Soon, Ian Song walked over to the Steinway piano, sat down, lifted the lid, and looked at the bright black-and-white keys. Instinctively, he placed both hands on them—the touch was perfect.
His fingers brushed across the keys, and instantly, a string of beautiful glissando notes flowed from his fingertips.
"A master is a master—even his glissando sounds so graceful and moving." Standing to the side, Luna Shangguan clutched her notebook to her chest and thought to herself.
"Dong dong dong dong!"
In the next moment, the familiar notes of "Blue and White Porcelain" drifted from Ian Song's fingers. Even though he hadn't touched a piano in a long time, he didn't feel rusty at all.
His Infection ability quietly activated, drawing Luna Shangguan, the four waitresses, and several customers into a gentle, rain-soaked Jiangnan water town. It was as if they saw a beautiful heroine and a young hero, each carrying an oil-paper umbrella, brushing past each other on a stone bridge—then turning back at the same moment to look at one another...
A tragic love story quickly blossomed in their hearts. Unknowingly, tears welled up in their eyes—whether moved by the music itself or the story hidden within.
When the piece ended, Luna and the others were still immersed in the music and its story. For a moment, the entire café was filled with a sorrowful stillness.
Just then, a group of people pushed open the glass doors and walked in, shattering the rare tranquility.
Ian Song knew who they were without even turning around. He thought to himself: The Green-Red Gang really does run Magic City. I’ve only been in this café for half an hour, and they’ve already tracked me down.
There weren’t many—just six men.
One was Innate Seventh Layer, two were Innate Sixths, and three were Innate Fifths. Aside from Howard Zuo, the boss, it looked like the Green-Red Gang had sent all their top fighters.
"Sir, please come with us." The leader, the Innate Seventh Layer, spoke with wary respect to Ian Song. His name was Trevor Zhong, one of the Green-Red Gang’s deputy bosses.
Ian Song slowly stood up, turned around, and smiled at them. "From the Green-Red Gang, I presume?"
"That’s right. We hope you’ll cooperate," Trevor Zhong said in a low voice.
Luna Shangguan’s expression changed dramatically when she heard the name Green-Red Gang—her eyes filled with fear and hatred. But when she realized they wanted to take Ian Song away, she didn’t hesitate: she rushed in front of him, spread her arms to shield him, and shouted at Trevor Zhong, “I won’t let you take him!” Then she called out to Mindy nearby, “Mindy, call the police!”
Mindy hurriedly pulled out her phone to dial the police, but a cold flash of light shot across the room, striking her phone and shattering it into countless pieces that fell to the floor.
"Ah!"
Mindy screamed, stumbling back two steps, her face pale with fear.
The other customers in the café, hearing the name Green-Red Gang, immediately got up and fled in panic.
"This is Green-Red Gang business. Outsiders had best not interfere. Miss, please step aside, or don’t blame us for being rude!" Trevor Zhong said coldly to Luna Shangguan.
Luna was stunned by the scene, her face pale, but she stubbornly shook her head. "No, I won’t let you take him."
Seeing this, Trevor Zhong frowned, growing impatient. He looked at Ian Song and said, "Are you really going to hide behind a woman?"
"I really don’t like the way your Green-Red Gang does things."
Ian Song replied calmly, then gently put his hand on Luna Shangguan’s shoulder and spoke softly: "Miss Shangguan, please step aside. This is between me and the Green-Red Gang."
Luna cried out anxiously, "No, Master Song, don’t go with them! The Green-Red Gang are ruthless killers—they do all kinds of evil!"
"Hmph! How dare you insult the Green-Red Gang—you’re asking for trouble!"
One of the Innate Sixths behind Trevor Zhong snorted, stepped forward, and raised his hand to chop at Luna Shangguan. He held back a little, but it was still enough to seriously injure a normal person.
"Get back!"
Ian Song’s expression turned cold. These Green-Red Gang thugs really were outrageous, attacking a civilian without hesitation.
"Whoosh!"
A strand of true qi shot from Ian Song’s fingertips, piercing the Innate Sixth’s chest like lightning and exploding inside.
"Bang!"
The Innate Sixth was blasted backward, crashing to the ground, blood spurting from his mouth as his expression went slack.
With just a wisp of qi, Ian Song had gravely injured an Innate Sixth.
Seeing this, Trevor Zhong’s face changed dramatically. After hearing about Quentin Qi being crushed in one move, he and Howard Zuo had suspected Ian Song was probably an Innate Seventh peak expert. But now, seeing it for himself, Trevor was sure: Ian Song wasn’t just Innate Seventh—he had to be Innate Eighth.
Still, the boss had given a dead-or-alive order: they had to bring Ian Song back no matter what.
But now, with just the five of them, it would be almost impossible to take him down. Thinking of this, Trevor Zhong shot a look at his four subordinates.
The four instantly understood and darted toward Mindy and the other waitresses. Trevor Zhong lunged at Ian Song, hoping that if he could distract Ian for a moment, the others could grab the waitresses as hostages and force Ian to cooperate.
Unfortunately, he’d miscalculated—Ian Song wasn’t just Innate Eighth, so this plan was doomed from the start.
"Courting death!"
Seeing the four Innate experts rush at Mindy and the others, Ian Song instantly understood their plan. His face turned cold.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
Four streams of qi shot from his fingertips, instantly catching up to the four Innate experts and piercing into their bodies.
"Bang bang bang bang!"
The qi exploded inside them, and all four collapsed to the ground, screaming and coughing up blood—each one gravely injured.
"Die!"
At that moment, Trevor Zhong lunged at Ian Song, a sharp dagger slipping from his sleeve as he thrust it toward Ian’s heart.
"Get lost!"
Ian raised his hand and slapped out a palm.
A surge of true qi exploded—Trevor Zhong felt as if he’d been hit by a speeding train, then was sent flying straight out the café doors, crashing onto the stone pavement outside.
Seeing this, Luna Shangguan’s eyes went wide. She’d just watched Ian Song move his fingers and lift his hand—five men were either coughing up blood or sent flying out the door. It was simply unbelievable.
"Song—Song Master, did you do all this?"
Meeting Luna Shangguan’s gaze, Ian Song nodded. "I did. By the way, judging by your reaction to the Green-Red Gang, do you have a grudge against them?"
Luna hesitated, then said, "Both my parents were killed by them, and my uncle was framed and sent to prison. The Green-Red Gang is the reason my family was destroyed!"
"I see." Ian Song nodded, then solemnly promised Luna, "From today onward, the Green-Red Gang will cease to exist!"