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Chapter 492 That Unseen Guild Leader Must Be Very Powerful
"cooperate?"

Chen Xu'an was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting this answer.

Before he could think it through, Lin Chuqiao chimed in:

“Young Master Chen, you should understand that the Utopia organization is far more terrifying than you can imagine.”

"They will not give up their schemes against the Chen family just because Xuanzhen is dead."

“Next time, the people they send will be even stronger, and their methods will be even more insidious. The Chen family alone will not be able to resist them.”

Her gaze fell on Chen Xu'an's slightly pale face as she helped analyze the current situation:
"And now, our Illuminati is arguably your only option."

"Light...Illuminati?"

Upon hearing this unfamiliar name, Chen Xu'an opened his mouth, a deeper confusion flashing in his eyes.

"Yes."

Seeing that Lin Chuqiao had tacitly paved the way for him, Fang Cheng then explained in a deep voice:
"To be honest, we all come from an organization that is just as secretive as 'Utopia'."

“From the very beginning, our core mission as the Illuminati has been to fight against the ‘ideal world,’ which can be said to be our primary enemy.”

"Because in that organization, there were many people who were once our comrades-in-arms, but later they betrayed their original intentions, went astray, and became evil villains and scoundrels who did evil."

"This time, we appear to have taken on the 'Bridge of Helplessness' mission, but in reality, we are investigating a certain plan implemented by 'Ideal Land' in Tiannan Province, and at the same time punishing one of the traitors, namely Xuanzhen."

Fang Cheng chose to present some information in a way that was both true and false, thus constructing the image of a seemingly powerful and mysterious organization.

Chen Xu'an was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and then nodded involuntarily.

I recalled hearing Crow and the professor mention that they came to Tiannan Province to hunt down a traitor from seventeen years ago.

The information from both sides seems... to actually match up.

Fang Cheng noticed the change in his expression and then raised his voice even higher:
“We have a blood feud with ‘Utopia,’ and your Chen family has now also formed an irreconcilable enmity with them. This is the basis for our cooperation.”

"More importantly, the Chen family has a deep-rooted influence in the secular world, which extends to all aspects of society, something we do not possess."

“And we, the Illuminati, possess extraordinary power sufficient to confront those monsters head-on.”

"You could say we're natural allies."

Fang Cheng calmly explained the value of the cooperation between the two parties:
"As the situation changes, your wealth and connections can provide a solid backing for our actions, while our strength can serve as a shield for your family to survive in this storm."

"This is a mutually beneficial relationship where each party gets what they need."

"By joining forces, we can not only deal with the current crisis, but also have a greater chance in the future to uproot this evil organization!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu'an fell into deep thought.

He frowned, his face somber, and slowly sat down in the chair next to him.

Fang Cheng's words struck a chord with him.

His experiences during this period made him realize a fatal problem.

Even the most powerful and influential families, lacking sufficient military strength to protect themselves, can still become lambs to the slaughter.

Especially in the face of inhuman beings, money, status, and power are all incredibly fragile.

Only with sufficient power can the family ensure its safe survival.

However, the Chen family has enjoyed peace for too long, and the comfort has dulled the sharpness of their ancestors. They are no longer as glorious as they were decades ago, when they were full of talented people and had a strong military.

Nowadays, the clan's experts are dwindling, and the younger generation is mostly indulging in sensual pleasures and business ventures. Few are willing to diligently cultivate, let alone awaken their bloodline abilities.

The few remaining elders in the clan are either too old and frail to cope, or have long since retired from worldly affairs to live in seclusion and recuperate, and are simply powerless to deal with threats from the extraordinary level.

Especially after the death of his grandfather, the Chen family's situation worsened, with internal and external troubles coming one after another.

Not only have businesses across the country been subjected to suppression and sabotage by unknown forces, but they have also suffered severe losses.

Even its dominant position in Tiannan Province, which it had cultivated for many years, began to become precarious.

Many forces are eager to take advantage of the situation and get a share of the profits.

Just like this time, a formless evil spirit almost turned the Chen family upside down and caused their destruction.

If the leader of that "ideal land" were to personally intervene, the Chen family would likely have no chance of resistance.

A century-old foundation can vanish in an instant.

Just as he was pondering his worries and weighing the pros and cons, Fang Cheng's voice rang out again.

This time, however, they offered an even more substantial bargaining chip.

"If this collaboration goes smoothly, I can recommend you to join the Illuminati in the future and become one of the core members of our organization's decision-making body."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu'an abruptly raised his head, a hint of barely suppressed surprise flashing in his eyes.

The brain immediately started working at lightning speed.

He had personally witnessed the strength of the man in front of him.

It's practically a human-shaped missile, capable of blasting through space tunnels with its bare hands; its power far exceeds what ordinary people can imagine.

