The Trap

On the other side.

Inside Takasugi Sushi Restaurant in Manila.

After receiving Watanabe Motoji's email, Takasugi Hei hadn't noticed that Watanabe had been killed in a counterattack.

Not until half a month later.

That was September 11, when Takasugi Hei received a call from Watanabe Motoji.

"How have you been lately, Senior Takasugi?"

"Not bad. How's the investigation in Darte Port going? Have you found out what that company's all about?"

A reply quickly came from the other end. "We've got results, but I need you to come over, Senior. The other party still seems hesitant. I need you to bring some good friends along so they understand the reality of the situation."

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" Takasugi Hei knew the matter was all but settled.

"Aren't you acquainted with the heir to the Fernando family? They have plenty of people in Northern Camarines Province, where Darte Port is, and in Southern Camarines Province."

"The Fernando family?" Takasugi Hei furrowed his brow. "They're not easy to deal with. We'll definitely have to give them a share. Is that company worth it?"

"It is. Senior, you'd better not report this to headquarters just yet. I'm worried they'll make a mess of things. Let's wait until everything's settled before we report it and claim the credit!"

Takasugi Hei thought it over. If he reported it right away, the credit might not go to him.

After all, the Eastern Ying United Chamber of Commerce was a tangled web. Takasugi Hei and the other two belonged to the Fuyou Association, and the other conglomerates wouldn't let them have the whole prize.

Of course, it was impossible to keep the other conglomerates out entirely.

"I'll make the arrangements."

"Senior, why not bring Fukuda and Takahashi along? They'll make things easier. We need to wrap this up quickly, before anything unexpected happens," Watanabe reminded him from the other end of the call.

Hearing that, Takasugi Hei made up his mind. Watanabe was right: Fukuda and Takahashi had relatively simple connections in Luzon. They belonged to the Mitsui and Kangyin conglomerates, but as long as Takasugi Hei made the arrangements before he went, there was little chance of any leaks.

"I'll take care of it. I'll negotiate with the Fernando family as soon as possible."

"Then let's set a time. How about three days from now? We'll meet at Starfish Restaurant in Darte Port."

"Sounds good."

After hanging up, Takasugi Hei called in his assistant, Takahashi Zensuke, and asked him to tell Fukuda Shin, who taught at a Japanese-language school, to come over.

Half an hour later, Takahashi and Fukuda appeared in the sushi restaurant's back courtyard.

Takasugi Hei didn't give them the details. He only said that he needed them to accompany him on a mission. They would leave the morning after next, and all they had to do was meet at the sushi restaurant.

Takahashi and Fukuda didn't find Takasugi Hei's deliberate secrecy odd. They were intelligence agents, and many missions required confidentiality. If he hadn't explained, it was best not to ask.

After making arrangements with his own people, Takasugi Hei hurriedly invited the Fernando family heir, Mada Fernando, to the sushi restaurant.

After more than an hour of discussion, the two sides settled on a general division of the spoils. They also agreed to meet at the restaurant the morning after next, then travel together to Darte Port.

Time flowed by.

At around three in the afternoon, three days later, Takasugi Hei and his two companions arrived outside Starfish Restaurant in Darte Port, along with Mada and five bodyguards.

Watanabe, who had been waiting for some time, appeared at the entrance wearing a hat. He led everyone into a private room, where they ate and drank while discussing Homo sapiens Company.

By evening, two members of the Fernando family who held positions in Darte Port had also arrived. Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Watanabe arranged a bus to take them to a hotel.

But as soon as they were all aboard, the poisonous mosquitoes swiftly taught them a lesson.

Watching the captives inside the cage, Li Qingye's expression was cold.

Three from Takasugi Hei's group, three from the Fernando family, and five bodyguards.

The modified soldier Watanabe stood nearby, waiting for his orders with an air of deference. Li Qingye instructed him, "Follow the plan and return to Manila. Keep the remaining intelligence agents in line."

"Understood, Boss." Watanabe nodded immediately.

The others quickly got to work, too.

For instance, the two Fernando family members in Darte Port included the head of the Public Security Bureau and the deputy head of the local Tax Department.

The head of the Public Security Bureau used his phone and a voice changer to say he was going to Manila on personal business and would be gone for about half a month. He told them to call if anything came up.

The Tax Department official took two weeks off, saying he was going abroad on vacation.

Mada Fernando was easy to handle. Takasugi Hei had asked him to keep things as secret as possible, so before he left, he'd already said he was going to Darte Port for a while. All he had to do was keep his phone on.

In fact, Li Qingye had planned for Watanabe and Takasugi Hei to talk. Three modified soldiers had even been lying in wait not far from Takasugi Hei's sushi restaurant.

If Takasugi Hei had called headquarters in Japan immediately after their conversation, he wouldn't have gotten a word out before the modified soldiers killed him.

Takasugi Hei and Mada's conversation, along with everything they'd done over the past few days, had also been monitored by the modified soldiers.

Li Qingye had prepared other contingency plans long ago. If anything went wrong, they would keep their losses to a minimum.

Fortunately, everything had remained under control, so there was no need to activate the backup plans.

And Watanabe's suggestion to work with the Fernando family hadn't been a random choice. Li Qingye had selected them only after careful consideration.

Despite their Spanish surname, the family were actually native Luzonese. They'd simply adopted Spanish surnames during the Spanish colonial era, a common practice in Luzon.

The family's rise to power had been steeped in crime and bloodshed.

Even now, in the twenty-first century, they still had plenty of criminal enterprises. For example, they worked with Manila's Fuqing Gang to scam and kidnap Chinese people. They also secretly controlled three gangs, which ran rampant in southern Luzon.

Mada, who had been captured, was a notorious scumbag in Manila, nicknamed "Human Motor." He'd assaulted hundreds of women, some of whom he'd tortured to death.

As for his bodyguards, they'd all been recruited from gangs. Every one of them had blood on his hands. It was hard to stay clean when working for a scumbag like Mada.

Li Qingye had no qualms about modifying people like them.

To avoid complications, the gene modification began immediately. Takasugi Hei, Fukuda Shin, Mada Fernando, and two members of the Fernando family were the first batch of test subjects.

The unimportant bodyguards and Takahashi were in the second batch.

Five days passed quickly, and the modifications were a great success. The technology had continued to improve, and they'd lost very little of their lifespans. They had at least thirty years left.

Once the gene modifications were complete, the implantation surgeries began without delay.

These people were crucial. They were the key to whether Homo sapiens Company and Li Qingye could establish a foothold in Luzon. If even one modification failed, the plan could spiral out of control.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. They were all between thirty and forty-five years old, an age range safe for modification.

Looking at the modified soldiers, and the intelligence extracted from their brains, Li Qingye could finally bare his fangs.

Thanks for all your support, everyone (ω｀). Happy National Day!