Just as Tinia was about to lose his temper, the front door in the entryway let out a beep.
The doors slid open to both sides.
Tianyan walked in first, carrying an exquisite paper bag in his hand. Tianque followed half a step behind him, his white hair slightly messy.
The four people on the sofa looked over in unison.
"Oh." Tianyan changed his shoes and swept his gaze across the living room, a flash of amusement in his green eyes. "Everyone is here. Having a little meeting?"
Tianque remained silent, walking straight to the single sofa at the very edge and sitting down.
Baal tossed the gun parts in his hand onto the table, the metal colliding with a crisp clatter. His eyes closely followed the two brothers.
These two had been living here for several days, leaving early and returning late every day. One was a smooth talker, the other was a man of few words. He had checked their backgrounds, and they were suspiciously clean.
But the cleaner they were, the more suspicious it seemed.
Tinia wore his disgust plainly on his face. He was already fuming from the news Chiron had brought, and seeing these two guys of unknown identity right now, he snapped at them in a bad mood.
"This has nothing to do with you. Go back to your room and stay there." Tinia leaned closer to Jiang Lijin.
Tianyan was not annoyed. He walked over with a smile and placed the paper bag in his hand on the coffee table.
"I originally didn't want to disturb you all." Tianyan slowly unsealed the paper bag, took out a beautifully presented box of dessert, and pushed it in front of Jiang Lijin. "But on the way back, the news on the Star Network was going crazy."
He pulled up a chair and sat down, propping his chin on one hand as he looked at Jiang Lijin.
Jiang Lijin didn't move.
"On the barren planet next to the capital star, they dug up a half-human, half-bug monster. I saw the video. Its appearance is truly quite unique." Tianyan's tone was relaxed, as if he were just gossiping. "I heard it's even a female. These days, even the area around the capital star isn't safe anymore. Don't you agree?"
Jiang Lijin raised her eyes to meet Tianyan's gaze. Those green eyes revealed a blatant hint.
The black market's intelligence network spanned the entire interstellar space. As people from the black market, how could Tianyan and Tianque merely be discussing Star Network news? There was a hidden meaning in his words. He most likely possessed some inside information that the authorities couldn't find.
She would have to talk to him alone later.
Understanding his intention, Jiang Lijin picked up a fork and opened the dessert box. She scooped up a spoonful of the dessert and put it into her mouth. It was orange-flavored, sweet and refreshing without being cloying.
"It is quite unsafe." Jiang Lijin swallowed the dessert, forcibly pulling the topic back on track. "However, the day after tomorrow is the royal banquet. I am the Second Prince's guest. The Empire will guarantee my safety, right?"
The meaning behind these words was a hint to Baal and Tinia that there was no need to say too much in front of these two brothers.
She turned her head to look at Chiron and Baal, her tone steady. "The banquet will be broadcast live across the entire interstellar space. The top officials of the parliament and the cabinet will all be there. No matter how unsafe it is, it can't be unsafe at a royal banquet."
Baal snorted coldly. He was a straightforward person and hated these convoluted conversations the most. But since Jiang Lijin had spoken, he didn't press the matter any further.
Chiron sat to the side without speaking. However, his gray eyes behind his glasses swept over Tianyan and Tianque, looking thoughtful.
"Alright." Jiang Lijin rubbed the space between her eyebrows with a headache. "It's not like we're going to war. You all go do what you need to do. I know what I'm doing regarding this matter."
She turned to look at Tianyan and gave him a look.
Tianyan received the signal, tactfully stood up, and patted the wrinkles on his clothes.
"Then Ms. Jiang should rest early. Call us anytime if you need anything." He smiled harmlessly, turned around, and called for Tianque to go up to the second floor together.
The meeting in the living room broke up on a sour note.
Tinia still wanted to cling to Jiang Lijin and say something, but Baal grabbed him by the back of his collar and lifted him up.
"If Young Master Tinia has free time, you might as well go check if your Yunlan Group's properties have been infiltrated by Graven. Don't drag us down when the time comes." Baal issued the order very bluntly.
Tinia broke free, adjusted his collar, and sneered. "I don't need you to worry about it. The accounts of my Yunlan Group are much clearer than your military's budget."
Chiron stood up and tidied up the water cups on the table.
"Rest early. Tomorrow I will accompany you to check the schedule for the banquet." He said to Jiang Lijin, his tone gentle.
Jiang Lijin nodded, turned around, and went upstairs.
The corridor on the second floor of the villa was covered with a thick carpet, making it completely silent to walk on.
"Host, are you really going?" Xiao Yi muttered in her mind. "Late at night, a lone man and a lone woman... no, a lone woman and two men, it's such a bad look. If that jealous guy Baal finds out, he'll definitely tear this building down."
"Shut up." Jiang Lijin replied in her consciousness. "I'm going to take care of serious business."
She raised her hand and knocked on the door of Tianyan's room.
When the door opened, the lights in the room were not turned on.
Jiang Lijin stood at the door and frowned. "Trying to save me money on the electricity bill?"
A very light chuckle came from the darkness.
It was Tianyan.
"Frugality is a virtue."
Jiang Lijin walked in, and the door closed behind her. After her eyes adapted to the dimness, she noticed someone moving in the corner.
Tianque was standing against the wall. His white hair was striking even in the dark, and though his red eyes were not glowing, they had an intense presence. He didn't speak, only placing a sealed metal box on the table.
Tianyan sat on the other side, his entire body sinking into the shadows.
