The next morning, Chen Xiao walked out of the room, leaned against the wall, and lit a cigarette.
He had failed.
He turned to the next room, where the other SSS-level awakener, Xu Zijun, was staying. The moment Xu Zijun saw Chen Xiao, he sat up straight in terror.
"Mad Ghost Butcher, I mean you no harm! I swear it!"
Chen Xiao said nothing.
A long water blade materialized in his hand.
Pfft! Pfft!
Two flashes of light later, Xu Zijun's arms were severed.
"Ahhh! Mad Ghost Butcher, I told you I had no ill will!"
Xu Zijun collapsed onto the bed, blood streaming over the edge as fear swallowed him whole. How could this man do this? He was an SSS-level awakener—still useful to humanity!
"Still not convinced?" Chen Xiao's gaze was ice-cold.
Xu Zijun endured the pain, not daring to show it. "I... I submit."
Only then did Chen Xiao's expression soften slightly. "That's better."
Severing his arms had crippled his combat ability, ensuring even the Little Monk or Jiang Yunhan could keep him under control.
Chen Xiao returned to the meeting room in Jianghe Building. Jiang Yunhan was eating breakfast there, unsurprised to see him.
"The three of them are missing... is that your doing?"
Chen Xiao nodded. "One's dead, and the other two are in the basement. Keep an eye on them for me."
Jiang Yunhan looked concerned. "You're not leaving again, are you?"
Chen Xiao was speechless. "Not anytime soon. I'm waiting for the Opportunities to be delivered."
After discussing Jiangbei's development for a while, he returned upstairs to the women.
Four days passed in the blink of an eye.
Chen Xiao spent the day training and the night experimenting, but he was frustrated to find that Huang Yiyi's favorability still refused to rise. It was the hardest task he had ever taken on.
That afternoon, he lay back on a recliner on the rooftop, sipping juice in the breeze while sketching out plans for a rooftop swimming pool — one reserved for female awakeners, with entry tickets graded by looks and figure, and rewards for top performers.
As he daydreamed, the seal on his talent loosened slightly.
He glanced at Tang Shirou, who was watching him with a gentle gaze, and a faint heat stirred within him.
Four days had already passed since his ultimatum to Destiny Group. It was obvious they had abandoned Huang Yiyi and Xu Zijun.
He now understood that the biggest gift Destiny Group had sent him was Huang Yiyi's charm talent. As for Su Jian... he would settle that score in Magic Capital later.
"Brother Chen Xiao, what Opportunity?"
A Yao looked at him curiously.
Chen Xiao waved a hand. "Nothing important. Tonight, I'll take you to the Jiangbei Military District. The transfer order should be there by then."
A Yao's eyes lit up. "Really? What rank will I get?"
Chen Xiao smiled. "As the deputy captain of the Capital Pioneer Team, even the First Executive Officer would count as a demotion here."
Jiangbei was a poor, underdeveloped region, but Chen Xiao still didn't trust letting A Yao go alone. He also pulled out an invitation to the Extreme Dao Base Grand Selection in Cangzhou, set for a week later.
After saying goodbye to the women, he went down to the basement, determined to win Huang Yiyi over.
"Chen Xiao..."
He sat on the edge of the bed. "You've had a rough time lately."
Huang Yiyi gritted her teeth. "I'd rather kill myself."
Chen Xiao brushed a strand of hair from her face. "You're right. I shouldn't have been so rough."
"From now on, work for me. You won't need to stay in the basement anymore. I'll give you a room in Jianghe Building."
Huang Yiyi froze in shock, clutching the blanket tighter. A room in Jianghe Building was priceless. This was completely different from the Mad Ghost Butcher she knew.
"What... what do you want from me?"
"Rest well tonight. In a few days, I'll take you out to relax."
Chen Xiao called this approach: No Pain, No Gain.