After the gruesome case at the Listening Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, the villa district became deserted. Many people left one after another, pulling their suitcases behind them, officially withdrawing from the New Era Project. Even the number of staff at the breakfast buffet in the lobby had decreased.
Those who remained had all formed their own teams and usually moved together. The two largest domestic teams were Qianmen and Chuma Xian, while internationally, there was Joe and his group, forming an implicit tripartite power structure.
Although Chu Qianli and her companions had won first place in the vote, they were relatively weak compared to other teams, as their group currently only consisted of three people.
In the restaurant, Mei Rujing glanced around and noticed that the seating arrangements had become fixed. She remarked, “It looks like the factions have already been established.”
With many participants eliminated, the remaining groups stood out clearly. Various forces had been actively recruiting members. It was now obvious to everyone that those who had survived the gruesome case would likely participate in the project, and the next selection phase would be about competing for team influence.
Huang Jue had recently been persistently inviting Mei Rujing and the others to join forces, hoping they could seize control of the New Era Project together. However, the three of them had politely declined.
Chu Qianli said, “First, they’ll get rid of the lone wolves, then the different factions will clash. You could tell from the G City selection process that this was bound to happen.”
Tan Muxing asked, “What does this have to do with G City?”
Chu Qianli’s eyes lit up, and she eagerly explained, “In movies, G City is a city of spies, a gray area teeming with all sorts of people. In a place like that, trouble is inevitable!”
G City, a well-known major metropolis, had thrived on international trade in earlier years, attracting a complex mix of people and deeply intertwined interests. It was likely that Mondson Group had chosen this location precisely because of its unique characteristics, which set it apart from other cities.
Seeing her excitement, Tan Muxing could only gently remind her, “…The National Security Law has already been enacted.”
“But those forces still have influence here. We didn’t come to G City by chance—our presence here is probably the result of multiple powers competing for control.” Chu Qianli spoke casually, then added, “Anyway, let them fight for now. These open factions aren’t the real problem—the real issue is the unseen undercurrents.”
A had also mentioned that the forces backing each sorcerer weren’t simple, meaning some people had yet to reveal their true backgrounds.
A few days later, all irrelevant personnel had completely left the villa district. Mondson Group held a banquet in the lobby to celebrate those who had survived the gruesome case at the Listening Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, while also announcing the details of the next selection phase.
Inside Xinhe Residence, Chu Qianli hesitated as she looked at Mei Rujing, who was lying on the bed. “Rujing-jie, are you really not going?”
“I’m not going. You guys can go to the reception and tell me about it afterward. It’s just a bunch of strangers trying to make connections—it’s not like skipping it will disqualify me.” Mei Rujing took a sip of her warm brown sugar water. “Besides, I really don’t feel well.”
From the moment she woke up today, Mei Rujing had been feeling weak and unwell. Given her usual aversion to crowded places, she decided to skip the evening’s reception.
“Then rest well. Let us know if you want anything—we’ll bring it back for you.”
Chu Qianli waved goodbye to Mei Rujing and then ran downstairs to meet up with Tan Muxing. Together, they boarded a tour vehicle heading to the lobby for the reception.
The restaurant was brightly lit, with all attendees gathered in one place.
Elegant music played in the background, tables were laden with a dazzling array of delicacies, and waiters dressed in formal attire moved through the crowd with trays of wine. It was a grand and luxurious banquet scene.
Huang Jue glanced around and muttered, “Well, this is different. The moment they eliminated some people, the dining standards shot up?”
The attendees of the reception were all candidates who had passed the selection process. They had diverse appearances and came from different countries, now seated together in one place.
Onstage, Lin appeared in an exquisite gown and spoke loudly, “It’s a pleasure to gather here with all of you elites, and I’m honored that we are all part of the great New Era Project. After completing the preliminary and second-round screenings, our team has mostly taken shape. The remaining selection process is merely to ensure better teamwork. But tonight, let’s not talk about that…”
“Tonight is a night of celebration. Let us raise our glasses together—to a better future for humanity!”
The translator stood by, diligently interpreting Lin’s speech.
Some in the audience raised their glasses in response, while others remained unmoved.
A, smiling, casually swirled his wine glass, feigning agreement in an indifferent manner.
Meanwhile, the Daoists from Qianmen sat calmly in a corner. None of them raised their glasses or touched the food on the table.
