Chapter 563 - 331: Using Your Head

Lin Chu pursed his lips and couldn't help but chuckle.

After a moment of thought, he tossed out another stack of cash, about fifty thousand USD.

"I'll leave this to you."

Vincent took the money, stood up with a smile, and nodded again in acknowledgment. "On his behalf, I thank you for your generosity. I will give him this money after he disembarks and have him sign a strict non-disclosure agreement."

'Some people just can't be treated too well. The moment they sense you might be willing to back down, they're likely to push their luck and screw things up.'

Lin Chu looked at him and chuckled again.

"Vincent, you must have been a great boxer in the past. The kind that fought with his head."

"Oh, right. Come, take a look. This woman, the pianist on the ship, is she one of your employees?"

"If possible, I'd like to hear her play a piece in my cabin tonight before I go to sleep."

By now, Lin Chu had completely relaxed. He had more or less turned the cruise ship into his own home turf, so naturally, he could indulge in this beautiful evening all the more.

'After all the shit I've pulled, I'm allowed to unwind a bit, right?'

'Those two Broadway actors I was just chatting with were fine, but there was a bit of a cultural disconnect. Plus, there was no 'goddess' mystique. Anything that can be had so easily with money just isn't... valuable.'

After glancing at the video feed, Vincent was momentarily taken aback, but he chuckled again. "As you wish, sir. I'll go coordinate."

By comparison, this was a very, very small matter.

...

「Meanwhile.」

In the security office on a lower deck, Liu Chenhui was interrogating Han Xingmin, who was tied to a chair.

'Without a doubt, the man already knew his and Lin Chu's true identities.'

'It went without saying, then, that he had to be connected to the "Club."'

'He didn't know how much the man knew, but this person would definitely be useful to Brother Chu.'

'After all, even Brother Chu only had a partial understanding of the Club's affairs.'

"Who is your boss?"

Liu Chenhui raised an eyebrow, lit a cigarette for the man, and sat down across from him, looking as if he were settling in for a heart-to-heart chat.

"I don't have a boss. I took this job offline. A big shot in Seoul hired me to investigate everything about Mr. Lin. But they probably know everything about you two already."

"To be honest, if the intel hadn't been so precise, I never would have guessed you had other identities."

There were no guards in the security office, and the surveillance cameras were off. Han Xingmin spoke freely.

'Some things could be said, some couldn't.'

'He knew that very well.'

'His primary task right now was to get out of this, and at the same time, not expose his boss.'

'He had already woven an entire story for this purpose.'

Liu Chenhui stared at him intently and took a deep breath. "I'm giving you ten minutes to reconsider. After ten minutes, if I confirm you've given me false information, I'll throw you overboard to feed the sharks."

As he spoke, Liu Chenhui stood up, picked up the laptop from the table, took a picture of the man, and immediately began verifying his identity in a dark web chat group.

President Gao was very proficient with this channel. Although the team wasn't his, as long as he paid, he could buy their services effortlessly.

'He didn't want to use any more violence on the man before him.'

'There was no need for it.'

'Why make things so bloody?'

'The most important thing Liu Chenhui felt he had learned from Lin Chu was that there were no rules. The second was to use his brain.'

"Hey, it's not that serious, is it..."

"I'm telling the truth..."

Han Xingmin took a deep drag from his cigarette, using his lips to move it to the corner of his mouth. Watching the other man's fingers fly across the keyboard, a quiet panic began to bloom in his heart.

'He knew very well that in the hands of a powerful chaebol, personal information was almost completely transparent.'

'If they really investigated, there was no way he could hide anything.'

'But...'

'Considering the consequences of betraying his boss, his thoughts instantly fell into chaos.'

'This move was truly vicious. He had no way to resist it at all.'

Liu Chenhui looked at the laptop screen, having already sent the request to President Gao. He then looked at the man with a blank expression and glanced at his watch. "If you're not lying, what are you so flustered about?"