She pulled out a chair and sat down, tapping her fingers on the table. "Speak. Looking for me late at night couldn't possibly be just to treat me to a midnight snack."
Tianyan said, "There is a midnight snack, but I think you'd probably rather hear about Graven right now."
Jiang Lijin raised her eyes. "Speak."
Tianyan said, "The banquet is a trap."
"You don't need to tell me that."
"It's not just to capture you." Tianyan wasn't joking around this time. "They want to publicly confirm the upper limit of your purification."
Jiang Lijin frowned. "What do you mean?"
Tianyan pressed a spot on the desk, projecting a document onto the surface. A faint light screen lit up, the cold blue light reflecting on the faces of the three people.
On it was a list of names highlighted in red.
They were all males. There were A-class, S-class, and even a few double-S class files.
Different statuses were marked next to these people: mental rampage, genetic pollution, Zerg infection, and experimental subject losing control.
Tianyan tapped his fingertip on the bottom line.
"The royal underground holding area is keeping a batch of failed products. On the day of the banquet, Graven will create chaos and release them."
Jiang Lijin looked at that line of text, her stomach churning with disgust. Graven was so powerful that he could even use double-S class males as his experimental subjects!
"He wants to force me to save them."
"Correct," Tianyan said. "If you save them, they can record your purification frequency and calculate your mental power structure. If you don't save them, the deaths will be blamed on you. The Empire's media will write you off as a cold-blooded triple-S class female."
Jiang Lijin cursed under her breath.
This move was truly vicious. It was wrong to save them, and wrong not to save them.
Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the surface of the table while her mind raced with calculations. Graven had gone to great lengths to arrange this show, simply to test her trump card and study whether she was qualified enough for him to take the huge risk of turning her into an experimental subject. Since the other party had already made a move, she couldn't just stay on the defensive.
"Graven is a madman. He wants to break the boundaries between species." Tianyan put away the light screen, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "Once something like this starts, the entire universe will go down with it. The black market is in the business of making money, not charity, but that relies on the premise that the world still exists."
Jiang Lijin raised an eyebrow. "So you're betting on me?"
"You are the center of the storm right now. Whoever controls you controls the future of the game."
"I am not a chip to be controlled by anyone." Jiang Lijin sneered. "I am a player at the table."
Tianyan looked at her, a flash of admiration in his green eyes.
"That is exactly why we want to stay by your side."
Tianque pushed the metal box toward her.
"For you."
Jiang Lijin opened it. Inside lay a cartilage piercing, silver-gray and so tiny it was barely noticeable.
Tianyan explained, "The piercing contains three nerve paralysis needles. Anyone below 3S rank will lose their mobility within ten seconds. Even against a 3S rank, it can buy you two to three seconds."
Jiang Lijin picked up the stud and examined it. The craftsmanship was extremely delicate, without any superfluous decoration.
"How is the black market's after-sales service? Don't tell me that the moment I press it, it'll shoot a needle into my own ear."
Tianyan finally let out a chuckle. "I modified it myself. It won't kill you."
Jiang Lijin became even more vigilant. "That doesn't sound like a guarantee. It sounds like a disclaimer."
Tianque suddenly spoke up from the side. "I tested it."
Jiang Lijin turned to look at him.
Tianque added, "I stabbed Tianyan."
Jiang Lijin was speechless.
This after-sales test sample was very convincing.
She fastened the stud to her left ear. The cool metal against her skin brought a strange sense of security.
"Tell me, what do you want in return?"
Tianyan did not reply. Tianque did not move either.
In the unlit room, the presence of the two men felt oppressively close.
Jiang Lijin leaned back in her chair. "Money? Resources? Or do you want me to help you purify?"
"We want two positions."
"What positions?"
Tianyan stared at her with burning eyes. "Positions by your side."
There was no other sound in the room; even the ventilation system was excessively quiet.
Jiang Lijin could not see his expression clearly. She could only hear his voice, which was much lower than usual.
"Tianque and I have already matched with you. Since the Main Brain's results will not change, why don't we each take what we need? I can guarantee that the black market will provide you with intel, manpower, and an escape route. I can handle the things that cannot see the light of day for you, and Tianque can kill for you."
"And take a blade for you," Tianque added.
Jiang Lijin was silent for a few seconds before she could not help but speak.
"Is job hunting in the black market always this hardcore?"
Tianyan replied calmly, "The competition for the position is fierce."
"Makes sense." Jiang Lijin nodded. "I already have three employees here, and none of them are easy to deal with."
Tianyan continued to ask, "What are the evaluation criteria?"
"There is only one. Never betray me."
In the dark, Tianyan gave a very soft hum of agreement. "Noted."
Jiang Lijin looked at them for a moment. These two brothers were too smart and too dangerous. But right now, dangerous people were exactly what she needed the most.
She walked straight toward the door. "I can give you the positions, but you'll start as temps."
Tianyan pressed on, "And the compensation?"
Jiang Lijin did not even turn her head. "Free meals."
Tianyan could not help but laugh. This time, he finally showed a hint of his usual self.
"How generous of you, boss."
Host, your aura right now is absolutely amazing! You have these two black market big shots completely under your thumb. Xiao Yi cheered wildly in her mind.
Cut the flattery, Jiang Lijin replied. Go scan that list and see if there are any items in the system shop that we can use.
You got it! But Host, if we use system items at a critical moment like this, won't we get a warning from the Main System?
Graven is stuffing bugs into people's spines and the Main System is ignoring him. Why should it care about what I do?
