Informant

Never have I seen such a shameless person!

Watching Old Jin walk away, Chen Wu barely managed to suppress this classic line.

To take thirty thousand silver dollars from Chen Wu, only to agree to stall Guo Xuchu for a quarter of an hour—this was treating Chen Wu like a fat sheep to be slaughtered!

Seeing Old Jin's upright and lofty demeanor, he had assumed the man was a senior expert who viewed money as dirt; he never expected him to be so shameless.

The world is not what it used to be! The world is not what it used to be!

Chen Wu was heartbroken; he no longer had the mood to watch the folk performances and just wanted to return immediately.

"Yo, Chen Gawa, back so early?"

Just as Chen Wu stepped into the lobby of the West Wind Inn, he heard a familiar voice—it was his handler from the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower, Shopkeeper Ma of the West Wind Inn.

The shopkeeper had a slightly long face, was around fifty years old, sported a goat beard, and had a square mutton-fat jade pendant hanging from his waist. He greeted Chen Wu with a beaming smile.

The moment Chen Wu saw Shopkeeper Ma's smiling face, his anger flared. He had only transmigrated a few days ago, and this guy had already forced him out to commit assassination, threatening him with punishment from the Inspector if he refused.

That would have been one thing; since he had transmigrated into an assassin, he had to ring the bell as long as he was a monk—if you enter the temple, you must burn incense.

But this guy's intelligence was way off. Not only did he not know others were interfering with the assassination, but Chen Wu hadn't even been informed that a super-expert like Guo Xuchu was guarding the target. If he hadn't been lucky today, he would have been finished on the spot.

Chen Wu crossed his arms, his expression cold: "The deal didn't go through! Your intel was inaccurate, Shopkeeper. Prepare for the Inspector's judgment."

"What do you mean inaccurate?" Shopkeeper Ma's face changed, and he lowered his voice to ask.

"Star-Pulling Sword Guo Xuchu!" Chen Wu's voice dropped as well, leaning close to Shopkeeper Ma's ear, gritting his teeth, "How could he be by Qiao Weisheng's side?"

"If someone hadn't intercepted and taken the heat from Guo Xuchu for me, I wouldn't have made it back today!"

"Ah? There were others?" Shopkeeper Ma's voice grew increasingly nervous.

"Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower Rulebook, Ding-Mao Article, A-Grade Clause: Any informant who provides intelligence with major errors must be reported to the Inspector for disposal." Chen Wu didn't answer, reciting the rules word for word.

It wasn't hot in Jincheng Prefecture at this time of year; in fact, there was a slight chill. Yet, Shopkeeper Ma was sweating profusely. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, soaking his goat beard and making his entire face look comical.

Shopkeeper Ma opened his mouth to speak, but Chen Wu ignored him and continued: "The Inspector shall, at their discretion, impose the Zhuanshu's Stab as punishment."

Upon hearing the words "Zhuanshu's Stab," Shopkeeper Ma's face turned deathly pale. He stepped forward and grabbed Chen Wu's hand: "Brother, you know me. I've focused on gathering intelligence and managing business; my martial arts have long since withered. I wouldn't survive the Zhuanshu's Stab. Please, save your brother!"

The Zhuanshu's Stab was the most common punishment in the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower. It was simple: an expert at the Inspector level would attempt to assassinate the punished party once. If the victim was lucky enough to survive, the offense would be wiped clean.

If Chen Wu refused to carry out the assassination, he would also have to endure the Zhuanshu's Stab to settle the matter. Chen Wu had only been transmigrated for three days, and the main reason he had rushed out to assassinate was his fear of this very punishment.

Chen Wu felt confident now and remained unhurried: "Old Ma, you've been in Jincheng Prefecture for many years. Even if you haven't achieved great merit, you've put in the hard work. Even if the Inspector acts, they will consider our past ties; you might just survive it."

"Oh, I know my own situation. Even if the Inspector doesn't go all out, I won't survive it!" Old Ma stomped his feet in anxiety, gripping Chen Wu's hand even tighter.

"Rules are rules..."

"Five thousand silver dollars. I only ask that Brother Chen covers this up."

"Cough, cough..."

Chen Wu was shocked. He had only intended to use this leverage to manipulate Shopkeeper Ma to facilitate his future actions; he hadn't expected Old Ma to offer five thousand silver dollars right off the bat.

