tactical gear on TV.

“Respected Mr. Ye Nan, give me a chance. Let me earn your favor by bringing you the Blood Orchid.” Jack nearly knelt down.

“Mr. Ye Nan, may I come in?”

“Him?”

A familiar voice entered. Jack’s mind instantly conjured the owner of that voice—the man who always trailed behind Ma Deng: Paul Shaolong.

Paul Shaolong stepped in and immediately spotted Jack, freezing in place.

“Let me introduce you,” Ye Nan walked up to Paul and said. “This is Paul Shaolong, my tour guide. It was thanks to him that I learned of the Blood Orchid’s existence. This is Jack, the collector I hired for the Blood Orchid. Unfortunately, his mission failed.”

“Respected Mr. Ye Nan, Paul Shaolong offers you his highest respect. If you seek the Blood Orchid, Paul Shaolong can serve you directly—you needn’t rely on such trash to find it.” Paul’s face flickered with contempt.

Jack felt insulted hearing himself called trash, but with Ye Nan present, he dared not speak. He merely filed the words away in his mind.

“Enough, Paul. I know you’re capable,” Ye Nan returned to his seat and sat down. “But I require perfection. I must take the Blood Orchid—it blooms only once every seven years.”

“So you must cooperate flawlessly. No mistakes allowed. Also, you may use the others—G’er is merely a lowly employee of the company. Her opinions are irrelevant.”

Ye Nan’s gaze darkened. “If you fail, you will never leave this primordial forest.”

Jack flinched at Ye Nan’s words. He’d never imagined this child would say something so ruthless. But remembering the armed men on the yacht, he knew Ye Nan wasn’t bluffing—if they failed, they’d never walk out of this forest.

Thinking of this, Jack felt a pang of regret. Why hadn’t he just taken the one million and left? Why had he chased the ten million? But he didn’t consider that if Ye Nan dared pay one million upfront, he’d never allow Jack to flee with the money.

Paul was also startled by Ye Nan’s threat, but quickly regained his confidence. “Rest assured, Respected Mr. Ye Nan. I, Paul Shaolong, swear by the Shur tribe’s name—I will bring you the Blood Orchid.”

“I await your news. Also, the Satan Mercenaries, the Death Scythe Mercenary Corps, and the Undying Sons Mercenary Corps will provide you support.”