Li Wei held a glass of red wine in his hand, his eyes under the high hat scanning the magnificent venue.
If anyone paid attention, they would notice that his left eye was quite different from a regular person's at the moment. Within the crimson iris, a tomoe was slowly rotating.
This eye, unknown to this world, had a well-known name in another realm — the Sharingan.
"Come... let me see where you are... there you are!" His gaze locked onto a chubby middle-aged Caucasian man who was engaged in conversation with three or four people.
This was Changling Manor, an upscale club in the upper district of New Wisdom City. The cost of booking the entire manor for one night was around thirty amethysts. It remained a mystery how a worker could earn this much in ten years without eating or drinking, posing a question mark.
At this moment, the entire manor was brightly lit, signaling the conclusion of a wedding. The newlyweds, hand in hand, conversed joyfully with the guests in the hall. Beneath the splendid crystal chandelier in the grand hall, gentlemen and ladies exchanged pleasantries.
It was precisely at this moment that the emcee on the stage announced loudly, "Let's welcome the youngest violin professor from the Wisdom Music Academy — Jack Robinson!"
Li Wei closed his Sharingan and, amidst the enthusiastic proclamation of the emcee, ascended the revolving stairs, stepping from darkness into the spotlight.
In the instant of light and shadow transformation, the relaxed smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a serious and solemn expression. Under his dignified black tailcoat, he wore a pure white shirt with a black bow tie around the collar, and a high hat on his head. Stepping on the polished marble stairs, Li Wei walked to the top of the revolving staircase — the performance platform.
A slight bow, applause throughout the hall. This was a sign of respect, not for him, but for the original owner of this appearance, Mr. Robinson.
However, Li Wei paid no attention to it. Without much ado, he continued his performance.
After a few minutes of music, the hall quieted down. Li Wei cleared his throat and, after the music ended, suddenly spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen, today is the wonderful moment when Mr. Zhang Shenghong and Ms. Nina become husband and wife. To offer the most sincere blessings to the newlyweds, I have prepared a small gift."
The backstage manager responsible for coordinating the entire wedding was shocked by Li Wei's unexpected words. According to the pre-arranged plan, he should have bowed and left the stage, handing it over to the next performer. Li Wei had already arranged the next performer, but who would have expected this guy to act so recklessly?
Fuming with a flushed face, the manager didn't dare to pull Li Wei off the stage. In such a crucial situation, with the distinguished guests in the hall, causing any disturbance might cost him his job.
He could only pray that Li Wei would handle things properly and not cause any displeasure among the esteemed guests. However, he had already decided to reprimand this guy severely afterward, maybe even deduct half of his salary.
Regardless of the manager's frustration, Li Wei proceeded with the show.
After closing his Sharingan, Li Wei returned to normal, but the mental manipulation caused by the genjutsu was already imprinted in Andrew's mind. Perhaps he would realize it later, but for now, he unquestionably trusted every word Li Wei said and treated the glass bead handed to him as a precious treasure, keeping it hidden.
...
As Li Wei stepped down from the stage, he paid no attention to the manager's nagging and didn't care about the deducted salary. He quickly left the manor.
Outside the manor, he looked nothing like the violinist Robinson. His ordinary clothes and inconspicuous appearance were no different from any other worker serving the aristocrats and wealthy in the upper district.
In a secluded thicket, he found an unconscious person — the real Robinson — and woke him up.
Once Robinson woke up, he was hypnotized by the Sharingan. Following that, Li Wei said, "You participated in Mr. Zhang Shenghong's wedding today, and after playing a piece, you left and went home, right?"
"... Yes."
"The payment for this performance, you generously gave it to a beggar. Is that correct?"
"... Yes."
"Well, I'm just an ordinary passerby you encounter on the street. You didn't get a clear look at my appearance, and you can't recall any features about me, right?"
"... Yes."
"Good. Now go home quickly. Your girlfriend is waiting for you to have dinner together."
"Yes, I should go home immediately."