Though it couldn't compare to the extravagance of Qiao Weisheng's thirty thousand, it was enough to break Chen Wu's composure. So, he was the only poor one here!

Since a fat sheep had delivered itself to his door, he had to slaughter it properly. Chen Wu suddenly understood Old Jin.

"Well, given our relationship, it's not impossible to make an exception, but..." Chen Wu put on airs, looking at Shopkeeper Ma.

"Just give me a final number, Brother! If I can manage it, I will!"

Chen Wu thought for a moment, reached out, and held up eight fingers.

"Deal!" Shopkeeper Ma agreed immediately.

Damn it, I asked for too little!

As a fresh graduate in the workforce, Chen Wu really lacked Old Jin's experience. Next time he met Old Jin, he would have to learn a thing or two.

"Here are the eight thousand silver dollars in banknotes. Keep them safe!" Just as Chen Wu was filled with regret, Shopkeeper Ma had already rummaged through his cabinets and gathered the banknotes.

Chen Wu took the notes: "Help me gather clear information over the next two days. I'll go for the assassination again in three days. Don't let any more mistakes happen."

"Rest assured, this mistake was too expensive; I can't afford another!" Shopkeeper Ma smiled bitterly, "I'll have new information for you tomorrow morning."

Chen Wu nodded and returned to his room.

It was a single room at the corner of the inn's second floor. The interior was sparse, containing only a table, a chair, and a bed. The table faced a small window, holding an octagonal glass oil lamp, and a square bamboo-skin suitcase sat beside it.

Chen Wu first checked the window to ensure there were no signs of intruders, then took the banknotes Old Ma had given him from his pocket and counted them carefully.

Correct, they were indeed eight thousand taels in Zhong'an Bank banknotes.

Only then did Chen Wu feel at ease. He opened the suitcase, took out a piece of cloth, wrapped the banknotes carefully, and tucked them into his innermost pocket.

Feeling the uneven texture of the banknotes through his clothes, Chen Wu finally felt his heart settle.

Ever since he transmigrated, Chen Wu had been like duckweed, constantly pushed along by external events. Now, he could finally catch his breath.

Even though he still had to complete the mission to assassinate Qiao Weisheng, this time was completely different, as Qiao Weisheng had personally invited him to do it.

Qiao Weisheng had requested that Chen Wu return for another assassination attempt in three days, at the same time and the same place.

At the same time, the granularity had to be aligned: he had to drive a sharp blade into Qiao Weisheng's left chest, specifically within a precise, defined area no larger than a silver dollar.

As soon as Chen Wu heard this requirement, he understood immediately—this was a fix!

Old Master Qiao was not some man of noble character intending to commit suicide to make room for the younger generation. This was clearly a bitter-meat ruse, though it was unclear who Qiao intended to perform it for.

What Qiao Weisheng wanted to do was none of Chen Wu's business. Regardless, taking someone's money meant fulfilling the job.

Yet, Qiao Weisheng could never have imagined that this so-called expert from the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower was a "Pinduoduo" version—all flash and no substance.

The Chen Wu that Old Master Qiao imagined was a top-tier expert from the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower, with a prestige that reached the heavens.

Even if he weren't quite as good as Guo Xuchu, he shouldn't be far off. As long as Guo Xuchu eased up a little, Chen Wu would be able to complete the assassination without a single flaw.

But in reality, Chen Wu had only transmigrated three days ago; he was weak, pathetic, and helpless, knowing only the "Revolver Grand Method."

Even if Guo Xuchu went easy on him, Chen Wu had no way to precisely strike Old Master Qiao's left chest under the nose of such a super-expert.

After leaving Zhong'an Bank, Chen Wu had briefly considered taking the money and running. If not for his fear of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower's Sound-Transmission Soul-Searching Technique, he likely would have bolted with Qiao Weisheng's banknotes on the spot.

After much deliberation, Chen Wu could only think of one solution—call for backup!

Originally, Chen Wu planned to have Shopkeeper Ma contact a few experts to strike together, hoping only to hold off Guo Xuchu for a moment. Only then could Chen Wu carry out the assassination without any risk of failure.

The biggest risk with this method was that those experts might be all show and no go, getting killed instantly by Guo Xuchu, which would be embarrassing.

