Absolute Gate

Chapter 76 Silver Boss Yang Chunsha

October 14, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Wu arrived at the designated meeting point the day before the agreed date.

It was a large estate covering tens of thousands of acres, with walls a meter thick, made of white colonial-era material. After a century of wind and rain, it had left mottled yet clean marks.

On the massive wooden gate, wrought iron decorations coiled into the shape of the family crest... an eagle with claws hooking snakes.

Wu could see four security guards, who were likely gang members.

They leaned against the guard post, seemingly languid, yet like a pride of lions dozing in the sunlight.

Despite wearing a well-tailored black uniform, he deliberately unbuttoned the top button, revealing a tattoo on his collarbone.

They were all tall and strong, their muscles stretching their clothes into sharp, angular shapes.

“Hmm…” Wu Zhong gave a look, signaling Yang Chunsha to step forward and start a conversation. At the same time, his keen senses noticed two groups of hidden sentries in a concealed location.

Of course, they should all be normal people, but they are considered agile in the realm of ordinary people, concealing their professional skills.

But no matter how professional, it couldn't compare to Wu Zhong's superhuman senses... His breathing sounded so heavy, it was as if it were right next to his ear.

"Who's in charge here?" Yang Chunsha stepped forward to negotiate.

Someone slowly walked up and said, "What are you doing here? This is the private property of the Havel family."

He spoke in a seemingly lazy manner, but his hand subtly reached behind him as if he were holding something, and his eyes were full of scrutiny.

The Javier family is a well-known local gang, and this manor is their headquarters, so naturally not just anyone can get close to it.

Of course, he wasn't too nervous, since there were only three people coming: a man, a woman, and a thin, short man, who seemed harmless.

"We have an appointment with Mr. Gray Ring Grass. Didn't he give us any instructions?" Yang Chunsha's voice was calm and intellectual. She wore gold-rimmed glasses, and her eyes were as serene as those of a venomous scorpion.

Wu Zhong remained expressionless, his cheeks slightly puffed out, though he was actually on the verge of bursting with tension.

An Dao Biao is really good at pretending, just like when he first met me.

If you didn't know what kind of person she was, you would be deceived by her highly intellectual and confident demeanor upon first meeting her.

“Grey Ring…” The man raised an eyebrow. Grey Ring Grass was the code name of the leader of their Havel family, and it was not a code name in the underworld, but a name used by a mysterious organization.

The instructions from above state that anyone who can directly utter this name is no small fry and must be treated with caution.

He immediately straightened up: "How should I address you, madam?"

"Yangchun Sand".

This word was like an invisible switch; the air instantly froze.

One of the younger men dropped a toothpick from the corner of his mouth onto the ground, making a barely audible sound.

The arrogance and ferocity typical of gang members on the faces of everyone present vanished instantly, leaving only an almost adorable submissiveness.

Wu Zhong even saw a young security guard who was clipping his nails with a dagger suddenly stop, the sharp tip of the knife almost cutting his finger.

Upon hearing the name Yang Chunsha, everyone unconsciously straightened their backs, their previously scattered gazes instantly cleared, and they all lowered their heads.

"So it's Miss Yang Chunsha. Mr. Havel instructed that you may enter at any time if you come."

"Please...please forgive our rudeness just now."

The other person's tone became tense and clear, even carrying a hint of pleading, as if worried that Yang Chunsha would make things difficult for him.

Seeing that Yang Chunsha didn't react, she simply pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses and said, "Lead the way."

He felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and quickly stepped aside, almost shouting orders to his subordinates: "Open the door! Everyone get out of the way!"

The heavy electric gate slid open smoothly without making any of the usual harsh friction noise.

"The main residence in the center is 600 meters from here. Please allow me to drive you there..." the leader said respectfully.

Yang Chunsha said calmly, "No need."

She strode confidently in, and Wu Zhong followed with Ya Ke, like two lackeys.

As they walked along the paths inside the manor, the security guards at the gate maintained their respectful farewell.

Only the leader followed them: "My name is Evan, ha... Mr. Grey Ring instructed that if you need anything, you can just tell me."

“Especially Miss Yang Chunsha, the head of the family has prepared the best room for you.”

Yang Chunsha grunted in response, ignoring him, seemingly addicted to showing off.

Seeing this, Wu Zhong then asked Evan in a friendly manner, "What about my room?"

"you are?"

"Dragon-Subduing Wood".

Evan thought for a moment and then said, "So it's Mr. Jianglongmu. Of course you're on the list too, but your rooms are quite far apart."

"Well, since the head of the family doesn't know that you came with Miss Yang Chunsha, if Miss Yang Chunsha needs to change rooms, we can arrange it immediately."

Wu Zhong truly hadn't expected that the sponsor of this mission would attach such importance to Yang Chunsha.

Does De Biao really have such a reputation? Absolutely not.

