Era of Mist

“Things I can say…” A thousand words churned in his heart, but when they reached his lips, none could come out. Shi Tiexin gazed intently at Miss Red Skirt, and finally said in a low voice, “I have so, so many things I want to tell you, but I can’t find a single one I’m allowed to… I’m truly sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” Miss Red Skirt wasn’t angry. Instead, she looked back at him, her gaze just as deep. “In that case, I imagine you must be very lonely.”

For a moment, Shi Tiexin was stunned. Then, he laughed.

“No. I’m not lonely.” He raised a hand, pointing to Miss Red Skirt. “Because in your eyes, I see the very same look.”

Miss Red Skirt was stunned. Truly stunned.

She instinctively looked away and turned to walk ahead, saying nothing more. Shi Tiexin followed behind her, also silent. In silence, they slowly made their way down the path lined with cherry blossoms.

Amidst the silence, Shi Tiexin didn’t feel awkward at all. On the contrary, he felt relaxed and at ease.

A gentle breeze blew, and cherry blossoms drifted down like snow. One walking behind the other, they ambled along, immersed in the beautiful spring scenery. After a long while, just as they were about to reach the end of the park, Miss Red Skirt stopped.

She didn’t turn back. “Do you want to hear about me?”

“I’m listening.”

“I don’t have many things I can talk about either, but I can share a little insight with you.” Miss Red Skirt’s voice was low but firm. “Whenever I’m hesitant, whenever I’m lost and confused, I always ask myself: What is it I truly want to do? Find that answer, hold on to it tight, and you’ll never be lost again. Now you can ask yourself: what is it you want to do?”

“What I want to do… Heh, what a coincidence. I actually do have something I want to do right now.” Shi Tiexin’s resolve hardened. “It might not be a pretty sight, but it should be quite rare. Care to come watch?”

“Then please, lead the way.”

“Follow me.”

The two of them left the cherry blossom park and stepped out onto the street. Shi Tiexin gave a wave, and a man on a motorcycle immediately pulled up in front of them. He dismounted, bowed respectfully, and walked away.

Shi Tiexin got on the motorcycle and patted the seat behind him.

Without a word, Miss Red Skirt climbed on, sitting sidesaddle. She adjusted the hem of her dress, placing her left hand on her knee to hold it down. “What kind of gentleman transports a lady in a dress on a motorcycle?”

“My mistake. I’ll do better next time.” Shi Tiexin handed her a helmet. “Safety first. Put it on.”

“My hair!”

“Another mistake. I’ll get it right next time.” Shi Tiexin twisted the throttle. “Let’s go!”

The motorcycle’s engine rumbled to life, and they set off down the street. They rode at a leisurely pace, neither too fast nor too slow, cruising in the spring breeze. Before long, they arrived at an old factory guarded by his men. Spotting Shi Tiexin from a distance, the men scrambled to unlock the padlocks and swing open the factory gates, allowing the two to ride straight in.

Inside the factory, more of his men were bustling about, transporting something. A deafening roar filled the air.

They got off the motorcycle and entered the workshop. It was scorching hot inside. Even with the cooling system on full blast, the heat made them break into a sweat almost instantly.

“What is this place?”

“An old workshop belonging to Kobe Steel.”

“This is a steel mill?”

“That’s right. It’s been shut down for a long time, but the equipment is still functional. Come with me.”

Guided by a few workers, Shi Tiexin and his companion climbed and moved along a steel catwalk, finally arriving at a high platform. An operator did something, and with a tremendous roar, a heavy, massive steel furnace was hoisted by a huge iron hook—as thick as a person—and brought near the platform.

Waves of heat billowed out, and even Shi Tiexin couldn’t help but be drenched in sweat. He glanced over at Miss Red Skirt and saw she was also glistening with perspiration. But she didn’t complain delicately. Instead, she leaned over to look down below.

“Is there something in the pit below?” She had to shout to be heard over the deafening noise.

Shi Tiexin didn’t answer.

Miss Red Skirt pressed on. “What is that? There’s a huge amount of it! Hey, I’m talking to you! Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Hm? Uh, oh!” Shi Tiexin quickly pulled his gaze back from a certain area and rubbed the tip of his nose. ‘I’m just now discovering the benefits of this heat!’ he thought. ‘All this sweat really is… beyond wonderful!’

‘Whoa, gotta answer quick before she notices.’

“Right, there’s something there!”

“What is it?”

“Take a guess.”

“Forget it. I’m not guessing. Just tell me!”

“Drugs.”

