Chapter 207: Black‑path Godfather? No, just a deep‑sea office drone!

Dead silence.

The distant mechanical heart's dull throbbing seemed right by my ear.

It sounded like a deathly countdown.

Su Ming's half‑smiling retort precisely peeled back this layer of warm affection.

Revealing the bloody truth beneath!

The old man's body tensed slightly.

In an instant, his wrinkled face was filled with panic.

"Mr. Su…… you dare not speak such nonsense!"

The old man lowered his head further, his voice humble as dust.

"I've eaten the master's food for twenty years; how could I betray him?"

His hands trembling, he produced from his bosom a key emitting a deep blue glow, holding it aloft.

"You're saying I have ambition…"

"But I'm half‑buried; where would I get that drive?"

"This is truly the master's will!"

"Just nod, and the entire Golden House, plus everything around it—black or white—will bear the surname Su!"

Huh?

Su Ming listened to those tempting words, lowering his eyelids.

Golden light flickered in his pupils as he glanced at the secret key representing supreme authority.

But his hands remained in his pockets, unmoving.

"Fine."

Su Ming snorted, and the suffocating killing intent around him instantly dissipated.

It seemed that just now's heart‑piercing questioning was merely a joke between friends.

"Since you've woven your story so seamlessly, I'll take it as true."

He lifted his chin slightly, eyes playful.

"After wandering this long, shouldn't you take me to meet the Gambler?"

Seeing Su Ming not take the key, the old man wasn't embarrassed.

He silently withdrew his hand, his body curling like a cooked shrimp.

"Yes, yes, please this way."

Several people continued deeper.

After passing two more gates, they finally arrived before the final door of the core area.

No keyhole.

On the heavy alloy door was only a recess resembling a palm‑print scan.

"Mr. Su, we're here."

The old man stepped forward swiftly, skillfully pressing his withered palm onto it.

"Beep—access granted!"

A cold mechanical sound rang out.

Su Ming's brow rose slightly, somewhat amused.

This old thing's authority…

Seems higher than he expected?

With the hiss of the hydraulic rod, the doors slowly slid open to either side.

Huh?

Su Ming looked up, slightly startled.

Very spacious, very large.

No imagined luxury, no mountains of gold and silver.

The most eye‑catching thing was the chair in the hall's center——

He'd seen something like it before!

When he first came to Jincheng, being dragged into the Fate Gambling Hall, he saw a golden throne piled from countless pure gold chips.

It resembled this one about seventy‑percent.

But now, upon the throne before him……

Empty.

No one.

No deity.

Only a massive, slightly worn desk stood alone before the throne, looking especially desolate.

The items on the desk were simple enough to make one's hair stand on end.

Only two things were placed.

A crystal ashtray still wisping thin blue smoke, holding a half‑smoked cigar whose ash hadn't fallen.

And……

A thick, black‑covered ledger.

"Where are the people?"

Beside him, Magu peered around, full of disappointment.

A mutter came from beneath the plastic mask, full of displeasure.

"Wasn't the plan to meet someone? How come there's not even a ghost?"

"Hah!"

Su Ming ignored Magu's complaint and walked straight to the desk.

The cigar was still burning, its ember not yet out.

This shows……

The person ahead had just left when they arrived.

Is this imitating the Chancellor, deliberately performing an empty-city stratagem for him to see?

Or did they flee in panic, not even having time to stub out the cigarette?

He reached out and picked up the black ledger, flipping it open casually.

First page, second page, third page.

The more he looked, the stranger it grew in his eyes.

【Jin Cheng Branch First Quarter Revenue: A (More Perfect)!】

……

【Third Quarter Revenue: B+ (Good)】

The earlier part was still not bad.

However, turning to the recent pages, the style abruptly changed.

【Unauthorized hunting——Clean! Incident ruling: Major decision error, heavy losses! Deduct all performance points for this period!】

【Severe warning: Core assets lost, branch rating downgraded!】

On this……

No matter how you look, this looks exactly like the work log of a corporate slave belonging to Du Tu?!

Isn't this guy the underworld godfather?

