"Boss, start me off with a bowl of wontons and two pork burgers," Xiang Yu said as he walked out of the train station with a large suitcase in tow.

"Coming right up, just a moment," the boss, seeing that Xiang Yu was an out-of-towner lugging a large suitcase, passed a secretive glance and smirked at another person.

Xiang Yu found a relatively clean spot to sit down and began to contemplate his next move. He had given Commander Cao his word that he would complete the mission within three years. But to the average person, this task seemed downright impossible.

The underground black market forces in a certain province were too rampant. Xiang Yu's orders were to eliminate these forces. And he had to do so without affecting the local economy or causing social chaos. In more straightforward terms, they were asking Xiang Yu to go undercover.

Before coming here, Commander Cao had specifically called Xiang Yu into his office for a chat, where Xiang Yu acted with casual disrespect, showing some reluctance.

"Xiang Yu, how have you thought about that matter?" Commander Cao asked.

"Chief, I just got back from a mission in the Middle East. You promised me a long vacation, so why assign me another mission? There are so many other people in the military region, why not send someone else?" Xiang Yu complained.

"Why you were assigned, you still don't know?" Commander Cao shook his head and chuckled.

"Of course, I know. Although I am unmatched in martial arts and invincible in all the land, that doesn't mean you can let me do everything. That would work me to death," Xiang Yu rolled his eyes and retorted.

Xiang Yu made himself comfortable on the couch, facing Commander Cao of the military region across from him. He sat there with one leg crossed over the other, not treating the Commander Cao in front of him as if he was a top leader.

"Your ability is one thing, but there's an even more important point," Commander Cao looked Xiang Yu up and down and said with a smile, "You were born a natural scoundrel. You don't even need to pretend, which makes you the perfect fit for this job."

Hearing this, Xiang Yu's face was lined with irritation. But what Commander Cao said was true. In the military, Xiang Yu was known for being undisciplined and unruly. He made the most mistakes and received the most punishments. No one in the military would doubt that if he weren't restrained by the army, he would be a veritable devil incarnate.

"I'll do it, but on one condition," Xiang Yu said with a sly grin, not hiding his intentions in the least.

"Shouting conditions at me? You should know that following orders is your duty. What are you negotiating with me for?" Commander Cao said sternly, but his expression was kind.

"I don't care. If you won't even let me suggest conditions, I won't go," Xiang Yu complained with an unhappy face.

"Haha, they say Xiang Yu is a scoundrel, and it seems they're right. Fine, what's your condition?" Commander Cao asked.

Seeing Commander Cao agreed, Xiang Yu immediately chuckled and said, "I need money. This mission requires sufficient funds to complete it."

When Commander Cao heard that Xiang Yu wanted money, he was initially stunned, and then he smiled, saying, "How much do you want?"

"There's no specific amount, obviously the more the better," Xiang Yu said, eyes gleaming as he stared intently at Commander Cao.

Commander Cao shook his head with a smile while pointing at Xiang Yu, "Alright, don't worry about it. I will give you a card, and someone will deposit money for you later. I believe with the entire province's financial power, they can definitely afford your expenses."

Hearing Commander Cao agree, Xiang Yu almost jumped for joy internally. But he still pretended to look aggrieved and sullen.

"Do you have any other requests? Just say it, and we will try our best to accommodate you," Commander Cao offered generously.

Hearing Commander Cao speak like this, Xiang Yu suddenly remembered something, and his expression turned serious. "I need to ensure my father's safety," Xiang Yu said, his eyes locked onto Commander Cao.

Commander Cao also looked at Xiang Yu with a serious expression, then burst into a hearty laugh. "I didn't expect you to have such serious moments," Commander Cao said after pausing for a bit, "Don't worry, we've already brought your father to the military district. He can cook, so we've arranged for him to be in the kitchen."

At these words, Xiang Yu instantly felt as if he had been duped. It turned out that Commander Cao and his team had already arranged everything, just waiting for him to take the bait. However, since he had agreed, naturally there was no reason to back out.

"Commander Cao, there's something I don't understand?"

"Speak!" Commander Cao said, picking up a cup of tea.

"With the resources of an entire province at their disposal, why didn't they select people from the public security organs, but from our troops instead?" Xiang Yu asked, puzzled.

"Hmph! They can no longer tell who is in the wrong and who is in the right," Commander Cao said, his expression becoming grave as he looked at Xiang Yu, "This mission is extremely dangerous, you must be very careful. And one more thing, you must not let emotions get in the way. Rest assured about matters back here, ask for whatever you need. Besides, your information has already been classified as top secret by the state, so don't worry about leaks."

"Apart from me, only the Chief of Staff is aware of this matter. No one else, not even the local government, knows of your existence," Commander Cao sighed before continuing, "This matter is now in your hands."

"Mission shall be accomplished," Xiang Yu said, standing up swiftly and giving a standard military salute.

At the food stall at that moment, Xiang Yu, eating his wonton soup, was somewhat regretful. He regretted how easily he had agreed to take on the task—what if he failed to complete the mission? He would become the laughingstock of others, ruining his "lifetime of wisdom" in one fell swoop.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but shake his head in private. But then, the thought of finally being able to leave the dull barracks and freely roam this vibrant world—and to be "authorized" to play the rogue—gave him an indescribably exhilarating feeling.

In fact, before coming here, Xiang Yu had already thought of his strategy: seeing that this place had become foul and turbid, he would have to "sink to their level," starting with infiltrating the enemy's "inner circle," gradually building his own power, assimilating the surrounding dark spots with his own small white spot, and eventually spreading throughout the entire province—that was his theory of internal erosion.

Having figured out his next steps, he felt elated and ate with even more gusto. In no time, he had polished off a bowl of wonton soup and two meat sandwiches.

"Check, please," Xiang Yu said, reaching into his pocket for money.

"Ah, filled up, have you? That'll be two hundred yuan," the stall owner said with a grin, looking at Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu was first taken aback at hearing this, then looked around, realizing this place wasn't particularly developed. Surely, it couldn't be so expensive that even a bowl of dumplings would cost over a hundred.

"Hey, what are you looking at? Hurry up and pay, no need to dawdle," the stall owner said with some impatience upon seeing Xiang Yu act this way.

"Oh, I get it now, you're extorting me, right? You should have just said so, instead of making it all mysterious," Xiang Yu said with a scornful look.

The stall owner was taken aback by Xiang Yu's reaction but then dropped the pretense. He said with a cold smile, "That's right, kid, we're extorting you. Got a problem with that?" After he said this, four men came out from inside. Though none of them were particularly burly, the sight of the four men plus the stall owner encircling Xiang Yu was still quite impressive.

Seeing the situation, the out-of-towners eating there quickly threw down five yuan and scattered, then stood behind the crowd to enjoy the show.

"You should have just said it was extortion, why make such a big fuss? Fine, I'll pay," Xiang Yu said, starting to take out money again.

The stall owner gave a satisfied smile to his companions, thinking they would have some trouble, but it turned out that this young man was a pushover, quickly coughing up the cash at the slightest intimidation.