An organization capable of attracting such top-tier experts must possess unfathomable extraordinary power.

Imagine, if even a cadre in the organization has such terrifying strength, how powerful must the chairman, who has yet to appear, be?
If one could gain the support of such an extraordinary organization, or even become a core member of it...

Not only will the current crisis of the Chen family be resolved, but he himself will also benefit from it, completely consolidating his position within the clan and solidifying his position as the head of the family.

As a result, the future of the entire Chen family, and their foundation in Tiannan Province, will be as stable as Mount Tai.

Perhaps they could go even further, expanding the family's influence nationwide, joining the ranks of the top aristocratic families, and completing the unfinished business of their grandfather.

This is not a multiple-choice question at all.

Instead, it is a path to heaven, leading to even greater heights, right before our eyes!

Having thought all this through, Chen Xu'an no longer hesitated.

He abruptly stood up, looking at Fang Cheng with unwavering determination, his tone more solemn than ever before:
"Mr. Bai, on behalf of the entire Chen family, I am willing to establish the closest possible cooperative relationship with your organization!"

"very good."

Seeing that he had successfully fooled him, Fang Cheng nodded in satisfaction, stood up, and extended his hand to him.

“From this moment on, we are allies. You, Chen Xu’an, are the sole representative of our ‘Illuminati’ in Tiannan Province.”

"From now on, if you encounter any problems that you cannot solve, or if you encounter anything that threatens the foundation of the Chen family, you can notify us immediately."

"Correspondingly, we also need the Chen family to provide comprehensive support in terms of funds and intelligence."

Chen Xu'an felt a surge of emotion as he looked at Fang Cheng's outstretched hand.

He quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands tightly, and shook them vigorously:
"No problem, Mr. Bai, please rest assured, the entire Chen family will do our utmost!"

"As for the specific plan to deal with 'Utopia'."

Fang Cheng withdrew his hand and continued:

"This matter requires careful consideration. We will develop a detailed plan after we return to base, and we will inform you of it then."

"Until then, we should maintain close contact and keep in touch with each other."

"understand!"

Chen Xu'an readily agreed.

With the cooperation agreement reached, a huge weight was finally lifted from his shoulders.

But then he thought of the predicament he was facing, and his tone inevitably carried a hint of seeking instructions:
"Mr. Bai, what should we do about the Chen family's situation right now? Will Ideal Land make a move soon?"

"Well..."

Fang Cheng hesitated for a moment, his mind racing. "Young Master Chen."

Ye Zhiren, who had been sitting quietly observing without saying a word, suddenly coughed lightly, attracting everyone's attention.

"We just had an internal meeting where we discussed this issue in its initial stages."

"The reason I've invited you here is to discuss relevant countermeasures and confirm the next steps in our response plan."

Fang Cheng was slightly surprised upon hearing this and turned his gaze to Ye Zhiren.

Ye Zhiren nodded slightly to him, his eyes conveying a sense of reassurance.

Seeing this, Fang Cheng remained calm and nodded, saying:

"That's true. The key to the next operation is the full cooperation of your Chen family."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu'an's face immediately turned solemn, and he adopted an extremely humble posture:
"Mr. Bai, Professor, please feel free to give me any instructions. I will lead the entire Chen family to cooperate fully without hesitation."

Lin Chuqiao smiled and said:
"Then let's start discussing how to deal with the current situation and defuse the threat to Utopia."

"well."

Everyone immediately responded and sat around the mahogany round table.

Fang Cheng naturally took the head seat, presided over the meeting, and took control of the overall situation.

Ye Zhiren, acting as the strategist, was responsible for explaining the plan.

"Before taking action, we must first make the worst-case scenario plan, and then on that basis, gradually analyze the situation and try to take the initiative."

He pushed up his glasses, revealing a sharp and calm gaze behind the lenses, and his entire demeanor changed dramatically at that moment.

Ye Zhiren divided his plan into four steps: "sweeping", "setting up a net", "framing", and "sniping".

The first thing to do is to establish a unified narrative and deal with any clues that might reveal the identities of Fang Cheng and the others.

At the same time, in order to avoid the extreme retaliatory measures that the "ideal land" might take.

All members of the Chen family, including collateral relatives, must be transferred to that secluded family sanctuary as quickly as possible.

This not only ensures their safety but also physically prevents the information from leaking and spreading.

As for everyone present at the Chen family manor and the Grand Hotel that night, including the Chen family's bodyguards, servants, and even the monks invited to perform the rituals.

Any unusual situation that may be seen or heard must be dealt with in the most appropriate manner.

Seal what needs to be sealed, and control what needs to be controlled.

If necessary, a sum of hush money, enough to ensure their livelihood for the rest of their lives, can be offered to make them leave Tiannan Province immediately, or even leave Xia Country, to start a new life in a place where no one knows them.

