{"id":10337,"date":"2019-12-30T17:00:04","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T22:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=10337"},"modified":"2025-09-08T18:27:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T22:27:06","slug":"death-progress-bar-67","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/death-progress-bar-67\/","title":{"rendered":"Death Progress Bar 67"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Big Catch
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Over the next two days and with Annihilation\u2019s support, Phantom\u2019s attacks on Nine Eagles became even more fierce. Gua One and the others also accelerated their clean-up of Gunfire\u2019s subordinate organizations in L country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

On the first day, Zuo Yang didn\u2019t move. The next day, however, it looked like he\u2019d lost his head all of a sudden, beginning to send out frantic messages, trying to talk to Lian Jun once more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun, maintaining his \u201cvengeful boyfriend\u201d persona, ruthlessly refused all Zuo Yang\u2019s requests for contact. He also mobilized the Annihilation forces in China and began to target Nine Eagles within the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Despite having enormous strength and the support of the government, Annihilation had always been low-key, never attacking other organizations unless provoked. Since it had actually taken the initiative to strike at Nine Eagles this time, and in quite a high-profile way at that, the underworld leaders were alarmed. Lu Shan, Tarantula\u2019s leader, was direct and called to ask what was going on.<\/span><\/p>

Faced with Lu Shan\u2019s <\/span>\u2018come on, tell Auntie the latest gossip\u2019<\/span><\/em>-style inquiry, Lian Jun only said, \u201cZuo Yang targeted my lover.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

{What did you say?} Lu Shan\u2019s voice rose in an instant. Shocked, she asked, {Your lover? Who? Since when did you have a lover? How come I didn\u2019t hear anything about it? At the conference, you didn\u2019t seem to\u2026 Wait, could it be that new kid you had with you?}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s him,\u201d Lian Jun replied. He continued, his words both a reminder and a warning, \u201cCompeting for profits is fine, but anyone targeting my people should be prepared to suffer the consequences.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

His meaning wasn\u2019t hard to understand. Lu Shan fell quiet for a moment, then let out a cold snort and said, {You\u2019re quite protective, you little devil. I think the same way you do, though\u2014attacking someone\u2019s family is a despicable move. Anyway, you\u2019re making everyone nervous. You\u2019d better throw some explanation at them or they will start keeping an eye on you again.}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI know, but thank you for the reminder.\u201d Lian Jun\u2019s tone eased. He gave Lu Shan some more information about the situation with Gunfire, then hung up.<\/span><\/p>

Since Lian Jun had been straightforward and introduced him as his lover, Shi Jin\u2019s heart surged with happiness. Delighted, he said, \u201cYou seem to have a good relationship with the leader of Tarantula.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAunt Lu was my father\u2019s friend, she\u2019s like an elder of my family. Because of the current situation, she and I act as bitter enemies. Once everything is settled, I\u2019ll take you to meet her for an official introduction.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

What he means is, he wants me to meet his family, right?<\/span><\/em><\/p>

Shi Jin froze, surprised. All at once, he realized that this was the first time Lian Jun had mentioned his family in front of him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

He glanced at Lian Jun, about to speak, but hesitated and looked away.<\/span><\/p>

This repeated a few times. Amused, Lian Jun said, \u201cIf you have anything to ask, just ask\u2014you don\u2019t have to worry so much.\u201d He wanted to hug Shi Jin but the wheelchair hindered him, so he had to settle for taking his hand.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun said it himself. Thinking that, as a couple, it was important to know more about each other, and that they would end up talking about it sooner or later anyway, Shi Jin began with caution, \u201cI\u2019ve heard that you grew up in Annihilation, but I don\u2019t think anyone has ever mentioned anything about your family\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cBecause I no longer have any family. The others are worried I\u2019ll be upset, so they usually avoid talking about it,\u201d Lian Jun replied. He\u2019d already come to terms with the situation, so his mood remained calm despite the topic turning to this matter. \u201cMy father was the last leader of Annihilation. He seized this position from the previous leader after my mother died.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

At that answer, Shi Jin was a little conflicted. He would love to know more about Lian Jun, but judging by the tidbit his lover just disclosed, his past didn\u2019t seem all that pleasant. Talking about it would probably make Lian Jun sad.<\/span><\/p>

