Then let the witch offer her loyalty

"It's not even a reshuffle; rather, the old order of the entire border region may have to be overthrown and a completely new order established."

“I have high expectations for you in this regard. I hope you can clean up this mess and become the godfather of the frontier.”

Chapter 219 The Frontier Godfather

"The...Godfather?"

Although Chu Fan hadn't received much formal education and wasn't a cultured person, he did watch movies regularly and of course knew what "The Godfather" meant.

There's a movie in the Azure Federation called "The Godfather," which tells the story of a mafia boss.

Chu Fan especially loved this movie and watched it several times. The godfather in the movie, wearing a suit and holding a cat, was so elegant and intimidating that he was incredibly handsome.

"Yes, it's the one you're thinking of."

Chen Moxin looked into Chu Fan's eyes, her gaze so deep it seemed to pierce through his very soul.

“The border areas are very special. Generations of people have accumulated unique soil and culture. If the country wants to intervene and correct them, it will take at least ten or eight years to turn things around.”

“I don’t have that much time to play with them. Since that’s the case, let’s adapt to the local conditions. I don’t expect any fundamental changes in the border region in the short term, but it absolutely cannot get out of control here.”

“I need someone to take charge, someone who can both manage this remote area and work for me, and at the moment, that position seems to belong to you.”

From the burning look in his eyes that appeared in that instant, it was clear that Chu Fan had ambitions in this area.

This is not surprising. He is not even thirty years old, which is the age when he is young and strong enough to do great things. He himself has climbed up from the bottom, and his desire for fame, wealth and status cannot be satisfied by his current status as a mere middleman.

However, he remained calm, and that excitement vanished in an instant. He said in a low voice with some difficulty, "Brother Ugly, it's not that I lack the ambition, but this kind of thing is really too difficult."

“The security bureau has deep roots in this border region. Groups like ours can get away with small-scale activities, but once they grow in size, they have to pledge allegiance to the security bureau.”

"If you don't submit your pledge of loyalty, they will never allow you to grow big, and they will easily find a reason to take you down."

"But the pledge of allegiance is not something that can be handed over casually. It must be something that they can use to exploit your weaknesses. Once they have this kind of leverage, you can only be their dog and there is no other way to go."

"So in the border regions, if you want to make a name for yourself, you have to be affiliated with the security bureau. If you don't want to be affiliated with the security bureau, then you can only stay at the bottom; there is no third option."

Chen Moxin slowly said, "I understand all of that, but that's not what you need to think about right now. What you need to think about is how to get out of this mess."

"Most of the big shots on the frontier were dead last night, and now is the perfect time to seize the opportunity of a reshuffle and rise to the top."

"If you need money, I can give you some. If you need people, money will naturally bring you people. As for the pledge of loyalty you mentioned, whatever the Public Security Bureau wants, just give it to them. I don't care what the pledge of loyalty is, as long as your heart is always on my side, it doesn't matter what it is."

In the past, no matter what Chen Moxin asked him to do, Chu Fan would always agree without hesitation.

But this time, Chu Fan's eyes darted around, and he hesitated in front of Chen Moxin, which was quite rare.

Chen Moxin smiled slightly upon seeing this: "What, are you afraid of being used by me, having your last drop of value squeezed out, and then being discarded like a hunting dog after the rabbit dies?"

Chu Fan hesitated for a moment, pursed his lips, and answered truthfully, "Brother Ugly, I won't hide it from you, I do have this concern."

"I don't know what your Administration Bureau and Public Security Bureau will do in the future, but for me personally, my goal is very clear. I do want to be in the limelight and live a decent life, but I don't want to be stuck between two powerful forces, being kicked around and ending up in a bad way."

"The things I'm doing for you now are actually small things that won't attract much attention."

"But if I continue to get involved in your conflict, and one day the police find out I'm working for you, and they retaliate against me, I'm not sure if you'll act out of morality and protect me, or if you'll weigh the pros and cons and abandon me..."

Chen Moxin smiled approvingly: "Very good, Chu Fan, very good. That's what I liked about you in the first place. You're very smart and think far ahead."

"More importantly, you are a truly intelligent person who never plays any useless tricks in front of me and always speaks your mind directly. I really appreciate this kind of honesty."

"Since you're being honest, then I'll be honest too."

"To be honest, you're pretty unlucky. From the first time I met you and thought you were a good person, you were already forced to be used as a tool by me."

“At first, I just used you casually, but the longer it went on, the more I realized how useful you really were. And the more I used you, the fewer options I left for you to have.”

