Chapter Sixty: Cunning and Devious

Chapter Sixty: The Old Fox

It was not the secret base one might have imagined.

Shen An followed Bai Weiwei to an unremarkable family home.

It was a typical courtyard house.

Bai Weiwei rang the doorbell, and before long, a man came to open the door.

Shen An observed him closely, noting that this man was far from ordinary; his strength was considerable.

With just a glance, Shen An followed Bai Weiwei inside.

A few steps later, they entered the living room, where an elderly man sat beside a woman wearing white-framed glasses.

“Young friend Shen, you’re here. Please, sit.”

The host smiled and gestured to a seat in front.

Shen An nodded and took the seat opposite him. Bai Weiwei, seeing this, stood respectfully at the elder’s other side.

“Sir, may I ask how I should address you?” Shen An inquired politely.

“Just call me Old Ji,” the elder responded, his demeanor relaxed and free of pretension.

“I am already aware of your situation. Regarding the matter of sharing information, I’d like to hear your thoughts.” Old Ji wasted no time and spoke directly.

Seeing this, Shen An did not hesitate and began.

“Old Ji, as you know, the Chen family’s business has now become Future Group. Their actions have turned away from humanity, and many Awakened outside are still in hiding, not showing themselves.”

Shen An spoke with calm confidence: “From what I know, the Awakened who remain hidden far outnumber those currently in the public eye.”

The elder’s brows furrowed. Noticing Shen An pause, he asked curiously, “How can you be so sure, young friend Shen? Are you saying you know more about the Awakened than we do?”

He clearly disliked Shen An’s apparent exaggeration.

“I know a bit.” Shen An smiled faintly, undisturbed by the elder’s expression.

The woman beside Old Ji smiled as well.

The woman in the white-framed glasses spoke: “If you already know about the other Awakened, why do you need to share information?”

Her tone was filled with skepticism and a hint of disdain for Shen An.

“Heh, mental-type Du Xinyue, your identity is unknown even to Bai Weiwei here. Am I right?” he said, casting a meaningful glance at Old Ji. When Old Ji remained silent, Shen An continued.

“You were once a psychologist. After the first great upheaval, you discovered you could hypnotize people. Since then, your mental power has grown daily. Now, you can create illusions and cloud the five senses.”

With each sentence, Du Xinyue’s face grew paler.

“That’s enough. There’s no need for you to say any more,” she said loudly, her composure completely lost.

Old Ji frowned.

He himself did not know these things so clearly. How could this young man know so much?

“How did you find this out, young friend Shen?” he asked.

Shen An shook his head. “Old Ji, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but it concerns some personal secrets, so…”

“Very well, I won’t press further,” Old Ji said, choosing not to pursue the matter.

Turning to the woman whose face was still pale, Old Ji said, “You may leave now.”

Du Xinyue quickly looked up, her gaze landing on Shen An. She shot him a glare before turning and departing.

Bai Weiwei was also shocked by Shen An’s words. She herself knew nothing of Du Xinyue’s true identity—how could Shen An know in such detail?

Yet at this moment, Bai Weiwei stood quietly by, acting only as a bodyguard.

“Though this is a partnership, for you it brings more benefit than harm. Here is a list of Awakened I’ve compiled. Many of them are not officially registered. I hope it will be useful to you.”

Shen An handed over the document, placing it on the table.

Old Ji didn’t hesitate, taking it and handing it to Bai Weiwei.

“Check these names and report back to me shortly.”

Bai Weiwei nodded and quickly left.

“Young man, it seems your achievements aren’t as simple as they appear,” Old Ji said, growing more intrigued by Shen An.

This young man, who seemed quiet and unassuming, actually possessed a wealth of information.

Some of the names he provided were registered individuals.

Of course, Old Ji suspected this was deliberate on Shen An’s part—a way to show that his knowledge extended far beyond what was written.

Shen An had revealed a little, but what he withheld was even more enigmatic. That was what truly made him difficult to fathom.

“In fact, there’s another reason I asked you here,” Old Ji said, sipping his tea and gazing thoughtfully at Shen An.

“Please go ahead, Old Ji,” Shen An replied.

“The powder has been analyzed. It’s a forbidden drug, and its potency is even fiercer than those before. It damages the body’s core, and after taking it, one may be ruined for life. But it also grants a significant, permanent boost in strength.”

“Do you understand what this means?”

He looked at Shen An, seeking his interpretation—though perhaps he already knew the answer, he wanted to hear Shen An’s view.

Shen An pondered for a moment, recalling Xu Tianming, and said, “Someone intends to manufacture an army of strongmen artificially?”

A sharp light flashed in Old Ji’s eyes, and he nodded approvingly.

The four great families were now down to three. The Chen family possessed forbidden drugs and viruses; as for the others, he could not say.

“You want me to investigate their secrets?”

“Yes,” Old Ji replied without pretense.

Shen An shook his head.

“I haven’t even figured out Chen’s business yet, and there’s plenty to deal with. Besides, I have no idea how many eyes are watching me. Old Ji, you’re making things difficult for me.”

Shen An felt a headache coming on.

This elder was truly shrewd—not letting him gain any advantage for free, intent on squeezing all remaining value from him and binding him tightly to their cause.

Beneath the kind exterior was a masterful manipulator.

Such is the nature of an old fox.

“Furthermore,”

Shen An could no longer endure—he was furious.

“There’s more?”

He stared at Old Ji, eyes wide, surprised by the endless demands.

He had already made one request and handed over his information, yet Old Ji seemed determined to keep him firmly within his grasp.

“Don’t be impatient, this is a good thing, and it won’t harm you in any way,” Old Ji said with a smile.

Shen An was certain he could not trust Old Ji’s definition of a good thing.

“We are unable to handle certain matters at present. For those threats to humanity you mentioned, I hope you will take charge. The benefits will be yours.”

Hm?

Shen An turned, surprised—he wasn’t sure what Old Ji meant.

From his words, it seemed this might actually be a favorable opportunity.

“Can Bai Weiwei be under my command?” he suddenly asked.

Old Ji gave Shen An a meaningful look. “She can follow your orders, but only reasonable ones.”