In Province S lies Tianxing Lake, known for its clear water, vast expanse covering nearly ten square kilometers, and serene environment. It connects to Yan River in the north and is bordered by Baihe Mountain in the west. Along the lake, lush grass carpets the ground, interspersed with peach, willow, and Chinese flowering crabapple trees, as well as camphor, nanmu, ironwood, and ginkgo trees. It's the most famous scenic spot in Province S.
Just south of Tianxing Lake, a four-meter-high red wall encircles a woodland area, within which lies a cluster of luxurious villas. Tianxing Lake Estate is the largest high-end residence in the province, comprised entirely of individual villas, with electronic gates, alarm systems, and surveillance cameras. A team of guards patrols 24/7. Inside, there's a dedicated clinic, a supermarket, and even a branch of the Bank of China catering exclusively to the estate's residents.
Rumor has it that this estate was developed by a large foreign real estate company, with an investment of billions. Each villa has ample space and is designed in the style of Dutch garden architecture. Naturally, only the wealthy and influential reside here.
Tang Zichen drove a sleek silver sports car through the estate's electronic gates, which opened automatically. Four guards stood at attention as she passed by. She continued down a broad tree-lined avenue, spotless despite recent snowfall. After a few minutes, she stopped in front of Villa 18—a set of three buildings, with a four-story main villa flanked by two two-story buildings for garages and servants' quarters. A large white-fenced lawn in front of the buildings evoked the classic style of European medieval estates.
Tang Zichen pressed a remote, and the garage door opened automatically. As she drove in, she noticed the garage was pitch dark, as if the lights had gone out.
"Hmm?" Tang Zichen's ear twitched slightly. "There are three people. Come out."
Suddenly, applause echoed, and the garage lights snapped on, flooding the large 100-square-meter space. A young man in a black trench coat stood not far from Tang Zichen's car, with sharp features, dark hair, and slightly blue eyes—a striking mixed-race look. Handsome and bearing a playful smirk, he could effortlessly charm any girl.
With a snap of his fingers, a revolver appeared in his hand. "Violent Bear, Fierce Wolf, come out. We've been exposed." As he spun the revolver on his finger, two tall figures emerged, blocking the garage's exits on either side.
Tang Zichen got out of her car, observing the two men. One was a massive black man, nearly two meters tall, his muscles bulging through his clothing, radiating a savage aura. The other was a blonde man in camouflage gear, more lithe but equally intimidating, with a dark knife handle visible near his knee.
"Oh my god, what a miracle. I never imagined that the renowned instructor of the Black Mamba, Rattlesnake, Scorpion, and China Dragon mercenary companies, who trained thousands of killing machines, would be such a beautiful lady. Miss Tang, Tang Zichen!" The mixed-race man gave a courtly bow and introduced himself with a light-hearted whistle.
"My codename is 'Fox Spirit,' but among assassins, I'm also known as 'Death's Bullet'—each round from this revolver takes a soul. My real name is John Malaves, but here in China, I go by Yang Yingming. Quite a nice name, isn't it, Miss Tang?"
Yang Yingming smiled gracefully, as if inviting Tang Zichen to dance at a gala. "This is Violent Bear here," he gestured to the towering black man. "He once snapped the neck of a full-grown polar bear with his bare hands and crushed the skulls of over ten fighters in underground matches in New York. And here's Fierce Wolf," he nodded at the blonde man. "He specializes in silently slashing throats with a knife, leaving no sound behind."
"Are you with the CIA?" Tang Zichen asked calmly.
"No, no," Yang Yingming laughed, shaking his head. "We're with another organization, though the CIA paid a high price to bring us to China. Your organization interfered with the U.S. military's plans in Africa, Miss Tang, so naturally, you couldn't escape notice, even here. Surely you didn't think being in China would save you?"
"So, Miss Tang, would you kindly come with us? We'll take you to the coast in secret, then hand you over to the CIA. Best not to resist. I'm a quick draw, and I'd rather not stain this lovely lady with blood."
"Fox Spirit, enough talk. Get her!" Fierce Wolf growled in English, clearly impatient as he and Violent Bear moved in, preparing to close in on Tang Zichen.
Tang Zichen shifted, and Fierce Wolf's trained senses picked up on her movement instantly. Reacting like a wolf, he lunged forward, slicing his hand toward her neck artery. Tang Zichen barely moved her head an inch, letting his hand land on her shoulder instead. Though his strike could have easily dislocated her shoulder, Tang Zichen was unfazed and shrugged him off with a burst of inner strength.
Fierce Wolf's expression twisted in pain as his hand seemed momentarily paralyzed. Seizing the opportunity, Tang Zichen executed a Tai Chi technique, "Step Forward, Move and Punch," sending Fierce Wolf's 90-kilogram body flying into the wall, where he clung like a picture for several seconds before sliding to the ground, gasping desperately for air.
Violent Bear roared and attempted to seize Tang Zichen in a crushing bear hug, only to be flung aside with a powerful Eight Trigram Palm move, "Return Body Palm." Violent Bear crashed to the floor.
Gunfire erupted, but Tang Zichen dodged three bullets, taking only a glancing shot to the shoulder, which she shrugged off, expelling the bullet with a quick flex of her muscles.
"Your skill is like art hanging on a wall!" Yang Yingming exclaimed, incredulous at her ability to dodge his shots. "You've truly mastered the highest level of inner strength, merging power into your marrow."
Tang Zichen showed no sign of injury and advanced, her body moving in the "Snake Slithers Through Grass" style of the Xing Yi School.
Yang Yingming was unnerved as he realized the extent of her skill. His escape thwarted, he lunged with a kick, but Tang Zichen sidestepped, retaliating with a fatal "Monkey Steals the Peach" move, attacking his groin. Although Yang Yingming attempted to defend, she quickly countered, jabbing her fingers into his eyes, leaving him blinded and collapsing to the floor, defeated.
"You… how are you unaffected after being shot?" he asked with his final breaths.
"My skills are refined down to my bones," Tang Zichen replied, watching his life ebb away.