Inside the private room.
Lin Cheng: "Have you figured anything out?"
Qiao Ying leisurely picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, her movements lazy and casual. She finished chewing before replying.
After swallowing, she responded, "There are no signs of plastic surgery on his face, and he's not wearing a human skin mask."
Lin Cheng asked, "So, you're saying he's the real Lafeier?"
Qiao Ying replied, "Don't underestimate the Shadow's disguising techniques."
Qiao Ying then asked, "What about you? Any discoveries?"
Lin Cheng shook his head and said, "Although I've known this father and son for over twenty years, I really can't tell if they are genuine or fake."
Qiao Ying wasn't surprised. The assassins of the Shadow were all skilled actors. Not only could they deceive those around them, but even people who spent every day together might not notice anything amiss.
Qin Hanyue stood up, walked around Lin Cheng, and took a seat next to Qiao Ying. He said, "It was too dark at that time, I couldn't see anything clearly."
He couldn't even make out their rough figures.
Qiao Ying said, "Let's wait for news from Moon Shadow and Flowing Shadow."
Qin Hanyue served her some food and said, "Isn't today's performance a bit deliberate? Did we startle the snake in the grass?"
Qiao Ying replied in a relaxed tone, "Of course, Moon Shadow and the others will continue probing later, which is equivalent to self-destruction."
Lin Cheng asked, "What do we do next?"
Qiao Ying said, "We won't hesitate. I'll take a gun and snipe them. Better to make a mistake and not let them escape."
Qin Hanyue said, "Fine."
Lin Cheng said, "No."
Lin Cheng looked at Qin Hanyue in disbelief and said, "Mr. Qin, do you realize how much trouble this will cause? What about Miss Qiao's safety? Don't you think it's too risky?"
He wasn't used to this kind of approach.
At this moment, Lin Cheng really needed to stroke a cat to relieve his mood.
"The Howard family has deep roots, and their family holds significant influence in the entire Country C. Moreover, it's a critical time for the struggle for the throne. If he dies under my jurisdiction, it will not only cause a lot of trouble, but if we make a mistake, it will be considered reckless killing."
"Although Lai En's character is not good, his ancestors have made significant contributions to Country C. I am also working for Country C. You say killing the national leader in front of me is not appropriate?"
Qiao Ying wanted to say, "If it's not appropriate, then plug your ears. Is it appropriate for me, an assassin, to talk about killing people?"
Qin Hanyue said, "Duke, you have no knowledge of her abilities, and as for the troubles you mentioned, it seems like they have nothing to do with us."
Lin Cheng remained silent.
These two...
Lin Cheng said, "If we make a mistake, won't we let the real one go?"
Qiao Ying replied, "Our current method of probing is not effective, and it's not efficient. It's easy to expose ourselves."
She felt like she had already been exposed if Lai En and his son were really Diamond J or if Diamond J was behind them.
Lin Cheng asked, "Miss Qiao, do you have another plan?"
Qiao Ying put a piece of meat from her chopsticks into her mouth and looked at Lin Cheng, suddenly smiling. Lin Cheng had a bad feeling.
Qiao Ying said, "Let's confess to the king."
Lin Cheng asked, "What do you mean?"
Qin Hanyue looked at Lin Cheng and continued, "Confess that Little Ying is actually my girlfriend."
Qiao Ying added, "And then publicly announce that you are going to marry Karina."
Qin Hanyue: "Once the throne leans towards Duke Lin, Diamond J, who is eager for power, will definitely take action." He fully understood Qiao Ying's thoughts.
Qiao Ying: "This is a good method to make them self-destruct."
Qin Hanyue: "Since Duke Lin and Diamond J don't want the throne to fall into Lai En and my hands, we all benefit from this."
Lin Cheng looked at the harmonious exchange between the two and almost let Qin Hanyue's remark about mutual benefit go unnoticed.
Lin Cheng realized he had been blind.
