After Picking Up the Rival Boss, It Smells Really Good - Chapter 17

A red-haired woman supported a tall man with blue-gray hair as they quickly slipped through the back door of Red Millet.

Two thugs were already waiting outside. Seeing the woman emerge, they hurried forward. The woman tossed the unconscious man to the thugs and casually brushed her hair.

In the next moment, she removed the fiery red wig, revealing short golden-brown hair underneath.

“Seemed so cold and detached, yet so easily fooled,” he spoke, his voice now clearly male clear and forceful. “Flashing his power so brazenly on Gorgona Island. Our Detector picked up his spiritual sea fluctuation from miles away.”

As he spoke, he tossed a small Detector to the two thugs and glanced down at the serene face of the unconscious man. “Handsome, so handsome. Blame yourself for showing off too much. On a place like Gorgona Island, you didn’t even bother to conceal your Mental Sea.”

“Oh, and one more thing,” the man added. “Beauty leads people astray. My charm has fooled countless arrogant men like you.”

“Enough, Ellis,” one of the thugs holding Lu Lian said. “Don’t waste time. His Core Inhibition Level seems high maybe even C-grade or B-grade. This could finally be our big break. Let’s not complicate things.”

“Fine, fine,” Ellis said, leading the thugs deeper into the alley. “Where’s Eden?”

“Something set him off a few days ago. He hasn’t wanted to leave his room since.”

“Huh?” Ellis replied. “Does he expect me to meet Caberry’s quota all by myself? Well, if this guy’s Core Inhibition Level is high enough, maybe we can keep Caberry satisfied for a while.”

They reached the end of the alley, which appeared to be a dead end with no turns. A dilapidated wooden cart stood against the wall.

One of the thugs stepped forward and pulled the cart aside, revealing a small passage underneath.

“Don’t you think it’s strange?” Ellis said as they descended. “Caberry, that old man, fears nothing and acts tougher than anyone. Why did he suddenly change headquarters? And right around the time Eden got spooked. You think there’s a connection?”

One of the thugs glanced around to ensure they were safe, then whispered to Ellis, “I heard he might have crossed paths with some old enemy.”

“What are you afraid of? The old man’s practically deaf,” Ellis said, his expression shifting to one of deep disgust before twisting into a slightly manic grin. “An enemy? If someone’s out to get him, I’d be the first to cheer. That old bastard. One of these days, I’ll.”

“Enough, enough,” the two thugs cut him off. “Some things are better left unsaid. Caberry’s Core Inhibition Level is A-grade. How many people in the world can actually defeat him? We’re still under his thumb. Best to keep quiet.”

Ellis scoffed but said nothing more.

Walking into the underground passage, there were many scattered houses with extremely simple facilities. The doors were mostly made of wood, showing no traces of technology or experiments.

Several people arrived before one of the sealed wooden huts, and a thug opened the door.

“Let’s leave him here first,” Ellis said. “I still need to find that damned old man.”With that, the few people casually threw the gray-blue-haired man inside, pulled the door shut, and locked it with a large steel lock.”

The man lay on the ground, seemingly unconscious due to the effects of the Red Potion.

The few people strode away.

Inside the room, the seemingly unconscious man slowly opened his gray-blue eyes, appearing awake and calm.

Ellis walked to the innermost room of the passage, took a deep breath at the doorway, and clenched his fists so tightly at his sides that the veins on his hands bulged. His skin was very pale, his features strikingly beautiful, giving him an androgynous allure. Yet his expression seemed filled with a certain hatred, or rather, resentment.

After a long while, he finally relaxed his fists and opened the door.

Inside, the one-eyed man sat in a large chair. His brown leather jacket was wrinkled from his seated posture and his bulky figure, the leather folds appearing somewhat greasy and shiny. Hearing the sound, the bearded middle-aged man looked toward him.

“Boss,” Ellis reported to him. “We scored a big deal today. The Detector indicated his Forbidden Core Ability is around C-grade, possibly even reaching B-grade. He can fetch a very good price.”

“Good, Ellis,” Caberry turned the chair around, his single eye seemingly fixed intently on him. “Do you want any reward?”

“I dare not,” Ellis said with utmost respect. “Boss, this is what we should do!”

“Yes, I picked you up and raised you,” Caberry said, suddenly reaching out to grab his golden-brown short hair. “I prefer you call me by another title, hmm? Ellis.”

