RYEY -Chapter 376 Clearing Up the Misunderstanding and Negotiating Terms

“Dad, take little Cheng Li back to the room. Don’t come out.”

Cheng Liguo froze for a moment, but little Cheng Li tugged at his hand and pulled him toward the military compound. He had seen the person across the way too—it wasn’t that the shabby-looking man from the train?

Mom had asked him to draw this man, which meant this person had to be the murderer. Going back to the guesthouse would be useless; it was better to enter the garrison and find Uncle to beat up the bad guy.

Cheng Liguo immediately came to his senses, but instead he pushed little Cheng Li inside, intending to protect Cheng Qiao himself. Little Cheng Li grew anxious—he knew his mother was capable, and Grandpa being around would only get in the way.

Because Cheng Liguo was a regular here, the guards immediately let them through. At the same time, another soldier entered the adjacent room and picked up the phone to call Li Bing—they had noticed something was wrong as well.

A handful of poison powder had already appeared in Cheng Qiao’s hand. Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the shabby burly man opposite her.

“Hello, Cheng Qiao.”

When Cheng Qiao was still more than ten meters away, the shabby man had already stood up with a smile, greeting her politely while keeping a wary eye on her hands.

“You killed the man on the train. Why?”

“My name is Hu Lata. You can call me Brother Lata. This is my identification.”

A small golden booklet flew straight into Cheng Qiao’s hand. She opened it and saw that the photo inside was indeed the same face Cheng Li had drawn, and the name really was Hu Lata.

“Actually, a few years ago, when Qin Guoqing went to Xiangyang County for supplies the second time, people from our department had already noticed you. But in order to figure out exactly how capable you were, we didn’t alert you.”

Cheng Qiao pressed her lips together. Reborn into a second life, she might have gained experience, but not necessarily wisdom. They had been amassing wealth wildly right under others’ noses, all the while thinking they had hidden it well.

“What do you want?”

“By then, we had basically figured out your abilities. You seem to possess a rare treasure that can store items—and it can even produce high-quality medicinal pills.”

“So?”

“So we wanted to invite you to join our team. We thought it would be easy, but we met fierce opposition from Ye Chengying. And now even Generals Yao and Wu voted against it and quickly transferred you out of the capital, so…”

“So you forced my husband and me to separate, and brutally murdered a comrade who was secretly protecting me on the train?”

“That’s not how it was. The person secretly protecting you was actually a spy. He knew your secret and was planning to kill you and seize your treasure.”

“That man was also an ability user. Didn’t Ye Chengying know?”

“Ye Chengying is just an ordinary mortal—how could he see that? That’s why my superior ordered me to act swiftly.”

Cheng Qiao’s face turned slightly pale. She could no longer tell what was real and what was fake. Even the golden booklet in her hand might well have been forged.

“If it weren’t for your snake, it wouldn’t have been so easy for me. That man was going to make his move the very first night, but he discovered a snake appearing beside your son.”

Cheng Qiao nodded. Thankfully, Little Red Head had been there.

“That snake must have eaten some heavenly treasure. Its ability was almost on par with the spy’s, so on the second night, before he could come up with a solution, I took him out.”

Cheng Qiao: “…”

It all sounded so convincing—yet Little Red Head had clearly told her that the killing intent had been emanating from this man, Hu Lata.

“Comrade Cheng Qiao, please join our team. Our country has just begun to stand up, facing troubles both within and without. To carry out all kinds of missions, our department has suffered heavy losses.

I believe you’re a medical cultivator and possess a storage treasure. You could do many things for the country and the people that others cannot. I know joining this department means handing over your life—but someone has to make sacrifices, right?”

“Generals Yao and Wu sent me here precisely so I wouldn’t be sacrificed so easily. As long as I’m alive, I can save more people—not just those in your special department, but also so many soldiers. Their lives are precious too.”

Cheng Qiao pointed toward the soldiers standing guard at the entrance, deciding to lay everything bare. Joining a special department meant missions, and no guarantee of survival.

But as long as she lived, she could continue to produce life-saving pills to rescue more people. Which option was more beneficial? She believed Hu Lata could think it through.

Sure enough, Hu Lata’s expression changed. His eyes narrowed as he seriously considered her words. To show her sincerity, Cheng Qiao took five bottles of Nourishing Pills from her bag.

“These pills can calm the mind, neutralize common toxins, and slow the depletion of life. They have many benefits, but they’re difficult to refine. You decide their value.”

Hu Lata’s gaze locked onto the bottles in Cheng Qiao’s hand. He took one, opened it, and a fragrant aroma rushed into his nose. His previously muddled mind immediately cleared.

“Thank you, Comrade Cheng Qiao. I’ll take these pills back and discuss them with my superiors. Perhaps if you provide a certain number of pills each month, we can cooperate. Of course, money is not an issue.”

Cheng Qiao nodded. Just then, Li Bing came running out with armed men—only to see Hu Lata turn around and vanish without a trace. Cheng Qiao had still wanted to ask what kind of ability he possessed.

“Cheng Qiao, where is he? Do you know who he is?”

Cheng Qiao remembered that his identification was still in her hand—but when she looked down at her empty palm, her heart began to pound wildly. If that man truly wanted her life, she really wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Big Brother, he said his name was Hu Lata, from a special department. He even showed me his ID.”

“Were you hurt?”

“No.”

Cheng Qiao checked herself—there had been no ability-based attack. Yet cold sweat had already broken out on her back.

This Hu Lata was simply too fast. She hadn’t even had time to react before the pills and the golden booklet were taken, and he disappeared.

If he had truly harbored killing intent toward her, she wouldn’t even have had time to enter her space. The space, after all, couldn’t truly guarantee her life.

When Li Bing heard the name Hu Lata, admiration and envy flashed in his eyes. It was said that Hu Lata’s abilities were astonishing—he had once saved an entire battalion of a brother unit single-handedly.

His salary was also shockingly high, yet he donated it all each month to the orphanage that had raised him, often leaving himself penniless.

Unfortunately, Li Bing had looked too fierce just now. Otherwise, if he could have befriended Hu Lata, he might have increased his own combat strength—and been able to throw himself into even more dangerous missions.