Shortly after Zhang Yang posted his new update, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations on completing the challenge mission: Steal the Sheep Head of the Twelve Bronze Zodiac from the Eagle Nation!]
[Reward: A random skill will be upgraded to the maximum level!]
In the next second, the system selected Enhanced Physique, instantly leveling it up to max!
[Ding!]
[Enhanced Physique skill has been upgraded to max level. Current skill level: Level 8!]
Zhang Yang took a deep breath. Before he could even experience the changes that came with a max-level Enhanced Physique, a return mission popped up.
[Ding!]
[Return Mission: Deliver the Sheep Head of the Zodiac to the Dragon Nation's Embassy in the Eagle Nation!]
[Reward: Choose between 100 skill points or 30,000 system credits.]
This was the third Twelve Zodiac Head Zhang Yang had retrieved, yet the reward for the return mission hadn't increased.
He couldn't help but shake his head and complain,
"Even old employees get raises… but this system won't even bump up my reward!"
Still, he didn't hesitate. He got up and headed out.
At the moment, Harrison and the others probably hadn't realized anything yet. There weren't any agents stationed around the Dragon Nation's Embassy.
If it were like back in Britain—where even a fly couldn't slip past the Dragon Nation's Embassy—things would get much harder for Zhang Yang, and the embassy would face serious trouble transporting the Sheep Head safely back home.
An hour later, Zhang Yang drove near the embassy. After confirming that there were no surveillance or agents from the Eagle Nation nearby, he pulled up to the entrance, placed the box containing the Sheep Head by the gate, then hit the gas and sped away.
This was, after all, the Dragon Nation's Embassy in the Eagle Nation. There was always a risk of a surprise attack.
On top of that, Zhang Yang had just dropped off an unmarked package, which made the gate security extra cautious.
"Reporting: We've received an unidentified parcel at the entrance. Possible threat detected. Requesting immediate backup!"
Upon hearing this, the head officer didn't even hesitate and ordered the box to be brought directly to his office.
Back when Zhang Yang first flew into the country, the embassy had already received word: if necessary, provide Kaitō Kid with covert assistance and protection.
The embassy head had been closely following Kaitō Kid's movements. In fact, he had been watching Marina's livestream since the beginning.
"Sheep Head?"
The officer's heart was pounding as he received the package from the guards, his hands trembling as he carefully opened the box.
The moment he saw the Sheep Head inside, his excitement nearly made him leap from his seat.
He immediately reported the situation to the Dragon Nation and began planning a quiet, low-profile operation to escort the Sheep Head home.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations on completing the Return Mission. Please choose your reward: 100 skill points or 30,000 system credits.]
Zhang Yang didn't hesitate. He selected the 100 skill points.
Even a mosquito leg is still meat.
Meanwhile, in a hospital in the Eagle Nation, several staff members from the Island Nation's embassy were anxiously waiting outside an operating room.
They had received intel that Itō Itsuki would be tracking Kaitō Kid in the Eagle Nation.
But no one had heard from him—until Frank called and told them to come pick him up from Carlos's estate. That was when they learned Itō Itsuki had been shot!
"Baka! That bastard Frank actually shot Itō-kun!"
"If this affects his ascension to Heaven-nin status, the Itō clan will not let this slide!"
If the Itō clan got angry, that fury would undoubtedly fall on their shoulders.
Just then, the surgeon exited the operating room and handed them the extracted bullet.
"Doctor, is the injury serious?" one of the officials asked anxiously.
The doctor took a deep breath and solemnly gave the results.
"The bullet damaged both the tendon and the nerve in his lower leg. That leg will definitely be weakened for life."
Hearing that, the embassy official felt like the sky was collapsing.
With Itō Itsuki's leg crippled, not only could he forget about advancing to Heaven-nin—he might not even be able to keep his current Earth-nin rank.
"Baka! The Itō clan is going to go berserk!"
"Hurry! Report this to His Majesty immediately!"
And so, early the next morning, the Island Nation and the Eagle Nation officially broke into a diplomatic spat.
The Island Nation expressed intense dissatisfaction with the FBI's reckless use of force. On top of that, they had the added pressure of the Itō clan's fury, which only made their demands for accountability more aggressive.
But the Eagle Nation refused to take responsibility. Itō Itsuki had acted without authorization and broken into an active operation zone—getting shot was his own fault.
Besides, the Island Nation was just a junior partner. Their chest-puffing demands were mostly for show—to appease the Itō clan.
Still, the clash between the two governments turned into pure entertainment for netizens around the world.
[Hahaha, this drama is gold. Little bro's trying to demand justice from big bro!]
[First we had Itō Itsuki's delusional confidence, now we've got the Island Nation fumbling around like it's got no clue who's in charge—truly birds of a feather!]
[Fuck! They seriously have the nerve to demand accountability? This is the second time Itō Itsuki barged in and caused chaos!]
[This time he's probably done for. A gunshot to the calf? That's game over for a ninja.]
[Say goodbye to the ninja career. And let's be real—ninjutsu never matched up to Huaxian kung fu anyway. A limp ninja is no ninja.]
When Zhang Yang woke up, the trending news had already caught his attention.
Major outlets were reporting the story, and Itō Itsuki was now widely mocked as a bootleg Kaitō Kid.
The reports were full of sarcasm and derision.
[If you're not skilled, train harder. Don't go challenging Kaitō Kid if you don't have the chops!]
[Overconfidence kills. This lesson will stick with him for life!]
[Honestly, someone should interview him. What was he thinking when he charged into a heavily armed estate?]
[Haha, he must've thought, "If Kaitō Kid can do it, so can I!" Too bad he caught a bullet instead!]
Zhang Yang offered a token gesture of sympathy… but when he read through the comments, he couldn't help bursting out laughing.
"Itō Itsuki's ninja career probably ends here."
Meanwhile, Frank was getting reamed by his superiors.
The failure of this operation had made the Eagle Nation lose face on the international stage.
Carlos's status as a high-ranking councilman only made things worse—now there was a spotlight on the whole affair.
[Carlos is a councilman, and his Sheep Head got stolen. And what's the Eagle Nation doing? Nothing?!]
[Bald eagles must be scheming something. It's time for Kaitō Kid to vanish!]
[The Eagle Nation may be stronger overall than Britain. If one of their councilmen got hit, they might just go nuclear.]
[Oh my god, I'm wishing Kaitō Kid the best from over in Britain!]
[Even Marina's a fan of Kaitō Kid—this whole thing is too funny!]
Frank was furious. He tracked down Harrison immediately.
Because at this point, their number one priority was clear—catch Kaitō Kid.
If they failed again, it wouldn't just be Harrison getting sent home to farm pigs—Frank himself could get demoted to traffic duty.