Chapter Six: Three People Missing

(Originally, at the end of August, I wanted to take the kids out to play because I was working hard on updates in August, and it didn't happen. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, it couldn't happen because my wife wasn't home. Now the kindergarten is on a 7-day holiday, and with the monthly pass doubling, if I don't work hard on updates, I will fall significantly behind this month. So, I took them to play at a nearby amusement park. I will continue to work hard today, and if there aren't three updates, I will certainly make it up tomorrow! Thanks to everyone for the monthly passes, and I look forward to your support!)

The two of them rested in the living room for a while longer. Yue Yao wanted to go upstairs and back to her room. Although she didn't need Li Yan to help her up the stairs, he still followed alongside her.

They arrived at the guest room where Yue Yao stayed. She sat down by the bed and whispered, "Help me get the computer."

Li Yan immediately understood. She must have some work matters to discuss with him. She didn't want Liu to overhear anything downstairs, so he brought the computer, which he had brought up earlier, and opened it in front of her.

"Is there another issue?"

"Yes," Yue Yao's expression was slightly grave, "Do you remember last time I told you... someone lost contact while on a mission?"

"Still no news?" Li Yan nodded. That was two weeks ago, and at that time, he had reassured her to wait a little longer, suggesting it might just be a delay past the expected time. Yue Yao hadn't mentioned it again afterward, so he thought it was resolved.

"It's more than that!"

Yue Yao's computer was already up and running. She opened a management file and found some recent arrangements in the table. "Those two, the ones I told you about last time, exceeded the expected time and never contacted me. A few days later, our account received the payment for the completed task."

Li Yan furrowed his brows slightly. Whether it was a direct transaction or through a third party, the employer's willingness to pay the full amount signifies the task was surely completed. Since they completed the mission, there should be no reason not to contact Yue Yao. This isn't like a regular business where someone could abscond with the money; it indirectly proves that they might have paid with their lives or injuries during the mission, or encountered other unexpected situations afterward.

"Upon hearing this news, I sent messages to everyone, asking them to contact me immediately if they have any news or receive a distress signal from them. My request was to respond to my email as soon as it was seen. Everyone replied, some sooner, some later, but there was one person who didn't reply for days. I tried reaching him through other means, but I couldn't contact him. Up to now, there's still no news." Yue Yao then brought up the information of those who lost contact.

"So far, we have three people who vanished without a trace?"

"Yes."

Li Yan immediately said, "Suspend any task arrangements and notify everyone to keep a low profile and be cautious. Move if necessary!"

Yue Yao nodded. "You think someone is targeting us secretly? Judging with caution, once another person lost contact, I already issued warnings to others, including Yan Ping and Qi Zhongtao."

For ordinary people, even if three people sequentially lose contact, it doesn't seem like a big deal. But for "them," it's different. In the assassin circles and any illegal, dark worlds, danger can appear at any time. Perhaps once was a coincidence, an accident, but consecutive times are certainly not accidental anymore.

Only those who fear death can live longer!

Being an assassin means seeing a lot of death, and thus not fearing death. But while not afraid of the act of dying, the notion of "death" is stronger for them than it is for ordinary people. Having witnessed so much death and understanding life's fragility, they cherish life even more—that's what's known as "fearing death."

Globally, tens of thousands die in car accidents alone. Anyone can unexpectedly die at any time, but the odds seem low, so the vast majority of people can envision their life until they're seventy or eighty, with few imagining they might die at any moment. Assassins are different. They don't often look too far into the future because it's not realistic! Even Li Yan is like this.

...

Li Yan smiled at Yue Yao. She could always understand his thoughts, knowing without being told that he would make such arrangements and always prepared in advance. "Their" organization is better managed by her than by him.

After pondering for a moment, he said in a low voice, "It can't be such a coincidence; it's highly likely someone is targeting us in secret. Three people won't hit us hard, but even if one does, they're our person, and we can't let them take the risk. The other participants in the H City mission should be the main suspects!"

"What do you mean?" Yue Yao asked while searching for information on her computer. Her years behind the scenes hadn't been for nothing. She could always get the latest and most timely news and had built up many archives.

Li Yan recounted the events that took place that night in the central park of H City. Besides him, there were three other S-Class assassins present. Liu Xi, Shi Jian'en, and Feng Wuqing acted as bait, directly attracting the attention of the Si Country agents. Together, the four of them assassinated dozens of Si Country agents. Everyone kept a tally in their minds, and after dealing with the common enemy, including the former ally Rocana Rose who fought alongside Li Yan, a temporary alliance was formed, attempting to take down King and divide the spoils!

