Razor burst into loud laughter, as if crushing Sam Li with one hand would be effortless. He promised that after this job was done, he would help the Dog King deal with the Sons of Calydon and Sam Li.
At that moment, off to the side, a younger member cautiously approached.
"Boss, it's almost time. The brothers are getting impatient. Can we start?"
Razor smiled confidently. "No need to rush. We'll move once the scouts return."
Despite his burly appearance, Razor was actually extremely cautious. Before every operation, he made sure to gather intel in advance to avoid falling into traps set by the Public Security Bureau. He also always prepared an escape route ahead of time—if they were spotted, they could retreat immediately through hidden cracks in the Hollows that led straight to Hollow Zero.
This was exactly why Razor dared to act time and again without fear of discovery. Even if the Public Security Bureau did catch on, he could still retreat in time.
After a short wait, another henchman ran in from outside the abandoned building, bringing new information.
"Boss Razor, something's wrong! There's a new situation!"
The henchman, clutching a spiked club, ran over breathlessly.
Seeing this, Razor immediately frowned. "Why the panic? What happened?"
The Dog King, nearby, asked warily, "Could it be the Public Security Bureau? Tell me—did they show up?"
Having just joined the Mountain Lion Gang, the Dog King was especially wary of the Public Security Bureau. If they really had appeared, he'd be the first to run.
But the henchman quickly shook his head. "No, not the Public Security Bureau. It's a bunch of students in school uniforms and adults—they suddenly showed up near the old construction site and completely threw off our plan..."
Their original plan had been to kidnap the workers at the site and demand a hefty ransom in Dennies from Belobog Heavy Industries. But with a vehicle full of students and parents suddenly arriving, their plan was completely disrupted.
However, after hearing this, Razor wasn't the least bit flustered. Instead, he laughed gleefully.
"Don't panic, this is great news! Those workers weren't worth much anyway. These students are different—some of them are from the city center. They're worth far more."
Razor was ecstatic. If they could snatch a few of the students, the payout would be huge—far more than any previous operation.
After this job, the Mountain Lion Gang could finally afford more weapons, W-Engines, and drive disks off the black market…
They'd equip every last one of their brothers.
Even if they ran into the main force of the Public Security Bureau, they wouldn't have to flee in a panic anymore.
The Dog King still had doubts. "But Boss, if we kidnap students, it'll definitely cause a bigger uproar."
Razor clapped him on the shoulder. "You're new, so you don't yet understand how powerful we are. I don't blame you. Once you see what the Mountain Lion Gang is truly capable of, you'll know why we're not afraid of the Public Security Bureau."
Since the kidnapping target had changed—from construction workers to students on a social internship—the plan needed to be revised.
As Razor gathered his men and began reallocating tasks...
Nearby, Jane listened to the plan, her brow subtly furrowed with concern. This sudden twist had disrupted her own arrangements. The intelligence she'd relayed to the Public Security Bureau didn't account for this change. She worried the altered plan might interfere with the Bureau's response.
Just then, the Dog King glanced at Jane and noticed her frown. He snorted internally.
"What, the Mountain Lion Gang's about to score big, and you're not happy?"
Jane immediately smiled. "Of course not. I'm just worried about Boss Razor. Changing the plan might put the Mountain Lion Gang at risk. We don't know the background of these students—if we grab the wrong ones, it could bring trouble."
Her words made sense, and the nearby henchmen nodded in agreement.
In New Eridu, there were plenty of people they couldn't afford to mess with.
But Razor just laughed. "We're not even afraid of the Public Security Bureau. Who else could scare us? As long as we're in the Hollows, no one can touch us."
Since the boss had spoken, the younger members could only nod in agreement.
Soon, the new plan was finalized.
Just like before, Jane would lead a few men to handle the guards near the Hollow entrance, while the Dog King would lead the team responsible for the kidnapping.
Razor, as always, would command from the shadows.
After hearing the full plan, Jane's lips curled into a slight smile. Her gaze toward Razor held a hint of disdain.
He called himself the Lion King, but he was just a cowardly little cat who only dared to hide in the dark and give orders.
The Dog King glanced at her again. "What are you smiling at?"
Jane smiled gently. "I'm happy for the Mountain Lion Gang. Under Boss Razor's wise leadership, we're marching toward greatness."
Razor was clearly pleased with the praise and burst into hearty laughter. "Let's begin."
...
Just as the Mountain Lion Gang finalized their new plan and prepared to act against the students near the old construction site...
At that very moment.
In the Lumina Square Janus Branch of New Eridu's urban district...
A spacious conference room hosted a pre-operation briefing.
Zhu Yuan stood before a large screen, briefing the participating officers on the criminals and the mission goals.
"These are the core members of the Mountain Lion Gang. My plan is to launch a targeted assault using a small elite force to take them out—especially their leader, Razor."
As soon as she finished, a hand went up.
It was Seth, a newcomer to the Public Security Bureau. "I have a question, Captain Zhu Yuan. Why don't we just deploy a full force and crush the Mountain Lion Gang in one strike? No matter how tough they are, they can't possibly go toe-to-toe with us."
Zhu Yuan was about to respond when another middle-aged officer shook his head.
"Because the Mountain Lion Gang knows full well they can't win in a head-on fight. In front of the Public Security Bureau, they're nothing but a clawed kitten.
The real challenge lies in how they never face us directly—they always hide in the Hollows.
We once launched a full-scale sweep to wipe them out, but even then, we couldn't eradicate them completely...
Unless, of course, you've brought good news with your report, Officer Qingyi."