Chapter 365: Leniency for Confession, Strictness for Resistance

Li Changyou felt a vein on his forehead throb; he obviously knew this wasn't the right moment to move against Black Feather, but if he didn't act now, he'd lose the chance to act later!

Once the servers merge, that pack of old foxes will arrive, each swallowing Black Feather whole—where would there be any share left for him?

Only now, only by seizing this chance! By swallowing Black Feather's resources, the person can stand firm after the merge!

The person knows their own situation; in that previous world, indeed no one dared to mess with them.

But now, not to mention the era, the world itself has changed!

The person brushed off those remarks to Lingyun and that man; it was merely a perfunctory dismissal.

When the regional leaderboard is full of officials, the person is also an official; after the merge, their standing will naturally rise.

How could it be that easy? Those of us not in the official circles don't understand, but those old foxes will never give the person any respect!

Power is something people fight for; without chips in hand, you can't get anything!

Li Changyou's expression turned sour, he pondered for a long while, then said: "First hand this person over to Black Feather. Remember, find someone trustworthy, not someone from Dragon Soul, to handle this; don't let Wu Ya see through it."

The deputy immediately understood: "Got it, I'll find someone with a tight mouth and a clean background."

Li Changyou nodded, his gaze casting darkly out the window: "Ten thousand Game Coins, I'll hold onto this money for now… let her gloat for a few days. Tell the subordinates to tone things down recently; we'll look for another opportunity later."

"Understood."

Inside the vehicle.

Cheng Shuili watched the regional channel's constantly updating messages; the private chat also received many clue‑offering posts, but after filtering through 001, most were just lucky‑shot nonsense.

Su Rui grew restless beside her; after all, she had seen Cheng Shuili attacked in person, and she couldn't sit still, twirling her long spear now and then, flipping her dagger later.

Cheng Shuili was unhurried: "Be patient; the fish will eventually bite."

As soon as she finished speaking, a new private message popped up, the sender ID being 【Christmas Sock】.

【Christmas Sock】: Wuya Dalao, I know the information you want. Sign a trade contract with me, and only after you pay ten thousand Game Coins will I tell you what I know.

Still quite cautious.

But caution is useless.

The reason Cheng Shuili issued this bounty is twofold: first, no one inside Black Feather knows who this person is; recruiting someone, this is the fastest method.

The second, well…

Who says ten thousand Game Coins isn't bait?

Cheng Shuili stood up, and Su Rui, puzzled, asked: "What are you doing? Not waiting any longer? This person seems quite real now; aren't you replying?"

"Reply, of course we'll reply."

Cheng Shuili smiled, produced a Designated Player Duel Card, and said, "I'm just afraid they won't bite; isn't this already a bite?"

Designated Player Duel Card?

Su Rui paused, then suddenly realized: "Lao Da, you never actually intended to give the ten thousand Game Coins?"

"It's not that I never…"

Cheng Shuili entered the ID, "We have to be sure this person isn't sent by the other side, right? Assassinate me, then hand the person over, and still want my ten thousand Game Coins?"

She sneered, "Where in the world is there such a good deal?"

Su Rui understood but still had doubts: "Do we just go over there and ask the other side? He won't say it's the truth. But if we interrogate and it turns out the other side has no connection to those people, wouldn't we be harming the innocent?"

Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, then smiled and shook her head, "It's fine. This isn't a peaceful place; since the other side wants the ten thousand Game Coins, they're already involved in this matter. Whether the person is linked to those people or not, we'll interrogate them."

Cheng Shuili waved her hand, "When the time comes, we'll pay him twenty thousand Game Coins, and I'm sure he won't have any objections."

"The wicked rich," Su Rui sighed, then added, "Why didn't I meet someone like you, who insists on giving me Game Coins, earlier?"

Cheng Shuili was too lazy to reply; she'd already bought the person, and now the person kept saying this.

After using the card, the road merged.

No accidents occurred, and no one got stuck; it seems the person is still not careful enough.

Cheng Shuili and Su Rui got out of the vehicle together; both were fairly cautious and each carried a weapon.

The person in the other vehicle was still clueless; he seemed to be communicating with someone, speaking as loudly as an elder, and still in dialect.

"All the messages have been sent! You haven't replied yet; give me what you promised first."