It wasn't until he ran into the Inspector on the way that Chen Wu had a flash of inspiration. Given the demeanor displayed by Lao Jin, even if he couldn't win, holding off Guo Xuchu for a moment shouldn't be a problem. He just hadn't expected Lao Jin's appetite to be so large; his heart still ached thinking about it.

Fortunately, things were finally taking shape, and he just had to wait for the assassination in three days. Once the hit was successful, Qiao Weisheng would inevitably have to play dead for a while, which would give him enough room to maneuver.

Once the assassination was over, Chen Wu would definitely need to rest and recuperate. He wouldn't take any more missions; properly familiarizing himself with this world and planning his future path was the only logical course of action.

Thinking of this, Chen Wu touched the banknotes tucked against his body, feeling increasingly relaxed.

Thanks to Shopkeeper Ma's tip, he wouldn't have to worry about money for a long time to come.

The exhaustion from a morning of high tension could no longer be suppressed, so Chen Wu lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

He didn't know if it was a dream, but just before losing consciousness entirely, Chen Wu vaguely felt a gentle force softly enveloping him, as if he had returned to a cradle.

Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock...

Chen Wu was suddenly startled awake from his sleep. Sure enough, someone was knocking at the door!

That rhythm... oh, it was Shopkeeper Ma. Chen Wu steadied himself, got up, and walked to the door.

"Shopkeeper Ma?" Chen Wu asked softly through the crack in the door.

"It's me!" Shopkeeper Ma's figure was indeed reflected in the gap.

Chen Wu opened the door and welcomed Shopkeeper Ma into the room, only then realizing that the light inside seemed overly dim.

"You came back to your room without eating lunch, and you hadn't come out even as it was getting dark. I was worried about you, so I came to check." Shopkeeper Ma walked straight to the table, opened the glass cover of the kerosene lamp, took out a match, and lit the wick.

The smell of kerosene permeated the air, and the room brightened accordingly. The lamplight was dim and yellow, casting flickering shadows on Shopkeeper Ma's profile through the glass cover.

"This job of yours isn't going to be easy, Chen Gawa."

"New information?"

"The assassin caught this morning was a thug from the Red Lantern Society."

"Hmm." Chen Wu had no idea what the Red Lantern Society was, nor what a "thug" meant, but that didn't stop him from pretending he understood.

"Although they are considered part of the Nine Schools, they have always been entrenched in Beijing, Shandong, Liaoning, and Jilin. They don't have much to do with us, so they won't give us much face."

"Since this Red Lantern Society assassination failed, they will definitely send more experts. If you want to complete the assassination first, it's best to act sooner," Shopkeeper Ma continued.

"What about Guo Xuchu?"

"When Qiao Weisheng went to Russia to sell tea in his early years, he became close with the Star-Pulling Sword. Back then, they participated in the Imperial Guard coup in St. Petersburg together; it's a bond forged in life and death."

"Seven days ago, Guo Xuchu quietly arrived by Qiao Weisheng's side to provide secret protection. I reckon Qiao Weisheng knows someone is trying to buy his life."

At this point, Shopkeeper Ma shook his head, a look of mockery appearing on his face: "And rightly so. He's hired so many different assassins, he might as well have announced it to the world. If Qiao Weisheng couldn't hear the wind blowing after all that, his Zhong'an Bank wouldn't have been surnamed Qiao for a long time."

Not bad, getting new information in such a short time. It seemed Old Ma had been working overtime.

"Anything else? These are all minor details." Chen Wu still needed to "CPU" Shopkeeper Ma to keep working, so he didn't show him any kindness.

"Yes, there is!" Shopkeeper Ma hurriedly added, "There is one more piece of news. In three days, Qiao Weisheng is hosting a guest who seems to be coming from the capital."

"Seems to be?"

Shopkeeper Ma looked a bit embarrassed: "It's just an inference; there is no concrete evidence."

Seeing that there was truly no more oil to be squeezed out of Shopkeeper Ma, Chen Wu spouted some nonsense, declined Shopkeeper Ma's invitation to eat, and opened the door to see him out.

Strangely enough, Chen Wu didn't feel hungry at all; instead, sleepiness surged up, and he just wanted to sleep a little longer.