Chapter Nineteen: Terms

The next afternoon.

Inside a quiet café.

Xu Si sat in the corner, lost in thought.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Ye Yan, dressed in a black hoodie, jeans, and tawny leather boots, strolled in with a lazy air.

"You’re here."

Hearing the door, Xu Si stood up to greet him.

"Long time no see."

Upon entering, Ye Yan glanced around, saw that Xu Si was alone in the empty café, and finally sat opposite him with a calm demeanor.

On the table, two identical cups of mocha rested. Ye Yan took a sip without hesitation; the coffee was still warm, suggesting it hadn’t been served long.

Ye Yan smiled teasingly, "Impressive, you still remember what I like to drink. That’s rare."

"Ha."

Xu Si tossed him a cigarette, grinning brightly, "Don’t be so distant. We worked together, after all—little details like this stick."

He tapped his temple with a bent forefinger.

"Yeah." Ye Yan took the cigarette, lit it, and asked, "By the way, how’s the old man at your place?"

"Sigh."

Xu Si’s eyes dimmed, "Same as always, lying in bed, clinging to his last breath."

Just polite conversation.

Ye Yan didn’t say much more.

After a few more exchanges, Ye Yan glanced at his watch and said, "Let’s get straight to the point. I’m still on the clock—the lunch break is only two hours."

"You…" Xu Si gave him an exasperated look and couldn’t help but complain, "Leaf, you’re the third hero, for heaven’s sake. How come you’re still so unremarkable, with restrictions just to meet someone? Does the World Society really treat you like this?"

"Stop sowing discord."

Ye Yan rolled his eyes, smiling, "Nine-to-five is my dream life. So what if I’m the third hero? Are supernaturals not human?"

Xu Si wasn’t embarrassed at being called out. This guy simply had no concept of shame in his subconscious.

"Fine, I’ll get to business then."

"Recently, there’s been quite the stir in the supernatural world. First, your battle with Ding Shian drew everyone’s attention."

"Then Zhang Chulan appeared."

"And now, Dragon Tiger Mountain isn’t—"

Xu Si hadn’t finished before Ye Yan interrupted him, "Everyone already knows all that. Repeating it is pointless."

"Let’s be direct. Name your price."

At this moment, the reason for seeking Ye Yan was obvious to both. All the preliminaries were unnecessary.

Xu Si took a deep drag of his cigarette and said in a low voice, "You can go anywhere, and I’ll erase Xia He’s record. That’s the best offer I can make."

"Is that all?"

"Yes!"

Xu Si said firmly, "You’re an old hand in the circle, so you understand how much influence this requires."

"Not everyone can do it."

"This is the national system."

He lowered his voice at the last sentence.

Ye Yan didn’t respond immediately but pondered.

Anywhere, on the surface, was just a private courier company, but in reality, it was a colossal entity backed by the authorities, far larger than most realized.

They kept records on many supernaturals, including criminal histories and resumes.

If a supernatural broke the law and fell into Anywhere’s hands, these records became the basis for accountability.

Ye Yan had once worked with Anywhere and understood the organization more thoroughly than most.

For instance, the temps and secret strongholds—that’s the real power of Anywhere.

Xu Si’s offer was sincere, but after a moment’s thought, Ye Yan laughed, "There’s sincerity…"

"But it’s not enough."

Ye Yan spoke frankly.

If memory served, a year ago, he’d made the same offer to Anywhere, but they’d refused.

Negotiations broke down as a result.

Now, they brought the same price to the table.

Wielding the sword of the old regime against the officials of the new? Ye Yan was no longer the invisible figure he once was.

"This…"

Xu Si was stunned, not expecting Ye Yan’s response, momentarily at a loss.

He’d thought today’s meeting would be straightforward, nearly guaranteed—mainly because that woman belonged to All-Truth.

Yet Ye Yan’s attitude was unexpected.

It left Xu Si feeling unsure.

"What do you suggest?"

"I can accept the terms, but I need a few additional points," Ye Yan mused.

Since they were laying out terms, it was best to negotiate properly. But the one pressed for time wasn’t him—it was Xu Si.

Ye Yan could afford to wait.

He wasn’t in any hurry.

After all, it was Zhang Chulan under countless watchful eyes, and the mess was for the North China branch of Anywhere to handle.

"Terms are negotiable, but if you mention money, there’s nothing to discuss."

Xu Si, seasoned as he was, quickly regained composure. He rolled his eyes and shrugged, adopting an attitude of ‘no money, no life,’ which made Ye Yan chuckle.

"You…"

Ye Yan didn’t know what to say.

But he understood Xu Si’s reaction; after all, Anywhere was a national institution, with a complex structure—not like the World Society, led by Feng Zhenghao, who could offer astronomical sums to recruit Ye Yan.

"Anything but money is negotiable." After his tough act, Xu Si’s expression turned helpless.

Not even Ye Yan, nor Xu Si himself, a veteran of Anywhere for over a decade, got anything more than a regular paycheck.

Ye Yan smirked, "If it’s about money, isn’t staying in the World Society better? Why bother with all this?"

Xu Si knew this well; otherwise, he wouldn’t have come to Ye Yan. He was aware that lately, many were trying to win Ye Yan over.

The third hero was a hot commodity.

Yet Xu Si remained confident.

Their advantage was unmatched by any other faction. "Let’s talk terms first."

"Alright."

Ye Yan took a sip of coffee, wasting no time.

"In addition to what you mentioned, I need three extra conditions…"

"Let’s hear them."

"First, anything related to Xia He will be handled solely by me."

"Second, I can join Anywhere, but until Uncle Feng becomes one of the Ten Elders, I’ll still consider myself a member of the World Society."

"Third, transfer Duoduo to North China."

"That’s all."

Ye Yan held up three fingers.

"Damn, damn—"

Xu Si exclaimed twice, the first out of astonishment at Ye Yan’s bold demands, the second as his cigarette fell onto his thigh, making him cry out from the burn.