Chapter 360: Island

The island remained quiet.

For approximately...

Thirty seconds.

Shen Tian stood near the enormous windows.

Phone in hand.

The photograph remained on the screen.

Chen Lihua.

Bound.

Alive.

Behind her...

The silver serpent wrapped around a black crown.

And beneath the coordinates...

Three words.

COME ALONE, VILLAIN.

Shen Tian stared.

Then...

His thumb moved.

He saved the photograph.

Xu Ning blinked.

[That’s it?]

"What?"

[They threatened you.]

"Yes."

[They kidnapped Chen Mo’s mother.]

"Yes."

[They know you’re a villain.]

"Apparently."

[And your response is to save the picture?]

Shen Tian looked toward her.

"I need the address."

Xu Ning stared.

Then...

[You are disturbingly calm.]

"They want a reaction."

[And?]

"I’m not giving them one."

Xu Ning slowly smiled.

[There he is.]

Shen Tian looked back toward the photograph.

His expression remained relaxed.

But...

His green eyes weren’t.

The system immediately began analyzing everything.

Lighting.

Architecture.

Background objects.

Floor material.

Chair construction.

Electrical outlets.

Wall paint.

Camera quality.

Possible regional manufacturing markers.

Xu Ning’s expression became focused.

[Coordinates point to southern France.]

"Exact?"

[Industrial property outside Marseille.]

"Ownership?"

[Searching.]

Shen Tian glanced back.

The lounge remained filled with sleeping women.

Some had stayed awake longer than others.

Qin Ruobing was still sitting beside Ling Shuangxue.

Chu Luoshen had fallen asleep with a book resting against her chest.

Gu Qingya’s tablet remained loosely held in one hand.

Lin Yue’s phone rested beside her.

Bai Xue...

Was awake.

Shen Tian noticed immediately.

She sat in the corner.

Still.

Her apple forgotten.

Their eyes met.

Bai Xue looked toward the phone in his hand.

Then...

Toward his face.

Her playful expression was gone.

"Problem?"

Shen Tian didn’t answer immediately.

That was enough.

Bai Xue stood.

Rose moved next.

Her eyes opened.

Years of mercenary conditioning didn’t disappear simply because she was sleeping on a comfortable sofa.

"What happened?"

Shen Tian looked toward her.

Rose saw his expression.

She was awake instantly.

Fully awake.

"Who?"

Her voice changed.

Cold.

Professional.

That woke Ling Shuangxue.

Then Qin Ruobing.

Then Gu Qingya.

One by one...

The room changed.

Shen Tian sighed.

"So much for letting everyone sleep."

Bai Xue walked toward him.

"You’re terrible at sneaking away."

"I wasn’t sneaking."

Rose stood.

"You moved Lingxi’s head onto a pillow."

Shen Tian paused.

Rose crossed her arms.

"That’s sneaking behavior."

Chi Lingxi’s eyes opened.

"...what?"

She sat up.

Hair slightly messy.

Expression confused.

Then...

She realized Shen Tian was standing across the room.

Her eyes sharpened.

"What happened?"

Shen Tian stared.

Then...

At Xu Ning.

"This is your fault."

[How?]

"I don’t know yet."

Xu Ning looked offended.

. . .

Ten minutes later.

Everyone was awake.

Nobody was happy about it.

Mostly because it was after midnight.

But...

The moment Shen Tian placed the photograph on the main screen...

Any complaints disappeared.

Silence.

Chen Lihua’s bound figure filled the display.

Qin Ruobing’s expression changed first.

"Who is she?"

"Chen Mo’s mother."

Ling Shuangxue looked toward Shen Tian.

"The young man from Tianlong Mountain?"

"Yes."

Gu Qingya leaned forward.

"She was supposed to be missing."

"She was."

"Apparently someone found her."

Bai Xue stared at the symbol behind Chen Lihua.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Zoom in."

Shen Tian did.

Silver serpent.

Black crown.

Bai Xue became silent.

Rose noticed.

"You know it?"

"Maybe."

Shen Tian looked toward her.

Bai Xue walked closer to the screen.

Her playful personality disappeared completely.

This was the Bai Xue who controlled underground networks.

The woman who had built influence through people most respectable businessmen pretended didn’t exist.

She studied the symbol.

Then...

"Not personally."

"Then?"

"I’ve heard stories."

Rose crossed her arms.

