Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 1353: A Very Difficult Task

Chapter 1353: Chapter 1353: A Very Difficult Task

Catherine smiled slightly, leaning back with a look of great interest as if she had taken a particular liking to Gu Fan, making him somewhat embarrassed.

Following that, Catherine took out a photo and handed it to Gu Fan, then said, "Do you know where this is?"

Gu Fan glanced at it; the photo depicted a mansion with grounds as large as a soccer field—clearly, the residence of a very affluent and eminent person.

Gu Fan had roamed Dark City recently, seen such mansions, and knew they were inhabited by nobles.

"This..." Gu Fan wore a nervous expression.

Catherine did not immediately respond; instead, she lit a cigarette, appearing nonchalant.

Gu Fan’s heart beat fast, unsure of what tricks Catherine intended to play.

Cigarette in hand, Catherine slowly exhaled a stream of smoke, "Seeing your expression, I believe you know this place belongs to the East Nobles."

Gu Fan frowned deeply; he knew Catherine belonged to the West Nobles and was aware the Four Great Nobles were antagonistic toward each other. He vaguely guessed what Catherine might want him to do.

"Tell me, what do you think is the reason I showed you this photo?" Catherine was clearly testing Gu Fan to see if he was clever enough.

After thinking a moment, Gu Fan looked troubled, "I’m sorry, Lady Catherine, I genuinely do not understand your purpose."

"Very well, sometimes being confused is more important than being clever." Catherine looked appreciative, leaving Gu Fan feeling frustrated. Was this really how someone passed her test?

Catherine then said, "I need you to do something for me. If you succeed, you can join my ranks and become a member of Organization X."

"Is it difficult?" Gu Fan looked at the photo; he truly did not want to get involved in the strife among the Four Great Nobles.

Seeing Gu Fan’s distressed expression, Catherine reassured him, "Don’t worry, I wouldn’t have sought you if I didn’t have confidence in your abilities."

Gu Fan showed surprise, "We’ve only met twice, and you have such confidence in me?"

"Let’s get back to the point, enough with changing the topic. Are you truly willing to work under me?" Catherine adopted a solemn expression, creating a very tense and oppressing atmosphere, overwhelming Gu Fan a bit.

"Of course, I’m serious," Gu Fan could only press on, "Tell me, Lady Catherine, whatever you need me to do, I shall not shirk."

Catherine smiled, seeming very pleased with his response, then continued, "I believe you know this place belongs to the East Nobles. Recently, they’ve hosted a rather mysterious guest. I want you to sneak in and thoroughly investigate this guest’s background. If you can return safely afterward, congratulations, you will officially be under my command."

"If..." Gu Fan trailed off, guessing why Catherine hadn’t sent her own subordinates for the task.

Seeing Gu Fan hesitate to speak further, Catherine smiled, "I knew you were smart. I have high hopes for you, do not disappoint me. I look forward to your successful return, when I will have another handsome subordinate."

"Thank you, Lady Catherine, for having such faith in me." Gu Fan forced a few dry laughs, appearing very pressured.

"Alright, contact me after you succeed—here is your camera." Catherine ordered her subordinate to hand Gu Fan a camera, then gave him a slight smile.

At this point, what else could Gu Fan do but reluctantly accept the task?

"I won’t disturb your rest any longer; I’ll wait for news of your victory." With that, Catherine rose, threw a seductive glance, donned her sunglasses, and left.

Of course, Gu Fan had to feign politeness to escort Catherine to the door, seeing her off into the car with utmost respect—it made him look very much like Catherine’s most loyal dog.

Once Catherine had left, Gu Fan closed the door and collapsed on the sofa, a look of agony on his face, "My goodness, why did this have to fall to me."

Gu Fan knew clearly why Catherine had sought him out. Because Catherine needed a new face for this task—had she sent her own subordinates to infiltrate the East Nobles’ residence, discovery would lead to condemnation.

Gu Fan was that new face, highly skilled, fitting all of Catherine’s needs perfectly.

There was a third requirement: Gu Fan was clever enough that if he was caught by the East and West Nobles, he would not betray Catherine. Why? Think about it, if you betray Catherine, would the East Nobles let you go?

Even if you expose Catherine, and the East Nobles spare your life, do you think Catherine would forgive you? In Dark City, offending any noble meant doom; once you accepted the mission, failure meant a dead end.

Moreover, Catherine was aware of Gu Fan’s friends; her pleasure alone could mean disaster for them. So, if Gu Fan were smart, he would never betray Catherine.

Why did Catherine personally visit Gu Fan for this task, not fearing exposing her identity?

Think about it, a nobody approaching Gu Fan to spy on the residence of the East Nobles—who would dare?

Even if Catherine sent a competent lieutenant, and the lieutenant concealed their identity while offering various conditions and rewards, Gu Fan wouldn’t have the courage to scout the East Nobles’ residence. Thus, Catherine had to come herself.

The identity of Catherine as a Western noble exerted psychological pressure on Gu Fan, compelling him to accept this risky task, making him see the risk as worth taking.

Now Gu Fan was caught between a rock and a hard place; refusal would offend Catherine, and acceptance held both prospects of success and failure.

Catherine knew Gu Fan was intelligent, predicted how he would choose; in this psychological game, Catherine was already winning.

"What a terrifying woman," Gu Fan couldn’t help but sigh. If he had acted clumsily, Catherine might not have dared assign him the task, and that might have kept him safe—perhaps this was the curse of the clever.

Gu Fan looked again at the photo in his hands; based on the intelligence he currently possessed, the East Nobles were Helen’s family. Thus, Gu Fan couldn’t help but be curious about what kind of guest Helen’s family had invited that Catherine would go to such lengths to investigate.

"Helen, oh Helen, sorry about this. It’s your relative targeting you; you can’t blame me for being underhanded," Gu Fan also felt helpless.