Wu Zhong secretly thought that it might be because Yang Chunsha had been promoted to Silver rank.

Keep in mind that this was only a Bronze mission; once it reaches Silver, it will definitely be taken more seriously.

Fine, let the highest-ranking Yangchunsha take the lead, I'd rather be a nobody.

“Let’s switch. We’re a team, so our rooms should be next to each other,” Wu Zhong said.

Evan glanced at Yang Chunsha first, and only after seeing her nod did he say, "Don't worry, everything will be arranged properly."

The group walked to the main house, where a living room with handmade carpets was located under a high wooden beam ceiling.

The fireplace is made of volcanic rock, and two gilded hunting rifles hang crosswise above it.

Evan arranged for them to sit in the reception room and then immediately went to report.

A short while later, someone pushed a wheelchair out to greet them. In the wheelchair sat an elderly man with silver hair, who was receiving an IV drip.

Behind him was a middle-aged man in a sharp suit and a female nurse.

"Welcome to the three distinguished guests at Havel Manor. Why didn't Miss Yang Chunsha inform me? I would have sent someone to the airport to pick you up," the old man said with a hoarse laugh.

Yang Chunsha was a little surprised: "You're Gray Ring Grass?"

The old man nodded slightly: "A name that is not worth mentioning."

Yang Chunsha asked, "You don't look like a freelance mercenary."

Gray Ring calmly replied, "Indeed, I haven't done a single mission. I only had some business dealings with the Turin, Tijuana, and Soford families before I was drawn into the Disaster Circle."

"Essentially, I'm just a businessman."

"This account is only used to post tasks, and I've actually only done it a few times in my life."

Wu finally understood that many people on the platform were simply paying customers and didn't actually do any tasks.

These big spenders are almost all at the lowest level (Bronze rank), but they are extremely wealthy and wield considerable power in the amateur community.

There are even rumors that some heads of state are on the platform's "Black Iron" level.

Wu Zhong stared at the old man. The man rattled off the names of three Awakened Families in one breath. How did Wu Zhong know they were all Awakened Families? Because one of them was an old friend named Tijuana. In that case, the old man was very likely an Awakened One himself. Even if he wasn't, as long as he had money, he should have quite a few derivatives on hand.

"Now can you tell me the details of the mission?" Yang Chunsha sat on the sofa and drank a cup of tea.

Gray Ring smiled and said, "Of course, but there are a few other mercenaries as well. Let's wait for them."

He had already sent someone to call them, and after waiting a while, people started coming in one after another.

Wu Zhong observed carefully and found that six mercenaries had accepted this mission. Besides him and Yang Chunsha, there were four other people. Obviously, the other side was also divided into two teams.

"I heard everyone's here. Wait, why are there three people?"

The first two people to enter were one fat and one thin. The fat one had a face full of fat and was gnawing on a chicken leg as he walked.

The skinny guy was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, with two revolvers gleamingly tucked into his waistband.

He surveyed the room, a cigar dangling from his lips: "Wait a minute, Gray Ring, if you include these three, wouldn't that make seven people?"

"If I had known we could add more people, I would have called a few of my brothers along."

Gray Ring said, "This mission only invited six mercenaries. Which of you three didn't accept the mission?"

Wu Zhong pointed at Yak and explained, "Although he is a member of our team, he is not a mercenary and did not take on this mission. Just treat him as our follower."

Gray Ring watched Yak eat the fruit from the coffee table without saying anything.

This kind of thing is actually quite common. Sometimes, behind an account, there isn't just one person, but an entire team.

Of course, the commission is the same no matter how many people you bring in; it's like one account supporting a whole group of people.

So even if each member of the team has their own strengths, they may be specifically designed to make up for weaknesses, but they are often just average. After all, those who are capable would directly register as mercenaries, so why would they bother with the remaining money from the points?

Gray Ring immediately stopped paying attention to Ark and turned to Wu Zhong: "Dragon Subduing Wood, right? I remember you are Black Iron."

"Although my mission doesn't have a level requirement, it's still quite dangerous, since I have to dive to a depth of at least 400 meters in the cave."

The other party clearly underestimated Black Iron. Of course, that doesn't mean Black Iron is necessarily useless, so he emphasized that they should dive to a depth of 400 meters.

This far exceeds the limits of so-called professional cave divers, reminding Wu that if he doesn't have the ability, he shouldn't force himself.

Because of Yak's example, he also regarded Wu Zhong as a newcomer in the early days of the industry.

They believed that Yang Chunsha was one person leading two scoundrels.

"Oh?" Wu Zhong didn't expect that the other party would look down on his rank. It seems that Mr. Gray Ring hasn't checked his level in the past few days. He was officially promoted to Bronze a couple of days ago.

However, when accepting the mission, it was indeed only at the Black Iron level.

