Arrangement

"Boss, the interrogation isn't over yet. We're currently cross-referencing and summarizing the data." A somewhat cold female voice came through the receiver on the other end of the line.

This was Pela, a psychological interrogation expert Wang Yiyang had specifically brought in.

She was born with a cold personality and suffered from congenital analgesia, having been interested in various methods of torture since she was a child.

Simply put, Pela was a natural-born deviant.

The more pain others felt, the happier she became.

That was why, whenever anyone in the department encountered a tough nut to crack, they would choose to call her in.

"Any leads? I need to know the purpose behind Mantis targeting the Yuekong Martial Arts Hall." Wang Yiyang said in a deep voice.

His phone utilized the most advanced bone-conduction technology; as long as he could hear the sound, the vibrations would clearly transmit his voice back to the person on the other end.

Therefore, Wang Yiyang didn't need to speak loudly to have an easy conversation.

Pela paused, and the sound of flipping through documents came from the other side.

About a dozen seconds later.

"In the interrogation just now, two people answered this question.

It is rumored that inside the Yuekong Martial Arts Hall, there is a hidden secret technique capable of breaking through the limits of the human body. The hall master, Wang Xinlong, is a case study of someone who successfully broke through those limits.

Mantis hoped to monopolize this secret technique, so they plotted a series of plans targeting the Yuekong Martial Arts Hall."

"Break through human limits? A secret technique?" Wang Yiyang frowned.

"According to their answers, the greatest value of this secret technique lies in its accessibility. As long as one's physical fitness meets the standard, anyone can practice it successfully," Pela replied coldly.

"What about Zhong Can? What role does he play in all this?" Wang Yiyang continued to ask.

"The specific results haven't been extracted yet. Not many people know about Zhong Can, but I am very interested in that secret technique now," Pela said flatly.

"I understand the appeal of a secret technique to a martial artist. But... surely that isn't enough for an assassination organization like Mantis to exert such great effort, right?" Wang Yiyang countered.

"I'm not sure about that. But perhaps when the interrogation is completely finished, I will be able to give you an answer."

"Alright, I'll wait for your reply." Wang Yiyang hung up the phone and put it away.

He let out a breath and was about to hail a taxi to leave.

"Brother Wang?" Suddenly, a voice with a hint of surprise came from his right.

Wang Yiyang followed the sound and saw An Yuxi, Xia Ying, and two young men turning the corner from the bar street.

They seemed to be out for a stroll as well.

"What a coincidence, An Yuxi, Xia Ying." Wang Yiyang smiled and waved a greeting.

"I didn't expect to run into you here." An Yuxi felt a slight surge of surprise.

After getting close to Xia Ying, she had finally managed to squeeze into Xia Ying's small social circle.

Originally, today was supposed to be an outing for Xia Ying and her childhood friends to hang out and drink, but An Yuxi had found out by accident and used some schemes, following up on Xia Ying's polite remarks to force her way in.

While drinking, one of Xia Ying's childhood friends, Zhou Chengyan, who had dyed his hair red, seemed to have some ideas about her, but his words and actions were somewhat frivolous and out of line.

It made An Yuxi quite uncomfortable.

Just as they left the bar, she happened to see Wang Yiyang out for a walk by himself.

A way to deal with Zhou Chengyan immediately came to mind.

"Brother Wang, are you alone or waiting for someone?" she asked with a tone of great familiarity.

Wang Yiyang felt a bit confused. They weren't that close, were they?

But since they were former colleagues and the other party was a goddess-level girl, he replied casually.

"Just out for a stroll by myself."

"We're just out for a walk too. Why don't we join up? Is that okay, Sister Xia Ying?" An Yuxi turned to look at Xia Ying.

Xia Ying felt speechless; she had seen through the other party's motives ever since An Yuxi started trying to squeeze into her circle.

It was just that, for the sake of their professional relationship, she didn't want to say too much. She hadn't expected her childhood friend Zhou Chengyan to take a liking to the girl at first sight.

She had already been annoyed earlier, and now that An Yuxi was inviting Wang Yiyang to join them on her own accord, she felt even more irritated.

However, uncomfortable as she was, she still had to be polite in front of so many people.

"Come along, Brother Yang. You treated us to a meal before, so this is a good chance to return the favor." Xia Ying had a straightforward personality; although she was dissatisfied with An Yuxi, that had nothing to do with Wang Yiyang.

So her invitation was sincere.

Wang Yiyang was about to refuse when he suddenly saw An Yuxi blinking at him pleadingly.

"Alright... then. I'll be intruding." He replied hesitantly.

And so, one person became five.

The group entered the snack street, led by Zhou Chengyan and Xia Ying. They skillfully navigated a few turns and soon arrived at a late-night barbecue restaurant.

The exterior of the shop looked unremarkable, much like an ordinary street food stall.

They walked inside.

Inside, individual barbecue tables were separated by wooden partitions.

In the center of each circular black barbecue table sat an oval, brown metal grill.

Square metal exhaust vents hung down from the ceiling, positioned directly over the grills.

There weren't many customers in the shop, but everyone was dressed neatly and decently, suggesting the prices here were not low.

One could hardly find any obvious light sources on the surrounding walls.

All the light tubes were hidden in corners unreachable by children to prevent glare and burns.

