Amid the chaotic throng, the Officer's deputies clashed fiercely with rival gangs in every alleyway. Thanks to advance intelligence on their locations, each raid by New Eridu Public Security struck precisely at its target.
Before long, the gangs—already at each other's throats—were shattered into scattered fragments. Their complete apprehension was merely a matter of time.
"Senior Officer Qingyi, a pickup truck escaped in the chaos! We must pursue it!"
Amid the turmoil, a tall, black-haired officer with red highlights spotted the pickup truck spewing black smoke as it sped away. In the fleeting moment it passed, she caught sight of a young man wearing a top hat, his monocle strikingly conspicuous.
"Zhu Yuan, calm down."
A lazy voice echoed.
Had Phaga and Ellen been present, they would instantly recognize the combat commander on-site as the ingenious girl who had taken notes that day.
Qingyi blew gently on her hot tea, her twin green ponytails swaying with the motion. Despite her youthful beauty, her expression remained as still as a deep well—calm and composed.
The apprehension operation was nearing its end, and Qingyi could finally take a brief respite to conserve energy.
She lifted her head to glance at the woman she called "Zhu Yuan," her gaze briefly skimming over the other's provocative figure. Though she was a righteous Officer, just looking at her stirred a burning desire low in her abdomen. But giving in to it would mean assaulting a fellow officer—and that was at least three years in prison
Well, adding assaulting an officer to the charges might mean more than three years.
Qingyi sipped her tea, glancing back at the pickup truck that had long since disappeared. Her emerald eyes suddenly reflected a torrent of data, absorbing it all.
Soon, she withdrew her gaze and stated flatly:
"Scan complete. As expected—a classic internal combustion engine vehicle with a fake license plate."
Since New Eridu's founding, Ether technology had advanced beyond imagination. As a clean energy source, it had long been integrated into vehicles—essential tools for daily life.
Yet the original internal combustion engines weren't phased out; they were hidden away, with all factories relocated to the outer ring. Now, by relying on fake license plates and Ether-powered vehicles to carve out a niche market, they still thrived.
Zhu Yuan grew anxious upon hearing this, turning to climb into the police car as he urged Qingyi.
"Senior Qingyi, get in the car! We need to pursue them!"
"It's unnecessary, Zhu Yuan."
Qingyi continued sipping her tea in small sips, though it was unclear how long it would take her to finish a single cup.
She turned and strode toward the gathered gang members, dragging her nunchaku along the ground. The sharp, cracking sound sent shivers down the spines of every thug who heard it, none daring to look up.
Qingyi swung her staff, drawing a line on the ground that stretched from the first thug all the way to the last.
Her information database held a map marked with red dots, each corresponding to the location of a gang member.
Unfortunately, the sender's IP address was traced to the Outer Ring—as good as fake.
"This is a deal."
Qingyi lowered her head and drained the tea in her cup.
...
Victoria Housekeeping Headquarters.
"The commission has been completed. Target is safe and sound. Thank you for choosing Victoria Housekeeping. Your satisfaction drives us forward. We look forward to serving you again."
Rina pressed her earpiece, chatting cheerfully with someone.
Click. Squeak!
The door swung open from the outside, and a head of white hair entered first. Lycaon set down his keys and walked in, stating flatly:
"Seems like you've closed a major deal while I was away."
"Lord Lycaon has returned."
Rina clapped her hands, beaming. "Yes, the kids worked hard and just secured an eight-million-Dennies commission."
"Hmm, very good."
The usually stern Lycaon revealed a rare smile, dropping onto the sofa and leaning back.
Rina promptly brought him coffee, skillfully adding sugar and milk before sliding it in front of him.
"Thank you."
Lycaon accepted the cup and took a sip.
Rina nodded in satisfaction, but then her expression turned serious as she recalled something.
"Has there been any progress with that matter?"
Lycaon froze, even his hand holding the cup stiffened. After a long pause, he slowly shook his head, speaking in a low voice:
"I asked those people. They said they haven't lost a single pureblood vampire child in the past twenty years."
