Part 1 – Gold, Guns, and Sand Foxes
Two hours later, Han Yue and her team landed in Golden Hands Country — a powerful land rich in gold, oil, weapons, and bio-weapons.
Upon arrival, they rendezvoused with Shadow 6, and as usual, everyone split up to handle their own assignments. Han Yue began by collecting her allocated warehouses across different districts. Once that was taken care of, she turned her attention to the markets — and her curiosity was instantly piqued.
The local guide had warned them ahead of time: wear black, cover everything, and don't draw attention. So Han Yue complied, donning a flowing black abaya with a full face veil, her eyes peeking out like shimmering onyx. Shadow 2 and the rest of the scouts and assistants followed suit in dark attire.
But even hidden under layers, Han Yue's shopping spirit remained unchained.
She pointed to this, to that, to everything that caught her fancy — rich-smelling coffees, gourmet dates in elegant boxes, and garments in muted earth tones that still shimmered with gold embroidery. Her assistants quietly stepped forward, negotiated deals, and completed purchases without causing a stir.
Then came the food.
The local cuisine — roasted meats, heavily spiced rice, and slow-cooked stews — had her hooked from the first bite. "Delicious!" she declared, her eyes lighting up. "Order 500 of everything!"
The restaurant staff nearly dropped their trays.
After a few hours of intense city shopping, Han Yue felt the pull of the desert. They traveled by convoy into the vast golden sands, where she collected rare desert wildlife into her space: sleek foxes, elusive sand cats, hardy sand wolves, and even a pair of lynxes. She also added camels, Tahr goats, mongooses, and desert hares. Then, overhead, she spotted majestic eagles and vultures circling in the skies — they, too, were collected with precision.
"Wow… my sand area is starting to look like a real ecosystem!" she grinned.
She collected more sand, of course — perhaps too much — because soon sinkholes began to form around her. With a shrug, she packed up and left before they triggered a dune collapse.
Next stop: the coastal region.
The warm, salty air carried the scent of seafood and wealth. The ocean sparkled under the sun, and the markets were bursting with colorful corals, ornamental fish, and fresh seafood. Han Yue waved her hand like a queen commanding tribute. "Buy it all."
Assistants nodded and began negotiations while guides handled logistics. Her actions, however, didn't go unnoticed.
Among the crowd, a group of local armed tyrants watched her from the shadows. Greed flashed in their eyes.
"She's loaded," one muttered. "We wait until she's isolated… take the woman and the money."
And so they did.
When Han Yue's convoy entered a more deserted stretch of coastline, the group suddenly ambushed them — weapons raised, blocking their path. The leader sneered, eyes gleaming maliciously. "Leave the woman and the valuables. The rest of you can go."
Han Yue turned her veiled face toward him slowly. Even with only her eyes visible, the disdain in her gaze was unmistakable.
She giggled softly.
"Hehehe… how amusing."
Before the tyrants could even blink, Shadow 2 and his team moved — a blur of motion. In a flash, blades gleamed in the sunlight.
Shhk.
Their throats were sliced cleanly, not a sound left behind.
The corpses dropped to the sand in unison.
Han Yue clapped, giggling in delight. "What a performance! Bravo!"
Nearby, a few bystanders who had been watching quickly lowered their heads and hurried away, pretending they saw nothing.
Shadow 2's men calmly collected the weapons and walked back like nothing had happened.
Unbothered, Han Yue resumed her shopping.
She entered gold markets, and her obsession ignited again. So much gold...
Necklaces, bars, accessories, gold-threaded garments — she bought out entire shops, one after the other. She then swept through industrial areas, buying up fuel depots, diesel stocks, airplane gas, coal yards, and firewood supplies.
"All of it. I want everything," she said, and her team made it happen.
After five whirlwind days of conquest, collecting, and commerce, Long Yi finally returned. With their cargo secured and their warehouses bursting, the group boarded their jet once again and left Golden Hands Country behind.
Part 2: Jetbound Reports and Tender Moments
On the private jet heading to Unicorn Country, Han Yue lounged comfortably on a recliner, gently playing with her snowball cub. Nearby, Long Yi was seated at the conference table, attending a secure video meeting with Shadow 1, Colonel Long, Grandpa Long, Secretary Xu Mo, and Qiao.
