Chapter 201 - 199: Is Sang Mo Here? No, They Went to the Commercial Street
Even SS-level powerful people had been taken out. Although Tina’s uncle, Diller, was stronger than the ones he had sent previously, a whole group of powerful people had failed to deal with Sang Mo. Diller was formidable, but Hades no longer had the confidence he’d had before.
’He hadn’t expected Sang Mo to have gotten even stronger over the past few years!’
With a grim face, Hades asked, "What’s the status on Blake and his men? Have someone deliver the Star Coins to their families, and pay them an additional compensation fee on top of that."
’Although those men failed their mission, Diller and Tina are watching. If I don’t do something, I’m afraid Diller and the guards outside won’t put their hearts into protecting me. It’s a loss of Star Coins, but that’s insignificant compared to my life.’
’Only by staying alive would those Star Coins be of any use.
Once you’re dead, you have nothing.’
His subordinate answered, "Yes, sir."
They hadn’t deliberately lowered their voices during their conversation, so not only did Diller hear it from inside the room, but even a few of the closest Beastmen on guard heard it as well.
Just then, Hades raised his voice and announced, "This applies to everyone here. Anyone who dies or gets into trouble protecting me will receive not only their agreed-upon payment but also a handsome compensation package. If I make it through this crisis safely, everyone will get a bonus! And everyone present today will be guaranteed a stable job with a monthly stipend of 1,000 Star Coins."
He even went so far as to offer a hefty bounty to ensure Sang Mo was harmed. "If anyone can so much as wound Sang Mo, I’ll award ten thousand Star Coins for every single injury!"
He didn’t have many chips left to play. His only choice was to get everyone to work together by stoking their greed. ’Maybe then, one plus one won’t equal two, but hopefully it won’t be too far off, either.’
Upon hearing Hades’s words, the hearts of everyone, both inside and out, began to race with excitement.
If they died in this battle, their families would not only receive the money promised beforehand but also a compensation payment.
It was best to get through this unscathed, of course. But if the worst happened, at least their families would receive compensation that would guarantee their well-being for a while.
In an instant, everyone became far more diligent in their duties than they had been just moments before.
Some who didn’t know Sang Mo even began to hope he would show up soon. To them, he wasn’t a threat; he was a walking treasure chest. One cut, and he’d drop 10,000 Star Coins.
They weren’t as formidable as those powerful people, but they figured that working together to inflict a single wound shouldn’t be too difficult.
Seeing them all fired up and on full alert did nothing to ease Hades’s tension. On the contrary, his nerves were stretched to their breaking point, and his heart was permanently lodged in his throat.
A smile touched Tina’s lips upon hearing Hades’s words. She reached out to hug his arm, but Hades reacted instantly, almost subduing her. In the next second, his brain processed that it was Tina holding him, not Sang Mo, and he barely managed to stop himself from lashing out.
But Tina just poked his arm, looking up at him and asking, "Hades, why is your body so tense? Are you nervous?"
Then, she said soothingly, "Don’t be nervous. My uncle is amazing. Even if that... that Sang Mo person is tough, he’s definitely not as strong as my uncle."
Tina had been sheltered her whole life and had no concept of true terror, so naturally, she couldn’t understand why Hades was so on edge.
Hades couldn’t even muster a forced smile in response to Tina’s comfort. It wasn’t that he wanted to be this terrified of Sang Mo; it was simply that their past encounter had left an indelible mark on him.
Even back then, when Sang Mo was so grievously wounded that they all thought he was dead, he had still managed to counter-attack, making them pay a heavy price.
They had all been S-Class superpower users at the time. Although they were individually weaker than Sang Mo, the three of them had ganged up on a severely weakened Sang Mo and had still been nearly wiped out. That, combined with today’s events, left him no choice but to be extremely vigilant.
’Sending assassins was as good as provoking Sang Mo. Reconciliation is definitely off the table now.’
