Chapter 2286: Love and Chaos: System Showdown 10

Late night.

In the cruise ship corridor, after the daytime clamor had faded, only the muffled sound of waves hitting the hull remained, along with the silence of the thick Carpet underfoot.

Xilan leaned alone against the cold metal railing, gazing at the ink‑black, bottomless sea; the cigarette between his fingertips flickered, reflecting the turmoil in his eyes.

Jin Chen's cold‑looking profile, You Le'an's conspicuous mixed‑race face……

The faint sound of leather shoes stepping on the Carpet came from behind, steady and unhurried.

Xilan turned his head alertly.

The visitor was tall, wearing a black suit almost identical to the bodyguards beside Xie Jiu Long, his face expressionless, the brim of his cap pulled low, revealing only a hard‑lined jaw.

He stopped a few steps away, his voice deliberately lowered, flat and calm: "Mr. Xilan?"

Xilan's heart jumped; he instinctively stubbed out the cigarette, forcing himself to stay calm.

"It's me. Who are you?"

"The Ninth Master sent me with a message." The man's voice was monotone, icy in the empty corridor.

"Tomorrow night, the cruise ship's main power will suffer a brief outage, plunging the whole vessel into darkness."

Xilan's pupils contracted sharply, his breath catching.

"The Ninth Master wants to make a deal with you." The man continued,

"…What deal?" Xilan's voice tightened, his throat dry.

He knew Xie Jiu Long's hatred for Jin Chen, and had a vague sense of the direction, but when this cold transaction offer really landed before him, fear still gripped him.

The man stepped forward, pressure spreading silently: "When the darkness falls, go behind Jin Chen and push him overboard."

He paused, his gaze seeming to pierce the shadow of his cap, locking onto Xilan's suddenly dilated pupils.

"Then you jump in after him to save him. The icy seawater, the brush‑with‑death terror… he will firmly remember the person who pulled him back from the brink of death. He will fall for you. The Ninth Master only needs a warning, to let Jin Chen know who truly rules here."

"You get what you want, the Ninth Master gets what he wants. Two birds with one stone."

The thought of pushing Jin Chen into the sea made his spine chill just at the idea.

But… darkness, falling into the water, hero saving the beauty, Jin Chen falling for him…

Immense fear and immense desire tore wildly in his chest; Xilan's body trembled slightly, his fingers digging hard into the cold metal railing.

The man waited patiently, like an emotionless sculpture.

"Good."

Finally, a dry, hoarse syllable was squeezed from deep in Xilan's throat, trembling with a all‑or‑nothing resolve.

"I'll help you."

The man gave a barely perceptible nod: "Very good."

"To ensure everything goes smoothly and to let the Ninth Master see your sincerity… I need a token proving you accept this deal."

His gaze fell on the fine‑textured, uniquely colored burgundy velvet coat Xilan was wearing: "Just this coat. Tomorrow night Jin Chen will wear a silver‑gray long coat, the target clear—you won't mistake the person."

Xilan hardly hesitated—or rather, that hesitation crumbled before the overwhelming temptation.

He quickly took off the burgundy velvet coat still warm with his body heat and a faint scent of perfume, and shoved it into the man's hands.

"Remember," the man said, taking the coat, "the silver‑gray overcoat. When darkness falls, that's the moment."

Having spoken, he turned sharply, his silhouette swiftly swallowed by the deeper shadows of the corridor, his footsteps completely muffled by the thick Carpet.

Xilan stood where he was, watching the man's disappearing direction, his heart pounding in his chest—half icy dread, half burning anticipation, making his fingertips tremble.

He sucked in a deep breath of cold, sea‑tinged air, as if to suppress the surging waves inside, then swiftly turned and hurried away, nearly fleeing, his form vanishing at the far end of the corridor.

——

The door of a lounge on the cruise ship slid open a crack soundlessly.

Under the bright screen light, You Le'an sat cross‑legged in a swivel chair, shamelessly holding an oil‑paper packet and gnawing on the golden, crispy fried chicken leg inside.

His cheeks were bulging, crumbs of breading clinging to the corner of his mouth.

The man slipped in, shut the door behind him, cutting off the outside world.

He tossed the burgundy velvet coat casually onto the nearby table.

"Young Master, all taken care of." The man's voice returned to normal as he casually lifted his low‑pressed cap, revealing an unremarkable white man's face with sharp eyes.

"Thanks, Comrade Weisen."

You Le'an's pretty eyes glittered with the sly gleam of a scheme succeeded: "Nicely done!"

He extended a clean hand, thumb up: "Hurry back to rest—Dad sent you back to the country to protect me, so don't let anyone else find out."

What a great villain would be without obedient lurking minions in the shadows!

"Yes."

You Le'an saw Jin Chen's urging message, replied he'd be right back, then picked up the velvet coat, fingers pinching the expensive fabric, his face showing a mix of distaste.

"Tsk, this taste… but it's fine, the color is eye‑catching enough."

You Le'an slipped on the coat, messed with the black wig a bit, and sauntered toward the deck corridor where Xilan was supposed to be.

Soon he saw a figure with its back to him, standing by the rail, gazing at the dark, churning sea outside.

Just from the low‑key yet pricey tailor‑made suit and the meticulously groomed gray hair that gleamed coldly under the weak emergency lights, You Le'an confirmed the target.

Xie Jiu Long himself.

You Le'an deliberately stepped heavier, the soles rubbing against the Carpet producing a faint rustle.

Xie Jiu Long heard the sound and slowly turned.

On that well‑maintained face, etched with deep lines from years of scheming, there was no surprise.

His gaze was like an ice‑bladed knife, precisely scraping over You Le'an's slightly bowed head in the dim light, scrutinizing.

You Le'an stopped a few steps before Xie Jiu Long, his body tensing slightly—this was the instinctive reaction Xilan would have when facing a big shot of Xie Jiu Long's stature.

Plus the system's subtle identity‑blending buff—so useful!

"Ninth Master… are you looking for me?"

After a few seconds, just as You Le'an was about to lose composure, Xie Jiulong finally spoke slowly, his voice lowered even more.

Without You Le'an relaying the message, Xie Jiulong obviously hadn't investigated West Orchid thoroughly enough.

Xie Jiulong wanted West Orchid to push Jin Chen into the sea, leaving no intact corpse.

You Le'an froze, "No intact corpse?"