Chapter 80 Threat Level
October 21, Monday night.
In the golden hall, a golden sea floated with warm melodies. Wan Yue strolled around the first-floor hall, her enchanting and seductive figure, along with her elegant and confident smile, attracted the gaze of every urban gold-collar male.
The faint fragrance and calming aura radiating from Wan Yue made both men and women in the hall feel at ease; the high membership fees seemed worth it at this moment.
In the staff break room, Jiang Yao finally woke up after five days of unconsciousness. Although her injuries were not yet healed, she could at least remain conscious while leaning against the headboard and talking to people.
“Where’s my sister? Is she not here?”
Jiang Yao surveyed the room but didn’t see Jiang Yan’s figure, causing a brief rush of panic in her heart.
“Her? Hehe, why don’t you take a look at this… Hehe, I snapped this!”
Zhou Ping brought her phone close to Jiang Yao, and on the screen, under the night streetlights, Meng Huai was seen holding the unconscious Jiang Yan in front of the Golden River Club.
The young man wore dress pants but a strange T-shirt on top, standing tall with powerful hands cradling the drunken black-haired girl, who had her arms around his neck.
“What the heck! When did this happen? Meng Huai took advantage of my sister to this extent! Hiss~~~ Ouch~~~”
Jiang Yao grabbed the phone, but as she tugged at her chest and abdomen injuries, a sharp pain made her gasp in shock, gritting her teeth.
Ignoring the pain, Jiang Yao continued to swipe through the screen, revealing a flood of nauseatingly sweet photos of princess carries. Especially from a certain angle, where Jiang Yan’s blurry and dazed expression was captivatingly enchanting, leaving Jiang Yao stunned.
What’s going on? Why did she choose to find Meng Huai when she was in a bad mood? What level were they at now?
Isn’t it said that Meng Huai is a war machine who has no feelings for comrades and is uninterested in romance?
Is my sister really that charming? Well, it seems so; she’s a woman now, and she’s so beautiful with a mature and steady personality, probably just to Meng Huai’s taste?
I can’t imagine, really can’t imagine… Putting down the phone, Jiang Yao still couldn’t believe the photos; her mind was filled with chaotic thoughts.
“There’s no helping it. Our bloodline’s stomach has no taboos; only alcohol intolerance is problematic. Once it’s excessive, it gets messy. During those days you were unconscious, Little Yan was really uncomfortable; she probably wanted someone to drink away her sorrows, but this dog-licker seized the opportunity.”
“You don’t know how Zhao Ge looked at that time; it was like seeing a ghost. Who has seen Little Yan like that? Tsk tsk, didn’t that directly take down Zhong Jing’s brother?”
Zhou Ping laughed as she tucked her phone away, still embellishing the scene of Meng Huai returning Jiang Yan to the Golden River Club that night, eager to fan the flames of gossip.
“It’s impossible… How could they possibly agree? Absolutely impossible!”
Jiang Yao shook her head repeatedly, but after a great deal of hesitation, all she could stammer was that kind of response.
“Little Yao, why are you so pessimistic? What about you and Zhong Jing…” Zhou Ping teased, nudging Jiang Yao’s shoulder, “I can sense it; don’t be fooled by how he usually acts carefree; his attitude toward you is definitely not ordinary!”
What kind of injury?
A familiar voice came from the door; Zhong Jing suddenly appeared, looking a bit flustered.
“Speak of the devil; the devil arrives.” Zhou Ping rolled her eyes in boredom, standing up. “Zhong Jing, you’re looking anxious… Why don’t you peel some fruit while I go to the restroom?”
“Hey! You can’t leave!”
Jiang Yao’s face flushed red as she quickly reached to grab Zhou Ping’s skirt, but inadvertently tugged at the injury, causing her to wince in pain.
Unfortunately, Zhou Ping left too quickly, leaving only the two of them in the room.
“It’s almost midnight; what are you doing here…”
Jiang Yao rolled her eyes. She had rapidly accustomed herself to this expression since she learned it, as it seemed to save a lot of words and expressions.
