(2/6)
Lucky Cruise
Chapter 569: Profit comes first
Gentleman and Figaro spotted Wen Jianyan standing not far away at a glance.
The blood-red light inside the elevator served as the sole illumination, revealing his current state.
He was still wearing the attire from the auction. Heavy chains weighed down his neck, wrists, and ankles, leaving red marks on the skin beneath where the metal pressed too hard. His hair was messy, and his forehead was beaded with cold sweat; he looked incredibly bedraggled.
A hint of surprise flickered across both their faces, as if they hadn’t expected to encounter him in such a situation.
“It seems we don’t need to go any deeper.”
After the brief surprise, a subtle smile surfaced on Gentleman’s face as he spoke with pointed meaning.
Behind him, Figaro nodded in agreement. “Indeed.”
Although Figaro, as one of the auction’s main suppliers, knew of this floor’s existence, he wasn’t clear on what exactly was down here.
Without a key to a room on this level, one couldn’t travel directly to the Negative 18th Floor. One had to bypass the surveillance of the elevator attendant and choose someone to replace them in that role… This in itself was already a near-death challenge.
But the real danger lay ahead.
They had been prepared to face unknown threats, but unexpectedly, just as they arrived on this floor, Wen Jianyan appeared before them without warning, saving them from the most difficult part.
The smile on Gentleman’s lips deepened.
Truly… wearing out iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to find it without any effort.
“…”
Wen Jianyan stood a few steps away from the elevator doors. He stood fixedly, panting rapidly, not saying a word. His eyes were locked on the two men inside the elevator, and every muscle in his upper body was tense, like a bowstring pulled to its limit.
He didn’t advance, nor did he retreat.
After all, for him, the current situation was a case of a wolf in front and a tiger behind—there was simply no way out.
Gentleman didn’t mind. He turned his head and nodded to Figaro.
Figaro wore a smile on his lips: “As you command.”
He raised his hand, made a grasping motion in empty air, and then yanked violently toward himself!
“?!”
Wen Jianyan’s pupils constricted.
The chains around his neck seemed to be pulled by some invisible force. His entire body pitched forward uncontrollably. Stumbling and staggering, he rushed forward and was forcibly dragged into the elevator!
The elevator doors slowly closed behind him.
“Cough, cough, cough cough!”
Wen Jianyan grabbed the chain around his neck with one hand, coughing violently. At some point, the skin of his neck had been pulled raw and red. He looked up from below, a sheen of moisture in his eyes.
Scrutinizing the expression on Wen Jianyan’s face, Gentleman seemed to derive unparalleled pleasure. He leaned down with a smile:
“The transaction hasn’t been completed yet. Don’t you remember?”
“Guess whose hands your ownership is in before it’s officially transferred?” He reached out to grab the chain, forcing Wen Jianyan to look up at him, the smile on his lips continuing to widen.
Wen Jianyan turned his head away.
Under his gaze, Figaro—the nominal holder of his ownership—flashed him a shameless smile:
“That’s right, it is I.”
Staring at Wen Jianyan’s forced-up face, Gentleman’s eyes were dark, churning with endless malice.
Gaining absolute dominance over an enemy, firmly controlling such a powerful individual… the moment brought a near-intoxicating bliss that no other enjoyment could match—especially since the other party had once mocked him so annoyingly, and even defeated him.
The anger and humiliation of the past had now fermented like wine, becoming incredibly fragrant.
“Alright, since our purpose for coming down has been achieved, let’s leave,” Figaro spoke up politely at this moment.
Whatever Gentleman was preparing to do, it was timely interrupted.
“…”
Gentleman reined in his overly exposed expression. He let go with some regret, casually tossing the chain aside. Wen Jianyan’s body, which had been forcibly pulled up, immediately lost its only support and fell awkwardly to the floor.
He knew Figaro was right.
The closed elevator doors seemed powerless to block the darkness outside. The elevator had only stayed on this floor for less than three minutes, yet the lights here had already dimmed significantly. If they stayed any longer, this place would likely cease to be a safe zone.
Gentleman lowered his eyes, seemingly activating a prop. His already pale face now lost all color, turning a cadaverous blue-black that looked exceptionally eerie under the blood-red lights. He raised his hand, his fingertips touching the rusty, faded panel of the elevator, and pressed down slowly.
