A slow, sarcastic applause interrupted the somber atmosphere. Ye Jingsheng’s smirk was half-mocking as he leaned against the doorframe. “Touching,” he said dryly. “A crime lord with a tragic backstory. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were an undercover cop.”

Fang Yang looked at him calmly. ‘I don’t need to lie to you. My ambition to go clean and build a legitimate business is real. Violence, shootings, turf wars, even arms smuggling… I’ve done it all, and I have no regrets. This world is already riddled with crime, and sometimes, violence is the only way to put an end to it. But that cycle never stops, and I’m done being part of it.”

Ye Jingsheng stared at him silently. He had heard those words before, spoken with the same conviction, only to be swallowed by the weight of reality.

He never believed that someone entrenched in the underworld could truly resist the allure of drug trafficking’s enormous profits. In his eyes, Fang Yang and Zhong Qinglin were locked in a battle to the death for power, nothing more.

Fang Yang met his gaze and said, “Ye Jingsheng, even if I’m the last man standing, I’ll see this through to the end.” He extended his hand. “Be my partner. I can offer you more than just ten percent equity.”

Ye Jingsheng impatiently swatted his hand away. “You’d better make sure I survive long enough to enjoy it.”

Fang Yang chuckled.

Ye Jingsheng is still too soft-hearted in the end.

—-

“On the 14th, once the drugs are handed over to Pei Jun, they’ll likely be transported by sea to the Caribbean. We can’t make a move on open water. There’s no escape. So, we strike on land. If the drugs are destroyed right after the handoff, and on Zachis’s turf, Zhong Qinglin won’t take it lying down. With the money gone and the stash burned, the government will come down hard on Zachis’s base. In his current state, there’s no way he’ll tolerate Zhong Qinglin anymore.”

“Sounds like a solid plan,” Ye Jingsheng remarked, raising a brow. “You’re pretty confident Zachis will turn on Zhong Qinglin. I take it Vivianne gave you plenty of intel?”

Fang Yang froze briefly before narrowing his eyes. “You’re the one who sent her my way.”

Ye Jingsheng shrugged. “OK, fine. I’m just saying… maybe rein it in a little. After all, she’s still Zachis’s woman.”

Before he could finish his sentence, Ye Jingsheng felt a sudden force pull him forward, slamming him into Fang Yang’s chest.

“Jealous?” The deep voice rumbled in his chest. Ye Jingsheng rolled his eyes. Jealous? him?

He burst out laughing. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You and I have nothing going on. Jealous? Let me fuck you first, then maybe I’ll feel jealous.”

Fang Yang’s throat bobbed as he let out a low growl. “Ye Jingsheng, sometimes I really want to fucking strangle you.”

“You won’t. Because…,” Jingsheng’s gaze shifted toward the window, carrying a sharp edge, “we’re partners.”

Fang Yang froze for a moment. Even he didn’t know what the hell he wanted with Ye Jingsheng. Partners? It didn’t seem like enough. Thinking back to what he had just said, even he felt ridiculous. Maybe, deep down, he wanted Ye Jingsheng to be at least a little pissed about Vivianne.

Damn, he really was losing his mind.

—-

On the 14th, a torrential downpour hit. Northern Colombia had officially entered the rainy season. The military camp was thick with tension, security tighter than ever.

Docked quietly on the river leading to the Panama Canal was a medium-sized oil tanker, unmarked and without a flag. It was designed solely for moving drugs. If these hundreds of kilos of heroin made it to Asia, it would be an absolute shitstorm.

Ye Jingsheng watched through the sniper scope. Pei Jun was in his room, calm and still. Splitting up with Fang Yang was necessary. He couldn’t fully trust this bastard, not after the mess he’d been dragged into before.

A uniformed man entered Pei Jun’s room and exchanged a few words with him. Pei Jun then stood and followed the man out.

It’s fucking time for the deal? Ye Jingsheng’s heartbeat kicked up. He packed up his gun and moved swiftly. It’s time to meet up with Fang Yang.

“Mr. Ye? Taking in the breeze alone on the rooftop?” A delicate hand landed on his shoulder, making Ye Jingsheng freeze momentarily. Smiling faintly, he turned to face the stunning woman in front of him.

“Nothing much. Just about to head back.”

Vivianne pouted, tilting her head coyly. “Carrying a gun around right now is risky, especially when it’s an ‘Ophiophagus hannah.’”

Ye Jingsheng arched a brow. “Miss Vivianne, shouldn’t a lady keep her mouth shut about certain things?”

The blonde woman laughed and flicked her hair. “But I can tell you something you’d really want to know.”

Ye Jingsheng stayed calm, subtly gesturing for her to continue. Vivianne leaned in, her lips brushing his ear. “Me and Fang Yang didn’t fuck…”

Jingsheng frowned. “And what the hell does that have to do with me?”

