Chapter 10: The Male Lead with X-Ray Vision VS Five Female Leads (10)
Fang Sheng never expected to find so much cash in this house’s safes. His bag wasn’t big enough, and carrying too much would impede his movements. He grumbled inwardly about why the owner didn’t convert the cash into jewelry, yet he couldn’t bear to leave behind even a single stack of bills—a sweet yet contradictory burden.
Soon, however, Fang Sheng was no longer tormented by this burden because he heard a noise outside the door.
Fang Sheng was startled. He immediately zipped up his backpack, closed the safe door, quickly moved the sofa back into place, and headed toward the bedroom. He would escape through the master bedroom balcony, unnoticed.
However, as he passed the master bedroom door, the person outside seemed to have anticipated his movements. The door was flung open, his feet instinctively recoiled, his toes curling up. The next second, a baseball bat, thicker than his arm, was swung across his path.
Fang Sheng was surprised but not panicked. He was a professional; he wouldn’t take on a job without a backup plan.
He had already learned before coming that this villa belonged to a useless playboy, a man who spent his days with women, weak and incapable of self-defense. He was an easy target. Even if the playboy had a weapon, it was just for show.
But Fang Sheng didn’t expect that the baseball bat, without any apparent effort, would hit his nose with precision and force. The intense pain forced him to cover his nose, and the next instant, a powerful kick sent him sprawling. Just as he pulled out his stun gun, ready to incapacitate his opponent, a sharp pain shot through his wrist. He screamed, the stun gun spinning through the air, landing in the grasp of a long, slender hand. The next moment, a powerful electrical current surged through his body.
Before losing consciousness, Fang Sheng heard a sentence: “The penalties for theft and robbery are different.”
[Host, he’s unconscious.] The system reported after a scan.
“Mm.” Huo Xian dropped the stun gun, picked up a rope from the hallway, and expertly began to tie up the man.
The system couldn’t help but wonder what kind of host it had chosen and felt a growing sense of unease.
An hour later.
Huo Xian added Fang Manyun’s contact information to his blacklist, casually saying, “I advise you not to waste your energy.”
Fang Sheng, who had closed his eyes, pretending to be unconscious while trying to discreetly break free, was startled. Then, considering that he remained unconscious even after waking up, and that Huo Xian hadn’t moved, he assumed he hadn’t been discovered. He felt relieved.
However, Huo Xian’s next words sent a chill down his spine. Huo Xian said, “If you’re awake, don’t pretend to be asleep. Otherwise, I don’t mind letting you taste the stun gun again, Mr. Fang Sheng.”
The last four words, “Mr. Fang Sheng,” were casual yet ruthless, like a knife hanging above his head. If Fang Sheng continued to feign unconsciousness, the knife would fall without hesitation.
Fang Sheng could only open his eyes, forcing a laugh, “H-Huo Xian, hello.”
Huo Xian sat comfortably on the sofa. On the coffee table in front of him were a phone, a fruit bowl, and next to the fruit bowl, Fang Sheng’s wallet, which Huo Xian had found on him. Interestingly, the wallet contained Fang Sheng’s identification.
He held a small knife and an apple, ignoring the person carelessly thrown on the carpet, concentrating on peeling the apple. Seeing this, Fang Sheng’s heart pounded. His nose and wrist throbbed with pain; they were undoubtedly fractured. But he dared not make a sound because he found his hands and feet were tightly bound behind his back with sturdy climbing rope. Even with a sharp object, it would be difficult to cut through.
Finally, the apple skin was peeled perfectly in one continuous strip, and Huo Xian sighed contentedly.
Fang Sheng thought he would get a look, but Huo Xian calmly cut the apple into small pieces—first into four, then eight, removing the core, and continuing to halve them…
He’s definitely putting psychological pressure on me, making me imagine myself as the apple, being cut to pieces. But he’s underestimating me. Does he think I’m that weak?
“Mr. Fang Sheng, I’ll only give you one chance to answer one question. If the answer satisfies me, you’ll face ten years or more in prison. If it doesn’t, I’m afraid I’ll have to send you to the execution ground.” Huo Xian put a piece of apple in his mouth, his tone as casual as if he were asking a friend for candy, threatening to tell their parents if they didn’t give him some.
Fang Sheng remained silent, waiting for his question.
Huo Xian’s question was simple: “Who sent you?”
Fang Sheng opened his mouth to answer, but Huo Xian raised the knife, gently warning, “I said you only have one chance. After a prison sentence, you still have a chance to regain your freedom. In the execution ground, your life ends. Think carefully before answering.”
For some reason, even though he had already thoroughly investigated this person, even though the file had detailed his personality, Fang Sheng felt a chill when facing him. It was as if his answer displeased the other man, and the knife used to peel the apple would be used to peel his skin.
Unfounded fear spread, but he didn’t easily give in, his eyes darting around, probing, “I don’t want to be sentenced.”
“Don’t haggle with me; I’ve given you two choices.” Huo Xian glanced at the wall clock, his tone calm, “You have ten minutes to consider, or you can talk to my lawyer at the detention center.”