Miss Red Skirt’s eyes shot open. “Drugs?”

“That’s right. The Ouyang Hong brothers were expert drug manufacturers. While taking down the Hongshun Society, I found a huge stash of their product that hadn’t been shipped out yet.” Shi Tiexin gazed at the pit below. “Five and a half tons of it. It’s a staggering amount.”

Miss Red Skirt fell silent. After a moment, she looked at Shi Tiexin intently. “You’re not going to sell it? At market price, this is a terrifying sum of money. We’re probably talking billions of Dragon Coins.”

“I believe I told you, I’m not a bad guy. This stuff is a plague on the country and its people, a poison with no end. I would never sell it. In fact, I won’t even let it continue to exist!” Shi Tiexin looked toward the furnace. “I’m going to destroy it!”

Miss Red Skirt watched Shi Tiexin, her gaze incredibly serious. ‘Billions of Dragon Coins worth of product!’ She couldn’t believe he was just putting on a show to impress her—no one would use billions to make a gesture. She didn’t think it was fake, either; she could tell real drugs from fakes with a single glance.

Especially this huge furnace. It would have needed maintenance and preheating long in advance to prepare a batch of molten steel like this.

He must have been preparing this for a long time. It was just a coincidence that she happened to be here to witness it.

Thinking deeper, for him to destroy something of such immense value, just how much pressure must he have been under? Even if he himself wasn’t tempted, would his own rising Hall Masters and Squad Leaders allow it? Would his subordinates and followers agree? Billions! Miss Red Skirt couldn’t imagine it.

But this man was doing it anyway, resolutely and without looking back.

At that moment, the way Miss Red Skirt looked at Shi Tiexin truly changed. She murmured under her breath, “You really aren’t a bad person. I believe you now…”

The noise was too loud for Shi Tiexin to hear her. He simply continued his explanation.

“I couldn’t find any professional equipment, so we have to make do with this furnace. Seventeen-hundred-degree molten steel is more than enough to completely destroy this stuff. I tested a small batch before—it doesn’t produce any fumes, so we don’t need to worry about getting poisoned.” As Shi Tiexin held out his hand, a nearby engineer handed him a control panel.

The control panel was crude and simple, with only a few massive buttons.

“Want to do it together?” Shi Tiexin’s hand hovered over a button as he glanced at Miss Red Skirt. “Burning a billion in one go. That’s not something you see every day.”

“You’re right. It certainly isn’t.” Miss Red Skirt placed her delicate hand on the back of Shi Tiexin’s large one. “Let me experience what a billion-dollar move feels like!”

They stood at the edge of the platform, looking down into the pit. That much product, like an equal volume of gold, would make any greedy person’s face flush and their heart race. But at this moment, they met each other’s gaze and found the same clarity reflected in one another’s eyes.

Three, two, one.

They didn’t count aloud, but in perfect unspoken agreement, they pushed down with all their might.

Her small hand pressed on his large one, and his large hand pressed the button.

KER-CHUNK. The old button slammed all the way down.

RUMBLE. Amidst the tremendous mechanical noise, the furnace beside the platform began to tilt and turn over. WHOOSH! Incandescent molten steel poured out, a dazzling red waterfall that instantly flooded the pit below. CRACKLE! SIZZLE! POP! As the steel inundated the drugs, it set off a shower of flying sparks.

A blast of scorching air billowed up, making it difficult to keep their eyes open.

But neither Shi Tiexin nor Miss Red Skirt so much as blinked. They stared down at the scene below. A billion in drugs was now a billion-dollar firework display, tumbling, bursting, and spraying sparks in a dazzling spectacle. Then, like snow meeting boiling water, the drugs were overwhelmed without resistance—washed away, burned through, and incinerated until not a trace was left in the lava-like molten steel.

Shi Tiexin spoke up. “Destroying this much all at once is actually pretty spectacular. Like a firework display.”

Miss Red Skirt sighed. “Well then, this is definitely the most hardcore and most beautiful firework display I’ve ever seen. Big guy, what’s your name? I mean, your real name.”

“Shi Tiexin. And you?”

“I… You can call me Yu Yu.”

“There’s no point if it’s a fake name.”

“It’s not a fake name. It’s my pet name.” Amidst the billowing heat, Miss Red Skirt’s face broke into a breathtakingly beautiful smile—a radiant light that seemed to blossom from the very bottom of her heart. “To a good man like you, I don’t want to lie!”

TING-A-LING. The sound of a pleasant wind chime rang out.

[Mandate Mission 3, Stage Complete]

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