Making Lian Jun sad was the last thing he wanted.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun noticed his tangle and his heart softened. \u201cIt\u2019s okay. This is just an old story, I\u2019m fine with telling it to you,\u201d he soothed.<\/span><\/p>

The story of Lian Jun\u2019s family was actually quite simple. To summarize: Lian Jun\u2019s father, who grew up in Annihilation, climbed to the top level of the organization through his own efforts, even becoming the right hand of the previous leader. Then, while on a mission, he came across Lian Jun\u2019s mother, who was just a normal person. With that meeting, the desire to retire and live an ordinary life with her sprouted in his mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The old leader pretended to be understanding and helped Lian Jun\u2019s father change his identity, allowing him to lead a normal life. In secret, however, he revealed the whereabouts of Lian Jun\u2019s father to his old rival, which led to Lian Jun\u2019s pregnant mother being seriously injured. She died shortly after giving birth to Lian Jun.<\/span><\/p>

It went without saying that Lian Jun\u2019s father was burning with hatred and wanted revenge. It was then that the old leader appeared, protecting him and promising to help him. Lian Jun\u2019s father was overwhelmed with gratitude. He returned to the organization, taking Lian Jun with him, and became the old leader\u2019s sharpest knife. He not only helped the old leader get rid of his rival, but dealt with new opponents as they came, gradually building Annihilation into what it was now.<\/span><\/p>

As a result, after the foundation was laid down and Annihilation became powerful, Lian Jun\u2019s father was deemed more of a hazard than a useful tool. The old leader, afraid that he would discover what he\u2019d done, decided to strike first. Tearing off his mask of hypocrisy, he threatened Lian Jun\u2019s life, attempting to force Lian Jun\u2019s father into taking his own life. At last, Lian Jun\u2019s father learned the truth. His fury and hatred were set ablaze again, flaring even hotter than before. Knowing that Lian Jun wasn\u2019t likely to survive even if he bowed to the threats and committed suicide, he decided to see things through to the end. He took a few loyal subordinates, killed the old leader, and sat in his position.<\/span><\/p>

\u201c…That\u2019s more or less it. My father had hesitated over whether he should send me away to be raised in an ordinary family and live a normal life. In the end, he decided not to, afraid that his and Annihilation\u2019s enemies would find and kill me, and did everything he could to push me to the position of the leader instead. Now I\u2019m really glad he did\u2014if not for me being Annihilation\u2019s leader, I might never have met you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin leaned over to hug Lian Jun. \u201cI\u2019ll be your family, one day,\u201d he said seriously.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun\u2019s eyes were full of an indescribable gentleness. He returned the hug, giving his back a soft pat. \u201cMhm.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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After Annihilation began to openly target Nine Eagles in China, Nine Eagles\u2019, Phantom\u2019s, and Annihilation\u2019s movements in the southeastern region were finally exposed to the domestic organizations.<\/span><\/p>

The detailed reasons for the struggle hadn\u2019t been disclosed. All that was known was that the three organizations had a conflict over interests in the Southeast.<\/span><\/p>

Knowing that, the leaders of China\u2019s major organizations were more or less reassured\u2014it turned out to be a dispute over interests, not Annihilation striking out without any reason.<\/span><\/p>

Then, they remembered how arrogant Nine Eagles acted at the last conference, and understood why Annihilation\u2019s offensive was so enthusiastic. Zuo Yang kept provoking Lian Jun\u2014it was little wonder Lian Jun wanted to clean him up.<\/span><\/p>

Since the matter had nothing to do with them, everyone took on the attitude of spectators began to watch the fun. Some organizations even decided to add fuel to the fire and, taking advantage of the chaos, began to stomp on Nine Eagles. And so, Nine Eagles\u2019 situation was getting worse.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cDamn it all!\u201d Zuo Yang slammed his fist on the table. \u201cHave we heard from Gunfire yet?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Grim-faced, the deputy shook his head. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cFuck! Meng La is fucking despicable!\u201d Zuo Yang growled. Out of the blue, his expression changed. He gritted his teeth. \u201cSend a message to Old Ghost. Tell him that I\u2019m willing to change sides and help him recover his people, on the condition that Lian Jun picks up a call from me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>

