A real killer playing a villain; the guy surnamed Zhen in Detective, run!

Chen Tong suddenly realized that all her retreat routes were blocked. The young man stood there casually with his hands free, but any direction she took to retreat made her feel like she would run into something.

Lu Yuan spoke, his voice even softer and more polite than before.

"Mr. Chen, these shoes are nice. They're G&G's handmade bespoke shoes, and the stitch length of the inner seams is the same as their autumn/winter collections from the past two years."

Chen Tong subconsciously looked down at her feet.

"There are creases on the inside of the shoe on the left foot, but not on the right. Only bending over and turning to the side for a long time would cause creases on one side." Lu Yuan tilted his head. "You've been having a lot of drinking parties lately, haven't you? Bending over to toast people, you put more force on your left foot."

When Chen Tong looked back, Lu Yuan had already taken half a step forward.

From the outer edge of social distancing, it precisely cut into the edge of the psychological pressure zone. A tingling sensation ran down the back of Chen Tong's head, his instincts warning him to back away, but his knees wouldn't obey.

"Your breathing has become shallow, Mr. Chen," Lu Yuan said in a tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather. "Your pupils are dilated, and your carotid pulse is forty percent faster than it was thirty seconds ago. You're anxious. But you're not usually like this. You're anxious because—"

He paused for a moment.

"The hedging period for the investor's performance-based agreement is almost over."

Chen Tong's face turned from red to white.

This was his Achilles' heel. The investors' performance-based wager stipulated that "Black Gold" had to complete its setup and officially launch within three months, otherwise the funds would be automatically frozen and the liability clauses would be triggered. He used his personal assets as subordinated collateral.

"You've staked your entire fortune on this project." Lu Yuan's lips curved into a gentle, polite smile, like the standard smile he gives to retail investors during a fund roadshow. "If it collapses, you won't be jumping up and down with your feet."

Chen Tong's back was already soaked. The high-thread-count cotton shirt clung to her spine, feeling icy cold.

He wanted to speak in rebuttal, but nothing came out of his throat.

Lu Yuan moved his right hand.

Extremely fast.

Several plastic packing straps were scattered next to the shelf. Lu Yuan picked up one of the straps, and the strap drew an arc in the air, making a very faint sound as it went straight for Chen Tong's neck.

Chen Tong's brain completely shut down.

The packing strap hovered less than a centimeter from his neck.

Lu Yuan rotated his wrist inward and gently flicked the tip of his wrist.

A grayish-white thread came loose from Chen Tong's shirt collar, floated in the air for two seconds, and then landed.

"Mr. Chen." Lu Yuan casually tossed the packing tape back onto the shelf.

"Your tie is crooked."

Then return to your original position.

The aura of the Joker from his past life gradually faded from his body.

The freight yard was silent for several seconds.

The generator was still running, and the truck was still reversing, but the five or six people closest to the driver all stopped what they were doing. The old man's mouth was open as he ate his steamed bun, and he forgot to close it.

Chen Tong stood there.

A bead of sweat condensed on the right lens of the gold-rimmed glasses and slid down the frame.

His legs were shaking.

Su Qinghan stood three meters away.

Her right hand, which had been clenched tightly since Lu Yuan began speaking, has now loosened, leaving crescent-shaped red marks on her palm from her five fingernails.

She saw it. The transition from porter to Shen Yibai was seamless, without any ups and downs. It was like a person peeking out of the water, with a bottomless abyss below, but only a gentle face and a good temper were visible.

This is not acting.

Acting leaves traces. Method acting requires time to immerse oneself in the role, while experiential acting requires a catalyst to unleash its full potential.

This person didn't get into character. He merely peeled away a layer of everyday pretense, revealing what was already there beneath.

Su Qinghan turned to look at Chen Tong.

Chen Tong's lips moved twice. He reached up to adjust his glasses, then adjusted them again. He smudged the bead of sweat on the lens.

"The contract...the contract is in the car."

Su Qinghan didn't waste any words. She turned and walked towards the Maybach.

Lu Yuan bent down and fished Lao Liu out of the cardboard box, then stuffed him into his T-shirt. The little orange cat's head poked out from the collar, its mouth still covered in dried fish crumbs.

"Director Su," he called out from behind.

Su Qinghan stopped and turned around.

"Is it really possible to negotiate an advance payment?"

---

Two hundred meters away.

In the back of the gray van, Jiang Yan put down her high-powered binoculars.

The carriage was stuffy and hot; her back was covered in sweat, but her fingers were cool.

She read the entire conversation word for word through lip reading.

"Hedge fund." "Investor-backed investment agreement."

A day laborer who moves seafood can spout financial jargon and accurately pinpoint the core financial secrets of a film producer who is an investor.

Jiang Yan picked up a pen and drew a red circle on Lu Yuan's profile file. She circled it three times.

She grabbed the phone. "Contact Old Sun from the Economic Crime Investigation Division of the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Also, submit a report to the bureau chief."

"What content?"

"The production team of 'Black Gold' has an investment of 120 million. I am applying to be stationed on-site as the production team's security consultant."

There was a two-second hesitation on the other end of the phone: "Captain Jiang, the higher-ups need a reason."

Jiang Yan stared through the binoculars at the figure who was stuffing a cat into his arms and haggling with Su Qinghan over an advance payment, her teeth clenched tightly.

"It is written that the suspect is suspected of using film and television projects to conduct high-IQ financial money laundering activities. The suspect has extremely strong counter-investigation capabilities and social engineering attack methods, posing a significant threat."

She turned off her phone, leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes.

My mind was filled with the trajectory of Lu Yuan's packing strap as it cut through the air, and his smile after he removed the loose thread.

"Lu Yuan." She opened her eyes and muttered to herself.

"What exactly are you?"

......

A woven snakeskin bag, blue and white striped, with frayed edges at the bottom corners. Inside were three changes of clothes, a thermos, a utility knife, a cat toy made from scrap copper pipe and pheasant feathers, half a bag of cat food, two rolls of medical gauze, and a strip of anti-inflammatory medicine.

It was all of Lu Yuan's possessions.

The sixth cat nestled on top of the snakeskin bag, while Lu Yuan deliberately crumpled up the tattered thermal underwear and placed it underneath. The little orange cat was recovering well after the surgery, and its spirits were much better than a few days ago. The splint on its hind leg was still in place, but it no longer prevented it from peeking its head out.

An orange head and a hind leg with a mini splint sticking out from the opening of the snakeskin bag.

The main entrance of Nanhu International Hotel.

Five-star. The lobby has a 12-meter-high ceiling, with a three-tiered crystal chandelier hanging from the dome, each facet shattering into cold white specks under spotlights. The marble floor is waxed so much it can be used as a mirror, and the central floral installation is a two-meter-tall biomimetic birch tree with hand-blown glass leaves hanging from its branches.

The air conditioning was set to a constant 22 degrees Celsius, and the lobby was filled with some kind of expensive diffuser, with bergamot as the top note.

Lu Yuan stood in front of the revolving door, carrying a snakeskin bag.