Accompanied by the clanking sound of machinery, the elevator began to move again.
The elevator slowly ascended, but Gentleman’s complexion didn’t seem to change because of it. As time passed, the aura of a living person vanished entirely from his body.
Wen Jianyan leaned against the elevator wall, silent from beginning to end. He merely raised a pair of unreadable eyes, staring at the two men before him.
“…What floor?” Gentleman’s voice sounded like it was squeezed out through his teeth.
Figaro: “Negative eleven.”
His eyes remained fixed on the screen in the elevator, holding his breath slightly as if waiting for something.
Finally, after an unknown amount of time…
With a ding, the elevator doors slowly slid open.
They had arrived at the Negative 7th Floor.
Gentleman gritted his teeth and cut off the effect of the item. Even so, his complexion didn’t seem to improve much; a blue-black aura of death still lingered between his brows.
He took a deep breath, seemingly exhausted, and walked out quickly first.
“After you,” Figaro turned to Wen Jianyan with a beaming smile, stepping aside. “Or perhaps, do you need me to help you?”
This “help” was clearly equivalent to “drag out.”
Wen Jianyan walked out of the elevator expressionlessly.
After all three had left the elevator, the mechanical sound of the doors closing came from behind them.
Wen Jianyan seemed to think of something. He turned his head slightly to look in the direction of the sound.
The lights inside the elevator, previously suppressed by the darkness, had completely returned to normal. Under the blood-red light, a familiar figure appeared clearly—a pale face, a polite smile, and a crisp uniform.
It was none other than the attendant responsible for operating the elevator!
“…”
Wen Jianyan’s pupils shrank slightly.
But before he could think further, he felt the chain on his neck being yanked again. He stumbled a few steps towards Figaro. Immediately after, the other’s smiling voice came from above his head: “In that case, let us part ways here.”
Wen Jianyan seemed to sense something and looked over.
“…What do you mean?” Gentleman also realized something was wrong, his voice clearly darkening.
“Literal meaning.”
Figaro didn’t change his expression.
“Are you still planning to stand on Pinocchio’s side?” Gentleman regained his composure and smiled again. “I advise you to think clearly about the price of breaching the contract.”
“Is that so?”
The smile on Figaro’s face deepened slightly. In his palm, a golden scroll slowly materialized.
Wen Jianyan recognized it at a glance; this was the Nightmare Contract signed when the anchors reached a transaction.
“You don’t think that after doing business for so many years, I don’t have any means to break a contract, do you?”
As his voice fell, the golden scroll began to tremble slightly, as if undergoing the pull of some force—then, with a rip, the contract was torn in half from the middle, turning into two faded pieces of paper that fluttered down lightly.
“…”
The expression on Gentleman’s face turned completely cold. clearly, Figaro’s move had completely offended him, as well as the Oracle behind him.
In the “Integrity First” live room:
[…Holy crap, Figaro is actually this loyal??]
[He’d rather offend the Oracle and tear up the contract to help our anchor! Damn, I’m crying.]
“Also…”
Figaro spoke slowly and methodically, “Who told you I plan to stand on Pinocchio’s side?”
In the “Integrity First” live room:
[…]
[…Huh?]
[Huh??? Wait a minute? What?]
“I indeed never break contracts. Ruining the trust of future customers for short-term gain is simply not cost-effective,” Figaro closed his hand, tightening the invisible chain in mid-air, forcing Wen Jianyan to take two steps forward again.
“But when the profit from breaking the contract far exceeds that of keeping it, I don’t mind making a slight compromise…”
“Such an expensive commodity,” Figaro lowered his eyes to look at Wen Jianyan. The polite disguise was stripped away, leaving only deep ambition and calculation, though the smile remained on his lips. “How could I possibly hand him over for just a measly commission?”
In the “Integrity First” live room:
[…]
[Holy shit.]
“As expected of you, Figaro!!!”
“I see it clearly now. This is completely a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind… Wen Jianyan temporarily gave up his ownership rights to sneak backstage at the auction. The Gentleman wanted to use the time difference to steal Wen Jianyan’s ownership with Figaro’s help. Unexpectedly, he was used instead to help Figaro enter the Negative 18th Floor to bring Wen Jianyan out. This way, as soon as Figaro tears up the contract, he reaps all the benefits… That’s kind of badass.”