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On the third day of Shi Jin\u2019s \u201chospitalization,\u201d Zuo Yang finally did something to prove he was negotiating in good faith\u2014he sent a list of places it was possible the members of Phantom were being held, along with some information about Gunfire\u2019s hidden subordinate organizations.<\/span><\/p>

At last, Lian Jun was satisfied and deigned to answer a video call from Nine Eagles\u2019 leader.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThis isn\u2019t enough,\u201d Lian Jun said, cutting to the chase. \u201cI want the head of Gunfire\u2019s leader and an antidote that can save my lover.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang had been pushed to the brink of collapse. {That\u2019s impossible! Meng La is even more slippery than you\u2014he has never contacted me face to face. You think I can take his head? You\u2019re going too far, Lian Jun!} However, he didn\u2019t mention the antidote.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cHe will contact you, and soon,\u201d Lian Jun replied, cutting off his excuses,<\/span> and hung up. He looked at Gua Three standing nearby and motioned to the information sent by Zuo Yang. \u201cGet rid of these organizations, then investigate them along with Hydra. Tell Old Ghost to stop attacking Nine Eagles and check out these locations to see if his people are there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Gua Three acknowledged the order. He made a copy of the information and left.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin stared after him with regret\u2014if he hadn\u2019t been seized with a momentary impulse and acted out his little play, he could have gone along too. Now, he had no choice but to be obedient, stay in hospital, and \u201cnurse his injuries.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI have another task for you, one you can do without going out,\u201d Lian Jun said all of a sudden, as if he\u2019d read his mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Eyes brightening, Shi Jin turned to look at him.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun handed him a tablet. \u201cYou\u2019re behind with your schoolwork again, so Mr. Feng has made a new study plan for you. Since you\u2019ll be idle for a while, you\u2019ll attend classes with Mr. Feng over video conference.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cJun-shao\u2026\u201d he whimpered.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to study!<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun gave him a death glare.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin shut up, turned on the tablet, and made a video call to Mr. Feng.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Time always seemed to fly when immersed in studying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Before Shi Jin knew it, more than a week had passed, and Gua One had finished dealing with Gunfire\u2019s subordinate organizations in L country. During this period, Gunfire launched a counterattack and tried to destroy Annihilation branches outside L country, but Annihilation was long-prepared for them. Their attacks were intercepted and blocked every time they tried.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

With the information provided by Zuo Yang, Gua Three\u2019s investigation went smoother. By analyzing their locations and business contacts, he was soon able to track down several more of Gunfire\u2019s subordinate organizations, and began to get rid of them one by one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

On their side, Phantom had also made good progress. They determined that several places disclosed by Zuo Yang were indeed Gunfire\u2019s hideouts, but whether the captives were being kept in one of them still needed further investigation.<\/span><\/p>

Three days later, Gunfire\u2019s business network in L country was broken, and Gunfire\u2019s leader, Meng La, finally took the initiative to contact Zuo Yang. Wanting to show his sincerity and dissuade Phantom from launching another attack at him, Zuo Yang immediately streamed the video conversation to Old Ghost. Old Ghost, in turn, streamed it to Lian Jun.<\/span><\/p>

Meng La was a native of the southeast region\u2019s T country. He had a prominent nose, deep-set eyes, a swarthy complexion, and a beard bushy enough that it was impossible to make out his exact appearance. After the call connected, he didn\u2019t waste time on pleasantries but got straight to the point: {Why aren\u2019t Nine Eagles and Phantom fighting anymore?}\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang wasn\u2019t the kind of person with patience to tolerate being questioned. He sneered, {Why? Of course, because I\u2019m not going to kill myself for you. Meng La, our alliance is broken\u2014the Southeast is only big enough for one of us. And even if I lose, I will drag you and Gunfire down to hell with me!}<\/span><\/p>

That wasn\u2019t an empty threat. Now that Gunfire\u2019s business network was broken and many of its hidden subordinate organizations were destroyed, it was much weaker than before. If Nine Eagles targeted it on top of everything else, things were going to get tough.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