“I just got off the phone with Master and found out you were injured while sparring with Jiang Yan. I didn’t expect it to be that serious; do you two usually go that hard on each other?”
Zhong Jing toyed with an apple, his gaze shifting back and forth between Jiang Yao’s upper body and face, as if trying to guess what kind of injury it was.
“What are you staring at? Seriously… By the way, I noticed your complexion is a bit off; did you overindulge in drinks? Tsk tsk, just in your twenties, don’t ruin your health.”
Jiang Yao glanced at Zhong Jing’s face and chuckled teasingly, “So, about that Japanese bloodline that appeared near your house, did Wan Jie say how to solve it?”
Jiang Yao’s words brought back memories of the other day when He Jian Qing Mei had been sulking at home.
Although she hadn’t displayed any evident signs of false intimacy again, Zhong Jing increasingly felt that the impression she left on him had morphed into a sort of pitiful existence unworthy of sympathy, far surpassing the initial fear.
Once this feeling took shape, being face-to-face with He Jian Qing Mei instead seemed much more relaxed for Zhong Jing.
“Hey, why aren’t you talking?”
Seeing Zhong Jing lost in thought, Jiang Yao quickly tapped his arm with the back of her hand.
“Ah? Oh, you’re talking about that Japanese person? It’s fine; Master knows what he’s doing.”
Zhong Jing said with a wry smile and a shrug, looking helpless. “But the straightforward stuff is even more dramatic than you think! My dad and his Japanese connections have arranged a marriage for me, sending over a Japanese young lady, who started living at my house every weekend last month, saying it’s a union between our families, helping me foster feelings with her.”
“Just like that, they send you a wife? You rich people really know how to play… no, you don’t even have to play to get women knocking at your door…”
Jiang Yao was taken aback, slowly lowering her head to gaze at the apple slice, muttering softly in disdain.
He talks about this so nonchalantly? Does he regard me as some close buddy with no secrets? Or is he just flaunting his family’s connections?
Listening to Zhong Jing, a series of discomforts surged in Jiang Yao’s heart.
“…So, it’s all just a performance; quite interesting. Anyway, I’m confident it will work out since we have our Master and you superhumans backing us; no fear!”
Zhong Jing cheerfully sliced the apple, offering a piece to Jiang Yao.
“You mean, this delivered young lady, we can learn from Master; no fear!”
The wife at the door is also of the bloodline?
Jiang Yao seemed to catch something, quickly turning to Zhong Jing with disbelief, “Does your family truly have everything? No wonder you said last time that there was a monster living in your house!”
“Did Master not tell you?” Zhong Jing sighed helplessly, “What can I say? My dad is a broker. In reality, I’m quite similar; there’s no escaping these surface and underground matters. Maybe the country has known about my family’s situation for ages; as long as my dad doesn’t do something stupid, it’ll be fine.”
“So that means you’re not opposed to this Japanese woman… Well, to you, women actually aren’t important, the bloodline isn’t important, and who lives in the house is even less important…”
At that moment, Jiang Yao felt something blocking her heart, as if sensing someone was about to take away her favorite toy, a touch of childish yet profound emotion surged within her.
The girl suddenly felt her breathing quicken as she threw away the small piece of apple that Zhong Jing had handed her.
This toy is contaminated; it must be discarded!
“What’s wrong with you?” Zhong Jing was stunned, feeling Jiang Yao’s emotional shift was strange. “Can’t I tell she’s acting? Isn’t she just trying to nail down a spot with Zhong’s family? How could I possibly be with such an old monster, what a joke!”
“Don’t keep coming here; so many people are watching you all, aren’t you bringing trouble to us?”
Jiang Yao suddenly raised her voice, her face turning red.
“Watching whom? Causing what trouble?”
Wan Yue’s slow voice rang out, and Jiang Yao and Zhong Jing quickly turned to see Wan Yue, dressed in a sexy red evening gown, smiling at them, with Jiang Yan quietly following behind her.
