Act 7: Are You Ready?

[Part 1: The Master Cheator]

The Mr. Fantastic Retirement Club has now been transformed into a nightclub under the White Shark Association.

This is also the largest entertainment venue at Yangjiang Ferry. George Joshua is a very sentimental person. What Manager Todd said about "respecting the elderly and caring for the young" is absolutely true. Before Joshua took over the business of Lieyang Fort, the local warbands were slaughtered by the previous Madness Butterfly Sect, leaving only women.

The first thing this Immortals did after taking over the business at Zero Platform was to provide livelihoods for the elderly and build schools for the children—of course, these businesses were all very special, designed to fit the aesthetics of the Madness Butterfly.

The veterans of the battle group already had pensions, but the income from this nightclub allowed them to live comfortably and regain the power they once had in their youth. Thus, it became a rotten cancer in Yangjiang Ferry. The newly recruited members of the battle group had to face their teachers, their teachers' teachers, and even their families—making it extremely difficult and fraught with resistance to completely eradicate these businesses.

George Joshua is not a smart man; compared to Pellegrini, he simply knows how to spend money.

Compared to the station of Arrogant and Ming De, the Madness Butterfly Sect's weakness lies in the supporting services for waiters and radiant stones, and in the upward mobility of young talents—because the issue of the lifespan or death of blood-granting units is unsolvable, very few fresh blood can rise to the top in this strange community circle; it is mostly a case of one general's success being built on the bones of thousands.

So President Joshua spent the money on the elderly and children, letting the elderly drag the warbands down while making the children the main force of the warbands. On the contrary, he excluded the most difficult-to-win, most demanding, and most demanding young people, since young people also grow up from childhood and will eventually become old.

The Thyme Nightclub is a place used to recruit retired veterans from Yangjiang Ferry. It is run by Lisa Krausa and is located in the same area as the warband camps in the borderlands. It secretly conducts human trafficking, but no warband warrior dares to question its legitimacy.

There are many middlemen, many elders of the leaders of the battle groups, who rely on this club to collect land tax and other fees, in order to secure benefits for their families, their relatives, and their children.

Even though Dongfang Hao wanted to the White Shark Association, he didn't dare to openly shout slogans to form a militia, because Wulong Fortress was still located at the Old Pipe Alley. As soon as the old landlord died, the real estate management office would immediately expropriate this auspicious land, and then all the tenants in the walled city would become homeless.

It was precisely because of George Joshua's compassion and the White Shark Association President's benevolence that Dongfang Hao was given a place to live off rent in his old age—even though this old man's son had once challenged the White Shark Association time and time again while wearing the ridiculous Flash Butterfly Armor. Dongfang Hao was still alive and still experiencing the pain of losing his son and wife in this world. This was the White Shark Association's ruthless revenge on Dongfang Hao.

To the other "middlemen," this behavior seemed as benevolent as if an angel sent by God. Joshua's image also became towering and imposing. It's important to understand that the Madness Butterfly Sect in other regions wasn't as easy to talk to as this Immortals. Guangling Zhixi and these cults were mortal enemies; their methods of dealing with each other often involved wiping out entire families. Where would one hear of someone killing a child and then supporting the elderly father?

"--Yes, slowly, slowly, Dongfang Hao's son became 'immature'."

One gambler, his hands not exactly clean, said this as he tried to put his arm around Xiao Qi, who was playing cards beside him.

The customer and 9527 got along very well. Today happened to be the members' day at the Thyme Nightclub. He happened to meet this woman at the gambling table and, on a whim, told this newcomer about the history of the establishment.

But just as his lewd hand was about to touch Xiao Qi, he felt the cold blade.

9527: "Do you like it? It's made of 80CRV2 steel with a layered forging process and a blade that's been water-quenched at 100 degrees Celsius. If you lift it any higher, your fingers will fall off."

The gambler quickly stopped, looking flustered. He didn't know how this strange woman had gotten through security. The security standards at the Thyme Nightclub were among the strictest in the entire underground trade hub; no metal items were allowed in.

Xiao Qi pushed away her chips, seemingly unlucky today, and left the Texas Hold'em table in a huff. No one noticed this new customer, even though she had already lost a lot; in less than three hours, she had lost over 200,000.

Many gamblers had their eyes on this easy target, chatting casually during the game, almost all of them confiding in Xiao Qi about everything they knew.

This is a very unique rhetoric. Based on 9527's rich childhood experiences and his criminal career as a newspaper boy, when inquiring about the basic situation of the gang, the casino is a place where "the truth is always out."

When people try to hide their intention to win money, another part of the true information is revealed.

They talked a lot, trying their best to speculate and deduce the personnel and weaponry of the War Gang using all sorts of rumors, discussing the daily lives of several leaders in the Thyme Nightclub, what kind of cars these VIPs drove, how many henchmen they had, and how glamorous they were—they could even tell Xiao Qi a good story about the weight and measurements of Lisa Krausa, the leader of the nightclub.

In reality, the gamblers only wanted to win money and distract 9527, making her appear to be playing cards foolishly and following suit blindly.

