"According to Professor Li's instructions, turn those two away."
"Yes."
After the servant left, Zhao Longju asked again, "Professors, would you like to go take a look at the meeting venue for the day after tomorrow?"
"Mm, we must be on guard in case traps have already been set there, so we should go and search it."
Qin Siyang asked, "It's fine if you search now, but what if Xiao Zhigang sets up traps again before the meeting the day after tomorrow?"
"Don't worry, Student Qin. When I accompany Professor Li and the others to inspect the venue, my second brother has a way to set up surveillance there to ensure no one can tamper with anything afterward."
"So impressive? Principal Zhao really is cut out to be a spy."
After Qin Siyang said this, Zhao Longju smiled politely and didn't respond.
Li Tianming asked everyone again, "Shall we all go take a look at the venue together?"
Qin Siyang waved his hand, "I won't go. I still need to get more familiar with the information of everyone attending the day after tomorrow."
Lu Daoxing also refused, "I'm too sleepy. I want to rest a bit more and just sleep straight through until the meeting the day after tomorrow, so I don't mess things up at the hearing."
Chang Tianxiang patted Lu Daoxing on the shoulder, "Old Lu, get some good rest. Just hand over the tools you use for detection to us."
"With you around, do you even need my tools?", Lu Daoxing reluctantly took out a pair of glasses and a small ball from his storage box and tossed them to Chang Tianxiang, "You've seen both of these before. You should know how to use them."
"Thanks, Old Lu. This is just in case."
"Alright then. Old Lu and Little Qin stay behind, the rest of us will go to the venue with Mr. Zhao. Little Qin, I think the crystal chandelier in this restaurant is quite bright, you can just read your documents in the hall."
Qin Siyang shook his head, "Forget it, I'll go back to my room. I might fall asleep after reading for a while."
After the group left in a scattered manner, Lu Daoxing yawned, said "See you the day after tomorrow" to Qin Siyang, and went to his room to rest.
Qin Siyang also walked to the room with his nameplate on the door. After entering, he locked the door.
He sat at the desk and continued flipping through the information of all the members of the paper review committee.
———
Outside the brightly lit Zhao Family Chamber of Commerce clubhouse, on a certain road, two figures wearing coats and wide-brimmed hats were smoking and chatting idly.
This was District 134, a relatively developed area toward the front of the safe zone.
Although it wasn't as prosperous as District 7, the people here still had abundant work and daily life.
It was midday. People came and went on the streets, their expressions fairly relaxed, their steps unhurried. Their leisurely demeanor showed no sign of the weariness that comes from life's pressures.
In this developed area, those who came and went all had some status. Even when working, they spent their day in a proper, respectable manner.
These two men smoking and chatting didn't look particularly out of place or conspicuous amid such peace.
"Hong Liang, the two special vehicles that just left didn't seem to have Qin Siyang in them."
"Not just Qin Siyang, Lu Daoxing wasn't there either."
"So that means the two of them should still be in that clubhouse?"
"Most likely. The two of us already checked carefully. There shouldn't be any mistake."
"Sigh! I told you we wouldn't see Li Tianming and the others by paying a visit, but you didn't believe me. And what happened? We ended up getting turned away."
Hong Liang, however, showed joy instead of concern, "Zhijie, I think this is a good opportunity."
Jiao Zhijie looked at Hong Liang in surprise, "Hong Liang, you… you're not thinking of making a move on Zhao family territory, are you?"
"Why not?", A glint flashed in Hong Liang's eyes, "It's empty right now. Isn't this a gift from heaven?"
Hong Liang's eyes shone, "Qin Siyang has countless treasures on him. You hold down Lu Daoxing, I'll go find Qin Siyang, force him to share all his materials with me through a contract, then turn him into a vegetable, and afterward we'll kill Lu Daoxing together!"
Jiao Zhijie was startled. After a moment of temptation, he waved his hand, "No, that's the Zhao family! Can you withstand the black market's assassinations?"
"Just do it cleanly. Zhao Longfei is thousands of miles away. As long as we block his surveillance, everything will be foolproof. You hold off Lu Daoxing, give me one minute, and I can control Qin Siyang to share all his God-Hunting tools contracts with me, then I'll come back to you."
Hong Liang spoke with meaning, "Just like that time outside the safe zone!"
Jiao Zhijie shook his head repeatedly, "No! No! These two situations are completely different! That time was a narrow encounter outside the safe zone! This time we're inside the safe zone! There are no walls that don't leak inside the safe zone! This windfall falling into the Zhao family's hands isn't something the two of us can swallow!"
"If the two of us can't swallow it, then we pull in the Jiang family and Xiao Zhigang to share it."
"You mean…"
"After we succeed, we give up part of the materials to the three major chambers of commerce and Xiao Zhigang, and have them protect us! Once our research makes progress and we can stand above the Tiger Brand with a laugh, we'll take everything back with interest."
Jiao Zhijie subconsciously rubbed his palms as he listened, his gaze wavering for a moment, but he still shook his head, "No. If this is exposed, my whole family might lose their lives. Hong Liang, the things in Qin Siyang's hands… I'm jealous, but not to the point of risking my life to snatch them."
"Besides, if you really want to do this, how could you not leave flaws when you're acting on a sudden impulse with no preparation?"
Hong Liang looked at Jiao Zhijie deeply, "What makes you think this is a sudden impulse?"
Jiao Zhijie's pupils shrank, "You…"
"You think I brought you along today just to pay them a visit?"
"So… you already planned it, to kill Qin Siyang today?"
"I originally planned to wait until they fell asleep at night, then quietly snatch Qin Siyang's materials without anyone noticing. But now, it seems the plan has become even easier."
"What? You planned this all along? Aren't you afraid of Li Tianming and Zhang Kuang?"
"Afraid? Li Tianming and Professor Zhang Kuang haven't even had their reputations restored yet. You and I have always been professors! They've been lying low in middle schools and kindergartens for two years, while you and I have been working hard in North Pillar for two years! Why not ask whether they should be afraid of us?"
"You… you've already started setting things up?"
"Of course!", Hong Liang's face flushed slightly with excitement, "When that person opened the door and spoke to us just now, I stepped half a step into the doorway and placed a tool. Once we isolate the entire clubhouse and block Zhao Longfei's surveillance, we can make our move."
"Hong Liang, something this big, why didn't you tell me in advance?"
"With your guts, if I told you beforehand, would you have dared to come with me?"
Jiao Zhijie swallowed and still shook his head, "No. It's too risky."
Hong Liang grabbed Jiao Zhijie's wrist, "Jiao Zhijie! If heaven gives and you don't take it, you'll suffer for it. The opportunity is right in front of us! Do you want to be an ordinary professor for the rest of your life? Don't you want to become someone like Zhong Dingming or Guan Fuhai?"
"I do. But… but we're professors, not bandits…"
Hong Liang gripped Jiao Zhijie's wrist tightly, "You still don't get it? Professors don't mean shit!"
"In the apocalypse, everyone is a bandit!"
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