Morning sunlight spilled through the Main Group office windows, landing across the redwood desk but never warming the suffocating air inside.
Chen Rang sat in Black Wolf's old chair, fingers absentmindedly tracing the scratches carved into the desk's edge—the very ones Black Wolf had slashed in a rage last year when he failed to hit quota. His dagger had gouged the wood and sprayed blood across his assistant's chest. Now, those scars were a mark of "power."
The black box in the corner was still there, the tips of the batons inside stained faint brown. 618 had told him those marks were from a newcomer's blood last month. A silent reminder of the price of this seat: either you control others, or you get destroyed yourself.
A soft knock sounded at the door. It was 618. He walked in holding a chipped mug of cheap coffee, the rim still caked with old stains. He set it down in front of Chen, fingers trembling slightly.
"Leader, Khun Sa's office assistant just came. Said you need to report at nine, mainly to connect with new core clients. Heard one of them is an old lady named Wang—you should pay extra attention when you deal with her."
Chen picked up the mug and took a sip. The bitterness scraped down his throat like sandpaper. He glanced at 618's bloodshot eyes and remembered last night, when 618 had secretly slipped him a USB drive. At the time, his sleeve had slipped back, revealing a fresh scar on his arm—one of Black Wolf's old loyalists had picked a fight and cut him on purpose.
"Thanks for last night," Chen said softly, his voice honest. "And about Xiaoyu—I remember what you told me. You said he once helped a newbie who was being bullied, right? And Black Wolf found out?"
618 stiffened instantly. His fingers clutched at the hem of his shirt. His voice rasped, like it had been dragged over rough stone.
"Yeah… when Xiaoyu first joined the Main Group, he saw Zhao Hu's men pinning a newbie down and beating him because the kid missed his quota. Xiaoyu secretly handed him a bottle of water. Zhao Hu ratted him out to Black Wolf. That night, Black Wolf made him kneel on the backhill all night. His knees were torn raw."
618's eyes went red. His voice cracked.
"After that, Xiaoyu told me, 'Dad, people here suffer too much. One day I'm gonna help more of them.' But… he never got the chance…"
Chen's heart clenched hard. He set the mug down and patted 618's shoulder.
"Xiaoyu's wish—I'll carry it out for him. Starting today, you stick with me and handle client data. No one's gonna bully you again."
He took the USB drive from 618. A small sticker of a cartoon smiley face was stuck to the plastic shell—618 said it had been Xiaoyu's favorite design.
Plugging it in, a folder popped up. Inside were not only records of Black Wolf's embezzlement over the past year but also five "VIP Clients'" personal files.
Chen's fingers froze on one name—*Wang Xiulan.*
It was her. The old lady from his very first task. The one who told him gently, *"Don't do wicked things."*
The notes on her profile read: *March 2024—harassed by Group Two. Children abroad, lives alone.* Black Wolf had even added a comment: *Can apply repeated pressure. Monthly pension 8,000.*
Chen remembered her voice on the phone that day—gentle, weary. 618 had later told him Group Two had harassed her for two straight weeks, even faked a "court subpoena" to scare her. She nearly called the police, but in the end, she kept quiet—afraid of burdening her son overseas.
"If I scam her too, what's the difference between me and Black Wolf? Or Group Two?" Chen's hand hovered over the keyboard, chest tight like a stone pressed on it.
But then he remembered Black Wolf's screams as he was dragged away. Khun Sa's cane tipped with a jewel—the kind bought with people's blood and sweat. His mother's note: *Mom is waiting for you to come home.*
He sucked in a deep breath and dialed Wang Xiulan's number.
"Hello, Auntie Wang, this is Xiao Zhang from the Elderly Service Center," he said, making his voice warm, just like in practice.
"That government-backed program I mentioned before—we've got a last-minute spot. If you apply today, you can earn an extra ten percent. Interested?"
Silence stretched for a few seconds. Then her weary voice came, laced with coughs:
"Young man, why are you still doing this? Didn't you hear what I told you last time? Because of you people, I ended up in the hospital last year. My son had to fly back from abroad to stay with me. We're still paying off the medical bills…"
Chen's throat clogged. His fingers clenched white around the phone.
"Auntie, I don't have a choice… If you can, just treat it as helping me. If not, it's okay."
"It's not that I don't want to help you." She sighed deeply, voice heavy with helplessness.
"My son lost his job last month. We've still got the mortgage. My pension has to support both of us. There's nothing left. Young man, listen to me—stop this. Get a real job. Don't make your family worry."
The line clicked off.
Chen leaned back in his chair, gasping for air. He marked Wang Xiulan's profile as *Funds insufficient. Give up.* Then he quietly edited two other clients' profiles—softening exaggerated claims. He remembered a client who once jumped off a building after being scammed. The compound had called it an "accident." He couldn't let that happen again.
