The plane landed at Hong Kong Airport. Throughout the journey, Charlie kept a stony silence. In fact, seeing Jack Young again after so long always gave Charlie an odd feeling. Back then, he was supposed to be looking for Jack, but the Queen showed up instead. Now, he was supposed to find the Queen, but Jack came along. Maybe this was what people called fate playing tricks. After getting off the plane, Jack was surprised to find that, as a "stranger," his reception was pretty high-class—Jonathan Black actually came to the airport to greet him in person.
"You must be Jonathan Black, right? Nice to meet you—I'm Jack Young." Jack took the initiative to shake Jonathan's hand, and with his subtle sense for changes, he noticed Jonathan's whole body trembled slightly as his grip started to tighten.
Heh, just like the first time we met—does this guy have a thing for grip strength contests or something? But Jack didn't crush back, just defused it easily. Plus, Jonathan's grip was strong, almost on par with the second stage of the Titan Spirit Method.
After the handshake, Jonathan let out a breath and gave an awkward smile. "Sorry about that, you caught me off guard—just a reflex." Then he stared intently at Jack. "Mr. Yang... This is our first meeting. How much did you hear from the Queen?"
"Everything." Jack glanced at Bobby Brooks and Sophie Chow, gave them a nod and a smile. "Whatever she knows, I know, so no need for introductions. Let's get straight to the point—what's the deal this time?"
"Well..." Jonathan chose his words carefully. "This mess doesn't actually have much to do with you, Mr. Yang. It's my own crisis. It's dangerous, and it involves a powerful American family with eyes and hands everywhere. If you don't want to get mixed up, I totally understand."
"Alright, enough with the speeches." Jack patted Jonathan on the shoulder and strode ahead. "She's caused you plenty of trouble here, so it's only fair I pay back the favor." Everyone knew "she" meant the Queen.
Jonathan opened the door of a luxury car. Once inside, he asked, "Just how close are you and the Queen?"
"Us?" Jack laughed and replied, firm as a nail: "Life and death together."
"Got it." Jonathan took a deep breath. "This time, we're fighting for dignity. Our target is my half-brother—Donald Zade."
"Details."
"He's paid big money to bring in a bunch of underground fighters. Officially, it's for a Black Fist Tournament with a massive prize pool, but the whole thing is super secret. We still haven't figured out his real motive, but lots of top underground bosses have shown up. For just one fight night, the guest list is way too fancy."
"So what's the mission?"
"Simple." Jonathan's eyes flashed cold. "Kidnap Donald Zade, torture him, and get him to spill about my mother."
"Sounds like you and your brother aren't exactly best pals." Jack mused. "I don't know much about the lives of underground bosses, but if you need a tournament as cover, his security must be tight. And since he's running a secret event, the protection will be even stricter. We have to get close first. Got a way to sneak in?"
Jonathan gave a cold laugh and nodded. "No one knows who Phantom Mask really is. He won't be on guard against Phantom Mask."
"Alright." Jack nodded. "When do we head out?"
"Three days from now."
Three days later, a yacht left Macau Harbor and sailed into the vast sea. Once in international waters, under cover of night, a small boat was lowered and headed east. Half an hour later, a massive ship appeared in the distance. Soon, the people on the small boat boarded the big ship's deck.
"Only three people allowed on board: the fighter, the manager, and the boss. Everyone else, go back." A burly man in a black jumpsuit said coldly. "And you—you're Phantom Mask, right? Where's our special guest, the Bloody Queen?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure stepped forward. The person was wrapped in a cloak that covered their whole body, with a hood pulled low over their face. Only platinum-blonde hair spilled out, strikingly bright against the dark cloak.
"You're the Bloody Queen?" the burly man asked suspiciously.
But the cloaked figure just strode forward, not slowing down even as she reached the burly man. "Move it, trash." A cold female voice came from under the hood. The man was about to get angry, but then the hood lifted slightly, revealing something crimson—a terrifying devil mask covering most of her face. Her eyes flashed coldly, and it looked like if he said one more word, she'd go on a killing spree.
The burly man wisely kept quiet. He'd heard all about the Bloody Queen's reputation and temper—some stories were downright wild, like her killing three big guys with a single punch. She was the boss's prized fighter, and if she killed him here, it'd be a pointless death. So, he stepped aside and let her through.
From start to finish, the woman never slowed her stride—silent and commanding.
Right behind her, Phantom Mask, face hidden by a devil mask, followed her in. The burly man wanted to say something, but Phantom Mask was just as intimidating, and ignored him too.
The burly man felt a bit frustrated. Ever since he started this job, thanks to his powerful boss, he'd never been pushed around by outsiders. Now his pride and his tone both took a hit. Annoyed, he barked, "Where's the manager? Hurry up and get inside!"
"Coming, coming!" A young man rushed over, flustered and juggling a mountain of bags and boxes, nearly buried under them. Unlike the cool, tough duo before him, this manager looked like he was in panic mode. He wore a small mask on his face, but his smile was friendly: "Sorry for the wait, big guy! Heading in now."
"Hold up," the burly man said, blocking him and pointing at the luggage. "All this stuff needs to be checked. You, come with me—everyone else, clear out!" The others returned to the small boat while the manager followed the burly man to a cabin, putting all the bags on the table.
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"Why so much luggage?" The burly man casually opened a suitcase, his eyes sharp as a hawk as he scrutinized the manager. "And take off that thing on your face—let me see if you're suspicious."
"Come on, big guy, you kidding? I don't want to look like Zorro either, honestly, it's kinda embarrassing." He glanced around, then leaned in and whispered, "It's just the boss's weird sense of humor. Nothing I can do." With that, he took off the mask, revealing a handsome East Asian face.
"Huh?" The burly man eyed him. "I remember the Bloody Queen's manager was some annoying short, chubby guy. When did you take over?"
"You know that guy was a pain, right? The Queen didn't like him, so now it's me." The manager smiled warmly. "Look at all this luggage—it's just stuff the Queen likes. You know how it is, women always pack a little extra."
"Is that so?" the burly man said sarcastically, roughly rummaging through the suitcases and tossing things everywhere.
Smack—the manager put his hand on the next suitcase, grinning apologetically. "Big guy, this one's all the Queen's personal stuff. If she finds out anyone touched it, she'll kill me for sure. Please, have mercy and let me off the hook?"
"You must make pretty good money as the Bloody Queen's manager, huh?" The burly man's eyes glinted.
"Haha, just earning a living." The manager got the hint and slipped a wad of cash into the burly man's pocket. "A little convenience for you, a little convenience for me, just for safety. Please, let me off easy."
The burly man checked the amount, and after a few rounds of threats and extortion, finally let the poor manager go. The manager hurriedly packed up all the luggage and rushed off to the Bloody Queen's cabin, bags in tow.