A deal sealed by moral persuasion

Late at night, around eleven, two SUVs stopped outside a five-star hotel.

In the lead vehicle, a young man in sportswear turned to Huang Wei. "The person you're meeting is very active in the Fraud Merchants' Association. His nickname is Dandan. Fifth floor, Haishang Sauna and Bath Center, sauna room 045."

Huang Wei looked at him in bewilderment. "We're just asking for information. Do we really need to take a bath? As if this wasn't enough trouble already."

"He said a naked transaction calls for a naked meeting." The young man shrugged. "You know how it is. Successful businessmen all have their own successful quirks."

"What a nutjob. Nothing but stupid rhymes." Huang Wei shut off the engine and called to Ren Ye, "Come up with me. Everyone else, wait here."

The two got out and headed straight for the hotel's side entrance.

On the way, Huang Wei gave Ren Ye a brief introduction to the Fraud Merchants' Association.

It was a fascinating organization under the Free Player Faction, with a clear founding creed. Its members believed that every transaction began as a self-serving act of fraud. Every deceptive pitch and trick served to achieve one's goals more effectively. Only hypocrites concealed that fact, constantly acting as though they were doing charity while preparing to fleece people.

However, the organization despised solving problems through violence, such as robbing fellow criminals or taking things by force. They believed only the idiots in the Chaos Faction would do that. It required absolutely no skill.

The Fraud Merchants' Association also believed that no transaction should involve discrimination or prejudice... even if a beggar wanted to buy two steamed buns from them, both parties stood as equals and deserved respect.

This approach made the Fraud Merchants' Association very popular among players. Players from both the Order Faction and the Chaos Faction enjoyed trading with them. Even official organizations maintained frequent contact with them in secret.

Rumor had it that the head of the Fraud Merchants' Association in Shanghai was a stunning woman, the dream girl of many infatuated players, though few had ever seen her.

Ren Ye and Huang Wei reached the hotel's fifth floor. After undressing in the changing room, they wrapped towels around their waists and entered sauna room 045.

A wave of dry heat hit them as soon as they stepped inside. Ren Ye looked up and saw a chubby young man sitting on a wooden bench, rubbing his ample chest.

"Han referred us. My surname's Huang," Huang Wei said, introducing himself.

"Hello there. I'm Dandan." The chubby young man nodded, sweating profusely as he greeted them. "Please, sit."

The two sat on either side of him, boxing him in.

Dandan wiped his sweat uneasily. "Let's get started, then. Tell me what you need."

"Mr. Dan, I need information on a few Bell Society members." Huang Wei studied his flushed face. "They should have arrived recently. Two of them go by Fat Dragon and Skinny Monkey..."

The fat man's expression suddenly changed. "You're investigating that incident in University Town?!"

"Yes," Huang Wei admitted with a nod. "Chaos Faction players hate the New Year's Watchers. It'll be easier for you to ask around among them."

The fat man picked up a towel and wiped his face. "Heh. If I'd known Han sent you here to ask about that, I wouldn't have shown up."

Ren Ye frowned at those words.

"But you picked the perfect place to meet, didn't you?" Huang Wei replied with a smile. "It's just the three of us in here. Nobody else will know how much I pay you or what you tell me."

Dandan looked at him with a guileless expression, his tone helpless. "Doing that would break a few rules. My principle is that I don't give clients leads for criminal investigations. Those idiot Copper Bells from the Bell Society dared to come to Shanghai and attack right outside the Police Station. That means someone higher up is backing them. If I screw them over... there'll be trouble down the line. You know those people are brainless psychos."

Huang Wei tilted his head at him. "Six thousand essence."

"This isn't about how much essence you offer." Dandan thought for a moment, then stood up. "Find someone else. I'll be entering the gate in two days. I need to head back and prepare."

"Eight thousand. Sixteen pieces is plenty, brother!" Huang Wei raised his offer again.

"We'll talk another time. Bye." Dandan remained firm. He wanted nothing to do with the job and simply waddled toward the door.

"Hold on!" Huang Wei suddenly stood.

Dandan turned around and pressed his palms together, pleading. "Brother, please don't make this difficult for me... how about this? Go upstairs and get yourselves a couple of massage therapists. Tonight's on me, okay?"

Huang Wei looked at him, his expression suddenly turning serious. "Hey, what did you just do?"

"Huh?"

Dandan was baffled. "What do you mean, what did I do?"

"I suspect you just attempted an illegal transaction with a New Year's Watcher." Huang Wei gave him a sidelong look. "That constitutes attempted information trafficking. I have sufficient grounds to take you in for questioning."

"Huh?!"

Dandan craned his neck, his small, flushed mouth hanging open. "...That's a little shameless, isn't it? You're the one who arranged this meeting!"

"On behalf of the Qingfu District New Year's Watchers, I'm formally notifying you that you must come with me for questioning. Please cooperate." Huang Wei stepped forward and gave Ren Ye a meaningful look.

The two boxed the little fat man in again.

"Do you have any evidence?!" Dandan glared. "Huh? What evidence do you have to accuse me of attempted information trafficking?"

Huang Wei calmly touched the top of his head, plucked a tiny listening device from his hair, and thrust it in Dandan's face. "My colleagues outside recorded everything we just said."

The little fat man stamped his feet in fury. "I fucking met you in a place like this, and you still managed to hide a bug? Why didn't you shove it up your ass?!"

