After landing, all four of them were eager to get off of the aircraft. They unboarded as quickly as possible and left the small private airport with haste. Vanna was incredibly grateful for that, because she wasn't sure she could stand even a moment longer in the awkward silence. Even better, it was as though her worries were all washed away at once as the salty breeze grazed her cheeks.
The scent of the ocean brought an unabashed smile to her face, and she took in a deep breath. The choice of clothing that she had been prepared with was very well-suited for the weather; the air was crisp and cold, with the breeze only amplifying it. Vanna would have been freezing to death had she worn the clothes that she had come with.
"Thank you for preparing the clothes, Shizuka," Vanna said, beaming at the woman that was walking beside her. "It's very fashionable as well. You have good taste."
Shizuka glanced at her and raised a brow, but her expression quickly changed when she understood what Vanna was thanking her for. "Oh, I'm not the one who chose the outfit. You are right, though, it suits you very well."
"It wasn't you?" Vanna asked. "Was it one of your subordinates?"
"No, Quynh did it," Shizuka answered – which evoked a scalding glare from the man in question.
"Really?" Vanna was shocked… but for some reason, she felt a warm fluttering sensation in her stomach. "Well… thank you, Quynh. I really like them. I'm sensitive to the cold, too, so I especially appreciate the coat."
"...I didn't want to be seen in public with some country bumpkin, so it's only natural I chose clothes I deemed fit for someone that is now part of my entourage," he scoffed and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "But… you're welcome."
The man's words immediately killed the butterflies that she had been feeling. Vanna scowled at his derogatory response, but remained silent. She decided to shake it off and ignore him, since it was basically her very first time being so close to the ocean. It was a really exciting experience, after all.
She absorbed her new surroundings with a childlike wonder, growing even more curious what they were going to do while they were there. Sure, she discovered that the gang violence directly involved them… but even so, what were they to do about it?
"Where are we going to go first, Master?" Liu Bai inquired, speaking the way he always did – as if they hadn't just gotten into an argument back on the plane. Vanna was once again impressed by his inhuman ability to separate himself from the physical world.
Quynh heaved an annoyed sigh. "We are going to peek around the outskirts of town before heading into the inner city. Apparently, the soliciting has spread even further than just the slums. Whoever this guy is… he has a lot of audacity."
"Strategically, striking where there is chaos is not a bad idea," Shizuka added thoughtfully. "However… it's incredibly foolish to try and start something in an already-contested city, when the other two contenders are the strongest organizations that function outside of the law."
"You're saying that it's someone entirely new that's stirring the pot?" Vanna asked curiously.
Quynh's harsh response came almost instantly, "It's none of your concern."
Shizuka pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation – an action that the woman repeated often, Vanna noticed – and answered in Quynh's stead, "It's incredibly likely. Any altercations that we have with the other gang are usually well-controlled and end without casualty. What has been happening recently is outrageous, as even civilians have been affected by the increase in violence and substance solicitation as of late."
"Oh…" Vanna trailed off. From what they had been saying, there was a rather intricate, and even delicate, ecosystem that functioned amongst the criminals. "Do you know what kind of drug it is that they've started to distribute?"
Shizuka shook her head gravely. "We've been running tests on some samples we gathered, but it's a bit complicated. It doesn't match any current drugs that are on the market – however, it contains many established narcotic properties."
Vanna hummed thoughtfully. An unknown narcotic – that would definitely be dangerous for everyone involved. She couldn't help but wonder how or why anyone would think it wise to sell such a thing. It really didn't sound like a good idea, no matter how she looked at it. The profit couldn't possibly be worth garnering ire from two of the largest triads in the country, right?
Her thoughts slowed momentarily as they approached a parked car. A chauffeur was already awaiting their arrival; a black SUV with tinted windows, and a rather unforgiving looking man with tattoos up his neck in the driver's seat. Quynh sat in the passenger seat, very obviously disinterested and irritated by his companions. Liu Bai hopped in the back seat first, then Shizuka and Vanna followed.
Once seated and their seatbelts fastened – except for Liu Bai, who was sitting with his legs crossed on the seat without a belt on – Vanna had come up with an idea. She had actually studied a lot of medicine, so there was a possibility she could give some insight. Surely, they had their own medical experts, but it was worth thinking about.
"How is the substance administered?" Vanna asked.
"It can be administered through various routes, but the most common is through a pipe – like opium," Shizuka answered.
"It sounds like it is from a foreign country," Vanna replied, raising a hand to her chin while she continued to think further. "Most of the narcotics here, we are familiar with. It would be nearly impossible for someone to develop a new one without the rest of the country watching closely."
Shizuka's dark eyes looked at Vanna with intrigue. "If that's true, that would imply that the person who is instigating all of this is also likely foreign. It would explain their unpredictability and ignorance toward our politics. An interesting thought, Vanna. Thank you for the insight. I will take this into consideration when we investigate further."
Liu Bai gave a confident smile and said proudly, "I've trained for hundreds of years with various substances and poisons to develop an immunity to them. Not to mention, I used to partake in opium. I think I will take it upon myself to test this drug while we are here, to see what it is really like."
"That can't possibly be a good idea…" Vanna said, her brows knit with concern. "You should probably reconsider. It's likely potent, and if it isn't professionally developed, there is a great chance that the dosage could end up larger than you intend to ingest."
Shizuka put a hand on Vanna's shoulder and shook her head defeatedly. "It's not worth trying to convince him. He doesn't actually listen to anyone other than Quynh – on a good day."
Liu Bai just laughed off Vanna's worry and closed his eyes once more. "You underestimate me, girl. I am not only one of the highest level cultivators in the world, I have specifically trained myself for situations like these – and I'm not human. Our bodies digest things differently, and more quickly, than humans do. I will be completely fine."
Vanna frowned, but did as Shizuka suggested and let it go. It wouldn't be wise to test his patience, considering both he and Quynh seemed to be in some kind of bad mood.
The driver started the car, and announced in a deep, gruff voice, "We will arrive at the boss' requested destination in around twenty minutes."