(Super-sized chapter, 3K words~) But anyway, since Jill Young had made her decision, Xiao Di just had to grit her teeth and go for it too. And so, the fight kicked off. If you want to make it in this packed, chaotic alley, you need either serious brawling chops or top-notch gun skills. And trust me, this place had plenty of both. Some folks were even Dragon-Elephant class—packing enough power to go toe-to-toe with the SWAT team.
The street rang out with wild shouts, gunfire, and screams, all swirling together in the pitch-black hours before dawn. This was the wildest brawl since No One Under Heaven started up—a real test for the whole crew, barely a week old. Naturally, the chaos drew plenty of attention, both out in the open and under the table. In Steelbull City, you gotta know who actually runs your turf.
When the first streak of dawn hit the ground, Jill Young and Xiao Di walked out side by side from the far end of the alley, still smelling like gunpowder. Of course, not all their enemies got wiped out. In fact, except for the ones who fought like hell, most were just knocked out or floored. Right now, No One Under Heaven’s lackeys were busy rounding them up and stripping their weapons. After all, this was a recruitment center—not a slaughterhouse.
Xiao Di’s clothes were torn and bloodstained. Jill Young looked rough too—even her baseball cap for hiding her hair color had flown off. Still, both of them walked briskly together toward a teahouse across the street. The shop had just opened, tables still messy, but the owner knew what had gone down. He put on his best face and served them with extra energy. The two sat by the window, sipping milkshakes, just like any two regular girls eating breakfast.
"Ten blocks already, huh." Jill Young slouched in her chair, straw in her mouth, watching more people show up outside. "Guess I finally have some turf to my name. So, First Hall Master, what’s your move for the gang’s future?" For reference, Queen’s District has 188 blocks split into 16 zones—each with about ten blocks. Jill Young’s turf wasn’t exactly high-class, but in terms of numbers, it was respectable enough.
"Seriously, quit it with the First Hall Master thing..." Xiao Di groaned, then answered, "Next up, we should really take a breather. Lock down our turf, gather some intel, and upgrade our arsenal. Especially since our crew’s still tiny—barely anyone worth a damn. We’ll need time for recruiting."
"How long’s that gonna take?"
"Probably at least a month," Xiao Di shrugged.
"A month, huh..." Jill Young’s otherworld trips had never dragged on that long. Even though she’d gotten a few hints from the Golden Sigil this time and knew things weren’t too rushed, she still wasn’t about to waste all that time. "Can’t we speed things up? A month’s way too long."
"True." Xiao Di actually nodded for once. "Your lousy disguise won’t hold up much longer anyway. Black Pearl and those Reliable Fans could show up any day. Black Pearl’s just the new kid, but if we throw down head-to-head, we’re still way outmatched. And the Syndicate—who knows what they’re plotting, but they’re not gonna let us chill. But hey, it is what it is. Everything else is negotiable, but we’re way too short on crew." Xiao Di sighed. "Unless you can blow up our reputation fast, I got nothing."
Just then, a car that looked suspiciously like a Rolls-Royce Phantom screeched to a halt at the door—the infamous "Drug Lord No. 1." Pierce burst in, panting, plopped down next to them, slammed back a drink, and gasped, "Boss, we've got trouble!"
"What happened?" Xiao Di tensed up immediately. "Is it Black Pearl or the Syndicate?"
"Neither." Pierce thumped his chest. "It's Mr. Reckless."
"You mean the Reliable Fans found out who I am and want payback?" Jill Young was pretty chill about it.
"Nope, not those brainless fans—it's Mr. Reckless himself." Before Pierce could explain further, the little shop's TV switched to Bloodthroat Channel 3, where that infamous cat-man was tap-dancing like a lunatic. The announcer intoned: "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Reckless has just announced that in two days, after a three-month break, he'll host the wildly popular—yet totally insane—event: The Reliable Adventure. And this time, he's inviting the white-haired woman who made headlines last time for attacking Mr. Reckless. Will she accept? Stay tuned to Channel 3 for more updates."
As the announcer finished, the cat-man spun around, pointed straight at the camera—like he was calling out Jill Young right through the screen.