As the five of them entered, two young women in black uniforms walked up to greet them.

"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"

"We booked a private room earlier," Zhou Chengyan said, stepping forward with a smile.

Although his hair was dyed red, his pale silver T-shirt and gray trousers were clearly expensive, even to someone like Wang Yiyang, who was usually insensitive to price and quality.

Coupled with Zhou Chengyan's handsome features and fair, delicate skin, he had the air of a pampered young man.

The smiles on the waitresses' faces softened instantly.

"Please provide your mobile number and name."

"My surname is Zhou, and the last four digits of the number are 4432."

"Understood, I've found it. Please follow me."

The waitress led the five of them deep into the shop, soon entering a brown-toned private room.

On one wall of the room, a full-scale model of a red motorcycle was hung in a unique display.

The opposite wall featured a massive virtual fish tank, where colorful fish darted back and forth, full of light and vibrancy.

Hanging from the ceiling was a silver-white spherical lamp that resembled a sea urchin.

Directly beneath the lamp was a large circular barbecue table.

The five of them entered the room and took their seats.

Zhou Chengyan quickly ordered a pile of items from the menu before passing it to the others.

Having just eaten, none of them had much of an appetite.

Zhou Chengyan ordered some meat skewers, and the man with him added a few vegetables.

"That's not enough. Come on, ladies first," Zhou Chengyan said with a smile, handing the menu to An Yuxi.

An Yuxi took it and glanced at the price list; even the cheapest item was over a hundred, while the slightly better ones were three or four hundred.

She clicked her tongue inwardly, sighing at the lifestyle of the wealthy—a casual barbecue meal like this would likely cost several thousand.

With her previous income, she probably wouldn't have been able to afford a place like this at all.

In this establishment, one could easily spend half a month's salary in a single sitting.

Shifting her thoughts, An Yuxi wanted to experience the food here, but considering her persona, she maintained a gentle, graceful smile.

"Everyone just finished drinking, so why not start with something to warm the stomach and take a break?"

"That works too," Zhou Chengyan nodded.

After they finished ordering, the drinks arrived quickly, followed by some appetizers.

Once everyone had eaten a few snacks, the man who had come with Zhou Chengyan sat down right next to Wang Yiyang.

"Care for a drink?" The man was dressed in a standard, unremarkable fashion, always wearing a humble smile on his face. He was slightly plump, giving off an easygoing vibe.

He poured a glass of the newly arrived ice wine for both Wang Yiyang and himself, then raised his glass toward him.

Wang Yiyang had no desire to drink; he was still waiting for the interrogation results from Pela, and drinking now would only cause trouble.

But since the man had already raised his glass, he felt it would be rude to refuse. He lifted his glass out of courtesy and touched it lightly to his lips.

"Hey? Brother, that's not cool. How can a man just take a tiny sip? Come on, come on, it's a rare chance encounter on the street today, isn't that fate? Let's toast!"

The man tilted his head back and downed his drink in one go.

Wang Yiyang had no choice; since the other party was so straightforward, he went along with it, tilting his head back and downing half the glass.

As soon as he put the glass down, the man turned around, filled his own glass to the brim again, and walked toward the others.

"Zhao Wei, take it easy," Xia Ying frowned, giving the man a subtle warning.

But the man called Zhao Wei acted as if he hadn't heard her.

He lowered his head and chuckled.

"Sister Ying, you know me. I'm just happy today. We're all drinking together, is there a problem?"

He raised his glass to toast Zhou Chengyan, and the two of them finished their drinks without another word.

Then, he turned toward An Yuxi.

Seeing that everyone else had drunk, An Yuxi found it hard to say anything. Although she had already had a few drinks earlier, one or two more wouldn't be a problem.

In the end, even Xia Ying was forced by him to drink two glasses.

As they ate and drank, they chatted casually about their recent situations. The atmosphere in the private room gradually grew lively.

This guy Zhao Wei seemed to have suffered a setback in his relationship, so both Xia Ying and Zhou Chengyan were accommodating him.

On top of that, he had a high tolerance for alcohol; after several rounds, he didn't even blush or lose his breath.

However, An Yuxi was starting to reach her limit. The alcohol had a high proof, and she hadn't eaten much of the barbecue that had been served. Soon, her face turned as red as a ripe apple, and she leaned against the sofa without a word.

After Zhao Wei finished another round, he quickly came over to An Yuxi.

But this time, fearing that she would get into trouble if she drank more, An Yuxi waved her hands repeatedly, signaling that she really couldn't take any more.

Zhao Wei was amiable while urging her to drink at first, but as he kept talking and she still refused, his expression gradually soured.

"One more glass, An Yuxi, right? Give me some face and have one more. Everyone is watching, come on, come on, just the last one."

An Yuxi refused to drink no matter what, and Zhao Wei immediately lost his patience, filling up two more glasses and holding them out.

An Yuxi was already visibly dizzy and muddled. She waved her hands repeatedly.

"I really can't, Brother Zhao. My tolerance is too low, I won't hold you all up, you should just..."

"What? Looking down on me? Everyone here has drunk, what? Are you the only precious one? Are the others worthless?"

Zhao Wei seemed to have lost his temper as well; he stood there holding the drinks, squinting and glaring at An Yuxi.