Chapter Seventy-Two: Venturing Boldly Toward the Tiger's Lair

Bragging is not something one can do lightly. Earlier, when Fang Yuan asked him to get out of the car, Ke Bei was already quite displeased. Now, faced with Fang Yuan's challenge, there was no way Ke Bei would back down.

However, deep in his heart, Ke Bei never believed Fang Yuan would be able to enter that place smoothly, much less come out unharmed.

“You’d better keep your word. Pei Xi can be our witness,” Fang Yuan said, having already seen through Ke Bei’s character—arrogant and competitive by nature. All it had taken was a little provocation, and Ke Bei had walked right into his trap.

“Are you two serious about this? I’m just here to witness, you know—I take no responsibility for the outcome,” Pei Xi declared. She wasn’t one to meddle in men’s affairs, and since both had made up their minds, she had nothing more to say. Still, she made her position clear: she would only serve as a witness and would bear no responsibility for who won or lost.

“No one’s asking you to take responsibility—just sit back and watch,” Fang Yuan replied with a smile, feeling that Pei Xi’s straightforwardness was quite to his liking.

He appreciated her decisiveness and wondered why he’d never noticed this quality in her before.

Pei Xi found Fang Yuan’s goofy grin rather baffling and pulled a funny face in return. They were all in their early twenties—the lively banter and playfulness between them was the very picture of youth.

It was already past midnight, yet none of the three in the car felt the slightest trace of sleepiness.

Ke Bei sent Fang Yuan the location of the factory he’d discovered. After checking the map on his phone and confirming the exact spot, Fang Yuan turned to Pei Xi and Ke Bei and said, “Let’s go.”

The car started and headed toward the location of the factory…

At first, Ke Bei didn’t quite understand what Fang Yuan meant by “Let’s go.” By the time he sensed something was off, Fang Yuan’s car was nearly at the destination.

“Fang Yuan, even if we don’t fully trust you, isn’t this a bit too eager to prove yourself? The people after us are scouring the city as we speak. By rushing in, aren’t we just walking right into their net?” Ke Bei was no coward—he had weathered his share of storms. But he wasn’t reckless either; he had no intention of running headlong into danger when he could avoid it.

Pei Xi, too, didn’t quite understand Fang Yuan’s actions, but she voiced no doubts. She simply watched him with curiosity, wanting to see what he would do next.

She was genuinely intrigued by Fang Yuan. He was the only person who’d ever made her father compromise. Though she thought his actions this time were a bit rash and should be stopped, curiosity got the better of her. Perhaps he really did possess some extraordinary abilities.

“I’m not eager to show off. Almost all their people are out hunting for us right now—this is the perfect time to slip in. You’re supposed to be a detective, don’t you get that?” Fang Yuan replied, pulling the car over to the side of the road.

They were still quite some distance from the factory. Fang Yuan had stopped here on purpose, not wanting to draw attention.

Strictly speaking, Fang Yuan’s reasoning wasn’t entirely accurate. Although most of their pursuers were out searching, until they caught the two of them, the factory would still be heavily guarded. In truth, his words were more for Pei Xi’s sake—he didn’t want her to worry.

“You’re just going in like that? No disguise, no change of appearance?” Ke Bei asked. They had come well-prepared, each in disguise, but after so long in the sea, their makeup was fading.

“That’s the least of your worries. If I were you, I’d be more concerned about losing your job,” Fang Yuan joked, handing Ke Bei the car keys—just in case something happened and they needed to get away quickly.

“Wait—take this. It’s a listening device. Just speak into it and we’ll hear everything from the car,” Ke Bei remembered at the last moment.

Fang Yuan accepted the device and fixed it in his ear.

He walked for quite some time before he could make out the outline of a factory surrounded by tall walls. The location was well-chosen—not exactly remote, but not crowded either. By day, there might be some foot traffic, but at night, the place was deserted.

The streetlights here were few and far between, and even those gave off only the weakest glow—a poor deterrent against the darkness.

“Master, be careful,” Chong Chong cautioned. In a one-on-one fight, few could rival Fang Yuan now. But if the enemy had numbers and weapons, victory was far from certain.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Fang Yuan replied silently, communicating with Chong Chong in his mind, careful not to speak aloud because of the listening device.

“Master, why aren’t you answering me?” Chong Chong felt dejected at Fang Yuan’s silence, not realizing their telepathic link was fading.

“I told you not to worry. I’ll be fine,” Fang Yuan assured him mentally, unaware of the toll his recent coma had taken on Chong Chong.

“Master, I think I might not be able to hear your thoughts anymore. So, please talk to me out loud, like you do with everyone else,” Chong Chong said, clinging to the hope that the change was only temporary.

But as the silence stretched on, a sense of loss crept over Chong Chong. It was as if a chasm had opened between them, making their bond less intimate than before.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Fang Yuan said softly, his words picked up instantly by the listening device and relayed to Ke Bei and Pei Xi in the car.

He’d been gone for half an hour, but Pei Xi relaxed upon hearing his reassurance.

Ke Bei, however, glanced at Pei Xi. It was clear Fang Yuan’s words weren’t directed at him.