In the vast mountain ranges of the southwest frontier, deep within a forest cave nestled in the Ten-Thousand Mountains, lay a blood-soaked man, motionless. His hand clutched a phone, thumb still pressing the delete key.
A few fierce-looking men burst in. Leading them was a man in a floral shirt, holding a rifle. He kicked the body hard.
"Damn it, is he dead?" the man shouted, pointing his gun at the corpse and pulling the trigger.
Rat-a-tat-tat… The gunfire rained down like a storm. The body was instantly riddled with bullets, torn to pieces in a brutal hail of lead.
Only after emptying the magazine did the man stop firing.
"An undercover agent? That's what you get for being a rat!" he cursed at the mangled body.
"Leopard, look at his phone," someone behind him reminded.
Leopard's expression changed. He stared fiercely at the phone still in the corpse's hand. "Bring it to me," he ordered.
"Yes." One of his men stepped up, cruelly prying open the corpse's fingers and handing the phone to Leopard.
Leopard glanced at the screen but couldn't make out anything useful.
"Boss, we should go. He might've called for backup. Reinforcements could be on the way," one of his men warned.
"Afraid of what?" Leopard said arrogantly. "This is the border—our turf. Anyone who comes, dies!"
The subordinate dared not speak again.
Suddenly, a man in a suit and glasses rushed in, phone in hand. "Leopard, it's the boss."
The moment he heard "the boss," Leopard, previously full of swagger and violence, instantly straightened up and put on a respectful expression. He took the phone, bowed slightly, and said, "Boss, it's Leopard. The man is dead. Yes, understood... I'll take care of it. Goodbye, Boss."
After hanging up, Leopard tossed the phone to a lackey and laughed wildly. "Cut him up, stuff him in a bag, and send him back to Yunzhou City. Let those fools who think they can take us down enjoy a nice little gift. Hahahaha…"
His maniacal laughter sent chills down everyone's spine.
Yunzhou City – Sunshine outside, shadows within.
In a small room, heavy curtains blocked all light from the windows. The lights were off, casting the entire room into darkness.
The room's occupant preferred hiding in the shadows, where he could control everything.
On the sofa sat a short, fat man, so still and hidden in the gloom that you might not even notice him without looking closely.
A cigar rested between his stubby fingers, smoke swirling around him, obscuring his face.
On the table in front of him sat an ashtray overflowing with cigar butts.
Beside the sofa stood a man in his fifties, dressed in a traditional Chinese jacket, respectfully reporting.
"Boss, we found out. The undercover guy's name was Lone Eagle. He was a special forces elite."
The boss exhaled slowly, "A special forces elite… Seems they're taking me more seriously."
"He wasn't easy to deal with. Our recent operations kept getting sabotaged—it was all him. But it's done now. We took care of him." The man sighed in relief, but then frowned. "Boss, wasn't it a bit much to dismember him? Won't that provoke the police?"
The boss snorted dismissively. "Haven't we pissed them off enough already? I want them angry. I want them to know that Yunzhou belongs to me. Cross me, and there will be consequences. Fear—that's what I want. Only fear will make them understand that working with us is the smart choice. That's how everyone gets rich."
"I understand, Boss. But if we want them to work with us, it won't be easy. Word is, another top operative just arrived in Yunzhou. This time, straight from the capital. Looks like we've caught some attention up there."
Being noticed by the capital was never a good sign.
The boss stayed silent for a moment. "Who is it?"
"Still investigating. All we have is a codename: Sirius."
"Sirius, ha…" The boss sneered. "Just took care of an eagle, now we've got a wolf. Interesting. Do our friends up in the capital know anything about this wolf?"
The man shook his head. "Not yet."
"Then find out—fast. Doesn't matter who it is. Whoever comes, dies. Like I said, Yunzhou is ours. We don't fear anyone."
"Yes, Boss. I'll look into it."
"Wait," the boss said before the man could leave. "That new deputy police chief, Luo Xiaoyong. How's she doing? Are the flowers I send every day getting delivered?"
The boss's tone suddenly softened at the mention of Luo Xiaoyong.
The subordinate smirked knowingly—he understood.
Luo Xiaoyong, a woman with a man's name, had arrived at Yunzhou Police Department three months ago as deputy chief.
Her stunning beauty had instantly made waves in the local law enforcement scene. Now, she was widely acknowledged as the top beauty among Yunzhou's high society—unquestioned, even by women, who admitted they couldn't compare.
"Don't worry, Boss. Everything's going according to your instructions. But… she's a cop, we're criminals. Isn't this a bit…?"
"Don't worry about that. Just do as I say."
"Yes, Boss."
"You can go."
Around noon, Liu Yunyun drove a borrowed van to Wang Yu's wooden shack. The van was perfect for moving—spacious and practical.
Before she even stepped inside, the delicious smell of food wafted out, making her mouth water.
She called out as she walked toward the house, "Wow, Uncle, your cooking smells amazing!"
She assumed it was Wang Yu's father cooking. After all, Wang Yu's mother was blind and couldn't manage it. And Wang Yu? A tough army guy—no way he could cook, unless… he had been a military cook.
But the moment she stepped inside, she was stunned.
Wang Yu stood at the stove in an apron, cooking busily. The place was spotless.
In the center was a new small table, already set with a spread of delicious dishes.
Wang Yu's parents sat nearby, watching him with pride.
The moment she walked in, his father called out, "Yunyun, come in! Wang Yu cooked all this—you're in for a treat!"
"All of this? Really?" Liu Yunyun walked to the table, licking her lips in disbelief. "Wang Yu, were you really a military cook?"