Rina's mouth fell open slightly in shock. "Then doesn't that mean..."
But she shook her head violently, banishing other thoughts.
"What's their stance on Phaga? Do they mean him any harm…"
Lycaon glanced sideways, catching a rare glint of ferocity in Rina's eyes. His voice was firm.
"Ignore. Refuse. Reject. Phaga does not belong to the family Ravenlock."
"That's good..."
Rina patted her chest, calming the waves of anger that had just surged up, her mood clearing like a sunny sky.
"This way, Phaga will always be Victoria's child."
"Mhm."
Lycaon sipped his coffee and suddenly asked:
"When are they coming back?"
"Hmm, let me check."
Rina adjusted her earpiece, preparing to contact Phaga and Ellen, but suddenly arched an eyebrow.
"They contacted me first."
...
Ten minutes earlier.
Outer Ring.
"Sir, we've reached our destination."
Having arrived at the Outer Ring, Ellen hit the brakes to a stop. Phaga turned to the passenger in the back seat.
The passenger turned to gaze out the window. Familiar yellow sands and the vast Gobi stretched out below, gritty winds turning the air yellow as tumbleweeds rolled past the pickup.
Just like the hardships of the past two hours—being chased by gangsters—had been swept away by the wind!
The old man excitedly rolled down his window and took a deep breath. The air was full of freedom... Spit! Spit! Spit! A mouthful of sand!
He coughed twice, his weathered face flushing crimson. The thought of losing his composure in front of two strangers made him feel utterly humiliated.
But no one was looking at him.
The girl in the driver's seat was sucking on a lollipop, her left ear plugged with headphones as she listened to music.
The boy in the passenger seat spoke briefly before retreating back into his phone.
As if hearing the cough from the backseat, the passenger boy snapped to attention, fetching an unopened bottle of mineral water from beside him and handing it to the old man.
"Have a drink. It'll help."
The old man took the bottle, then lifted his gaze and fixed a deep look on Phaga.
Though the exact number of gangs remained unknown, the dense cluster of red dots on the map indicated their sheer volume. Not to mention the inevitable gangs lurking beyond surveillance coverage—yet all these threats had been neutralized.
It suddenly dawned on him: it wasn't the wind that had saved him, but these two assistants bought for eight million.
No, perhaps not even eight million—who knew how much that business partner might squeeze out of him in the future?
Of course, it was all profit. Nothing mattered more than his life!
The old man didn't get out of the car. Instead, he silently reached into his suit jacket, pulled out the business card Phaga had given him, and chuckled softly.
"Hey, you two youngsters, I've got a commission for Victoria Housekeeping. Fourteen million Dennies. Figure out who's been messing with me behind the scenes, okay?"
...
"Fourteen million Dennies?"
Rina's narrowed eyes widened instantly, startled by the figure.
"Yeah, that old... master said so. Phaga's working out the cooperation details with him."
Ellen had walked a bit away, glancing back at Phaga and the old man discussing in the pickup truck before continuing her call with Rina.
"So Rina, should we take this commission?"
Rina's voice softened. "You think we should?"
"Phaga and I were thinking..."
Ellen hesitated briefly, then declared firmly:
"Take it!"
"Ellen, you know the market. Commissions over ten million are hot potatoes—like pulling chestnuts out of the fire."
"o problem. Phaga's got fireproof paws. He can handle the heat."
"Hmph~ Seems you and Phaga get along quite well."
"Who... with him? It's okay, I guess. Pretty reliable. That's all. Hanging up."
Beep beep~
Ellen removed her headset and walked toward the pickup truck, leaning inside.
"Phaga, Rina agreed."
"Mhm."
Phaga nodded, then turned toward the old man... Oh, no. According to Victoria Housekeeping's protocol, he should now be addressed as Master.
Phaga extended a hand to clasp Master's.
"Thank you for assigning Victoria Housekeeping."