"Wen Jie, the ones offering a bounty on me—it's obviously the Eight-Headed Serpent, isn't it? I don't even need to ask. And more importantly, isn't the bounty itself far more intriguing?"

Jiang Chen chuckled lightly, "From the size of the bounty, you can already predict the caliber of people who will come to trouble me, can't you?"

"Uh...you've got a point. But you won't need to speculate too much—a hundred billion? Even Seven Killing Faction would be tempted. The entire sect is already abuzz with this news!"

Jiang Chen's brows furrowed slightly, "From the look on your face, has someone troublesome taken up the bounty on me?"

"Not quite. At the moment, only four factions have officially accepted the bounty. The most bothersome among them is the Blood Ming Assassins, one of the four major killer organizations under Flame Dragon. The other major forces are still watching and hesitating. Knowing you're a Flame Dragon man gives them pause. After all, while great rewards attract brave souls, most people value their lives more!"

Jiang Chen gently shook his head, "It's not their lives they value—they're waiting. They're biding their time to gauge my strength by observing the actions of the factions who've already accepted the bounty. That way, they can prepare more thoroughly. I'm confident that once the current takers fail, even more troublesome parties will come after me!"

"Wait…aren't they afraid that the ones who've already taken the bounty might capture you? They don't know your exact powers yet!" Zhang Wenjie's puzzled voice came through the receiver.

Jiang Chen smiled and said, "Afraid? What's there to fear? The bounty specifies where I should be delivered, correct?"

"Yes, you'd have to be taken to the Sanzan Association in Beihai National."

"Exactly!" Jiang Chen chuckled lightly, "They can wait until the factions transporting me to Beihai National reach a vulnerable point, or strike directly within Beihai National itself. That way, they avoid acting within Flame Dragon territory and don't risk provoking Flame Dragon forces. Why wouldn't they prefer that?"

"Makes sense!"

Jiang Chen spoke softly, "Wen Jie, you're skilled at gathering intelligence and analyzing the strengths of various factions, but you lack expertise in action analysis. If you can master this aspect, you'll become a remarkable strategist!"

"Boss, I'll do my best!" Zhang Wenjie's determined voice sounded through the phone.

In the underground forums, Zhang Wenjie had previously attained significant standing thanks to his role as the 'Sage.' His strong ability to gather intelligence and deeply analyze the dynamics of the major factions gave him an edge.

Yet, Zhang Wenjie had never participated in actual operations, leaving him unable to accurately assess which measures to take during particular actions to achieve his team's goals more efficiently.

"Can you provide detailed intel on the four factions that took the bounty?" Jiang Chen asked calmly.

"Boss, aside from the Blood Ming Assassins, you're probably more familiar with the other three than I am. They're the Dark Night Mercenary Group, Dragon Flame Mercenary Group, and Dragon Soul Mercenary Group!"

Jiang Chen paused momentarily before chuckling, "Looks like these guys understand the inner workings of the sect factions—they're trying to sway their judgments."

"Huh?" Zhang Wenjie was slightly confused.

Jiang Chen patiently explained, "These three mercenary groups rank among the top five international mercenary groups. In the eyes of the sect factions, Dragon Flame, Dragon Soul, Burst Flame, and more recently, the Dark Night Mercenary Group are seen as allies. If these three groups accept the bounty together, wouldn't it create the impression that they've joined forces?"

"That's true! Given the current situation, everyone does seem to think they've formed a coalition!"

Jiang Chen smiled faintly, "They're deliberately creating this false impression for the sect factions. Once the Blood Ming Assassins fail, these mercenary groups will withdraw from the bounty. What do you think the sect factions will assume then?"

While speaking, Jiang Chen glanced into the rearview mirror, giving Spirit You a signal. Spirit You understood and maneuvered the car into a narrow alley.

Behind their car, two Audi vehicles were tailing them!

Jiang Chen observed the Audis again, then smiled slightly and continued listening to Zhang Wenjie's analysis.

"Oh! I get it! The sect factions won't realize the three mercenary groups aren't targeting you. They'll think, without their knowledge, the three groups already acted and failed against you! This would cause most sect factions to back off and cease plans to capture you!"

Jiang Chen chuckled approvingly, "Exactly. The mercenary groups took on this bounty for that very reason—and also to deter other factions from angering them by accepting the contract."

Jiang Chen completely trusted Zhang Wenjie and intended to groom him into a true strategist.

This way, if Jiang Chen ever found himself unable to communicate with the outside world, just like in the current situation, Zhang Wenjie could handle matters independently.

After all, even though Jiang Chen's trusted forces weren't all aware that Wenjie was the 'Sage,' they knew the Sage was on Jiang Chen's side and was the key figure managing intelligence.

"So that's how it is! Seems like I need to study further—this is all a bit too convoluted for me!"

"Haha!"

Jiang Chen laughed out loud, "Wen Jie, it's simply because you've never been involved in such operations and because this directly concerns me. You're letting your concern cloud your judgment. With your intellect, once you calm down, you'll figure this out easily!"

Screech!

The car stopped at the alley's exit.

"Hu Zi, Spirit You, handle it—they're coming in right now!" Jiang Chen commanded softly.

Click!

The car doors swung open, and Yan Hu and Spirit You stepped out.

Screech! Screech!

The piercing sound of brakes echoed as the two Audi vehicles sealed the alley's entrance.

"Wen Jie, leak information on the sect factions' forums that I'm the owner of Dragon Flame and Dragon Soul Mercenary Groups. Then…"

Jiang Chen issued instructions quietly, hung up, then turned around to look toward the back of the car.

Yan Hu and Spirit You stood at the rear of the car, facing four masked men clad in black.

"We're only here for Jiang Chen. If you don't want to die, step aside!" one man said coldly.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

A fierce aura radiated from the four men, coldly pressing down on Yan Hu and Spirit You.

"Four Innates? Not worth my time!" Yan Hu remarked indifferently, turning back and re-entering the car.

Spirit You cast Yan Hu a glance before smirking slightly at the four men, "Are you guys seriously underestimating the Young Master? Four Innates, and you dare show up here? A hundred billion bounty and you throw your lives away for it? Pathetic!"

Buzz!

The moment Spirit You finished speaking, a powerful aura erupted from him, shattering the pressure from the four men and crashing down heavily on them.

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