As Zhang Wen departed, the alley quickly returned to its former silence. The moonlight, as if unwilling to witness the events that had transpired in the alley, quietly hid behind a cluster of clouds.
Melissa leaned against the wall, her gaze fixed blankly at the dark sky above, empty except for darkness itself. On the face of the noblewoman, who seemed lost in thought, emotions flickered—joy and sorrow alternating in succession, clearly lost in memories of the past. Finally, she stood up, and from behind her, amidst a pile of clutter, she pulled out a rusty iron skewer.
Melissa’s face was somewhat pale, but her expression remained calm and resolute. Her delicate hands gently caressed the skewer, treating it as if it were a cherished lover, carefully wiping away the rust. Then, slowly, she pressed the sharp end of the skewer against the soft curve of her chest.
However, just as Melissa inhaled what she believed would be her final breath in this short life, her movements abruptly halted. She was startled to realize that Zhang Wen, who had just walked away, had actually returned.
“Thank you for coming back to take care of my body,” Melissa said bitterly, offering Zhang Wen a faint smile, with no trace of sarcasm in her tone. She truly appreciated that Zhang Wen had kindly returned to take her body away, sparing her the indignity of dying naked in a dark alley.
Just as Zhang Wen could understand Melissa’s motives for using him by any means necessary, Melissa herself could also understand Zhang Wen’s reluctance to help her directly.
Unlike Melissa, who, even in death, would not implicate others, Zhang Wen still had many friends in the hands of the Black Viscount. Even if Zhang Wen was unconcerned about his own safety, he had to consider the lives of his companions.
“No, you misunderstood. I’m not here to take your body. I just wasn’t used to these messy alleys and ended up getting lost,” Zhang Wen scratched his head and blurted out a complaint, leaving Melissa speechless.
The previously tense atmosphere in the alley instantly dissipated with Zhang Wen’s words. Moments later, Melissa couldn’t help but laugh through her tears, doubling over in amusement.
“Hehe, just kidding,” Zhang Wen quickly dropped his deliberately feigned awkwardness, his lips curling slightly, “Now, let’s get down to business.”
“Did you change your mind?” Melissa asked casually, without much hope.
“Yeah, you could say that,” Zhang Wen surprisingly agreed readily.
“What… did you say?” Melissa was stunned, almost unable to believe her ears.
“I gave it some serious thought just now. Actually, your request and my goals aren’t entirely conflicting. There’s still a lot of room for compatibility,” Zhang Wen said with a faint smile, “But if you want my help, you’ll have to pay a sufficient price.”
“What do you want?” Melissa threw away the skewer in her hand, smiling openly as she spread her arms wide, “I’ve already said, I have nothing left except my body.”
“No problem. That’s exactly what I want,” a hint of mischief seemed to flicker in Zhang Wen’s smile, making Melissa instinctively flinch again, then subconsciously raise her arms to cover her chest.
“Oh? Miss Melissa, weren’t you just saying that if I agreed to help, you’d be mine?” Zhang Wen’s smile deepened.
“I… I…” Melissa’s face rapidly drained of color, her expression even paler than when she had resolved to end her life moments ago.
“Hehe… When I refused you, you thought it didn’t matter at all, that it was worth it even if you had to offer your body in exchange. But now that I’ve agreed to help you, you look down on my character and are unwilling to let me, a despicable, opportunistic lecher, defile you. Women, why are you always so contradictory?” Zhang Wen shrugged helplessly with a smile.
Suddenly struck by Zhang Wen’s words, Melissa felt a wave of embarrassment, her face burning red. After a long while, Melissa suddenly realized that, without even noticing, her emotions had been completely controlled by him. This realization left her with a complex mix of feelings.
She, a secret agent of the Alliance who had undergone years of training and effortlessly navigated among nobles and high officials since adulthood, had been effortlessly manipulated by a man who at least looked seven or eight years her junior! Not only had her emotions of joy and sorrow been completely at his mercy, but even her life and death had been willingly placed in his hands.
Heaven had sent such a man, a nemesis in her life, to her side at her most unfortunate moment. Melissa didn’t know whether she should feel happy or pained.
