Chapter 34: A Transaction of Virtue

Late at night, around 11 PM, two SUVs pulled up in front of a five-star hotel.  

In the lead vehicle, a young man dressed in athletic wear turned to Huang Wei and said, “The person you’re about to meet is quite active in the Fraudulent Merchants Association. His nickname is ‘Eggy.’ You’ll find him on the fifth floor, in the Haishang Sauna and Bathhouse, room 045.”  

Huang Wei looked at the man in confusion. “We’re just asking for information. Is it really necessary to take a bath? How troublesome.”  

“He said that a ‘bare’ deal requires a ‘bare’ meeting,” the young man replied with a shrug. “You know how it is—successful businesspeople often have their quirks.”  

“Ridiculous,” Huang Wei muttered. “A walking rhyming dictionary.” He turned to Ren Ye, gesturing. “You’re coming with me. The rest of you, wait here.”  

The two got out of the car and headed for the hotel’s side entrance.  

On the way, Huang Wei gave Ren Ye a brief overview of the Fraudulent Merchants Association.  

This organization was intriguing, belonging to the Neutral Player faction with a clear foundational philosophy. They believed that every transaction began with self-serving deception. All the sweet-talking and crafty techniques were just means to an end. Only hypocrites pretended otherwise, often putting on a facade of charity while metaphorically harvesting the unwary.  

However, the Fraudulent Merchants Association despised solving problems with violence—no double-crossing or outright robbery. They regarded such methods as the clumsy work of Chaos Faction simpletons, utterly lacking in finesse.  

Furthermore, the organization maintained that no transaction should involve discrimination or bias. Even if a beggar wanted to buy a couple of steamed buns, both parties were equals in that moment, deserving of respect.  

This approach made the Fraudulent Merchants Association very popular among players. Whether they were from the Order faction or the Chaos faction, players loved dealing with them. Even official organizations maintained frequent clandestine dealings with the group.  

It was rumored that the head of the Fraudulent Merchants Association in Shanghai was a stunning beauty and a goddess to many of her admirers, though few had ever seen her in person.  [Are you mommy?]

…

Ren Ye and Huang Wei arrived on the fifth floor of the hotel. After changing in the locker room, they stripped down to towels wrapped around their waists and entered Sauna Room 045.  

As soon as they walked in, a wave of heat hit them. Ren Ye glanced around and spotted a chubby young man sitting on a wooden bench, rubbing his sizable chest.  

“Introduced by Xiao Han. My name is Huang,” Huang Wei said, introducing himself.  

“Hello there! I’m Eggy,” the chubby man greeted with a nod, his body glistening with sweat. “Please, have a seat.”  

The two sat down on either side of him, effectively flanking him.  

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Eggy wiped the sweat off his face. “Alright then, let’s get started. Tell me what you need.”  

“Mr. Eggy, I need information on some Bell Society members,” Huang Wei said, observing the man’s flushed face. “They’re likely new arrivals. Two of them go by the nicknames ‘Fat Dragon’ and ‘Skinny Monkey.’”  

The man’s expression changed immediately. “You’re looking into that incident in university town?!”  

“Yes,” Huang Wei confirmed with a nod. “Chaos Faction players are hostile toward Vigil Keepers. It’s easier for you to gather intel among them.”  

Eggy wiped his face with a towel, letting out a bitter chuckle. “If I’d known Xiao Han was sending you here for this, I wouldn’t have shown up.”  

Ren Ye frowned slightly upon hearing this.  

“But isn’t this meeting location perfect?” Huang Wei replied with a grin. “It’s just the three of us in this room. No one will know what you tell me or how much I pay you.”

Eggy’s chubby face looked helpless as he replied, “Doing this would break the rules. My principle is not to provide clients with clues related to case investigations. If those Bell Society fools dared to show up in Shanghai and even caused trouble right outside a police station, it means they’ve got backing. If I mess with them, it’ll bring trouble later. You know how crazy and brainless those people are.”  

Huang Wei tilted his head and said, “Six thousand credits.”  

“This isn’t about the money.” Eggy thought for a moment, then stood up decisively. “Go find someone else. In two days, I’ll be tied up with something, so I need to get ready.”  

“Eight thousand. That’s no small amount, my friend,” Huang Wei countered.  

“Talk to me later, bye-bye!” Eggy’s attitude was firm; he had no intention of taking the job. Swaying his large frame, he headed toward the door.  

“Hold on!” Huang Wei suddenly stood up.  

Eggy turned back, clasping his hands together with a pleading expression. “Big bro, please don’t make this hard for me… How about this? Go upstairs and call two masseuses—I’ll treat you tonight. Deal?”  

Huang Wei stared at him, his expression suddenly turning serious. “Hey, what did you just do?”  

“Huh?”  

Eggy froze. “What did I do?”  

“I suspect you just attempted to engage in an illegal transaction with a Vigil Keeper,” Huang Wei said, squinting at him. “This constitutes attempted illegal information dealing. I have sufficient grounds to take you in for questioning.”  

“What?!”  

Eggy’s neck stretched as he gaped, his rosy lips slightly parted. “You’re the one who called me here!”  

“I am now officially notifying you, as a representative of the Qingfu District Vigil Keepers, that you are required to come with me for questioning. Please cooperate.” Huang Wei stepped forward, giving Ren Ye a quick signal.  

The two flanked Eggy once again.  

“Do you have evidence?!” Eggy exclaimed, glaring at them. “What evidence do you have to accuse me of attempted information dealing?”  

Huang Wei calmly reached up to his head and plucked a tiny listening device from his hair, holding it up to Eggy’s face. “Everything you said just now was recorded by my colleagues outside.”  

