As the grandest venue of the evening, the banquet hall had been the first place taken under control.
The wealthy guests crouched against the walls with their hands over their heads, not daring to make a sound for fear of losing their lives. In one corner, a woman in a black evening gown crouched idly admiring her freshly done nails.
She tucked her long burgundy hair behind her ear, looking entirely unruffled. There was even a look in her eyes that suggested she was enjoying the spectacle and wouldn't mind more trouble.
Just then, she felt someone tug at her hem. She turned in puzzlement and met Ye Xunzhi's smiling face.
Ye Xunzhi offered her a rose with a dazzling smile. "Hello, miss. Taking commissions?"
"Oh?" The woman regarded Ye Xunzhi, who had appeared out of nowhere, with interest. She took the rose and looked her up and down, also casting a glance at Ian beside her.
That single glance made Ian shudder.
Ye Xunzhi, by contrast, didn't lose a trace of her smile.
[Codename: Merlot. A type of red wine, and also one of the world's top mercenaries.]
The woman's information flashed through Ye Xunzhi's mind.
Merlot narrowed her eyes. "Little girl, I don't come cheap."
"That much I understand." Ye Xunzhi slipped a card between her fingers and pushed it forward. "Here's the deposit."
Merlot raised an eyebrow. Using the card number and the other information Ye Xunzhi provided, she tapped at her phone a few times. When she saw the amount, she was visibly surprised.
Her smile slowly widened, even taking on a touch of hair-raising madness. "I'll admit it, little girl. You've bought me."
She smiled. "So, my little employer, what would you like me and my team to do?"
Ye Xunzhi said, "First, I need