In a dimly lit room, seven or eight mysterious figures in black cloaks and masks were seated around a round table. The Joker was among them, tending to a gunshot wound on his lower leg with his own hands.
In fact, he had been hit in the leg by Chu Muhan while scaling a wall last night. He had treated the wound immediately upon returning, but during the journey to this place, the wound had reopened. With no other options, he had to quickly stitch it up himself.
The place was likely an underground chamber. Despite the large space, there were no windows. The ceiling had only air conditioners and speakers, with no lights visible. Only the small lights on the walls cast a dim, yellow glow.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that the wall sconces, wallpaper, and table surfaces all bore the pattern of a spade with a snake's eye.
The people sitting around the round table were silent, seemingly waiting for an important figure. Occasionally, they would glance at the Joker as he worked on his leg, but he seemed to feel no pain, and the others were unfazed.
After a while, a voice processed by a voice changer came from the ceiling speakers: "Joker, you did well last night. What reward do you want?"
The others showed a respectful demeanor and sat up straight.
The Joker picked up a bottle of mineral water from the table, washed the blood from his leg, and said with a smile, "I hope you'll allow me to bring people to kidnap Chu Yuxuan. That child of mine is my greatest achievement in life, and I miss him terribly, hahaha."
The voice from the speaker responded, "This matter ends here. Bai He is dead, and the secrets he held will disappear with him. We have more pressing matters to attend to. Do not move against Chu Yuxuan unless absolutely necessary. Declaring war on the Chu family is not a wise move. In time, retrieve Bai He's body and ensure he is given a proper burial."
The Joker mockingly said, "If it weren't for Bai He's incompetence, the Chu family wouldn't have discovered us. Besides, he chose to betray the organization last night... I'll steal the body, but first, I need to dissect and study it before giving him a proper burial, hehe."
The mysterious figure's voice turned serious, "Bai He contributed more than he erred. If it weren't for the situation, he wouldn't have died. Make sure to give him a proper burial."
"You are the president, I will follow your orders," the Joker shrugged and then said, "The Chu family is an obstacle. I can't understand why we don't eliminate this hindrance. New grudges and old ones, irreconcilable enmity, a war is inevitable sooner or later…"
The mysterious figure fell silent for a long time before speaking in a warning tone, "There better not be a next time."
The Joker fell silent, understanding what "next time" implied. The order he received last night was merely to keep an eye on Bai He. If Bai He failed, he was to be silenced, but there was no directive to assassinate Chu Yuxuan.
Could it be that they were afraid of the Chu family from thirty years ago? Ten years ago, they had audaciously kidnapped Chu Yuxuan and his mother because they were not part of the Chu family then. At most, only Chu Zhijing, who had little influence at the time, would investigate. But now, with Chu Yuxuan's high-profile return to the Chu family, any move against him would provoke Chu Xiaotian to spare no effort and use all his connections to investigate them.
Yet, ten years ago, on that cargo ship, it was also this mysterious president who warned him that no matter how many times he tried, he couldn't take Chu Yuxuan's life.
Was there some hidden agenda? The Joker pondered, feeling melancholic. His greatest achievement was so close yet out of reach, like a feast in front of a starving person that was unattainable.
"Any progress on that research?" the mysterious figure suddenly asked.
A woman in a fox mask looked up and addressed the speakers with a somewhat guilty tone, "There has been some progress. We are conducting experiments, and the success rate has reached sixty percent."
"Hmph…" The mysterious figure snorted coldly, "A bunch of useless fools! What Jiang Xiuzhi could accomplish alone ten years ago, now dozens of people can't manage! Bai Hu, this research is critical. You must personally supervise them and ensure they do not slack off!"
"Yes, President!" Bai Hu replied.
In the hospital, Chu Yuxuan woke up from his nightmare and, before Chu Muhan could react, had grasped her by the throat. After a few seconds, he regained some awareness, trembling as he let go and slowly leaned back against the head of the bed.
Chu Muhan coughed a few times, looking at her brother's pale face, red eyes, and sweat-soaked body. Her heart ached, and she gently held Chu Yuxuan's hand, asking softly, "Yuxuan, are you feeling better?"
Chu Yuxuan forced a smile and nodded, hoarsely asking, "Where are my brothers?"
As soon as he spoke, his brothers rushed into the room, all with bloodshot eyes.
"Big Brother, I'm sorry…" Fifth Brother said, his head lowered and full of remorse.
Chu Yuxuan took a deep breath and smiled, "Don't mention it. How could I blame you…"
Fourth Brother approached the bedside and silently handed Chu Yuxuan his phone, saying nothing due to Chu Muhan's presence.
Chu Yuxuan looked at the more than ten missed calls from Second Brother, opened WeChat, and replied with "I'm fine."
Third Brother clenched his fists tightly, his back teeth grinding.
Chu Yuxuan glanced at him, then at the worried Little Qing, and said with a smile, "Have you all not slept all night? Go back and rest. I'll lie here a bit longer."
The brothers exchanged glances before leaving the room one by one. Only Third Brother went downstairs to buy breakfast for Chu Yuxuan.