Chapter 161 Reaching the Summit

Chapter 161: Reaching the Summit

After giving her promise, the old woman contacted the Scavengers right in front of Li Hongshen and his companions. She then nodded at them and beckoned backward.

Another old woman emerged from the room, holding an oil lamp, and led Li Hongshen and the others back into the underground tunnels.

Guided by this elderly woman, Li Hongshen and his group traversed the labyrinthine tunnels once more. As he walked, Li Hongshen observed the walls and decorations, deducing that the passage had likely been converted from an old air-raid shelter.

At the same time, he could not help but admire these elderly women for being able to memorize such a massive network of tunnels and guide clients through them with absolute precision. It was genuinely impressive.

After walking for forty-six minutes, they finally emerged from the passage into a park, directly facing a modern skyscraper.

This building struck Li Hongshen as somewhat unusual. First, there was an unusually large number of security guards at the entrance. Second, these guards were openly on patrol wearing body armor and carrying firearms, with no attempt at concealment whatsoever.

The moment Li Hongshen's group stepped out of the park, the guards immediately turned their attention toward them, many of their expressions shifting slightly.

However, one of the guards quickly made a hand gesture, and the others looked away. Even so, the occasional twitch of their bodies and heads revealed that they were somewhat surprised by the sudden appearance of the group.

At this point, the Boss took the lead, while Lutz naturally fell into step alongside Li Hongshen and Chiquita.

As they passed the guard who had made the hand gesture, the Boss nodded, and the man bowed slightly, showing that the Boss still held considerable influence here.

Upon entering the building and verifying their identities, they were allowed to proceed without even having their weapons confiscated. They walked openly into the elevator and rode it straight to the top floor.

Stepping out of the elevator, Li Hongshen found that the entire top floor consisted of an ultra-large office offering a 360-degree panoramic view without any blind spots.

Standing opposite the elevator was a silver-haired elderly man dressed in a brown noble formal suit featuring a family tartan pattern. He held a golden scepter and exuded an air of supreme elegance.

Yet, despite the careful grooming, the looseness of his skin and the prominent age spots betrayed a man in the twilight of his life.

Upon seeing Floyd Hekmatyar, the old man visibly relaxed. He stepped forward, embracing him and exchanging a kiss on each cheek.

"You're finally here, my child. The commotion you caused on such a short journey was rather grand—not quite like your usual style."

"Hahaha, it seems I've brought you quite a bit of trouble. I've recently taken on a new team member, and since he was the one handling things this time, it might have been a little on the violent side. But rest assured, everything that needed cleaning up has been dealt with cleanly."

"Well, it certainly lacked a bit of elegance this time. I hope you can prompt your team member to make some adjustments, otherwise people might not be so welcoming when we go elsewhere for sales in the future."

"Don't worry, there simply wasn't time before. We'll have plenty of time for that later."

After this exchange of pleasantries, the old man turned his gaze to Li Hongshen, Lutz, and Chiquita. His eyes lingered on Li Hongshen for a long time before he spoke:

"Thank you for bringing this fellow here safely. We have some matters to discuss now, so please give us some privacy.

I've had a lounge prepared for you downstairs. You might have to wait quite a while, as there are rather a lot of things to hand over.

And Li, although your methods were slightly lacking in elegance today, I still think very highly of you. Steve will take you to the Continental Hotel shortly to see the Sommelier.

He usually has the newest stock, and I believe you can acquire the two firearms you've been wanting there.

Of course, if there is anything else you like, feel free to purchase it as well. I will cover all the expenses—consider it a welcome gift from me. I hope you will like it.

Steve, please take my three friends to the lounge, and then accompany Li to look at some items."

Upon hearing the old man's words, Lutz and Chiquita bowed slightly, and Li Hongshen followed their lead. Shortly after, an elderly white-haired gentleman wearing a butler's uniform led the three of them into the elevator and back down to the lower floors.

Watching the three depart, the old man handed his golden scepter to Floyd Hekmatyar.

"Your new team member looks rather capable. Your eye for talent remains as sharp as ever."

"Is that so? Let me tell you all about his background!"

"Let's handle the handover first; it's quite a massive undertaking. Once that's settled, this old man will gladly sit back and listen to your stories, hahaha."

......

Inside the elevator, Lutz and Chiquita stood in opposite corners, while Li Hongshen stood in the middle alongside the butler, who turned back and offered Li Hongshen a gentle smile.

"We have arrived."

With that, the butler stepped out of the elevator first, leading them into a magnificent hall that resembled the opulent parlor of an ancient aristocratic estate. Lutz and Chiquita immediately and casually made themselves at home on the sofa.

At the same time, Lutz deftly reached under the coffee table and pulled out a box of cigars with practiced ease, suggesting he had been here before.

"You two are quite familiar with this place, I presume. If you need anything at all, feel free to contact the house butler, and someone will attend to your needs.

I will take Li to the hotel to see the Sommelier and then return here. The handover with the master will take about three days, so please be patient."

Lutz waved dismissively and shot a wink at Li Hongshen, looking thoroughly carefree, while Chiquita smiled faintly and subtly shifted closer to Lutz.

"Li, let's go."

Li Hongshen glanced at the pair of them without a word, then followed Steve back into the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, a muffled voice drifted through:

"Lutz~~ tell me, why are you so familiar with that red-light district? If you can't satisfy me in bed tonight, I'm divorcing you, you bastard."

......

Li Hongshen accompanied Butler Steve all the way down to the underground parking garage, where rows of Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, and Maybachs were neatly parked.

The butler walked up to a Rolls-Royce Phantom, opened the door, and said:

"Please."

After getting into the backseat, Li Hongshen looked at the butler in the driver's seat, remaining silent and maintaining a degree of vigilance.

"Rest assured, the contract with the assassin guild has already been canceled—it happened the moment Mr. Hekmatyar entered the building.

Therefore, you don't need to worry about your boss's safety. Once the handover is complete, your boss will ascend to the High Table and become one of its members."