Chapter 41 (1/2)
Lapdog
After changing his clothes, shi+ Jin pushed Lian Jun into the dining hall closest to their villa
It was large, had both indoor and outdoor areas, and was decorated island-style There was a bouquet of fresh flowers on every table Simple but beautiful u to the eye
People in waiter's uniforreeted him one after another in well-practiced discipline
Lian Jun nore hiether in a relaxed atmosphere
shi+ Jin looked at them curiously, a little surprised If not for these waiters' trained movements, he would think this was an ordinary restaurant on a resort island, not an underworld organization's dining hall
Lian Jun pointed to an outdoor table, signaling shi+ Jin to push him there He settled at the table and picked up a , ”The fruit pie here is good, would you like to try it?”
shi+ Jin stopped studying patterns on the shade over his head and took in the long list of dishes on the menu He asked, taken aback, ”Just how many chefs did you hire?”
”None, all the chefs here are our own people,” Lian Jun answered, asking for two glasses of juice to be sent up
shi+ Jin was incredulous ”We have a chef departe of ”we,” reclined in his wheelchair and replied, ”No, there's no such thing—they set up all kinds of schools and training institutions, and run them themselves Sooner or later, my people will be free of this blood-soaked life I want them to be able to support themselves in the ordinary world”
This was the first time shi+ Jin heard Lian Jun talk about Annihilation's internal affairs In the past, he si what they were about He didn't dare ask toofor information, afraid it wouldn't be taken well Now that Lian Jun took the initiative to raise the subject, shi+ Jin couldn't help but ask, ”Jun-shao, are you planning to transform the entire Annihilation?”
Lian Jun nodded and pushed one of the glasses brought over by a waiter in front of shi+ Jin Once he realized the youngerto choose food for hinature fruit pie and seafood porridge along with a few light refreshments suitable for breakfast The waiter left, and he answered, ”My people followed me to hell and back I want to leave the shadows, and naturally, I' to take everyone with me People of the underworld don't abandon their brothers”
Those were the round boss-style words shi+ Jin ever heard Lian Jun say In that instant, he gained a new understanding of hianization in China It had considerable power in countries across the world, and itsto even i on the responsibility for all these people and their futures
Although Lian Jun was young and in poor health, he had all the hallreat leader
shi+ Jin took a sip of juice He glanced at Lian Jun with eyes full of admiration and went on, ”How many of these schools do we have? And, to support so et rid of your identity as an underworld boss but also become president of an international co into Annihilation's current situation and the progress of its transformation Lian Jun knew shi+ Jin was sihtforwardly: ”There are many, and radually spreading However, those are not things you need to know You're staying by erous place to be, but there is also the chance of being caught The specifics are highly confidential To prevent information leaks, you mustn't ask about it, especially not here”
shi+ Jin picked up the fruit slices decorating the juice glass and chewed the documents that Lian Jun had to approve personally, and how Gua One and the others seldo in understanding, he said, ”The compartmentalization of information, I see Even if there's a traitor or a spy, they can only obtain a limited amount of information”
This hat Lian Jun appreciated about shi+ Jin theether when it came to his duties and critical o, didn't ask questions he shouldn't or wonder about things he had no business wondering about He could see the bigger picture and was sufficiently thick-skinned
Such a person was an excellent choice—as a subordinate, as a friend, as a…
”Jun-shao? Jun-shao? Our breakfast is here Eat quickly, or it'll get cold”
A hand waved before his eyes and woke Lian Jun froh to be absent-minded in front of shi+ Jin He froze for a second, stunned, then gave the teenager a profound glance He sat up, picked up a spoon, and stirred the seafood porridge shi+ Jin pushed over After a while, he said abruptly, ”shi+ Jin, there are soht to know, to make a choice The transformation consists of two parts One is the transformation of revenue and business structures This isn't difficult to carry out, it's only a h not to look too closely at s, and we have a lot of capital What's actually difficult is the other part”
shi+ Jin asked, mouth full of fruit pie, ”What's that?”
Lian Jun found hi to look solerave only aour 'identity' Hoould you describe Annihilation?”
shi+ Jin sed his bite of fruit pie and frowned ”The biggest legal crianization in the country? It also cooperates with the government… That's about it?”