"The countdown has already lost almost a minute."

"You still have time."

Crossing his legs, Liu Chenhui spoke casually. After a moment's thought, he also quickly gave President Gao a brief report of what had happened that night.

'Information still needed to be shared.'

There was a new email in his inbox from Lu Ming.

He had spoken with Lu Ming that afternoon. Lu Ming was already searching for the "National Gift Porcelain." He was now reporting back that he had made contact. There were currently two owners of the National Gift Porcelain—one German and one from the United States—and he was contacting them separately.

However, it would take a little more time to seal the deal, so Brother Chu shouldn't worry for now.

Reading the email, a smile spread across Liu Chenhui's lips. This feeling was pretty good. To be honest, Brother Chu really did have a lot of brothers, and every single one of them was reliable.

'Of course, he was one of them too.'

'From their time in the small town until now, that initial feeling of "we're in deep trouble" had almost completely vanished from his heart. Now, it was just a matter of dealing with problems as they came.'

'This world, a world like this, was truly magnificent.'

'It made your heart race at every moment, even making you feel like you were participating in the march of history.'

'If Brother Chu could really take over the vast majority of the "Club's" assets... Liu Chenhui couldn't even imagine how high his status would become, or how great his contribution to the country would be.'

'But without a doubt, it would be high. Sky-high.'

"Eight minutes."

Glancing at the time, Liu Chenhui spoke again. President Gao hadn't replied yet, but he had already arranged for the check.

Beads of sweat began to appear on the forehead of the Korean man before him. His lips were pale, and a long ash drifted from the corner of his mouth.

'No doubt about it, this guy was definitely lying earlier.'

'He'd never really played this kind of psychological game before. Now that he was experiencing it, he had to admit, it was pretty effective. Creating a storm from silence. And... elegant. Fucking elegant.'

'You really do have to use your brain to get things done.'

Hearing the countdown reminder, Han Xingmin's hands, tied behind the chair, twitched slightly. But the bonds were tight, showing no sign that he could break free.

In the two minutes that had just passed, his mind had raced from his boss to his mother at home, his beautiful wife, his adorable daughter... Then, looking at the big man sitting across from him, he was suddenly struck by the feeling that life could hold such moments of utter despair.

'He suddenly understood what it must have been like, all those years ago, when he personally witnessed Mr. Lu leap from the cliff.'

His sharp Adam's apple bobbed. He spat out the cigarette butt, which had burned down so far it was scalding his lips, and took a deep breath.

"How do you... change your faces? And create fake identities? This is my last request. Tell me, and I'll tell you everything I know."

He didn't wait for the final countdown, making his decision quickly. At a time like this, a cooperative attitude might be more satisfying to his captor.

'The struggles back in Seoul were truly nothing compared to the storm he was in now... It was like a greenhouse flower facing a tree that had weathered thunderstorms.'

"Fine. No problem."

"After we disembark, you can have my identity, my passport, and the high-tech leather mask I'm wearing."

"Now, start by telling me who your boss is."

Liu Chenhui smiled and said nonchalantly.

'Got him.'

Hearing this, Han Xingmin's eyes lit up slightly. 'The other man's... identity?'

'It was a very tempting offer. At the very least, it could buy him some time to act.'

'It was better than being thrown into the sea to feed the sharks, right?'

'From what he'd gathered about these two men so far, they would absolutely do something like that. They were completely reckless and lawless.'

'And out here on a cruise ship at sea, the boundless ocean would swallow everything.'

"Mr. Jin. His name is Jin Bingzou. He's the chairman of Bai Chuan Pharmaceutical in Seoul. He's ranked twelfth on the rich list and is also the youngest on it, having just turned forty-one this year."

"Mr. Jin's mission for me was surveillance—just surveillance—to investigate everything about Mr. Lin Chu."

"We communicated through the dark web via email. I can give you my account and password... but I've already completely deleted all previous correspondence..."

He quickly and thoroughly confessed.

...

...