“Right, and because the Gentleman was operating the elevator, his current state is greatly depleted. He’s at a disadvantage now and probably dares not start a fight with Figaro just like this.”
The Gentleman stared fixedly at Figaro. The exposed emotions from earlier had completely vanished, demonstrating incredible self-control. He smiled slowly:
“Since you’ve made up your mind, I hope you can bear the consequences of doing so.”
He took one last deep look at Wen Jianyan, then turned and left without looking back.
Although the Gentleman let go seemingly easily, anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was the product of rational thinking and assessing the situation. From this point on, the Oracle and the mercenaries represented by Figaro had likely formed an irreconcilable blood feud.
“Tsk tsk tsk, how scary,” Figaro clicked his tongue, watching Gentleman’s retreating figure, though not much fear could be heard in his voice.
He turned his head to look at his trophy.
The young man before him looked extremely wretched. From his neck to his wrists and ankles, he was firmly bound by chains with strange dark patterns. As the holder of the other’s “ownership,” only Figaro could release the chains. But of course… he had no intention of doing so.
“I really didn’t expect such a wonderful harvest in this instance,” Figaro narrowed his fox-like cunning eyes, stating with a smile. “Let me think… how exactly should the practical value of a so-called SSS-rank be utilized?”
In the “Integrity First” live room:
[…]
[It’s over. I feel like it’s really over this time.]
[I’m numb. The anchor is really screwed this time. I really can’t imagine how he can run now… There’s no way to escape!!]
“Ha,” Wen Jianyan suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
This was the first and only sound he had made tonight.
Different from all imagined reactions, he didn’t accuse Figaro of betrayal, nor did he try to bargain for freedom. He didn’t even show a shred of outward emotion.
The young man bound by chains simply hunched over and laughed even louder:
“Hahahahaha…”
Figaro was startled, scrutinizing the other party—he knew Wen Jianyan’s current behavior wasn’t normal, especially when his absolute ownership was held by someone else. But he wasn’t sure if the other party really had a card up his sleeve or was simply bluffing.
Finally, after a long time, Wen Jianyan stopped laughing. He raised his eyes, his gaze landing on Figaro, a lingering smile still on his face:
“You really wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by.”
Figaro narrowed his eyes and said nothing.
“But I thought you would have discovered it a bit earlier…” Wen Jianyan slowly took a step forward, the chains on his body clinking with his movement. “It seems that since I entered the auction, you haven’t attempted to contact the auction house, have you?”
Wen Jianyan answered his own question: “Makes sense. After all, what you’re doing counts as breaking the rules, so of course, you’d prepare for a secret operation.”
“…”
Although Figaro’s face remained expressionless, the fingers gripping his cane tightened slightly.
“I’ve felt it was strange for a long time. Why are you always able to enter and exit uninhabited realms so easily? Every time you need to go somewhere, a new area always opens up for you.”
Wen Jianyan gazed at the other’s face and smiled faintly.
“Logically speaking, the instance shouldn’t be that ‘intelligent’.”
“So, how did you do it? Is there some identification method? Or perhaps… an item?”
As he spoke, Wen Jianyan leaned forward, his fingertip tapping the top of the other’s cane.
Figaro’s breath hitched slightly.
He lowered his eyes, following Wen Jianyan’s gaze.
At the top of the cane, a pigeon-blood red agate stone glittered with dazzling color under the light.
However, unlike the previous color that looked like coagulated blood, if one looked closely… although it was still beautiful now, shimmering with iridescence under the light, it had lost that bizarre power. It seemed to be just an ordinary gem.
…It had been swapped.
Figaro’s pupils constricted.
Watching Figaro’s expression, Wen Jianyan knew his gamble had paid off.
As someone who paid great attention to his personal image, Figaro changed his entire outfit almost every time he appeared. However, the only accessory that never changed was this cane—whether taking him to the second floor of the casino or trading with Campbell, Figaro’s cane was always firmly gripped in his hand.
But this point alone wasn’t enough.
What truly confirmed this speculation for Wen Jianyan was Chang Feiyu.