“Alright, Miss Melissa, don’t be embarrassed. I’m not as despicable as you imagine,” Zhang Wen spoke again before Melissa could figure out how to deal with him.
“What exactly do you want me to do?” Melissa quickly gave up her feeble resistance, once again handing the decision over to Zhang Wen.
“One condition: I can help you, but you must bear all the risks that come with it.”
“Tell me more.”
“No problem,” Zhang Wen smiled slightly, “As I said before, if the Black Viscount himself is a transcendent-level expert or if he is constantly guarded by transcendent-level bodyguards, I definitely can’t handle it. However, these are just my guesses. There’s a small possibility that the Black Viscount doesn’t have such formidable strength, that the so-called transcendent-level bodyguards don’t exist or have just happened to be away. If you’re lucky enough to encounter such a rare opportunity, I wouldn’t mind helping you eliminate the Black Viscount.”
As he spoke, Zhang Wen paused briefly.
“Still, you’d better think carefully. The situation I just mentioned is extremely unlikely. From your previous description of the Black Viscount, he should be a very intelligent person. Generally speaking, the smarter a person is, the more they value their life. Someone like the Black Viscount would never recklessly put himself in danger.”
“I understand. So you’re saying that I should go alone to the possible hideout of the Black Viscount to find out just how strong he really is. Also, no matter what I discover, you can still use me to create some chaos for the Black Viscount’s group, allowing you to take advantage of the confusion and rescue your companions. Right, Teacher Zhang Wen?”
“Hehe! Miss Melissa, it seems I underestimated you. My little trick was uncovered so quickly,” Zhang Wen feigned helplessness with a wry smile.
Although Melissa was well aware that Zhang Wen’s expression of helplessness likely contained more pretense than sincerity, the fact that she had managed to score a small victory against Zhang Wen, who had always made her feel inferior, made the countess unable to suppress a hint of satisfaction from the bottom of her heart.
However, soon Melissa realized that since Zhang Wen had deliberately acted that way, wouldn’t she be once again manipulated by him if she really felt happy?
“If you’re happy, you lose!” Melissa tried hard not to feel happy. But then she couldn’t help but think with a mix of amusement and frustration—how could anyone in the world not like being happy and instead deliberately seek sadness?
…In the pitch-black alley, Countess Melissa experienced the most complex night of her life.
Of course, Countess Melissa was ultimately a qualified secret agent and an outstanding diplomat. In a short time, she managed to cast aside the maze-like emotions and refocused all her attention on the mission at hand.
“I accept your conditions!” Melissa, having regained her composure, nodded firmly at Zhang Wen after a moment’s thought. “After all, I’m already a dead person. If there’s even a one-in-a-thousand chance to crawl back from hell, what do I have to hesitate about? Besides, I still owe you for saving my life. Being used by you once isn’t a big deal.”
“As long as you’re fine with it, we’ll set off immediately. Where exactly is the Black Viscount’s hideout?”
“Hey! No matter how urgent you are, you can’t let me walk out like this, can you?” Seeing Zhang Wen walk decisively out of the alley, Melissa hurriedly tugged at the remnants of her half-armor and rushed after him, exasperated and anxious.
“Of course not! I didn’t say we’d go directly to the Black Viscount now. The first thing you need to do now is follow me to the inn,” Zhang Wen said with a deliberately mischievous grin, his tone full of innuendo.
This time, Melissa didn’t fall for Zhang Wen’s joke. In fact, Zhang Wen’s previous ability to manipulate the countess wasn’t because his intelligence was truly superior to hers. It was simply because, compared to Zhang Wen, Melissa’s position at that time had been extremely disadvantageous.
Zhang Wen had almost nothing to ask of Melissa, while Melissa desperately needed his help. This was why she was powerless against him. Once they reached an agreement and Melissa truly saw hope, her mind as a female diplomat and Alliance secret agent quickly recovered.
Hearing Zhang Wen’s suggestive teasing, the countess didn’t blush as she had before. Instead, her eyes sparkled with allure, and she coyly sent him a flirtatious glance.
