The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 98

Chapter 98: I Love Slacking Off

It was getting late. The White Raven leader waved off his subordinates’ support and stumbled back to his quarters.

The leader actually had a high tolerance for alcohol. The amount he drank tonight would have knocked out many people, but he was only slightly tipsy.

Opening the door and turning on the lights, he loosened his collar, preparing to pour himself a glass of water.

He took three unsteady steps towards the table, then paused, his peripheral vision catching the closed door of the inner room, from which seemed to come a faint sound.

Everything appeared normal, just as he had left it in the morning, but the leader had a strange premonition.

There was someone else in here besides him.

He was a man who trusted his instincts, and because of that, he had always managed to escape death.

Instead of reaching for the glass, his hand moved to his lower back, where his gun hung.

Touching the familiar weapon, the last vestiges of his drunkenness vanished. Now, he wanted to teach this audacious intruder a lesson, someone who dared to enter his quarters.

He lightened his steps, walking towards the door. As the White Raven leader, his living quarters were heavily guarded, yet someone had still managed to infiltrate silently.

Whoever this person was, they were not to be underestimated.

Convinced the intruder was hiding inside, he drew his gun, ready to kick down the door.

Just then, a faint whooshing sound, barely audible, reached his ears. If the leader hadn’t been paying attention to his surroundings, he would have missed it.

His hair stood on end as he instinctively recoiled, dodging a fatal blow.

Then he realized the attacker hadn’t intended to kill him, but was aiming for something else.

He had assumed the person was hiding in the room, but they were actually behind the curtains. He had thought they were after his life, but they were after his gun.

With a clang, the unseen object collided with his gun, the force so strong that it was knocked from his hand.

Before losing his grip, he instinctively pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting the light fixture.

The light exploded, plunging the room into flickering darkness, disrupting his vision.

But this didn’t affect the room’s owner, who knew it like the back of his hand. He could move around freely even with his eyes closed. He had intended to use the darkness to his advantage, disrupting the intruder’s vision.

Without looking, he rolled on the ground, reaching for his fallen weapon.

A person without a weapon was like a beast without claws, vulnerable to attack.

He was fast, his reflexes honed from years of fighting on the edge of life and death, but he was still a step too slow. The unseen object struck again, sending the gun flying further away.

Something that was within reach suddenly became unattainable, and the leader’s eyes widened in fury.

This time, he saw what had attacked him.

A thin, seemingly metallic yet soft, thread-like object. It was a string!

The next moment, the seemingly harmless string bound his limbs, immobilizing him, then wrapped around his neck.

The leader froze, knowing that any movement would result in a slit throat.

He growled, “Who are you?! Show yourself!”

Light footsteps approached. The figure emerged from the shadows, looking down at him, their slender fingers wrapped in zither strings.

The leader was certain he didn’t recognize this face. He would have remembered someone with such an appearance. But he saw a familiar shadow in this face, and his heart sank.

He asked, “Are you Zang Yuzhu?”

Tao Ning: “I am.”

White Raven Leader: “…” His hopes were dashed.

Wasn’t it said that Zang Xin and Jiao Shu Jun, despite their prowess, had a delicate daughter, useless except for her face? Then who was this person standing before him, attacking him with strings?

If he wasn’t immune to alcohol, he would have thought he was drunk and dreaming.

520 looked at the strings in Tao Ning’s hands with heartache. The Cleansing Stream Zither was a divine artifact, which could be exchanged for a considerable amount of points in the shop, yet Tao Ning had dismantled its strings to use as weapons.

Such a waste, such a waste.

Then 520 paused, wondering when it had become so stingy, always calculating prices to reduce the host’s debt.

The host was generous and carefree, while it, the system, was becoming increasingly frugal.

The light flickered, then stubbornly reignited, flashing rapidly, a dizzying display.

In the flickering light, Tao Ning’s expression was unreadable. Her hands were cold, the strings even colder.

The strings, soft yet strong, moved in her hands with practiced ease.

This was what made 520 believe Tao Ning’s previous words, that she wasn’t skilled with a sword. Watching her nimble fingers, silent and deadly, using strings to kill was faster than using a sword.

But she didn’t kill the White Raven leader. A leader, alive, was always more valuable than dead.

The leader moved a finger, but as soon as his hand shifted slightly, a string pierced through it, pinning it to the ground.

At the same time, a cold voice warned, “The faster they come, the faster you die.”

