âCreakâ¦â
As the door slowly closed, a trace of unease flashed across the face of the sunglasses man. In the moments before following Ling Mo into the room, many thoughts had raced through his mind, but he hadnât figured out what to say.
A few days earlier, Ling Mo had asked him about the route, and now it was clear that what he was interested in were those secret details about the granary, the very leverage the sunglasses man depended on for survival. Although he wasnât sure why Ling Mo hadnât handed him over immediately, or even chosen to return to Falcon right away, and instead brought him to this remote, uninhabited place, that wasnât his main concern.
All he could think about at the moment was: Does he really want to sell himself out?
This feeling was quite strange. Although his link with his main body had been completely severed due to the increasing distance, the memories in his mind still belonged to the Big Boss. When it came to betraying himself, he was momentarily at a lossâ¦
At this point, the sunglasses man had lost all of his previous arrogance. On one hand, it was because he had chosen to temporarily submit, but on the other, it was because of the immense frustration brought on by todayâs events. This depressive emotion immediately surged to a boiling point, making him feel like spitting blood when Ling Mo spoke:
âDonât just stand there, sit. Youâve done well this time.â Ling Mo, uncharacteristically calm, said with a rare touch of warmth. However, as he spoke, he discreetly fished something out of his backpack, looking at the sunglasses manâs head with great interest.
The sunglasses man felt a tightness in his chest: âIâm one of the Big Bosses of Niepan! Canât you be a little considerate of a captiveâs feelings? This is practically a form of prisoner abuse!â As a Big Boss, having to watch the enemy calmly slip away right in front of him was already bad enough, but what if they did so using the route he provided? What if the route was handed over willingly by him?
This wasnât just bad; it was maddening!
What seemed like a simple comment from Ling Mo was like adding fuel to the fire for the sunglasses man, as if Ling Mo was stabbing him all over rather than just poking a single spot.
âReally not going to sit? Alright then, never mind.â Ling Mo found a chair and sat down, then asked, âHave you thought it through?â
âNot reallyâ¦â the sunglasses man muttered in a muffled voice, his already rolling eyes rolling even more, which made him look quite troubled.
âI can actually give you a little more time, but there really isnât much left,â Ling Mo said calmly, showing no surprise. âYou saw what happened today.â
The sunglasses manâs heart skipped a beat, his breathing suddenly quickening as he quickly asked, âWhat happened?â
âHeh, you really didnât notice? Impossibleâ¦â Ling Mo said with a smile.
âWhat exactlyâ¦â The sunglasses manâs eyes widened, staring intently at Ling Mo. He felt he had grasped something crucial but couldnât quite figure out what it wasâ¦
âDidnât go to Falcon, came to the Oil Depot⦠that soldier showed him respect⦠right, when they talked, they avoided us, not just me, but even Old Lan and the othersâ¦â
The more the sunglasses man thought, the more suspicious it all seemed. His eyes suddenly widened as he asked, âYou⦠you stayed here on purpose?â
âWhat do you think?â Ling Mo did not give a direct answer.
âThat soldier knows you well. He must have come out specifically to meet you. Youâre not going to Falcon because you want to keep something from the higher-ups?â The sunglasses manâs emotions quickly turned excited, speaking with disbelief, âYou want to keep me back? Youâre not serving Niepan but have ambitions to seize everything for yourself? I get it⦠I get it! What ambition you have⦠Falcon has become your scapegoat, paving the way for you! Though⦠they deserved itâ¦â
After he finished speaking in one breath, he noticed that Ling Mo still wore the same expression, neither denying nor affirming his suspicions. But the less Ling Mo reacted, the more convinced the sunglasses man was that he was rightâ¦
âWhat do you want?â the sunglasses man squinted his eyes and asked.
Since the other had such ambitions, perhaps this matter could be negotiated!
âMost of the granaries and armories are located in other cities, some even in very remote places. Without Falcon as a backing, even if he obtains that information, itâs impossible for him to claim everything as his own. And Falcon losing this opportunity is tantamount to taking a major hit! Once our branches gradually spread to the locations of those warehouses, Niepan will not only become the largest Survivor Camp in the West but also the largest nationwide⦠or even worldwide!â
Looking at Ling Mo, the sunglasses man felt a hint of cold laughter rise in his heart: âI never thought this guy would be so overconfident⦠With his current capabilities, even if he occupies one or two warehouses, thereâll still be a significant gap compared to Niepan in the short term. And this gap will only continue to widen, ultimately forcing him to return everything he devoured back to me!â
Thinking this, the sunglasses manâs former arrogance returned, but just as he was about to say something, a bizarre tingling sensation suddenly spread across his neck, making his face go pale for a momentâ¦
âDamn, I almost forgot that little monster is still on me!â
At this moment, Ling Mo finally spoke after contemplating. He pulled a notebook from his pocket and placed a pen on top of it: âWrite down the locations of all the warehouses, including whatâs stored in them and in what quantities. I need to know everything. Donât tell me you only know the general information; Iâm sure when you interrogated those people, you used quite a few methods, right? Also⦠donât try any tricks, you know that.â
As he said this, Ling Mo tapped his forehead and showed a strange smile.
Seeing this expression, the sunglasses manâs body involuntarily tensed up again. The master ball had left a very deep impression on him during this timeâ¦
âHow will you ensure my safety?â the sunglasses man asked through gritted teeth.
Ling Mo gave him a peculiar glance and said, âAt the very least, you need to wait until the authenticity of the intelligence is confirmed before you have the right to negotiate terms with me, donât you?â
The sunglasses man frowned in thought for a while before finally shifting his gaze to the notebook. Initially, he was quite conflicted about the matter, and even if he were to concede, he certainly wouldnât give all the information to Ling Mo. But now, the thought of finally getting a chance to trick this jerk made him a bit excited.
âHe really thinks heâs got me cornered⦠Fine, Iâll tell you the locations and watch you walk into your own trap! Hehehe⦠But I shouldnât agree too quickly,â he thought, while letting out a muffled grunt and saying, âIâll think it over a bit moreâ¦â
âI see.â Surprising him, Ling Mo didnât press further; instead, he walked toward the sunglasses man with a bottle in hand. âIn the meantime, why donât you do me a small favorâ¦â
As soon as he saw Ling Moâs familiar smile, every hair on the sunglasses manâs body stood on end. Yet at the same time, any lingering doubts in his mind vanished⦠If Ling Mo were trying to set him up, heâd be eager for him to write down the intelligence right now-who would have time for this sort of thing otherwise?
âWait! Even so, I shouldnât be secretly pleased about this!â the sunglasses man shouted inwardly, and asked, âWhat⦠what do you want⦠I already agreed to cooperate⦠Ah⦠ah!â
The sudden cry of agony from inside the room immediately drew the attention of those outside. But apart from Wang Lin and Old Zheng casting a few curious glances, everyone else reacted as if this was a regular occurrence.
A few seconds later, Ling Mo picked up the âlesionâ from the floor with a speechless look at the sunglasses man. The guy had faints, but not because of the âlesion.â It was due to the master ball revolving tirelessly on his foreheadâ¦
âPlop plop!â
The master ball would occasionally leap up before landing back on the sunglasses manâs head, causing the unconscious man to let out a muffled groan each timeâ¦