Invitation, Exposure, and Farewell

"Sand wall."

The two words echoed clearly in the silent observation room, like two ice beads hitting the smooth floor.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. The Skinny and the man with High Cheekbones standing behind K trembled violently, their heads drooping even lower, almost burying themselves in their chests, and they held their breath. They seemed to have already foreseen the unpredictable and terrifying reaction that their boss might have after being so bluntly insulted.

However, Xie Yunchuan's reaction surprised everyone.

He was stunned for a moment, then--

"Pfft... Hahahaha!"

He clapped his hands and burst into an even more hearty and loud laugh than before, laughing so hard he bent over and his Glasses slipped down to the tip of his nose.

"Good! Good! Good!" he repeated, laughing, his voice filled with genuine appreciation and delight. "Interesting! Very interesting! It's been such a long time... such a long time since I've met someone who dared to talk to me like that!"

He straightened up, wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes, adjusted his Glasses, and looked at K with even more fervent eyes, the kind of excitement a hunter feels when discovering a rare beast.

"I admire you more and more!" Xie Yunchuan's tone was resolute. "Work with me! If we join forces, we can definitely make this business bigger and more... perfect!"

He stepped forward, his voice low and seductive, as if sharing a secret:

"I've heard you have many 'enemies'? I understand that obsession, but it's too low-level and a waste."

He pointed to the glass, as if Wei Guangyuan and Qian Zhiming's corpses were still there. "I can help you! I can help you 'invite' your enemies here, one by one. Let them, while still conscious, watch as they are dismantled and turned into valuable 'parts.' Isn't that more interesting, more... more efficient than simply killing them? That's the art of revenge, and a model of optimal resource allocation!"

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone suddenly taking on a touch of the "wisdom" and "world-weariness" of someone who had been through it all:

"Furthermore, as someone who has been through it, let me give you a piece of advice. Making 'revenge' your sole goal in life is incredibly empty. Even if you kill and crush all your enemies, what then? You'll find yourself standing on ruins, with only an even greater void in your heart. You need a more noble and enduring cause to fill your life, instead of being led by the nose by those base hatreds."

He spoke with such sincerity that it seemed he was genuinely guiding a lost genius.

K listened to his long, tempting, and "philosophical" persuasion, but his face remained unmoved. He merely tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the cold glass behind Xie Yunchuan, as if he were deep in thought.

The observation room was quiet for a few seconds, with only the low hum of the ventilation system.

Then, K slowly shook his head, his voice as steady as ever. "Not interested."

He refused again, without any hesitation or ambiguity.

He paused, then added a reason, his gaze shifting from the glass back to Xie Yunchuan's face:

"Furthermore, I don't think what you're doing is anything 'great'."

Xie Yunchuan's smile faded slightly, but his interest intensified, as if he was eagerly anticipating what insightful comments K might offer.

K didn't look at him, but turned slightly to the side and gestured with his eyes to the Skinny and the guy with High Cheekbones who had been standing behind him with his head down.

"At least," K's voice was calm, yet as precise as a scalpel, "A truly 'great' undertaking wouldn't be done by two addicts who can't even control themselves."

The Skinny and his High Cheekbones shuddered violently at the same time, their heads drooping even lower, and the cold sweat seeping from the back of their necks was almost visible.

K continued in a factual tone, "These kinds of people, once their addiction kicks in, will betray anyone and anything for even a little bit of powder. They are the most unstable and easily broken link in the whole chain. Entrusting crucial matters to them is like handing a delicate scalpel to a trembling drunkard."

His analysis was calm and ruthless, pointing directly to the core risks.

After listening, Xie Yunchuan's expression became somewhat strange. It was a mixture of amusement, understanding, and a hint of cruel smile. He gave a soft "Oh" and adjusted his Glasses.

"You mean those two..." Xie Yunchuan's tone became relaxed, even a little teasing, "It's a misunderstanding. They... were faking it."

"Pretending?" K's tone raised slightly for the first time, but he still didn't turn around to see the reactions of the two people behind him, his gaze remaining fixed on Xie Yunchuan.

