If it were any other trinket, Jing Xi would have accepted it, but this was made from his own fur.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Chi Yao’s expression turn cold. He was suddenly amused and reached out to take it.

“It’s very cute—”

But before his hand could touch the felt charm, Chi Yao snatched it away.

Chi Yao flipped the rabbit-head charm in his palm, and said seriously, “Extreme Shadow doesn’t allow the exchange of fur. It’s not eco-friendly.”

Not eco-friendly?

Lin Yuheng was dumbfounded and didn’t know how to respond.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know the rules.”

Chi Yao put the rabbit-head charm into his pocket and waved his hand. “Considering it’s your first offense, it’s fine. Don’t do it again.”

Lin Yuheng quickly bowed and thanked him. “Thank you, boss!”

After the person left, the two continued walking to Chi Yao’s yard.

“That was for me,” Jing Xi said on purpose.

Chi Yao: “I didn’t realize you had a girlish heart. You like this kind of stuff?”

Jing Xi nodded expressionlessly. “What’s wrong with me liking it?”

Chi Yao: “Trade for it with supplies.”

Jing Xi: “…”

When it comes to the talent for being a bandit, no one can compare to you.

To keep up appearances, Jing Xi had brought out ten warships.

To avoid the possibility of a fight between Extreme Shadow and the Flying Dragon Legion as soon as they met, he arranged for the Flying Dragon Legion to stay on this side of the river.

Separated by a five-meter-wide small river, one side was Extreme Shadow and the other was the Flying Dragon Legion.

Jing Xi’s house and Chi Yao’s house were on the central axis, facing each other.

Entering Chi Yao’s yard, Jing Xi immediately saw the strawberry patch.

Noticing his gaze, Chi Yao sneered, “These are just a few small seedlings. Do they need to be covered with a glass dome?”

Jing Xi: “I’m afraid a dog will chew on them.”

Chi Yao: “…”

No matter how stupid Yin Wei was, it wouldn’t eat these things.

Sitting under the eaves, Jing Xi asked casually, “How is it? Are you satisfied?”

Chi Yao casually took the tray from the household robot and poured tea for both of them.

“So-so.”

Jing Xi’s eyes scanned the hand holding the teapot. His fingers were long and slender, and his nails were well-shaped.

“Have you considered retiring and turning over a new leaf?”

Chi Yao thought to himself, “Of course.”

“If I retire now, what will my brothers eat?”

Jing Xi picked up the teacup and took a sip. “As I said, as long as you find him, I’ll give you all my assets. Although it’s not much, it’s more than enough to support these people for a lifetime.”

Chi Yao was amused.

“Give it all to me? Have you asked Brother Rong for his opinion?”

Brother Rong? So intimate.

Jing Xi said calmly, “This is my private property. It has nothing to do with my family.”

He looked through the open door of the courtyard at his subordinates who were busy on the other side of the river. “That money will eventually be spent by me looking for someone. It’s better to give it to you. It might save a misguided youth, which would be a good deed.”

Chi Yao: “…”

After a few casual chats, Jing Xi got to the point.

“Grandpa will be here tomorrow. I don’t plan on hiding this from him.”

Chi Yao frowned. “Why are you dragging him into this?”

“He has a wide network and should know a reliable medical team,” Jing Xi turned his head to look at him. “No matter what, we have to find a treatment for the infected.”

Chi Yao’s eyes turned cold. “Why do you think I would allow you to do this?”

Jing Xi put the cup back on the tray. “I’m not your subordinate. I don’t need your permission to make any decisions.”

As he was speaking, Lu Meng ran to the courtyard gate.

“Boss, it’s time to eat. I stewed a chicken.”

Chi Yao/Jing Xi: “…”

Jing Xi: “I have something to discuss. He’s keeping me here for dinner.”

Chi Yao glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t cook.”

Jing Xi: “Then have him bring the cooked chicken over?”

Chi Yao: “…”

He snorted lightly, got up, and walked into the room. “Only noodles.”

Jing Xi’s lips curled up slightly. He waved his hand, telling Lu Meng to leave.

“Tell the intelligence team to continuously monitor the airspace. Report any abnormalities immediately.”

“Yes!”

Lu Meng was confused as he watched his boss go into the house.

Why did the boss seem to be enjoying his time with Chi Yao so much?