Figaro certainly wouldn’t reveal his secrets to him—but even the tightest defense has cracks, especially when the other party had followed him for so long.
Wen Jianyan had asked Chang Feiyu in great detail about all information related to Figaro.
Clearly, outside of the Lucky Cruise, Figaro didn’t carry just one cane like he did now.
This meant it was very likely the reason Figaro could move unimpeded through the instance.
More importantly, Wen Jianyan had never trusted Figaro.
Everyone has a weakness.
As for Figaro, his weakness was greed.
Wen Jianyan didn’t know what action Figaro would take, but he knew that if the Oracle guessed his whereabouts and tried to turn the tide, they would definitely cooperate with Figaro. And the only variable here was the other party’s nature of prioritizing profit above all else.
Which was exactly this moment.
Figaro’s brow twitched. He looked up at Wen Jianyan, his eyes tinged with caution for the first time:
“…When?”
Wen Jianyan bowed elegantly: “I have to thank your gentlemanly demeanor for letting me walk ahead of you.”
—Before negotiating with Campbell, in that narrow and dark passage, Figaro had invited Wen Jianyan to pass first. Wen Jianyan, who shouldn’t have exposed his back to him, agreed to this request and brushed past him.
Wen Jianyan: “But you don’t need to blame yourself.”
He stepped back slightly and opened his fingers. That blood-red agate stone, the real one that had been swapped out, appeared in his palm again.
Figaro’s breath stalled, and he subconsciously looked down.
At some point, the top of the cane had become empty.
Clearly, Wen Jianyan had pulled the trick just now when he pressed his finger against the agate at the top of the cane—
“Look.” Wen Jianyan smiled, raising his eyebrows lazily. “It’s very easy.”
In the “Integrity First” live room:
[…]
[Damn.]
[I’ve got goosebumps on my back. That is skill!]
[I knew the anchor had nimble fingers and stealing was a breeze for him, but seeing it with my own eyes is just too awesome!!]
Figaro suddenly raised his hand and yanked violently on the chain around Wen Jianyan’s neck, forcing him to stumble forward. This time, he clearly didn’t hold back his strength.
Although there was still a smile on his face, those narrow eyes were incredibly cold: “So what?”
He leaned down, examining the face so close to his own. His tone was still polite, but hidden within was murderous intent:
“Your ownership is in my hands, which means I have the right to control everything about you, including your items.”
“In theory, yes.”
Wen Jianyan raised his head in this awkward posture, meeting Figaro’s gaze.
“But the question is, why would you think I kept the item on my person?”
Figaro was a thorough merchant. To him, there were only eternal interests, no eternal friends. This meant that as long as better conditions were placed before him, he would inevitably choose betrayal.
Before cooperating with such a person, one had to be prepared to be stabbed in the back.
Before being drugged, Wen Jianyan had more or less guessed his upcoming predicament; nothing would be safe on his person.
So, as soon as he got the item, Wen Jianyan immediately used his team leader authority to drop the item into one of his teammates’ backpacks.
“If I’m not mistaken, the reason you’ve had such an easy time in this instance has a lot to do with this cane—or rather, the gem on it—doesn’t it?” Wen Jianyan stared at him fixedly, speaking slowly, word by word. “After all, this represents your alliance with the cruise management.”
“You rashly broke into the Negative 18th Floor, violating the covenant. Your unique item has been stolen, losing your biggest reliance in an SS-rank instance. Now you’ve completely fallen out with the Oracle, and they’ll likely be eyeing you like tigers… Tsk tsk, not good. This situation is really not good.”
The young man wore shackles, his head forced up, his body pulled into a half-bow.
Even in a weak posture of being controlled by others, his face wore a nonchalant smile.
And with every word he spoke, Figaro’s gaze darkened a shade. His face was expressionless, and for the first time, those narrow, long fox eyes held no smile.
This wasn’t just because Wen Jianyan was absolutely right, but also because every bit of this was caused by his own actions, making it exceptionally ironic.
“Profit is paramount, isn’t it?”
Wen Jianyan raised his eyes.
“Now, your own life is also placed on one side of the scale. How do you want to choose?”
“Truce?”
He gripped the chain around his neck, his smile sharp as a blade.
“Or mutually assured destruction?”
