My Original Intent, Never to Forget

"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me at this time?!"

Eugene roared towards the door.

The knocking stopped, and after a moment, it started again, even heavier.

"Fuck!"

The agitated Eugene stomped towards the door and yanked it open. "Can't you understand what I'm saying… 'All for one, and one for all,' good afternoon, Director!"

Brown, with a dark expression, stood at the doorway, staring at Eugene.

Eugene's furious face shifted to a smile at light speed.

"You're quite arrogant, Minister Eugene?" Brown finally spoke after a long pause.

Although it had all turned out to be a huge misunderstanding, since Brown was already there, he couldn't just leave without doing anything.

Therefore, Brown decided to do a quick inspection and also inform the relevant personnel about the upcoming "friendly exchange" with the IRS.

Naturally, the IMF, the elite agent department of the CIA, couldn't be left out.

So, after making his rounds, Brown arrived at Eugene's office.

And then, the scene they had just witnessed unfolded.

"Director… I… this is because of a small problem I encountered…" Eugene, using the little brainpower he had left, started figuring out how to explain his outburst.

It was indeed a tiny little problem.

"Thank you."

London, England.

Ethan thanked Zhou Yi again.

"No need to thank me. As I said, it's just the basis for cooperation," Zhou Yi said with a smile.

"We're not familiar with each other, so of course, we need some small assurances. If this cooperation is successful, we won't need to do this when we cooperate again."

"Ten million dollars… isn't that enough for you?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, surprised by Zhou Yi's appetite.

"Who would ever say no to more money, right?" Zhou Yi replied.

"Moreover, once I get this money, I'll give a portion to my Director, keep a portion for myself, and there will be a portion for you."

"For me?" Ethan shook his head. "I don't need it."

"That won't do," Zhou Yi said, looking out at the rain-streaked window. "You have to take this money…"

"…I understand." Ethan understood Zhou Yi's meaning and said with a wry smile, "It seems the money laundering operation I mentioned earlier will be put to use soon?"

"That's why, sometimes, having more skills is always good preparation."

Zhou Yi chuckled. "I think you can show your Director what real money laundering is."

"Real money laundering is making sure he doesn't even know about it, right?" Ethan said with a smile, then, as if remembering something, he asked, "By the way, if that's the case, I have a question for you."

"What is it?" Zhou Yi leaned in to listen.

"This money…" Ethan asked, "Do I have to pay taxes on it?"

"Hahaha…"×2

They both burst into laughter simultaneously.

"Who pays taxes, a decent person?" Zhou Yi said. "As an IRS employee, do I need to tell you a hundred ways to legally avoid taxes?"

"Interesting," Ethan said. "I thought you were going to directly use your authority."

"No, no, that's just the most basic method," Zhou Yi shook his head.

"As a competent IRS employee, I naturally master all tax laws to find everyone who evades taxes. And similarly, in the process, I've naturally learned how to legally exploit the loopholes within them."

"What do you call this?" Ethan asked with a smile, but his tone became sharp as he spread his hands. "The dragon slayer eventually becomes the dragon?"

He still wasn't entirely comfortable with these gray transactions, and he used this to vent his dissatisfaction with Zhou Yi's coercion.

"…No." Zhou Yi looked at Ethan, his smile disappearing as he said seriously and slowly.

"Those people you mentioned, they have indeed changed."

"Their hearts are corrupted by profit, their eyes are blinded by desire, they've forgotten their bottom line, started currying favor, and began bullying the weak and fearing the strong… That's why they were assimilated, why they transformed from heroes into dragons."

"But I, I am different from them."

"Although I've used my position to gain illicit income, I can say that the illicit income I've obtained has all come from drug dealers, gamblers, smugglers – people who deserved punishment in the first place."

"As for anything else, as long as it's not a heinous act, as long as it's legal, and as long as they haven't deliberately offended me, I have absolutely not touched a single cent of theirs."

"I admit I'm not a good person, but I'm definitely not a bad person either. I'm just an ordinary person. I have sympathy, anger, greed, lust… I have all these emotions, and I also have my own set of principles for dealing with the world."

"Ethan, some money can be taken, but some money, even if placed in front of me, I will absolutely not touch. Similarly, there are things I will do, but there are things that cannot even be mentioned in front of me."

"Because those are my principles, my bottom line, my… Original Intent."

"I will never become a dragon."

"Because, my original intent, I shall never forget."

After Ethan left, lost in thought, Zhou Yi gazed out at the London nightscape for a long time, unmoving.

The heartfelt words he had just spoken plunged him into an emotion he had tried to avoid for years, but which still found him at times.

That emotion was called homesickness.

Zhou Yi knew very well that he was just an ordinary person. His morals weren't exactly noble, but they certainly weren't depraved either.

The word "moderate" was actually quite fitting to describe his personality.

And with such a personality, he had suddenly gained immense power and traveled to another world.

No limitations, no restraints.

Zhou Yi was genuinely worried he would become the "evil dragon" Ethan had spoken of.

He still hoped to return to his hometown one day, to see his parents, his sister, all his family and friends again.

Therefore, he couldn't let himself become the so-called "evil dragon," because once corruption begins, it never stops.

He couldn't imagine what kind of person he would become by then.

He didn't want to become the person he hated the most.

That's why he chose—to follow his heart.

Extremes are easy; balance is the hardest.

The more he worried about falling into depravity, the more he couldn't shy away from it.

Because if he chose the extreme of becoming a saint, then one day, if his mindset shattered, Zhou Yi could very well turn into a demon.

"A thought makes a demon, a thought makes a Buddha"—these two seemingly opposite phrases are, in essence, just a shift from one extreme to another.

The conditions to achieve them are equally easy.

That's why Zhou Yi never imposed too many restrictions on himself.

He would help good people and punish evil ones; he would get angry and he would be happy; he would have desires but would choose his targets, not hurting others' feelings; he would earn illicit income, but only by targeting villains like drug dealers...

He seemed to act on impulse, but he never crossed the line.

Those were the rules he set for himself.

He was still himself, he hadn't changed.

After all, he still wanted to return to his hometown as his true self...

This was a moment of inspiration, and to some extent, it's also my life's creed... Of course, I definitely wouldn't do anything illegal, hahaha, please give me some votes~-(￢￢)σ