"We did sign a trade contract, but if Wu Ya keeps not replying, am I supposed to wait forever? The items were agreed upon; are you trying to default?"

"That's ten thousand Game Coins! I can't give you all of it!"

"What trade contract? The contract doesn't say I can't withhold a portion."

"Anyway, I've already sent the message; as soon as Wu Ya replies, I'll get the ten thousand Game Coins, and then …"

Cheng Shuili kicked the door open.

Very good.

No need for compensation or bounty fees now; we can interrogate directly.

The person inside the vehicle shivered at the sudden commotion, almost dropping what they were holding.

He whirled around, saw Cheng Shuili and Su Rui, and his face turned deathly pale.

"Wu—Wu Ya?!"

He shouted hoarsely, forgetting even his dialect.

Cheng Shuili ignored his astonishment, glanced over the call on the screen before him, and said coldly, "You've given me a perfect catch."

Su Rui's long spear was already pressed against the man's throat, preventing any movement.

"Lao Da, looks like a big fish, and it's still on the line."

The other end of the call seemed to hear the commotion too, sending a rapid query: "Hello? What's happening? Speak! Christmas Sock? What's your side's situation?"

Cheng Shuili stepped forward, glanced at the ID of the person on the call, then pressed hang up.

Even when settling accounts, it must be done one by one.

The moment the call ended, the vehicle fell into dead silence, broken only by Christmas Sock's heavy breathing and the uncontrollable chattering of his teeth.

Cheng Shuili looked down at him from a height, her gaze showing no ripple at all, as if she were looking at an inanimate object.

"Now, we can have a proper talk."

Su Rui pushed the tip of her gun forward again, the icy touch making Shengdan Wazi shudder sharply.

"I speak! I say everything!"

He shouted almost in a scream, "It was Ye Gui who ordered me! It was Ye Gui who ordered me! He told me to contact you, give you that person's ID, in exchange for ten thousand Game Coin!"

"What is that person's ID?"

Su Rui's gun tip pressed against his bobbing Adam's apple, the threat unmistakable.

But he had signed a trade contract; without the money, speaking out would be a breach.

The penalty for violating the trade contract…

Shengdan Wazi shivered, ignoring whether the gun tip might cut herself, and with a thud fell to her knees, crying for mercy: "Wuya Dalao! Spare me! I really can't tell! I signed the trade contract; if I speak, I'm finished!"

Indeed.

But what does that have to do with Cheng Shuili?

They had planned to deceive her, and still dared to hope for her forgiveness?

The other side didn't fail to tell him that the person to be deceived was Wu Ya; having done it, he must bear the corresponding consequences.

"Coming to beg me only now, is it too late?"

Cheng Shuili propped her chin, her face revealing no emotion, only a near‑cruel calm: "When you agreed to the other side, you should have foreseen this possibility."

"Wuya Dalao… I was wrong… I truly know I was wrong…" He could only repeat his pleas, unable to say anything else.

"Wrong?" Cheng Shuili chuckled lightly, "In this world, right and wrong aren't important; choice is. You chose to stand opposite me, so you must bear the consequences of that choice."

She no longer looked at him, turned to Su Rui, and her voice suddenly softened: "Ask, Miss Su, I'm waiting for your good news."

In the time it took her to change expression, Su Rui was already familiar; she showed no discomfort, but gently clenched her drooping hand into a fist and replied, "Alright, Lao Da."

…

"It's over," Ye Gui muttered to himself, cold sweat continuously dripping from his forehead.

"Wu Ya has come knocking; that guy can't keep his mouth shut, he'll definitely turn me in. I'm doomed."

Ye Gui's complexion turned ghastly, his mind buzzing.

He certainly couldn't just wait to be finished; after Wu Ya dealt with that person, the next would be him!

What to do? What to do?

He was full of worry, then his eyes suddenly brightened! This job was given to him by someone else; he didn't dare to hand it over to Wu Ya, and now trouble arose—everyone's like grasshoppers on the same rope, so he'd better seek his rescue!

Ye Gui, as if clutching a lifeline, hurriedly opened his friends list and found the person who gave him the task—An Ying.

He sent a voice message with trembling hands, his tone filled with unprecedented panic:

【Ye Gui】: An Ying! Something's happened! Wu Ya has come after Shengdan Wazi! That guy definitely can't hold on, he'll turn us in any moment! You have to find a way! You were the one who pulled the strings at the start!

