“Behind you, the belt above your buttocks,” Gavin Clark said.

Anthony Foster reached behind to her belt, and sure enough, pulled out a piece of paper. She unfolded it and saw a few large characters written on it: “Andrew Foster, pretending to be from the Jing family’s Black Blood Hall, is this fun? Testing your sister? I saw through you long ago.”

The siblings’ eyes widened in disbelief as they stared at the words. Andrew Foster rushed over, snatched the note, and read it over and over, carefully examining it several times.

After entering the basement, Gavin Clark had been tightly bound, and he was completely powerless. So it could only have been at the very moment they entered the basement that he slipped the note into Anthony Foster’s belt.

And at that time, the interrogation hadn’t even started yet.

What was even more astonishing was that, when they were still two li away from the Anting Inn, Gavin Clark had already been under surveillance by Andrew Foster’s people, and from start to finish, no one had seen him write anything.

What did this mean? It meant he had written the note long before.

In other words, Gavin Clark had deduced days ago that Andrew Foster would try to test him like this.

This was truly shocking—what a schemer!

Andrew Foster shot a fierce glare at his sister. Your martial arts are so good, and Gavin Clark is completely powerless, yet he managed to slip a note into your belt without you noticing. What were you even doing?

Gavin Clark said, “Shopkeeper Foster, don’t blame the young lady. Although I’m not strong, I do have some special skills. Many people see my handsome face and think I only know how to steal hearts. But they don’t know, I can steal things too. After all, before I was ten, I survived by stealing. If I didn’t steal ten taels of silver a day, I couldn’t eat; if I didn’t get five, I’d get beaten; if I didn’t get three, my hands would be broken.”

Gavin Clark wasn’t lying. In this world, after he turned six, he never failed again—though it was a bitter memory.

And another thing: Anthony Foster had just been acting bold, but in reality, she was pure and innocent. The moment Gavin Clark’s hand touched her waist, even the roots of her hair trembled. How could she have noticed him slipping the note into her belt?

Andrew Foster read the note over and over, then tossed it into the charcoal to burn.

He looked at Gavin Clark again, deeply shocked inside.

At their first meeting, he’d wanted to give Gavin Clark a show of force, but… he’d been thoroughly outplayed.

The other party had guessed his move days in advance, and he’d even played along, helping him put on a show. What a disgrace.

This Gavin Clark was truly as cunning as a fox. He hadn’t seen someone this clever in a long time. This time, he, Andrew Foster, had lost. The entire Anting Inn had lost to this pretty boy, Gavin Clark.

“So, Shopkeeper Foster, can we make contact now?” Gavin Clark asked.

Andrew Foster stepped forward, untied Gavin Clark, and cupped his hands. “Imperial Black Dragon Platform, Wuzhusi Baihu, Andrew Foster.”

Gavin Clark said, “Imperial Black Dragon Platform, Gavin Clark.”

After standing up, he said, “Could I have a basin of water?”

A moment later, someone brought him a basin of water.

Gavin Clark washed his face and removed his makeup, finally restoring his youthful and handsome appearance.

“Could you return my mirror?” Gavin Clark asked.

Andrew Foster handed the mirror back to him.

Gavin Clark took the mirror, walked to a spot with better light, and looked at his own face.

After eight whole days, he finally saw his incomparably handsome face again.

“A day apart feels like three years. How have you been, beautiful man?” Gavin Clark said sincerely to the mirror.

Immediately, Anthony Foster couldn’t help but shiver all over, and her urge to ruin Gavin Clark’s face grew even stronger.

He gazed at himself in the mirror for a full three minutes, thoroughly enjoying it. Then Gavin Clark carefully tucked the mirror into his chest, sat down in a chair, and said boldly, “Come on, Little Andrew, you can start your report now.”

Andrew Foster said expressionlessly, “Mr. Gavin Clark, I am the superior here.”

“Oh, is that so?” Gavin Clark quickly got up from the chair, bowed, and said, “Come, Lord Foster, please give your instructions!”

Andrew Foster couldn’t help but feel his scalp tingle. Was this really going to be his future partner?

The Black Dragon Platform was a very serious organization. Everyone was stern and unsmiling, because they did the most dangerous work, dancing on the edge of a blade every day. The slightest mistake could mean death—dozens, even hundreds of deaths.

So, basically, within the Black Dragon Platform, everyone was like a grim-faced judge.

If they could say one word less, they would never utter even an extra punctuation mark.

“Mr. Clark, you should know that the highest commander in charge of the Gale City operation is Lord Feng Xingmie,” Andrew Foster said. “However, two years ago, he suffered an unprecedented defeat, causing the Empire’s forces in Gale City to be devastated, and the entire strategy nearly collapsed.”

Gavin Clark shook his head. “I didn’t know.”

Andrew Foster said, “After such a major failure, he should have been punished by family law. But because the situation was special, and Old Foster staked his life and future to vouch for him, he was given another chance.”

Gavin Clark didn’t even know who this Old Foster was, but it was obvious he was a big shot in the Black Dragon Platform.