Due to King's reputation, and the astonishing feats of that night, along with the fact that he timely disposed of the three people's weapons, preparing for a death match, Rocana Rose and the others knew that taking all four of them down would at the very least result in a pyrrhic victory. And even if they won, could the three coexist peacefully? They would continue to fight, resulting in a bad outcome. Hearing Li Yan say he would withdraw early and leave dozens of targets for them to split later when the market's profits weren't completely divided, their internal battle was avoided.

Unfortunately, the "leak" website quickly brought the issues to light, putting SIA in a difficult position, forcing them to retract unfinished missions under public and political pressure. This granted Julian's group at least a year or two of safety. But for the assassins accepting the mission, it was a loss, as the original business worth one billion International Coin was reduced by nearly half. In the half that was completed, King alone accounted for more than half, while the three parties combined had less than King. How could they balance it?

"That day, the one who shot at me at the train station, hitting you, Rocana Rose, was probably dissatisfied. Although she's dead, the other two likely won't be content either."

Yue Yao frowned, "But now it's different from that night in H City. If they killed you then, they could split your achievements. Now the money has arrived, and even if they act against you, they can't get your commission. Why declare war on us? And only Rocana Rose saw your true face. She shouldn't have revealed your situation to others, right?"

Li Yan thought for a moment, "Rocana Rose, I made a mistake. She saw my true face, and I saw hers. I don't mind her knowing, but she might think differently. So, following me could be due to dissatisfaction or perhaps wanting to silence me to prevent me from revealing her situation. Killing me would also elevate her reputation. As for the other two, they should have similar thoughts. They may not know where I am or my real identity, but they can probably figure out my relationship with 'them.' Perhaps they want to hunt 'them' to force me out!"

Yue Yao pondered for a while, then resolutely said, "Defend!"

"Defend?" It's hard for Li Yan to just defend when others have provocatively attacked twice, causing him to lose three subordinates. Even when defending, he prefers offense as a form of defense!

However, Yue Yao never overstepped her authority to make decisions in front of him. Even for decisions she made, she consulted with Li Yan. Yet this time, she was extremely firm, prompting Li Yan to consider her thoughts.

"Yes, defend! Even retreat for a while. I know you'll feel stifled, but let's do it for us!" Yue Yao looked at him seriously.

Looking into her eyes, Li Yan instantly understood, Yue Yao was worried!

After all, this time they might be facing enemies on par with him, super assassins. Rocana Rose could board the same train without him noticing and followed him to the station, proving her skills! At this level, they not only have similar abilities but understand each other's realms, allowing optimal arrangements. For instance, Rocana Rose knew she'd be discovered by following him, so she observed him from a distance, watched his interactions with logistics personnel, and then followed them to gather train ticket information while maintaining a safe distance and avoiding adjacent carriages.

If the masterminds this time are the other two super assassins, they wouldn't be any less capable than Rocana Rose, and their combined strength would be formidable! Making B-Class and C-Class assassins among 'them' disappear would be as simple as knowing their hiding spots and striking.

Meeting her gaze, Li Yan comforted her with a smile, "I'm not in my reckless young age anymore and won't feel stifled. Your concerns are valid. Last time, Rocana Rose caused you to get hurt. If it happens again or involves Yurong or Little Di, I'd be full of regret. Rest assured, I'll lay low for a while and just be an ordinary person."

With his support, Yue Yao felt a bit relieved, whispering, "I believe you can do it! Last time, you killed Rocana Rose, spreading the news, which could amplify King's reputation, but you didn't care. I knew you could restrain yourself..."

"It's just..." Li Yan hesitated.

"You're worried about others' safety? Don't worry, I've already sent out warnings, and I'll raise the alert level, having everyone go into hiding. We'll wait this period out and, if needed, retaliate when we have more information and know who the enemies are."

Withdrawing the fist is to better unleash a powerful strike forward!

Li Yan also made a decision in his heart. Whoever wants to mess with him or 'them,' once he gets more conclusive information, he will uproot them with overwhelming force!

(Thanks to the many brothers who rewarded on the 1st: dongmin8061, Sea of Falling Leaves, Support You with Heart, Me, Most Unique, Eagle's Wind, zjun971210, Xuanyuan Jue001, Shuzhuo, Long Wind~~, Cp Pampas, If at the Time~ Snow) (To be continued, for more details, please log on to www.qidian.com to support the author and legal reading!)

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