Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 1044 - 23: The Plan (Three Updates, 10,000 Words)

Chapter 1044: Chapter 23: The Plan (Three Updates, 10,000 Words)

"You should get some sleep," Tang Zheng said as he sat down on the sofa. He turned on the television, hoping to find out what was happening in the City of God through the news. He had a vague idea about earning Sin Points, but he didn’t know where to start.

"I’m not tired." Teng Yuangxiang cut the apple into small pieces, arranged them on a fruit plate, stuck toothpicks in them, and placed it in front of Tang Zheng. Then she sat down beside him, bent over, and naturally began to touch his calves.

Tang Zheng frowned and was about to dodge and pull away his legs when he heard Teng Yuangxiang’s concerned voice.

"You’re always so tired; it breaks my heart to see it. I specially learned how to massage just for you. Let’s try it today and see if it’s effective."

Teng Yuangxiang was beautiful and had a good figure. If she lay naked on the bed, many men would drool eagerly to climb on her and enjoy what she had to offer. However, Tang Zheng was obviously an exception, which is why Teng Little Three had to change her strategy to a more tender approach, no longer relying solely on the temptation of her body since she found the Group Leader was kind-hearted and enjoyed such warmth.

"No need for that!" Ultimately, Tang Zheng couldn’t bring himself to reject her kindness.

"You’ve done so much for everyone; what’s this bit of effort on my part?" Teng Yuangxiang placed Tang Zheng’s leg on her thigh and began to knead it gently.

"This city is so violent; there are twelve violent incidents a day." Teng Yuangxiang commented casually to Tang Zheng while watching the news, creating a cozy atmosphere. At first, her hands were quite steady, but gradually they started to get a little more aggressive.

"If it continues like this, I’m afraid I will no longer have any boundaries." The scent of perfume wafted into his nostrils, and Tang Zheng pushed Teng Yuangxiang away, sitting up. Looking into her eyes, he said, "You may be heartless and selfish, even cruel and malicious, and it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re loyal to me, I will help you and get you through the toughest newbie phase."

"I will, no matter what you ask of me, I won’t hesitate," Teng Yuangxiang replied with excitement. After spending so much time with him, she knew that Tang Zheng was not one to make promises lightly, but once he did, it was as good as gold.

"Let’s talk about your Seed Ability," Tang Zheng said. He needed a ruthless subordinate to do the dirty work he didn’t want to, and Yu Manli was a candidate, but she was too concerned about maintaining her own reputation. Teng Yuangxiang was suitable; she would do anything to survive, even cast away all her principles.

"My ability is Soul Shatter," Teng Yuangxiang took a deep breath to calm her excited emotions, "It’s a psychic type Ability."

"That’s great; we have another weapon for team battles," Tang Zheng said, pleased. "What’s the difference between yours and Dantai’s?"

"I can’t do wide-range Mental Impacts to disrupt the enemy in team battles like the deputy Group Leader. I specialize in altering and erasing a target’s memories, turning them into puppets, or temporarily invading their brains to control their bodies. However, the higher the rank of the target, the higher the failure rate," Teng Yuangxiang was a bit downcast but quickly became optimistic again. "After I ’explode the Seed,’ my Ability might evolve to be even more powerful."

"It sounds somewhat similar to Mei Jueye’s Ability." Tang Zheng fell into a contemplation, considering how to make the most of Teng Yuangxiang’s Ability.

Teng Yuangxiang didn’t dare to disturb Tang Zheng’s thoughts.

"How many puppets can you control when you alter memories? Can they die for you? Will they rebel?" Tang Zheng switched through several channels to divert his attention and moved to the other end of the sofa. "Sit there, don’t come any closer."

"I can control five, and they won’t rebel. If I tell them to die, they will have to obey." Teng Yuangxiang sneakily glanced at Tang Zheng. "Actually, I’ve wanted to get five bodyguards for a long time now but was afraid you might disagree."