Pierce shrugged. "That's the deal." Then he got serious: "Hey boss, this show is crazy popular, but it's also crazy dangerous. No one's won in over a year."
"So," Jill Young snapped her fingers, "I just got a golden opportunity to skyrocket our reputation?"
"That's one way to put it, but..."
"Then it's settled!" Jill Young clapped Pierce on the shoulder. "Spread the word—I'm in. Two days from now, I'll show up for this so-called Reliable Adventure and see just how reliable it really is!" Her eyes sparkled at the mention of adventure.
But just then, Xiao Di suddenly spoke up. "Wait—before you go on TV, you need to get two things sorted."
"What things?" Jill Young guessed. "Let me guess—some decent guns?"
"That's just one of them—and honestly, it's not even the important one."
"So what's the important one?" Jill Young looked confused.
"And you call yourself a woman." Xiao Di eyed Jill Young's tracksuit, curling her lip. "Obviously, you need a new outfit."
…………………………………………………………………………………
Your clothes are hideous—if you show up on TV like that, not only will you tank our reputation, you'll embarrass No One Under Heaven. That was Xiao Di's opening argument about Jill Young's fashion sense. Of course, while Xiao Di was gearing up to make her case, Jill Young took a few shots at the "mop" on Xiao Di's head and the "three pounds of flour" on her face.
So, while Pierce drove them to the clothing store, the two ladies in the back seat kicked off another not-so-civilized debate.
Honestly, when it comes to fashion sense, Xiao Di totally outclassed Jill Young. And as for where to shop, Xiao Di made the call instantly—the Holy Garment Society.
There wasn't any special reason for picking this place—Xiao Di wasn't obsessed with some super-popular anime from Earth or anything. The shop certainly didn't have anything that magical. She chose it simply because it was in No One Under Heaven's territory, right on the street they'd just taken over.
When Drug Lord No. 1 pulled up in front of the single-story shop, Holy Garment Society had just opened. Two Black women—one plump, one skinny—were minding the store, clearly employees. They didn't seem like the type to follow breaking news; when they saw Jill Young and her crew, they didn't bother to greet them. Obviously, they had no clue the new bosses of the block had arrived.
"This place is... barely passable." Xiao Di glanced around at the clothes, a bit unimpressed. "The clothes are okay, but the decor, the colors, the layout—just screams low-rent."
"Quit whining and just buy something," Jill Young urged, then grinned slyly. "Hey, let's call this an employee perk—I'll get you a whole new look. Ditch that flour-face and those rags, and let me see something decent for once. If you can't even fix yourself up, don't expect me to ditch my tracksuit."
"Fine, fine—I've been meaning to change since that parachute jump, but work's been nuts. I can't believe I waited this long." Xiao Di scanned the racks, grabbed a pile of clothes, and ducked into the fitting room. When she reemerged, Jill Young and Pierce were practically blinded.
Let's put it this way: Before she went in, Xiao Di looked like the kind of low-level punk who'd have a gun tattooed on her lower back, squat on a car roof making faces, or maybe yank off someone's—or her own—bra in a sketchy bar. Maybe she wasn't actually like that, but she sure looked the part: pure low-class troublemaker.
But when she came out, she was suddenly the type to sit on a giant boss's desk with her legs crossed, puffing on a lady's cigarette while meticulously cleaning a heavy firearm. She radiated a wild mix of glamour and ferocity—big eyes, high cheekbones, sharp features, like some kind of Native American huntress.
The kicker—Jill Young pointed, stunned: "Wait, you're not even white!"
Honestly, it was hard to pin down Xiao Di's ethnicity now—she looked like she had the best features of Black, White, and Asian all rolled into one. In terms of looks alone, since Jill Young arrived in this world, Xiao Di was the third prettiest woman she'd seen—the two foxes from the Syndicate were first and second.
"Okay, maybe I did go a little heavy on the powder before—can we drop it already? In you go, get in there." Xiao Di shoved Jill Young into the fitting room, yanked the curtain shut, and declared, "You wear whatever I hand you, got it?" She rubbed her hands together, shadows flickering across her face, her voice pure fashionista, eyes gleaming like light bulbs: "Come on, let's get you out of that hideous tracksuit..."