Early in the morning, before the first rays of sunlight in the New Human Central District could pierce through the heavy gray velvet curtains, the interior of a vast and luxurious room remained submerged in a profound, deathly stillness. Along all four walls stood towering wooden shelves displaying hundreds of bottles of top-tier, aged wine collected from across the federation’s planets.
Right in the center of the room, behind a solid ebony desk, a figure had both feet casually propped up on the tabletop. This person tilted their head back to lean against the high-end leather chair, their entire face completely covered by a thick, ancient book. The atmosphere was so quiet that the steady breathing of the sleeping person could be distinctly heard.
KNOOCK... KNOCK…
A soft yet decisive knock on the door broke the silent atmosphere.
"Come in." — A low voice, carrying a cold and lazy tone, emanated from behind the book.
The large alloy double doors slowly opened. A woman dressed in polished business attire entered, bowing respectfully to report:
"Sir, a distinguished guest wishes to see you."
The person sitting in the chair maintained their arrogant posture with their feet propped up, but slender fingers gently pushed up a corner of the book just enough to reveal a pair of hawk-like, chilling eyes that glanced at the woman:
"Let him in."
"Yes, sir."
The woman immediately retreated, respectfully widening the door and bowing to welcome the guest waiting in the hallway:
"Please, come in, sir."
From the doorway, a figure stepped inside. The guest was draped in impeccably tailored suit vest, every single stitch radiating an air of prestige and mystery. The visitor's footsteps made not the slightest sound, akin to a ghost gliding through the night.
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The man in the suit walked straight up to the desk, naturally sitting down in the opposite chair, his gaze locked directly onto the person still shielding their face with the book:
"The mission I asked your people to carry out... has it been completed?"
The master of the room did not rush to lower the book, their indifferent voice ringing out evenly:
"The mission failed. That old man has a tough life and is still alive. As for the person I sent to do the job... a report just came in saying they're dead."
Hearing the word "failed," the suited guest showed neither anger nor surprise. Reaching out casually, he picked up an expensive bottle of wine from the shelf right beside the desk, personally pouring it evenly into two prepared crystal wine glasses.
"It doesn't matter, though. That old man was never my main target anyway." — The guest gently swirled the wine glass, the shimmering red liquid reflecting the dim, ethereal light — "Those rebellious factions conspiring against us will sooner or later be wiped out from this 10-Planet Federation."
Taking a sip of wine, the guest abruptly changed the topic:
"I heard... Maximilian Orlov is dead, isn't he?"
"That's right. Word is that someone named Shin killed him with his own hands."
The suited guest gently set the wine glass down, a flash of deep, profound light sparking in his eyes:
"So, has your side gathered any information about those two rising roses making waves in the Central District recently? YOON CHAE-WON and FREYA STERLING."
At the sound of those two names, the person sitting at the desk finally stirred. The thick book on their face was lifted and placed lightly onto the desk. The master of the room revealed facial features so sharply chiseled and breathtakingly cold that their age was entirely indeterminable. Those eyes locked straight onto the person opposite them:
"Word is they're Legends from the previous generation in hiding."
The suited guest raised the corners of his lips in a smug response:
"I'd bet on it. Chae-Won just splashed a massive amount of cash to bail that guy Shin out of the Federal police station. What's your take on this?"
The master of the room leaned back into the chair once more, closing their eyes as if losing all interest:
"I don't care. That's none of my business."
The suited guest smiled, set the wine glass aside, and switched to a nearby bottle of premium champagne, pouring a new glass:
"Care for a glass of champagne? Looks like you aren't too fond of the taste of wine."
"What on earth are you here for? Get straight to the point." — The voice of the person in the chair dropped a few degrees, clearly showing impatience.
The suited guest reined in his smile, his expression turning exceedingly serious as he lowered his voice:
"I'm here to brief you on a piece of classified intel. In about 5 months, an extravagant banquet will be hosted by the son of the Head of the entire Federation. Many of the most high-profile and powerful figures will appear there."
Leaning forward slightly, the guest continued:
"In particular, that banquet features an underground auction. Rumor has it... the item brought to the auction block this time is a being of top-secret origin, completely belonging to no race or creature that has ever existed in this world before."
The master of the room raised an eyebrow slightly, then used a hand to pull the book back up over their face, obscuring their countenance:
"Is that all? Very well, message received. Now you can get out of here so I can go back to sleep."
The suited guest stood up, straightened his lapels neatly, and turned toward the heavy doors. Before vanishing behind them, a low voice carrying a profound subtext was left behind:
"Alright, I'm leaving. Make sure you remember to be there... Shen Han."
The Legendary Assassin of GEN-SYNDICATE: Qin Wu Huang
And
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of AX (Apex Xiphos) Assassin Corporation: Shen Han-sen
— End of Chapter 34.1 —