Chapter 62

“Do you need to go home first?”

Fu Xiuwang smiled as he looked at Jiang Zhihuo.

Jiang Zhihuo shook his head, took a deep breath, and said, “There’s no need. Just take me straight there.”

Fu Xiuwang was pleased with his reaction.

These youngsters were always the same; they didn’t have any judgment, acted purely on impulse, and believed they could change their lives. They were all so easy to fool.

That face—one look and you could tell it was worth a lot.

With the right training, its value would double.

Fu Xiuwang showed a meaningful smile.

Since Jiang Zhihuo was so eager, there was no need to delay. Fu Xiuwang took him directly to the clubhouse after dinner.

It was Saturday night, and the ground-floor restaurant was crowded. Getting a table there on a Saturday usually meant you had to book a week or two in advance.

The brightly lit restaurant played elegant, soothing instrumental music. The gentle piano sounds always created the perfect mood for something poetic.

Fu Xiuwang led Jiang Zhihuo straight to the elevators. Once they got out, they turned into a long hallway.

Jiang Zhihuo had been here the day before, but the elevator only went to the second and third floors. He’d never seen this hallway.

Clearly, this was a passage only insiders could access.

December 26th, Saturday, 7:03 PM.

The hallway was dimly lit by soft yellow lights, creating a quiet, shadowy atmosphere. Gold-embossed wallpaper lined the walls, with identical doors spaced every five or six meters. Each door was exquisitely crafted; even the handles had intricate carvings. A thick red carpet covered the floor, completely muting the sound of footsteps.

What is this place?” Jiang Zhihuo felt uneasy. Everything felt unfamiliar and somewhat oppressive.

“This is the training area,” Fu Xiuwang explained smoothly. “You know how cameras are—they test a person’s posture and figure. Every celebrity has to go through body training to make sure they don’t slip up on screen.”

“After training, we’ll evaluate you. If you’re suited to be an actor, you’ll start learning acting. If you’re going to be an idol, you’ll have to train in singing and dancing.”

Jiang Zhihuo nodded on the outside, but inside he was rolling his eyes.

Like hell I believe that!!

Training in a place like this??

Does this place look like a training center to you???

Still, he played along, giving an understanding look and saying, “So that’s how it is.”

“Mhm,” Fu Xiuwang said gently. “Now, I’ll take you to sign the contract and then assign you a room. Classes can start tomorrow or the day after.”

Jiang Zhihuo: “Okay.”

Something seemed to cross Fu Xiuwang’s mind. His lips curled slightly as he looked straight ahead. “We’ll give you the most professional training and arrange hands-on practice. Make the most of the opportunity, understand?”

Jiang Zhihuo glanced at him calmly and replied, “Got it.”

Something about Fu Xiuwang’s words made Jiang Zhihuo uncomfortable. He felt there was something hidden beneath them.

Jiang Zhihuo didn’t fully understand Fu Xiuwang’s line of work. He only knew the man was connected to the missing persons cases. From their conversation, he couldn’t get to the details of any trafficking deals, so even if arrested, Fu Xiuwang would probably only be charged with human trafficking.

But it was obvious Fu Xiuwang was involved in much more than that.

He didn’t come here only to lure the enemy. From the beginning, he had one clear goal.

—To find critical information.

The list of missing persons, their locations, and the contents of the deals.

The hallway was long and filled with rooms. As they passed one door, Jiang Zhihuo heard soft, intermittent sobbing from inside.

He stopped and asked, confused, “What’s going on?”

“Practicing crying scenes,” Fu Xiuwang said, staring at Jiang Zhihuo with a strange smile. Under the lights, the wrinkles on his face gathered together. “Maybe you’ll be doing that too someday.”

“Doesn’t sound like it,” Jiang Zhihuo replied honestly.

Fu Xiuwang didn’t explain further. He gave Jiang Zhihuo a light pat on the back. “Let’s go.”

As curious as he was, Jiang Zhihuo had no right to ask. Any more questions would raise suspicion, so he simply kept walking.

But after only a few steps, the same door banged loudly, like someone had slammed into it. Then it swung open, and a girl in a white spaghetti-strap dress ran out, followed by a man in a white shirt and black vest.

