People Can Make Mistakes

Night.

Red Star International Hotel.

As the most magnificent hotel in all of Gu City, the ballroom was currently hosting a charity gala.

The socialites of Gu City, particularly the titans of the business world, had gathered here in full force.

It was said that not only were the elites of Gu City present, but many had traveled from neighboring provinces as well.

For them, this was an excellent opportunity to expand their social circles and scout for new prospects.

The event was a cocktail party, and since the guests were not here for the food, they mingled in small groups, glasses clinking as they chatted.

Lv Yalian, dressed in a stunning evening gown, was holding court among the second-generation socialites of Gu City, where she was immensely popular.

Many well-known playboys had already begun their subtle pursuits; after all, the influence of the Green Tech Group was undeniable.

At the same time, several local socialites began to cozy up to her with feigned intimacy.

Though Lv Yalian appeared amiable, she still projected an air of being miles beyond their reach.

She looked down on every single one of them.

Her father, Lv Feng, had already told her that while the charity gala was real, and the idle chatter at the cocktail party was genuine, they would be leaving once the event reached its second half to pay their respects to a distinguished and powerful figure.

The second-generation heirs surrounding her might have come from wealthy families, but in a world where "anomalies" were constantly emerging, money—while still important—was no longer the ultimate factor.

Of course, even the term "anomaly" was known only to those with access to such information.

Ordinary people didn't even know what an "anomaly" was.

This was the high-level authorities' way of protecting the masses and preventing mass panic.

Lv Yalian was also aware of the existence of the Anomaly Bureau.

But compared to the powerful organization she was to encounter tonight, the Central Province Anomaly Bureau was nothing more than a joke.

It was merely a provincial institution that knew only how to protect the lowly commoners, completely oblivious to the fact that the world was rapidly changing and stratifying.

And she, inevitably, belonged to the highest tier.

As she chatted, Lv Yalian looked forward to the momentous occasion to come, her heart racing with excitement.

The lights in the ballroom dimmed, leaving only the auction stage illuminated as the charity auction began.

The items up for bid were works by various artists, and it was said that all proceeds would be donated to the treatment of rare diseases.

Lv Feng, Lv Yalian's father, soon spent hundreds of thousands to win a painting consisting of nothing but lines, earning a round of applause from the crowd.

In Gu City, Lv Feng's Green Tech Group was an undeniably influential local enterprise, and he himself was a figure of significant importance.

Afterward, Lv Feng nodded to the crowd, carried his wine glass into the shadows, and exchanged a look with his daughter, Lv Yalian.

A few minutes later, Lv Feng and Lv Yalian had quietly slipped out of the ballroom through a side door.

Others began to leave the ballroom one after another, but the remaining guests were so absorbed in the auction that they didn't notice anyone missing.

In a long corridor, more than forty people who had left the ballroom moved silently under the dim lights.

These individuals were all prominent figures from Gu City or other provinces in the southwest of Central Province.

Some even possessed wealth that far exceeded that of Lv Feng.

Lv Yalian followed her father with a look of excitement.

She had never known that such a secret passage existed beneath the Red Star International Hotel.

Aside from the elders, there was one other young person present—a second-generation heir from another group who had been chatting with Lv Yalian earlier.

The two merely exchanged a nod without speaking.

Clearly, the other party had also received instructions from their elders and understood the gravity of tonight's mission.

Leading the group was a woman wearing a white smiling mask, moving with a graceful, swaying gait as she guided them forward.

The red pearl earrings on her ears were exceptionally striking.

"President Song, are we truly going to meet that person tonight? The fact that the new Shepherd has arrived shows the Association is truly playing for high stakes..."

Lv Feng whispered to a man with graying hair and a dignified expression.

Lv Yalian instantly recognized the gray-haired man as Song Zhonghai, the head of the largest financial firm in the southwest region.

Song Zhonghai nodded slightly and said, "Indeed. It is just unclear who this Shepherd is. We must be respectful later and take care not to displease that great person."

Hearing this, those following behind also revealed expressions of excitement.

Some seemed to be attending such an event for the first time, whispering to one another and mentioning terms like the Cleaning Association and the Shepherd.

At this moment, Lv Yalian was completely certain: the person they were going to pay respects to was the Shepherd of the Cleaning Association for the southwest region of Central Province!

Although the Cleaning Association had been declared a criminal organization, her father, Lv Feng, had told her that power had no concept of good or evil.

Compared to the rigid authorities, joining the Cleaning Association and wholeheartedly worshipping the Lord of the Abyss was the path to gaining power and salvation.

Furthermore, the Cleaning Association could even lend its power to Green Tech Group; even the life-extension project that Green Tech Group was currently researching would no longer be a mere dream!

Those forbidden studies not permitted by the government could be completed by borrowing the power of the Cleaning Association!

