Chapter 50: Dark! So damn dark!

Hearing Xu Yi's consent, Liu Zhiwen tossed a smartphone to him from his embrace.

"Use this phone. Once your identity is verified, you can connect to the dark web. The operation method is no different from ordinary online shopping websites. You can purchase services and accept missions."

"One last piece of advice: you'd better deactivate your original phone number. Don't make it so easy for people to find you."

With that, Liu Zhiwen nodded at Xu Yi and left once more.

Xu Yi's heart shook. Liu Zhiwen's words were actually a subtle hint that the dark web assassin and Liu Zhiwen himself had been able to track him down because his phone number had been leaked.

Xu Yi sat in silence for a moment before picking up his phone to call Huang Dabao.

Xu Yi gave two instructions.

First, contact Crazy Zhang to summon the Cleaners to dispose of the body.

Second, procure a brand-new smartphone and the latest SIM card for him.

Though surprised that Xu Yi required the Cleaners once again, Huang Dabao asked no questions and immediately carried out the orders.

Without hesitation, Xu Yi smashed his original phone into pieces.

Then, he picked up the dark web phone provided by Liu Zhiwen and began operating it.

Just as Liu Zhiwen had said, accessing the dark web was effortless, functioning much like any e-commerce platform. After completing a few preliminary verifications, Xu Yi opened the dark web interface.

The interface was exceptionally minimalist and intuitive at a glance.

To Xu Yi's astonishment, virtually anything was sold on this dark web—whether it was intelligence, knives, firearms, vehicle modifications, or other illegal goods, everything was available, albeit at exorbitant prices. And this was while he was using an F-grade membership.

The highest membership tier on the dark web was S-grade; he shuddered to imagine what one could purchase with an S-grade account.

Thirty minutes later, Xu Yi returned to Blue Sky Waterfront, where Huang Dabao delivered the brand-new smartphone and phone number.

Following that, Xu Yi logged into the dark web and embarked on a shopping spree.

Soon, the initially disdainful Xu Yi rapidly descended into the embrace of truth!

There was no helping it! Damn it! The services provided by the dark web were simply too tempting for Xu Yi to resist.

At the same time, Xu Yi couldn't help muttering inwardly that this place shouldn't be called the dark web; it should be called the black web!

Merciless! It was damn merciless!

First was the latest mobile communication encryption and satellite phone encryption service, quoted on the dark web at 4 million.

Buy!

Next was the modification of his Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon to include bulletproofing, anti-tracking, anti-wiretapping, bomb alerts, and powertrain upgrades. This service was considerably more expensive, with an optional door-to-door service, priced by the dark web at 10 million.

Buy!

Identity leak prevention: ensuring that other members could not purchase information regarding his designated targets through the dark web.

Without hesitation, Xu Yi purchased this service for himself, Li Zhengdong, Li Mengjing, Zeng Lili, Huang Dabao, and Yang Tingting—all the people close to him.

Each person cost 1 million, and it was not permanent—valid for only one month. For this item alone, Xu Yi shelled out another 6 million.

Ruthless! Truly ruthless!

Finally, the dark web even offered information on the East Sea Gang for sale. According to the description, it contained a roster of the main members and detailed profiles, valued at 25 million.

Xu Yi gritted his teeth! Buy!

Good grief, Xu Yi had originally thought that having over 120 million meant he had more money than he could ever spend.

Yet now, having purchased merely four services, his wealth instantly shrank by a third. If he kept buying like this, his money would be completely gone within three days.

Xu Yi exercised restraint and halted his desire to continue shopping, as he needed the remaining funds for other purposes.

...

Meanwhile, while Xu Yi was throwing money around like water, inside the Zhao family villa, Zhao Dedong sat majestically in the main seat. Kneeling below him was a woman—Zhao Dedong's wife.

"Master! I was wrong! I did this all for your sake! Besides, Jian'er is already dead, why are you still interrogating me? You should be avenging our child!"

With disheveled hair, tears and snot streaming down her face, Madam Zhao crawled on her knees toward Zhao Dedong, pleading for mercy.

Zhao Dedong cast a cold glance at his wife, let out a cold snort, and scolded angrily:

"Fool! That channel in the black market was a piece I painstakingly planted, and you ruined it just like that! And now, even Jian'er is dead. Are you satisfied now?"

"You think I don't know? You've always been jealous of Zhao Kang and wanted to pave the way for Zhao Jian, but you had no business using such brainless tactics—and getting one of my sons killed in the process!"