The man was muscular, his white shirt clinging to his arms, clearly showing his muscle lines.

When he saw Fu Xiuwang with Jiang Zhihuo next to him, the fierce look on his face vanished instantly. He bent slightly and said, “Boss Fu.”

“What happened?” Fu Xiuwang asked calmly. Scenes like this were common to him.

“She’s exhausted. Too much pressure.” The man replied.

The girl ran barefoot to the elevator, repeatedly slapping the button and glancing back, terrified. However, the elevator never came—it never would. So she gave up and ran the other way.

Fu Xiuwang gave the suited man a look, lowering his eyes slightly. The man nodded and walked over to Jiang Zhihuo.

Fu Xiuwang smiled. “Guess she had another breakdown. I’ll go talk to her.”

Seeing that he was about to leave, Jiang Zhihuo quickly grabbed his arm. He had just arrived and didn’t trust the stranger.

“What about me?” Jiang Zhihuo asked.

Fu Xiuwang nodded and gestured toward the man. “Have Wang You take you. He’ll also be your instructor later on.”

He signaled to the man with his eyes again. The man raised his arm and casually draped it around Jiang Zhihuo’s shoulder, saying, “Don’t be so nervous. We’ll be working together, after all. Just think of this as an early meeting. I’m Wang You.”

Fu Xiuwang walked in the direction where the girl had run, while Wang You continued to lead Jiang Zhihuo further inside. His hand remained on Jiang Zhihuo’s shoulder.

Jiang Zhihuo naturally understood what this meant.

If someone was truly trying to be friendly, their arm would be relaxed. However, the guy’s muscles were tense, and his fingers gripped the shoulder blade firmly.

This was a highly alert stance. If Jiang Zhihuo tried to escape or make a threatening move, Wang You could immediately grab him and even throw him over his shoulder.

Jiang Zhihuo pretended not to notice the tension. After exchanging names, he visibly relaxed and politely called out, “Teacher Wang¹[T/N: “王老师” (Wang Laoshi) is a polite form of address in Chinese, often used to show respect. It doesn’t always mean the person is literally a teacher—sometimes it’s used for professionals or seniors in certain fields.].”

Wang You said, “Don’t call me Teacher Wang; that sounds strange. You’re younger, so just call me Wang-ge.”

Jiang Zhihuo joked, “Wang-ge? Sounds like a gangster.”

“Haha, I like that.”

“Wang-ge,” Jiang Zhihuo said again with a smile, casually asking, “What was going on with that girl earlier? Why did she run?”

“Training is tough. Children your age can’t handle hardship,” Wang You said, then smiled and praised him. “That being said, a few others showed up recently, but none of them are as good-looking as you. You will undoubtedly be the first to achieve success.”

“Right?” Jiang Zhihuo had always been confident in his looks. “Look at this face, do you think I’ve got a chance at becoming a Triple Gold Best Actor²[T/N: “三金影帝” refers to winning Best Actor at all three major Chinese-language film awards—Golden Horse, Golden Rooster, and Golden Statue—similar to achieving a ‘Triple Crown’ in acting.]?”

Wang You laughed. “Haha, study hard and you definitely will.”

The hallway was long, and even after they turned a corner, they still hadn’t reached the end. As they talked, Jiang Zhihuo asked, “Where exactly are we going?”

Wang You clearly knew the routine well. His lines sounded rehearsed as he answered in an official tone, “First, we’ll enter your personal information, then do an evaluation. Based on that, we’ll assign your courses.”

“Got it,” Jiang Zhihuo replied knowingly.

As they walked past the restroom, Jiang Zhihuo suddenly said, “Wang-ge, I need to use the restroom. I drank too much water at dinner.”

After a few exchanges, Wang You had already figured that this boy was like the others—naive and harmless, a good-looking face with no brains.

He dropped his guard a bit, lowered his hand, and said, “Go ahead. I’ll wait for you outside.”

He said, “wait,” but in reality, he was guarding the door.

There were no windows in this restroom. If anyone wanted to escape, the only way was right past the door.