With his life in her hands, the leader didn’t doubt her words. He froze.

Despite the pain of the string piercing his hand, he suppressed a scream, the cold sweat on his forehead betraying his discomfort.

Blood stained the string, which probably wouldn’t be able to produce pleasant music anymore. The Cleansing Stream Zither, without its strings, was greatly diminished in value and power, no wonder 520 was so distressed.

White Raven Leader: “Are you trying to avenge your parents? I wasn’t there during that attack, their deaths have nothing to do with me.”

Tao Ning: “I don’t care whether you live or die.”

The leader, quick-witted, asked, “What do you want?”

Tao Ning: “After the Black Sea incident, the White Ravens flourished. I want proof of your collaboration with Gu Changfeng.”

These words seemed unrelated, but those who understood knew their weight.

White Raven Leader: “What Gu Changfeng? What collaboration?” He feigned ignorance, as if he didn’t understand what Tao Ning was talking about.

Tao Ning knew he was playing dumb and that it wouldn’t be easy to get information out of him, but she didn’t mind wasting a few words.

Tao Ning: “I know Gu Changfeng’s role in that attack. He’s in a position of power now, preparing to run for Chief Secretary General, and he needs strong support. The Song family is a good choice.”

“This information leak was actually your condition for parting ways. You White Ravens wouldn’t let go of a promising candidate for Chief Secretary General so easily, but would hold on tighter. I want proof of your collaboration with the Gu family.”

The Gu Changfeng she mentioned was Zang Yuzhu’s adoptive father. It was said that the Gu couple doted on her even more than their own son, but her tone didn’t sound affectionate.

The leader’s heart sank, cursing Gu Changfeng, the fool, for being hoisted by his own petard.

Tao Ning’s words were vague, but those familiar with the situation understood the implications. If the Federation found out, Gu Changfeng wouldn’t escape punishment for treason.

White Raven Leader: “How can you be sure what you know is true? And how can you, alone, bring down the Gu family?”

Tao Ning: “Spare me the nonsense, just give me what I want.”

The leader’s neck twitched, not out of struggle, but because the thread-like zither string was tightening.

In the interstellar age, zithers no longer existed, and he had never heard of such an instrument. He would never have imagined that one day he might be killed by a zither string.

“I imagine you, having roamed the stars for so many years, are very good at assessing situations.” Tao Ning’s tone was laced with a smile, but it sent chills down his spine. “You know how valuable your life is.”

The string around his throat was a stark reminder, the warmth and stinging pain intensifying.

Anyone who had been injured knew that the wetness trickling down wasn’t sweat, but blood.

Gritting his teeth, the leader agreed: “I can give you what you want.”

As soon as he spoke, the tightening string loosened slightly, not enough for him to breathe freely, but enough to give him a sliver of hope.

This feeling of reprieve made him shudder. He never wanted to experience this again.

“Good.” Tao Ning bent down, grabbed his collar, and dragged him towards the study, kicking the door open and throwing him onto the desk.

With his life in her hands, the leader no longer cared about dignity, giving her everything she wanted.

As he handed over the item, he hesitated for a moment. This evidence wouldn’t only bring down the Gu family, but also deprive the White Ravens of a powerful ally, a significant loss.

But his hesitation was fleeting. He recalled an ancient saying from Earth: Better a dead friend than a dead me.

Their relationship was purely transactional, without any sentiment.

It was the Gu family who wanted to sever ties first, and their precious daughter had caused him to end up like this. If Gu Changfeng were here, he would tear him apart.

As for Gu Yuan, who still wanted to maintain contact with the White Ravens, the leader had long since dismissed him. The Gu family was still under Gu Changfeng’s control, Gu Yuan was nothing.

The twists and turns of life were truly strange. The evidence that could bring down the Gu family, even shake the entire Federation, was just a fingernail-sized chip.

Tao Ning took the item and put it away.

Neither the White Raven leader nor Gu Yuan would have imagined that sending the cousin he had watched grow up to her death was actually delivering a great calamity to the White Ravens.

This “calamity” would later appear before him, scaring him out of his sickbed.

Before the leader could breathe a sigh of relief, the string around his neck tightened again, the familiar dragging sensation returning.

Using him as a shield, Tao Ning dragged him out, her movements so practiced that the leader didn’t react at first. He hurriedly said, “If you break your promise, my men won’t let you go!”

