Chapter 119: The Secrets of Qinghua Corporation

Li Yan didn’t expect me to say that. When she heard me call her a superpowered being, she was clearly startled and exclaimed in surprise, “How do you know about superpowered beings?”

What a joke. I’m the first-generation Demon Corpse King; if I didn’t know about superpowered beings, that would be laughable.

I merely smirked, offering no reply. Instead, I stretched out my palm, summoning a faint golden flame that flickered in my hand. Li Yan’s eyes nearly popped out in astonishment.

“Alright then, since we’re both superpowered beings, I won’t hide it from you. I am indeed a supernatural entity of the demon race. My true form is that of a thousand-year-old nine-tailed white fox.” With these words, Li Yan extended from behind her nine pure white tails that shimmered like fresh snow, confirming her identity as the nine-tailed fox.

No wonder her allure was so overwhelming. She was truly a fox spirit, radiating the mature charm of a woman who could seduce any man effortlessly.

I recalled Uncle Mao once telling me that human cultivators had nearly vanished, and among the demon cultivators left, only a few could comprehend the Way of Heaven and transcend to immortality—one of them being the millennium-old white fox.

After that, we said no more, choosing instead to keep each other’s secrets. After all, being a superpowered cultivator was no easy feat, let alone Li Yan, a fox who had cultivated for a thousand years. If other powerful superpowered cultivators discovered her, her century-long cultivation might be forcibly extracted—one reason why cultivators in the mortal realm were so rare.

Without getting beaten, I left Li Yan’s place and returned to the dormitory, where I boasted loudly, much to Gao Wei’s frustration, who cried out, “I don’t accept this! Why do you get beaten and not me?”

By then, night had fallen, around ten o’clock. The dormitory lights were already off. Most of my roommates had already slipped into slumber, except for a few still engrossed in their computer games or other distractions.

Closing my eyes, my thoughts drifted to Er Peng and the others. They were still in the clutches of those sorcerers. I had no idea how they were faring—whether the sorcerers had eased the poison coursing through Er Peng’s veins, or if Wang Sheng and Tong Xuan were chained and tortured.

The mere thought chilled me to the bone. Quietly, I pulled a business card crafted from pure gold from a hidden spot beneath my pillow, slipped out of the dorm, and with a blink of my superpower, arrived at a secluded open area on campus. I took out my phone and dialed the number inscribed on the card.

“Beep, beep, beep... Hello?”

After a moment, a voice answered, confirming the connection.

“Hello, is this Jiang Luyu?” I asked.

He answered affirmatively. It seemed the golden card bore his private number. Securing contact with someone of status’s private line was no easy feat.

I introduced myself, but we said little over the phone, agreeing instead to meet in person. Once off the call, I spread my wings and vanished instantly.

We arranged to meet at a hotel and arrived almost simultaneously.

Jiang Luyu retained his sly demeanor, still carrying the aura of a playboy. Whether it was intentional or a mask to conceal his true identity, I couldn’t tell.

We took our seats, each ordered a drink, and the conversation began.

“Xiaodong, why the urgency in calling me over?” Jiang Luyu asked, puzzled. I hadn’t revealed the details over the phone.

“It’s like this: a few of my friends were taken by people from the Qinghua Group. I’m hoping you can help me,” I explained.

I wasn’t sure if I was putting him in a tough spot, but if anyone could infiltrate the Qinghua Group, it was Jiang Luyu. Fluent in Japanese, skilled in ninjutsu, and commanding many subordinates—who else I knew possessed such advantages? Anyone else would likely have their identity exposed immediately upon entry.

Jiang Luyu fell into contemplation. After a moment, he frowned and said, “Helping you isn’t the issue. But the Qinghua Group isn’t as straightforward as it appears. I’ve observed them for quite some time. Anyone opposing them almost inevitably faces annihilation.”

...

From my conversation with Jiang Luyu, I gleaned some information about the Qinghua Group: a Japanese corporation that had operated in China for over thirty or forty years, possessing vast assets and boasting numerous branches just within Z City.

Though the Qinghua Group appeared no different from other companies on the surface, internally it had already launched a covert campaign to dominate the Chinese corporate international market, aiming to monopolize China and suppress its GDP, thus aiding Japan’s ambitions to re-invade.

According to Jiang Luyu, one of his subordinates had secretly infiltrated the Qinghua Group and stolen several documents. These revealed that previous murders of Chinese company executives and their heirs were orchestrated by sorcerers and ninjas under contract with the Qinghua Group. Moreover, the group bribed Chinese officials to evade accountability.

“Brother Luyu, all I need is for you to locate my friends. Leave the rest to me,” I said, wary that he might refuse. After all, Japanese sorcerers were far more formidable than ninjas. If he declined to help, it would be understandable.

“Xiaodong, don’t say that. Rest assured, I’ll find your friends’ whereabouts. When the time comes, we’ll join forces to dismantle the Qinghua Group’s secret underground organization. That’ll be our contribution to the nation,” Jiang Luyu promised. “I have to leave now, but send me your friends’ information on my phone later.”

With that, he vanished in a flash, leaving me sitting there dumbfounded.

I glanced around; the place was nearly empty, furnished solely with brown tables and chairs. Only a few young couples dined by candlelight. Thinking of my own solitary status, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly before leaving the hotel.

After that, I waited—waiting for Jiang Luyu’s news. Five days later, he called me, summoning me back to the same hotel.

“Brother Xiaodong, I’ve done the investigation. Your friends are being held captive on the seventeenth underground floor of the Qinghua Group. They’re alive. I also discovered many wealthy individuals who had gone missing from various places are imprisoned there,” Jiang Luyu revealed.

Hearing this, I was stunned. The Qinghua Group’s vile tactics to harm Chinese tycoons were meant to seize control of China’s international markets.

“Do you have any plans, Brother Luyu?” I asked urgently.

Our immediate priority was to rescue those tycoons and Er Peng’s group. Since I had never been inside the Qinghua Group, I could only seek Jiang Luyu’s counsel.

He shook his head repeatedly, his face darkening with frustration. Seeing this, I shook his arm and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Do you know what I saw inside the Qinghua Group’s underground? I saw my grandfather—he’s been missing for over a decade. I never thought he was still alive. I’m so angry. My grandfather was such a good man, and these bastards have imprisoned him for over ten years. If only I had enough strength before, I would have killed every one of these scoundrels!” Jiang Luyu’s voice grew more intense as veins bulged on his arms, his entire being nearing a state of madness. If I hadn’t used my powers to suppress his fury, he likely would have lost control.

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