“He has a Japanese bloodline in his family, his brother is a dark arrow, and his dad is a broker. If he keeps coming here, isn’t that a hassle?”
Jiang Yao pointed directly at Zhong Jing, launching into a tirade.
“Oh? How can you be sure Meng Huai is a dark arrow?”
Wan Yue asked with a playful smile, looking at the bed-ridden Jiang Yao and glancing at Jiang Yan beside her. “It’s normal; not just us, but that ancient Wang family turtle isn’t completely invisible to the country’s eyes either.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yao’s face turned red, realizing she had let something slip. She quickly pretended to adjust her hair to evade Wan Yue’s gaze, while Jiang Yan, following behind, helplessly covered her face.
However, it seemed Wan Yue still didn’t point out some matters between the sisters nor acted reproachfully; she just sat at the bedside, gently placing a hand on Jiang Yao’s chest, an action that almost caused Jiang Yao to break down, making her freeze in place, unable to move.
“Tsk tsk, this little girl, your abilities haven’t increased much, but your chest is still growing…”
As she said that, Wan Yue playfully flicked the girl’s chest before turning her head towards the still-distracted Zhong Jing, “What are you still doing here? I need to take off her clothes to check her wounds; do you want to watch!?”
“Hehe, my intention is…”
“Intention my ass, get out!”
“Alright, alright!”
Zhong Jing hurriedly rolled out of the room.
…
A few nights ago, the embarrassing scene of being drunk and sent back to the club by Meng Huai made Jiang Yan feel entirely awkward, and the first thing she did upon waking up was turn off her phone.
These days, Jiang Yan had been wholly focused on taking care of Jiang Yao.
Including Zhao Peng, many people in the club looked at Jiang Yan with meaning-laden gazes.
And similar to Zhou Ping’s covert photography, which made Jiang Yan feel even more embarrassed; her appearances in front of others had plummeted, she was physically present in the club but felt detached.
“The recovery is faster than I expected, and the speed parallels that of a River Bloodline Earl’s regeneration. Sigh, I’m used to it anyway.”
Wan Yue sighed, rearranging Jiang Yao’s clothes and covering her with the quilt, her expression one of relief. “If anyone is at fault, it should be me; but I’m also lucky because you are all monsters, and your resilience and recovery abilities are stronger than a typical baron.”
Sitting by Jiang Yao’s bedside and listening to Wan Yue, Jiang Yan felt a little awkward as she lowered her head, still unable to fully escape her feelings of guilt.
“Sis, I’m really fine.”
Jiang Yao smiled happily, touching Jiang Yan’s arm, “But you were so cool that day, actually using a baron’s blood explosion! If anyone dares to provoke you in the future, just explode them! What did Zhao Peng Ge say? Below baron, invincible; above baron, an eye for an eye!”
“Don’t say such things…”
Jiang Yao’s words triggered an unpleasant memory, causing Jiang Yan to shudder slightly, her expression tightening again.
“Can’t you control your boiling blood for a long time? Have you tried reducing the boiling blood intensity?”
At this point, Wan Yue looked seriously at the unsettled young girl before her. “Logically, your boiling blood control and stability should be much stronger than Jiang Yao’s; why is there a loss of control?”
“I don’t know; I just felt I had to win, and then that situation appeared, like I wanted to devour the opponent… I’ve only experienced that feeling three times so far, and the time during the Hidden Alliance’s ambush was the only time I managed to hold back.”
Jiang Yan helplessly stared at the ground, her fingers fidgeting together, her tone somewhat dejected. “I’m afraid this situation will persist forever, and I might end up hurting my allies.”
“The feeling of needing to win? Interesting… It seems that you may have a subconscious physical response mechanism to threats; this time hurting Jiang Yao was because she was your opponent.”
Wan Yue pondered for a moment and articulated her viewpoint, whether right or wrong, causing both Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao’s moods to lift simultaneously.
