Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 326 - 315 Invitation

Chapter 326: Chapter 315 Invitation

All day long, Xiao Ran had been living as if in hell.

When it came time for dinner in the evening, Yang Yi and Kate had prepared a simple meal. Dinner was pasta with a store-bought sauce that just needed heating up before it could be eaten.

Then, as the Organization of Water sat together like a big family enjoying the simple dinner, Xiao Ran actually came out.

Reeking of a foul odor, Xiao Ran emerged from her room covered in blood.

Brian and the other two weren’t any better off.

Xiao Ran’s eyes were open now, but she was like a walking corpse, her eyes open but utterly devoid of any sparkle.

Stepping out the door, Xiao Ran headed towards the washroom, but then Brian said indifferently, "You’re not allowed to wash."

Xiao Ran responded weakly, "Just to wash my hands."

"No."

So Xiao Ran gave up resisting and resignedly made her way to the dining table.

All four of them exuded an unbearable stench.

Brian sat down as if nothing was wrong, Boer grimaced and put down his fork, and Schultz was extremely shocked before he too promptly set down his fork.

Brian looked at Boer and Schultz and said in a stern voice, "Don’t go, continue eating your meal."

Boer and Schultz looked at each other, while Mike continued to eat with gusto, as if he saw nothing.

Paul served up a plate of pasta and placed it in front of Xiao Ran, then Brian said coldly, "Eat."

The blood that had been spilled in the morning had long since dried and turned dark brown, and with the blood congealed, Xiao Ran’s hair was also clumped together.

Yang Yi couldn’t help but say, "This is too..."

Yang Yi stopped speaking before he finished, because Xiao Ran had already started eating.

Except for Mike, everyone was extremely surprised, especially Yang Yi.

"This, this..."

Brian looked at Yang Yi and said, "I told you it might be fast."

Mike said indifferently, "People have a self-protection mechanism, when they exceed the psychological tolerance, either they break down and turn into madmen or fools, or they accept reality. It seems the result is not bad."

Yang Yi couldn’t help but ask, "Is it over?"

Brian said indifferently, "No, this is just the first step, it’s merely being able to look directly at blood. The next step is to be able to watch the blood flow from the body without feeling anything, the last step."

Brian looked at Xiao Ran and said, "She needs to be able to watch herself bleed without any sensation."

People who faint at the sight of blood are also different, some faint at the sight of blood, the kind that actually passes out, but some are fine seeing others bleed, seeing bloodstains or plasma, yet when they see blood flowing from their own body, even if it’s just a drop from a needle prick, they would faint.

Therefore, Xiao Ran still had to endure the final test: she had to be able to watch herself bleed without any reaction to fainting.

But to be covered in blood and not allowed to wash up, having to eat while still dirty, that was somewhat inhumane. However, Brian must have had his reasons for this, and seeing Xiao Ran’s resigned demeanor, Yang Yi thought it was better to keep his mouth shut.

Just then, after finishing his meal, Mike pushed his empty plate forward and smiled, "Now that everyone is here, I have something to say. The Unfearing have come around and are searching for the culprits who attacked their headquarters to seek revenge; that means they’re looking for us. So far, they definitely know it was the work of the Organization of Water. Of course, they can’t find us yet, but I hope everyone stays alert."

After speaking, Mike looked at Yang Yi and smiled, "Please come with me, I have something to tell you."

Yang Yi glanced at Xiao Ran, who was eating emotionlessly, then he too pushed his plate aside. Without saying a word, he simply stood up and followed Mike to his room.

After sitting down, Mike smiled and said, "There’s a mission, whether to take it or not is up to you to decide."

Yang Yi, surprised, said, "A mission already?"

Mike nodded and smiled, "Yes, but this is just an open contract. Complete the mission, get paid. The commission is decent, amounting to three million six hundred thousand US dollars."

The contract on Boer’s life was an open one. Anyone who could kill Boer could claim money with his corpse. However, Yang Yi wondered what the content of this open contract Mike mentioned was.

"What’s the content?"

Mike smiled and replied, "Detailed information on the Organization of Water."

Yang Yi was at a loss for words.

Mike laughed again and said, "Just kidding with you. Now you know—the membership list and range of activities of the Organization of Water are worth 3.6 million dollars. If you give Unfearing our current address, you could instantly have 3.6 million dollars."

Yang Yi exhaled and said, "So we’re worth 3.6 million dollars."

"It’s not a small amount, especially since we are newcomers. Apart from Unfearing, no one else would be willing to pay so much for our information."

Yang Yi said in a low voice, "That means we have no missions we can do now."

Mike said gravely, "I tried to get a task from the Cicero Family, but it was no good, because the Cicero Family primarily deals in intelligence, and the Organization of Water has yet to demonstrate its capability and value in intelligence gathering. However, a very interesting thing has come up."

"What is it?"

Mike paused, then said in a low voice, "A member of the Cicero family has extended an invitation to meet me."

Yang Yi was taken aback and asked, "Meet? For what?"

Mike shook his head and explained, "You’ve misunderstood. When I say a member of the Cicero family, I mean someone bearing the Cicero name has invited me to meet. I tried to connect with Cicero Family operatives for a task, but the person I would usually connect with serves the Cicero family. This person, though, he is a member of the Cicero family. If you consider the Cicero family as a corporation, then this person is a board member."

Yang Yi frowned and said, "A Cicero family member wants to meet us... that feels a bit unsafe. To be honest, I’m not satisfied with the way the Cicero family operates. Don’t forget, the Opera Singer was betrayed by the Cicero family."

Mike said softly, "That’s why I’m asking if we should meet. This person can be confirmed as a member of the Cicero family, but his status within seems not very high. I don’t understand why he’d use family channels to contact me for a meeting. Hmm, this person is called Justin, I didn’t know him before, nor am I aware of his role within the Cicero family—after all, the specific roles family members play in their own system is a secret."

Yang Yi asked, "How can you be sure that this Justin is a member of the Cicero family?"

Mike affirmed gravely, "His method of sending the message confirms it—at least within the Cicero family he must have some clout. Additionally, the Cicero family would never tolerate someone pretending to be a member of their family."

After a moment of thought, Yang Yi said, "I think we should meet. In order to break the deadlock as soon as possible, I’ll go meet him!"