The north corner of Shanty Town.
Room 1012.
Seven Eagle Alliance martial artists of different ethnicities sat quietly around the table, reporting on their progress.
At their head sat a tall, middle-aged man with brown hair and blue eyes.
Even sitting still, he radiated an imposing authority.
To his left sat a black-haired woman who looked Asian. She spoke fluent English:
"We've completed 60% of our recruitment targets in the North District. Of the four remaining targets, two are steadfast and have stable lives, so they'll be difficult to recruit.
"The other two are asking for an outrageous price of two million. I'm still negotiating with them."
Lister, the middle-aged man, nodded slightly and looked at someone else.
"We've completed 80% in the South District. Two targets are still wavering, but they're very interested in our offer."
The speaker was a short man with a distinctly Japanese look. A smug expression crossed his face.
The middle-aged man nodded in satisfaction. "You've done well, Shimokawa."
Shimokawa Den smiled faintly and looked at the blond young man beside him. "What about you, Lurence?"
Lurence, the man he'd addressed, was the same blond foreigner who had stopped Xu Feng outside the base that day.
Hearing Shimokawa Den's question, Lurence sneered. "We've completed 90% in the East District. There's one target left, and we're in contact with him now.
"He's very firm in his stance, but his daughter is his weakness.
"Don't worry, Uncle. No one I set my sights on has ever escaped my grasp.
"I guarantee we'll complete the mission!"
"Good!" Lister chuckled, clearly pleased. "You've done very well."
Shimokawa Den's face darkened, and he immediately fell silent.
Lurence glanced at him and scoffed without saying a word.
"As for the West District..."
After the four team leaders had finished their reports, the imposing middle-aged man finally spoke in a cold voice. "Thank you all for your hard work. Our mission is crucial to our infiltration of Sky Moon Martial University. I expect every one of you to give it your utmost attention.
"These targets are the most valuable informants among the Martial Servants in Sky Moon Martial University's Shanty Town.
"If we can recruit all of them, our work from here on will be much easier.
"So I don't care what methods you use, whether threats or inducements. You must achieve at least an eighty percent success rate.
"Also, those we successfully recruit must be kept under our surveillance.
"As for those we can't recruit, we'll find a way to eliminate them later."
With that, the middle-aged man stood up solemnly. "Let's make the Eagle Alliance great again!"
"Make it great again!" The others rose and echoed him in low voices, their expressions grave.
After the meeting broke up, Lurence led his people back.
Only then did Liu Qinghong, the former president of the Light Swan Society who was walking beside him, lean close to his ear and speak quietly. "Team Leader, that Target Three is meeting someone tonight..."
After hearing the report, Lurence raised an eyebrow. "Meeting a member of the Patrol Squad?
"Hmm, your concern isn't unfounded. Better safe than sorry. Assign two more people to keep him under surveillance.
"Also, have you gotten me the list of students at the Martial University's elementary school?"
"We have. There are eight children in total. Their family members and addresses are all listed here."
Liu Qinghong smiled faintly and handed him a USB drive.
"Very good."
Lurence gave a sinister grin and pulled Liu Qinghong into his arms.
"Ah..." Though Liu Qinghong was already in her thirties, she still let out a girlish whimper as she struggled.
Lurence pressed against her soft body and asked in a low, predatory voice, "Are you free tonight? I'll take you out for a drink.
"I'm best at engineering and technology.
"Interested in discussing them with me?"
"You're awful." Liu Qinghong struggled free, her face flushed with embarrassment, only for him to pull her back into his arms.
The three martial artists following them all turned away and looked into the distance.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
It was half past eleven at night.
Xu Feng had just tucked Xiao Dan in and was lying in bed, about to practice Mind Movement, when someone cautiously knocked on his door.
Who could it be this late?
He took his knife in hand, went to the door, and checked the monitor.
Then, taken aback, he opened the door. "What is it, this late at night?"
Outside the door,
Lu Fei was dressed in leather, her pretty face flushed. With a bottle of alcohol in hand, she lurched headfirst toward Xu Feng.
Xu Feng caught her by the forehead and frowned at her. "Are you sober? Xiao Dan's asleep."
Lu Fei straightened up and said, her voice thick with drink, "I'm not looking for Xiao Dan. I'm looking for you!"
With that, she pushed past Xu Feng, walked into the room, and plopped down on the sofa.
That day, Lu Fei was dressed in black leather.
Her leather jacket and pants showed off her curvy, full, healthy figure.
It was completely unlike her usual style.
When something was out of the ordinary, there was usually a reason.
Xu Feng glanced at her, closed the door, then walked over and poured Lu Fei a cup of hot water.
He asked quietly, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. What could possibly be wrong with me? I'm Lu Fei!
"I'm the top student in my year at Sky Moon Martial University!
"I'm stronger than most boys! I'm an A-rank genius at Sky Moon Martial University! What could possibly be wrong with me?"
Lu Fei took the hot water and stared at Xu Feng with unfocused eyes, shouting.
Then she suddenly threw her arms around Xu Feng's neck, leaned close to his face, and stared at him. "Xu Feng, I want to cultivate with you..."
Cultivate together?
Xu Feng: "(ω)!?"
He pushed Lu Fei away, immediately figuring out what had happened.
Her family must have been pressuring her to marry, and she'd finally given up.
But was she treating him like a backup option?
Lu Fei had plenty of outstanding classmates around her. Why choose him?
Well, this forty-year-old man still had a certain charm.
Enough to win the heart of a genius martial artist, at least.
Xu Feng mocked himself, then took the cup from her and rolled his eyes. "What do you mean, cultivate together? It's just your family pressuring you to get married. Is it really worth this?
"Talk to your parents properly. Just explain what you want and how you feel.
"What can't you tell your own parents?"
"I—" Lu Fei began excitedly, but Xu Feng clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Keep your voice down. Xiao Dan's asleep," Xu Feng said crossly.
So this was all because a depressed, unmarried career woman was drinking and making a scene.
He couldn't help feeling exasperated.
But Lu Fei still wouldn't let it go. "Let's get married."
"No need." Xu Feng rejected her outright.
"Is there something you can't talk about?" Lu Fei began attacking him personally.
"I—damn it!"
Xu Feng took a deep breath.
But in the end, though he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, he wasn't the kind of man who would prey on someone in a vulnerable state.
"Forget it. I can't be bothered to argue with you. Drink your water."
Xu Feng helped the incoherent Lu Fei sit up and gave her the hot water.
Lu Fei drifted between being sober and drunk. As she drank, she clung to Xu Feng.
She rambled on about her "miserable circumstances" and "family pressure."
By the end, she was laughing and crying at once.
Fortunately, she still had enough sense not to break down and make a scene.
A little after one in the morning, Lu Fei finally ran out of things to say.
Leaning against Xu Feng's shoulder, she fell fast asleep.
Only then did Xu Feng sigh. He turned, picked up the crazy woman, and dropped her onto the bed.
He took off her shoes and covered her with a blanket.
"Just go to sleep."
Lu Fei turned over drowsily, hugged a pillow, and fell back asleep.
"I don't want to get married..."
Hearing her still mutter something like that, Xu Feng shook his head. He thought back to how she'd felt in his arms, then turned and lay down on the sofa.
A true gentleman didn't accept what was offered out of pity, especially when the woman was still out of her mind.
Xu Feng smiled coolly. "Hah. Women."
But after lying there for more than an hour,
he still couldn't quench the desire she'd stirred up in him.
"Damn it!"
In the end, Xu Feng got up, picked up his knife, and went to the backyard.
He would practice!
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