Killer Queen (GL) - Chapter 3

“Your last mission was well done. One million has already been transferred to your bank account,” Luo Yu said quietly, leaning against the bed frame. “I already knew you were skilled, but you still exceeded my expectations.” Even the elite assassins from the Luo family headquarters were not her match; this woman was probably not simple.

“Judging by the opponent’s marksmanship, they must be professionally trained assassins. Which assassin organization have you provoked?” Xi Qi rubbed her temples, her brows slightly furrowed.

“You don’t need to worry about that. You only need to do what you are supposed to do.” Of course, Luo Yu wouldn’t tell her that the organization she had provoked was the Luo family, the foremost powerful family in the assassin world.

In school, Luo Yu’s name was Wu Yu (Mist Rain), but since the surname Wu (Mist) is rare, Xi Qi naturally understood this was a pseudonym, just like her own name.

“The next operation is scheduled for this Friday. We have five days to prepare. This time there are three assassins, and all of them are much stronger than the last one. Here are the files for each of them.” Luo Yu handed Xi Qi a stack of documents. These were confidential files she had secretly glimpsed on Luo Han’s desk earlier, which she had photographed at the time.

Xi Qi took the documents, a slight surprise on her face. She naturally knew the confidential nature of these files; ordinary people couldn’t possibly access such intelligence unless they were high-level figures within the organization.

“How did you get these?”

“I have my own channels, naturally.”

“You planted an undercover agent.”

“Maybe. Who knows?” Luo Yu said playfully, an inscrutable smile floating across her face.

“The location is the Century Tower on Commercial Street. The target will go to the mall that day to buy a Christmas gift for his grandson. They plan to strike there,” Luo Yu got back to business, continuing, “One person is a sniper, one is good at close combat, and the other is very skilled at high-speed driving.”

Xi Qi couldn’t help but secretly praise Luo Yu’s prowess; the intelligence was detailed to such an extent. For an assassin, any leak of information can be fatal.

“We’ll go scout the Century Tower tomorrow.” After saying this, Luo Yu disappeared into the bathroom.

The icy water hit her injured body, causing Luo Yu to tremble uncontrollably with pain. Her fingers dug tightly into the wall, and she gasped for air in large mouthfuls, like a fish out of water, almost suffocating. After a long time, Luo Yu finally calmed down slightly. She looked into the mirror: her back was crisscrossed with mottled, swollen lash marks, and her hips were even more gruesome. Bl00d, diluted by the water, flowed down her thighs to the floor, where the bluestone tiles were stained with pink liquid.

The weather was already very cold, but Luo Yu still insisted on taking a cold shower. This was Luo Han’s command: comfort leads to lowered vigilance and relaxation of guard, all of which are fatal for an assassin. Xi Qi had the same habit; both were accustomed to it and were not surprised to see the other doing so.

Luo Yu came out of the bathroom, using a towel to wipe her wet hair. The icy water stung the wounds but also allowed the bl00d to dry, and the lash marks on her body were no longer bleeding.

“I have something to do later; I need to go out for a trip.”

“You have two tails following you. Do you want me to deal with them?” Xi Qi warned.

“No need. Let them follow; I’ll shake them off.” Luo Yu knew Chu Jiu and Chu Shi were following her, but they were no longer her match.

The night was already very late, but this street was still brightly lit and bustling with noise. The colorful neon lights were so dazzling that people could barely keep their eyes open. There were many handsome men and beautiful women here, as well as many portly, rich merchants and powerful figures. This was the extravagant “Heaven on Earth,” a place of indulgence and madness.

“Night King” was the most high-end and luxurious host club in the city. Those who frequented it were either wealthy women worth hundreds of millions or daughters of prominent families. Therefore, when Luo Yu, dressed like a student, stood at the entrance, not even a waiter came to open the door.

Luo Yu had no choice but to push the heavy door open herself. Inside, it was dazzling and extravagantly luxurious. Crystal chandeliers reflected glaring light, the black and white marble floor was smooth and brilliant, and luxurious beige chaise lounges were placed in the center of the hall, with rows of expensive red wine bottles displayed on the glass tables.

On the wall hung photos of the top three popular hosts from the previous month. The top host was a man named “Moonlit Night.”

Moonlit Night had dominated the top spot for a year straight. He was handsome, over 1.8 meters tall, had slightly alluring eyes, and a mouth full of sweet words, as if dipped in honey. He always had a charm that made women fall for him and drive them crazy.

Luo Yu’s clothing was completely out of place with the surrounding environment, like a discordant color in a painting, causing people around her to look at her frequently. Luo Yu seemed completely unaware of the strange looks, paid no attention, and walked straight over.

“Miss, do you have someone specific in mind?” A boy with a rather delicate and cute appearance politely asked. The boy’s eyes were large and watery, his long eyelashes were like cattails, and his clear, clean gaze made people feel very comfortable.

“Call Moonlit Night over.” Luo Yu’s tone was casual.

The boy fluttered his long eyelashes and said with some difficulty, “Brother Yue is very busy; he has several important guests to entertain. How about you choose me? I don’t have any guests right now.”

Luo Yu was amused by the boy’s frankness and deliberately teased him, “But I don’t have much money and can’t afford expensive wine.” The higher the price of the red wine, the more commission the hosts earned.

“It’s, it’s okay. This is also my first day working here, and you are my first guest. So, so it doesn’t matter even if you don’t order wine,” the boy was a little embarrassed, stuttering for a long time before finishing his sentence.

