Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

“I know,” Jiang Nian said calmly, “but some situations are unavoidable. Rather than letting them plot even more insidious schemes in the shadows, I’d rather step into the open and see what they’re really up to.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment.

Bai Yongxu knew Jiang Nian's personality well.

Once a decision is made, it's very difficult to change it!
"We will use all our resources to support you secretly."

"The background of Charles and Xinghan Capital is being investigated more thoroughly. Remember, your safety is paramount. If things become unmanageable..."

"I see."

Jiang Nian interrupted him, a sharp glint in his eyes, "Don't worry, Lao Bai. Sometimes, a hunter also needs to appear as the prey."

He not only has to take the stage in this play set up by his opponents.

They're going to put on a show that they never expected!
……

The contract signing ceremony was held in the Starry Sky Hall on the top floor of the Universal Star Entertainment headquarters.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the city skyline gleamed in the afternoon sun.

The hall was decorated in the most luxurious way, with a champagne tower reflecting a dazzling light. Well-dressed celebrities and business elites chatted in hushed tones, waiting for the main character to make his appearance.

When Jiang Nian entered the venue accompanied by Wang Lei, she instantly became the focus of attention.

"Mr. Jiang, this way please. Representatives from Xinghan Capital have just arrived and are very much looking forward to meeting you."

Wang Lei led the way with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Jiang Nian nodded slightly.

Their gazes were fixed on a foreign man who was surrounded by several people not far away.

The man was around forty years old, with neatly combed blond hair, wearing a custom-made high-end suit, and his azure eyes held a perfectly measured smile.

He was elegant in demeanor, chatting and laughing with the chairman of Universe Entertainment, and looked every bit the successful international investor.

However, Jiang Nian's divine sense detected the carefully concealed bloody scent emanating from this person.

He's a martial artist too!
It seems there really is a problem.

Moreover, he is quite strong, at least a master who has reached the threshold of mastery, but he disguises himself as an ordinary person using some special method.

“Mr. Charles, this is our future Morpheus, Mr. Jiang Nian.”

Wang Lei gave a warm introduction.

Charles turned around and extended his hand with a gentle smile.

"Mr. Jiang, I have long admired your reputation. Your vision and boldness in 'iPartment' were truly impressive. Xinghan Capital is very honored to cooperate with you."

His Chinese was fluent and standard, and his handshake was firm and appropriate; everything about him was impeccable.

"Mr. Charles, you flatter me."

Jiang Nian shook his hand lightly, her expression remaining calm. "I look forward to cooperating with Xinghan Capital."

Their hands were separated as soon as they touched.

A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in Charles's eyes, before his smile deepened.

“I believe this will be a historic collaboration. The role of Morpheus is simply tailor-made for you.”

After a few pleasantries, the signing ceremony officially began.

Amidst a flurry of flashing lights, Jiang Nian, along with Charles, the chairman of Universe Star Entertainment, signed the weighty contract.

He kept his promise and traded his eight-figure salary for a 5% investment in the project, and also obtained the position of core consultant.

The whole process went exceptionally smoothly.

However, just as the signing was completed and everyone raised their glasses in celebration—

A sudden change occurred!

A very subtle, almost imperceptible sound of something cutting through the air, mixed with the clinking of champagne glasses and the laughter of the crowd, pierced Jiang Hou's heart!
It was a needle as thin as a cow's hair, coated with a deadly poison that could kill instantly, and it was so fast that it could not be seen by the naked eye!
The timing of the strike was extremely tricky, coinciding with the moment when everyone was most relaxed and celebrating.

What's even more terrifying is that this attack didn't come from outside the window or from a distance, but from inside the crowd!

A young man carrying a tray and dressed as a waiter, with cold and empty eyes, retreated like a fish after striking, trying to blend into the crowd.

"careful!"

"There are assassins!"

Exclamations erupted, and chaos ensued!

Charles's face displayed a perfectly timed expression of shock and anger: "Security! Seize him!"

But Jiang Nian acted faster than anyone else!
Just before the poisoned needle struck his body, he didn't even turn around; his hand holding the champagne glass merely twitched slightly.

"Ding!"

A barely audible, crisp sound.

The deadly poisoned needle was precisely blocked by the stem of the champagne glass in his hand!
A supple yet powerful internal force surged forth from afar, like an invisible rope, instantly wrapping around the legs of the waiter who was trying to escape.

"Pfft!"

The waiter felt a numbness in his legs, as if he had sunk into a sticky swamp. He staggered and almost fell to the ground.