In short, at least during the period when the plan is in effect, no hidden dangers that could potentially reveal one's identity must be left unaddressed.

Secondly, the Chen family immediately mobilized all available resources to establish a complete intelligence network to closely monitor all suspicious people and events in Cuicheng City.

Especially those strange faces that suddenly appear and whose origins are unknown, or those strange people who act bizarrely.

All intelligence informants should be deployed, with a focus on those trying to find out information about the Chen family or investigate the inside story of the Haoting Hotel bombing.

We must find out whether there is a "utopia" behind it.

The third step was to frame someone for the crime.

They want to take the initiative and directly shift all the blame for the explosion at the Grand Hotel onto "Utopia".

Furthermore, in the name of the Chen family, a formal report was filed with the Cuicheng City Government, the police station, and the special investigation team.

No concrete evidence is needed; all that's needed is to insist that it was the organization "Utopia" that did it.

They could even embellish the story, claiming that they were attempting to coerce and control the Chen family in order to subvert the economic order of Tiannan Province and create social panic.

Although the "Ideal Land" organization has been operating in the political and business circles of Xia Kingdom for many years and has a deep network of connections, it has inevitably made countless enemies.

Once this organization, which lurks in the shadows like a venomous snake, is even slightly exposed to the light of day, people will naturally come looking for trouble.

Official forces and hostile forces alike can become weapons in the hands of the Illuminati.

This move not only diverts attention but also makes the other party hesitant to act, at least preventing them from easily targeting the Chen family.

"Finally, in the coming period, we will test how much importance Ideal Land attaches to the Chen family's matter."

At this point, Ye Zhiren's tone became calm and forceful:

"Let's see if they will send someone to investigate the truth of the matter, or continue to target the Chen family and carry out their unfinished plan."

"If they dare to come, we can wait in ambush them, set a trap, and launch an ambush."

"There are few of them, so we can take matters into our own hands, eliminate them, and also get them to talk and gather more information."

"Many people came, and even the leader himself appeared."

Ye Zhiren's gaze swept over Fang Cheng from behind his glasses, paused, and continued:

"At that time, we can bring over the special investigation team that is investigating the case and let them have a direct confrontation."

"In short, we must use every available force, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and stir up trouble in Tiannan Province."

"The muddier the water, the more at ease we are, and the easier it is for us to find an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent."

Chen Xu'an listened carefully to Ye Zhiren's plan, and before he knew it, a fine layer of sweat had appeared on his forehead.

He became increasingly alarmed as he listened, nodding repeatedly.
"Understood, I will immediately arrange for people to be placed with informants throughout the city."

"In the afternoon, I contacted the municipal government, the police station, and Captain Hu, the local head of the special investigation team, to report the matter."

Fang Cheng watched as Ye Zhiren arranged everything in an orderly manner, and secretly admired him.

This former member of "Utopia" is indeed experienced and cunning.

In just a few words, the subsequent action plan was clearly outlined, leaving no room for error.

Moreover, their methods were quite insidious, using others to do their dirty work, taking advantage of the chaos, and scheming against every possible pawn.

With such a person assisting them, the future development of the Illuminati will surely be much smoother.

The others, upon hearing this intricately plotted scheme, also felt a surge of excitement and began to discuss it animatedly.

For most of the meeting, Ye Zhiren explained the relevant countermeasures and plans.

Fang Cheng raised questions and suggestions for improvement regarding some specific implementation aspects of the plan, making the entire plan more seamless.

Lin Chuqiao held a pen and paper, continuously taking notes on the meeting summary.

Occasionally, he would add a few key pieces of information, or get up to serve everyone hot tea.

Li Dingjian abandoned his usual carefree attitude, sat up straight, and looked more serious than ever before.

Even Bai Ling and Pan Wendi, who are usually playful, gathered around the table and listened intently, even vying to offer some imaginative yet insightful opinions.

Chen Xu'an completely abandoned his airs as the acting head of the Chen family.

He explained the current situation within the clan, as well as all the power, connections, and resources that the Chen family controlled in Tiannan Province, in detail without reservation.

The first formal meeting of the Illuminati since its establishment was held in this quiet lounge, proceeding in an orderly manner.

As the sun rose higher, the sunlight made the entire windowpane shine brightly.

Soft light swept across everyone's faces, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Outside the window, the lawn in front of the courtyard is a vibrant green, and several flowering trees are adorned with plump flower buds.

The vines under the eaves meandered along the wooden frame, swaying gently in the breeze, creating a charming contrast with the sounds of discussion inside.

This Chen family manor, which has weathered many storms, seems to have lost some of its former solemnity and gained a sense of peace.

(End of this chapter)