“Then leave the toughest battles to me from now on; as for the rest, just leave them to me!” Jiang Yao shook her head with pride.
“Don’t move around; focus on healing your injury.”
Jiang Yan smiled and quickly pressed down on Jiang Yao’s shoulder. Then, as if suddenly recalling something, she faced Wan Yue with a nervous expression: “Wan Jie, what you just mentioned, could it be that the country might know about the Hyacinth?”
Once the words were out, Jiang Yao also anxiously looked towards Wan Yue.
Wan Yue casually lit a cigarette, her face revealing a mysterious smile: “Though Huaguo is one of the few countries in the world that still adheres to a non-collaboration strategy against the bloodline, but actually, since fifty years ago, the Dark Arrows have borrowed the practices of developed countries in Europe and America, categorizing domestic bloodlines into five levels based on threat degree, moving towards a more pragmatic balancing strategy.”
“Five levels?” Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao exchanged glances, but isn’t it just task levels?
Task levels refer to the evaluation of the target’s strength or riskiness regarding combat effectiveness, for example, you two might be estimated at level B or even A, equivalent to a viscount or earl. The scale of forces mobilized varies accordingly… Hehe, Jiang Yan should have some understanding of this, right?
Once the words fell, Jiang Yan shyly lowered her head, recalling that night at the military hospital when she was encircled by three Dark Arrow teams.
Threat levels are a strategic assessment of the overall social harm caused by bloodline organizations. They are classified as high threat, medium threat, low threat, potential threat, and no threat.
This encompasses all known legitimate families, black blood clans, and wandering bloodline forces across the country. How they are classified belongs to a macro-level concept, leaning towards strategic policy.
At this point, Wan Yue smiled and pointed at the ground beneath her: “You might not know, but this building of the Golden River Club is actually the Wang family’s property. If the country truly discovered us, they would categorize us as a part of the Wang family or a vassal force of the Wang family.”
The Wang family, those ancient turtles, mostly live their own quiet lives, without engaging in flashy initiation ceremonies, placing them in the low-threat tier. As for us, even if discovered, as long as there are no documented cases of blood infringement on ordinary people, we could even be classified as a potential threat.
Currently, the only high threat is the black blood clan; naturally, countries worldwide view them in this way. Although they enjoy hunting other bloodlines, they harm ordinary people indiscriminately, so countries generally have a zero-tolerance policy towards black blood clans, though the intensity and frequency of crackdowns vary based on national strength.
Ordinary hiding or wandering bloodlines are generally classified as low threat or no threat; the country knows that these people simply wish to live ordinary lives, as long as they don’t infringe upon ordinary citizens or directly provoke social security issues, they will largely turn a blind eye.
There’s only one type of wandering bloodline that is an exception, which is dark arrows who escaped from the battlefield after being converted to blood members, classified as a medium threat level, second only to black blood clans in attack priority. After all, if rare-blood type bloodlines were to fall into black blood clans, it would be uncontrollable.
Wan Yue paused, her gaze flitting back and forth between Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao, making both girls shiver.
As long as we don’t actively expose ourselves, the Dark Arrows don’t have enough manpower and resources to track and monitor us throughout society.
Even in North America, where surveillance efforts are strongest, complete information screening among social groups can barely cover a thousand people. Let alone in our country, with over a billion population, how much financial resources would it take to establish such a massive operation?
What’s more, every time Zhong Jing goes somewhere, the Dark Arrow’s intelligence department has to gather comprehensive information on the population at the destination and verify it; isn’t that pointless? If he were to attend a football match at the sports center today, would the Dark Arrows really need to collect and analyze comprehensive data on over sixty thousand spectators?
Once Wan Yue finished speaking, she lazily stretched, as if not in the slightest worried that Meng Han or Zhong Jing’s daily interactions would pose significant troubles to the safety or confidentiality of the Golden River Club.
However, there was one thing Wan Yue hadn’t said; once Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao entered the Hyacinth, if their identities were fully exposed, the Hyacinth would likely match the threat level of the black blood clans.
