"A Vicious Scheme" / "The Primordial Group"

"Although there isn't much I can teach you—after all, many dangerous things that you could hurt yourself with if you didn't master them aren't suitable for you—I'll teach you something simple.

You can call it····

Sacrifice."

P.S.: Third update!!!

Section 62: Chapter 60—The Vicious Conspiracy

"From now on, you are Doctor Ina. Please be sure to remember this name."

Early morning, safe house.

Looking at the work ID Koschei handed over, Chlorine Sodium stared at the photo on it.

It was a woman who looked almost exactly like her, though there were still a few differences.

At least in terms of temperament, she was completely different from the Herrscher's ice-cold beauty.

On top of that, the woman in the photo had golden hair.

Koschei was apparently good at observing people and had noticed Chlorine Sodium's confusion, so he explained.

"I went to considerable trouble to find a woman among the crowds whose appearance most closely resembled yours. You should know, something like this takes quite a bit of time from a lot of people."

Koschei seemed rather proud that the influence he could wield here was still so astonishing.

"The resemblance really is impressive. Plastic surgery?"

"No, no, they really are that similar. The land is simply full of wonders. Even I was amazed that two people could resemble each other to this extent.

"Hmm, though you'll need to dye your hair. Then it'll be perfect."

After clapping his hands, a Ursus woman appeared at the doorway.

"Although noble customs are complicated and have little practical value, they occasionally have luxurious benefits. This is the stylist I brought with me. Ursus nobles care greatly about their appearance, and she'll take care of your hair."

Chlorine Sodium did not nod, however. She looked at Koschei instead. None of this mattered to her.

What mattered was the deal itself.

"I've changed my mind, Koschei."

Her golden eyes were filled with solemnity.

Or rather, with hostility that could erupt and hurt someone at any moment.

It was simple. A sudden change of terms could easily cause conflict during negotiations, and revealing one's strength first to forcibly shift the course of the talks was also a tactic.

Though the risks were considerable.

"Oh? You've changed your mind. Is the price I offered···· still not enough?"

Koschei was an old fox and remained completely unruffled. He would counter whatever came his way, so he neither agreed nor disagreed, merely waiting for her to name her price.

"No. I mean, I'm no longer interested in Chen's matter."

Hearing the girl's words, Koschei showed no surprise at all. He merely said in a somewhat gentle tone,

"I see. That's easy enough. In a fair transaction, it can cause problems if one side asks for nothing in return. Therefore, as a noble, tolerance and generosity are essential qualities.

"But the arrow is already on the string, so it must be fired. Since you're no longer interested in Wei Yanwu's child, just consider this a favor. My face still carries some weight outside."

"But are you sure she won't leak the secret?"

She waved the work ID in her hand. Plotting against the daughter of a commercial empire's ruler was like going after Arasaka. If secrecy was not maintained, even a god would find things inconvenient later on.

"Of course, of course. I gave her conditions she couldn't refuse. Naturally, she'll keep her mouth shut."

"There is no such thing as someone who can keep their mouth shut forever."

Chlorine Sodium was clearly not buying it.

"It's a very simple condition. I'll make sure her child leaves the mine. That's all."

"As for Ina, who is actually an intern doctor, I'll exchange the condition of letting her child leave the mine for her keeping the secret forever."

The elegant duke drew a finger across his throat. The meaning was obvious.

What a bandit's way of doing things—exchanging an ethereal promise for the other party's life.

That was indeed very noble, and very Ursus.

Chlorine Sodium was that kind of person too, however.

Only the dead could keep a secret forever.

·································

"Boss, we've picked up a tail."

How foolish.

Lungmen, outer district.

A black limousine was traveling through the outer district.

A penguin sat in the rear of the car, which was sealed off by an atmosphere of luxury.

Separated from the driver's compartment, a circle of expensive, comfortable seats surrounded a refrigerated case.

Inside were vintage wines selected by the vehicle's owner.

The boss was respectfully called the Emperor by those on the street.

His species and background were unknown. No one knew how he had made his fortune, but everyone knew one thing.

The Emperor owned a record company and had released albums of his own.

That was not his main business, however. The Emperor had extensive connections in Lungmen and was also quite famous in the underworld.

What no one knew was that the Emperor was actually the Speaker of a gang. It was just that, because he owned a record company, he preferred his musical career to gang affairs. That was why his underworld history was not particularly well known.

But today was a special day.

Even the Emperor himself, who did not pay much attention to his gang's affairs, had personally set out.

