An hour later;

In the dining hall, as Lin Fang and Vivian were enjoying breakfast, the latter had one eye on a few notes on her tablet while Lin Fang scrolled through his phone, checking out Fang Fang Pets' social media account, which currently has generated over 2.7k followers.

A message notification then blinked across the screen. It was from Zhi Yan.

Zhi Yan: Li Liu and I are already at the railway station, ready to depart. Are you sure you cannot reach Peking City by the time?

Lin Fang typed right away.

Lin Fang: Sorry.

Zhi Yan: It's fine. I was also taking another friend with me. Anyway, the apartment keys were handed to Brother Hao. Call him if you go home before his work shift is over. I already made enough food. Just reheat them.

Lin Fang smiled faintly at the screen — a small, genuine smile that even Vivian didn't notice. And barely ten seconds later, another message popped up. This time, it was from his girlfriend.

Li Liu: Hope to see you at Peking City after the auction. Don't make me wait too long this time, Darling.

He chuckled quietly and typed back.

Lin Fang: You can look forward to the date, wifey.

Pocketing his phone, he turned his gaze toward the passing clouds in the sky. "This is going to be our first date in this life. I'll make sure it will be perfect."

*

By the time their plane landed in Peking City, it was already past 10:30 a.m.

Unlike at Huaxi, where the weather has been typically cloudy with moderate temperatures for the past month, here, the weather looked quite crisp, with the temperatures being warm.

Vivian could already sweat a bit as soon as she stepped out of the Airport. They didn't roam around and went straight from the airport to the Four Seasons Hotel, where Vivian booked the only Presidential suite. But the moment they reached the reception desk, her expression changed.

"What do you mean the suite isn't available?" she asked, sharply raising her brows.

The receptionist hesitated before replying with a careful tone, "Ma'am, your reservation was… canceled earlier this morning. I deeply apologize, but a special VIP guest has reserved the presidential suite, along with all premier suites."

Vivian's tone turned cool. "That's absurd. I booked that suite a month ago."

The receptionist's expression turned apologetic. "Yes, Miss Vivian, but the request came directly from above. However…" She typed quickly on her screen before adding, "We did reserve a deluxe sea-view suite for you, with full complimentary services."

Vivian let out a quiet sigh through her nose, her irritation barely masked. "No need. Do you think the city lacks 5-star hotels? I will…"

"Vivian," Lin Fang's voice cut in softly from beside her, interrupting her. "After lunch, you'll head to the auction, then straight to your evening flight home, right? Why bother…"

She turned to him, half-ready to argue — but his reasoning made sense. After a pause, she exhaled. "Fine."

The manager, who had hurried over mid-conversation, bowed apologetically as he processed the check-in. "Please understand, Miss Moreau. We are helpless in this matter."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, brushing it off. Then, turning to Lin Fang, she said with a faint smile, "Let's not waste energy on this. I'll save my temper for the auction."

Lin Fang chuckled quietly.

Soon, they followed the bellboy toward the elevators.

Meanwhile, in the presidential suite, a man, whose presence seemed to bend the air around him, sat in the center of the room and scrolling the tablet in his hands.

Alexander Han, also known by Han Sungjun publicly, looked thirty, but the calm in his eyes carried years no mortal man should possess. He wore a suit cut to a knife's edge and a watch that flickered with encrypted feeds. Around him stood three men in identical black suits; they were not mere bodyguards, but considered living fortresses with each one having hundreds of mana particles.

"Pyro, what is it?" Alex asked without looking up, as the man at his left put down his phone.

"Boss," Pyro replied crisply. "Our men have reached the outskirts of the city. They will be here soon enough."

"No, let them stay." Alex shook his head. "Tell them to wait."

"But, Boss, you booked the entire floor, I thought…"

"Just tell them to wait for the orders." As his words cut in, Pyro nodded, "Understood."

A shadow moved at the edge of his circle. The second man, called Umbra, folded his hands and asked the question Alex had expected. "Boss… what do you plan on doing, exactly?" Umbra's tone was softer than Pyro's, but it was more direct. "Are we locking down the city or are we waiting for an ambush from Heaven's Gate…"

Alex's lips sealed tight at that. He didn't give any reply and simply stayed silent. The last bodyguard, Tempest, patted Umbra and pulled him away, knowing very well that their boss wouldn't speak if he didn't want to reveal.

Meanwhile, Alex's gaze was on the holographic screen that was only visible to him, just like with Xuenyi and Lin Fang's. On it, displayed the words, specifically a mission from the system.

Mission: Defeat the Devil and Absorb His Core.

Time left until Resurrection: 0 days.

Reward: Title: Leader of the Overlord Council, Mystic Eyes Unlock

Alex clenched his fists instinctively when he read those details for the nth time. He leaned forward, the light catching the sharp planes of his face.

It had been a year since he'd transmigrated into this future, into the body of Alexander Han, the Pakhan of the Siberian Underworld.

For the past year, he has gone through so much, transforming the lives of his family members from his past life, going against police forces, engaging in wars with Mafia gangs, cleaning up dungeons, and improving his reserves and strength to become one of the strongest S-rankers.

But until he unlocked his Mystic Eyes, he couldn't become the strongest.

And now, with the opportunity right in his lap, Alex couldn't help but imagine the shiver of power itself. There was a heavy hunger in his eyes as he stared into the distance. "No one had the right to the devil's power but me. No S-rank hunter, no arbiter, no fellow overlord, and no mythical beast. Even if the resurrection calls every predator in the world to that place," he murmured in his head. "I will not allow anyone to lay a finger on that core."

"No one can get it," he repeated again in his head in almost a growl. "Satan's power is mine to claim. Mine alone…"

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