In that brief moment of delay, several security personnel who had reacted pounced on him and pinned him down.

"Seal off the area! No one is allowed to leave!"

The chairman of Huanyu Xingyu was both shocked and furious, and roared loudly.

Jiang Nian slowly turned around, her gaze calmly sweeping over the subdued waiter before finally landing on Charles's face.

Charles looked both frightened and concerned.

"Mr. Jiang, are you alright? This is terrifying! An assassin has infiltrated our ranks! There must have been a major security lapse!"

His tone was sincere, and his eyes were filled with just the right amount of panic and self-reproach.

A flawless performance!
However, according to Jiang Nian's divine sense, Charles's heartbeat did not accelerate at all the moment the assassin made his move.

"I am fine."

Jiang Nian spoke calmly, swirling the wine in his glass, "It seems some people aren't too happy about me joining this project."

He walked up to the waiter who had been pinned to the ground.

The waiter's eyes were vacant, a trickle of black blood slowly spilled from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes quickly dimmed.

It was obvious that it had bitten open the venom sac in its mouth.

Death warrior!

“Mr. Charles”

Jiang Nian stood up, her gaze sharp as a knife, and stared directly at Charles. "What do you think?"

Charles shook his head, his face grave. "Unbelievable. We must give Mr. Jiang an explanation! Vice President Wang, immediately cooperate with the police to thoroughly investigate this person's identity and how he infiltrated the area!"

"At the same time, we will comprehensively upgrade the security level for Mr. Jiang and his team! We must never allow a similar incident to happen again!"

He handled the situation appropriately and decisively, perfectly portraying the image of a startled yet responsible investor.

Jiang Nian sneered inwardly.

The thief cries "Stop thief!"

This assassination attempt was both a test and a warning!
He was testing how much of his strength Jiang Nian had recovered.

He was warned that even if he agreed to cooperate, he would still be in danger.

Perhaps there's another purpose behind it.

If he had reacted a little slower, he could have been injured by the poisoned needle or even killed.

Three birds with one stone.

What a clever scheme!
"I'm sorry to have startled you all."

Jiang Nian turned to the still-shaken crowd and said calmly, "It was just a minor incident; there's no need to spoil your enjoyment."

His composure, remaining unmoved even in the face of imminent collapse, earned him the respect of many. It also deepened the seriousness in Charles's eyes!
The process continued in a subtle and tense atmosphere.

Jiang Nian then held a brief meeting with Charles and senior executives from Huanyu.

The approximate time for joining the production team was finalized, and it was agreed that the first offline script reading with director Carlo Lee would take place a week later.

Throughout the entire process, Charles behaved impeccably, expressing the strongest condemnation and deepest apology for the assassination attempt, and repeatedly assuring that he would spare no effort to ensure Jiang Nian's safety.

It was as if that thrilling scene just now was really just an accident.

After the signing ceremony.

Jiang Nian left under tight security.

Inside the car, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

He gently pressed his chest, feeling a faint stinging pain in his veins.

Just now, I blocked the poisoned needle and released a hidden force. It seemed like a casual gesture, but in fact, it aggravated my wounds that had not yet fully healed.

If he were at his peak, he would have more than a dozen ways to solve the problem more easily, or even trace back to the mastermind behind it.

But now, he must endure it.

Back at the villa, Jiang Nian immediately contacted Bai Yongxu and gave him a detailed account of Charles's existence and the assassination attempt.

"Charles Van Helsing, whose public identity is a senior partner at Star Capital, is of Dutch descent, has a clean background, and is passionate about investing in cutting-edge technology and cultural projects."

Bai Yongxu's voice was solemn.

“We conducted a preliminary investigation into him and found no obvious problems. Now it seems that his disguise was very successful.”

"His strength is not weak; he is at least a half-step Grandmaster."

Jiang Nian added, "I suspect his position is not low."

“We will immediately launch an in-depth investigation into Charles, including his whereabouts, communications, and social relationships.” Bai Yongxu paused, his tone serious.

"Jiang Nian, you are in a very dangerous situation right now. This project is a den of dragons and tigers."

"I know."

Jiang Nian said calmly, "But this is also an opportunity to find out their background. I will be careful."

"If necessary, use all means to protect yourself," Bai Yongxu said in a deep voice. "Your safety is the top priority."

"clear."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Nian hesitated for a moment before dialing Wei Zheng's number again.

"Teacher Jiang!"

