Chapter 61: Discussion

On the second deck of the luxury yacht, in a relatively narrow cabin, several men and women sat together in silence.

“How about we go look for the Blood Orchid again? I’ve already received their request—we can definitely bring back the Blood Orchid and present it to Weihe Venture Capital.” Jack urged everyone, hoping to win their agreement to search for the Blood Orchid and retrieve it.

This was his last chance; he had no options left. If in the forest he had been driven by money, now he was fighting for his very life.

“Jack, that place is too terrifying. Those giant pythons eat people—we shouldn’t go back.” Shan gripped Jack’s hand, terrified at the thought of the pythons and unwilling to return; she had come here for adventure, not to risk her life for a single Blood Orchid.

“Shan,” Jack turned and held her hand tightly, “That’s the Blood Orchid. Weihe Venture Capital is offering a high price for it. We can’t just give up. Once we get it, the money they pay us will be enough to live on for the rest of our lives.”

Without looking at Shan anymore, Jack opened his arms toward the others. “If we get the Blood Orchid, we’ll get a huge sum—more money than any of us could ever earn in a lifetime.”

Jack’s words stirred the group. In the jungle, they had feared the pythons and wanted to go home, indifferent to money—but now that the danger had receded, and with Jack’s persuasion, each of them began to feel tempted.

Kell, wearing a blue-and-white striped T-shirt, suddenly spoke up: “If we could get the owner’s help here, couldn’t we kill the pythons and take the Blood Orchid?”

“Exactly! Kell’s right—if we get the owner’s help, we can easily get the Blood Orchid. They’re all elite.” Jack beamed at Kell’s support and rushed to add, “And just now, when I went out, I already won the owner’s approval. That wealthy man, Ye Nan, agreed to my request.”

“A billionaire would agree to help us unconditionally? He must have some ulterior motive,” Kell exclaimed immediately.

In America, Black people had endured endless contempt—looked down upon by whites, while simultaneously despising Asians, enduring hardship not through overt violence but through the daily grind of life.

In America, most wealth was held by whites, a small portion by Asians, while Black people held almost none. Thus, Black people had always resented the rich, and since Ye Nan was Asian—a race Black people despised—he naturally inspired even less goodwill.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Jack exploded. This was Ye Nan’s territory, and Ye Nan was effectively his boss—if Ye Nan learned Kell had spoken disrespectfully and Jack did nothing, he couldn’t imagine what Ye Nan might do.

“It’s true,” Kell spread his hands. “Billionaires are never good. They control everything in this country—from the government down to daily life. They’re all bloated with greed.”

Kell spoke the truth: America was exactly such a society, controlled by the rich. Without money, without the support of the wealthy, you wouldn’t even get reported on TV—no one would know you existed. If you opposed the rich, you were blacklisted—your political ambitions would be crushed.

This was the terror of the American federal government: though billionaires didn’t directly control the entire nation, their influence radiated across it. Unlike in certain authoritarian states, however, the billionaires weren’t a unified bloc—their power was relatively fragmented.

Kell spoke the truth, but who here didn’t know it? No—they all knew, they just refused to say it. Jack, of course, was a greedy man who had gone to great lengths to join the ranks of the rich and enjoy their lifestyle.

Paul, a member of the Shur tribe, was fascinated by the outside world. Though he wasn’t as greedy as Jack, he understood clearly: to sleep with women, you needed money. Handsomeness meant nothing compared to wealth. That’s why he worked for Ye Nan.

Gae was an employee of Weihe Venture Capital. Though she somewhat agreed with Kell, she couldn’t voice it.

“Don’t be naive. Yes, this world belongs to the rich—but we’re all broke. What could they possibly scheme against us for?” Paul suddenly spoke. “I agree with Jack. Let’s go get the Blood Orchid. With these powerful bodyguards protecting us, we have nothing to fear.”

“No. We’ve already lost someone. We can’t risk more. I command you, in my capacity as Weihe Venture Capital’s representative, to return—the contract is temporarily void.” Gae spoke. She no longer wanted to return to that nightmare place; a faint premonition told her something terrible was happening.

“You?” Jack sneered. “You have no authority to represent Weihe Venture Capital. You’re just a low-level employee.”

“But they’ll recognize my words,” Gae said, turning to the others, seeking support.

“I agree with Jack. We need the Blood Orchid—otherwise, Ban’s death was meaningless,” Shan firmly stood by Jack.

Gae felt disappointment. She scanned the room and noticed one person was missing. “Where’s Ma Deng? Where’s Ma Deng?”

“Don’t know. He went out with Paul a moment ago. No one knows where he is now.”

“What? With me?” Paul’s heart lurched; a flicker of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

“Don’t worry. This is a yacht—he can’t have gone far,” Jack’s eyes gleamed, then he smiled sweetly. He pretended to reassure them, but actually reminded Paul: this was whose territory.

Paul understood Jack’s implication and laughed. “Right, this is a yacht. It’s safe. Nothing will happen.”

The travelers relaxed, their worries lifted—except Kell, who stared at the scene before him and felt only something deeply wrong.