“But I still prefer Moonlit Night. Go tell him that it’s foggy outside, so I came in to sit down.”

The boy couldn’t hide his disappointment. Hearing Luo Yu’s words, he strangely looked outside—where was the fog?

At this moment, Moonlit Night was busy between several women, had just been forcibly poured several bottles of red wine, and was feeling extremely uncomfortable. The boy whispered a few words into Moonlit Night’s ear, and Moonlit Night immediately got up and left. Luo Yu’s codename was “Mist” (Wu). Hearing the boy’s message, Moonlit Night immediately understood that Luo Yu had arrived and there was a new mission.

Moonlit Night went to the restroom, and Luo Yu followed, locking the door behind her. Moonlit Night leaned over the sink and vomited all the expensive red wine he had just drunk.

Years ago, Moonlit Night started working here because his father was critically ill and urgently needed a large sum for medical expenses. However, as a newcomer, how could Moonlit Night earn so much money? At that time, Luo Yu gave him a million yuan for the medical expenses without a word, and later personally helped him rise to his current position.

Luo Yu’s judgment was undeniably good. Moonlit Night was very adept at anticipating women’s thoughts, and his ability to gather and investigate intelligence was self-taught. As Moonlit Night’s fame grew and he came into contact with more officials and powerful people, his intelligence network spread wider, and Luo Yu received more important intelligence. Furthermore, Moonlit Night was not only popular with women but also suited the tastes of men.

“Do you feel better after throwing up?” Luo Yu lightly patted Moonlit Night’s back to help him settle down.

“Mist, are you worried about me? Don’t you know that for all these years, I have always felt for you…”

“Stop, stop, stop. Save that routine for those women. I’m here to discuss serious business,” Luo Yu chuckled. Moonlit Night’s occupational habit was acting up regardless of the occasion.

“I was just joking,” Moonlit Night flipped his brown bangs, revealing his dark eyes, which were as alluring as the sea. “Another job?”

“Someone offered five million to buy the head of the Executive Director of Fudong Corporation. The Luo family has accepted this contract.”

“How many assassins were sent this time?”

“Three, and each of them is more capable than the last one.” The last assassin, of course, referred to Luo Forty-seven.

“A bit tricky. Is that fellow codenamed Xi trustworthy?” Moonlit Night pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

“You don’t need to worry about that. It’s the same as last time: you take the intelligence to that old man from Fudong Corporation and make him pay three times the money to buy his life.”

“Are you so sure he will pay?” Moonlit Night asked with a smile.

“In order to survive, let alone ten million, he wouldn’t refuse even half of his family assets. Moreover, anyone targeted by the Luo family has no chance of escape. We are his only lifeline.”

“I’m curious. The Luo family is the ace of the assassin world. Why provoke such a powerful enemy? Or does the Luo family have a grudge against you?”

“Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Curiosity killed the cat’? Just assume I’m doing it to make money, alright?”

“I don’t believe it. The money isn’t worth the trouble.” If it were just to make money, there would be no need to compete for business with the Luo family.

“By the way, you asked me to investigate Xi’s identity. What have you found?” Luo Yu was also very curious about Xi Qi’s identity; someone with such excellent skills certainly couldn’t be an ordinary person.

“I can’t find anything. A year ago, this person simply didn’t exist in the world, as if she evaporated into thin air.”

“Is that so?” The less she could be traced, the more suspicious it was. The more mysterious Xi Qi’s identity was, the more interested Luo Yu became in her.

“I advise you to be careful. That woman probably has some background.”

Luo Yu scoffed, nonchalant. “What is there to be afraid of? We all live lives of constantly licking bl00d off a knife edge anyway.”

It was late at night when Luo Yu left. Upon returning to the dorm, Xi Qi was still awake, seemingly waiting for her. Luo Yu was so tired that as soon as she lay down on the bed, she fell asleep without even taking off her outer clothes. Christmas was approaching, and the weather was getting colder. Lying in bed, her hands and feet were icy. Luo Yu was shivering with cold and curled up tightly in the quilt like a kitten. Half-asleep, she felt someone taking off her clothes, and fingers gently stroking her back, hips, and thighs. A warm, stove-like presence embraced her.

When she woke up the next morning, warm sunlight streamed into the room. Luo Yu felt a cool sensation on her back; the lash wounds had all been medicated and no longer hurt with such agonizing intensity.

“Get up and eat.” Xi Qi brought in a steaming hot breakfast. Luo Yu originally didn’t have the habit of eating breakfast. In such cold winter weather, who would want to get up early to go out and buy breakfast? Because of this, Luo Yu often suffered from stomach aches, which was her karma for laziness. But since Xi Qi arrived, she had automatically taken on the task of buying breakfast for the two of them. No matter how early Luo Yu woke up, Xi Qi was always up earlier than her.

“What time do you get up every day?” The breakfast was preserved egg and lean meat congee, along with a plate of delicate baked biscuits.

“Six o’clock.”

“Why do you get up so early!” Luo Yu nearly spat out a mouthful of congee.

“Morning run.”

“Aren’t you afraid of the cold in the middle of winter?” Luo Yu hugged a hand warmer and mumbled under her breath while taking a bite of a biscuit. Every morning, Xi Qi would strap twenty pounds of sandbags to her hands and feet and run five kilometers. This was her daily requirement, constantly maintaining her physical agility and alertness, not allowing her body a moment of slack.