"I'll be up in a moment." Fatty Wang wanted to stand up but ended up collapsing back onto the sofa due to dizziness, letting out a curse.

"You've had a bit too much to drink, the wind's picking up, come up later," the captain said as he anchored the ship on the sea, and he and Xiao Mu walked onto the deck.

In the distance, a fishing boat was slowly approaching them, flashing warning lights when it was about thirty meters away. The uniformed captain raised his hand in a gesture, and the approaching boat slowed down, its engine noise inaudible.

"Get that fatty up here; once the ship gets close, we leave," Xiao Mu instructed the captain as they faced the approaching vessel.

Silently, he walked down to the cabin and stood in front of Fatty Wang. "The boat's here."

Just about to leave the inland sea and enter the open sea, the moment he'd been waiting for now lay before him, Fatty Wang suddenly hesitated, unsure why he felt a sense of panic.

"Not going?" Seeing the person behind him made no move, the captain stopped, bent down, and looked at Fatty Wang.

"I..." As he hesitated, a gentle bumping sound came, another boat had come alongside.

"You have two choices: one, get on the boat; two, go back." The captain's contempt grew in Fatty Wang's eyes, he hadn't even thought to wait for him, but when the boat came alongside, he used a rope to secure it, ensuring a small gap between the two vessels.

The foul fish smell from the fishing boat was nauseating, and as Fatty Wang stepped out of the cabin, his stomach churned from the odor. He held onto the railing to avoid falling over from dizziness. He pointed at the boat with a questioning look at Xiao Mu.

"I'll go up first and check things out," Xiao Mu responded to Fatty Wang, jumping onto the fishing boat, using his fingers to pinch his nose; the smell was indeed unpleasant. The captain, after inspecting the fishing boat, descended to the cruise ship's lower cabin, behaving as if nothing was amiss. "Fatty Wang, it's not bad, the place is quite spacious."

Xiao Mu waved at Fatty Wang, signaling him, the latter hesitated but still jumped onto the boat. He covered his nose as he surveyed what seemed like a living cabin, with dining and sleeping quarters mixed together, along with a so-called toilet, all which made Fatty Wang nauseous. He reluctantly smiled at Xiao Mu, knowing if he raised any objection, the man would surely say the words 'go back.' Did he have a choice? At his lowest point, naturally, no one would give him a second glance.

"It's a bit of a grievance, but considering you're fleeing, this place is good enough; it looks clean, at least," Xiao Mu reassured Fatty Wang, forcefully patting his shoulder. "Let's go meet the shipmaster."

"No need!" Fatty Wang rejected outright; he had no desire to meet the master of the fishing boat. "Just get me to the open sea."

"Really, no meeting?" Fatty Wang shook his head vigorously, the stench from the fishing boat making him uncomfortable all over. "Here's your new identity and passport, don't lose them," Xiao Mu shrugged, handing a bag to Fatty Wang. "Familiarize yourself with your identity first; I'll go find the shipmaster and arrange matters for you, don't walk around haphazardly, everything below deck is freshly caught fish, don't fall off." Xiao Mu deliberately kicked the deck board for Fatty Wang to see, a stronger fishy smell wafted over, causing Wang to retch uncontrollably into the sea. Ha, Xiao Mu sneered as he exited the cabin.

Did he go find the shipmaster? The answer was no. As he jumped back onto his yacht, the ropes tying the fishing boat were already cast off, almost without suspense heading in the opposite direction from the yacht. By the time Fatty Wang recovered from vomiting, it was too late, he had unspeakable feelings toward Xiao Mu on the yacht—was it hate or something else, only he knew.

The captain removed his hat and donned glasses, standing beside Xiao Mu. "Handing favors to others like this isn't your style."

"Ah! This kind of person isn't worth living a thousand times," Xiao Mu, in high spirits, stared at the departing fishing boat. "Wasting my favors and power for nothing more than this bird-like matter, it's really annoying. Now someone wants to help me deal with such a pest, why not just let them?" He walked down the cabin, hands behind his head.

"What does the staff say?" The captain followed him inside the cabin, switching the navigation format to automatic, leisurely grabbing a bottle from the liquor cabinet.

"I never thought Wang Zhanting could hide this secret for so long; if it weren't for the grudge between Xiao Lin and the Wang Family, I'd never have suspected as much. Naturally, we need to find the real thing by starting with the older generation." Xiao Mu picked up a certificate, smiling without expression, then lit it up and burned it completely. "Mu, you look quite good in uniform."