As for where Xiao Qi got the knife? That was too easy for her. With a metal detector of this level, she could use her spirit to interfere with the PCB's signal transmission—her spirit was a professional when it came to petty theft, and she brought the P320X5 and the combat dagger in together.

After figuring out the details of the Thyme Nightclub, she moved to a mahjong table and began to show off her mahjong skills, which she had never been very good at since childhood, as well as her very skilled Cantonese opera style—to be honest, she wasn't very good at mahjong, and when she played with JoeStar's sisters, she would curse at the same time.

The remaining three elderly cadres' family members chatted with this thirty-year-old "young girl," each giving a general account of their family situations. However, when they mentioned Lisa Krausa, 9527's expression changed.

The old lady at the East Wind station said, "Boss Lisa found a good husband."

The old man in the west said, "They're not married yet! Keep your voice down."

The older man in the North Wind position immediately retorted, "In Lieyang Fort, who among those with ability doesn't have multiple wives and concubines? Although they haven't been officially registered, Chairman George wouldn't mistreat any of his wives! Look at this nightclub, how many years would an ordinary person have to struggle? Could they become the owner of Thyme through sheer hard work?"

Xiao Qi didn't even look at it before playing a card.

What does Lisa look like?

"Bang! Bang!" Grandpa exclaimed excitedly, "Just like the War King!"

Xiao Qi was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Huh? Just like the War King?"

The old woman stared at Xiao Qi's deck of cards, her mouth dry, and said, "Yes, everyone knows that President George is pursuing the War King. His wives are all getting plastic surgery to change their faces to look like him in order to please him."

Xiao Qi immediately pushed out her tiles. "I win!"

The middle-aged man quickly shouted, "Hey! You're bluffing!"

Xiao Qi stood up, threw down her chips, and said, "I'll pay up! I'm in a hurry! I'm done playing!"

The old woman asked anxiously, "Where are you going, little girl? You've already lost to those two families! They haven't even fed me the cards yet!"

"Where is Boss Lisa?" Xiao Qi pulled a handful of chips from her pocket. "Grandma? Do you know?"

When the old woman saw the chips, she winked and said dejectedly, "What I lack isn't money, it's the experience of winning!"

Xiao Qi patiently sat back down at the card table, and immediately played a card after drawing it.

The old woman clutched her chest excitedly, nearly having Heart disease, and shouted hoarsely, "A win! The Grand Slam, the Four Great Joys, the Eighteen Arhats! Me!"

"Where?" Xiao Qi asked immediately.

The old woman then admitted, "She goes to the bathhouse after meals with her pet; it's right there in the bathhouse."

Xiao Qi immediately sprang into action, and only after this "fat sheep" left did the three gamblers at the mahjong table come to their senses.

Grandpa scratched his head. "Why does this girl seem to know what hand you want to win? Did she play it on purpose?"

"You're cheating, grandma!" the uncle shouted.

[Part ②: The Dragon Slayer]

"A separate bathing fee ticket is required for the bathhouse, ma'am."

The security guard at the gate stopped 9527 and glanced at the woman, who was empty-handed.

"If you don't bring a yukata, our bathhouse will provide one, but it's more expensive."

Xiao Qi, her face full of anger, pulled out the stolen HC card. "Stop talking nonsense and get out of the way."

The Chaos Egg card has been swiped, and the corresponding user information slip has been printed.

"--Are you using a card other than your own?" the receptionist asked suspiciously. "Is it a family member of the cardholder?"

Xiao Qi didn't say anything, but just glared at her fiercely. The receptionist immediately brought over the receipt and a bathrobe, and didn't dare to ask another question.

Upon arriving at the women's changing room in the bathhouse, a staff member immediately came to explain the situation.

"Madam, our boss is still taking a bath. We need to search you before you enter the women's bath! Sorry!"

Xiao Qi, expressionless and with her hands raised high, deliberately avoided the cameras in the public corridor and entered the relatively secluded changing room.

She followed the waiter's hand and circled his arms, concealing all the weapons in the waiter's uniform pockets in just a few seconds.

The waitress felt her clothes become heavier and instinctively turned her head to check. As her head tilted towards her pocket, the gun and knife returned to Xiao Qi's body.

9527 asked, "Is it okay now?"

The waitress paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's fine! That's fine! Would you like to change into a yukata right away? Or..."

"I like quiet." Xiao Qi waved her hand, signaling the bystanders to leave immediately.

The waiter specifically reminded 9527: "Lisa, the owner, is still in the sauna. She brought her pet in. If you're concerned about the water quality, the bathhouse has self-circulating hot water 24 hours a day. If the water temperature isn't suitable, just ring the Summoning Bell!"

After saying this, the waiter returned to the counter and never bothered Xiao Qi again.

Regular customers of Thyme know that Lisa Krausa has a "cute little pet," a gift from George Joshua to this eccentric and short-tempered female boss as a token of their love. After dinner, Lisa would bring her pet for a bath, and no one dared to disturb them.

Right now, at this very moment.

Lisa Krausa had just finished her business and was enjoying a relaxing post-dinner rest with her beloved pet in the sauna.

She stroked the little pet's smooth scales; the pink snake scales, illuminated by the moisture, had a mesmerizing iridescent sheen.