“Rujing-jie was definitely smart not to come. I thought there’d be something meaningful, but it’s all just empty talk.” Chu Qianli glanced around curiously. She had no interest in Lin’s grand vision and suggested, “Xingxing, let’s grab some food and head back.”
The two quietly slipped out of their seats, planning to get some food from the buffet area and bring it back to Xinhe Residence to share with Mei Rujing.
There weren’t many people at the buffet, but they unexpectedly ran into a familiar face.
A gypsy woman dressed distinctively. Lilith noticed the two of them and, not seeing Mei Rujing with them, asked in confusion, “Aren’t there usually three of you?”
Chu Qianli, Tan Muxing, and Mei Rujing were almost always together. Since they were among the rare atheists in the second-round presentations, they naturally stood out and were remembered by others.
Chu Qianli replied, “She didn’t want to come. We’re just bringing her something.”
Lilith smiled. “You three are really close. That’s quite rare here.”
Tan Muxing responded, “Aren’t you and Mr. Joe quite close as well?”
Lilith and Joe seemed to know each other; they had interacted during the second-round presentation.
“We just know each other, that’s all. Everyone here has their own motives. It was just a brief exchange.” Lilith picked up a plate of pudding from the small table and naturally handed it to Chu Qianli, encouraging her, “Try this. It’s pretty good.”
“Oh, thank you.” Chu Qianli instinctively took it, but as her fingers brushed the underside of the plate, she paused, eyes lifting to meet Lilith’s gaze.
Lilith smiled sweetly and said, “I think forming alliances doesn’t have to be limited to this place. Maybe we should also consider the possibilities outside.”
With that, Lilith walked away without saying more.
Chu Qianli watched her leave before looking down at the pudding in her hand. She reached under the plate and pulled out a small slip of paper with a string of numbers written on it—seemingly a contact number.
Tan Muxing was taken aback. “This…”
“As expected of G City—here it comes.” Chu Qianli sighed. “Who knew we’d be so sought after?”
It was clear that Lilith wasn’t just an ordinary fortune teller, but her true affiliations remained unknown. Now, she was trying to recruit Chu Qianli and her companions.
Tan Muxing asked, “Does she want us to call her?”
Chu Qianli crumpled the paper into a ball and casually stuffed it into Tan Muxing’s coat pocket, muttering in frustration, “Do I look like someone who can’t sit still? Just because we don’t want to stick with our own country’s groups doesn’t mean we’re eager to team up with foreign ones.”
Chu Qianli suspected that Lilith had misunderstood the three of them. The fact that they avoided Daoists and spirit mediums didn’t mean they were willing to mix with foreign factions either.
Yet, while Chu Qianli was still troubled by how others misunderstood them, she was suddenly approached by Shi Zhuoqu.
“Excuse me, teachers. Sorry to bother you, but Lin would like to speak with you privately.” Shi Zhuoqu was polite, formally inviting the two of them to follow him.
Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing exchanged glances but didn’t move immediately.
Chu Qianli asked, “You’re not about to settle accounts over the preliminary test, are you?”
Shi Zhuoqu chuckled. “You’re joking. Your performance in the past two days has been outstanding. Lin greatly admires your abilities, which is why he wants to meet with you privately.” He then added, “To discuss the advancement of the New Era Project together.”
Chu Qianli immediately realized what was happening—this was a recruitment attempt. She smiled and said, “So this is a private meeting? I thought we weren’t even in the running for this. After all, Mr. Shi, you should know which institution we’re from.”
Chu Qianli’s words were half-true, using the opportunity to probe Shi Zhuoqu’s intentions. She hadn’t forgotten the persona she initially presented, and logically speaking, they shouldn’t have been approached.
Shi Zhuoqu remained composed. “Your words remind me—after the preliminary test, I did some digging, but I couldn’t determine where you two are actually employed.”
When Shi Zhuoqu first met Chu Qianli and her group, he had assumed they were with the national team. However, his private investigation yielded no results. With so many factions now mixed among the candidates—some of whom were confirmed to be real national team members—their true identities became increasingly ambiguous.
Back in the preliminary test, Chu Qianli had merely flashed an ID. If she truly had a background, there should have been some trace of information.
After the test, Shi Zhuoqu gradually realized that he might have been deceived.
Chu Qianli, unfazed at having her fake credentials exposed, casually waved her hand and declared with confidence, “Oh, Shi, that’s just because you’re not good enough at investigating. Your research wasn’t thorough enough.”
“……”
I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.