{I think you have a bit of a misunderstanding about me, Zuo Yang\u2014you know I\u2019m in a difficult situation myself these days. I was sincere in our alliance, so I hope that you won\u2019t do anything to harm our partnership just because of a momentary impulse,} Meng La said, trying to smooth things over by playing dumb.<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang didn\u2019t fall for it. {Meng La, my sources tell me that Hydra is actually one of your hidden subordinate organizations. You\u2019re completely looking down on my IQ if you dare to mention your \u2018sincerity\u2019 to me and expect me to believe you. I have a strong suspicion you\u2019ve been digging a hole under my ass since the very beginning.}<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun sent a message to Old Ghost. Old Ghost read it, raised his eyebrows, and sent it on to Zuo Yang.<\/span><\/p>

On the screen, Zuo Yang\u2019s deputy walked into the picture before they could continue further and leaned over to whisper something in his boss\u2019 ear. Zuo Yang\u2019s expression changed a little. He nodded, looked at Meng La on the other side of the screen, curled up the corner of his mouth, and disconnected without another word.<\/span><\/p>

Then he immediately called Lian Jun. {You told me to leave Meng La hanging, so I did. What now?}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cNow, there is a win-win opportunity for both you and me\u2014provided that you\u2019re sincere,\u201d Lian Jun replied. \u201cZuo Yang, you\u2019d better have really changed sides. If not, I don\u2019t mind doing what I\u2019d promised earlier.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

After finally being able to relax in the past few days, Zuo Yang didn\u2019t want Lian Jun to take up arms again, so he pushed down his pride and said, {I assure you that I\u2019m sincere. Gunfire is an \u2018outsider,\u2019 after all\u2014between you and them, of course I\u2019d choose to help you.}<\/span><\/p>

That was just a bunch of bullshit, but Lian Jun didn\u2019t care, all he wanted was to move the play on to the next act.\u00a0 \u201cLong Shi isn\u2019t dead\u2014he\u2019s in my hands,\u201d he said, laying his cards on the table.<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang jumped to his feet in shock, exclaiming, {What did you say?! He\u2019s not dead?}<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun knocked on the table. \u201cI don\u2019t need to collaborate with someone who can\u2019t keep a cool head. I hope you don\u2019t let me down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

These words woke Zuo Yang from his shock. He forced himself to calm down and took his seat again. Looking at Lian Jun as if he was watching a monster, he asked, {What is your aim?}<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun ignored his question. \u201cZuo Yang, let me make sure\u2014are all of the drug samples you got from Long Shi really gone?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang\u2019s eyes flicked to the side for a split second. He said, {Of course they\u2019re gone. There were four samples in total. I used two for your little lover, the other two I dropped on the ship back then, and they fell into the sea. I don\u2019t have any more.}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAre they really gone?\u201d Lian Jun double-checked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

{Really, I swear,} Zuo Yang replied.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAll right, I\u2019ll believe you for once,\u201d Lian Jun said, pretending not to notice how the man\u2019s expression changed. \u201cEven if you don\u2019t have them, Meng La must have some. Hydra is Gunfire\u2019s subordinate organization\u2014any drug made by Long Shi fell into Meng La\u2019s hands, so he must have a sample of that poison too. Long Shi refuses to reveal the formula to the antidote even under the threat of death, so I had no choice but to find another method to get it. This method, however, requires your cooperation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

At these words, Zuo Yang\u2019s eyes lit up, but his face remained calm. {In what way?} he asked.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun glanced at him and gave a brief explanation of his plan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Since Long Shi created the poison, he was definitely able to make the antidote, but wasn\u2019t willing to. Lian Jun came up with a simple and cruel way to make him willing\u2014to poison Long Shi with the same substance Shi Jin was \u201cpoisoned\u201d with, then shut him in a lab. Being poisoned himself would make it necessary for him to make an antidote, and the lab would provide the tools.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

But for this plan to work, Lian Jun lacked an important prop, that is, the drug. The only person who had it was Meng La, Gunfire\u2019s leader, so Lian Jun devised another plan. He\u2019d give Long Shi to Zuo Yang and let Zuo Yang tell Meng La about Shi Jin being poisoned, then propose cooperation: Meng La would provide the drug and Zuo Yang would provide the person. They would force Long Shi to make the antidote, then they would use the antidote to blackmail Lian Jun. Under that pretext, Zuo Yang would trick Meng La into coming to pick up Long Shi in person, then wait for a chance to take his head.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIf this plan succeeds, then after Meng La\u2019s death when the Southeast is up for grabs, I won\u2019t move\u2014the only things I want are Long Shi and the drug in Meng La\u2019s hands. As long as I have them, I\u2019ll no longer target Nine Eagles,\u201d Lian Jun said, making his position clear. \u201cIf you agree, I\u2019ll send someone to deliver Long Shi to you right away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