"Stop wasting words on him. Let's go," Ren Ye said, giving Dandan a shove. "We can talk back there."

Dandan refused to back down. He stiffened his neck and shouted at Huang Wei, "If I'm guilty of attempted information trafficking, you're guilty of attempting to buy illegal information! Neither of us gets off!"

"I never said I'd get off. I'll undergo questioning right alongside you," Huang Wei replied, enunciating every word. "I'm willing to do time. Is that a problem?!"

"A suicide bomber?"

"Got a problem with that?" Huang Wei shot him a sidelong glance. "Now I suspect you're trying to assault a New Year's Watcher. Your shoulder just brushed against me..."

The two stared at each other. Boss Dandan clenched his fists and cursed through gritted teeth, "Fuck your mother!"

"You're verbally abusing a law enforcement officer!" Huang Wei's eyes suddenly turned blood-red, his arm muscles bulging as a murderous aura radiated from him. "I'm going to detain you for three days first, so you can get a taste..."

Boss Dandan glared at him and roared through clenched teeth, "Ten thousand! I'll do it for ten thousand, okay?!"

At those words, Huang Wei instantly withdrew his supernatural power and smiled, tugging Dandan's arm. "I'll give you twelve thousand. Calm down, and let's investigate this properly..."

Boss Dandan stared at the two, sweat covering his head. "If I ever do business with you again, I'm a fucking dog!"

Winning people over through moral persuasion was the most basic quality of a New Year's Watcher.

The three sat back down on the bench. Dandan fell quiet. After a long moment of thought, he suddenly asked, "You old bastard... you're not going to confiscate my illegal earnings as soon as the deal's done, are you?"

"Come on, am I that kind of person?!" Huang Wei slapped his thigh. "We'll keep in touch. This is a long-term partnership."

"Pay the essence first. That way, even if I'm arrested, I won't lose out." Dandan was meticulous in his thinking.

"Okay." Ren Ye agreed immediately on Huang Wei's behalf.

Twenty minutes later.

Dandan left the five-star hotel first and dialed a number. "I only found out after I got here that they wanted information on the criminal players from University Town... yeah, I wasn't going to agree at first, but that bastard threatened to arrest me for attempting to sell illegal information. I've never met such a shameless New Year's Watcher...!"

"Mm, then help them investigate. But keep this quiet. Keep it to yourself, and tell me first when you find anything."

"Okay, got it, boss." Dandan hung up and disappeared into the night, still swearing under his breath.

On the way back to headquarters.

As he drove, Huang Wei said helplessly, "Sigh. I never used to be like this. My reputation just keeps getting worse... Xu Peng, contact our superiors and get twenty thousand essence approved. Say it's for purchasing intelligence on the University Town case."

"I suggest forty thousand," Ren Ye cut in with a frown. "We may need more later."

"Good suggestion." Huang Wei nodded and added, "Xu Peng, apply for that amount."

"Oh." Xu Peng answered blankly.

About twenty minutes later, the group returned to 88 Lotus Lake Road.

Huang Wei, Gu Nian, Xu Peng, and the others all went to handle the follow-up work on the University Town case. They also needed to coordinate with the police.

Feeling troubled, Ren Ye walked into Xu Peng's office and saw Ren Qingning sitting in a chair, making call after call.

"Oh, you're back?" Hearing him, Ren Qingning stood and hurried over. "Where's Dad?! Why can't I reach him? His phone's switched off!"

Seeing the worry on his sister's face, Ren Ye felt overwhelmed with guilt, but he couldn't tell her outright that their father had disappeared.

After a brief silence, Ren Ye replied with a light smile, "As soon as something happened to you, I went to Dad's place. He's still working with his editor. Huang has arranged for plenty of police to keep watch. Nothing will happen."

"Oh, that's good." Relief appeared on Ren Qingning's pretty face.

Ren Ye walked over to a chair and sat down. With his head lowered, he struggled to say, "Qingning, you may have to stay here for the next few days. It's safer."

Ren Qingning stepped beside him and reached out her small hand to stroke her brother's head. "I don't know what you're doing, or even what this place really is, but I respect your choice, just like you two have always respected mine. We're family. Whatever you want to do, I'll support you."

At those words, Ren Ye suddenly felt his nose sting, and he lowered his head further. "Qingning... these past few years, I... I've made you and Dad worry so much."

His sister wrapped her arms around his head and said warmly, "Who doesn't have a few highs and lows in life? Why bring up this crap... are you trying to make me cry?!"

Ren Ye raised a hand and patted his sister's arm, saying nothing more.

That night, Gu Nian arranged for Ren Qingning to stay in a room behind the main building so she could rest comfortably. Shanghai's higher-level office also sent over a dozen additional New Year's Watchers to take turns on night duty. Security was now at its highest level.

That night, Ren Ye stood in Xu Peng's office with his hands in his pockets, looking out the window as his thoughts raced. He kept feeling that something was strange about his father's disappearance, but he couldn't pin down the crucial point.

All he could do now was wait for Dandan's reply.

Torment, unease, apprehension...

A day passed in a blur. It was after eight the following evening.

Huang Wei rushed into Xu Peng's office and shouted, "Dandan sent someone over with information. Come on, let's go!"

Whoosh!

Ren Ye sprang to his feet. "Information on whom?!"