Isn't he the big boss behind the scenes?

How did it become like a worker burdened with KPI, daily being PUA'ed by superiors?

Su Ming turned to the latest page.

The handwriting was messy, the ink not yet dry, as if hastily written in fresh blood——

【This period's performance evaluation: not up to standard.】

【Overall rating: inferior (trash)!】

【Handling opinion: This agent's ability is insufficient, severely hindering organizational development; recommend dismissal! Immediately initiate replacement procedure!】

Performance evaluation?

Dismissal?

And replace the agent?

Su Ming's brows twitched wildly, the corners of his mouth cranking up.

It seems…… the case is solved?!

After all, the mighty Du Tu, who shakes the underground world and makes countless people tremble at the mere mention of his name, the behind-the-scenes black hand……

After all that fuss, it's just a lowly grunt in some deep-abyss factory?

And moreover, it's that miserable corporate slave with rock-bottom performance, facing optimization and termination?!

Keep flipping onward!

Blank, blank, still blank!

Until the last page.

Finally, new text appeared.

【Asset Transfer Agreement】.

Transferor: 【Du Tu】.

Transferee: (blank)

And stamped in the lower right corner of this agreement is an extremely special steel seal.

It is a dark-red ring.

At the center of the ring is a tightly closed vertical eye.

Beneath the eye hangs a tilted scale.

This…… what a strange and weird seal?

Smack——!

Su Ming closed the ledger and casually tossed it back onto the desk.

"Kind of interesting."

So-called underworld godfather……

Just a dog chained up.

However……

That could make such an existence a dog……

Su Ming turned around.

That heavy gate had quietly closed at some point.

Seamlessly tight, it turned this place into a completely airtight room.

And that ever-obedient old man, perpetually bent over.

At this moment, he stands with his back to the Gate, in the shadows.

He no longer trembles, no longer feels humble.

In his cloudy old eyes, a sharp light shines through.

Then.

Under Su Ming's gaze.

His waist, little by little, straightened.

"So, is it over?"

Su Ming's voice remains detached, echoing in the spacious hall, with no hint of joy or anger.

"I have made Mr. Su look foolish."

The old man took two steps forward, emerging from the shadows.

With each step, his aura rose incrementally.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself: I am Tang Zhong, this Golden House's former second-in-command."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the ledger on the table, his eyes a mix of complexity and a hint of madness.

Su Ming, however, seemed unaffected by the pressing pressure.

He still kept his hand in his trouser pocket, tilted his head, and watched with keen interest.

As if watching a Clown.

"So then? What do you want to say?"

"I want to say..."

Tang Zhong inhaled deeply, his gaze burning.

"Mr. Su, shall we make a deal, how about it?"

"A deal?"

Su Ming smiled, a scornful smile.

"On what grounds do you discuss a deal with me?"

"Because you're old? Or because you never bathe?"

"Just because of that!"

Tang Zhong said nothing else, stamping his foot forcefully.

Buzz—!

The entire floor of the room instantly lit up with countless faint blue patterns.

Dense and intricate, like veins.

A highly complex Energy Fluctuation array suddenly manifested.

In the distance, behind the glass curtain wall.

The previously dormant Blue Sea Core's pulsation frequency suddenly accelerated.

Thump thump thump thump—!

Energy Fluctuation erupted wildly, a destructive aura instantly enveloping Su Ming.

"Mr. Su, I know you are powerful!"

"Jing's reputation is globally recognized!"

Tang Zhong's voice carried a hint of hysteria.

"But here, this core is linked to the Earth Vein!"

"As soon as I think it, it will instantly overload!"

"All of us will instantly turn to dust!"

He spread his arms, resembling more than the others a gambler on the edge of a cliff, eyes bloodshot.

Clutched tightly in his hand was the very key he had intended to give Su Ming.

"I will use this Underground City, and our lives as Chips!"

"I bet on you..."

"Dare not die with me!"

Tang Zhong stared intently at Su Ming, a grin spreading at the corner of his mouth.

"Now, Mr. Su."

"Am I... worthy of negotiating terms with you?"