"Now that you've seen my face, it means we're completely bound together, and you have no way out."

Chen Moxin's amber eyes narrowed slightly, filled with a mysterious smile: "Of course, there are still options. Considering our past relationship, I can offer you one choice—"

"I'll give you a month to enjoy yourself. Eat whatever you want, go wherever you want, have a wonderful month. Then I'll give you a quick death, and I guarantee you'll die without pain."

"Boom!"

As Chen Moxin finished speaking, a bolt of lightning suddenly ripped across the sky outside the window, the light pouring in and illuminating the entire room, also reflecting that face with the deadly smile into Chu Fantong's eyes.

Chu Fan swayed, his legs going weak with fear: "Ugly Brother?!"

Chen Moxin grabbed a stool and placed it under Chu Fan's bottom to catch him.

Chen Moxin slowly walked up behind Chu Fan and placed her hands on his trembling shoulders: "Don't rush, I haven't finished speaking yet."

"You have another option: to completely side with me."

"I'm showing you my face today so you know my true identity in real life, which is also a way of showing you my sincerity."

"We will undoubtedly win the battle between our Administration Bureau and the Public Security Bureau—of course, from your perspective, you may not think so, so you need to have the courage to believe me unconditionally."

"You have to believe that no matter what kind of pledge of loyalty the police want you to submit, no matter what dirt they have on you, I have a way to help you clear your name, smooth things over, and help you get out of the vortex and eventually rise to the top."

"So, it's time to make your choice. Is it to stop here, even if it's a rather unsatisfying death, but at least to live a carefree life and start anew?"

"Or are you willing to risk being shattered to pieces, to believe me, a liar whose nine out of ten sentences are false, and gamble on things you would never have the chance to experience in the first place?"

"Hmm?" Chen Moxin leaned close to Chu Fan's ear and said four words meaningfully, "Godfather Chu Fan."

Chapter 220 Betrayal

In the dead of night, thick, dark clouds pressed down on the sky like an impenetrable black curtain, and howling winds brought down torrential rain, as if the entire city was buried in this dark ocean.

"Boom——"

Suddenly, a violent clap of thunder woke Chu Fan, who had just fallen asleep.

He muttered a couple of curses, then turned over to go back to sleep.

Thunder rumbled incessantly, and raindrops pounded against the windows and eaves, creating a continuous crackling sound.

As I fell asleep...

"Crack..."

Suddenly, a strange creaking sound came from the wooden floor next to the bed.

"What the hell is that noise?!"

Chu Fan suddenly sat up in bed and reached for the light switch on the wall next to the bedside table.

However, the power company was quite unreliable today; it was late at night and the power still hadn't come back on. No matter how many times Chu Fan pressed the switch, the room remained dark.

"Boom——"

Just then, another thunderclap exploded in the sky, and lightning flashed into the room, illuminating the bedroom's furnishings.

It also illuminated several burly men who had somehow appeared beside the bed.

Chu Fan was so frightened he almost jumped out of his skin: "Who the hell are you people?!"

Before he could run away, a cloth bag was suddenly put over his head, followed by a "thud" on the back of his head, and he lost consciousness.

...

feel sleepy.

The world is spinning.

A bucket of cold water was splashed on his head, the biting chill jolting Chu Fan awake. He looked around blankly.

This is a secret room with no windows on any side. The walls are inlaid with old sandalwood, and incense burners are lit in the four corners, from which wisps of sandalwood incense rise.

A bluestone tea mat was laid on a low table in the center of the room, and a middle-aged man dressed in loose robes was sitting on a futon brewing tea.

"Young man, you can sleep quite a lot."

The middle-aged man picked up the teacup, gently blew away the steam, and drank the warm tea in one gulp.

"Director Qin... Director Qin?"

Chu Fan quickly recognized the other party's identity.

Although Chu Fan had never met Qin Wei in person, Qin Wei was, after all, the director of the Twin Cities' security bureau. If Chu Fan, a middleman making a living on the frontier, didn't even recognize the director, he would be incredibly blind.

Chu Fan tried to stand up, but found that his hands and feet were tied with ropes, and he could not move.

He forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace: "No, Director Qin... what are you trying to do?"

Qin Wei poured himself another cup of tea and asked unhurriedly, "You know Chen Moxin, right?"

Chu Fan stared blankly: "Which...which Chen Moxin?"

Qin Wei shook his head: "Looks like you're still not fully awake."

With a wave of his hand, the burly man next to him rushed up and started punching and kicking Chu Fan, making him howl in pain.

