Chapter 235: Chapter 148: Li Wei, Can You Fly?

Li Wei’s hand, holding the teacup, paused mid-air. A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes.

He stared at the series of prompts that had just popped up before his eyes. ’Trace amounts of plant-based toxins? Spirit Enchantment? Chaos Nest?’

’The trace plant-based toxins must be referring to this cup of tea in my hand. And the Spirit Enchantment... could that be the music playing outside?’

Even after everything he had been through, the contrast before him still filled him with a sense of absurd dissonance.

When Anya had mentioned cults, he had imagined some small, tribal organization with only a dozen members, hiding out in the wilderness. But here he was, in a high-end, members-only resort—a place that clearly had tens of millions of USD invested in its decor and offered Cohiba cigars—that was, in reality, a deeply hidden nest of heretical fanatics. And these people were brazenly poisoning and hypnotizing guests with their so-called "welcome drinks" and ambient music?

’Damn it,’ Li Wei thought, feeling a pang of indignation. ’And they still have the nerve to charge 4,000 USD a night for a room?’

’Wait, Anya’s the one paying? Isn’t Anya’s money his money—’

’Okay, even if it isn’t his money, can’t he feel bad for Anya? Does she think her old man’s money just grows on trees—’

’What’s that? It comes in even easier than that? Fine, never mind.’

He’d heard she recently asked Mr. Sergey to increase her trust fund allowance. Her reason was apparently that since she was an adult now and starting college, her expenses would be higher.

Li Wei had no idea what kind of university required more than the two million USD-plus she got in quarterly dividends. But seeing the way Anya bought that pink Bentley without batting an eye, her allowance must have at least doubled.

[Without harming the innocent, find the fanatics hidden deep within the nest]

He looked at the front desk manager. The man didn’t seem to fit the description of being "hidden deep within the nest," which meant he probably wasn’t one of the fanatics.

The front desk manager, who had been standing by the whole time, saw Li Wei’s momentary daze and shock, completely unaware that he had just narrowly escaped being kicked to death by him.

The corner of his mouth curved into a subtle, almost imperceptible smirk. In his eyes, Li Wei’s reaction was a classic sign of what they’d seen before: consciousness entering a state of placidity.

"It seems your friend is already beginning to feel the tranquility," he said, turning his head gently. "Our tea and meditation courses are very effective."

"Is the meditation course extra?" Mark loosened his collar and took a sip of tea. "Man, to be honest, your room rates aren’t cheap. 999 USD a night is more expensive than some five-star hotels."

"But you can’t put a price on peace of mind, can you?" The manager watched as Mark’s previously tense shoulders slumped and his gaze began to soften. "Besides, the meditation course is 1,999 USD. We offer payment plans, and I guarantee it will be worth every penny."

Mark seemed to lose all sensitivity to money within seconds. Li Wei, standing silently to the side, frowned as he watched Mark pull out his credit card and pay without hesitation.

...

Night fell. Under the specially designed landscape lighting, the signature red sandstone buildings of the Fan Yan Resort cast shadows like slumbering behemoths.

Deep beneath the resort, in a secret room filled with modern surveillance and office equipment—a stark contrast to the wabi-sabi aesthetic of the exterior—the air conditioning was blasting.

The front desk manager, who had worn a gentle smile during the day, had now loosened his tie and was leaning with both hands on a large metal desk.

On the three large screens on the desk, detailed background information, retrieved by cross-referencing the day’s check-in information and credit card transactions, was displayed.

"Today’s catch is pretty good," the front desk manager said, pointing to Mark’s driver’s license information. "Mark Davis, a partner at a Wall Street investment bank. His annual salary is conservatively estimated at over 1.2 million USD. His LinkedIn shows he’s starting at Merrill Lynch next month. His total assets are estimated to be in the tens of millions of USD."

"Most importantly, his mental state is fragile. Just one welcome drink was enough to make him spend 1,999 USD on a meditation class," he said. "In a week, at most, he’ll voluntarily donate all his assets to the church."

One of the men, who was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and bore a slight resemblance to the front desk manager, said while operating a computer, "Should we add some Holy Water to the incense in his room, then? Let him receive God’s will ahead of schedule?"

"Do it," the manager nodded. "Also, keep an eye on his wife. Father specifically asked for her."

"I thought Father would want the other one," the man said. "She’s absolutely gorgeous, after all. I’ve never seen such a beautiful girl."

"That one’s a bit problematic," the manager said, shaking his head. "According to the background check on her name and origin, she’s most likely the daughter of a Russian super-oligarch with unfathomable international influence. Going after her would cause huge trouble. Same goes for her boyfriend, Li Wei. He’s a rising star in the NFL who went viral all over TikTok recently. That pair is just too difficult to touch."

"Yeah, that is a tough one..." The man at the computer rubbed his face. "Let’s just let them go."

"Let’s test the waters first," the manager said, his eyes fixed on the image of Li Wei’s driver’s license on the screen, as if meeting his gaze. "Have Mother probe her during the yoga class tomorrow. See if she can be influenced. If they show any potential for conversion, Father will personally intervene. If they’re too on guard, we’ll just let them go."