As the heir to a family business, Lv Yalian understood her family's Green Tech Group quite thoroughly.

Although the Cleaning Association's power in Central Province was not yet very strong, joining now was the only way to reap the greatest benefits.

Just then, as if finding the people behind her too noisy, the woman leading the way suddenly turned her head. Her white smiling mask stared eerily at the group behind her, and she made a gesture for silence.

Shh...

The big shots, who had been chatting excitedly just a moment ago, instantly fell silent, as if they were primary school students being scolded.

Only a few who were clearly here for the first time flashed a look of disdain in their eyes.

A mere maid, daring to order them around?

After walking through the corridor for over ten minutes, they finally reached the end and saw an upward escalator.

The group climbed up, panting, and found themselves in a carpeted room.

It appeared to be a lounge.

The masked woman leading the way said in a low voice:

"Follow me."

With that, she stepped forward and pushed open a door.

The group followed her inside one by one. In the dim light, a dignified-looking reception room appeared before them.

At the end of the room was a black sofa.

Two people, wearing a clown mask and a bear mask respectively, stood on either side of the sofa.

On the sofa, a man wearing a blank white mask sat upright, cradling a tabby cat in his arms.

He was gently stroking the cat's head.

Beside him sat two black suitcases.

This eerie scene made those who had just entered feel a prickle on their scalps.

Song Zhonghai stepped forward and asked respectfully in a low voice:

"Lord Shepherd?"

The person on the left, wearing the clown mask, immediately replied:

"Correct. Before you stands the respected Shepherd. Lost souls on the path of the abyss, you may come forward to receive the Shepherd's grace."

Judging by the voice, it was a woman.

Song Zhonghai quickly said:

"Cleaner Song Zhonghai, welcome to the Shepherd."

Lv Feng, standing to the side, also hurriedly bowed:

"Cleaner Lv Feng, welcome, Shepherd!"

Two others nearby also bowed at the same time; they were all Cleaners from the Cleaning Association.

The four Cleaners prostrated themselves on the ground, paying deep respects to the person on the sofa, preparing to step forward to receive the blessing.

Lv Yalian was also pulled to the ground by her father.

Just then, several voices of dissatisfaction suddenly came from the back of the crowd:

"Why are you still wearing a mask? Even if you are the Shepherd, isn't this too disrespectful to us?"

"Exactly, how can you prove that you are the Shepherd sent by the Cleaning Association?"

"Since we are all members of the Association, there is no need for such pretension."

The crowd parted, revealing the speakers.

Lv Yalian also turned to look, feeling shocked and bewildered.

The speakers were several local upstarts from Gu City; some had made their fortunes in energy companies, others in the internet industry.

Leading them was a middle-aged man named Feng Shihao. He was the boss of a real estate company with assets in the billions, no less than Green Tech Group.

At this moment, seven or eight people around Feng Shihao were already holding guns.

Two others stepped out with smirks, gently twisting their wrists and necks, as if warming up.

The four Cleaners who had been kneeling on the ground to pay respects to the Shepherd were all stunned.

Song Zhonghai said angrily:

"Feng Shihao! Do you know what you are doing? You actually brought two Awakened ones here... This is a blasphemy against the Association!"

Feng Shihao waved his hand and said:

"I just want to see the Shepherd's true face. Once this Shepherd proves that his strength is enough to lead me, then it won't be too late to pay my respects. Otherwise, if he can be the Shepherd, why can't I?"

This is... a mutiny? Watching this scene, Lv Yalian felt both nervous and excited. She never expected that she would encounter such a situation just after meeting that big shot.

It was as if a corner of the dark world had been peeled back before her.

The only question was how the big shots would respond.

The mysterious man cradling a cat in his arms shook his head slightly, his voice raspy and low:

"People can make mistakes, but they must never make fatal ones..."

Hearing this, the several masked figures exchanged glances, their bodies trembling in evident fear.

They, too, bore an inescapable responsibility for everything that had transpired tonight.

They were also among those who had erred.

The woman wearing a smiling mask and red pearl earrings walked straight up to the two Awakened standing beside Feng Shihao, raising her hand to tap the air lightly in their direction.

The two Awakened let out a hearty laugh, seemingly finding the woman's gesture amusing.

Yet, in the eyes of the others, blood vessels suddenly began to burrow out from the surface of their bodies!

At the tips of these vessels, dense clusters of red blood blisters sprouted, looking just like dazzling, brilliant fruit!

Seeing this, Song Zhonghai trembled as he stammered:

"Blood... Blood Pearl!?"

Li Fan, wearing a blank mask and holding a cat, felt a surge of fear at the bizarre sight before him and instantly went on high alert.

Was Auntie Zhang, who cooked for them, actually this formidable!?