Qin Wei walked over personally and splashed the tea in his hand onto Chu Fan's face, his voice drawn out: "Twin City Witch Management Bureau, Demon Hunter Division Nine, do you know Chen Moxin?"

Chu Fan hesitated for only a second or two before Qin Wei immediately picked up the kettle on the coffee table and poured the freshly boiled water onto his legs.

"Aaaaaah—" Chu Fan's leg was burned, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He screamed in agony, "I know him! I know him, I know him, I know him!"

Qin Wei sneered, then leisurely picked up another pot of cold water and poured it on the spot where Chu Fan had been scalded, as a way to cool him down.

"You two seem to be on good terms, don't you?"

Chu Fan curled up, trembling all over, his lips shaking. He subconsciously opened his mouth, but his eyes darted around and he didn't say anything.

Qin Wei slowly lowered his head and squatted down in front of him, staring at those evasive eyes, and patted his face lightly twice: "There are so many people on the border, but I only brought you here. Do you think there's any need to pretend?"

Chu Fan lowered his head unconsciously, his lips trembling as he asked, "How...how did you know..."

Qin Wei chuckled, sat back down at the coffee table and started making tea, saying casually, "I checked Tang Huajian's birthday party. Your name is on the invitation list, but we didn't find your body at the scene. Yet, your name was checked on the sign-in list."

"You say there's nothing fishy going on here? Who would believe that? Who else would I turn to if not you?"

Chu Fan's eyes widened, and he hurriedly explained, "Brother, I swear to God! I absolutely did not participate in Tang Huajian's matter! Chen Moxin did ask me for the invitation, but I don't know what he's going to do with it!"

Qin Wei nodded: "Yes, I believe you. If I were Chen Moxin, I wouldn't tell an outsider about such a big operation."

At this point, his gaze deepened: "But with the witch hunter's abilities, it wouldn't be difficult for her to sneak into the scene easily. The fact that he specifically took your invitation is a way of protecting your life and preventing you from getting involved. That's quite intriguing."

"This is definitely not the first time you've dealt with each other; you must have had many interactions before. Tell me, what have they been about?"

Seeing that Chu Fan's eyes were starting to wander again, Qin Wei picked up the kettle of boiling water once more, this time preparing to pour the water directly over his head.

"No! No, no, no! Brother, don't burn me!" Chu Fan shrank back like a maggot in fright, his eyes wide as he cried out, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I'll die if I do!"

Qin Wei pointed to the ceiling, then to the floor: "This is my secret room. All the people around me are my absolutely trusted confidants. Our conversations are known only to heaven, earth, you, and me. There's no need to worry about leaks."

"Besides, I don't know what you think, but I've seen countless prisoners and I could tell at a glance that the guy surnamed Chen is psychologically twisted and a complete lunatic. I don't even know how he passed the initial hunter trial."

"You've never suffered any injustice dealing with this kind of lunatic? I don't believe it."

After hearing this, Chu Fan's eyes glazed over, and he stood frozen in place for a long time without saying a word.

Seeing this expression, Qin Wei had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on, and gave a meaningful smile: "Looks like you've been wronged."

"Then think about it again. Do you want to be tormented by this kind of lunatic for the rest of your life? There are so many people at the Golden Jade Hotel. He can just kill them like that. What makes you think you're special? What makes you think he won't kick you to the curb after he's used you next time?"

"Little brother, I'm here to help you. Tell me if you've been wronged, it's not too late."

"Once you step out of this door, even if you kneel and beg me, I won't give you a second glance."

Chu Fan's lips trembled, and his face grew increasingly pale.

I don't know how much time passed, but it seemed that some emotion in those eyes dissipated.

He opened his eyes wide, looking at Qin Wei in a panic and cried out, "Brother...Brother! You have to save me!"

Qin Wei smiled with satisfaction and nodded slightly to his subordinates behind him.

Two men in black stepped forward and swiftly untied the ropes binding Chu Fan's hands and feet.

With his limbs, which had been bound for too long, suddenly released, Chu Fan grimaced in pain and moved a couple of times. Then he saw Qin Wei turn around and sit back down at the coffee table, pouring two cups of tea.

Qin Wei then gestured to the chair next to the coffee table, saying, "Come on, tell me in detail."

Chapter 221 Certificate of Surrender

Chu Fan, clutching his leg scalded by boiling water, limped to a chair.

Seeing Chu Fan constantly baring his teeth, Qin Wei gave his subordinate a wink.