Chapter 276: Haina Bay
Yuan Tiancheng instinctively asked, "Which two?"
"First, she's lucky. Someone was looking out for her, so she didn't have to undergo too much brutal training after joining the organization."
"Second, she has a high status, which allowed her to rediscover her conscience later on."
Xiao Ye had seen cases like this before. Many trained Death Warriors, once their status rises and they begin to interact with society, will slowly rediscover their true selves. A person's basic human emotions and desires can never be truly suppressed.
Some even become kinder than they were before, because all the guilt they suppressed over the years comes bursting out.
"Of course, there's another possibility, though I think it's unlikely. Her organization might not be what I think it is."
Li Zhu's combat skills, her methods of concealment, and her ability to clean up loose ends—all of this was enough to prove how powerful the organization was.
An organization like this adopts orphans to cultivate its own Death Warriors. Why would they let them remain so kind and sentimental?
Take this time, for example. If Li Zhu hadn't secretly visited the orphanage, he wouldn't have been able to catch her.
Yuan Tiancheng nodded. "I see. It seems I was being too naive."
On the monitor, Li Zhu lay on the bed, staring intently at the ceiling. A war was raging in her mind.
On one side was her organization; on the other, the poor children at the orphanage.
「An hour later.」
Her eyes were completely bloodshot.
Finally, she made her decision.
Xiao Ye pushed the door open and entered. Looking at her resentful and indignant expression, he asked, "Decided yet?"
"I have, but you have to promise me first that you won't harm those children!"
"If you dare lie to me, may you be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"
"And not just you—may the people around you suffer the same fate! May they never find happiness, lose their spouses young, and lose their children in old age!"
Xiao Ye couldn't help but chuckle. "Fine. I swear I won't harm those children."
'It's not like I was going to do that anyway.'
Only then did Li Zhu let out a long sigh of relief and utter a name. "Haina Bay."
"It's one of the organization's strongholds in Shanghai. You should be able to find what you're looking for there."
"But I can't say any more. If I do, not only will I be killed, but so will those children. Anyone connected to me, anyone who might know anything, they'll all die!"
'I regret this so much. I never should have gone to the orphanage.'
'Then I wouldn't be trapped in this impossible situation.'
But she could never forget how the orphanage director had stayed by her side night after night when she was sick.
It was a kindness she had never experienced since, which made it all the more precious.
"Alright, I get it. Just stay here and focus on recovering."
Not long after Xiao Ye left, a maid entered the room.
"Ma'am, this is a nutritional tonic. Please drink it before you rest. It will help your wounds heal."
With that, she undid Li Zhu's restraints.
Without a second thought, Li Zhu lashed out with a kick.
But the maid dodged it in an instant. "Ma'am, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Even if you could beat me, there are over a dozen other people in this villa."
"You can't escape. You're better off just recovering here. Your chances of escape will be much higher once you're healed."
In the end, Li Zhu didn't make another rash move. She took the tonic and downed it in one gulp. "Fine. I understand. From now on, don't come in here unless you're bringing me my meals."
The maid said nothing, simply taking the cup and leaving.
「The Shanghai night was bustling with activity.」
Xiao Ye raised an eyebrow as he looked at the dazzling entrance to the nightclub before him.
He walked through the entrance and was immediately greeted by a shapely, scantily clad waitress. "Hello, sir. How many in your party? Are you a member?"
"No, I'm alone."
"Alright, that will be 4,999 yuan for your entry ticket."
Xiao Ye paid and watched as she stamped something on the back of his hand.
It was the nightclub's logo, which served as his ticket.
As long as he showed this mark, he would have unrestricted access.
The waitress smiled and said, "Sir, you have access to the first and second floors. Please enjoy your time here."
The nightclub had four floors in total. 'So the upper floors must be for members only,' Xiao Ye thought.
Xiao Ye wasn't in a hurry. He decided to check out the first and second floors first.
The first floor was an entertainment complex with a bar, a music lounge, a dance floor, and karaoke rooms.
The second floor was a relaxation area with a spa, sauna, and massage services. There was also a performance hall that held shows at scheduled times.
It just so happened to be showtime.
After a quick tour of the first and second floors, Xiao Ye headed to the performance hall.
The moment he stepped inside, his expression darkened.
'What kind of performance is this?'
The performers were all barely clothed, contorting themselves into extremely difficult positions. The sight was vulgar and offensive.
Xiao Ye took one look and immediately turned to leave. 'I'll get an eye infection if I keep watching this!'
Finding nothing of note on the first two floors, Xiao Ye found the same waitress. "This is boring. I want to go upstairs."
"Sir, you'll need to purchase a membership for that."
Xiao Ye pulled out a black card. "No PIN. Money is no object. I'm just looking for some real fun."
The waitress's face lit up in a wide smile as she brought over a POS terminal and swiped the card. "Sir, a charge of one million yuan exactly. From this moment on, you are one of our most distinguished members."
'A million-yuan membership? That's steep!'
Even the top clubs in the Imperial City rarely charged that much.
Still, it was a lifetime membership, so it wasn't outrageous. The clubs in the Imperial City charged annual fees, averaging several hundred thousand yuan a year.
Another stamp was placed on Xiao Ye's hand, but this one was gold, not black.
He got into the elevator, showed the stamp to the attendant inside, and was taken smoothly up to the third floor.
The third floor was larger and even more extravagantly decorated, though the entertainment options were much the same as downstairs.
Just as Xiao Ye was about to look around on his own, a middle-aged woman approached him.
She wore a qipao and carried herself with a dignified, magnanimous air. Her every gesture suggested the refined upbringing of a young lady from a wealthy family.
"Mr. Yuan, welcome."
'I used a Yuan Family card. Looks like they got my information upstairs right away.'
He gave a cool nod. "Yes?"
"Mr. Yuan, as a new member, you are entitled to a very... special experience."
"If you are interested, please follow me."
Xiao Ye followed the woman to a doorway.
The room inside resembled a hotel suite, but the color scheme was overtly sensual. Combined with the dim lighting, the atmosphere was enough to make a man go weak at the knees the moment he walked in.
The bed was also custom-made and equipped with various functions.
"Mr. Yuan, please wait here for a moment. Your experience will begin shortly."
With that, the woman gave him a knowing smile and sashayed out of the room, swaying her hips.
Xiao Ye was curious to see what she had planned, so he decided to stay put.
'Besides, I'm curious to see what's so great that they dare to charge a million-yuan membership fee.'