After the message was sent, each second of waiting felt like torment. Ye Gui stared fixedly at the screen, cold sweat soaking his back.

A few seconds later, the call came.

【An Ying】: Shengdan Wazi? Who is that? Didn't I already give you the Wu Ya matter? You handed it to someone else again?

Ye Gui was silent for a moment, then erupted, "You *** mustn't think everyone is a fool?! You didn't dare do this, you gave it to me, do you think I would just do it? Of course I have to look for someone else!"

【An Ying】: You ****, I approached you because I respected you, never thought you'd be such useless sludge!

Ye Gui let out a cold laugh, his anger unafraid, "You think highly of me? What do you think highly of? You think highly of me so you can manipulate me, and when trouble arises push me out to take the blame, right? I tell you, An Ying, don't think you can clean this up! If Wu Ya traces it to me, I'll be the first to turn you in! If we die, we all die together!"

【An Ying】: You threaten me?

The other's tone suddenly grew grim.

Ye Gui went all out, sneering, "Threaten? I'm just notifying you! Either we figure something out now, or we both get finished later!"

The other end was silent for a few seconds; when he spoke again, An Ying's tone oddly calmed, even carrying a strange reassurance.

【An Ying】: Fine, arguing is useless. The incident has already happened; finding a solution is the right thing. So, I'll come to you first, and we can discuss a plan properly.

Ye Gui was startled, then suddenly clever, "You want to use a duel card on me? You intend to kill and silence me?!"

Upon hearing that he was seen through, the other simply dropped the act: "What then? Wu Ya will follow this thread and eventually trace it to me; if I don't kill you, I can't survive! Rather than us both dying, it'd be better if you die and I live!"

Ye Gui's pupils contracted sharply; An Ying's unabashed murderous intent sent a chill through his whole body, yet also fully ignited his ferocity.

"Want me dead? Then let's see who dies first!"

Ye Gui roared, about to cut the communication, when An Ying suddenly shouted, "No! Ye Gui, run! Wu Ya seems to have arrived! Someone has already used a highway merge card on you!"

Cheng Shuili and Su Rui, standing outside the door, couldn't help but exchange a glance.

Today was unexpectedly smooth; a dog‑fight wasn't enough, and another one showed up.

"Layer upon layer of outsourcing, and finally it was outsourced to a fool who danced right in front of us."

Cheng Shuili whispered, a hint of sarcasm at the corner of her mouth.

Su Rui shrugged, her gaze asking Cheng Shuili whether to bust the door open.

Inside the vehicle, Ye Gui was startled by An Ying's sudden warning and instinctively looked toward the outside of the vehicle.

A vehicle was parked there; the highway truly had merged.

"Wu Ya... has already arrived?"

Ye Gui's voice trembled with disbelief; he had been fully focused arguing with An Ying and hadn't noticed any outside movement.

Now reminded, a massive fear seized him instantly.

He snapped his gaze to the vehicle's door, as if the doom star would burst through the door the next second.

Run! Must run!

He could no longer care about anything else, rolling and crawling toward the vehicle's large door.

At this moment, neither Shengdan Wazi nor An Ying mattered more than his own life!

But just as his trembling hand was about to touch the vehicle's door—

"Bang!"

The door was kicked open from outside!

Blinding light poured in, two tall figures stood backlit, the cold gleam of the spear in one person's hand dazzled Ye Gui's eyes.

Wu Ya…

They have really come.

Ye Gui's heart sank to the bottom of the valley—what should they do?

"Where do you want to go, Mr. Ye Gui?"

Su Rui's voice carried teasing, she swung her spear sideways, blocking his path.

Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow and spoke the classic line: "Leniency for confession, severity for resistance."

She didn't even draw a weapon, just calmly gazing at the limp Ye Gui on the ground, yet her gaze was more oppressive than the spear in Su Rui's hand.

Ye Gui shuddered all over, and their last psychological line of defense collapsed completely at this moment.

He crawled and scrambled to Cheng Shuili's feet, tears and snot streaming: "I'll talk! Wuya Dalao! I'll tell everything! It's the Shadow! The Shadow told me to do this, promising me five hundred Game Coins to leak the information to you. I promised the Christmas Stocking two hundred Game Coins to get him to do this. I really don't know anything else!"