Ellis was violently pulled down by the great force, kneeling beside the middle-aged man’s feet. He felt a sharp pain from the scalp pulling and, while protecting his hair and head, said: “Father, father! Please let go.”

Caberry enjoyed his struggling expression for a moment before slowly releasing his grip: “Hmm, always mind your words. Go, put on that wig.”

Ellis froze for a moment, his fists clenched, his entire appearance disheveled from the earlier pulling. He didn’t move.

“Hmm?The middle-aged man’s deep and hoarse voice came from above, condescendingly. “Disobedient? Your younger brother Eden hasn’t been very obedient lately either. Should I call him over?”

“No!” Ellis hurriedly said. He somewhat awkwardly stood up, then stumbled over to pick up the wig from the ground and put it on, transforming back into the enchanting red-haired woman.

His voice also became seductive and delicate as he gently knelt beside Caberry, holding one of Caberry’s rough and wrinkled large hands, affectionately nuzzling it with his cheek: “Father, with me here, why would you need to think of anyone else?”

Caberry let out a satisfied chuckle from his throat, patting the head of the obedient person on the ground: “Good child.”

“Father.” Ellis obediently leaned his red hair closer.

Contrary to his soft voice were his eyes, hidden as he bowed his head, reddened with hatred and humiliation.

How he wished to kill him with his own hands to break every bone and chew them to pieces, to grind his flesh and blood bit by bit into pulp.

Qin Gou walked all the way out of Red Millet, turning through several narrow alleys. The surroundings were complex and maze-like; if he hadn’t installed a tracker in advance, he might truly have been unable to find Lu Lian.

He wondered if Lu Lian had drunk that glass of wine.

Probably not even a ghost could tell there was something wrong with that drink.

But then Qin Gou immediately recalled their first meeting on Gorgora Island, where a pretty blond boy had hooked Lu Lian in an instant.

He also remembered how Lu Lian had unhesitatingly taken the drink from the red-haired woman. The scene that followed had been blocked by the crowd, but anyone could guess what happened next.

Damn! Was that woman really that beautiful? Enough to make him run off with her so quickly?

Even though he knew the chances of Lu Lian being harmed were slim, he couldn’t help but quicken his pace.

Qin Gou turned to the end of the alley. There were no other paths ahead, only a dilapidated wooden cart at the dead end, on which sat a man in a tank top who looked like a thug.

Qin Gou licked his teeth and flexed his wrist.

Ellis returned to his room, his wig disheveled and his clothes noticeably wrinkled.

Eden was sitting on the bed, playing a shoddy built-in game on a crude communicator. Hearing the door slam shut, he glanced up, then looked down again with disgust. “Walking around every day looking neither male nor female it’s disgusting.”

“Disgusting?” Ellis ripped the wig off his head and threw it to the ground, then snatched the communicator from Eden’s hands. “My dear brother, have you closed a single deal this month? Right now, you’re relying on me to look ‘neither male nor female’ just to make a living!”

“Of course it’s disgusting. You don’t even like looking like this yourself!” Eden’s game had been cut off at a critical moment, and his irritation was unmistakable. “I almost had a big deal this month, if not for…”

“Enough, Eden. Stop talking big.” Ellis sat down casually and took a large gulp from a bottle of water. “You haven’t even been willing to go out these past few days, and you’re talking about a big deal.”

“You have no idea!” At this, Eden couldn’t help raising his voice. “You have no idea what kind of person I ran into. You, Caberry no, none of us are a match for him. He barely even changed his expression, but the power of his Mental Sea was almost enough to crush me!”

Ellis froze. “Even old man Caberry was afraid? He’s an A-rank.”

“That man is an A-rank too no, maybe even higher!” Eden seemed to recall something, a flicker of fear in his eyes. “He might be an S! Expressionless, yet he could directly shatter Caberry’s Mental Sea! Why do you think we moved? Of course, it’s to hide from him!”

“Cut the crap. If there really was such an extraordinary figure, even that old man Caberry wouldn’t be able to hide from them. They’d have come knocking long ago. How could there still be no movement up till now…”

At this point, Ellis suddenly stopped speaking.

His face went expressionless.

He abruptly grabbed Eden’s arm. Eden was startled by this sudden show of force: “What are you doing?”

“What did that person you mentioned look like?”