Tao Ning sighed, seemingly regretful: “I also wanted to travel light, but without your face paving the way, I’ll be blown to pieces before I even get out. You know, capturing the king is the first step, let’s be understanding.”

White Raven Leader: “…” He was speechless, numb.

Returning from a celebratory feast, only to be beaten up and called a thief, if he didn’t have some self-control, he would have fainted from anger.

Although he was indeed a thief, no thief liked being called one.

She kicked the door open, the loud bang in the middle of the night attracting attention. After some confusion, they realized the sound came from the leader’s quarters.

So they all rushed over, footsteps echoing throughout Area A.

But someone had arrived earlier, their faces filled with shock as they quickly drew their weapons.

Then, looking at the center of the crowd, they mirrored the shocked expressions and drew their weapons as well.

The person whose life was being held hostage was none other than their leader, not the one who had just returned from the feast, but one held captive by a stranger.

Tao Ning’s gaze swept across their faces, pausing briefly in one direction before moving on.

Surprisingly, surrounded by enemies, she remained calm and composed.

She announced, “I want a fully fueled ship in exchange for your leader’s life. Don’t try anything funny, I’ll know.”

Silence followed. The third-in-command, who had just arrived, exclaimed in shock, “Big Brother! Release our leader, or I’ll make you suffer!”

Tao Ning remained unmoved, sneering, “If you waste any more words, I’ll make your Big Brother suffer first. Having the White Ravens buried with me, it’s a good deal for me.”

Third-in-Command: “…”

His face flushed red with anger, his chest heaving. He asked, “What do you want? This is Caesar Star, you can’t escape so easily. I advise you not to act rashly.”

Tao Ning ignored him, instead saying to the leader, “Your brother doesn’t seem to care about you, he’s trying to provoke me.”

As she spoke, her fingers twitched, tightening the string, the wound on the leader’s neck deepening, the collar stained with blood.

The hand controlling the string was beautiful, slender, and pale, a pleasing sight if not for the current situation. One might even be tempted to admire it.

Unfortunately, these hands wielded not ordinary string, but deadly weapons.

Shamelessness was invincible. With Tao Ning’s eloquence and decisiveness, they were truly at her mercy.

Third-in-Command: “…”

The leader wasn’t foolish either. He clearly sensed his brother’s ulterior motives and gave him a chilling look, making the third-in-command’s heart sink.

Before he could speak, the leader finally couldn’t take it anymore and roared, “Do as she says! Prepare what she wants!”

With the leader’s command, the others immediately set to work.

The leader’s confidant, who arrived later, was truly concerned about him and immediately began making arrangements.

Within ten minutes, someone reported that everything she wanted was ready.

Seeing Tao Ning about to leave on the ship, a humiliation for the White Ravens, the fourth-in-command, hidden in the crowd, raised his gun, unwilling to accept it.

The moment he pulled the trigger, Tao Ning, as if having eyes on the back of her head, grabbed the leader and turned, a scream echoing.

The scream wasn’t Tao Ning’s, but the leader’s, whose abdomen was slowly staining red.

Injured on their own territory by one of their own, and that person being the leader’s own brother, this would be truly laughable if word got out.

The concerned confidant exclaimed, “What are you doing!?”

The third-in-command argued, “It wasn’t intentional! I was just worried about my brother!”

Still fighting amongst themselves at a time like this, Tao Ning wasn’t interested in watching the drama unfold. She pointed her chin at someone nearby: “You can pilot a ship, right?”

The person she pointed at was stunned, their ordinary face showing a bewildered expression, their voice hoarse: “Uh? Me?”

Tao Ning: “What ‘uh’? Hurry up, do you want your leader to die?”

In desperation, the confidant urged, “Just agree, get on the ship!”

The timid person, after being yelled at, could only comply.

The person’s back was thin, a hat covering most of the back of their head. It was a suicide mission, and everyone knew it.

Someone who could hold the White Raven leader hostage wouldn’t care about the life of a mere tool.

The chosen person was probably aware of this as well, but who would care about the life of a small fry? They were all concerned about their leader’s safety, wishing they could kill Tao Ning with their eyes.

It was this oversight that no one paid any attention to the person, nor did they notice that their steps, unlike their usual timid demeanor, were light and quick, slipping into the ship like a fish into water, silently and unnoticed.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the ship’s hatch slammed shut, cutting off their angry and worried gazes.