Wei Zheng's voice was filled with excitement, "We all saw the news about your signing today! It's so inspiring!"

"Director Wei, there's something I need your help with."

Jiang Nian said directly.

"Tell me! As long as it's within my power, I'll do it without hesitation!"

"Help me find a few trustworthy, quick-witted young people, preferably new faces. They should have clean backgrounds and be sharp-minded."

Jiang Nian said, "I'm starting a new project and need some of my own people to help with some miscellaneous tasks, and also... to broaden their horizons."

Wei Zheng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

Jiang Nian is building his own team.

"No problem! Leave it to me! There are several good young men and women in the crew, they're hardworking, reliable, and discreet. I'll send you their information later!"

"Okay, hard work."

After arranging all this, Jiang Nian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Faced with an all-pervasive organization, he had to weave his own net.

The next few days were peaceful.

Jiang Nian lives a secluded life, spending most of her time in her villa nourishing her meridians.

Occasionally, he would discuss scripts with Carlo Lee via video or handle some investment dividends from the subsequent production of "iPartment".

His body was slowly recovering, his internal energy was circulating more smoothly, and the stinging sensation in his meridians was gradually decreasing.

Wei Zheng quickly sent over information on several recommended candidates.

After carefully reviewing the applications, Jiang Nian selected two individuals.

One is a meticulous young stagehand with a background in stunt work, and the other is a girl who has just graduated from drama school and is good at communication and information gathering.

He had Wei Zheng arrange for the two of them to join the project's preparation team under the guise of a studio recruitment, to be responsible for some peripheral coordination work.

This move isn't needed for now, but it needs to be laid out in advance.

During this period, Charles, on behalf of Xinghan Capital, sent a sincere apology letter, along with a brand-new, top-notch security plan, stating that he would cover all of Jiang Nian's additional security costs.

He struck a very convincing pose.

Jiang Nian accepted it calmly, as if she completely believed that the assassination was just an accident.

A week flies by.

The first in-person script reading with director Carlo Lee was held in a high-end conference room at Universe Entertainment.

Jiang arrived half an hour early.

Several people were already in the meeting room.

Besides director Carlo Lee and several key screenwriters, Charles was also present.

"Jiang, you look much better."

Carlo Lee, a cheerful middle-aged man with a big beard, warmly stood up and hugged Jiang Nian.

"The online communication was already very pleasant, but meeting you in person makes me even more convinced that Morpheus is the perfect candidate!"

"You flatter me, Director."

Jiang Nian smiled in response, her gaze meeting that of Charles, who had stood up.

"Mr. Jiang, I apologize again for the unpleasant incident last time."

Charles extended his hand with a sincere smile, "I hope this hasn't affected your confidence in the project."

"Mr. Charles, you flatter me. It's just a minor inconvenience, nothing to worry about."

Everyone took their seats and the reading began.

Carlo Lee has extremely high standards for art, and the discussion was both lively and focused. Jiang
Although he was still recovering from his injuries, his profound understanding of the character and top-notch professionalism allowed him to offer insightful opinions that were always to the point, earning high praise from Carlo Lee.

Charles mostly listened quietly, occasionally offering advice from an investment and market perspective.

He acted like a professional investor who genuinely cared about the work.

However, when discussing a crucial scene for Morpheus that needed to be filmed in extremely low temperatures, Charles seemingly unintentionally spoke up:
"In order to achieve the ultimate sense of realism, we might consider filming in the real polar regions."

“Xinghan Capital happens to have partnerships with several Arctic research stations and can provide support. That bone-chilling cold would likely be very helpful in shaping Morpheus’s state of mind in such a desperate situation.”

Carlo Lee's eyes lit up: "Arctic location? That's amazing! If it can be done, the visual effects and the actors' immersion will be absolutely impeccable!"

Jiang Nian sneered inwardly.

coming.

The polar regions, sparsely populated and with harsh environments, are undoubtedly the best places to strike.

However, he showed appropriate interest and consideration on his face.

"Filming in the polar regions is indeed very appealing, but it's a huge test of the actors' physical fitness. I need to assess their physical recovery and the security team's ability to provide support in that environment."

"It's natural!"

Charles immediately chimed in, his tone sincere, "Mr. Jiang's health and safety are our top priority. We are only offering a possibility; whether or not to adopt it is entirely up to you and the director. As for security, please rest assured, we can hire the most top-notch professional polar security team."

That's all there is to it; it's perfectly reasonable and leaves no room for criticism. (End of Chapter)