After hearing about the plan, Zuo Yang was both impressed and delighted, but still inwardly mocked Lian Jun for being so blinded by love. Putting on a sincere expression, he said, {Your plan is completely biased in favor of me, so I have no reason to refuse. Lian Jun, your dedication to your lover has moved even me\u2014I\u2019ll do everything I can to help you get the antidote!}<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun\u2019s expression eased a little, as if relieved at grasping a thread of hope of saving his beloved.<\/span> He nodded and said, \u201cThen I\u2019ll wait for the good news from you,\u201d and ended the call.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin nestled in one of the corners of the room, watching Lian Jun deceive Zuo Yang. As soon as Lian Jun hung up, the teenager abandoned the tablet full of exercises and poured him a glass of water. \u201cIs it done?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYes,\u201d Lian Jun replied, accepting the glass. \u201cIt\u2019s all thanks to your acting, or I\u2019d have a hard time catching Meng La\u2019s tail.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cNo, it\u2019s obviously because you\u2019re smart. You even came up with a way to catch both of them at once,\u201d Shi Jin flattered without delay, then asked, \u201cDoes Uncle Long know that you\u2019re going to hand Long Shi over?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun\u2019s eyebrows wrinkled again. Caressing the glass, he replied, \u201cHe knows, but decided not to interfere. After the plan was made, Gua Nine told Long Shi that you had been poisoned by the drug he made, and tried to force him to give up the antidote formula. However, Long Shi became very excited and started making excessive demands instead. When Uncle Long learned about this, he only said one sentence: <\/span>Getting rid of such a scourge can only be a good thing<\/span><\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Shi Jin fell silent. Thinking about Uncle Long\u2019s character, he heaved a heavy sigh in his heart, then changed the topic. \u201cBy the way, what if Zuo Yang gets some ideas after having Long Shi in his hands? Do we have any alternative arrangements prepared in case things don\u2019t go according to plan?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cOf course we do,\u201d Lian Jun replied. He put the glass down and continued with confidence, \u201cBut Zuo Yang will definitely follow my plan. With his personality, he won\u2019t be able to sleep well at night until he gets back at Gunfire for using him. This time, neither Zuo Yang nor Meng La will try to run.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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That very night, Gua Nine personally delivered Long Shi to Old Ghost, who in turn handed him over to Zuo Yang.<\/span><\/p>

Long Shi was still shouting the entire time he was being sent away, raising over-the-top demands for making the antidote since he knew how important Shi Jin was to Lian Jun. Unfortunately, no one paid any attention to him; in the end, Gua Nine got annoyed and stuffed a gag in his mouth.<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang\u2019s attitude made Meng La somewhat suspicious, and as expected, the next day he called again. Having Long Shi in his hands let Zuo Yang feel quite reassured and, obedient, he followed Lian Jun\u2019s instructions and ignored the call. Instead, he took advantage of Annihilation sniping at Gunfire and joined in the fun, stomping on Gunfire where he could.<\/span><\/p>

After completely cleaning up Gunfire\u2019s forces in L country, Annihilation turned their attention to the organizations investigated by Gua Three, and soon dug out several more that were connected with Gunfire in secret.<\/span><\/p>

Gunfire\u2019s business network was broken and their hidden sources of income destroyed. Nine Eagles seemed to have gained some kind of trump card because they and Annihilation stopped fighting; Nine Eagles even showed signs indicating they perhaps wanted to change sides. Meng La had been taking this beating passively for too long, and couldn\u2019t sit still anymore\u2014gritting his teeth, he endured the bleeding and made up for several large business losses Nine Eagles had suffered. With this goodwill, he knocked on Zuo Yang\u2019s door again.<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang got a bargain and was delighted, but didn\u2019t show it on his face. After taking Meng La\u2019s video call, his tone was cold as he said, \u201cHow is it? Being chased and bitten by Annihilation is not a nice feeling, huh?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