”More or less” Lian Jun stirred his seafood porridge again ”But history taught us that if society wants to develop steadily, thriving underworld organizations—even legitiratuitous We're an existence destined to be eliht if we don't want to perish The second part of the transfor people's 'perception' What ant is for the organization called Annihilation to no longer exist in the overnment officials and public Only then e be truly safe, and the transfor the underlyingto get rid of legal underworld organizations?”
Lian Jun looked at his wide-open eyes, and for sos he used to feel were heavy seeht now He nodded ”They've already started—Black Rose was the first A few years ago, Annihilation and Black Rose were of the saanizations the government feared Fortunately for us, we accuovernment backers, and our poas stable As such, the approach they adopted was 'amnesty and enlistment' rather than 'extermination'”
shi+ Jin's heart sank when he heard his words
So, the current situation was that Annihilation becaet rid of other underworld organizations As a reward for Annihilation ”understanding which direction the wind blows,” the govern the way it earned money—that is, to help it wash clean the stains of criminal business
But if that was the case, then Annihilation was a traitor and renegade of the underworld, and a target for all the other organizations—and that wasn't even aswas finished and the dust settled, would Annihilation—the last legal criovernment and knew its underhanded actions—really be let off just like that?
Let's say that most of the ”washed clean” o However, would Lian Jun, Gua One, and the other core members be allowed to live?
The ansas obvious: 'Once the birds are all killed, the bows are cast aside Once the rabbits are caught, the hounds are eaten too'
Annihilation's transformation was not an ordinary transfore For some people, there was no retreat route, and the road ahead was not necessarily bright
The fruit pie was not tasty anymore, the juice not sweet, and even the sea breeze beca A deep furrow appeared between shi+ Jin's brows He said, ”Jun-shao, historically, do you know the ands recruited by the iency has passed, ordinary iven and allowed to return to their villages to plow the fields and live their lives, but bandit leaders are usually beheaded It's just that soht crossed your hts surprised Lian Jun—the teenager didn't care he haplessly boarded a pirate shi+p but worried about the safety of the ”bandit leader” instead His gaze warmed He picked up a straw and poked shi+ Jin's frown, answering, ”Yes And don't you reood end, but their cronies too? A ht to choose Well then, this is your last chance: would you rather be an upright citizen or a lapdog of a bandit boss, likely to be put to death?”
Now that Lian Jun was in light enough ahi, he drained ulp, then said fiercely, ”My bandit boss is s, I'll be happy! At least following you, I can eat delicious spicy food!”
Lian Jun's lips curled, his ood He leaned back in the wheelchair and supported his chin on his hand ”No, you can only eat with s Only low-ranked minions are allowed to enjoy spicy food”
shi+ Jin dared to roll his eyes at hiet better I love spicy food, you can't deprive me of it”
Lian Jun couldn't help but chuckle His heart, which had always drifted full of uncertainty, slowly settled in his chest He took a look at shi+ Jin, eyed the seafood porridge, then pushed it aside and reached for the teenager's half-eaten fruit pie ”I'e, I want that”
shi+ Jin was dazed by his laughter, and it took hioing to do with you” expression, he surrendered his fruit pie
After that breakfast conversation, the distance between the two narrowed a lot shi+ Jin became bolder and more casual in front of Lian Jun, and Lian Jun tacitly consented
That afternoon, everyone gathered to discuss the R&R leave Gua One and the others noticed the subtle change but said nothing After the ed hi talk
So, when shi+ Jin went to Gua Six for his pass card, he found the way his new colleague watched hi He was a little older than Gua One, and pretty row up—he doted on him like a family elder would on a junior he was very fond of Now that this cherished junior suddenly found sos welled in the elder's heart
”Xiao Jin, right? You… how old are you?” Gua Six asked
shi+ Jin thought the , and lied shae difference is not so big to be unacceptable
Gua Six nodded and took out a blank pass card He extended his hand toward shi+ Jin: ”Please give me your ID card, I need to enter the information”
shi+ Jin obediently handed it over After it left his hand, he remembered his date of birth was on it, and his expression stiffened da
Gua Six already noticed the date of birth on the ID card He paused then looked at shi+ Jin, taken aback ”Didn't you round it up a bit too o