Era of Mist

“Stone, I heard what happened. You handled it very well. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks—just keep at it.”

“Studying is always the right thing to do. Others may not study, but you do. It doesn’t matter how much or how little you learn, it’s all self-improvement. That’s what I admire most about you. You’re smart, you have your own ideas, you know what you’re missing, and you know how to work hard to get it.”

“That’s why you have the potential to become a great man, to become my true right-hand man.”

Back in the familiar mansion, Wang Dafu stood opposite Shi Tiexin.

Shi Tiexin looked at Wang Dafu, but his mind felt hazy.

“Stone, letting the Ouyang brothers go is like releasing a tiger back into the mountains—it’s a huge risk. But since my most trusted man has made the request, of course I’ll support you.” Wang Dafu clapped Shi Tiexin eagerly on both shoulders, his eyes full of admiration. “Keep up the good work. Being a Hall Master isn’t my final goal, and it certainly isn’t yours. Keep striving.”

Shi Tiexin stared at Wang Dafu’s face, his own mind a whirlwind of doubt.

‘If I really am an undercover agent… then is Wang Dafu… my target?’

Once that suspicion took root, everything changed. Their once harmonious and close working relationship—that of a trusted subordinate and his boss—suddenly felt precarious. Wang Dafu’s usual eager smile now seemed strange and alien.

Just as he was thinking this, Wang Dafu leaned in, whispering close to Shi Tiexin’s ear, “Stone, try not to leave any loose ends. You know what to do.”

Wang Dafu squeezed Shi Tiexin’s shoulder firmly. The grip brought Shi Tiexin back to his senses, and he nodded, his face betraying nothing. “Got it, Brother Fa. There won’t be any loose ends.”

“Good.” Wang Dafu clapped his hands. “Ah Cheng!”

A tough-looking man approached with a few underlings. His men were dragging the Ouyang brothers, who could no longer stand, along with Ouyang Hong’s son, Ouyang Yuan.

“Let me make an introduction. This is Ah Cheng, a fine young lad.” Wang Dafu then turned to Ah Cheng and said, “From now on, I want you to learn from Brother Zun. Understand?”

“Yes, Brother Fa,” Ah Cheng replied, but the look he gave Shi Tiexin was full of defiance, resentment, and challenge.

Shi Tiexin glanced at Ah Cheng, his expression completely unfazed, but his mind was already racing.

‘Is Wang Dafu putting this guy up as a rival to keep me in check? My influence on the streets has been soaring lately, and I’m financially independent with my own turf. Has Wang Dafu started to distrust me? Is this it? Am I being cast aside now that the enemy is dealt with, like a good bow after the birds are all shot down?’ Shi Tiexin mulled it over and over in his head.

He never would have thought this way before.

But ever since he began to suspect he was an undercover agent, everything seemed strange. Everywhere he went felt like a den of thieves, with danger lurking around every corner. He would overthink everything anyone said, and suddenly it seemed like every person he met was speaking in riddles, with hidden meanings behind, within, and between their words.

Even a simple “Have you eaten?” would be processed in his mind like this:

‘Have you eaten? → This person is trying to figure out my daily routine. → He’s definitely up to no good. → He wants to use my eating schedule to get to me. → He knows I’m an undercover agent and he’s going to kill me!’

‘Damn it! I have to draw my gun and fight my way out of this encirclement!’

He’d been in this paranoid state of mind all day.

From the top boss to the lowest underling, if he processed any random comment from anyone this way, the conclusion was always the same. As a result, Shi Tiexin felt a murderous aura everywhere. He was walking a tightrope between staying safely hidden and having his cover blown, and his sense of danger was off the charts.

Of course, Shi Tiexin’s greatest talent was that no matter how much drama was unfolding in his mind, his face remained a perfect mask.

And so, Shi Tiexin acted as he always did.

He waved his hand, and a few of his men grabbed the three Ouyangs and shoved them into a car. Shi Tiexin bid farewell to Wang Dafu, his mind calculating the odds of Wang Dafu moving against him, while his face wore the expected polite smile. Then, he drove the three Ouyangs to the arranged meeting place.

「Tokyo Narita International Airport.」

This was perhaps the only airport in all of Japan that still had a few international flights running.

Of course, maintaining order at the airport wasn’t as strict as it had been in more peaceful times. Shi Tiexin dismissed all his men and drove the car onto the tarmac alone. Not far ahead was an All Nippon Airways flight, preparing for takeoff.

And standing before the aircraft’s boarding stairs was Officer Gao, dressed in a large trench coat.

Seeing Shi Tiexin arrive, Officer Gao’s stern face broke into a pleased smile. “You really are a man of your word.”

“Of course,” Shi Tiexin said, looking around. He didn’t see anyone else. “You’re escorting three prisoners by yourself? Can you handle that? And this is a commercial flight; the passengers are a motley crew. Anyone could be on board. Is this really secure?”

Ever since he’d started suspecting he was an undercover agent, Shi Tiexin felt a sudden kinship with Officer Gao and couldn’t stop himself from offering a bit more advice.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already notified my colleagues; they’ll meet me when the plane lands.” Officer Gao looked at the three Ouyangs beside him and said with a sigh, “I can’t believe you actually handed them over to me. Rest assured, as long as they make it back alive to stand trial, I guarantee they’ll never get out to cause trouble again. For the amount of drugs they manufactured and trafficked, the death penalty a hundred times over would be more than enough.” ℯ

The Ouyang brothers looked like broken rag dolls, a wretched sight. Clearly, Wang Dafu’s methods for extracting information and value from them had not been gentle.

But Ouyang Hong looked at Officer Gao and suddenly burst into loud laughter.

Officer Gao frowned and snapped, “What are you laughing at!”

“Hahahaha, I… I’m laughing at myself… and I’m laughing at you! I always thought you looked familiar, and now I finally remember. You, haha, are you Lili’s father? It’s probably a fake name, of course, but I think you know who I’m talking about. That little policewoman, that little narc… was she your daughter?”

Hearing his daughter’s name from her murderer, Officer Gao’s face instantly turned ashen. He said nothing, but his eyes looked ready to shoot flames.

“So I was right.” A vicious, insane light glinted in Ouyang Hong’s eyes. A hideous, twisted smile spread across his face as he spoke slowly, “You know, your daughter was fantastic. A real thrill. Ten days and ten nights… those screams, her reactions, that stubbornness, and then… the final breakdown. I almost didn’t want to kill her. But what a shame… she just had to be an undercover cop, didn’t she? So I had no choice but to… piece by piece…”

“I’LL KILL YOU—!!!” Officer Gao let out a guttural roar, his eyes completely bloodshot, and lunged forward. He grabbed Ouyang Hong by the collar and started punching him relentlessly. THUD! THUD! With a few sickening sounds, Ouyang Hong’s face was beaten to a bloody pulp, several of his teeth were knocked out, and blood poured from his mouth. But after a pained scream, he began to laugh maniacally again, like a complete madman.

Ouyang Shun, who had been silent at the side the entire time, now began to snicker quietly, a bizarre reaction.

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