This wasn't a situation where they cooperated on equal footing and had a fair dialogue; it was clear that he had boarded the thief's ship of these two.
Lin Cheng held back a non-offensive curse word in his throat, circled it in his mouth, and swallowed it.
Lin Cheng truly found their audacity amusing.
Maintaining his composure, he reminded them, "Have the two of you forgotten why I asked for your help in the first place?"
This was a direct betrayal, with them only considering themselves.
Qiao Ying ignored him and turned to Qin Hanyue to discuss, "Let's be honest about it."
Qin Hanyue looked at her, "Yes, that would be more genuine. If the two of us burn our bridges, it would be more believable than Duke Lin suddenly realizing his conscience and confessing voluntarily."
Lin Cheng: "..."
How shameless of them to say "burn our bridges" right in front of him.
Also, they knew they were burning their bridges.
And "conscience," was that the right word to use?
Were they trying to evoke the king's trust and affection, making him feel uneasy? Sacrificing themselves to fulfill their own desires?
Qin Hanyue continued talking to Qiao Ying, but his words were clearly directed at Lin Cheng, "As the Duke of Country C, Duke Lin should shoulder great responsibilities. How can he only consider personal emotions and disregard righteousness? Your initial refusal to help was correct. We should now help the duke realize his mistakes, guide him onto the right path, and make amends."
Lin Cheng: "..."
The businessman's mouth was truly eloquent. With these words, he made Lin Cheng unable to face the people of Country C. Their sense of guilt was completely washed away.
No, these two people wouldn't feel any guilt at all.
Lin Cheng really wanted to know if Qin Hanyue could make friends in the business world—just who was this person?
Qin Hanyue became more and more excited as he spoke, eager to take action immediately, to reclaim his rightful identity and eliminate Lin Cheng, who was becoming a potential threat due to his deep involvement with Qiao Ying.
The two of them, right in front of him, not only abandoned their ally but also planned to backstab him—selling him to the king and his family.
Lin Cheng desperately needed his cat to calm himself down.
After their discussion, Qin Hanyue still had a hint of conscience and remembered the great injustice done to Lin Cheng, "Duke, do you have anything to say?"
Lin Cheng leisurely picked up the glass in front of him, took a graceful sip, and his light-colored pupils carried a harmless smile.
He said, "I'm planning to call Lafeier and ask on your behalf if he is Diamond J. That would be a highly efficient approach."
Come on, let's hurt each other, let's self-destruct.
Qiao Ying: "No loyalty."
Lin Cheng: "Neither do you."
Qin Hanyue: "Unethical."
Lin Cheng: "You too."
Lin Cheng quickly received news that a riot had broken out on a certain street. Raphael and his son were attacked by criminals, and their situation is currently unclear. The criminals have not been captured.
Shortly after, Qiao Ying received a call from Moon Shadow.
Moon Shadow stood on the rooftop of a shopping mall building, looking at the swiftly departing vehicles in the distance. Under his feet was the aftermath of the riot, with smoke still lingering and the streets filled with security forces.
A man approached him against the cold wind.
The mechanical arm in the man's sleeve gleamed coldly. It was Flowing Shadow, wearing a human skin mask, the criminal responsible for the attack on Raphael and his son.
Moon Shadow explained the situation to Qiao Ying, "Raphael and Lai En are both injured. When Lai En was critically injured, Raphael threw himself in front of him, taking the blow with his own body. He doesn't know any martial arts."
Moon Shadow asked, "Could it be a ruse?"
Flowing Shadow interjected, "I said we should kill them without hesitation. It would be more convenient." His thoughts aligned with Qiao Ying without prior discussion.
If it weren't for Moon Shadow's intervention, Flowing Shadow would have already held Raphael's severed head in his hands.
Moon Shadow said, "Qiao Ying and I will continue to the hospital to check on them."
After finishing the call with Qiao Ying, he hung up.