In sharp contrast to Hades’s anxiety, Sang Mo and the others had just woken up and were enjoying a leisurely breakfast.
Hu Yan had made breakfast himself. Bai Zhi was still sleeping, so he couldn’t be bothered to make anything complicated, just simple sandwiches and milk.
As for Bai Zhi, she was still sleeping soundly, completely oblivious to the intense events that had just unfolded.
Bai Zhi didn’t get up until one or two in the afternoon.
They had saved her favorite dishes from lunch, and someone had even made her a fresh, steaming plate of fried rice.
Bai Zhi had just freshened up and sat down, ready to quell her furiously protesting stomach, when she suddenly heard the System’s voice.
[System Mission: Please spend 5,000,000.00 Star Coins within two hours.]
[Mission Reward: 5,000,000.00 Star Coins.]
Bai Zhi froze for a few seconds when she heard the mission. She hadn’t expected the System to issue a task right now. After a few bites of hot fried rice, she finally looked up and asked Sang Mo, "Sang Mo, do you know anywhere in the Black Domain to go shopping?"
Right after asking, she had a sudden thought. ’Wait, the System didn’t say I had to spend the money on my five Beast Husbands this time?’
Just as she was about to ask the System what was going on, she heard Sang Mo say, "I don’t know. I don’t pay attention to such things."
Bai Zhi: "..."
Sang Mo had founded the Black Domain with his own hands, yet he didn’t know where to find a shopping center. Coming from anyone else, it would be unbelievable, but from Sang Mo, it seemed bizarrely logical.
Bai Zhi swallowed the mouthful of rice she had been holding in her surprise. "Well, I’ll ask the hotel owner in a bit, then."
The others had no objection to this.
After Bai Zhi finished her meal, the group ambled over to the commercial street.
After all, the Black Domain had once been a place countless people yearned to visit, and its commercial street was genuinely bustling. There were many wealthy people here. Compared to what they had seen the day before, this area had clearly retained some of its former splendor.
The commercial street had many items unique to the Black Domain, as well as many goods imported from the outside.
The items unique to the Black Domain were exceptionally beautiful, from the hair ornaments to the clothing.
Bai Zhi paid no mind to the prices, buying anything that caught her fancy. After a wild shopping spree, she was in an exceptionally good mood.
’It’s true,’ she thought. ’Shopping really does stimulate the brain to release dopamine and make you happy.’
In contrast to their relaxed and happy mood, Hades had remained in a tense state the whole time. But several hours had passed since those men were sent back, and there was still no movement from Sang Mo.
Just then, the person who had been keeping an eye on Sang Mo and his group returned.
When Hades saw the person, he immediately strode forward and asked eagerly, "Is Sang Mo here?"
The subordinate shook his head, a complicated expression on his face. "No. After leaving the hotel, their group went to the commercial street. The female bought a lot of things."
Upon hearing this, Hades’s expression became a contorted mask, his face paling and flushing in turns. It was quite a spectacle.
He had spent the entire morning on pins and needles, terrified that Sang Mo would storm his gates. He had even surrounded his home with layer upon layer of security and hired the formidable Diller for protection.
’But look at Sang Mo’s group! They slept in until nine or ten, and even after an assassination attempt, they can just casually go off on a shopping trip!’
In contrast to Hades’s meticulous, almost excessive, security measures, Sang Mo’s group was acting as if he didn’t exist at all.
It gave off the feeling of: ’I’ll get around to killing you when I feel like it. Until then, do whatever you want for all I care.’
They hadn’t done a single thing, but it was precisely this inaction that made everything Hades had done seem completely redundant...
He treated Sang Mo as his greatest rival, while Sang Mo couldn’t care less about what he was doing.
This was dozens of times more humiliating than if Sang Mo had simply charged to his door and struck him down.
Hades had to take several deep breaths before he could barely manage to calm himself. Looking back at the whole ordeal he’d gone through today to prepare for Sang Mo’s arrival, it all felt like a complete joke.