Wang You stood by the door. Not long after, he heard Jiang Zhihuo shout from inside, “What the hell!”

“Wang-ge!” Jiang Zhihuo threw open the stall door and called out, “You’ve got to come see this!”

“What is it?” Wang You walked into the restroom.

“There’s writing in here! And it’s red. What the hell is this…?”

Hearing the word ‘red,’ Wang You instantly tensed.

There had been an incident before where a ‘trainee’ couldn’t take it and slit their wrists in the restroom. Since then, the staff had been highly alert. Discovering a body would be a real disaster.

Wang You immediately pulled open the stall door. “Where’s the wri—”

He didn’t finish his sentence before a jolt of electricity struck his waist. The shock was so sudden that his entire lower body froze up.

Wang You had undergone training. This level of electricity only immobilized him. He remained conscious and instantly realized it was that brat, Jiang Zhihuo, playing tricks. He moved to fight back, but before he could lift his hand halfway, pain stabbed into his neck. Jiang Zhihuo had shocked him again. This time at the back of the neck.

There was a pressure point at the nape linked to the brain. The idea of knocking someone out with a single blow wasn’t total fiction.

The shock hit its mark. Wang You only had time to widen his eyes before his body slumped and the electricity knocked him out completely.

Just to be certain, Jiang Zhihuo zapped his neck again, then dragged him into the stall and searched him, taking all his cards, items, and phone.

He couldn’t leave the restroom just yet.

He’d already noticed on the way in. A surveillance camera was pointed straight at the sink outside. If two people walked in and only one came out, it’d be as good as broadcasting that something had happened.

Wang You was one of Fu Xiuwang’s men. Regardless of his trustworthiness, the items he carried could potentially expose Fu Xiuwang’s motive for luring those students.

Jiang Zhihuo unlocked the phone with Wang You’s fingerprint.

The more he read, the darker his expression grew.

Wang You, Fu Xiuwang, or maybe this entire clubhouse—the dealings they were involved in were more horrifying than he’d imagined.

Jiang Zhihuo took out a chip that could link to the phone and copied everything on it.

The electric shock wouldn’t keep him unconscious for long. Sure enough, Wang You began to wake up. Jiang Zhihuo straddled his back, tied his hands with rope, and yanked his collar up to force his head up.

“I’ve copied everything on your phone,” Jiang Zhihuo said in a low voice. In this moment, he was nothing like he had been minutes ago. His whole presence had turned cold. “Are you aware of what your group is doing?”

Wang You tried to struggle, but it was useless. Every part of him that could resist was bound. Now, he could only be pinned down by this boy.

He glared fiercely at Jiang Zhihuo. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Jiang Zhihuo let out a cold laugh. “What kind of question is that? You think I’d actually tell you? Currently, your only option is to cooperate.”

Wang You gave him the same disdainful look and scoffed. “You think you can get away?”

“Why don’t you try me?” Jiang Zhihuo leaned down, eyes narrowing. “Whether you cooperate is up to you. Whether I escape, that’s my skill.”

Just that one short sentence made Wang You’s entire body tense involuntarily.

He’d been tricked.

All of them had been tricked.

This kid, who looked like a clueless, edgy teenager, was simply acting. It was all a setup to fool them!

Wang You curled his fingertips, discreetly trying to slide his hand into his sleeve.

Just then, something cold pressed against the back of his neck.

It was a stun gun.

That was the thing that had knocked him out earlier!

With a mocking smile, Jiang Zhihuo said, “I already took that little gadget you were hiding. That trick of sending a warning? Others have already played it to death.” He didn’t waste any more time. “Two choices. Either cooperate with me or risk getting knocked out in the restroom once more.”

Wang You wasn’t an idiot. Someone had gone to great lengths to sneak in, indicating that this place was under surveillance. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Fine. What do you want me to do? However, if you believe that I will reveal all the information I possess, you are mistaken.”

Smart guy. At least talking to him wouldn’t be exhausting.

“Nothing complicated. Just walk out like nothing happened. And…” Jiang Zhihuo said, “Help me find a computer.”

From beginning to end, Jiang Zhihuo had only one goal for coming here.

All he needed was a computer.

