Just as the two fox girls rushed over to calm down the angry musclehead, the hall doors swung open. Surrounded by burly men in uniforms, in walked a white-haired old man. He looked to be in his fifties, maybe approaching sixty, thin and sharp—like every wrinkle on his face could be pried open and you'd sniff out a whiff of scheming. Dressed to the nines in expensive clothes, the whole vibe screamed big shot.
He strolled behind the bar and flopped down onto the sofa. The two fox girls cozied up to him, one on each side, living the high life. "Check out these two stunners—a rare pair of knockout sisters. The yellow one's Kiki, the green one's Papa. I'm their boss, a collector of all things beautiful: The Syndicate."
Xiao Di sneered, "Huh, so it really is 'Kipa.' And what's with that other oddball? Frankenstein or patchwork monster?" After all her careful planning blew up, Xiao Di was fuming.
"Watch your attitude, woman." The old man lit up a cigar. "You're just a small fry. But him? He's the boss of one of the strongest gangs in Steelbull City's Queen District. You can call him Cake Dog—he's my subordinate."
"Cake Dog?" Jill Young shot a glance at the musclehead, then raised her chin and looked at The Syndicate. "And who are you, anyway? Why go to all this trouble to drag me here?"
"Good question." The Syndicate stood up, spreading his hands wide. "Look, everything I enjoy now is thanks to money. Money solves every problem, so it can buy your forgiveness too."
"Forgiveness?" Jill Young snorted. "That's hilarious. Why would I need your forgiveness?"
"Not funny at all—the bank you knocked over belongs to my Syndicate Group." The old man stepped up to the three, his tone dripping with smug superiority, like he had it all locked down. "You so-called Gunfire Angels are just a bunch of country bumpkins. Thirty percent each—three of you, so I want ninety percent of your annual haul. That way, maybe I'll let you live." He whipped out a shiny dagger, pointing it at Jill Young. "So, what's your move?"
"No way!" Xiao Di shouted immediately, about to say more, when The Syndicate suddenly pressed the blade to her neck. "Shut it, sidekick. I don't bother talking to small fry—this is a chat between bosses."
Xiao Di gritted her teeth. "I'm the real boss of the Gunfire Angels!"
"You're the boss?" The old man gave Xiao Di a surprised look, then shrugged. "Who cares who's in charge of a small-time gang? I only talk to people I want to talk to." He turned to Jill Young. "Since you're not the leader, you could save even more. I could kill these two, send you back, help you become the boss of the Gunfire Angels, and you could rule Steelbullet City. All you'd have to pay is thirty percent of your earnings and..." His gaze roamed Jill Young's body, playfully. "And a little something extra... So, what do you say? Deal or no deal?"
"You!" Xiao Di was about to explode. She'd worked her butt off to build the Gunfire Angels, and now this old man was tossing it around with a few words. But deep down, she knew he could probably pull it off. If he backed Jill Young, it wouldn't take much for Jill to seize control.
And Jill Young? She could just nod, hand over some cash and a few chump-change favors, and she'd be queen of the turf. Who could turn down a sweet deal like that? Xiao Di watched Jill nervously, praying she wouldn't say yes.
But Jill Young just burst out laughing: "I’ll do—"
The Syndicate grinned, Derek Cheng frowned, and Xiao Di gritted her teeth.
But Jill Young finished her sentence: "I’ll do your mother-in-law!"
For a moment, everyone was stunned. Nobody expected Jill Young to say something like that.
"Do you even know who you're talking to?" The Syndicate was shaking with rage, waving his dagger around. "Don’t mistake my mercy for weakness! I’m the uncrowned king of Steelbull City’s Queen District. One word from me and I’ll grind the Gunfire Angels to dust!"
"And do you know who you’re talking to?" Jill Young’s lips curled into a wild, sharp grin. "Just a Gunfire Angel—a gang of beggars, not even worth my time. Listen up: these two are my right and left hands. When I conquer Steelbull City, you won’t even have the privilege of meeting them." Clearly, Jill was ticked off by the old man’s attitude toward Xiao Di.
"You..." Xiao Di stared at Jill Young, her eyes full of complicated emotion.
"Conquer... Conquer Steelbull City?!" The Syndicate blew out his mustache and glared, then scoffed, "I thought you looked like somebody, but you’re just a lunatic."
"A lunatic’s still better than a clown like you." Jill Young leaned forward, arms tensed, and the cuffs on her wrists went taut. She flashed a sly grin. "Why do you think I’ve been chilling here? You think those two fox girls could really hold me down? I just knew you were heading for Steelbull City, so I hitched a ride. Now that we’re almost there, I’m jumping ship."
"What?" The Syndicate sensed something was off and yelled, "Take them out!" He swung his arm, and his dagger flashed toward Jill Young’s chest. Blood spurted—but it wasn’t Jill. It was Derek Cheng. Derek roared, broke free of his cuffs, and leapt in front of Jill. The sharp dagger stabbed into his abs, but only went in shallow—his rock-hard muscles stopped it from doing any real damage.
At the same time, Jill Young flexed and snapped her cuffs at their weakest point. She kicked the chair back, and with a loud creak, the screws holding the legs popped out like magic. She grabbed the steel chair and hurled it at the goons across the room. Bullets flew; Derek Cheng dove in, stabbing with a knife, and in a blink, snatched a gun.
Bang bang—Derek Cheng busted Xiao Di’s cuffs, yelling, "You two go, I’ll cover you!"
The Syndicate had already disappeared with the two fox girls, while squads of enemies poured in through the opposite door. Cake Dog charged at Derek Cheng, swinging with brute force. Derek blocked with his arm—a heavy, dull thud echoed, showing they were evenly matched.
"Hey, quit playing hero—let’s get outta here together!" Jill Young smashed open the rear door with the metal chair, calling out to Derek Cheng.
"No sweat, I got this." Derek Cheng booted Cake Dog across the room, then shoved Jill Young and Xiao Di toward the exit. "I’m your right-hand man, how could I bail before you? I’ll mop up here and catch up—clear my path!" Derek slammed the door shut, facing the oncoming goons, and started blasting.
In an instant, a barrage of gunfire filled the entire cabin.
Outside the door, Jill Young and Xiao Di tore down the corridor. Planes are simple—just run toward the tail. Sirens wailed, and a few goons tried to block them, but nothing could slow them down. After knocking out a few, they loaded up on guns and were armed to the teeth. (I’m wiped, like a fish outta water, gasping for air. Gotta crash now...)