“Oh well! Since Teacher Zhang has agreed to help, how can I go back on my word? If you’re not worried about your legs giving out when you storm the Black Viscount’s hideout later, even if you want to have a little fun before we set off, I wouldn’t mind at all,” Melissa smiled sweetly at Zhang Wen, deliberately lowering her right arm slightly.
As a result, the already full and tempting curves on her chest became even more pronounced, as if they were about to suddenly burst free from the pressure of her arm, just like before! The intimacy and sensuality were so intense that just one glance would make anyone’s heartbeat stop.
Melissa’s sharp counterattack made Zhang Wen realize that this beautiful female diplomat had truly recovered from despair. Zhang Wen immediately burst into laughter and clasped his hands together in mock reverence, “Haha! I see. I admit defeat. Your Lordship, please have mercy on me!”
“Hehe…” Melissa was amused by Zhang Wen’s comical words and actions. She also realized that the reason Zhang Wen had been teasing her from the beginning, deliberately creating so much ambiguity, was to dispel the gloom in her heart and help her return to her best condition.
Only in this way could Melissa possibly grasp that final one-in-a-thousand chance. Otherwise, even if she did encounter such a rare stroke of luck, she probably wouldn’t be able to complete her mission.
After silently continuing through the alley for a while, Melissa and Zhang Wen soon reached the exit of the alley facing the inn.
“This is it,” Zhang Wen smiled and pointed to the neon-lit building ahead, then stopped at the alley’s exit.
Although after Zhang Wen uncovered the identities of the TK Group’s goons assigned to monitor him, those men seemed to quickly withdraw from around the inn, no one could be sure whether they would return to monitor this inn housing such a “dangerous person” after the attack on the TK Group’s headquarters.
Carefully observing the surroundings for a while, Zhang Wen confirmed that the TK Group hadn’t sent anyone else. He nodded slightly and turned back, signaling Melissa to follow him.
“It seems there’s no problem…” Zhang Wen was about to say more when, to his surprise, two soft lips suddenly pressed against his.
Then, Zhang Wen once again felt the fiery warmth of Melissa’s body and her unparalleled sensuality! Compared to their previous kiss, this time Melissa seemed to pour all the passion from her soul into the embrace. She actively extended her tongue, entwining it with Zhang Wen’s.
“Phew… What are you doing now?” When their lips parted, Zhang Wen took a deep breath and looked at Melissa, who was panting, with surprise.
Melissa gazed at Zhang Wen, her voice gentle yet firm, “If we really succeed this time, I’ll book a room on the top floor of this inn and wait for you until tomorrow morning.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Zhang Wen smiled and shook his head, “Once I’ve promised to help you, I’ll definitely do my best. That’s my principle.”
“I know! Don’t misunderstand. I’m not doing this to make you try harder,” Melissa tightened her arms around Zhang Wen, her breath whispering against his ear, “You’ve made me fall for you, you bastard!”
With that, Melissa suddenly pushed Zhang Wen away.
“But I have to say, I’m only waiting until nine tomorrow morning. If you miss the time because you’re saving your friends, don’t blame me. You have to understand, a woman’s heart is always changeable,” Melissa said, sending Zhang Wen a seductive glance.
“Hey! Isn’t it you who’s fallen for me? Why does it feel like I’m the one with a time limit now?” Zhang Wen rolled his eyes at Melissa in exasperation.
“Tsk! Do you think I can’t tell? You’re just as interested in me as I am in you! Besides, are you sure you really want to argue with a woman about who fell first?” Melissa immediately returned Zhang Wen’s eye-roll.
“Alright! I’ll definitely arrive on time. Of course, if I don’t come, it might be because another woman has held me up,” Zhang Wen awkwardly wiped his nose and teased with a smile.
Melissa immediately glared at him fiercely, “You bastard! If you dare not come, I’ll make you regret it! Do you know how much determination it takes for a thirty-year-old woman to say something like this to a man at least five years younger?”
Melissa’s sharp retort made Zhang Wen suddenly realize that once this woman recovered, he was somewhat outmatched when it came to bantering with her. He quickly coughed twice and changed the subject.
“Time is precious! Let’s focus on the mission first. My friends are still in the Black Viscount’s hands, and you wouldn’t want him to escape, would you?”