The sight of the device made Eggy jump in fury. “I came to a place like this to meet you, and you still managed to hide a bug?! Why didn’t you just shove it up your—”  

“Enough talking,” Ren Ye interrupted, giving Eggy a push. “Let’s go. We’ll talk back at the station.”  

Eggy, indignant, yelled at Huang Wei, “If I’m guilty of attempted information dealing, then you’re guilty of attempted illegal information purchasing! We’ll both be in trouble!”  

“I never said I wouldn’t be in trouble,” Huang Wei replied evenly, enunciating each word. “I’m prepared to go in with you. I’ll do the time. What’s the big deal?”  

“A kamikaze, huh?”  

“What, not convinced?” Huang Wei shot him a sidelong glance. “I also suspect you of attempting to assault a Vigil Keeper. Just now, your shoulder brushed against mine…”  

The two stared at each other. Eggy clenched his fists and gritted his teeth before finally cursing, “Screw you!”  

“That’s verbal abuse of an officer!” Huang Wei’s eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, his muscles bulging as a murderous aura radiated from him. “I’m considering detaining you for three days to let you reflect on your actions…”  

Eggy glared at him, trembling with rage. “Ten thousand! Ten thousand, and I’ll do it. Deal?”  

At this, Huang Wei instantly dropped the intimidation, smiling as he patted Eggy’s arm. “I’ll give you twelve thousand. Relax, let’s work together on this.”  

Sweating profusely, Eggy stared at the two of them. “If I ever do business with you again, I’m a damn dog!”  

Convincing through virtue was one of the most basic skills of a Vigil Keeper.  

The three sat back down on the bench. Eggy remained silent for a while, then suddenly asked, “You old bastard… You’re not planning to confiscate my illegal earnings after the deal, are you?”  

“Come on, would I do that?” Huang Wei slapped his thigh. “Long-term cooperation, my friend.”  

“Pay up first, so I won’t feel like I’ve lost if I get caught,” Eggy insisted cautiously.  

“Deal,” Ren Ye immediately agreed on Huang Wei’s behalf.

…

Twenty minutes later.  

Eggy was the first to leave the five-star hotel. Pulling out his phone, he dialed a number. “I just found out—they’re digging into the criminal players around the university town. Yeah, I didn’t plan to agree at first, but that jerk threatened to arrest me, claiming I was attempting to sell illegal information. I’ve never met a Vigil Keeper this shameless…!”  

“Mhm, then just help them out. But keep this low-key; only you need to know about it. Let me know first if you find anything.”  

“Got it, boss.” Eggy hung up, muttering curses under his breath as he vanished into the night.  

… 

On the way back to headquarters.  

Huang Wei drove the car, sighing. “I swear, I wasn’t always like this. My reputation keeps getting worse and worse… Xu Peng, inform the higher-ups to approve 20,000 credits as intelligence procurement expenses for the university town case.”  

“I suggest asking for 40,000,” Ren Ye interjected with a frown. “We might need more later.”  

“Good idea,” Huang Wei nodded. “Xu Peng, submit the request for that amount.”  

“Okay,” Xu Peng replied absentmindedly.  

About twenty minutes later, the group returned to 88 Lianhu Road.  

Huang Wei, Gu Nian, Xu Peng, and others got busy handling the follow-up to the university town case, including coordinating with the police.  

Ren Ye, feeling uneasy, stepped into Xu Peng’s office and saw his younger sister, Ren Qingning, sitting in a chair and making a flurry of phone calls.  

“You’re back?” Ren Qingning looked up at the sound of the door, quickly getting up and hurrying over. “Where’s Dad? I can’t reach him—his phone’s off!”  

Seeing the worry etched on her face, Ren Ye felt a deep sense of guilt. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth—that their father had disappeared.  

After a brief pause, he forced a smile. “As soon as I heard about the issue on your end, I went to check on Dad. He’s still working with the editor. Old Huang has arranged a lot of police officers to ensure security. Nothing’s going to happen.”  

“Oh, that’s good.” Ren Qingning’s worried expression softened into one of relief.  

Ren Ye walked over and sat down in a chair, lowering his head. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Qingning, you might need to stay here for a few days—for safety.”  

Ren Qingning walked over to him, gently ruffling his hair with her small hand. “I don’t know what you’re involved in, or what this place really is, but I respect your choices. Just like how you and Dad have always respected mine. We’re family—no matter what you do, I’ll support you.”  

Hearing this, Ren Ye’s chest tightened, and his head dropped even lower. “Qingning… these past years, I… I’ve made you and Dad worry too much.”  

His sister wrapped her arms around his head and comforted him warmly. “Who doesn’t have their highs and lows? What’s the point of saying stuff like this? Do you want me to cry?”  

Ren Ye patted her arm lightly and said no more.  

That night, Gu Nian arranged for Ren Qingning to stay in a room behind the main building for better rest. Meanwhile, Shanghai’s upper-level authorities sent over a dozen additional Vigil Keepers to take turns standing guard, raising the security to its maximum.  

Later that night.  

Ren Ye stood in Xu Peng’s office, hands in his pockets, gazing out the window with a restless mind. His father’s disappearance felt increasingly strange, but he couldn’t pinpoint the issue.  

All he could do now was wait—for Eggy’s update.  

…  

A day passed in restless anticipation.  

The next evening, around 8 PM, Huang Wei burst into Xu Peng’s office, shouting, “Eggy’s people sent word—let’s move!”  

Thud!  

Ren Ye sprang to his feet. “What news? From who?!”