"Fine! You used it, but once you gathered the intelligence, you actually went straight to the dark web to purchase services. Do you have any idea that you were alerting the enemy?"

"Men! Lock this woman in the dark room. I never want to see her face again for the rest of my life."

After Zhao Dedong gave the cold command, guards on either side stepped forward and dragged the woman away.

"Zhao Dedong! You'll die a horrible death! Our child is dead, and you don't dare to seek revenge, so you take your anger out on me—what kind of a man are you? You old bastard, you've been impotent for ages anyway!"

Realizing that pleading was futile, Madam Zhao began to curse loudly.

Yet no matter how she cursed, Zhao Dedong remained entirely unmoved.

Soon, the villa fell silent once again.

Zhao Dedong waved his hand to summon his subordinate and asked, "What is the current situation?"

Zhao Dedong's butler immediately stepped forward and said, "Master! The latest news is that the dark web assassin hired by Madam has died, and the assassination mission failed. However, because Madam previously tried to distance herself by instructing the dark web assassin to act directly, we still do not know the true identity of the person who bought the bronze ware and killed the Second Young Master."

Hearing this, Zhao Dedong flared up and cursed angrily once more: "That idiot! More trouble than she's worth!"

Hesitating for a moment, the butler continued, "Master, the authorities in the Imperial Capital attach great importance to the bronze ware. If we have no news within a month, I'm afraid we will face the wrath of the Imperial Capital."

"Hmph! I know, I don't need you to teach me how to do my job!" Zhao Dedong snapped angrily at the butler.

"Forgive me, Master!" The butler hastily dropped to his knees.

Zhao Dedong let out a cold snort and continued, "What is the situation in the Jiangtai District? Zhao Jian died on their turf, and they aren't going to give any explanation at all? Do they really think the Zhao family in East Sea City is soft?"

The butler hurriedly replied, "Master! As for whether the Second Young Master died in the Jiangtai District, we cannot produce explicit evidence on the surface. Beneath the surface, the underground forces in the Jiangtai District are controlled by the East Sea Gang, and they have been stalling us on this matter..."

"Hmph! Is the East Sea Gang so remarkable? A second-tier force actually dares to bully its way onto my head. You, contact Big Head Wang immediately! Isn't he also with the East Sea Gang? If they don't give me an explanation within half a month, he can step down from his position!"

"And if you fail to handle this matter within half a month, you won't need to live either. Understood? Get lost!"

Cold sweat beaded on the butler's forehead, and he hastily answered, "Master, rest assured! I will handle this matter brilliantly for you!"

The butler hurried away, leaving Zhao Dedong alone in the room.

His gaze was dim, yet a raging fire burned within him.

"No matter who you are! Anyone who dares to kill Zhao Dedong's son—if I, Zhao Dedong, do not wipe out your entire family, I will no longer bear the surname Zhao!"

...

Over on Xu Yi's end, he naturally knew nothing of the Zhao family's situation.

After acquiring his dark web identity, Xu Yi had not told a soul. When he transferred his phone number to the new device and synchronized it with the others, he simply made up an excuse about losing his phone.

At the same time, having crossed paths with Liu Zhiwen, Xu Yi felt the inadequacy of his own strength and realized he had to master internal force as soon as possible.

Therefore, before Luo Hao's Four-Way Card Game commenced, Xu Yi intended to pour all his energy into martial arts cultivation. To that end, he directly summoned Ah Wen and Ah Wu to act as his sparring partners.

These two were Lu Huaibin's disciples. Bound by Lu Huaibin's instructions, though reluctant, they still served as Xu Yi's sparring partners.

Initially, Ah Wen had intended to just perfunctorily go through the motions of sparring.

Then Xu Yi named a price he simply could not refuse.

Half a month! Two people, 10 million in remuneration for each!

As long as the two of them sparred with him for half a month, practicing for 4 hours a day, they would pocket 10 million!

Ah Wen and Ah Wu instantly changed their tune, abandoning all hesitation to spar with Xu Yi.

Ten days passed thus. Seeing the date of the Four-Way Card Game drawing ever closer, although Xu Yi's strength was still climbing, he was still some distance away from mastering internal force.

On this particular evening, while Xu Yi was holding Lu Huaibin's martial arts insights and pondering deeply, an unfamiliar phone call broke the peace.

As the call connected, a shrill and furious female voice rang out.

"Hey! Are you damn well called Xu Yi?"

"Are you even a man, letting your girlfriend get bullied out here? If you don't show up right now, you won't have a girlfriend anymore!"

Xu Yi: "??"