Volume 1, Chapter 20: The Interrogation by the Stunning Beauty Yan!!

"What exactly is going on!"

As Chen Liang inquired, the bodyguard hurriedly replied, "Young Master, we have investigated. It is the son of that household who has returned. He was just released from inside; he is an ex-convict and seems quite capable in a fight. Tiger was beaten into the intensive care unit by him!"

"Hmph. If he can't even handle an ex-convict, then that piece of trash Tiger has no reason to stay alive. Go to the hospital tonight and finish him off. The sooner he dies, the sooner he can reincarnate."

"Also, I give you three days to bring that ex-convict before me. I want to see what this garbage thinks he can use to stand against me," Chen Liang said with a vicious look on his face.

"Understood, Young Master!" The bodyguard nodded heavily.

"By the way, have you had any news regarding the contact with the Inada Group?" Chen Liang picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and asked indifferently.

"It has been arranged. We are prepared to make a move on Lin Zhentian tomorrow night, right after the Jun Tianxia new product launch," the bodyguard replied.

"Good. Handle it early, and do not leave any loose ends." After saying this, Chen Liang pushed open the door of the private room and left.

...

Elsewhere.

After his younger sister fell asleep, Su Ming quietly left his home. He arrived at a bar called "Iron Blood," ordered a drink, and sat on a chair, sipping it.

Just then, a middle-aged foreign man, resembling a Western godfather with blonde hair and blue eyes, sat down beside him.

"Greetings. I am a recruiter for the Cross Bounty Association. Could you please present your identification?"

As he spoke, the godfather produced his badge—a plaque crafted from obsidian with the word "Baron" engraved upon it. This represented the hierarchy of the Bounty Association, ranked as follows: Baron, Viscount, Marquis, Earl, Duke, Prince, King, and Pope.

The Cross Bounty Association holds significant international prestige, maintaining deep ties with over a dozen principalities. Their ranking system serves as the textbook standard for gauging the level of international assassins. All mercenaries, bodyguards, and killers categorize themselves based on the ranks of the Cross Bounty Association.

During his three years in prison, it was his teacher who had enrolled Su Ming in this association, often granting him specific windows of time to step out and execute missions. Moreover, his teacher had instructed him back then that upon his release, he must take on SSS-level missions.

Su Ming then produced his own token and handed it to the man. The godfather opened it, took one look, and his eyes widened instantly.

"Oh my god, King rank... am I seeing things?"

"How is this possible? How could there be a King-ranked member in Longzhou?!" The godfather stared blankly, rubbing his eyes, convinced he was hallucinating.

The next second, Su Ming snatched the token back from his hand and spoke coldly, "Is there an SSS-level bounty mission in Longzhou? If there is, issue it to me!"

Finally jolted back to reality, the godfather jumped off his chair. He placed one hand over his chest with great solemnity and bowed deeply to Su Ming, saying with utmost respect, "Baron Jakes greets the King!"

"Enough with the nonsense. Speak!" Su Ming frowned impatiently.

"Ah, yes, SSS-level missions. Let me check. Please wait a moment, Your Majesty!" The godfather scrambled to pull out his tablet, opened the exclusive system, and began to search diligently.

"Found it. Your Majesty, there is indeed an SSS-level mission in Longzhou. It is a protection-type mission, and it was specifically issued for you. The content is to protect the eldest daughter of the Lin family in Longzhou, Lin Ruoxue!"

When the godfather finished speaking, Su Ming took a deep breath. He knew it—this mission had definitely been issued by his teacher, and specifically for him. He truly could not fathom why his teacher kept going to such great lengths to entangle him with the Lin family. First, it was the jade pendant keepsake, making him a prospective son-in-law of the Lin family; now, this exclusive mission. The real problem was that Lin Ruoxue clearly held a deep aversion toward him, which made things very difficult.

"Sigh, Teacher, you really have set quite a challenge for me."

"Back when I carried out the Eastern European mission, battling the Demon Legion for seven days and seven nights, I was never afraid. But this Lin Ruoxue..."

Muttering to himself, Su Ming drew a sharp breath. He could not guess or understand his teacher's intentions, but he had to carry out the mission.

Meanwhile, the godfather kept staring at Su Ming, intensely curious about what exactly made a King-ranked hunter different.

"Oh, right, Your Majesty. We have also arranged ten Earl-ranked hunters to assist you in completing the mission! These Earl hunters have formed a squad, and they will be under your direct command," the godfather said with a smile.

"Understood. Is there anything else? If not, I’m leaving." He had been full of anticipation for an SSS-level mission, but upon learning the content, he felt deeply disappointed. Completely let down. He lost interest instantly.

"Nothing else. However, I do have a personal matter I would like to trouble Your Majesty with!" The godfather’s face was full of anticipation as he said this.

"Speak..." Su Ming hated trouble the most and waved his hand impatiently.

"It is like this: this is my first time meeting a King-ranked hunter, and I am very curious about how a King differs from other hunters. Please forgive my curiosity; I hope the King can understand." The godfather looked at Su Ming with burning, expectant eyes, as if he were appraising a peerless beauty.

Su Ming nodded, stood up, and began to walk outside. He hooked his finger, signaling him to follow.

"Come out. I'll give you the answer."

The godfather followed, filled with joy.

Ten minutes later, at the entrance of an alley, Su Ming lit a cigarette, wiped the bloodstains from his hands, turned around, and vanished into the night.

A few minutes later, the godfather stumbled out of the alley, clutching the wall, gasping for air. He held his broken ribs, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at the departing figure, muttering with a pained grin, "As expected of a King. One punch and I was half-dead. Last time, I managed to hold out for several minutes against a Duke-ranked hunter..."

"Indeed, there is a difference." As he spoke, the godfather limped toward his car, driving recklessly down the road and drawing a chorus of curses.

Meanwhile, Su Ming was walking down the street when his eyes narrowed slightly. The roar of a motorcycle approached from behind, stopping right beside him. A woman in a red leather jacket and a miniskirt hopped off. She removed her helmet, revealing a cold, stunning face and short, straight hair that looked remarkably fresh and comfortable. It was none other than the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Division, Yan Rou.

"Captain Yan, not sleeping this late? Are you hunting criminals?" Su Ming asked indifferently, looking at her with some surprise.

"Su Ming, stop playing dumb with me."

"Where did you just go, and what did you do? Tell me everything, detail by detail." Yan Rou was cold, her tone severe and interrogative. Her hand remained on her sidearm, full of caution toward Su Ming. She even appeared slightly nervous.

"Captain Yan, what do you mean? How am I playing dumb?"

"Besides, my personal privacy shouldn't require a report, should it?"

"I did hit someone, but I didn't kill anyone. And it was self-defense..." Su Ming spread his hands, his tone sounding quite innocent.

"You didn't kill anyone? Heh. That was before. Wang Hu is dead now; he died in the hospital."

"And it was murder. I strongly suspect you are the one behind it, so you had better tell the truth, or don't blame me for being impolite."

"Let me tell you, I, Yan Rou, have solved more cases than you've eaten grains of salt. Now tell me, where did you go tonight? Confess it all!" Yan Rou had already drawn her service weapon, aiming it at Su Ming’s chest, shouting coldly. Her beautiful face was covered in frost.

The atmosphere was tense to the extreme.