Of the three things Jill Young set out to do, two are already done. The first was taken care of by Xiao Di, the second handled by Pierce running around doing paperwork. Now, for the last one, Jill solemnly gave orders to two hall leaders: Find out what happened to Derek Cheng.
Derek Cheng—he’s blocked bullets, blocked knives, always the first to charge in and the last to run out. Sure, he’s a gangster, but he’s got that old-school chivalry, ladies first. He may have had his eye on Jill Young, but he never pestered her or made things awkward. As Jill puts it: In this crazy world, his little glances are about as pure as they come.
During the Syndicate’s airplane showdown, Derek Cheng covered for Jill Young and Xiao Di, but afterwards, he vanished without a trace. Anyone with half a brain can guess—Big Head ended up in the hands of the Syndicate. Captured, maybe dead, who knows. Back when No One Under Heaven was weak and small, they couldn’t arm-wrestle the Syndicate, so they had to lay low and quietly build up. Now, even though No One Under Heaven still isn’t a match for the Syndicate Group, Jill Young’s done waiting.
The longer this drags out, the more things can go wrong. So Jill Young gave the official order: “Xiao Di, forget about turf wars and little stuff for now—put everything into tracking down Big Head. I want him back, alive.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Xiao Di dashed off in a whirlwind. If anyone’s worried about this, it’s her. Derek Cheng used to be her number two—maybe something was going on there, but either way, they’re tight.
“Pierce, drop that dead-end drug dealer gig for now. Fire up your intel network and dig into everything Syndicate-related. If you can find where that old man’s hiding, all the better—I want a body if he’s dead.”
“No problem, boss.” Pierce used to be a half-baked info broker, so he’s got some connections. Jill Young’s banking on him for this one. Once her two lieutenants left, Jill pulled out a slice of meat. The stuff she brought from the real world was all gone—this piece came from a mutant beast in Reliable Adventure.
She cooked up the meat and popped it in her mouth, frowning: “This tastes... kinda sketchy...” If the last meat was like an XP potion, this one’s got extra weirdness mixed in. Sure, it gives you experience, but you can’t just gulp it down. In xianxia terms, you gotta ‘refine’ it first.
“These mutant beasts are something else...”
Three days later. Night. Inside the Syndicate Group boss’s office.
The Syndicate slammed the financial report onto the desk, his face thunderous. “What’s wrong, boss?” One of the fox spirits picked up the report and glanced at it, puzzled. “Profits are up seven percent—isn’t that good news?” The Syndicate took a frustrated drag on his cigar. “Yeah, it’s good—except every bit of that increase is coming from No One Under Heaven’s territory!”
The two fox spirits exchanged glances, both a little spooked. “You mean...”
“Exactly. In no time at all, that crazy broad’s got her feet firmly planted! She does things her own way, but somehow trade volume shot up! I tried everything to get those nobodies out spending at night, but nothing worked. That woman just fiddled around and boom—night market pops up!” The Syndicate started pacing. “We’ve tried attacks, assassinations, sent in Reliable Adventure fans to stir things up—none of it worked! She just strolls down the street and spots our people in the crowd. She goes to the beach, and she finds our guys hiding underwater. Does she even have a weakness?”
The two fox spirits moved closer, Yubi kneading the Syndicate’s shoulders with a coquettish giggle. “Don’t worry, boss, she’s still a woman. And every woman’s got a ‘weak spot,’ right?”
“Hmph, don’t give me that. Be practical.” The Syndicate grumbled, but sat back down. Rubbing his forehead, he suddenly said, “But you’re not wrong. Everybody’s got desires—women too. If I can nail down her desires, I’ll have her in the palm of my hand. I’ll squeeze her any way I want.”
“You’re right, boss. Women don’t just have desires—they’re strong, too.” The fox spirit whispered in his ear, making his heart race. “Women are slaves to desire.”
The Syndicate kept a straight face, but inside he was thinking these two were real knockout babes. First, business—then, some ‘relaxation.’ He pressed a button, and the big screen behind his desk lit up, showing a shadowy figure. It was none other than Cake Dog.
“What’s up, boss?” Cake Dog was still getting injections, but clearly not in the hospital—and could already talk. Then came that weird voice, like a tree demon granny, mixing male and female tones.
“Glad you’re out of the hospital, but I’ve got a job for you right now. Since you’re at Dog Squad HQ, time to get to work.” The Syndicate ordered Cake Dog, “Now, immediately, go dig up everything on that No One Under Heaven woman. I want detailed intel—her likes, her weaknesses, what she cares about, everything!”
“Actually, that’s not hard to find.” Cake Dog looked like he’d been expecting this. “I just got out, but I already had people collecting info. Her fights, survival skills, personality, hobbies—you name it.”
With such a sharp and capable underling, the Syndicate’s mood eased. “And then?”
