Chapter 536: Not the Same

I just saw… Guanghui, after the blue star's illumination, is really dead (already deceased)…

WTF…

What about Captain Ailin? Is Ai Mi Li still alive?

Alive! I just private‑messaged her, she replied! She said she's fine and even sent a selfie!

Great! Captain Ailin is fine! Then what's up with that picture on the World Channel?

I don't know, but someone used a fake picture to spread rumors! Those people must be sick!

But Guanghui is really gone.

Guanghui was such a good guy; yesterday at the celebration he even clinked glasses with me…

What on earth is going on? Even we, his own people, didn't know about Guanghui's death. How does the World Channel know? How does the District Channel know? If you say there's nothing fishy behind this, do you believe it?

Right! I've been thinking the same! We just found out, yet the World Channel has already spread it?

And it spread so fast—when I opened the World Channel, there were already hundreds of messages scrolling.

Looks like they're really brazen, not only trying to kill our people but also dragging this onto the World Channel to make everyone mock us!

Too much… way too much! Damn… shameless!

So what should we do now! We must avenge Guanghui! Revenge!

Bing Meishi Bu Jia Tang: Who the hell are you shouting for! Is the rhythm of the District Channel and World Channel not big enough? You still have to stir up a rhythm in our Black Feather faction group chat?

Right… right! Everyone be obedient, follow Lao Da's orders; Lao Da will definitely not turn a blind eye to this!

Exactly! Trust Lao Da!

Cheng Shuili glanced quickly at the group messages and then closed the group chat.

It's still the same old place, her office.

The Black Feather higher‑ups are all here, the only difference from yesterday is that Guanghui is missing.

Cheng Shuili sat at her seat, raising her eyes to take in everyone else's faces.

Ailin was mentioning the assassin's ID—Leng Feng Fumian.

After hearing that, others either frowned in thought or opened their panels to search for something.

The silence lasted only a moment before Xinxue suddenly spoke: "Leng Feng Fumian is from Bei Da Qu. Moreover, he's not only from Bei Da Qu, he's also a member of Shuang Lie."

"Shuang Lie?"

For most people present, that was an unfamiliar name.

Cheng Shuili's eyes flashed, as if recalling something.

Xinxue explained: "Before the official rankings were released, each faction's leader could see an unpublished provisional list. At that time, the ninth spot on the power ranking was this Bei Da Qu's Shuang Lie."

"So… that Shuang Lie is the one pulling strings behind the scenes?" Wan Yi said cautiously, brow furrowed, clearly uncertain.

"Leng Feng Fumian is no longer a member of Shuang Lie," Xinxue added abruptly.

Seeing everyone look at her, she spread her hands, seeming rather helpless: "I just found out too. Leng Feng Fumian left Shuang Lie yesterday, it was quite a mess, and it was discussed on the Bei Da Qu District Channel for a while."

"Quit yesterday, assassinated today. They want to remove Shuang Lie and use an individual identity to take this assignment, right?"

Chen Qing Shan speculated, Guanghui's death was a huge blow to him; his eyes were tinged red.

"Can't be removed," Xinxue sneered, "The ID is out there; Shuang Lie can't shirk it."

Cheng Shuili said nothing, just stared at Ailin.

Ailin met her gaze, paused, then said: "But Lao Da, I think this isn't that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"Shuang Lie is a Bei Da Qu faction, completely unrelated to us. Even if they're jealous of us being Dong Da Qu's number one, they wouldn't suddenly come to kill people. Moreover…"

Ailin recalled the scene: "Those people were clearly after my life. But their coordination was poor, like a hastily cobbled mob. If Shuang Lie had meticulously planned the assassination, they wouldn't use people of this caliber. Maybe… Leng Feng Fumian really did leave Shuang Lie."

Makes sense.

Xinxue also nodded, adding: "I'll go find out the details, figure out why Leng Feng Fumian left Shuang Lie."

Cheng Shuili nodded, signaling everyone to stay quiet for a while until the situation is clarified.

While Xinxue was busy, Cheng Shuili propped her chin, scanning her own members with her gaze.

The others' expressions were fine; although they were colleagues with Guanghui, there wasn't much emotional foundation. They were a bit sad but didn't show it.

Only Chen Qing Shan.

Cheng Shuili's gaze lingered on Chen Qing Shan.

He sat in the corner, looking as if something had been pulled out of him, his back no longer straight, shoulders slumped, hands clasped on his knees, knuckles white.

His eyes glowed red, not the kind of red from holding back tears like Xinxue's, but a red as if something were burning inside.

Cheng Shuili, of course, knew the relationship between Chen Qing Shan and Guanghui.

If it weren't for Guanghui, whether Chen Qing Shan could follow her would be another story.

After Zhu Xuan died, Chen Qing Shan learned what Zhu Xuan had done; perhaps he felt guilt, or perhaps he sought solace, and from then on he treated Guanghui with double the kindness.

Guanghui was also unfamiliar with life in Black Feather; only Chen Qing Shan was someone he knew beforehand.

The two naturally grew close, could be said to have the best relationship.

Cheng Shuili often saw them eat together, go on missions together, sit by the campfire together, saying nothing, just sitting.

When Guanghui raised his glass and laughed at her yesterday, Chen Qing Shan was sitting beside Guanghui.

Now Guanghui is gone.

Cheng Shuili lowered her eyes, saying nothing.

A moment later, she suddenly looked up at Ailin: "What do the attackers who went after you look like?"

"What do they look like?" Ailin was a bit stunned. "What else could they look like, just a human shape? Anyway, you can tell they're not from our Dong Da Qu. Aren't people from other places all look the same?"

Cheng Shuili said nothing, just stared at Ailin.

Ailin felt a bit creeped out being stared at, she scratched her head: "Lao Da, why are you staring at me like that? Did I say something wrong? People from the other districts really do look different from us; you can tell at a glance."

"Of course they're different!"

To everyone's surprise, the person who spoke was Jiang Tang.

Seeing everyone looking over, she felt a bit embarrassed and scratched her head, but she repeated: "They're not the same."

Jiang Tang's voice wasn't loud, but in the quiet office it was especially clear.

Xinxue blinked: "What do you mean? People from Bei Da Qu don't look like us—isn't that obvious?"

"Aiyo!" Jiang Tang shouted, the shyness from being stared at by everyone vanished, just like when she usually bickers with Xinxue, she yelled: "People from Xi Da Qu and Bei Da Qu, or Nan Da Qu, look different!"