This is an Earth Dragon, somewhat similar to Earth Dragon kept by the Skull and Skull and Bones Society; it can be considered a subspecies.

--Including the tail, it is about 360 centimeters long, and its four claws are fully formed, indicating that it has reached adulthood. Judging from the white fleshy whiskers above its eyes and the two tail fins on its back that resemble small wings, it is also a female dragon.

Compared to Anna, Tang Ning's servant, it was nothing more than a beast, unable to speak or engage in complex thought.

Inside the sauna, both the Blood-giving Monster and the calamity beasts thoroughly enjoyed the high temperature. Fifty-fifth District was far too cold; for George Joshua's holy blood, the temperature was simply too low.

"Tell me, Little Pink."

Lisa tilted her head, completely naked, and looked down at her beloved pet.

"If you could speak, you could be the judge: why is Joshua so obsessed with Glory?"

"They want me to steam out all the moisture from my body to maintain this body fat percentage."

She lifted her leg, placing her arm on her strong thigh. The powerful humeral muscles clenched along with her leg, revealing immense strength.

"To be like Glory, but not exactly the same—men are such strange creatures."

Her wet hair draped over her chest, the reddish-brown strands resembling spoiled, moldy seaweed.

"I hate the smell of sweat. I have to take injections every week to maintain this hormone level, and I have to get laser hair removal in my armpits every few months. It's such a hassle—can't Joshua forget Glory? Does he really love me? Or is it..."

The Earth Dragon, of course, couldn't understand these words. It could only flick its tongue and occasionally open its mouth to dissipate heat and regulate its body temperature, revealing three rows of sharp teeth. Lisa immediately scooped a piece of liver from the bucket and threw it into the pet's mouth.

"Eat, keep eating. When you grow up and are able to protect me, we'll run away together, okay?"

"Little Pink, I feel like Joshua treats me like a collectible. He has so many collectibles, like a toy display case."

"We made exquisite Barbie dolls based on Glory's face, but they can never compare to the real muscular Barbie."

"If you're reliable, grow up quickly and have many babies. Maybe I can even build a church."

"In that case..."

The Earth Dragon turned its head, seemingly sensing the presence of a stranger.

Outside the thick frosted glass, there was a figure—

Lisa Krauss immediately became alert; normally, regular customers wouldn't bother her at this hour.

"Who?!"

The gunshot shattered the light bulbs in the sauna. In such a confined space, the steam was blasted into ring-shaped vortices by the sonic boom from the bullet, instantly creating more than a dozen bloody holes in Lisa's body!

The moment the glass shattered, I saw 9527's fierce eyes, hidden behind a bath towel, his back to the light source.

When the nameless mistress heard the news, she was almost driven mad with rage, wanting nothing more than to chop off George Joshua's bird eggs and feed them to the dogs. Imagine if some guy used your wife's face as a model to create these "inflatable dolls"—anyone would be furious.

"Damn it!" Lisa cried out in pain from the gunshot wound, blood gushing from her torso. One of her eyes had also been blinded, making it impossible for her to see the enemy's appearance.

The Little Pink cat, fiercely protective of its master, pounced straight towards 9527.

Xiao Qi's reloading action was interrupted by this beast, and she managed to catch the monster's bite with both hands!

She grabbed the Earth Dragon's nose with one hand and gripped its throat and jaw with the other. Her Steel Heart erupted with intense light, and the [Forest Lodge] behind her head, which served as her life-protecting radiance stone, also emitted strong psionic energy fluctuations.

The immense impact nearly knocked her into the pool, and then she saw two slender spirit arms extend from her shoulders and merge with her physical body!

"Click!"

Little Pink's chin was broken off by 9527! But its claws didn't seem to let go, and its two front paws had already grabbed Xiao Qi's shoulders, leaving six bloody marks!

The fighting dagger pierced the beast's skull, slicing down its spine. The Earth Dragon's corpse became limp and powerless, its head and torso brutally severed, almost forming a Y shape, with only the flesh of its tail holding it together.

"Lisa Krauser!"

Xiao Qi discarded the corpse and retrieved her gun, only to find herself face-to-face with the Blood-giving Monster in the bathroom.

Are you ready?

The gunshots did not attract the attention of security personnel.

--At the work counter in the bathhouse, the young waitress had already been knocked down by Xiao Qi; the little girl was sleeping soundly.

In the multimedia center at the workstation, the song "Good Days" was playing on repeat at maximum volume; even the sound of gunfire couldn't drown out the sound system.

In the sauna room, which was a complete mess, more than ten deformed bullets were ejected from Lisa's body. Her bone strength far exceeded that of Homo sapiens, and her self-healing ability was close to that of the Apostle Unit and the Flash Butterfly.

Her eyes hadn't fully healed yet; her blind right eye was a blank white, and the pupil hadn't regenerated. But she couldn't wait to take on the challenge. Stepping on broken glass, leaving bloody footprints, the wounds on her feet healed quickly. She arrived at the bathhouse lobby, facing 9527 directly.

"And who are you, you filthy bitch?! You dare kill my Little Pink?! I'll turn you into a specimen!"