"That’s somewhat inhumane." His Ability was indeed eerie, able to strike from the shadows, but it was also too cruel.

"Not necessarily. You could choose some of the natives; they might have flesh and blood, but I think they’re no different from NPCs in the game." Teng Yuangxiang didn’t care about the lives of others and was eagerly convincing Tang Zheng.

"Then go pick some villains, at least for peace of mind." Tang Zheng rubbed his forehead and leaned back on the sofa. Teng Yuangxiang was just too obedient, which made him slightly uncomfortable.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Teng Yuangxiang knew Tang Zheng had many ideas, and it never hurt to ask for more.

"Do those puppets you control still keep the skills they originally had?" Tang Zheng asked for clarification. "Skills like Sanda, shooting, and others?"

"No, they’re left with only the ability to engage in melee combat." Teng Yuangxiang would have to ’explode the Seed’ and advance to be able to increase the number of puppets, as well as allow them to retain their original skills.

"Then there’s no choice. Just pick those who are tall, muscular, and physically outstanding." Tang Zheng gave Teng Yuangxiang a searching look; judging by her personality, she must have already experimented with other people, but he didn’t say it out loud.

"Alright, I’ll go make some coffee," Teng Yuangxiang said, looking for an excuse to stay.

"No need, go to sleep," Tang Zheng rejected as he headed for the bathroom. "Too clingy; it gets annoying."

After taking a shower and finding Teng Yuangxiang gone, Tang Zheng lay on the bed feeling uneasy and irritable. He got up and sought out Li Xinlan.

"Xinlan, are you asleep?" Yu Manli was very understanding; the mature woman’s room was arranged next door. Unfortunately, there was no response.

After calling out two more times and still receiving no answer, Tang Zheng felt depressed and turned back to his room.

Li Xinlan was pretending to sleep, biting the quilt tightly. She was afraid that once she spoke, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from letting Tang Zheng in. She wanted to be with him, but she was worried about how others would see them, with the age difference making her feel depressed enough to cry.

"So boring!" Tang Zheng went back to the bathroom for a cold shower. He was, after all, a man with boundaries; he never even considered seeking out Pang Meiqin or Jing Xiang for entertainment, even though they would certainly not refuse.

As Pang Meiqin gained confidence with her growing strength, she aimed to sleep as much as possible when it was safe to prepare for any future crises, otherwise, she would have already attempted a night raid on Tang Zheng.

The Japanese got together and held a meeting, with Sekiya Ganta speaking first and making the final assessment.

"Tang Zheng is a good man."

"Tang-san has a very noble character!" Aihara Chiharu nodded vigorously, looking very adorable.

Aoki Hiroshi and Ota Nobe also praised him, reassuring the other Japanese.

"Those American newbies are pitiful," a Japanese man with a little mustache stroked his rifle and shook his head with sympathy.

"Gentlemen, please do not take this lightly. There is still a very difficult path ahead of us, and we must always guard against the malicious intentions of others," said a soldier from the Self-Defense Force, a captain with a commanding voice and impressive stature, which gave a strong sense of security.

The girl with sakura on her collar did not speak; she sat on her knees, lost in thought.

A night passed without conversation. At dawn, after breakfast, Dantai informed everyone to gather in his room for a meeting.

Everyone was concerned about their own fate, so in less than two minutes, they had all arrived.

"With the Viper Gang annihilated, the territory they’ve left behind is bound to attract other powers. If we stir the waters more, we can fish in troubled waters." Dantai made his statement. "But today, we must first buy guns to enhance our team’s firepower. Who wants to come along?"

Tao Tao had the lowest status, but she lacked tact. Jing Xiang, on the other hand, was very clever and knew she had no right to speak. She silently brewed tea and served it to everyone present.

Teng Yuangxiang knew how to cater to others, but that was only when it came to Tang Zheng. Yu Manli would not do anything at a time like this either – it’s better to assign the task to the newbie.

"I’ll go," An Fei raised his hand, and after exchanging a glance, the remaining two gangsters also raised their hands.

