Inside the dilapidated hotel room, Xiao Fan stood in the small bathroom, his distorted face reflected in the mirror.
He dipped a towel in cold water and vigorously scrubbed the black turtle on his lower abdomen.
His skin was rubbed raw, even broken, with traces of blood seeping out.
But that crooked, childish drawing seemed to be etched onto his skin, mocking him, refusing to budge.
"Ahhh—!"
He didn't know what kind of paint this was, only that he couldn't wipe it off at all!
This was worse than killing him!
Give him a quick, honorable duel!
The other party merely played with him like a mouse in a cage, leaving this humiliating mark on his body, a mark more unbearable than death.
What did this signify?
It meant that in the other party's eyes, he didn't even qualify as an opponent.
A monstrous obsession for revenge, stemming from the original owner of this body, almost consumed all his rationality.
Kill him!
Kill him at all costs!
However, the calmness belonging to the new Xiao Fan, like a ten-thousand-year-old piece of profound ice, forcefully suppressed this 瘋狂 impulse.
He gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently, the blood-red color in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by an abyss-like coldness and calculation.
Cannot be impulsive.
Impulsiveness is a path to self-destruction.
He slowly, calmly analyzed his current predicament.
This man named Lu Cheng, his power had exceeded his expectations.
The simulator could foresee the future, could see countless possibilities.
But it, it seemed, couldn't see Lu Cheng... or rather, the Lu Cheng it saw was just the tip of the iceberg.
This man could ignore his spiritual perception and infiltrate silently.
This proved that his strength, or rather, the abilities he possessed, completely surpassed his system.
Within the same city, he was like a moth caught in a spiderweb; no matter how he struggled, the web would only tighten.
The so-called Jade Gambling Festival, the so-called "stone king," was an opportunity he actively sought, yet it ultimately became a trap!
Lu Cheng was waiting for him to blunder in like a fool, then enjoy his despairing expression when he failed.
At this thought, Xiao Fan's heart completely turned cold.
Revenge?
With what revenge?
With this frail body?
Or with this simulator system that the other party had already seen through?
No.
He, the former Crown Prince of a dynasty, was best at not charging into battle, but at political maneuvering, at enduring, at waiting for the right moment to deliver the most fatal blow to his enemy.
A gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years.
Staying here meant only death.
He must leave!
Immediately! Right now!
Get out of this man's sight, leave this city that suffocated him!
Go to a place he couldn't easily control, a place full of chaos, a place that truly believed in the law of the jungle!
There, he could use his mind and this simulator to truly accumulate strength and make a comeback!
A place name clearly emerged in his mind.
Northern Myanmar.
That lawless, ungoverned land was the most suitable quagmire for him, a latent dragon, to temporarily lie dormant!
As for the original body's obsession?
A hint of coldness flashed in Xiao Fan's eyes.
When you have the power to overturn the chessboard, then talk about revenge.
Right now, surviving is the most important thing.
Without the slightest hesitation, he quickly changed his clothes, packed all his valuables, and then, without looking back, left the hotel where he had suffered such humiliation.
He didn't go to the train station, nor did he go to the airport.
This was Yun City, just a wall away from Northern Myanmar.
He found the most inconspicuous black-market taxi driver and only said three words.
"To the border."
... The next day, early morning.
The sun was bright, and the Rolls-Royce drove smoothly on the roads of Yun City.
Lu Xuan was still in high spirits, somewhat looking forward to the upcoming Jade Gambling Festival.
Bai Zhi, however, remained silent, radiating a low-pressure aura.
She had thought about it all night but still couldn't understand.
Lu Cheng's behavior last night was too illogical.
Since he had already discovered Xiao Fan, why did he just draw a turtle on his stomach and then let him go so easily?
Wasn't this just alerting the enemy?
With his villainous personality, shouldn't he have captured Xiao Fan, subjected him to various inhumane tortures, and squeezed out every last bit of his value?
At the very least, he should have kicked him to death, just like he treated him before his rebirth... No, the previous Xiao Fan was killed by her own hands... Was he trying to make her kill Xiao Fan again?
Or was there a bigger conspiracy behind it?
The more she thought about it, the more alarmed she felt, and finally, she couldn't hold back, raising her head and questioning Lu Cheng with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Hey! What exactly do you want to do?"
Lu Cheng looked at her wary little face and smiled gently.
"What's wrong? Starting work so early in the morning?"
"Are you going to point out my flaws again?"
"Don't play dumb with me!"
Bai Zhi's voice rose a few octaves.
"Last night, why did you let that Xiao Fan go so easily?"
"You definitely have ill intentions! Are you plotting some even more cruel, more perverted plan?"
She tried to analyze even the slightest flaw in Lu Cheng's expression.
"He's alive!"
"Then I'm not a murderer anymore! You can't say it's my responsibility anymore!"
However, Lu Cheng just smiled, his smile as gentle as ever, but it made Bai Zhi feel like an unreasonable child.
Lu Cheng didn't directly answer her question; instead, he reached out, across the seat, and gently stroked Bai Zhi's head, as if comforting a startled kitten.
Bai Zhi stiffened, instinctively wanting to dodge, but he was a step ahead.
His voice, with a hint of playfulness, gently sounded in her ear.
"Don't I treat him the same way I treat you?"
"What do you mean?"
Bai Zhi was stunned.
Lu Cheng's fingers gently brushed her hair, the movement carrying a playful intimacy.
"Let him know I'm watching him."
"But also let him feel like he still has a chance."
"Don't you think that in itself is a very interesting thing?"
He... he really knew everything!
"You... you're really a dog!"
Overwhelmed with shame and anger, Bai Zhi abruptly slapped his hand away, her small face flushed red.
She felt like she wasn't undercover, but had actively jumped into a trap meticulously set by a devil!
[Ding! Villain emotional value +500!]
Lu Cheng withdrew his hand, satisfied, and stopped teasing her.
The car didn't go to the main venue of the Jade Gambling Festival; instead, it stopped at a chaotic-looking raw material market on the outskirts of the venue.
Here, good and bad were mixed, stalls were everywhere, and the air was filled with the smell of tobacco and dirt, clashing with the luxurious aura of the Rolls-Royce.
"Get out."
Lu Cheng was the first to step out.
Bai Zhi and Lu Xuan followed behind, both puzzled by the chaotic scene before them.
"Brother, why are we here?"
Lu Xuan asked curiously.
"These are all unwanted junk; the real good stuff is in the venue inside!"
Bai Zhi also echoed:
"Yeah, the stone king isn't here, is he?"
Lu Cheng merely smiled at her words.
"The main course should always be saved for last."
His gaze casually swept over the mountains of dusty stones, his tone leisurely.
"Before tasting the main course, let's look at these appetizers."
"Sometimes, the most interesting toys are often hidden in these piles of junk."