Watching Robinson leave, Li Wei smiled slightly. Another mission accomplished.
...
Before the sun rose, in the darkest moments before dawn, Li Wei appeared in the lower district of Wisdom City, in a run-down bar on Block 17.
The sign outside the bar read "Wild Delights," hanging haphazardly with rusted nails. As the door creaked open, a voice echoed, "Can't you fix your sign properly?"
Sitting behind the bar, the female owner, Erin, didn't even look at Li Wei as she continued wiping the glasses in her hands. "Has the stuff been delivered?"
"Can't you pour me a drink first?"
"Answer my question first."
"Alright, alright." Li Wei shook his head, and Erin, a woman with fiery red hair and an extremely curvaceous figure, almost bursting out of her clothes, truly a dazzling beauty — if she could just change her nasty temper.
Pouring himself a drink, Li Wei said, "I've completed the delivery. The locator has been sent out."
Erin raised her head, revealing a smile of admiration. She waved Li Wei over, rubbing his face against her chest forcefully and said, "Oh, my, my little brother I favored is efficient!"
Struggling out of her embrace, Li Wei was truly troubled by this woman's character. Erin, with her striking appearance, intimate and ambiguous actions, was like a beautiful but thorny red rose. In the two months since he met her, Li Wei had seen many fools who had been swindled by her.
He didn't want to be the next one.
Pouting, Erin seemed somewhat unhappy, but in reality, she admired Li Wei more.
She remembered that just a month ago, Li Wei was an ordinary, insignificant bounty hunter. Such people were common, and he hadn't unlocked the potential of removing the genetic lock.
Originally, she didn't pay much attention to such individuals. As a bar owner in the lower district and an underground task issuer, she had seen all sorts of people. A month ago, she even heard that this guy somehow offended a group of people he shouldn't have.
She didn't hold much hope for Li Wei's future.
Soon after, news arrived that Li Wei had been beaten to death in a dark alley, confirming her expectations.
However, not long after that, this guy reappeared in front of her.
What surprised her more was that after this incident, Li Wei seemed to have changed completely.
He appeared more mature and colder, as if he had become more formidable.
Quite cool, indeed.
Of course, these were not the important factors. The crucial point was that he took on several tasks that even Erin thought were tricky and probably wouldn't find any takers. Yet, he completed them alive.
That made her look at him with new eyes.
An outstanding bounty hunter was a rare find, especially for Erin. The rise in completion rate and task volume had considerable benefits for her.
Having this excellent hunter as her subordinate, Erin didn't mind treating him a bit better. After getting to know him more, she found him to be quite a good person.
After some time, she even became the first friend Li Wei made in this world.
Having stolen a sip of the drink, Li Wei wiped his mouth and said, "Andrew is not a significant figure, but he is backed by the renowned Blackbird Heavy Industries. Who would dare to target him so boldly?"
"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask." Erin took out a box from under the bar and placed it in front of Li Wei.
While Li Wei counted the bills representing energy crystals in the box, he said, "I don't care who is targeting him, or what the person wants to do. But I don't want trouble because of this."
"The troubles on you seem to be decreasing, don't they?" Erin sneered at him and added, "But this time, rest assured. The one who issued the task has a big background. They intend to get rid of Andrew, and you don't have to worry about any repercussions."
"You always say that." Li Wei complained and pushed the box back. "The payment for this task and what I have stored with you should be enough to buy a basic gene repair agent, right? Replace it for me directly."
Erin fell silent for a moment and said, "Why bother? You know it's useless."
"I have to try." Li Wei shrugged indifferently.
"Up to you." Erin didn't say more. However, when Li Wei was about to leave, she added a redundant reminder, "It seems the Skull Party has found you. Be careful."
This was an unnecessary warning. Erin rarely did such things, but she made an exception for Li Wei.
As Li Wei left, he waved a goodbye to Erin. "I already know, but thanks. I'll treat you to a drink later."
Erin snorted and lowered her head again to wipe the glass. However, she muttered, "Don't die."