This sickness must be very serious.

Half an hour later, Chi Yao and Jing Xi sat at the dining table, each with a large bowl of noodles. Tie Xiong took his own small bowl to the living room and slurped up his noodles with Yin Wei while watching Animal World.

As night fell, the outside became exceptionally lively.

Through the floor-to-ceiling window, they could see the soldiers training on the other side of the river. They could vaguely hear their shouts.

On this side of the river, Extreme Shadow’s subordinates set up a grill. They ate skewers while playing music and occasionally whistled provocatively at the other side of the river.

Chi Yao had never dreamed that one day, Extreme Shadow and the Flying Dragon Legion could peacefully stay in the same place without a bloody incident.

“Don’t think you’re so great just because you can march in formation. We can also stand at attention!”

Suddenly, hearing Li Yuan’s rough voice, Tie Xiong, with a noodle hanging from his mouth, rushed to the floor-to-ceiling window and pressed his face against it, looking outside.

“What’s Brother Li doing?”

Chi Yao didn’t even look up. “Come back and eat.”

“Okay—” Tie Xiong pinched the hanging noodle and put it in his mouth. He was reluctant to walk back.

Soon, a loud song rang out from outside.

“We are all sharpshooters—”

Tie Xiong: “I know this song! Sharpshooter, biubiubiu—”

Yin Wei: “Woof woof woof~”

Chi Yao’s head throbbed as he listened to the harmony from outside and inside, and the stupid dog’s barking that was completely off-beat.

Jing Xi saw his brows furrowing more and more. He snapped his fingers, and had the AI seal the doors and windows. “I suddenly can’t remember what 5 plus 8 equals.”

Tie Xiong immediately stopped making noise. He instinctively started counting on his fingers. “One times one is one, one times two is two—”

The world was finally quiet.

Chi Yao: “You’re very good at handling children.”

Jing Xi: “It’s nothing. It’s about the same as handling you.”

Chi Yao: “…”

The next afternoon, Jing Rong arrived at Space Station 5 and was picked up by a disguised Lu Meng to N0520.

“Are you developing this place recently?” Jing Rong asked.

Lu Meng: “How could we? We just took over the Cetus system and ran into a big case. We don’t have time for those regular missions.”

“A big case?” Jing Rong was confused. “What case?”

He was also a member of the military system, under the education department, but he hadn’t heard of any major cases recently.

Lu Meng opened his mouth and sighed. “I can’t explain it in a few words. It’s better to let our boss tell you.”

The spaceship’s hatch opened. As Jing Rong walked out, he saw his grandson waiting outside, his eyes eagerly looking at him.

For a moment, he felt like he saw his son smiling at him.

His eyes immediately welled up with tears.

“Grandpa, are you not feeling well?” Jing Xi, sensitive to his emotional state, walked straight up the stairs.

“No, no.” Jing Rong waved his hand, refusing his help. “I thought you were in N1. How did you get here?”

Jing Xi walked beside him. “I have a case on my hands that’s not convenient to make public right now, so I have to find a hidden place to investigate.”

Jing Rong: “What case?”

Jing Xi: “First, let’s go meet someone.”

All the “ghosts” they had captured were currently in Chi Yao’s hands. If he didn’t agree, they wouldn’t be able to see anyone.

As they walked out of the hangar, they saw Chi Yao leaning against a hovercar in the distance, lazily looking over.

Jing Rong frowned. “Is that him?”

Jing Xi: “Yes, Chi Yao, the leader of Extreme Shadow.”

“His photos are all over the network. How could I not know him?” Jing Rong was confused. “I mean, is this case related to him?”

“Kind of,” Jing Xi thought for a moment. “But he’s the victim.”

Chi Yao watched them walk over.

The grandfather and grandson walked together, surprisingly similar, but Jing Rong had a refined elegance that came with age, while Jing Xi was like a drawn sword, with a sharp beauty.

At this moment, he felt the difference between him and Jing Xi especially keenly.

Jing Xi had a powerful family background, a successful career, and family members who always had him in their hearts, while he had nothing.

They were like two people standing in the worlds of light and shadow, looking at each other from a distance. They seemed to have an intersection, but they were clearly distinct.

“He’s my grandpa, Jing Rong,” Jing Xi introduced to Chi Yao. “Can you take him to see them?”