The reports began one by one.
Shadow 1 was first to speak.
"Mission complete. Since it'll take some time for the return trip, I went ahead and bought out a few local grocery warehouse chains. The goods have already been transferred to newly rented warehouses. I now control 50 warehouses in total—all fully stocked."
Colonel Long followed next with a crisp, direct tone.
"The smartwatch system is now fully implemented. Only a few hard-headed people still resist using it. Banks have stopped transacting with non-users. A massive wave of arrests—criminals, corrupt officials, and tax evaders who once relied on money to escape justice are now behind bars. Their assets have been confiscated and liquidated."
"The government is using the seized funds to buy up supplies, raw materials, ingredients and stabilize essential industries. Also, an arms dealer we've been watching has chosen to exclusively deal with the government for now. No signs of betrayal. We don't plan to provoke him."
"Lastly, the government is quietly reaching out to friendly nations, dropping subtle hints about the looming catastrophe. Several countries have started asking questions."
Grandpa Long cut in with his usual fiery personality.
"More supplies from old friends have arrived. I've stored them in the guest rooms, Long Yi's room, and even Han Yue's room—we've maxed out every corner."
"Also, the old butler and I did a full internal evaluation of the Long Family household staff. Loyal ones stayed. The rats who were leaking our information… were dealt with. Silenced. Cleaned out."
"We now have 35 maids and 40 servants—all loyal, all background-checked."
He scoffed, then added with a sneer,
"Your Second Uncle keeps trying to contact me. I told him I was at a temple praying. Now he's been pestering me nonstop—asking which temple like he's trying to track me down. Hah! That stinky bastard—what, he wants to kidnap me now? I didn't even leave the mansion!"
Everyone chuckled lightly at the old man's temper.
He turned to Shadow 1 with a rare note of warmth.
"By the way, your younger brother? We've brought him in as a sous chef at the main estate. He's now undergoing training with the head chefs. So stop worrying about your family and focus on your mission, understood?"
Shadow 1, who had been silent until now, was visibly surprised. He bowed his head slightly, voice low but grateful.
"Thank you, Old Master. I won't forget this."
Finally, Xu Mo and Qiao stepped in.
"Colonel Long's private training base is now complete," Xu Mo began. "We plan to expand it further, adding more training grounds and a series of underground facilities."
"The market hub that Miss Han Yue requested is also under construction—strategically located mid-mountain, between the Dragon Peak Military Base and remote terrain. The entire area is sealed off—no outsiders allowed."
Qiao added,
"As for Long Yi's private base, the breeding grounds, laboratory, warehouse, HQ meeting hall, and underground passages are finished. The requested open space has also been cleared. The farming area is progressing steadily, and walls in ancient architectural style are being built around the perimeter."
"We're currently installing light poles, and signal towers have been ordered, though assembly will take some time. Shipments of materials are ongoing."
"Some minor disturbances—underground groups have started investigating us. But since they haven't uncovered anything concrete, they've mostly backed off. A few scouting soldiers were intercepted and redirected by Colonel Long's people. No trespassing signs have been posted far in advance to avoid further issues."
With the reports done, Long Yi ended the call and turned to look at Han Yue, still sprawled on the recliner, cuddling her fluffy companion.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he walked over and sat on the edge of her seat. He leaned down and poked her cheek.
Startled, Han Yue blinked up at him. When she saw it was Long Yi, she smirked wickedly and bit his hand without warning.
Long Yi didn't flinch. He simply let her nibble, eyes soft and indulgent.
After a while, Han Yue realized something was off. She opened her eyes and saw Long Yi gazing at her with gentle amusement, making no attempt to pull his hand back.
He chuckled and teased,
"What's wrong? Hungry again?"
Han Yue blushed, then quickly let go and turned her head away, cheeks puffed in defiance.
"Hmph!"
She hugged Snowball tightly to hide her face.
"Woo woo woo…" the snowball whined, seemingly confused by its human's embarrassment.