Chapter 372: Big Sis Throws Down 300,000 Just for Your Smile

Xiao Ya didn’t know the person behind the mask was Wan Ze himself. From her point of view, she just thought she was talking to an ordinary Dragon Eagle disciple or one of Wan Ze’s underlings.

This was a misunderstanding Wan Ze could readily exploit.

As Wan Ze’s mind raced, Xiao Ya’s voice cut in again. “I don’t know if your boss told you the terms of their deal. How much did Wan Ze give you?”

Wan Ze looked up, playing along. “How much do you think I’m worth?” he asked coolly.

This was a probe, a test between the two of them.

He didn’t answer directly, instead tossing the question back at her.

He was probing how much Xiao Ya knew about the situation, gauging her judgment of “Wan Ze,” and assessing what she was willing to offer under these circumstances.

Xiao Ya took a deep breath, her gaze lingering on Wan Ze’s mask for a moment before she spoke. “No more than a hundred thousand. Scapegoats don’t need to be expensive.”

Wan Ze retorted, “If you’ve guessed I’m the scapegoat, why did you still get out of the car? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”

He wanted to see her reaction. ‘Faced with such a direct threat, will she panic or hold her ground?’

‘Zhao Henian is certainly wary of her.’

Xiao Ya didn’t panic, but her breath hitched. She tried to sound as sincere as possible. “I am. I’m afraid. But there are some things I have to say. I don’t think you want to die without knowing why, either.

“Zhao Henian definitely wants someone from Dragon Eagle to be the scapegoat… Once headquarters confirms your organization is involved, all eyes will be on the Holy City. Conflicts are bound to erupt… Dragon Eagle probably won’t be able to handle the pressure and will abandon you. Even if they don’t, you won’t survive…

“Kill me, and you’ll have Grandmaster-level assassins targeting you and Wan Ze. Unless Situ Bai is by your side every second, but can you two really stay together 24/7…?”

She paused, as if organizing her thoughts, then continued, “Of course, I don’t know what your relationship is with Wan Ze, or if you’ve been in contact with Zhao Henian. But if you’re with Dragon Eagle, I doubt they know about what’s happening tonight.”

Wan Ze looked at her.

‘She’s giving me an out.’ He realized. ‘A way to go from being Zhao Henian’s accomplice to a Dragon Eagle brother who was duped by him.’

Wan Ze watched her.

He suddenly had a change of heart.

‘This doesn’t have to be a dead end for us.’

‘According to her logic… I’m a Dragon Eagle brother, deceived by Old Zhao, unaware of the truth, just following orders. Zhao Henian is her real target. And I’m the fall guy… Zhao Henian sent me here to kill, but he also arranged for my own demise, either by being silenced or taking the blame. Following that logic, we have room to negotiate.’

‘But there’s a flaw in that… Xiao Ya thinks I’m a scapegoat sent out by Wan Ze.’

‘When in fact, the one making the move tonight is me, Wan Ze himself.’

‘So the real question is whether or not Zhao Henian is actually using me as a scapegoat…’

‘Of course, I’d rather Old Zhao wasn’t that kind of person. I’d prefer he didn’t betray me so quickly, at least not before he’s paid the rest of my fee.’

Seeing Wan Ze’s stance soften, Xiao Ya decided to press her advantage, her words coming a little faster than before. “Whatever Zhao Henian is paying you, I’ll double it. And… you can go back and tell Wan Ze that Zhao Henian is going to the docks tonight, and he might not make it out alive.”

At her words, Wan Ze’s fingers loosened slightly.

Zhang Chong’s throat had been in the vise grip for too long. His lips were turning a dark shade of blue, and his pupils were losing focus.

Just then, Wan Ze let go.

Zhang Chong slid bonelessly to the ground. He collapsed in a heap, his body curling into a ball as his hands flew instinctively to his throat. His mouth opened and closed, gasping desperately for air. It was the closest he had ever come to death.

Xiao Ya glanced at Zhang Chong, and only after confirming he was still alive did she look away.

She was forcing a calm facade, but Wan Ze noticed the fingers clutching her shawl were trembling slightly.

‘Heh. So the woman’s afraid of death after all.’

Xiao Ya suggested, “This isn’t the place to talk. Should we… go somewhere else?”

But Wan Ze just stared at her, his tone unyielding. “I’ll give you one minute to prove your worth. Start by explaining what you meant when you said Zhao Henian might not make it out of the docks alive tonight. You seem to know a lot… Do you have someone on the inside?”

Xiao Ya took a deep breath. She knew this single minute was the most critical moment of her night.

‘One wrong word, and I die.’

‘Let something slip, and I die.’

‘If I’m not convincing enough, I die.’

“I have people close to him. I received confirmed intel that Zhao Henian is personally going to the docks to oversee the operation, so I’ve arranged for my own people to be there as well.”

Wan Ze’s interest was piqued. “If you knew he was going to make a move on you, why did you bring so few people tonight? Weren’t you just walking into your own grave?”

Xiao Ya met his gaze without flinching. “The Holy City is Dragon Eagle’s territory. I considered the worst-case scenario, and this is it. I believe we can negotiate. Zhao Henian is a spent force. Even if he survives this, his time is short… I have evidence that he betrayed the organization—enough for a death sentence.”

Wan Ze seemed unmoved. “You’ve said a lot,” he stated calmly, “but all of this is predicated on you staying alive. And what’s in it for me if you do?”

This was the crucial question.

Wan Ze asked bluntly. There was no need for pretense at a time like this.

At this range, at this moment, any high-minded platitudes were just noise. Only personal gain was a shield against death.

A fine sheen of sweat appeared on Xiao Ya’s forehead.