For all the world, Meng La\u2019s attitude seemed sincere and earnest. As if truly keeping Zuo Yang\u2019s best interests in mind, he said, {Zuo Yang, I really want us to be allies. I have shown you my sincerity; I hope you\u2019ll realize that if we stand on opposite sides, it will only be your old rival who benefits. You shouldn\u2019t let yourself be provoked.}<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang pretended to be wavering, but said, \u201cYou\u2019ve already lost my trust, so no matter what you say, it\u2019s useless.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

As sharp as he was, how could Meng La not notice him begin to waver? He struck while the iron was hot, promising benefits and playing emotional cards, trying to pry how exactly Nine Eagles managed to make Annihilation declare the ceasefire out of Zuo Yang.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang played along with him. The two fought a game of tug-of-war for some time, until at last he pretended to be moved by the benefits Meng La promised him. \u201cAll right, I\u2019ll tell you the truth,\u201d he said. \u201cIn fact, the bargaining chip I have is incomplete, but Lian Jun doesn\u2019t know. The reason I didn\u2019t break off from you is because I need your help to perfect it. I wanted to propose cooperation but I don\u2019t trust you anymore, so perhaps I shouldn\u2019t mention it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The fact that the bargaining chip had some kind of connection to himself stirred Meng La\u2019s mind at once. Naturally, he redoubled his efforts in lobbying Zuo Yang, and this time he was much more sincere.<\/span><\/p>

In the end, Zuo Yang pretended to have been won over in full, and told Meng La that Shi Jin had been poisoned by one of Long Shi\u2019s drugs, that only Long Shi could make the antidote for it, and that the man was in his hands. He then asked if Hydra really was Gunfire\u2019s subordinate organization and if Meng La had a sample of Long Shi\u2019s drug. If he did, they could talk about cooperation.<\/span><\/p>

Meng La hadn\u2019t expected Zuo Yang to actually have such an ace in the hole. After a moment of calculation, he decided he could agree to this deal. He admitted both to Hydra and to having more samples and said that he was willing to cooperate with Zuo Yang.<\/span><\/p>

Consequently, Zuo Yang demanded that Meng La bring the drug over in person. Meng La gave a euphemistic refusal. The two fought another game of tug-of-war; in the end, Zuo Yang declared that unless they met face to face and stayed in the same place until they had the antidote in hand and were able to resolve the threat of Annihilation, their cooperation could go practice self-love.<\/span><\/p>

Meng La pondered for a long time before he agreed to this proposal, on the condition that choosing the place would be up to him.<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang pretended to be offended and hung up in a huff.<\/span><\/p>

They were deadlocked for another three days. Since Nine Eagles, Annihilation, and Phantom had declared a temporary truce, Zuo Yang could afford to wait. Gunfire wasn\u2019t as lucky\u2014they were still being attacked, and the longer the stalemate went on, the more losses they suffered. In the end, Meng La compromised and sent Zuo Yang a message saying they could at least meet to discuss the terms.<\/span><\/p>

Zuo Yang immediately passed the news over to Lian Jun. After some consideration, Lian Jun told him to agree to the location but ask Meng La to bring all the members of Phantom that were being held captive and hand them over to Nine Eagles when they met. After all, Zuo Yang had been burned once\u2014Nine Eagles had to have another bargaining chip in order to protect themselves in case Gunfire suddenly changed its mind and went back on their agreement, or snatched Long Shi to use him themselves. Then, even if they lost Long Shi, they would still have something to use to negotiate with Annihilation and Phantom.<\/span><\/p>

This time, Meng La agreed straight away. In his current situation, he had no other choice\u2014it was Gunfire, not Nine Eagles, that had a knife at its throat.<\/span><\/p>

After getting this news, Old Ghost cried out in excitement. Lian Jun\u2019s expression also relaxed. He looked at Shi Jin, busy working on a problem in the corner, with warm eyes. The big fish swallowed the bait; at last, the things here could be brought to an end, and he could finally take Shi Jin away from this awful place.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Translator: Eques<\/em>
Editor: Con
Proofreader: Kiri<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Eques:<\/strong><\/h4>

Wait wait WAIT! This isn’t the end! I’m making up for the chapter I missed some time ago, so click the “Next” button – another chapter is waiting for you!

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