These days, with so many investigative tools, no one’s really that dumb. Those crime drama villains who run circles around the cops? That stuff’s fiction. Most cases get solved—it’s just a matter of when.

Back when the first trainee went missing, Li Hao had already started suspecting this clubhouse.

However, he couldn’t get any solid evidence. Fu Xiuwang’s record was impeccable. Nobody could move against him, not even apply for a search warrant.

The more technology advanced, the more some criminals choose to go backward—to exploit the loopholes.

The clubhouse appeared perfectly normal on the surface, but digging deeper turned up no data at all.

All their critical information ran through a self-built internal network. The network remained unconnected to the internet. No data flowed out, and no one could probe it from the outside.

It was like a diary. Anything you wrote on paper, no matter how nasty or filthy, would remain unseen if you locked it in a drawer. However, once it’s online, even marked as private, someone can still find a way to read it.

Same logic. To protect secrets and avoid investigation, the more retro the method, the better. For example, Bai Zhengou used long-obsolete radio signals to communicate last time.

That’s what was going on in this clubhouse.

Their data didn’t rely on external networks—it only ran through their private system. You couldn’t break in from the outside because the computers hadn’t ever connected to the internet. Attempting to force your way in would not only violate cybersecurity laws but also raise suspicions even more quickly.

If you wanted to stay discreet and still get into the internal network, there was one blunt, simple solution.

Find a computer and plug your transmitter into it.

It wasn’t the only method, but it was the fastest, simplest, and most direct.

And Jiang Zhihuo was the best person to do it.

His background, social network, personality, and behavior had all been tailored for this mission. To Fu Xiuwang, he posed no threat—not even a hint. In fact, he was someone easy to overlook.

The computer was easier to find than expected. Wang You, following the usual plan, took Jiang Zhihuo to the signup room—there was one seating right there. He also saw rope and chloroform, tools for binding and knocking people out.

Jiang Zhihuo: “…….”

All that fancy talk about attracting people with promises and glamour was merely a cover. Once they tied you up, it was essentially the same as being kidnapped.

Jiang Zhihuo looked around. The room was about ten square meters, with no cameras or other communication devices installed.

To be safe, he stunned Wang You once more, used the rope meant for him to tie Wang You up, and turned on the computer.

It required a password.

Jiang Zhihuo didn’t know the password, but that wasn’t his concern. He plugged in the transmitter, and a progress bar immediately popped up on the screen. It moved slowly and stopped at 15% after thirty seconds.

The decryption was very fast.

The progress bar kept moving, but after passing halfway, it slowed down and then stalled at 82%.

Before long, Wang You regained consciousness and saw Jiang Zhihuo, along with the progress bar on the screen.

He propped himself up against the wall and said, “Your acting’s pretty good.”

“Not as good as yours,” Jiang Zhihuo said. “You guys really play the human role well.”

It was a clear way of saying he wasn’t human.

Wang You smiled.

Thinking about what he had seen on Wang You’s phone, Jiang Zhihuo felt a chill.

There are seven billion people in the world, and some will always have strange desires.

For example, domination and submission, like… master and slave relationships or sadomasochism.

Some people meet others with the same interests and form a pair—it’s all consensual. Their private life may not be mainstream, but it isn’t illegal, and there’s no need to judge right or wrong.

But some people crave the dangerous, the secretive, the new, and the good-looking.

This clubhouse specialized in training and twisting people’s bodies and personalities and supplying them to different clients.

They were allowed to do anything they wanted, no matter what it was.

Every time a new person arrived, the clubhouse would hold an auction to sell off their first time.

The next auction was in five days—December 31st.

Jiang Zhihuo’s eyes darkened, fury buried inside them. “Are you even human?”

“Nope.” Wang You didn’t resist. He calmly met Jiang Zhihuo’s gaze and even gave a relieved smile. “I stopped being one the day I came here.”

December 26th, Saturday, 7:16 PM.

“Still trying to run?” Fu Xiuwang asked, stepping on the back of the escaping girl. Several footprints had already marked her white spaghetti-strap dress.

The outdoor temperature was freezing. The girl trembled violently, biting her bloodless lips hard as she glared at the bodyguard holding her to the ground.

