Chapter 564
A Lighthouse Standing Firm Amidst Stormy Waves
Fang Cheng stepped into the house but did not speak immediately.
He then walked straight to the octagonal table, pulled out a bamboo chair, and sat down with an air of authority.
As he sat down, the heat that filled the room seemed to finally find its source, surging and converging upon him.
The air began to circulate again, but the high temperature remained unabated.
Fang Cheng sat upright in his chair, calmly scrutinizing the three people before him.
The professor and Lin Chuqiao stood on either side of him, like two guardian deities.
This silent gaze is more unsettling than any harsh interrogation.
Douzi curled up into a ball, burying her head even lower, and even her breathing became cautious.
Like a small animal instinctively submitting and trembling when facing a top predator.
Xu Kuan then turned to the side, trying to block Jiang Yun with his not-so-broad shoulders.
But his clenched fists trembled uncontrollably, and he felt as if he were being roasted over a fire. His shirt was soaked through in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Yun lowered her eyes, her hands clenched so tightly they turned white, her nails almost digging into her flesh.
Driven by immense fear, she instinctively activated her abilities.
I want to find a sense of security by sensing the other person's emotions, just like I always do.
In the past, when facing other people, even those vicious thugs like Bloodthorn, she could see a murky yellow light representing greed, or a scarlet light representing murderous intent.
But at this moment, as her senses tentatively reached out to the man.
She was stunned.
Nothing.
There was no malice, no goodwill, not even a trace of emotion.
She felt as if she were standing on the edge of an abyss, with only a dark void that swallowed everything in front of her.
That elusive, unknown, and powerful force made her feel even more powerless to resist than a straightforward display of killing intent.
In a daze, she even began to hallucinate.
In that dark abyss, it seemed as if a blazing sun was slowly rising.
It was dazzling, scorching, and domineering, causing her mental pain and leaving her drenched in sweat.
Just when the three were about to break down psychologically.
"My surname is Fang, and I am the president of the Illuminati."
Fang Cheng suddenly spoke up.
With this simple introduction, the intense heat that enveloped the entire venue instantly dissipated like a receding tide.
It was as if the oppressive feeling from before was just everyone's illusion.
Fang Cheng smiled faintly, his tone as calm as if he were chatting casually:
"I think you all got to know me last night on the rooftop of the Silverwing Building."
As he spoke, he pointed to the chair opposite him:
"Don't be so nervous, sit down and talk."
Xu Kuan and Jiang Yun immediately relaxed, their tense expressions instantly easing.
"Ah...yes, thank you, thank you Chairman Fang..."
The two thanked him repeatedly, somewhat incoherently, and then cautiously moved to sit on the edge of the bed.
Cold sweat still clung to his clothes, but the previous fear had subsided, replaced by a sense of disorientation.
It was as if the terrifying monster from just now and the kind man in front of him were not the same person at all.
Watching the three of them go from extreme tension to instant relaxation, their emotions were completely swayed by Fang Cheng's every word and action.
The professor standing to the side pushed up his glasses, a glint of shrewdness flashing behind the lenses.
This is the art of controlling people.
First, use the power of thunder to intimidate the mind, then use the gentle warmth of spring to soothe the emotions.
If we don't break down their psychological defenses first, these people will probably continue to harbor unrealistic hopes and keep things to themselves during the rest of the conversation.
Only by making them deeply aware of the huge gap in status between the two sides can the situation be truly controlled.
"Everyone, relax. We're safe here now."
Lin Chuqiao spoke at the right moment, her voice gentle and clear, her face bearing a smile that was as refreshing as a spring breeze.
Her gaze softened and fell on the child in the corner who looked like a little beggar.
So she took out two beautifully packaged chocolates from her handbag and walked over in her high heels.
"Give."
She bent down and handed the candy to Douzi.
Douzi glanced quickly at Lin Chuqiao, then looked at the candy that smelled so tempting.
He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing slightly.
But she was still too afraid to reach out, and simply curled her body up even tighter.
Lin Chuqiao showed no impatience or disgust, and directly pulled over those dark little hands, stuffing the candy into her palm.
He gently ruffled her messy hair, his tone indulgent:
"Eat it, it's very sweet."
After doing all this, she got up and returned to Fang Cheng's side.
This small but genuine act of kindness was like a warm current that completely melted away the stiff atmosphere in the room.
Xu Kuan took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and asked:
"What do you want from us? If you want money, we have none. If you want our lives, I...I..."
His voice trembled slightly from nervousness, and he stammered as he spoke.
Fang Cheng leaned back in his chair, looking at him like this, and asked in a calm tone:
What use are your lives to me?
Xu Kuan was stunned for a moment, then opened his mouth.