Just as Wu was about to explain, two more people walked in from outside the door, a man and a woman.

The blond man frowned and said, "Oh? There's also black iron? Everyone who participates in this mission will receive a commission of nine million. It's not like you can just sit back and get a share of the money without putting in any effort."

"Dude, if you sit here drinking tea for days, letting others do the work, and then get paid afterwards, I won't accept that."

The newcomer had sharp eyes and muscles as perfect as those of an ancient Roman statue.

His words resonated with both the fat and thin mercenaries, who nodded in agreement.

Although it is common for veterans to mentor newcomers in the mercenary world, if a two-person team consists of one person doing the work and the other doing nothing, and they both receive double pay, then the other contributors will be very unhappy.

Wu Zhong thought for a moment but didn't explain. He simply said, "Gentlemen, I dare to take on this mission because I have the confidence. I can't guarantee anything else, but I'm absolutely sure I can dive without any problems. I won't shirk my duties."

He really knew nothing about cave diving, and had even been a little apprehensive beforehand.

However, after mastering the Longevity Technique, he was no longer flustered.

With physical abilities 21 times that of an average person, the water pressure at several hundred meters was no problem for him, and the Longevity Technique even had a built-in tortoise breathing effect, so there was no way he would be afraid of a diving mission.

"That's for the best." The skinny man smirked, taking a deep drag on his cigar and exhaling clouds of smoke.

Wu finally discovered that this guy was actually inhaling the cigar into his lungs, and taking a big drag with each puff.

This feeling reminded Wu Zhong of the old smoker Luo Yi, and he wondered if this skinny guy was also a member of the Mad Blood Clan.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Gray Ring said, "I didn't expect you all to arrive a day early. I am very grateful to you all for taking such good care of me."

"This mission requires you to explore a very large underground cave filled with water. You can get to know each other so that you can help each other if something goes wrong in the water."

The group nodded, picked up their respective plants, and, with Gray Ring's introduction, called each other... This was also a way of verifying their identities, since plant names are unique.

The blond man tried to grab an apple from the table, but Ark snatched it away and ate it all in one go.

Upon closer inspection, the fruit platter on the table was gone; Yak had been eating the whole time.

"Little kid, are you here to freeload?" the blond man sneered.

Yakli ignored him and focused on eating fruit. After finishing, he took out some beef jerky from his bag and chewed on it.

The blonde girl was subjected to passive-aggressive treatment, and her expression turned rather unpleasant.

His eyes were filled with anger, and he was about to say something more when he suddenly heard a surprised exclamation from the skinny man's side: "What? Yang Chunsha, you're Baiyin?"

The blond man was startled and looked over as well, swallowing back what he was about to say.

It turned out that Gray Ring had already introduced Yangchun Sand, and the skinny man searched it up and found that it was silver.

The blond man's expression immediately turned serious, and he suppressed his previously arrogant sharpness.

Silver level is not uncommon, and some are even quite weak, but the other party must have gone through a mission with a considerable degree of danger.

It's often said that rank doesn't represent skill, but in reality, it represents the skill level of most people.

Golden Hair believed that his own strength was sufficient, but he was never confident in taking on Silver missions, after all, he only had one life.

Several of his friends who were trying to complete the Silver Quest had died...

For the past two years, he has been grinding for money in the Bronze rank, hoping to become stronger and more confident before taking on Silver rank missions.

The mission paid out quite a bit of money. I thought everyone was a bronze-level player and I could just act casually, but I didn't expect to encounter a high-level player.

Since Ark is a member of the Silver Team, there's no need for him to make enemies over such a trivial matter.

He even stood up, beaming, and took the initiative to befriend her: "So you are Miss Yang Chunsha. You can call me Peilan. I'm planning to take on a Silver Mission next month."

"Which outpost do you usually visit most often? After the mission, I'd like to treat a few people to a meal so I can ask you some questions. Is that alright?"

He adopted a very humble attitude, showing none of the disdain he had shown towards Wu Zhongheitie before.

His initial arrogance followed by his subsequent obsequiousness left Wu Zhong utterly astonished.

Goodness, a Silver rank identity is this useful? When he was a nobody, he killed two people and even subdued one.

Yang Chunsha put down her teacup and said calmly, "Doing missions always requires traveling all over the world. I've been to all nine strongholds; I don't have any particular preference."

This meant he was politely declining, and the blond man smiled and didn't seem to mind.

The skinny man laughed and said, "Grey Ring, you should have said so earlier! With Senior Silver here, what would we be needed for? This mission will definitely be over soon."

"So we're all just slackers after all. Sorry, Brother Jianglongmu, do whatever you want. Forget what I said before."

The atmosphere, which was initially tense with no one willing to concede to the other, was immediately calmed down by the presence of a Silver-ranked player.

The other four all changed their expressions and tried to curry favor with Yang Chunsha.

……

(End of this chapter)