Her hair had become tangled and dusty during the escape. One strand stuck to her mouth as she screamed hysterically, “Fu Xiuwang, you maniac! You liar! You devil! You’re not even human!”

“You’ll die a horrible death! Go to hell! One day you’re going to be caught!!!”

She was overwhelmed with rage, shaking uncontrollably, her eyes bulging.

She opened her mouth wide and bit the guard’s hand without warning. His fingers loosened, giving her the chance to scramble up but he was quick too and grabbed her dress again.

The white dress tore, and the girl lunged at Fu Xiuwang, grabbing him like a madwoman.

However, she was too weak to fight several men. All she managed was to tear off Fu Xiuwang’s bracelet, scattering wooden prayer beads across the floor.

“Tsk.” Fu Xiuwang frowned impatiently.

Why are they always like this? Why can’t they just cooperate?

Do they really need to be mentally broken before they’d obey?

The bodyguard seized the girl again. Fu Xiuwang smiled, looked down at her, and said calmly, “Increase her training tonight.”

When she heard the word ‘training,’ she froze. Then her pupils shrank sharply, her body began trembling, and her face turned ghostly pale with fear.

Fu Xiuwang lifted one side of his mouth in a mocking smirk. “Don’t think you’re anything. Anyone who comes here isn’t a person anymore—they’re goods.”

“If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves for being stupid.”

He crouched down, pinched her chin, and patted her cheek, inspecting her closely. “This face? It’s nothing special. You know what, though? I brought in a real gem today.”

Fu Xiuwang sneered, let go, straightened his collar, nudged away the scattered beads at his feet, and turned into the hallway.

The girl used all her strength to lift her head. She wanted to reach out, to escape but she couldn’t. She could only collapse there, her face pressed into the carpet. It was supposed to feel soft, yet every fiber felt like a needle piercing her repeatedly instead.

Jiang Zhihuo’s phone suddenly let out a piercing alarm.

Two red dots were moving steadily closer on the screen.

He had tagged Fu Xiuwang with a location chip earlier by grabbing his sleeve.

Fu Xiuwang was coming!

However, the progress bar remained stuck at 94%!

“Sorry,” Jiang Zhihuo muttered as he chloroformed Wang You and dragged him behind the bookshelf—to at least buy a few extra moments before Fu Xiuwang could find him.

The ground shook the next second, followed by a loud crash from the ground floor and a woman’s scream.

Fu Xiuwang stopped and called the ground floor line. “What happened?”

“Boss Fu!” Someone downstairs said in panic. “A car crashes through!!”

The ground floor was in chaos. A red sports car, its front end crushed, sat in the wreckage, its glass door shattered. Several staff members surrounded the vehicle.

After a moment, the door opened. A young woman climbed out with blood running down her forehead. It got into her eyes, and she could only squint one eye open.

“Miss, are you okay?” A staff member approached.

“I’m so sorry!” He Miaomiao looked around at the chaos. “I mistook the accelerator  for the brake.”

She handed her phone to a staff member. “Hey, I’ll pay for everything, but can you take a picture for me? You don’t get to crash a car every day and this blood is totally real. Oh, and after that, can you call an ambulance? My head really does hurt. Thanks.”

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The author has something to say:

Today is Lunar New Year’s Eve.

Thank you for finding your way to me.

In the new year, I wish all my little angels³[T/N: It’s often used in Chinese to refer affectionately to children, fans, close younger friends, or cherished people.]:

May all hardships pass, and may peace fill your world.

As the years move forward, may fortune bless every corner of your life!

• 1
  [T/N: “王老师” (Wang Laoshi) is a polite form of address in Chinese, often used to show respect. It doesn’t always mean the person is literally a teacher—sometimes it’s used for professionals or seniors in certain fields.]
• 2
  [T/N: “三金影帝” refers to winning Best Actor at all three major Chinese-language film awards—Golden Horse, Golden Rooster, and Golden Statue—similar to achieving a ‘Triple Crown’ in acting.]
• 3
  [T/N: It’s often used in Chinese to refer affectionately to children, fans, close younger friends, or cherished people.]