But he found himself completely at a loss for words, and froze on the spot, his face turning bright red.
Seeing this, Jiang Yun, who was standing nearby, suppressed her surprise and doubt and mustered her courage to say:
"President Fang, we are very grateful to your organization for rescuing us from Bloodthorn."
"If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask. We will do our best to cooperate and ensure that we do not neglect our duties."
Having been a nurse and seen the world, she spoke much more logically than Xu Kuan and was better at assessing situations.
Fang Cheng glanced at her again and got straight to the point:
"I want to know, how did the Bloodthorn Mercenary Group contact the military to make the deal while they were kidnapping you? Did anyone else come to inspect the goods?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun frowned, thought carefully for a moment, and then shook her head.
"No."
"After we were captured by Bloodthorn, we were locked in a small dark room. We had no idea what was happening outside and had never seen anyone other than those few Bloodthorn members."
“It wasn’t until last night that they secretly moved us to the rooftop of the building to prepare for the transaction.”
At this point, a look of lingering fear appeared on her face:
"At the time, I overheard the short, dark-skinned man talking to the masked man, saying that they were going to sell us to the military, it seemed... to send us to the lab as materials."
Where are your identification documents?
Fang Cheng stared intently at her, then asked:
"Didn't the military file a record?"
"Absolutely not, I can guarantee that."
Jiang Yun realized something and answered very affirmatively.
To prove she wasn't lying, she straightened her back eagerly and looked directly at Fang Cheng.
"why?"
Fang Cheng asked in a deep voice.
Jiang Yun's face fell. She glanced subconsciously at Xu Kuan beside her, and seeing him give her an encouraging look, she said bitterly:
"Because both Kuan-ge and I... have experienced some unpleasant things."
"In order to completely sever ties with the past, we all chose to leave our hometowns and spend all our savings to buy new fake identities to live in Dongdu."
“We live very carefully. We only look for jobs in small workshops and rent rooms in urban villages where we don’t need to register our ID cards. We rarely interact with our colleagues, for fear that others will notice our abnormality.”
At that moment, Xu Kuan reached out and firmly grasped Jiang Yun's slightly cold hand. Jiang Yun smiled at him, a tender memory flashing in her eyes:
"Later, by chance, Brother Kuan helped me... and we realized that we were both extraordinary people with special abilities."
“In this unfamiliar city, danger lurks everywhere. We have personally witnessed individuals whose identities were exposed being arrested by the authorities or harmed by so-called fellow human beings.”
“We were lucky, but we didn’t dare trust anyone. We could only stick together for warmth, like two rats hiding in the sewer, carefully avoiding all the light, afraid that they would die if they saw the light.”
She paused, her gaze falling on the child huddled in the corner:
"As for Douzi, she is an orphan and doesn't even have a formal name."
"Unless one of the Bloodthorns is a prophet with uncanny foresight, they certainly don't know where she comes from."
Fang Cheng nodded slightly upon hearing this, having already made up his mind.
It seems things are going better than expected.
Bloodthorn captures Outcasts to trade with the military as goods; the key lies in the "Outcast" attribute, not their actual registered identity.
Moreover, since it's a shady black market transaction, it certainly won't go through the proper channels.
After all, if the organization of human trafficking were exposed, it would be no small scandal.
The woman in front of us is very credible, so for the time being we shouldn't have to worry about the military finding us here by following this lead.
At least, apart from the members of the Illuminati, everyone who had seen them—whether it was the Bloodthorn Mercenary Group, the military's contact, or the thugs of the Flying Crane Gang—had all turned into corpses.
wrong.
There was also a red-haired foreign devil lying on the operating table.
The thought flashed through his mind, but Fang Cheng's expression remained unchanged. He then asked:
"So what are your plans for the future?"
The moment this question was raised, the atmosphere in the room instantly became even heavier.
Xu Kuan and Jiang Yun exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion, helplessness, and deep worry in each other's eyes.
Intend?
After what happened last night, they have no plans left.
"We...don't know."
Xu Kuan lowered his head, his voice hoarse, his hands clutching his hair in anguish:
"We definitely can't go back to our previous place, we've lost our jobs, and we might even run into thugs like Bloodthorn... We really don't know where else we can go."
Even though they escaped the den of demons, the world seemed to offer them nowhere to hide.
At this moment, the professor, who had been silent all along, suddenly stood up and said in a serious tone:
"Although your identities have not been exposed for the time being, for your safety, I suggest that you stay here and not go anywhere during this period."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun and Xu Kuan tensed up instantly, a hint of surprise and doubt showing in their eyes.
The professor, seemingly oblivious to their reaction, continued his analysis in a calm tone:
“Last night’s battle took place in the city center, it was too big a commotion and had a very bad impact. In particular, the crash of the armed helicopter, which killed an entire team of special operations personnel, is a great disgrace to the military.”