Just as he finished, the office door swung open.
Khun Sa entered, cane striking the floor with heavy thuds like a countdown. Behind him, Ah Bao carried a file—last month's performance report.
"How's the prep going?" Khun Sa's gaze swept over the screen, his eyes like blades scraping Chen's face.
"Boss, everything's organized. First batch of clients will be contacted within three days. Within a week, we'll hit fifty thousand," Chen replied steadily, forcing calm into his voice.
Khun Sa flipped through the client list, stopping at Wang Xiulan's page. He tapped the name with his finger.
"I know this one. Good pension. Why mark her 'give up'? Group Two nearly had her last year. Why not try again?"
Chen's heart jumped into his throat. His mind raced.
"Boss, I checked her records. After Group Two harassed her, she's especially wary of 'investments.' She even reported it to the community office. Plus, her son just lost his job, and she's got medical bills. Pushing further would be a waste of time—might even cause trouble."
Khun Sa studied him for a few seconds. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
"Not bad. You know how to avoid trouble. Not like Black Wolf—only knew how to use force." He turned to leave, then paused at the door.
"Remember: efficiency above all. But don't cause yourself problems."
Over the next few days, Chen juggled assignments while quietly having 618 compile guard schedules.
One detail stood out: the backhill cameras always rebooted at 4 a.m. 618 explained why—years ago, a guard had tried to escape. To make it easier to catch him, Black Wolf had modified the system to reboot at that time. They'd never changed it back.
To Chen, this "flaw" looked like hope.
---
Friday afternoon. The group leaders' meeting. The room felt like frozen ice.
The other four leaders' eyes burned with hostility toward Chen. Especially Group Three's Zhao Hu, a burly man with a beard and a scar across his face—earned in a brawl over clients.
"Leader Chen just got here and already has the best resources. How are we supposed to compete?" Zhao Hu slammed the table, voice booming like thunder.
"Why don't you share some of your experience? Let us learn too!"
Chen set his cup down and smirked coldly. He pulled out a folder and tossed it on the table.
"Experience? Maybe not. But Zhao Hu, how about we talk about the fifteen grand you faked in last month's report? Or the time you broke your subordinate Li Ming's leg?"
Zhao Hu's face went ghost white. He lunged for the folder, but Ah Bao shoved him back.
Chen's tone was ice:
"Li Ming missed a quota of only thirty thousand, and you broke his leg. Now he limps through hard labor on the backhill. You falsified records, forged transfer slips to trick Khun Sa. These proofs? Enough to get you thrown to the dogs."
The room went dead silent. The other leaders ducked their heads, terrified.
Khun Sa picked up the folder, flipped a few pages. His face darkened more and more.
"Zhao Hu. You've got some nerve, daring to scam me?"
Zhao Hu dropped to his knees with a thud. His voice shook.
"Boss, I was wrong! I'll never do it again! Please forgive me!"
"Forgive you?" Khun Sa sneered.
"Break the other leg. Feed him to the dogs."
Guards dragged Zhao Hu out. His screams echoed down the hall until they vanished.
Watching, Chen's heart stayed calm. This was his first open display of sharpness. His way of telling everyone—he wasn't to be messed with.
After the meeting, Khun Sa kept him behind.
"You're tougher than I thought."
"I just don't want to be bullied. And I don't want to see innocent people bullied either." Chen met his gaze.
"Boss, you said it yourself: in this place, either be ruthless, or be dead."
Khun Sa blinked, then burst into laughter.
"Good! Next month, your target's eighty grand. Hit it, and you'll manage *all* client resources."
When Chen walked out, 618 was waiting with a slip of paper.
"Leader, here. The schedules of Khun Sa's two bodyguards. The tall one likes to drink—every night he sneaks to the backhill shack. The short one gambles—owes a lot of money."
Chen took the note, studying the neat handwriting. It reminded him of what 618 said—Xiaoyu had loved writing clean, orderly notes like this.
"Brother 618," Chen said softly, "we'll leave this place. And we'll take everyone who wants to go home with us."
The setting sun bathed them in golden light, gilding their shadows.
Chen knew this was only the start. More dangerous trials awaited. But he wouldn't back down. Not with his mother's hope, Xiaoyu's wish, and the silent prayers of people like Auntie Wang and Li Ming pressing on his back.
Meanwhile, in his office, Khun Sa stood at the window, watching Chen's silhouette. A cold smile touched his lips. He lifted the phone.
"Keep an eye on Chen Rang. He's more complicated than Black Wolf. If he tries anything, deal with him—immediately."
Night deepened. Chen stood by his window, touching the note at his chest.
He knew his rise was just beginning. And his duel with Khun Sa was about to reach its fiercest stage.