Fang Yang, propped up on his arms, was mid-thrust, the small bed shaking violently as if on the verge of collapse. His bronze, sweat-slicked skin glistened in the dim light, faint scratch marks visible on his backs. The room was filled with heavy panting and moaning, charged with raw, sexual energy. The soldiers, already pent up from their time in the barracks, stood rooted to the spot, utterly dumbfounded by the erotic display.

“Ahhh!” Fang Yang groaned deeply, his grip tightening around Ye Jingsheng’s wrist. The blanket was a tangled mess, twisted around their trembling bodies as their frantic movements slowed. The feverish heat between them ebbed, leaving behind a heavy stillness, broken only by the sound of their labored breathing.

No one spoke. The soldiers stood stiffly, faces flushed, eyes locked onto the erotic scene before them. Shock clashed with discomfort, the air thick with an unspoken tension none of them dared to break.

So, this was what “personal assistant” meant?

Fang Yang shifted slightly, still panting heavily, but his fury didn’t waver. In sharp English, he barked, “What the hell is this?! Is this how your commander treats his guests?!”

The lead soldier finally snapped out of his stupor and quickly saluted. “Apologies, Mr. Fang. There was some commotion earlier, and we were ordered to conduct a search.”

Ye Jingsheng, shielding his eyes from the light as if sensitive to it, rasped, “And what does that commotion have to do with us? Care to explain, gentlemen?”

“We’re here to talk business with your commander, not to be interrogated like criminals!”

The two of them, working seamlessly together, backed the soldiers into a corner with their cutting words. Flustered and unsure how to respond, the soldiers could only stammer out apologies, desperate to smooth things over.

As soon as the soldiers left, Ye Jingsheng jabbed Fang Yang in the ribs with his elbow, a sly smirk playing on his lips. “Hey, if Hongyun ever goes under, you might have a future in the adult film industry.”

Fang Yang’s cold glare cut through the air like a knife, silencing Ye Jingsheng instantly. The heat radiating between their bodies was suffocating, and Ye Jingsheng knew better than to push Fang Yang’s limits any further.

“Ye Jingsheng, do you think I’m joking?” Fang Yang hissed, his voice dangerously low. “The reason that act was so convincing is because you’re the one beneath me.” He grabbed Ye Jingsheng’s hand and pressed it firmly against the bulge in his pants. His tone darkened further, carrying a palpable threat. “You think I can’t handle you?”

Ye Jingsheng let him continue, his expression calm and unbothered, as though nothing could rattle him. Fang Yang’s breathing grew heavier, his eyes fluttering shut as he became lost in the moment. Then, in a soft, almost teasing voice, Ye Jingsheng said, “I found where those things are hidden.”

“What?” Fang Yang’s eyes snapped open, shock flashing across his face as he froze, caught off guard and unsure whether to proceed or stop.

With a cheeky grin, Ye Jingsheng slipped his hand away. Flipping off the bed, he began straightening his clothes and smoothing his hair. “Not bad for a partner, right, Yang ge? Now, let’s talk about our next steps.”

Fang Yang was torn between grabbing him by the throat or sending him flying with a kick.

—–

Later, the events of that night were brushed off as a mutiny caused by a deserter. They even fabricated a corpse to pacify Zachis. Ye Jingsheng, ever perceptive, knew someone had helped him from the shadows.

What puzzled him was why Pei Jun had shown up in such a dangerous place. By all logic, after what had happened years ago, Pei Jun should have been climbing the ranks of success. So why was he here, entangled with a group of desperate and reckless men?

Pei Jun’s motives remained a mystery, and Ye Jingsheng had no intention of voicing his suspicions to Fang Yang. They were both cunning players, each waiting for the other to slip. In the end, only one would come out on top.

When the auction began, Pei Jun reappeared, standing beside the imposing Zachis and the captivating Vivianne, radiating an air of refinement and quiet authority.

Occasionally, his gaze would cross Ye Jingsheng’s, but his expression was cold and unfamiliar, as though they were nothing more than strangers.