Vivianne smirked wickedly and suddenly switched to flawless Mandarin. “Since we didn’t fuck, why would I tell him the truth?”

Ye Jingsheng moved fast. Despite his shock, his gun was already in his hand.

“If I were you,” she said coldly, “I wouldn’t fucking move.”

Ye Jingsheng froze. From the corner of his eye, he saw Emma standing at the rooftop entrance, gripping a compact submachine gun.

“You…” Ye Jingsheng’s gaze darted between them as the realization hit him like a truck. “You’re both working for Pei Jun, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Vivianne admitted matter-of-factly. She reached up and tugged at her low-cut dress, revealing a small pocket pistol strapped to her bra. Gripping it tightly, she aimed the barrel straight at him. “Don’t think women are just big tits and warm bodies for your bed.”

“You’re part of the WUP. And her?” Ye Jingsheng gestured toward Emma, narrowing his eyes. “She’s the most wanted female assassin on the international list! Damn, Pei Jun really knows how to pick his people!”

As the realization dawned on him, Ye Jingsheng let out a bitter laugh. Of course. Someone like Pei Jun wouldn’t align himself with Zhong Qinglin. He was here for Zachis all along!

“It’s none of your concern how Mr. Pei uses his people,” Vivianne said coolly. “We’re here under orders to get you out.”

“Out? Where? Back to Hong Kong?” Ye Jingsheng’s voice was laced with suspicion.

Vivianne nodded. “Mr. Pei said you shouldn’t die here.”

“You want Zachis to kill Fang Yang?” His voice dropped, edged with anger.

Vivianne’s gaze turned icy as she nodded. “That criminal scum should’ve been dead long ago.”

Ye Jingsheng began nodding repeatedly, almost mockingly. Of course. He should’ve seen this coming. A man like Pei Jun, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. As a top brass in the WUP, there was no way he’d spare Zachis. And now, with Fang Yang in the mix, the timing was perfect. Take them both out in one swoop and secure his climb up the ranks.

He had seen it before, back on that infernal night five years ago.

“Let’s go,” Emma said flatly, pushing her gun forward. “The boat’s ready. This mess isn’t your concern anymore.”

Ye Jingsheng didn’t resist. He started down the stairs, his mind racing. “You’re working for Zhong Qinglin but taking orders from the WUP? Why?”

“Mr. Pei promised me a new identity after this. Once it’s over, there’ll be no more Emma Stone on any of Interpol’s wanted lists.”

Ye Jingsheng laughed coldly to himself. Pei Jun, letting someone go? That manipulative bastard would never jeopardize his carefully laid climb to the top. If she believed that, she was a bigger fool than he’d thought.

Ye Jingsheng sneered inwardly. If Pei Jun ever truly lets you go, it would betray the ruthless ambition he’s honed over the past decade to reach the top.

Sometimes, there’s only a thin line between soldiers and bandits. Pei Jun played the game well because his heart was cruel enough.

They took a shortcut, walking several hundred meters without encountering a single soldier. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the soft sound of rainwater dripping from the leaves.

“If Pei Jun wanted to use someone else’s knife to kill, wouldn’t it make more sense for him to let Zachis take out both me and Fang Yang in one clean sweep?” Ye Jingsheng suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Vivianne gave him a push and snapped coldly, “I thought so too. It’d be simpler and cleaner. But Mr. Pei insisted on letting you go.”

He sighed. “Then before he sent you two, I’m sure he also gave another command. ‘Under no circumstances should he be killed,’ right?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he spun around, grabbing Vivianne’s gun and twisting it inward. He pulled her into his arms, locking her neck in a precise hold while forcing her hand to aim her gun toward Emma Stone, who was trailing behind.

“As assassins, if you lack the resolve to kill or be killed, you’re destined to fail. Didn’t Pei Jun teach you that?”

Vivianne struggled futilely, her voice sharp with anger. “Mr. Pei was trying to save you, you maniac! Don’t tell me you’re planning to go back and save Fang Yang?!”

Ye Jingsheng ignored her and stepped closer to Emma, his grip tightening. “So, what’s it going to be? Do we shoot each other and die here, or do you drop the gun and let me go? Your choice.”

Emma tossed her gun aside, smirking coldly. “A fool running back to his death.”

“Ye Jingsheng, have you lost your mind?!” Vivianne stared at him in shock, wide-eyed.

Ye Jingsheng brought his hand down sharply onto her spine, his tone icy. “I’m not Pei Jun. As a partner, I live and die alongside my teammate.”

This wasn’t about anything else. It was about loyalty.

Pei Jun, he thought grimly, I will never be like you.