National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

They looked as if they could melt into the boundless darkness at any moment, disappearing without a trace.

As soon as the group stepped out of their vehicles, a man in glasses walked straight toward Zheng Qifeng.

He was dressed completely differently from the Samurai and Ninja, wearing a crisp and clean white suit.

His hair was meticulously combed, and his glasses reflected a cold glint under the lights,

obscuring his eyes.

He stopped in front of Zheng Qifeng, tilted his chin up slightly, and said in a somewhat stiff tone, "Take me to see where the incident occurred."

His tone left no room for negotiation. His words were a command, not to be defied.

The dim night was like a heavy black cloth,

pressing down on the construction site and its eerie atmosphere.

The dim yellow lights trembled in the wind,

struggling to cast their faint glow,

but they still seemed unequal to the task, managing only to illuminate a small patch of the surrounding area.

Zheng Qifeng looked up. When he got a clear look at the man’s face, a flash of surprise crossed his own.

The surprise was mixed with a hint of deliberate sycophancy. He quickly blurted out, "Well, hello!

If it isn’t Mr. Goto Taiji! I never expected that a man of your esteemed status,

would grace us with your presence personally!"

As Zheng Qifeng spoke, he bowed his body slightly,

his face plastered with a perfectly calibrated expression of reverence,

all the while secretly calculating his next move.

After saying this, Zheng Qifeng unhesitatingly moved to the front to lead the way.

His steps seemed steady, but his heart was pounding.

’I know one thing for certain,’ he thought. ’As long as I stay by the pit where Chu He is,

I’ll most likely be safe from harm.’

’After all, if something truly terrible were to happen, it would mean that not even Chu He could control the situation.

At that point, life and death would be left to fate.

There’d be no point in hoping for a lucky break.’

At this moment, all the large floodlights on the construction site were cranked to their maximum brightness.

The intense beams of light crisscrossed, making it seem as if day had broken,

illuminating every corner of the site with brilliant clarity.

But this seemingly bright environment offered no comfort.

Instead, it only served to accentuate the place’s indescribable strangeness.

Goto Taiji strode into the construction site at a measured pace.

He wore a crisp white suit, his hair slicked back, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his face.

The eyes behind the lenses held a scrutinizing, authoritative gaze.

The moment he stepped inside, he furrowed his thick brows, his sharp gaze sweeping across the area.

He then asked, "Where is everyone else? Why are there only a few of you left?"

Zheng Qifeng quickly put on a strained smile, the muscles on his face feeling stiff.

He tried his best to maintain a sincere expression,

and carefully explained, "Ah, Mr. Goto Taiji, you have no idea.

Tonight, in the span of less than an hour,

we’ve had two bizarre, downright terrifying incidents happen one after the other.

The workers were all scared out of their wits. Right now, every one of them is terrified,

like a flock of startled birds.

I really had no other choice. To calm everyone down,

I had to bite the bullet and let them go home to rest.

But don’t you worry, I paid them their full day’s wages, not a single cent short.

I was worried that if I forced them to keep working,

they’d all just run off by tomorrow.

Then it would be hard to even find enough people to work, and the project timeline would definitely be impacted.

That wouldn’t be good for either of us, would it?

That’s why I had to resort to this. I hope you can understand."

As he spoke, Zheng Qifeng secretly watched Goto Taiji’s expression,

his heart pounding with anxiety, afraid that he might have displeased the man and brought trouble upon himself.

Goto Taiji narrowed his eyes, silently studying Zheng Qifeng for a long moment as if trying to see right through him.

After a moment, as if he’d come to a conclusion, he nodded slightly.

A rare look of approval appeared on his face as he said, "Hmm, not bad.

Your thinking is quite thorough, even more so than I’d anticipated."

As soon as he said that, the heavy weight in Zheng Qifeng’s chest finally lifted.

The smile on his face became a little more natural, and he quickly nodded and bowed in agreement.

Goto Taiji clasped his hands behind his back, tilted his head up slightly with the air of a man in complete control, and continued, "As for the losses your construction site has suffered today because of these incidents,

we, the White-Red Empire, will compensate you in full.

So, from now on, no matter what happens,

you just need to keep working diligently for us. The White-Red Empire has always been clear about its rewards and punishments.

We will absolutely not treat you unfairly, so you can rest assured."

His tone was filled with confidence and authority,

as if he were a supreme ruler who could decide the fate of others with a single sentence.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Goto Taiji! You are truly too generous!"

Hearing this, Zheng Qifeng’s eyes lit up. He rubbed his hands together in excitement,

looking for all the world like a man whose greedy calculations were written all over his face.

’I can finally score some major benefits from this,’ he thought gleefully,

and the smile on his face grew even wider.

"Go and check. What exactly went wrong at the site this time?"