Zhong Guan's strength was undeniable, but the man easily shook his hand off and lowered his head. "Ha... ever since... you rejected me... this is how I've been living... living the good life... Do you know... what they call me now... they call me... Rotten... Ha, it's fitting... but I like it..." The man called "Rotten" rambled, his hand waving aimlessly, nearly hitting Zhong Guan in the face.
"Them"—there was no need to think twice—must be his drinking buddies.
Zhong Guan's face darkened, his tone icy. "I don't care what they call you. Wake up right now. I have something important for you to do."
"Just say it. I'm listening!" Rotten's voice, now louder and sharper, betrayed his annoyance at Zhong Guan's interruption.
Clearly unwilling to linger a moment longer, Zhong Guan tossed something onto the table. "The organization has obtained the whereabouts of that Maya girl. In three days, you are to assassinate her. If you fail, don't ever come to see me again."
Rotten squinted at the object, gave it a quick glance, and waved dismissively. "Got it, got it... now leave... don't bother me..."
Zhong Guan shot him a cold look. "I hate men like you." With that, she turned and left the bar without a backward glance.
Rotten opened his bleary eyes, watching her disappear, then stared at the white receiver on the table, saying nothing.
I had observed the entire exchange, and it didn't take much to figure out what was going on. That man, Rotten, must be quite the tough character. No wonder Zhong Guan had tasked him with this particular assignment—assassinating From Lei.
Hmph, after everything From Lei put me through, there's no way I'll let someone else kill her so easily. If anyone is going to deal with her, it'll be me. This is about to get interesting.
I chuckled to myself and quickly exited the bar as well.
Meanwhile, in another city, GZ, Ling Xuan had just finished shopping and was loaded with bags.
The phone call from me that morning had left her in high spirits, and the pile of purchases confirmed the old saying, "Women are born shopaholics." Of course, not everything was for her—some of the things were for me, too. It was clear she had already prepared to come to ST and see me.
It was past two in the afternoon. Although the day was still young, shopping alone, no matter how thrilling, eventually felt dull. Taking a series of twists and turns, she decided to cut through some alleys—a shortcut in this bustling city that would get her home faster.
A man sitting by the roadside with his head down caught her attention, though only briefly. He looked to be only a few years older than her, thin, dressed like a vagrant.
She quickly walked past him, wondering, "Why haven't the shelters taken these people in?"
The corner ahead was notorious for its poor security. Stories of petty thieves and gangsters hanging around had circulated for years, but she had never encountered any trouble—until today. Three thugs had been waiting there for quite some time.
As soon as she entered, she saw them: one with a scar across his face, two others with blond hair, one sporting a snarling dragon tattoo.
"What do you... want?" Ling Xuan took a few steps back, panic rising as she faced them.
"Heh heh, little lady... My brothers and I are short on cash. How about you help us out?" The scar-faced leader sneered, his words straight out of a cheap TV drama.
This was Ling Xuan's first time facing something like this, and with me not by her side, she had no choice but to comply. Trembling, she pulled out her wallet, but the way the thugs leered at her made it clear they had more than just money in mind.
The scar-faced man weighed the wallet in his hand and exchanged a glance with his two lackeys. The two blond guys grinned wickedly and moved in closer, surrounding her.
"You've got the money... what else do you want?" Ling Xuan's alarm deepened as she realized something was terribly wrong.
"Heh, we're not after much. It's just been lonely lately, and we could use some company..." One of the blond thugs grinned, his hand creeping onto her shoulder.
"Ah!" Her belongings dropped to the ground with a loud crash, and before she could react, her other hand was seized by one of the men's hairy paws.
"Let me go... Let me go!" Ling Xuan struggled to break free, but the three men had her tightly surrounded, her hands held fast. With their brute strength, there was no way she could escape.
Her terrified cries echoed down the alley, but at this hour, most people were napping in their homes, and few would care to intervene. If no one stepped in soon, these thugs would have their way with her.
Suddenly, a strong voice rang out: "Stop! Let her go!"
The vagrant from before now stood at the entrance of the alley. Under the glaring sun, he still appeared as frail as ever, as if a gust of wind could knock him over. But his eyes—his eyes were sharp, filled with an unyielding spirit.
Ling Xuan cast him a look of hope, though she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. One man against three? He didn't stand a chance, especially given his slight frame.
"Kid, trying to play the hero?" The scar-faced thug pulled out a switchblade and toyed with it, staring contemptuously at the vagrant.
The vagrant didn't seem to notice the knife. "You'd better let her go, or things won't end well for you."
The scarred man glanced at his companions, and the three burst into laughter. "You hear that, guys? He's threatening us! Ha! Who's going to end who is still up for debate, don't you think?"
Ignoring their taunts, the vagrant continued calmly, "I'm stronger than I look. If you don't leave now, someone's getting hurt."
The scarred thug exchanged another glance with his lackeys. The two blond guys pulled out their own switchblades, smirking. "Brothers, since this punk wants to play hero, let's show him why the flowers bloom so red!"
Three men, each wielding a weapon, swiftly lunged at the homeless man. The vagrant, still somewhat dazed, muttered, "How's this any different from the flowers?"
The tattooed blond man thrust a knife towards the vagrant's ribs, but the homeless man quickly dodged to the side. Another blond, armed with a switchblade, aimed for his shoulder. This time, the vagrant didn't evade—he threw a punch instead. There was a sharp "smack," and the blond flew several meters before crashing to the ground, motionless.
The two remaining thugs stood in stunned silence, their jaws practically hitting the floor. Even Ling Xuan's face showed disbelief. This seemingly frail homeless man had sent someone flying with a single punch! He made it look so effortless, as if he were a special forces soldier.
The scar-faced leader, sensing the danger, quickly realized that even doubling their numbers wouldn't make a difference. He shot a glance at his remaining partner and, without so much as a backward glance, they both bolted from the scene.
"Hey… my wallet!" Ling Xuan shouted in frustration. It wasn't the money that bothered her—it was the sentimental value of the wallet since it had been a gift from me.
"Oh, I'll get it," came a voice, and before she could react, the vagrant's figure vanished. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared, holding her wallet.