Recently, an undercurrent had been surging through Lungmen's shadows.

The gang's formerly stable environment had suddenly been disrupted.

Of course, that so-called stability merely meant there had been no major upheavals. Although internal annexations had never stopped, the gangs were essentially just groups of businessmen.

Now, however, a group of restless elements had appeared among those businessmen. They seemed eager to seize greater power.

It was laughable. The reason a bunch of gangsters had not been completely eradicated was that where there was light, there was darkness. Lungmen had a huge flow of people and a complicated population, and Wei Yanwu had yet to fully consolidate his position. He had no time to deal with these insignificant local gangs.

That was no reason for them to harbor greater ambitions, however. One could not survive in this line of work without ambition, but ambition required brains.

Snarling at a machine of violence was simply an act of stupidity.

This matter could not be explained merely by saying someone was stupid, however. There was definitely someone directing everything from behind the scenes.

The foolish idiots in the spotlight had no idea they were merely being used as shields.

Utterly foolish. A person needed ambition, but also self-awareness. Unfortunately, many people never learned that in their entire lives.

"A tail?"

That was underworld slang for someone following them.

The Emperor had some reputation on the streets, so it was normal for people to recognize him.

But this was not someone simply passing by. It was deliberate surveillance.

Not far behind them, an inconspicuous white sedan followed at an unhurried pace. No matter what they did, they could not shake it off.

"What an impressive reception. I never thought I'd see the day someone watched me."

The penguin opened a bottle of vintage wine.

"Boss, should we do something?"

An underling sitting in the passenger seat asked the question.

"No. Leave them be."

With sunglasses covering his eyes, no one could see the Emperor's expression.

Sunglasses did more than block harsh light. They also blocked other people's sight.

And the Emperor's eyes were currently gleaming coldly.

Being followed at precisely such a special time was certainly no good omen.

Right now, all the gang bosses were running themselves ragged over the division of the local gang forces. It was an unprecedentedly busy period.

And at this time, a group of strangers had chosen to follow him.

Suddenly, through the rearview mirror, he saw several Felines in long coats in the car behind them. They had opened their long overcoats, one hand reaching inside!

"Get down!!!!"

P.S.: Stayed up late writing. So sleepy.

Section 63: Chapter 61—The Taiko Group

Emergency bulletin: A gang firefight has broken out on the main road from Lungmen's urban district to the outer district. The road has been sealed, and passing vehicles are prohibited. The Lungmen Guard Department has joined traffic-control efforts. Passing vehicles are advised to····

The sound of an emergency news report came from the car radio, but the news was rather interesting.

A gang firefight.

Koschei's base in Lungmen was currently inside the safe house of a former gang boss.

Gangs. Interesting.

The Black Hand Gang had been pathetically weak before, but it had still left Chlorine Sodium with a few troubles that were not exactly troublesome.

They had originally been nothing more than a bunch of thugs and street punks, yet recently they had even started dealing in human organs. Worse, Sarkaz had become involved in the business.

Now that was interesting.

Chlorine Sodium.

No, more accurately, she was now called Ina. Ina Koporovich Zhozhiyaeva.

A psychiatrist from Ursus. She had originally been merely an intern, but through Koschei's connections, she had quickly gained the qualifications of an attending physician. She had even developed quite a reputation in a social circle that did not actually exist.

She had now become somewhat popular among the wealthy. As mentioned earlier, psychiatrists were more like mages with a certain ability to influence consciousness, capable of placing defensive buffs on people's minds and checking whether anyone had invaded them or tampered with their memories.

People like that were extremely rare, and Ina had now been introduced to the Taiko Group.

It had taken the recommendation of a "reliable" old friend to finally establish a connection with the ruler of the Taiko Group.

Koschei seemed to attach considerable importance to this matter, even though Chlorine Sodium herself had no interest in it.

But since he had gone to such lengths, his scheme had naturally advanced another step.

Chlorine Sodium had not figured out what exactly he wanted the information on the Taiko Group ruler's daughter for, however.

Could it really be nothing more than kidnapping?

Although kidnapping was certainly vicious, even evil came in different grades.

Someone had once said that kidnappers and robbers were the most annoying people because they had no skill at all.

Koschei was a dark entity formed from malice that clung to every inch of him, an undying thing that had lived for a thousand years—a living curse.

And all he wanted was to kidnap someone?

Then demand ransom?

That was far too lacking in sophistication.

He shouldn't be short on operating funds, should he?