Jing Rong subtly noticed his grandson’s attitude towards him and reached out his hand. “Hello.”

Chi Yao glanced at it and shook his hand. “Chi Yao.”

He introduced himself, which meant he agreed.

Jing Xi opened the back seat door for Jing Rong to get in and sat in the passenger seat himself.

Chi Yao ruffled his hair in annoyance, got into the driver’s seat, and stepped on the gas.

In the car, Jing Rong secretly sized up Chi Yao.

Although he had seen photos of Chi Yao a long time ago, this was the first time he had seen him in person.

In terms of looks, he was on par with his Xixi.

“Mr. Chi—”

Before he could finish, he heard Chi Yao laugh.

“I’m sorry, I’m not used to people calling me that,” Chi Yao looked at Jing Rong through the rearview mirror. “You can call me Xiao Chi, or just call me Yaoyao, like Xixi does.”

Jing Xi turned his head to look at him. “…”

How shameless.

Jing Rong’s eyes darted between them. “…”

Aren’t these two sworn enemies?

Noticing Jing Xi looking at him from the corner of his eye, Chi Yao raised an eyebrow and gave him a provocative look.

Jing Xi looked out the window, not planning to talk to him anymore.

The hovercar landed in front of a twenty-story building.

The Jing family grandfather and grandson followed Chi Yao to the third floor.

Chi Yao put his hand on the doorknob and turned his head to look at Jing Rong.

“Old Master Jing, let me be frank. What you see inside, you can’t reveal to anyone unless I allow it. Otherwise—I can’t guarantee that something won’t happen to your grandson.”

Jing Rong’s eyebrows twitched, and his hands at his sides clenched.

“Are you threatening me?”

Chi Yao: “Yes. If you don’t agree, you can leave now.”

Jing Rong looked at Jing Xi, and seeing him nod at him, he said patiently, “I agree.”

Chi Yao: “Also—do you have high blood pressure or heart disease?”

Jing Rong’s face sank. “My body is perfectly healthy!”

Not only was he intimidating and threatening him, but he was also cursing him. Do all pirates have such bad character?

The initial good impression he had from his looks was now completely gone.

Chi Yao smiled. “That’s good.”

He opened the door and entered. Inside was a small suite of less than thirty square meters.

An alpha wearing a black mask was handcuffed and sitting on the floor by the bed.

Seeing them enter, the black mask stood up with a whoosh.

Chi Yao raised his chin. “Xixi, you check this person’s background.”

Jing Xi glanced at him, spread his palm, and scanned the black mask’s face.

The black mask abruptly lowered his head, but his information was still read.

A virtual screen popped up in mid-air.

[Liu Yi, alpha, was imprisoned sixteen years ago for a series of kidnapping and murder cases. He was sentenced to two years in a fifth-level dangerous area before being executed—]

Jing Rong couldn’t help but take two steps closer, his brows furrowing more tightly.

“System error?”

How could a person who had been executed still be alive?

Chi Yao and Jing Xi exchanged a look and then took him to three more rooms. All of them were death row inmates.

Jing Rong’s eyes swept over Chi Yao and looked at Jing Xi. “What on earth is going on?”

Chi Yao grabbed the black mask and took it off his face.

“N-No!”

The alpha whose mask was taken off screamed in terror. A moment later, he looked like he couldn’t breathe. He started to choke himself, and his face gradually grew fine hair.

Chi Yao secretly observed Jing Rong’s reaction.

But this time, the other person just frowned, but he wasn’t as agitated as he was when he saw the death row inmates’ information.

A death row inmate being alive is more surprising than turning into a beast?

The terrified screams gradually turned into low growls, and then into a terrifying roar.

The alpha crawled onto the floor and turned into a hunting dog.

“Did you see that clearly, Old Master Jing?” Chi Yao said with a smile.

Jing Rong: “This is what you wanted me to see?”

Chi Yao: “Yes.”

Jing Rong turned and walked out. “Let’s talk outside first.”

Chi Yao nodded unhurriedly, turned to follow, and suddenly pulled out the gun from his back and shot the mutated alpha in the head.

The gunshot that exploded in his ear made Jing Rong’s heart jump. He opened the door with a grim face.

Jing Xi looked at him, then glanced at the dead mutated alpha behind him, and followed them out calmly.

The three of them walked in silence all the way back to Chi Yao’s yard.

