Chapter Eleven: Not Even a Chance of Setting Foot on It

Sensing a gaze upon her, she snapped back to reality and locked eyes with Li Wangcheng.

Blinking, she masked the expression in her eyes and curled her lips into a smile. "What is it? I thought you went to scout the situation—how did you manage to attract a suitor back with you?"

Fang Yun couldn't pinpoint why she felt so uneasy. Even though he had already explained that he had nothing to do with Ma Zhen, she couldn't help but use her words to sting him.

"Don't talk nonsense." Li Wangcheng looked away, suppressing a smile that threatened to break through, and retorted in a low voice.

Catching the hint of amusement in his eyes, Fang Yun gave an uncomfortable snort and turned to hurry into the tent.

Watching her back as she practically fled, Li Wangcheng could no longer contain his smile. The coldness in his gaze melted away, replaced by a warmth reminiscent of spring.

Shang Xingbing, who had walked up beside him, happened to catch the look he hadn't yet composed. He shuddered instantly. Good heavens, this was the first time he had ever seen his boss like this. The sun must be rising in the west today—would he even live to see tomorrow? He hurriedly averted his eyes, staring straight ahead and pretending he hadn't seen a thing.

By the time the two of them entered the tent, Fang Yun had regained her composure and was sitting at the table, waiting for them.

They took their seats one after another. Li Wangcheng didn't beat around the bush; he quickly summarized the information he had gathered.

The platform they were currently on was managed by the military and government. It mostly provided aid to civilians, and while it was a motley mix of people, news traveled fast there.

From the people there, they had learned quite a bit. The platform managed by Ma Qibo was staffed entirely by his own men. While they didn't show much respect to the military and government, they were united and cohesive. Furthermore, they were well-stocked with supplies, living better than those on the other two platforms. Many people wanted to defect to them but could find no way in.

Then there was the platform occupied by the three major families. It wasn't much different from the one Li Wangcheng and his group were on; since none of the three families would submit to the others and each wanted to be the leader, there was constant friction among their subordinates.

As soon as Li Wangcheng’s group arrived at Dongming Mountain, the other two platforms received the news. This morning, as soon as he appeared at the border, someone had immediately extended an olive branch—which was exactly where he had met Ma Zhen.

From Ma Zhen, he learned that the military was currently in dire need of various supplies. While they were arranging for people to salvage what limited resources they could, they were also planning to establish diplomatic relations with the other two platforms, hoping to trade for supplies through bartering.

Hearing this, Fang Yun glanced at Li Wangcheng.

She thought of Ma Qibo’s supplies. It was no exaggeration to say that they would be more than enough to sustain everyone on Dongming Mountain for quite some time. However, she wasn't sure if Li Wangcheng would be willing to help the military faction.

In her previous life, because of the severe shortage of supplies, the military had been constantly held hostage by Ma Qibo and his group. This had led to a situation where they were forced to watch as people like her were brutally harmed, unable to lift a finger to help.

Before Li Wangcheng had tried to take her away, she had once encountered military personnel. At that time, she was in Ma Qibo’s clutches, tortured until she was barely human. The military personnel, who had originally come on a mission, saw her state and, unable to bear it, wanted to rescue her. In the end, because of her, none of them made it out alive.

The thought of those vibrant lives fading away right before her eyes made her heart ache with a sharp, stabbing pain.

"Fang Yun?"

The sudden call pulled Fang Yun back to the present. She looked up to find that the conversation in the tent had ceased, and everyone’s eyes were fixed on her.

Meeting Li Wangcheng’s worried gaze, she heard him ask, "What are you thinking about?"

"Sorry, I zoned out. Where were we?" Fang Yun paused, tossing the question back to them.

Li Wangcheng, who had been as gentle as a spring breeze a moment ago, felt his mood plummet to the bottom. He said nothing. Shang Xingbing, who knew him well, sensed the shift in his emotions. After scanning his face, he answered Fang Yun’s question.

"Ma Qibo is hosting a banquet in five days and has invited the boss. We were just discussing whether this is a trap."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yun immediately realized this was meant for Li Wangcheng.

In her past life, when Li Wangcheng arrived at Dongming Mountain, Ma Qibo had also hosted a banquet specifically for him to probe whether Li still had any capital left. Fang Yun had been there too, and she had watched as Ma Qibo and the heirs of the surviving families tested Li Wangcheng relentlessly.

Even though they had later decided to go all out—reasoning that if they couldn't get his supplies, they would at least ensure Li Wangcheng remained on Dongming Mountain forever—they hadn't succeeded. However, thinking back, it was their insatiable greed and the chaos they caused that had ultimately led her to discover where Ma Qibo hid his supplies, and she couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

"Even if it is a trap, we must go." Fang Yun realized this was a golden opportunity. By using Li Wangcheng to attract the attention of Ma Qibo and the others, she could take the chance to empty out the supplies.

As she explained her rough plan, it was immediately met with opposition from Li Wangcheng.

"There are only five of us. Our target is too small; if anyone goes missing, they’ll notice. It’s impossible to do this without anyone knowing."

"Exactly," added Shang Xingbing. "And you going by yourself—how could that possibly work? If you run into any trouble, you won't be able to handle it alone." He almost said outright that she was no match for Ma Qibo's men.

But Fang Yun didn't want them to know about her space. If she took Li Wangcheng and his men, she wouldn't be able to explain how the supplies vanished in an instant.

Caught in a dilemma, she couldn't find an excuse to refute them, and her expression darkened.

Li Wangcheng watched her for a moment before speaking up, interrupting Shang Xingbing.

"We'll discuss this later. You said you know where Ma Qibo keeps his supplies. I think you should tell us first, so we can have Tank and the others scout the location before we make further plans."

Hearing his words, Fang Yun found herself at a loss for words. His suggestion was indeed the most prudent—scout the location first, then devise a safe plan.

But Ma Qibo, fearing others would covet his belongings, had hidden the supplies in a cave on the cliff behind Dongming Mountain. There was no way to scout it at all.

There were only two ways to get there: either through Ma Qibo’s secret passage or by climbing down the cliff. Neither was realistic. Ma Qibo’s secret passage was right by his side, making it nearly impossible to enter, and the cliffside was heavily guarded by his men; getting close was out of the question, let alone crossing it.

She couldn't explain this too clearly. After a moment of thought, she tapped the map spread out on the table, her fingertip landing right on Dongming Mountain.

"Ma Qibo and his men are at the summit, with the cliff at their backs, some distance from the sea. Where do you think the supplies could be hidden?"

Except for Li Wangcheng, the others looked at Fang Yun, completely bewildered. If they knew, would they even need her to tell them?

Li Wangcheng looked around at the others with a hint of disdain, then shifted his gaze to the spot on Dongming Mountain under Fang Yun’s finger. Pondering her words, he quickly guessed the truth of the matter.