Ye Jingsheng scoffed inwardly. That old bastard’s ability to feign ignorance was only getting better with age.

Turning slightly to Fang Yang beside him, he said casually, testing the waters, “Hey, if this Pei guy is representing Zhong Qinglin, he must be part of Hongyun, right? How come you don’t recognize him? And why does that warlord treat him with so much respect? Strange, isn’t it?”

Since that night, Fang Yang hadn’t been giving Ye Jingsheng the time of day. “If you’re so smart, why don’t you go find out yourself?”

Ye Jingsheng shot him a sideways glance and smirked. “Aren’t you the one with all the advantages? Just sweet-talk her a little.” He nodded toward Vivianne, his tone laced with teasing.

Fang Yang took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus on the bigger picture. As irritating as this sly fox could be, he still had his uses. “Zachis always has his reasons for treating people well, but this Pei Jun is an enigma. No one knows where he came from. Even in Hong Kong, there’s no record of when Zhong Qinglin first made contact with him.”

No traces to uncover? Ye Jingsheng’s suspicions only deepened. To completely erase someone’s identity from the world, how many people had the power to make that happen?

Nearly 70% of Zachis’s goods were won by Pei Jun at the auction. Although Fang Yang and Ye Jingsheng had anticipated this, they hadn’t expected Zhong Qinglin to mobilize such a massive amount of funds to secure the deal. It seemed he was going all-in this time.

It wasn’t entirely surprising. The two of them had come here in secret with the goal of sabotaging the deal, aiming to sever the ties between these two major drug lords. But the unexpected addition of the enigmatic Pei Jun had complicated matters significantly.

The remaining 30% of the goods were mostly destined for the Middle East. To stay in play, Fang Yang and Ye Jingsheng began bargaining with Zachis, offering absurdly low prices. But Zachis, whose patience was wearing thin, began to grow suspicious of their stalling tactics.

“Are they really serious about buying that batch of goods?” Zachis asked Pei Jun. “Pei, do you think these two young men are trustworthy?”

Seated on the sofa, Pei Jun gently swirled the crimson liquid in his wine glass. He shook his head slowly and replied, “Commander, shouldn’t you be the one telling me?”

“I’ve looked into their backgrounds. They’re clean. They’ve been in this line of work for years. But you know my situation. Last time, thanks to your help, we managed to smooth things over. This time…”

Pei Jun nodded, his expression calm but thoughtful. The Americans, after tying up their own loose ends, clearly intended to sever ties entirely. Their improving relations with the Colombian government made it convenient to expose this so-called “axis of terror” as a gesture of goodwill, creating endless trouble for Zachis. The mounting clashes with government forces only added to the chaos.

It was becoming clear that Zachis suspected the two men of being military spies.

Zachis continued, “Last time, Interpol sent three operatives to infiltrate. If I hadn’t caught them early, I’d have been the one dead in that firefight in Antioquia.”

Pei Jun remained silent, the soft, rippling light from his wine reflecting off his face. The faint glow gave him an almost spectral quality, as if he were a phantom observing the chaos from afar.

“But Commander,” he said slowly, “didn’t you already take your revenge? You skinned those three infiltrators alive in the Darién Forest. Surely that settled the score?”

Zachis let out a hearty laugh. “When it comes to enemies, we always settle blood debts with blood. But for friends like you, I never forget what you’ve done. Without your help last time..”

“Commander,” Pei Jun interrupted with a faint smile, “If you don’t trust them, why not put them to the test?”

Zachis’s eyes gleamed with interest as a grin spread across his face, though the hint of cruelty in it was unmistakable.

Pei Jun tilted his head back and downed his glass of wine in one smooth motion. The light in his eyes reflected like cold glass, sharp and devoid of emotion.

Ye Jingsheng… this place isn’t as simple as you think.

This blood-soaked purgatory, a realm where life and death teetered on a knife’s edge, was never meant for someone like you.