Fang Sheng seemed to hear the sound of sirens. His expression was uncertain, yet he dared not gamble. Thinking of the jewelry he had already obtained three days ago—he had hidden them in a safe place known only to him—the prison sentence was more tempting than death. As long as he behaved well in prison, parole was possible. When he got out, he could live comfortably for the rest of his life.
Therefore, he promptly sold out his employer: “Liu Chengpei.”
Huo Xian wasn’t surprised. He asked, “How did he contact you and send you here?”
Fang Sheng cooperated fully, detailing Liu Chengpei’s contact methods.
Fang Sheng, as a child, honed his skills through petty theft. Later, he self-taught hacking and took on increasingly large jobs, gradually gaining popularity in the underground dark web. While he didn’t have the ability to break into bank vaults, entering high-end villas was a piece of cake.
Naturally, payment was required. Liu Chengpei contacted him anonymously, but to leave a trace, he collected information on him. Liu Chengpei didn’t give him a deposit, but he increased the commission to 50% (usually, he received 20% in addition to the deposit). Liu Chengpei also explained the layout of the target villa and its residents and got him a security guard position in the target community, saving him a lot of preparation time.
Fang Sheng secretly pocketed the money from three days prior. He reported that he didn’t find anything. Naturally, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to confess to Huo Xian that he had already visited once.
“Liu Chengpei only told you that my family has a large fortune, but he didn’t specify the location of the safes?” Huo Xian asked, playing with the knife.
“No.” Fang Sheng shook his head honestly. If the location of the safes had been specified, he wouldn’t have had to spend so much effort searching every inch of the floor and walls. Although it felt like searching for a needle in a haystack, the result was satisfactory. However, he was also puzzled. Since Liu Chengpei knew that the Huo family villa hid a large fortune, and he was Huo Xian’s brother-in-law, why didn’t he just find an excuse to get rid of Huo Xian and search the villa himself? The wealth would all be his. Why hire a professional thief online? It couldn’t be because he didn’t know how to open a safe, could it?
After Fang Sheng finished his confession, a police car pulled up outside the villa. Before he could lament the loss of his freedom, something even more shocking happened—
Huo Xian disinfected the knife he had used to peel the apple, examined it, and then, to Fang Sheng’s confusion, cut his own hand with it in a strange position. Then, holding the knife, he approached Fang Sheng with a sinister smile.
Fang Sheng felt a bad premonition: “What are you going to do?”
Huo Xian tilted his head, smiling with a naive expression, “After thinking about it, I think the death penalty is too light. Life imprisonment is more suitable for you. After all, you don’t seem that old; after twenty years, you won’t be too old. You can use my mother’s jewelry to live comfortably when you get out. That makes me unhappy.”
Fang Sheng was stunned for a moment. Before he could react, Huo Xian had already wiped the fingerprints off the knife and sighed, “I haven’t even opened one of my mother’s two safes yet. Consider it a gift.”
Fang Sheng suddenly understood; this man already knew he had stolen from the house once and that he had stolen the jewelry from the master bedroom!
…
Twice in the station within a week; Huo Xian’s identity transformation was seamless.
Fang Sheng, a real criminal, cried more than the victim when he was taken into custody. But was he pitiful? Not really. There’s nothing pitiful about a thief and robber. A broken nose and wrist are what he deserved. Stealing millions of dollars worth of goods once wasn’t enough; he tried again, his greed and ambition were too big. He even injured someone with a knife. He can cry all he wants now.
When he left the police station, it was still dark, and snowflakes were falling. Huo Xian pulled his down jacket tighter and wrapped his scarf around his face. It wasn’t so cold now.
Huo Xian didn’t drive. The police station was a little far from home, so he decided to find a nearby hotel for the night.
[Host, I remember you’re the protagonist of this world?] The system suddenly spoke.
Huo Xian raised an eyebrow, “Isn’t that the identity you arranged for me? You should know better than I do if I’m the protagonist.”
The system was silent for a moment, then its mechanical voice stated a truth: [Your behavior tonight seems more like a villain’s.]
“Where did I look like a villain? I’m such a righteous person.” Huo Xian patted himself on the back.
The system fell silent again. Huo Xian didn’t mind its occasional appearance and disappearance. As he walked into the hotel, a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on his head and shoulders. He brushed off the snow before going to the front desk to check in, and the system appeared again.
[Female lead Fang Manyun has appeared. Please actively pursue her and gain her favor.]
Huo Xian paused in his action of taking out his ID. It was as if the protagonist’s radar had been activated. He subconsciously looked towards the entrance, and at the same time, Fang Manyun, who had entered the hotel arm-in-arm with a stout middle-aged man, laughing and chatting, also happened to look up and smile.
Their eyes met.
Fang Manyun’s smile froze on her face, along with her body.
Huo Xian: Oh dear, awkward now, aren’t we?
Author’s Note: Thank you to little fairy “Wang Xiao の Shuo Yue” for watering 30 nutrient solutions. Love you, hearts =3=