"From where?"

"Smugglers."

"Arms brokers."

"People who move things between borders without customs asking questions."

Gu Qingya frowned.

"Human trafficking?"

Bai Xue’s expression became colder.

"Sometimes."

The room changed.

Chu Mei’s face tightened.

Chu Chuchu stopped leaning against her.

Lin Yue stared at the photograph.

Bai Xue continued.

"There are certain buyers nobody wants to deal with."

"Not because they don’t pay."

"They pay extremely well."

"But people disappear after working with them."

Rose asked quietly.

"Crowned Serpent?"

Bai Xue nodded.

"That’s one name."

"Others call them the Crown."

"Or Serpent Foundation."

"Or Silver Crown."

"Depends on the country."

Shen Tian looked toward Xu Ning.

She nodded.

[Matches fragmented system records.]

Bai Xue continued.

"They buy strange things."

"Old artifacts."

"Medical samples."

"Blood."

Lin Yue’s eyes sharpened.

"Blood?"

"Specific blood."

"Family bloodlines."

"Rare genetic disorders."

"People with unusual physical abilities."

Lin Yue stood.

Her exhaustion vanished.

"How long?"

"Decades."

"Why hasn’t anyone exposed them?"

Bai Xue smiled without humor.

"People tried."

"And?"

"They disappeared."

Silence.

Shen Tian looked at the symbol again.

"Interesting."

Rose stared at him.

"That’s your reaction?"

"Would you prefer scared?"

"No."

"Then interesting."

Rose sighed.

. . .

Ling Shuangxue stood.

"Send me the coordinates."

Shen Tian looked toward her.

"Why?"

Her eyebrow rose.

"Because I’m going to find the property records."

"Xu Ning is already doing it."

Silence.

Ling Shuangxue stared.

Of course...

She couldn’t hear Xu Ning.

Shen Tian paused.

Right.

"Someone is already searching."

Ling Shuangxue crossed her arms.

"Someone?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

Shen Tian looked toward invisible Xu Ning.

Xu Ning smiled.

[Good luck.]

Traitor.

Shen Tian looked back toward Ling Shuangxue.

"A very competent employee."

Ling Shuangxue narrowed her eyes.

"Name?"

"Confidential."

"Shen Tian."

"Shuangxue."

Their eyes met.

Then...

Qin Ruobing laughed.

Both turned.

She smiled.

"You two already sound married."

Absolute silence.

Ling Shuangxue froze.

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

Qin Ruobing calmly lifted her tea.

Ling Shuangxue’s cheeks became crimson.

"Mother."

"What?"

"Why?"

Qin Ruobing smiled.

"Stress relief."

Bai Xue laughed.

Rose covered her mouth.

Tang Meilin looked delighted.

Shen Tian nodded.

"Effective."

Ling Shuangxue immediately glared at him.

"Don’t encourage her."

Shen Tian smiled.

"Too late."

. . .

Gu Qingya approached the screen.

"Even if we identify the building, going directly there is exactly what they expect."

Shen Tian nodded.

"Correct."

Tang Meilin looked toward him.

"So you’re not going?"

"I didn’t say that."

Her expression flattened.

"Of course."

Ruan Yizhen leaned forward.

"Then what’s the plan?"

Shen Tian looked around.

Everyone.

Old heroines.

New heroines.

His mother.

His sister.

Then...

He shook his head.

"First..."

"We decide who isn’t going."

Silence.

Every woman stared.

Shen Tian immediately regretted the sentence.

Chi Lingxi crossed her arms.

"Try again."

"I didn’t say you’re not going."

"You implied it."

"I said we decide."

Rose nodded.

"Good."

Bai Xue smiled.

"Democracy."

Shen Tian stared.

"No."

Bai Xue blinked.

"No?"

"My plane."

"My island."

"My operation."

"Not democracy."

She laughed.

"Dictatorship?"

"Efficient management."

Gu Qingya nodded.

"I actually agree with him."

Everyone looked toward her.

She shrugged.

"Twenty people entering a hostage extraction operation is stupid."

Shen Tian pointed.

"Exactly."

Chu Zijin raised her hand.

Everyone looked.

She slowly lowered it.

"I was going to say something."

"What?"

"I realized it would probably prove her point."

Shen Tian smiled.

"Growth."

Chu Zijin glared.

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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)

SEND POWESTONES!!!

ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!