"What's the use of looking good? Your brother's given me the final ultimatum: if I dare do anything to you, my head will be separated from this uniform."

"Oh, did he say that?" Xiao Mu chuckled, aware that the people of the Xiao Family are all selfish, driven by fame, profit, power, and influence. He was long accustomed to a family that discarded humanity, where finding someone with flesh and soul was rare. "Why do I feel like you quite like my brother?"

"I can only say that as his adversary, I feel quite fortunate."

"You really are a pervert." Xiao Mu burst into laughter.

"Xiao Lin's blood contains a high concentration of toxin, you must know that!"

"Oh, is that what you think?" Xiao Mu emphasized the words "you" as he gazed meaningfully at Mu Rongyun. "In your eyes, his blood is toxic, but for us, it is a cure. The Xiao Family has only produced one like him in several generations; do you know how it was cultivated?"

"You're leaking secrets." Mu Rongyun clearly sensed something amiss with Xiao Mu today. Although they were friends, this fate was incomprehensible; their becoming friends was a coincidence. But even so, Xiao Mu never mentioned anything about the Xiao Family's secrets in front of him. He could help, but he wouldn't reveal anything obscure about the Xiao Family, which meant what he knew was just public knowledge. The secrets were merely open secrets. "Why suddenly so generous, aren't you afraid I'll do something to your Xiao Family?"

"I am currently the Xiao Family's number one traitor." Xiao Mu mocked himself.

"Then why not consider coming over to my side?" Mu Rongyun unceremoniously tried to pull Xiao Mu to his side, the seriousness in his eyes betraying the jest in his voice.

"Each generation of the Xiao Family selects suitable candidates through special methods to trial this constitution, to refine the blood, for Huaxia." Another self-deprecating cold laugh, Xiao Mu stared blankly at a certain point in front of him. "The men of the Xiao Family can be likened to stallions, seeking different women to give birth to offspring. Their purpose is to test suitable candidates. Do you know their fate?" Xiao Mu suddenly stared at Mu Rongyun, a rare emotion in his eyes affecting him. "They all die in living agony, Xiao Lin is the only one to survive; the so-called immunity to all poisons is refined from trying thousands of toxins."

Mu Rongyun might imagine such a scenario. The human body has many characteristics, some of which are developed, some may never be known until death, and using the body for trials, he dared to imagine such cruelty but didn't dare to try experiencing it. People fear death.

"However, as far as I know, there should be another person; he also has the surname Mu." Xiao Mu frowned, a puzzled expression on his face. "The traditions of the Xiao Family are never passed outside, but such a person indeed exists. This is the Xiao Family's taboo, and this person might be dead, or maybe still alive."

"I am also surnamed Mu." Mu Rongyun swirled his wine glass. "Do you have any associations? Maybe I am that person surnamed Mu, coming back for vengeance."

"Hmm, you quite look like it." Xiao Mu chuckled foolishly, appearing drunk although he hadn't drunk. "There is a ninety percent similarity in the identification report. I think there are few capable of such craftsmanship in this world; we should investigate this carefully. I believe this person might be of help to us."

"I think I'm quite a perverse person, but you surpass me."

"It depends on how you understand it." Xiao Mu paid no mind to Mu Rongyun's sarcasm, which he could take as a compliment.

"Is helping your brother ascend the position that important to you?" Mu Rongyun sighed. Perhaps in others' eyes, Xiao Mu was a perpetrator seeking blood for revenge, but he knew it was merely a facade. He dared not say if Xiao Mu was sincere, but he truly had no intent to kill his brother.

"You can see it as me wanting to help you take down the Xiao Family."

"When did you start knowing?" Though surprised, Mu Rongyun remained remarkably calm. Subconsciously, he didn't want to have conflicts with this person; they were friends, confidants, but could also become enemies. So he was always prepared for this moment, trying as much as possible to not see this day come. But today, Xiao Mu personally broke this wariness, leaving him flabbergasted. He didn't underestimate Xiao Mu, but the reversibility of this plan.

"Oh, oh! I finally have the chance to see you nervous; it's not easy." Xiao Mu joked, but both knew neither had the heart for jokes. "Just a speculation, I won't deny I once doubted the coincidence of our meeting, but I know it's indeed a fateful encounter."

"What made you start doubting?" Mu Rongyun believed he'd hidden well by Xiao Mu's side.

"Hatred! You hide it well."

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