Lin Jing saw her boyfriend, Lin Fachan, raising his arm and quickly grabbed it, pulling it down, looking at him worriedly.

"I’ll be back soon," Lin Fachan patted the back of her hand but still raised his hand.

Yin Zhijian, who had suffered a mental trauma, stayed seated, not wanting to go out at all. After one night, he hadn’t recovered, and his buttocks still hurt.

Zhang Heng wanted to recuperate.

"Dantai, please be sure to take me and Mr. Aoki," Sekiya Ganta volunteered proactively.

"Very well, it’ll be just us," Dantai glanced over the other newbies, "Ladies, please stay behind. Any other questions?"

"Sir, may I operate independently?" The marine captain asked directly, his handsome brows furrowed slightly.

"You may, but be careful. If you go missing, the team will not search for you," Dantai reaffirmed, "I hope you maintain an optimistic mindset. The team will definitely find a way for you all to earn Sin Points."

The team’s atmosphere was good; the tension among the newbies was kept to a very small range.

"If there are no issues, go get ready: we’ll meet in the lobby in ten minutes," Dantai lifted his wrist to check the time, then dismissed everyone.

Tang Zheng tossed a piece of chocolate to Dantai.

"The wristwatch can be used, that’s great," Dantai envied, tearing open the wrapper, "Thought of how to earn points yet? I feel you definitely won’t unite with me to take over the City of God’s gangsters."

"Yeah, I can’t do those things," Tang Zheng sighed.

"It’s not that you can’t do them, but that you instinctively reject them," Dantai said, revealing Tang Zheng’s thoughts as he leaned back on the sofa, "You know? Ever since I saw The Godfather, I’ve wanted to experience the feeling of controlling the underworld. Although I’ve been a gang member in America for a while because of my job, it felt too restrained, lacking a sense of achievement."

"I mourn for the city’s gang members; they’re going to live in constant fear," Tang Zheng knew just how formidable this person was.

Dantai nodded, biting into the chocolate, a confident smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Have you figured out how you’re going to do it?" Tang Zheng felt he had to speed up and find ways so that even if Dantai made a mistake, he could make it up in his own way, preventing it from affecting the progress of the mission.

"With so many unemployed, why not hire a group to start a battle? But that requires a lot of money," Dantai exhaled, "Might actually have to rob a bank."

"I have that thought too, but if we’re going to rob, we should maximize the benefits," Tang Zheng got up and straightened his clothes, "Let’s go, to the lobby."

"I’m looking forward to your way," Dantai, who was very hygienic, stuffed the leftover chocolate wrapper into his pocket.

Having too many people could attract attention; hence the last two gangsters were left behind. Aside from Sekiya Ganta and Aihara Chiharu who continued to follow Tang Zheng, Aoki Hiroshi and Ota Nobe went with the marine captain, as the Japanese obviously didn’t want to depend on them for their fates.

Anna, as a local guide, was very competent. Although she didn’t know where to buy arms, someone in her social circle did.

After forty minutes of walking, Anna led everyone to a dilapidated and shabby building.

"Milly’s house is upstairs. Her boyfriend is a gang member; he should know where to buy firearms," Anna hesitated, wanting to say more but stopping short.

"Speak your mind, this place stinks. Let’s get this done and leave quickly," Teng Yuangxiang, holding her nose, bemoaned, as the stench from a nearby drainage ditch filled with dirty water and a rotting dead dog spread, attracting incessant swarms of flies.

"Milly loves money, so..."

"Lead the way; money isn’t an issue," Dantai said, entering the building only to see dark bloodstains on the walls and debris scattered everywhere.

"Your friend must be really tough to live in a place like this," An Fei couldn’t help but complain after spotting a pile of excrement.

"There’s no choice; who wouldn’t want to move out of South City if they had the money?" Anna’s tone was a bit sharp, feeling insulted, "Even if it’s cleaned, what’s the point? The next day it’ll just be trashed by those who have nothing better to do."