Jing Xi, afraid that his grandpa was scared, uncharacteristically brewed tea himself.

“What do you want me to do?” Jing Rong asked, looking at Chi Yao.

Chi Yao: “You’ll have to ask Xixi about that.”

Receiving his grandpa’s gaze, Jing Xi put the teacup in front of him.

“I need a reliable medical team to develop a medicine that can revert the mutated genes back to their original state.”

Jing Rong glanced at Chi Yao from the corner of his eye and asked in a low voice, “Do you know the full story?”

Jing Xi shook his head.

Jing Rong: “Do you know why they became like this?”

Jing Xi shook his head. “I only know that the blood of the mutated humans is contagious.”

Jing Rong picked up the teacup. “You don’t know anything, and you want to save them?”

Jing Xi: “I’m not saving them. I’m saving the Empire.”

Jing Rong took a sip and was quite satisfied.

“You’re not telling the truth.”

Jing Xi subtly glanced at Chi Yao. “I think he’s one of these people. I want to save him.”

The teacup in Jing Rong’s hand trembled, and the tea almost spilled out.

“Let me think about it.”

The two sides of the river began to sing to each other again. Jing Rong found it novel. He put his hands behind his back and leisurely went out to watch the show.

“Your grandpa doesn’t seem to be completely in the dark,” Chi Yao said, holding his chin and shaking the teacup in his hand, a meaningful smile on his face. “I’m afraid I can’t let him leave here. What should I do?”

Jing Xi: “If the matter is leaked, you can do whatever you want with me.”

Chi Yao: “That’s easy for you to say. You won’t even give me a few pictures.”

Footsteps came from outside the courtyard. A moment later, Fang Liang knocked and entered.

“Boss.” He glanced at Jing Xi warily and didn’t continue.

Chi Yao: “It’s fine.”

Fang Liang lowered his voice. “Number 46 is opening tonight.”

Chi Yao: “What time?”

“12 a.m.,” Fang Liang said, taking out a button-sized induction chip. “This is the pass.”

Jing Xi frowned. “What’s Number 46?”

Chi Yao took the chip and looked at it. “A virtual survival game. It’s similar to a regular online game. If you win, you get a large sum of money, but the difference is, if you die in this game—”

He looked at Jing Xi, his lips curling up. “You’ll also die in reality.”

Jing Xi’s eyes scanned the chip in his hand. “Is this related?”

Chi Yao nodded. “This is a stun gun, and it’s also a pass. You can’t enter the game without it.”

Jing Xi: “You want to enter the game to get to their server?”

Fang Liang interjected, “But their server has a very high security level. We’ve tried it once and failed.”

Chi Yao: “Any action in the game will be monitored by the system. Once the data is abnormal, you’ll be locked down or even killed.”

Jing Xi was silent for a moment. “I need some parts.”

Chi Yao paused, looked at Fang Liang, and they both didn’t know what he was going to do.

Ten minutes later, on Extreme Shadow’s warship.

Chi Yao opened the large warehouse on the bottom floor and said to Jing Xi, “The stuff is too messy. You can look for it yourself.”

Jing Xi looked around and had to admit that it was really cluttered.

All kinds of messy parts were piled up like trash. There were parts of mechs, warships, and firearms.

“The junk you collected last time?” Jing Xi asked.

Speaking of which, Chi Yao was still angry.

“Yeah. The junk you spent hundreds of millions of my assets to acquire.”

Jing Xi: “…”

After opening the door, Chi Yao turned to leave, but Jing Xi grabbed him.

“If you don’t want to fail this time, let’s look together.”

Chi Yao annoyedly ruffled his hair. “You’re so clingy.”

Jing Xi: “…”

After searching for more than an hour with his sleeves rolled up, Jing Xi found a small wooden box under a large pile of parts.

The box looked very crude, like it was homemade.

He was curious and opened it.

Inside were some animal bones, which looked a little creepy.

He was about to close it when he suddenly saw something out of the corner of his eye. He took the item out and held it up.

It was a wild beast’s tooth, the size of an adult’s pinky finger. It had many small scratches and looked old. On one side, there was a row of small numbers.

Without needing to identify it, Jing Xi could recognize it at a glance.

It was a wolf’s tooth.

There was one in his bedroom at his home in the Imperial Capital Star, with the same number as this one.