Chapter 47: I Trust No One

Northern outskirts of Binhai City.

Inside a hidden chamber.

Several figures lurked in the darkness.

“Has the message been sent?”

A middle-aged man in black robes, seated atop a stone platform, asked in a sinister tone.

“It has been sent,” replied a subordinate in matching black robes, his demeanor respectful but clearly hesitant.

The middle-aged man’s brow furrowed slightly, his voice cold. “If you have something to say, speak plainly. Don’t play coy.”

“Captain, do you think the master is being overly paranoid?” The subordinate chose his words with care, fearful of provoking the captain’s ire.

The man fell silent, pondering. Truthfully, he too felt the master was acting overly cautious. In a world so vast, how many share the same name? More than twenty years had passed; the child of the Qin family was likely long buried, weeds growing tall over his grave.

Why be so anxious?

Even if, by some miracle, the boy had survived, what trouble could a lone, insignificant youth possibly stir?

“The master’s decisions are not for you to question.”

“If the fish bites, their fate is irrelevant.”

“Just carry out your orders.”

His voice was icy, devoid of any emotion, like a mechanical automaton.

“Yes, sir!” The subordinates bowed in unison, not daring to utter another word.

Elsewhere.

Inside a sports car.

Wei had already slammed on the brakes, trembling uncontrollably.

Having served three years as a mercenary, Wei possessed an acute sense for murderous intent. The sudden surge of killing aura from the back seat had left him gasping for air.

The source of that chilling aura was Qin Chuan.

“Mr. Qin… is something… wrong?” Despite his efforts to keep calm, Wei’s voice shook violently.

Qin Chuan remained silent, his eyes fixed on the small phone screen, reading the message again and again, his mind racing.

“Something about this doesn’t feel right…”

After much deliberation, Qin Chuan sensed something odd about the message. If the sender truly knew his identity, they would have simply hired assassins. Why give him a warning, allowing him time to prepare?

“Do they really think holding a hostage will make me docile?” Qin Chuan scoffed inwardly. If the mastermind believed that, it only proved their incompetence.

Having completed his training and entered the world, Qin Chuan had deliberately avoided contact with anyone closely tied to the Qin family, to prevent his enemies from tracking him.

Qin Youyou was one such person. Qin Chuan had long known his cousin taught at Binhai University and was its youngest female professor in history. Years ago, the Qin family’s core members were slaughtered overnight; Qin Youyou survived only because she was away from home.

No further attempts had been made on her life, presumably because she was too young at the time and knew little of the family’s secrets. Hunting her would only risk exposure, serving no purpose.

“Has my true identity been exposed so quickly?”

The thought barely formed before Qin Chuan dismissed it outright.

That possibility was nearly zero.

Even his masters only learned of his identity before he descended the mountain. They were furious, vowing to personally investigate the Qin family massacre, but Qin Chuan firmly refused. His reason: only by avenging the blood feud himself would he find closure.

After more than twenty years, his appearance had changed dramatically, and his actions bore no connection to the Qin family. There was simply no reason for his identity to be revealed so soon.

“So… this kidnapping of Qin Youyou is merely a probe.”

With this realization, Qin Chuan relaxed slightly.

“Should I just ignore it?”

He quickly dismissed the thought. Though this was likely a test, to ensure the kidnapping was real, he suspected Qin Youyou was already in the hands of criminals. If he did nothing, her life could be at risk.

“Wei, call someone trustworthy and help me prepare a few things,” Qin Chuan instructed after a moment’s thought.

Wei nodded eagerly. “Mr. Qin, what do you need?”

Qin Chuan leaned in and spoke in a low voice. Afterwards, Wei, still confused, called his younger brother.

He had no idea what these items were for, but sensed Qin Chuan had a purpose.

“Mr. Qin, my brother will deliver everything to the Lan residence within half an hour,” Wei assured, not daring to breathe loudly, for Qin Chuan’s expression was dark and terrifying.

“One more thing—send someone else to handle it.”

Qin Chuan paused, then continued, “Drive back to the Lan house as usual. Just listen for my instructions.”

Wei started the sports car, nerves stretched taut, determined not to miss a single word.

Thus Qin Chuan assigned a second task, leaving Wei bewildered.

He felt the two tasks were completely unrelated, unable to grasp even a hint of Qin Chuan’s true intentions.

The drive passed in silence. The car stopped at the gate of the Lan family’s old residence. Wei and Qin Chuan disembarked and entered the estate together.

“Wei, your brother asked me to give you this,” a black-clad bodyguard handed over a black plastic bag.

Wei accepted it, intending to hand it straight to Qin Chuan, but saw that he’d already entered the main hall.

“Mr. Qin, wait for me!” Wei hurried after him, only to find Qin Chuan had gone into a room. The door was left unlocked, evidently for Wei.

“So secretive—truly the bearing of a master!” Wei was excited, finding it thrilling to work with Qin Chuan.

Entering the room, Wei saw Qin Chuan had drawn the curtains and left the lights off, making the room dim.

Qin Chuan’s eyes gleamed like a wild beast, sending chills down Wei’s spine.

“The items,” Qin Chuan said quietly.

Wei, hands shaking, handed over the black plastic bag.

Qin Chuan inspected the contents and nodded in satisfaction.

“Wei, I need your help with one more thing,” Qin Chuan said softly.

Wei responded instantly, “Whatever you need, Mr. Qin, just say the word. Even if it means braving fire and blades, I won’t hesitate.”

“No need for anything dangerous. I only require you to have a good night’s sleep.”

Qin Chuan smiled warmly.

Seeing Qin Chuan’s radiant smile, Wei suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

Before he could react, Qin Chuan vanished.

The next instant, Wei felt a sharp pain at the base of his neck, and lost consciousness.

“When life and death are at stake, I trust no one,” Qin Chuan murmured quietly.