“Of course not,” Melissa immediately became serious at the mention of the Black Viscount.
Soon, two ghost-like shadows darted out from the dark alley. Melissa closely followed behind Zhang Wen, using his body to shield her half-naked form.
At this time, Linwei Street had not yet recovered from the chaos caused by the attack on the TK Group’s headquarters. There were almost no pedestrians on the street, and the inn’s lobby was equally empty. No one noticed them until Zhang Wen and Melissa returned to the door of the room where he had locked Vicky.
Walking into Xiu Luo’s room, Zhang Wen’s first reaction was, of course, to look at the large bed on the left side of the room, the most obvious spot. However, as soon as his gaze shifted there, his expression changed drastically. Vicky, whom he had left tied up in the room before setting out, had completely vanished from the comfortable, soft bed! Only scraps of cloth scattered around the bed showed that a terrifying female assassin had once been bound there!
In the next moment, Zhang Wen suddenly turned around, grabbed Melissa, and leapt out of the room with all his might. He feared that Vicky had freed herself and was hiding in the room using her terrifying abilities! If that were the case, once the door was closed again, both Zhang Wen and Melissa would have no chance but to face death at the hands of that ghost-like female assassin!
After landing and steadying himself in the corridor, a still-shaken Zhang Wen hurriedly examined the room under the corridor lights. However, he did not spot the terrifying female assassin. This eased his anxiety somewhat, though the tension on his face had not completely disappeared.
“What’s wrong?” Melissa also noticed Zhang Wen’s abnormality and hurriedly asked.
“Quickly get dressed! We need to leave here immediately. I’ll explain later!” Zhang Wen frowned slightly, quickly dragging Melissa to the room of the female bounty warrior they had encountered earlier and randomly pulling out a set of casual clothes to throw to Melissa.
Then, without even staying in the room to admire the beauty of Melissa changing, Zhang Wen rushed back to the corridor and started checking each bounty warrior’s room one by one.
Melissa knew Zhang Wen would never act without reason. She immediately became serious and quickly took off her combat suit, not even minding that the casual clothes were a bit too tight around the chest, making her already full and perky bosom feel particularly cramped. She dressed as quickly as possible and stepped out of the room.
“Let’s go!” After checking the last of the bounty warriors’ rooms and finding nothing, Zhang Wen’s expression became even more serious. Without hesitation, he signaled to Melissa and led her hurriedly out of the inn.
※※※
In the first-floor meeting room of the TK Group’s headquarters, a sexy beauty with dazzling golden hair covering half her face was sitting with her long legs crossed, perched in the spacious chair of the main seat.
Beside the golden-haired beauty stood a black-haired girl who appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. Unlike the golden-haired beauty’s striking allure, the black-haired girl possessed a delicate and ethereal face, seemingly untouched by the mundane world. The black-haired girl wore an elegant yet thin evening gown, accentuating her full figure, which was unusually mature for her age.
However, the black-haired girl seemed to be enduring some kind of pain, her brows tightly furrowed. But if someone could notice the black-haired beauty’s feet hidden in the shadows, they would immediately understand the source of her discomfort.
On the black-haired girl’s feet were extremely high heels, the kind only worn by noble ladies at imperial banquets. Clearly, the black-haired girl was not accustomed to these shoes, specifically designed to showcase the long legs of noblewomen. The experience of wearing them for a long journey was particularly painful for her.
Opposite the golden-haired beauty and the black-haired girl stood a circle of TK Group henchmen. However, ironically, in the presence of these two sexy women, the fierce-looking TK Group henchmen were all trembling like mice in front of a cat. Several of the more muscular men closest to the golden-haired beauty were even completely soaked in sweat!
“Speak! Where did that guy go after jumping down from above?” The golden-haired beauty placed her hands on her hips and impatiently asked.
“Well… well…” The icy gaze of the golden-haired beauty made the muscular men tremble even more violently. They practically begged, “Please have mercy on us. We really only know they ran into the alley across the way. As for where they went after that, we really don’t know!”
“You bunch of useless trash!” The golden-haired beauty exhaled sharply, suddenly erupting into a brilliant white flame.