"According to the intelligence we have gathered, the military has now sealed off all entrances and exits to Dongdu and is conducting a city-wide manhunt for suspicious persons."
The professor paused, his gaze sweeping over the two of them:
“The capital city is now a net that can catch you in the dark. As soon as you step out of this door, you are likely to be discovered as to be suspicious and be brought back.”
These words are not an exaggeration.
Jiang Yun and Xu Kuan's faces turned deathly pale instantly.
Douzi buried his head deep under his knees, not daring to move an inch.
It felt as if there were raging floods and ferocious beasts outside.
After a long while, Xu Kuan finally spoke again, his voice somewhat hesitant:
"So... do we have personal freedom while living here? Can we leave whenever we want?"
The professor was taken aback upon hearing this and turned to look at Fang Cheng.
Fang Cheng nodded slightly to him, his expression indifferent.
Having received approval, the professor turned his head, his tone softening slightly:
"Of course, we, the Illuminati, are not like the Bloodthorn, bandits who treat people like commodities. You have legs, you can leave whenever you want, and we will never stop you."
At this point, he changed the subject:
"However, since you can't think of a suitable place to go for the time being, there is now a path in front of you. It's up to you to choose."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun and Xu Kuan immediately looked up at him, a glint of light flashing in their eyes.
“Our Illuminati was founded not long ago, and we are currently short of like-minded people.”
The professor looked intently at the three of them and continued:
"If you'd like, you can choose to stay, join the organization, and become one of us."
"Join us?"
Jiang Yun bit her lip and asked hesitantly:
"The Illuminati... how are they different from the Bloodthorn Mercenary Group? Could they also be..."
She didn't dare finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear: Could it be that they were also using us, or treating us as commodities to be traded with others?
After all, it's understandable to have such worries, as one has just escaped one danger only to fall into another.
"If you think we're like those scumbags, then we wouldn't have acted last night."
Lin Chuqiao also took a step forward, her smile fading slightly, replaced by a touch of solemnity:
"President Fang's original intention in founding this organization was never to fight for power and profit, much less to oppress the weak."
She looked into Jiang Yun's eyes, her voice soft yet powerful:
"We have experienced the same things as you, and the world is full of malice towards us."
"Because of this special ability, we are regarded as outcasts, studied, and hunted. We can only hide in dark corners like rats, and we are even deprived of the right to live as ordinary people."
Lin Chuqiao's words struck the hearts of the three like a hammer.
This is precisely the pain and grievance they have buried deep in their hearts for many years.
Xu Kuan's eyes turned red, and Jiang Yun couldn't help but cover her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.
"The purpose of the Illuminati is to establish a true home for the Outcasts."
Lin Chuqiao opened her arms wide, her tone sincere and passionate, as if describing a dream within reach:
"Here, there is no discrimination, no oppression, and no need to live behind a mask. We are family members who share weal and woe, and compatriots who help and love each other."
"What we need to do is help all those like us who yearn for a normal life but are not accepted by the world."
"We want to tell the world that we are not monsters, nor are we commodities to be traded. We have the right to stand in the sunlight and the right to have the dignity of being human."
"That's why we risked being besieged by the military to save you, complete strangers."
"Homeland" and "dignity"?
These words held a fatal attraction for Xu Kuan and Jiang Yun, who had long lived in fear and displacement.
Even the beans huddled in the corner quietly raised their heads.
For the first time, a glint of something called "desire" flashed in those wary eyes.
"Light...illumination..."
Jiang Yun murmured to herself, repeatedly pondering these three words, her eyes gradually brightening.
"Yes."
At this moment, Fang Cheng, who was sitting upright, finally spoke.
He stood up, his tall figure blocking the sunlight from the window, but casting an even grander shadow in the hearts of the three.
"Light represents truth and love, and illumination is our action."
Fang Cheng's voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the small room, carrying an undeniable conviction:
"The purpose of the Illuminati is to use light to dispel the fog, illuminate the darkness, and ultimately cleanse all filth and establish a new order."
His gaze swept over the three men, and he extended a hand, as if inviting them to embark on a great journey together:
"We not only want to ensure that people with superhuman abilities can live with dignity, but we also want to use our power to correct this distorted and corrupt world and bring it back on track."
"It's difficult, and you might even die, but it's worth a try."
Xu Kuan and Jiang Yun looked up at the man in front of them.
At this moment, in their eyes, this man was no longer a terrifying monster.
Rather, it is a majestic mountain, a lighthouse that stands firm amidst raging waves.
A surge of unprecedented passion and belonging welled up within them. (End of Chapter)