Chapter 057: Corruption from Within

Stell, carrying out his mission, put on the blindfold. Then Li Lekang supported him by the arm and guided him toward the pool. Stell strode forward without hesitation, not pausing at all. What followed was much like last time—he did not clumsily fall into the water, but instead walked steadily upon it!

Guided meticulously by the devil, a disciple of heaven walked devoutly upon the water!

The sight of it made him want to laugh.

The fat man glanced down at Stell’s feet, his hand slowing as he ate. He turned to Li Lekang and asked, “Can you do this elsewhere? On a lake, or the sea?”

“With enough props and funding, of course,” Li Lekang replied with absolute confidence. “No matter how grand the scale, even recreating the grand scene of the Messiah in ancient times. Though, I must admit, mine will always be but a clumsy imitation!”

“Excellent, truly excellent.” The fat man was very satisfied with the religious humility in his words. “Sell this technique to me. Name your price.”

The wealthy wasted no words, but Li Lekang smiled and refused. “I’m sorry, my agent must have had you sign an agreement. The secret of this magic is mine alone—never shared, never sold. It’s a matter of principle.”

“Principle. I appreciate a man of principle.” The fat man gave a dry laugh. “Then let us change the principle: I’ll hire you, and when I have need, you’ll perform for me.”

This was not a question, but a statement.

Li Lekang also smiled. “That would depend on the price.”

“Do you know what I see?” The fat man grinned at the others, who laughed along—though none of them knew the joke.

The fat man pointed at Li Lekang. “A man whose principle is money—a fallen soul, but fallen just the right amount! You’ll do. The rest, discuss with my staff.”

“Take me away. Now!”

The fat man’s smile vanished instantly, leaving no room for refusal or negotiation. With a raised hand, his entourage rushed over to bring his cane. Leaning on it, he hauled himself to his feet with surprising strength, lumbering off like a tank.

He left Stell, who had just stepped back onto solid ground.

The bald man glanced at the departing fat man; a flash of displeasure crossed his eyes and was gone.

Li Lekang also looked thoughtfully in the same direction. He was considering how to deal with this man. A direct soul contract was the most gentlemanly method, but for one who possessed money and power so easily, Li Lekang had little to offer. Such a contract was impossible—especially if it required the other party to pay with his soul.

When there was no need to be a gentlemanly devil, the English had once taught him the other side of being a gentleman: when purpose demands, use any means—blades, guns, clubs, arson, pillage, nothing is off limits!

After all, only when strength suppresses you do you need to be a gentleman.

Li Lekang was already pondering where to begin. Judy had to call his name twice before he snapped out of it.

“Mr. Stell has put forward a new condition…” she came over to say.

Li Lekang nodded along with little comment, though he deliberately glanced at Stell. This man was supposed to be the fat man’s right-hand man, yet was reduced to running errands, seemingly looked down upon by the fat man’s favored retainers. In the world behind his sunglasses, Stell’s soul glimmered with jealousy—a fact easily understood given what he’d seen and heard.

The bald man was the fat man’s chief of security, responsible for his protection. In other words, to approach the fat man, Li Lekang would have to get past Stell.

But Stell was filled with jealousy toward his boss.

The cracks in the shell were already showing.

An institution that ought to be pure and sacred was, in reality, riddled with the world’s most common vices. The internal power struggles only made the corruption worse!

The fat man had filled every slot of the seven deadly sins, and those under him were a mix of flattery, envy, and scheming, each mouthing pious words while rotting inside.

At least, as a devil, Li Lekang always prioritized a deal—resorting to force only when absolutely necessary!

Sensing Li Lekang’s gaze, Stell looked over sharply, but Li Lekang merely smiled at him before turning back to Judy.

Stell seemed to know why the fat man wanted Li Lekang’s water-walking magic, but he didn’t say. He only raised numerous requirements about confidentiality, emphasizing the severity of the consequences for any breach.

Seeing how complicated the clauses were, Judy said, “Then we’ll need our lawyers to negotiate the details thoroughly.”

“I agree,” Stell replied. “Let’s handle this professionally and settle the cooperation as soon as possible. Mr. Rudolph will be pleased. If he’s pleased, we’ll have fewer troubles and many more benefits.”

“No problem at all!”

Judy smiled confidently.

…

Li Lekang didn’t get involved in the negotiations. For now, his focus was entirely on how to obtain the soul of the seven deadly sins. The fat man was a godsend; with him, the task could be completed beautifully.

But reality posed its own challenges: he probably couldn’t meet the price the fat man would demand. If he tried to seize it by force, the fat man was surrounded by guards, and there would be no guarantee of success.

The best approach was to undermine them from the inside. The jealousy Stell displayed made Li Lekang feel he’d found an opening.

Stell’s desires would be much simpler than the fat man’s. Li Lekang even suspected that what he wanted was to take the fat man’s place.

Getting rid of a foolish superior to take his seat—the dream of every working man!

At this moment, Li Lekang was ready to become a fulfiller of dreams and strike a deal with the bald man—or perhaps bind him to serve the devil forever!

He discussed it with Juanling, and on its advice, bought several items from the mall: “If you lack absolute confidence in your spells, props can always give your magic a boost!”

This time, the deal was no small matter; he needed enough power and enough binding force. The consequences for breaking the contract had to be various forms of violent death, ensuring the spirit of the deal was strictly upheld. But now that he was a level two mage, subduing an ordinary person would be easy!

So that night, he behaved as usual—after his performance, he invited some girls to go clubbing, dancing until midnight, arm in arm as they returned.

The girls collapsed into bed and fell asleep at once, but Li Lekang could not rest yet. Tonight, he was going hunting!

He splashed his face with cold water and cast a concentration spell; the haze of alcohol vanished instantly.

Then he slipped out to the fire escape, cast a transformation spell to change his appearance, and strode upstairs unrecognizable.

He already knew which floor the bald man was on. All he had to do was climb the fire stairs and phase through the wall; he’d be able to explore the man’s secrets as if walking through an empty house.

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