The arc-shaped flame instantly expanded to the henchmen, throwing them around like toys the moment it touched their bodies.
After a series of chaotic sounds, the TK Group henchmen were scattered all over the floor. However, none of the fallen henchmen made a sound, not even a groan of pain, as if everyone had fainted after receiving the golden-haired beauty’s blow.
“Hmph!” Glancing at the henchmen, who were either truly unconscious or pretending to be, the golden-haired beauty angrily let out a cold snort and abruptly stood up from her seat, “Vicky, we can’t get any useful information from these useless trash! It looks like we’ll have to find that audacious bastard ourselves!”
“Yes,” the black-haired girl softly agreed, limping behind the golden-haired beauty on the painful high heels.
Undoubtedly, the two bold beauties who had brazenly stormed into the TK Group headquarters, knocked down all the henchmen, and left them too terrified to even whimper, were none other than the notorious Terror Queen Leika and her capable assistant Vicky.
About half an hour ago, Leika had discovered Vicky, bound tightly and helpless on the bed, in the inn where Xiu Luo was staying. At the time Leika arrived, Vicky had already struggled several times without success, leaving her clothes disheveled and panting, as if she had just been taken advantage of.
Seeing Vicky in that state, an enraged Leika nearly tore the inn apart. However, after extracting the truth from Vicky, she realized that her beloved little assistant hadn’t actually been harmed. Leika, both amused and exasperated, felt that she had been tricked by her cute little assistant.
However, the pitiful and adorable look in Vicky’s eyes, as if a lost kitten had finally returned home, made Leika unable to vent her anger.
Of course, the Terror Queen couldn’t just let go of her pride. Moreover, Vicky’s failure against Zhang Wen had also made Leika lose face. Therefore, Leika still believed that she must give her beloved Vicky a small lesson.
When Leika learned from Vicky that the audacious bastard who had repeatedly embarrassed the Terror Queen might have gone to the TK Group’s headquarters, she quickly made a decision. Leika made Vicky continue wearing the outfit Zhang Wen had forced her into and followed her to the TK Group headquarters to inquire about Zhang Wen’s whereabouts.
Unfortunately, Leika and Vicky did not find Zhang Wen at the TK Group headquarters. Therefore, Leika immediately gathered every person in the TK Group who had seen Zhang Wen and interrogated them about his whereabouts.
The previous scene then unfolded.
Leika stormed out of the TK Group headquarters in anger. Vicky, however, had no idea how to deal with the high heels on her feet. She could only try her best to keep her toes as high as possible, almost balancing on the tips of her aching toes, just to keep up with Leika’s pace.
“Hahaha!” Upon arriving at the entrance of the TK Group headquarters, Leika looked back and saw Vicky’s helpless expression, which was so out of character for the usually cold girl, and immediately burst into a cheerful laugh, her anger dissipating completely.
“That audacious bastard, though bold, is indeed an interesting fellow. The trick he came up with for my little Vicky is truly brilliant!” Leika teased Vicky with a big laugh, “How about it? You should keep wearing this outfit from now on. I guarantee that when men see my little Vicky, their eyes will pop right out.”
“If I keep wearing these, I won’t be able to carry out missions,” Vicky frowned slightly, replying in a flat tone without any emotion.
“Aww, don’t always think about missions. Vicky, you’re a very cute girl. You should also learn to enjoy life,” Leika lovingly stroked Vicky’s hair, “One day, you’ll meet someone you truly love. If you don’t learn these things, it’ll be tough for you then.”
“I want to stay with Sister Leika forever,” Vicky’s eyes became dreamy as she hugged Leika like a little cat enjoying its owner’s affection.
“Of course! I don’t want to leave my little Vicky either! When my little Vicky falls for someone in the future, I’ll capture him and make him your slave,” Leika laughed as she patted Vicky’s cheek. She gave her windbreaker, slightly disheveled by Vicky, a sharp shake, and her gaze instantly turned sharp.
“Now, let’s find a place to change out of these annoying clothes! The game is over. Whoever dares to oppose me, I’ll turn this entire city upside down to dig him out!”
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