Chapter Forty-Four: Testing the Waters

Is learning a foreign language fitting? Very fitting—extremely fitting. Nothing could be more apt. At least, it beats having a springtime dream.

Chen Duo tilted her head, looking at Ye Yan with a puzzled expression. “Should we wake up Uncle Liao first?”

“Let’s wait a bit,” Ye Yan replied, casually pulling out his phone from his pocket. He opened the video recorder and snapped several shots of the writhing Liao Zhong.

Tu Junfang, watching from the side, couldn’t help but frown at Ye Yan’s actions and asked, “Did he ever offend you?”

“No,” Ye Yan answered coldly.

Tu Junfang was speechless.

If he didn’t offend you, then why are you taking compromising photos of him? Are you planning to squeeze some benefits out of this? Tu Junfang shook his head, dismissing these strange thoughts.

“Well, you’ve seen the person, everything’s fine. Shouldn’t we get down to business now?”

“Business…” Ye Yan replied, still admiring the dark photos he’d just taken of Liao Zhong. “You’ll have to discuss that with someone else. I’m only here for him.” As he spoke, he pointed at Liao Zhong, wriggling on the chair like a maggot.

“Alright,” Tu Junfang said crisply. In his view, it didn’t matter whom he talked to—as long as these people were still useful, the other side wouldn’t dare do anything to him. His bargaining chip was weighty enough.

Ye Yan opened his earpiece communicator. “Chairman Huang, we’ve found Uncle Liao and the others. They’re unharmed. However, Tu Junfang wants to have a word with you…”

Ye Yan quickly relayed the situation to Huang Boran through the earpiece. Hearing that Liao Zhong and the others were safe, Huang sounded delighted, but when he learned they had all been awakened from their Three Corpses, his tone grew heavy.

“Give him the earpiece.”

After a moment’s thought, Huang finally agreed to Tu Junfang’s request for a conversation.

Ye Yan removed the earpiece and switched it to speaker, turning the volume to maximum. Soon, Huang Boran’s voice came through.

“Go on, how do you want to talk?”

“Why don’t you start by stating your position? If you’re not the one who can make decisions, this is just a waste of breath.”

Tu Junfang’s voice was slightly mocking.

“I’m one of the directors of Nowhere Unlimited, acting as interim head of the South China region. Now… am I qualified to speak with you, Three Corpses Fiend—Tu Junfang?”

“Of course,” Tu Junfang smiled.

A genuine director of Nowhere Unlimited, and standing in for a regional head—naturally he had the authority to decide Tu Junfang’s fate. There was no problem discussing terms. Tu Junfang glanced at Ye Yan, then slowly spoke, laying out his terms: “I’ll exchange the people in my hands for permission to leave here.”

“Do we have a deal?”

“The people in your hands?” Huang Boran sneered. “If I remember correctly, you are currently a prisoner. As a prisoner, you’re in no position to bargain with the company.”

“Perhaps,” Tu Junfang replied, still smiling.

He didn’t deny being a prisoner—after all, he had indeed fallen into Ye Yan and Chen Duo’s hands. There was nothing to argue about. A loss is a loss; there’s no point in hiding it.

But he had only lost to Ye Yan, not to Nowhere Unlimited. So, facing Huang Boran, Tu Junfang felt no pressure—he was perfectly calm.

“My current status is indeed that of a prisoner, but does that really change anything? The seeds of the Corpse Fiends have already been planted. If not handled properly, Liao Zhong and your employees will be haunted by Corpse Fiends for life.”

“You wouldn’t want that, would you, Chairman Huang?”

Tu Junfang lounged lazily, picking at his ear with his pinky, looking thoroughly bored.

“You’re threatening me?” Huang Boran’s voice shot up an octave, sounding like he was struggling to suppress his anger. As a director of Nowhere Unlimited, he was being openly threatened by a member of the Quansheng Sect.

“‘Threat’ is such an ugly word. This is business—a fair transaction. Chairman Huang, anger is bad for your health, and making things ideological is even more pointless.”

Tu Junfang wasn’t afraid of Huang Boran in the least.

As a master of Quansheng, notorious and feared, Tu Junfang had faced countless storms since his debut. A director of Nowhere Unlimited didn’t have what it took to frighten the infamous Three Corpses Fiend. There were people in this world who could make Tu Junfang yield, but as for truly fearing anyone—those were few and far between.

“Hmph!” Huang Boran snorted coldly, refusing to waste more words. “Tu Junfang, as a board member, my time is valuable.”

“There’s no need for pointless talk. I’ll give you two options.”

“First, remove the Corpse Fiends from Liao Zhong and the others and sever all ties with Quansheng.”

“Second, accept judgment.”

“Make your choice.”

Huang Boran’s stance was unexpectedly firm, but Tu Junfang wasn’t one to be cowed. He let out a cold laugh. “So, you have no sincerity. Is that what you’re saying, Chairman Huang? No deal, then?”

“Tu Junfang, I’m giving you a chance—a chance to cut ties with Quansheng and redeem yourself. I hope you don’t squander it.”

“Heh!” Tu Junfang scoffed. “We’re all adults here—no need for childish talk. Since you don’t value your own employees, Chairman Huang…”

“Then let us all die together.”

Tu Junfang’s voice grew lower, his expression turning ruthless. He seemed genuinely ready to take things to the bitter end.

“You talk so much about rules and justice, but in reality, you don’t even care about the lives of your employees. What a fine guardian of order. What a fine Nowhere Unlimited.”

“Utterly hypocritical. Disgusting.”

Tu Junfang’s gaze was contemptuous, but after a moment, his demeanor softened, and he said indifferently,

“To trade a mere Quansheng member for a South China squad and a regional head—by any measure, I’m the one getting the better deal.”

“This trade is more than fair for me.”

Hearing this, Huang Boran fell silent on the other end. After a moment, he sighed helplessly.

“A clumsy attempt at provocation…”

“Thank you for the compliment,” Tu Junfang retorted, refusing to back down.

After their brief probing, the conversation seemed to return to its starting point. “Release Liao Zhong and the others, remove the Corpse Fiends, and I’ll let you go.”

“No problem,” Tu Junfang replied decisively. “I’ll leave you a method to dispel the Corpse Fiends. As long as they follow the instructions, they’ll be able to rid themselves of the awakened fiends… What do you think?”

“How can I be sure it’ll work?”

“I can’t guarantee it,” Tu Junfang said bluntly.

“You can’t guarantee it, and you still dare to negotiate with me?” Huang Boran was getting annoyed, feeling like a monkey being toyed with.

But Tu Junfang didn’t care. He composed himself and spoke slowly,

“Everyone’s Three Corpses are different. The way to sever them varies from person to person. I can’t promise it’ll work—I can only offer a path.”