Hidden Dead Ends

Chapter 21

A gentle hiss echoed through the air as the paper cutter delicately sliced through the cardboard, revealing a narrow opening.

With eager anticipation, Li Chengyi lifted the lid, revealing a red porcelain flowerpot secured in place with white foam inside.

Inside the pot lay a scattering of soil, interspersed with delicate white wisteria flowers and their branches.

At the center of the pot, on a brown branch about half the width of a palm, delicate white flowers bloomed, distinct from the usual purple hues.

White wisteria, usually a mix of white and purple, presented a unique sight.

"Finally..." Li Chengyi took a deep breath, catching a faint whiff of floral fragrance.

Suppressing his excitement, he reached out and gently touched one of the slightly wilted white flowers.@@@@

"White Wisteria: Deciduous vine, different from common wisteria, with a strong fragrance. Blooms from May to June."

"Language of flowers: Enchantment."

"Flower Scale: Is evolution absorption beginning?"

As he read the final line, Li Chengyi felt a rush of relief.

"Yes! This is it!"

While there were many variants of wisteria, he chose the white wisteria because it was rare and not widely cultivated by commercial growers, making it easier for him to absorb its essence and repair his Flower Scale.

With determination, he confirmed the inquiry about the Evil Flower.

"Yes."

Instantly, a cool sensation, like fine threads, flowed from his fingertips as they brushed against the white wisteria petals.

Unlike before, this sensation didn't flow into the Evil Flower ring but traveled through his palm, arm, and into his chest, spreading throughout his body.

A refreshing coolness, akin to soaking in mint-infused water, gradually enveloped Li Chengyi, causing him to shiver slightly.

Fortunately, no one was home.

His parents were at work, and his sister, Li Chengjiu, was at training every day, preparing for the upcoming assessment.

Li Chengyi looked down at the back of his right hand, where the Evil Flower ring emitted a faint purple light.

A new stream of information flowed into his mind.

"Flower Scale evolving..."

"The evolution process is influenced by individual personality, beliefs, physique, goals, etc. Different nutrients can be added midway to enhance the Flower Scale's strength."

"Different nutrients may cause changes in the final strength, form, and even the language of the Flower Scale. Please proceed with caution."

"Nourishment?" Li Chengyi narrowed his eyes. Could the Flower Scale change according to the wearer?

But then he realized that ancient armors were often custom-made, so it made sense for the Flower Scale to have this functionality.

However, this only increased his anticipation.

"What are these nutrients?"

With his curiosity piqued, new feedback from the Evil Flower quickly entered his mind.

"Nourishment: Divided into two types. Before the Flower Scale evolution is complete, it needs to absorb floral essence to take shape."

"After formation, apart from repairs, it no longer requires floral essence but instead absorbs all kinds of negative thoughts from the environment."

"Absorbing negative thoughts: Completely crush individuals harboring evil intentions, allowing their transformation into other emotions to complete absorption."

"Current evolution progress: 1%, negative thoughts: 0."

Negative thoughts!?

It dawned on Li Chengyi at that moment.

One of the photos bore an uncanny resemblance to Li Chengyi, while the other depicted the man holding a gun in the blind corner.

Xiaoding took out his phone, snapped two quick photos, then walked to the side to make a call.

Soon, he returned with a smile on his face after hanging up.

"It's done. I'll send you the information later. There's no problem with those two individuals."

"That's good." The bald man, Zeng, also smiled. "If possible, make sure you get as much information about their families as possible. Usually, it's all registered online, right?"

After all, in modern society, direct murder was certainly the last resort. If they could threaten the target through their family members and force them to protect the miss in the blind spot, it would be the best and simplest solution.

"No problem, all the registration information has names. It's easy to find with a search. My sister said she could help track their phones directly. When do you need it?" Xiaoding replied.

"Sooner is better," Zeng quickly responded.

"Okay, my sister said she could get it done within an hour. It's just... the money..." Xiaoding answered with a smile.

"At the usual place, half as a deposit first. You can pick up the rest later," Zeng nodded.

"You're a straightforward boss!" Xiaoding grinned.

New Century Building, Hongjin Company.

Sindra stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, hands clasped, gazing out at the sunny Sunyang City without a word.

His gaze was deep, seemingly lost in thought, absentmindedly rubbing the outer edge of his arm with his thumb.

Knock, knock, knock.

The door was tapped.

"Sir, we've found them," a nasal voice came from outside the door.

"Arang? Come in," Sindra turned around, looking towards the door.

The door was gently pushed open, and a sturdy man with a crew cut walked in.

The man's complexion was waxen, like that of a sickly person, his eyes slightly cloudy. Standing over two meters tall, he strode into the room with military-like precision.

Stopping three meters away from Sindra, he bowed slightly.

"Based on the side profile portrait of Mr. Li Chengyi, we've found the surviving individual. Here's the information for your review."

The man handed over a document.

Sindra took it and skimmed through it.

"Only one premonition?" His brows furrowed slightly, evidently unsatisfied.

"Yes, this Meng Dongdong should have weak mental strength. She only experienced the premonition once. According to Mr. Li Chengyi's description, she got lucky and survived temporarily," explained Arang, the sturdy man.

"Her potential is too low. Mr. Li Chengyi has had three premonitions. Among all the contracted individuals we've encountered, the more premonitions, the easier it is to survive. This Meng Dongdong has no value," Sindra closed the file, shaking his head slightly.

"Moreover, her family is well-off, so it's unlikely she'll cooperate with us," Arang added.

"Yes, let's give up on her. Focus on Li Chengyi," Sindra decided.

As the two were speaking, rapid footsteps sounded outside the door once again.

The newcomer stopped at the door.

"Boss, Mr. Chengyi's phone is being hacked for location tracking. Someone at the telecom company is trying to access Mr. Chengyi's and his family's information."

"Cut him off and give him a warning," Sindra said calmly.

"In addition, for Meng Dongdong, since she's unlikely to become one of my contractees and has no value to us, remove her from the shortlist."

"Do you want me to..." Arang made a slashing motion across his neck.

To ensure the safety of contractees, extend their survival time, and explore the secrets of the blind spot as much as possible, they had done this before.