"Yeah," Xie Yunchuan shrugged, as if recounting a funny little story, "They're afraid of me. Afraid that one day... well, if I get the mood, or feel they're no longer useful, I'll invite them to that operating table up there too."

He pointed to the other side of the glass, his tone matter-of-fact.

"So, they came up with a 'brilliant idea'." Xie Yunchuan laughed, a knowing mockery in his smile. "They started pretending to be drug addicts, making themselves look like neither human nor ghost. Because in their shallow understanding, someone like me who pursues 'perfection' and 'aesthetics' would definitely despise drug addicts, these 'defective products,' and wouldn't even bother to touch them."

He paused, his gaze behind his glasses turning cold and critical, as if he were evaluating two inferior goods.

"They're right. Drug addicts... in my eyes, they're utterly devoid of beauty. Their livers are like sponges eaten by worms, their kidneys shrink to the size of a ping-pong ball, their nervous systems are riddled with holes, their blood vessels are as fragile as paper... from a medical, anatomical, and aesthetic point of view, they're complete garbage, not even qualified to be 'teaching specimens.'"

His tone was full of pure, technical contempt.

Then, his voice suddenly turned cold, his gaze seemingly piercing through K, shooting directly at the two trembling "fellow Daoists" behind him, and he spoke clearly, word by word:

"However, they seem to have forgotten one thing."

"If they really dared to touch those things just for acting, turning themselves into real 'defective products'..."

Xie Yunchuan's lips curled into a cruel smile.

"Then I wouldn't bother getting them onto the operating table at all."

"I will simply stuff them, along with their filthy blood and organs, into the crematorium."

"Burned alive."

He spoke the last four words softly, yet they struck the Skinny and the man with the High Cheekbones like a hammer blow. They shuddered violently, their faces turning deathly pale, almost unable to stand, their teeth chattering slightly. They knew their boss was no joke.

After Xie Yunchuan finished speaking, as if he had only dealt with a trivial matter, he turned his enthusiastic gaze back to K.

"Well? Now you understand? Here, there's no useless people, only useful people and... soon-to-be-dispose-of trash." He extended the invitation again, lowering his stance even further, "Work with me. You need a bigger stage, and I need someone like you... a clear-headed individual."

K remained silent, meeting his gaze. The fanaticism, obsession, wisdom, and cruelty in Xie Yunchuan's eyes intertwined, forming a highly attractive and dangerous vortex.

A few seconds later, K seemed to seriously consider it.

Then, he shook his head again.

"I have more important things to do." His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable sense of finality. "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."

He didn't explain what the "more important thing" was, but his resolute attitude made Xie Yunchuan understand that any further persuasion would be futile.

The fervor and anticipation on Xie Yunchuan's face slowly receded like the tide. He gave K a deep look, his gaze complex, containing regret, admiration, and perhaps even a hint of barely perceptible... apprehension?

But he did not stop him.

"Alright." Xie Yunchuan sighed, seemingly genuinely regretful. He straightened his suit cuffs, and his face regained its usual gentle, social smile.

He extended his hand again, this time with a standard and formal gesture, like a farewell at the end of a business meeting.

"Let's get to know each other formally again, Xie Yunchuan. It's a pity we can't work together this time, but I hope... there will be opportunities in the future." His words left much to the imagination.

K looked at his outstretched hand, paused for a second, and then extended his own hand.

Their hands clasped again. This time, it was just a routine greeting.

The moment they shook hands, K spoke, uttering a simple name:

"K."

There was no surname, no title, only a single letter code.

A knowing glint flashed in Xie Yunchuan's eyes. He nodded and released his grip.

"K. I understand." He smiled and stepped aside, making way for the door to the observation room.

K said no more, nodded slightly, turned around, and walked towards the door.

The Skinny and the High Cheekbones felt like they'd been granted a pardon. They quickly jogged to catch up, picked up the black blindfold again, and carefully led K away from the observation room filled with the smells of disinfectant, blood, and madness.

Xie Yunchuan stood alone, watching K's departing Back View until the airtight door slid shut silently, cutting off his view.

The gentle smile on his face gradually faded, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cold, hard scalpel blade in his suit pocket, and a deep, unfathomable light flickered in his eyes behind his glasses.