Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 197: Crucial mission

Thankfully, the look on Ryan’s face wasn’t one of pity, and Alice found herself breathing a sigh of relief at that.

“Yeah, to be exact, it’s been 257 days.”

Alice spoke with a seemingly carefree tone, as if the matter was trivial, just something to chat about. But Ryan could detect a hint of loneliness and sadness in her words.

257 days. You wouldn’t remember so precisely unless each day felt like an eternity.

“That must have been tough.”

“So, do you want to go back to your old life?”

Ryan paused for a moment before continuing his inquiry.

From what Mia had hinted, Alice hated her current life, and returning to her ordinary life seemed like her desire.

Life in the gang wasn’t as thrilling as it seemed,at least Ryan didn’t enjoy it one bit.

The recent shootout, the “popcorn” moment, was still fresh in his mind. Although Alice had gotten him out early, it was clear without saying that Rocco was probably already being dealt with like chopped meat.

Such bloody violence was better suited for movies. In real life? Better not.

“Go back to my old life… Is that even possible?”

Alice repeated, then chuckled softly.

She had indeed thought about it. If Ryan hadn’t reached out when they first met, she might have actually done it.

Life was truly difficult, all because of her title as a “gang leader.”

Naturally, she also wondered if things would be better if she could go back to how they were before.

But then, Ryan had reached out to her, making her realize her previous life wasn’t much better either.

Without the title of “gang leader,” her life was somewhat normal, but her mother had passed away early, her father was always busy with work, and she was so introverted she didn’t have a single friend.

What was the point of returning to that kind of life?

Ryan would never know how much he had changed Alice’s life.

“But really, it’s not as easy to do as it is to say.”

Ryan mused to himself, and Alice didn’t rush to explain.

Going back to her past life wasn’t simple, but Alice had a way.

After all, Mia wanted to take over her position. Making a deal with her to hand over the leadership of the gang seemed like a good idea.

But wouldn’t that mean she was scared of this life, that she was running away from battle?

More importantly, without her gang leader status, how would she keep Ryan by her side?

“I don’t really think that way,I want to change the current situation.”

Alice said, organizing her thoughts, taking a deep breath, and then continuing.

“You hate the gang, so you must despise me too, I get it.”

“I hate this part of myself too. What I want to do is transform the whole gang, get rid of all the dirty stuff.”

“This hotel is part of that effort. I’ve cut off their drug routes but gave them a chance to go straight.”

“I’ve given opportunities to those who haven’t committed crimes, but they still refuse to accept them.”

Alice laughed self-deprecatingly. What she wanted to do, simply put, was to cleanse the gang entirely, to avoid following her father’s old path.

Turning wolves that are used to eating meat into vegetarians, how easy could that be?

She wasn’t even sure if it was possible, but that was her plan, a plan resisted by everyone.

Even though she saw things very clearly, Alice was restless inside, very concerned about Ryan’s reaction.

What would Ryan say? Would he think she was overestimating herself too?

Listening to Alice, Ryan finally understood what Miss Alice’s plan was all about.

He stroked his chin, took a moment to digest it all, and then nodded seriously.

“Hmm, I’m not too sure about the details, but it sounds pretty tough.”

The morning’s assassination attempt, the traps set by rival forces, including the recent slander against Alice, were all consequences of her decision.

If it were someone else, Ryan might offer a bit of comfort but wouldn’t care too much, after all, they were outsiders.

But Alice was different,Ryan couldn’t just casually say some irresponsible words.

That unusually high level of favorability wrapped around Ryan like a net, and Alice considered him a close friend. How could he let her down?

“But Miss Alice, you’re strong. If you really set your mind to it, I’m sure you can make it happen.”

“You know, they say every cloud has a silver lining. It might be tough now, but the results will definitely make you happy later.”

Ryan said this with a smile, genuinely offering advice as a friend, putting aside any so-called missions for the moment.

Alice was strong, and in Ryan’s eyes, already quite remarkable. If she couldn’t change her situation, Ryan couldn’t imagine who else could.

“Do you really think so?”

Alice paused, her lips parting as if she couldn’t quite get the words out.

Her eyes reflected Ryan’s image, and everything around her seemed to blur. Her head felt dizzy, and she could see nothing but Ryan.

“Do you really think I can do it? Are you not just comforting me?”

Alice breathed heavily, her pupils trembling. She no longer cared about propriety, her hands clutching at Ryan’s clothes.

Their distance closed, Alice pressing close enough that Ryan could feel her breath.

Miss Alice’s state… was so strange…

Her intense gaze nearly scorched Ryan, a fervor in her eyes he had never seen before.

It was as if she was about to combust, and before dying, she would take Ryan with her.

Ryan tried to look away, but Alice forcefully turned his head back, making it clear he couldn’t escape. Just as Ryan was about to nod, a system notification chimed in his mind.

Ding~

[Alice Crucial mission Unlocked: Help Alice complete her plan, ensuring she survives until the plan is completed.]

[Success Reward: Unlock a good ending for the mission target, Blessing Point +1 (fulfilling a wish, difficulty affects success probability)]

[Failure Penalty: Mission target dies, host dies (ignores main mission progress)]

[Accept Mission: Yes/No]

The system’s new prompt was loaded with information, flooding Ryan’s mind and leaving him momentarily stunned.

Alice’s face was already close, their foreheads touching, her state truly bizarre.

Ryan placed his hands on Alice’s shoulders, a bit intrusive, but necessary under the circumstances.

“Miss Alice!”

Ryan called out softly, pushing her slightly away, her gaze clearing a bit, though the flame in her eyes still burned.

[Alice Mood Level: ???/100 (Fervent)]

Now wasn’t the time to worry about this unusual emotional state. Ryan quickly pulled up the mission panel, carefully reviewing each line.

After fully understanding it, he looked at Alice and couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

Previous missions generally had no negative penalties, even the so-called main missions had no set time limits, just a vague “no resurrection.”

But this new “Crucial mission” actually involved failure, and the penalty was so severe that Ryan couldn’t bear it.