“The civilians, especially those in her territory, have been analyzed up and down for her personality and preferences. Some folks even sell that info. But I figure that’s not what you really want,” Cake Dog said, lips pursing. “You just want a way to kill her or catch her alive, right?”
“Well said.” The Syndicate nodded. Usually, he couldn’t stand this musclehead—too much beefcake for his taste. But now, he realized this guy was the one to trust. “Got any plans?”
“I’ve got a few.” While everyone else was stumped, Cake Dog rattled off ideas: “First, poison her favorite restaurant. Bad rep, but simple and effective. Second, send in a pretty boy for a honey trap—slow results, lots of variables, and she still hasn’t shown a type. My safest bet? Blackmail.”
“Blackmail?” The Syndicate frowned. “How?”
“Hit her where it hurts—her people. Lovers, friends, family, whatever.” Cake Dog pitched his plan. “Her gang’s still too new, no roots. If word gets out that someone she cares about is getting executed in Wu Luan District or somewhere else, her crew won’t be able to reach. Only way is a strike team. And as for strike teams—No One Under Heaven doesn’t have anyone sharper than her.”
The Syndicate got it, slapping his thigh. “Then we’ll set up a massive trap—she comes, she’s not leaving; we’ll catch her in one net. If she doesn’t show, we’ll have Blood Throat Channel 3 broadcast it citywide, wreck her reputation. That’ll stir up chaos in her gang, and all those drug lords and casino bosses itching for a chance will pile on. She’ll have nowhere left in Steelbull City!” He leaned back, thinking. “But what’s the best bait?”
“No leads on family or relatives—the best bait right now is that woman Xiao Di.” Cake Dog was feeling pretty smug. “She’s the woman’s right hand, runs the gang day-to-day. If anything happens to her, the whole gang shakes.”
The Syndicate thought it over, then shook his head. “Tough. Xiao Di’s a pro, hard to grab. And if you could kidnap her, you wouldn’t need the execution drama—her intel alone could wipe out No One Under Heaven.”
“We’ve got another good candidate.” Cake Dog revealed another nasty trick. “Remember that big guy on the plane?”
“Him?” Just thinking about that guy made the Syndicate uneasy and furious. “Right, he used to be a big shot with the Gunfire Angels!”
“Exactly. My intel says his name’s Derek Cheng. A year ago, he ran a gang in the Rock Zone and was Lucas’s rival. If you can arm-wrestle ‘Blood Fist’ Lucas, you’re no pushover. Later, he moved to Steelbull City and became Xiao Di’s right hand—they’re close.” Cake Dog grinned, face twisted with excitement. “If we publicly execute Derek Cheng, whether that woman shows up or not, Xiao Di will definitely come. And once she’s caught, it’s the same result!”
One of the fox spirits asked, “Isn’t Derek Cheng already...”
“But Xiao Di doesn’t know that,” Cake Dog said confidently. “We’ll just find someone about his size, dress him up, and put him on TV—it’ll look close enough.”
“Hahaha, brilliant!” The Syndicate jumped up, all fired up. “It’s settled—this time, we’ll trap them good!”
Plan made, the Syndicate was all smug. But suddenly, an alarm blared from Cake Dog’s screen—then gunshots. Cake Dog’s face changed, and a second later, the whole screen went black.
The Syndicate’s face darkened instantly, a bad feeling creeping in. “Quick! Dog Squad HQ is under attack—get Morningstar’s crew in there, now!”
Flashback, ten minutes earlier.
Ten minutes before, under the night sky on a rooftop, Pierce was watching a nearby skyscraper through binoculars. Bluetooth earpiece in, he said, “Boss, be careful. That building is Dog Squad HQ. Dog Squad’s the Syndicate’s eyes and ears—the sharpest info gang in Queen’s District. If we want info on Derek Cheng, we’re better off asking them directly instead of searching ourselves. Dog Squad’s super alert and packed with people. You’ll have to sneak to the top, grab a key target, and get the security codes—then we can skip all the grunts and go straight for the jackpot.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got a good memory. Who’s our target again? Chicken Face?” (Cameo building under construction)
“It’s Ren Xiangji. Cake Dog’s whereabouts are unknown, so right now Ren Xiangji is the top dog here. The penthouse is cut off from the rest of the building—only a secret elevator goes up. Find that kid and we’ll have the place locked down.” Pierce double-checked, “You remember what he looks like, right?”
“Crystal clear—Chicken Face, right? Okay, don’t bug me, I’m working at altitude.” Jill Young hung up, looked up—fifty floors to go. Zoom out: in the deep night, clinging to the black glass wall of Dog Squad HQ, Jill Young, dressed in black, was already fifty stories up. Like a movie spy, she crawled along with special suction gear, blending right in.