Qing Wu: “…”
“Who placed the order?”
“Unknown. Encrypted account.”
Qing Wu reached up and rubbed her brow. “Reject it. Trace their IP and identity.”
“Yes, but I noticed they’ve posted several identical tasks. Aside from the one designated for you, there are also a few open contracts—those have already been claimed!”
On the Dark Web, aside from the jobs assigned to her and a few other top assassins with set bounties, all other contracts were open to whoever wanted to take them.
To kill Elder Shen, the client had arranged for over a dozen assassins!
Qing Wu asked for the information on those who had accepted the contracts, then hung up.
…
“Is this the place? My informant said Shen Lisu is hospitalized here—Building Three, Third Floor, Ward Three.”
“Confirmed. Snipers in position. The rest of you, follow me into the hospital.”
Across from Qiaoxi Hospital, three snipers took aim from different angles at Shen Lisu, who was pacing inside the ward!
Six assassins, disguised, entered through the main entrance and dispersed toward different buildings.
Qing Wu stood on the rooftop, her silenced sniper rifle trained on the three snipers visible through the windows.
She was calculating the trajectory.
The distance between the snipers and her was three hundred meters—well within her range!
She pulled the trigger. Three bullets fired simultaneously, following the predetermined trajectory without a single deviation, striking each sniper dead center between the eyes!
Before they could even send out a distress signal, the snipers crumpled to the ground.
On the rooftop, Qing Wu acted as if she had known the outcome all along. The moment the shots were fired, she had already packed up her rifle, put on her hat, and headed downstairs.
On the third floor, a large group appeared in the corridor!
The man at the lead was especially striking. He wore a black shirt with the sleeves slightly rolled up, revealing strong, well-defined forearms. His sharp brows and starry eyes, his chiseled features like a masterpiece carved by God—a refined work worthy of Nüwa’s own hands.
Yet on his face lingered a faint, almost imperceptible smile. He appeared cultured and approachable, but carried an icy aloofness that kept others at a distance.
Standing at nearly one meter ninety, he exuded a chilling aura. There was only one man with such bearing!
The helm of the top-tier aristocratic Pei family of the capital—Pei Jue!
The Pei family’s business spanned the globe. Every year, Pei Jue’s name topped the Forbes list—and that was only counting their visible assets. The true power of the Pei family was beyond anyone’s estimation.
In China, they held influence across politics and commerce alike, with ventures in real estate, healthcare, finance, and education.
Any Chinese citizen would inevitably own something tied to the Pei family’s industries!
The moment Pei Jue appeared, the entire floor fell silent.
His gaze swept across the area, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Excuse me, has the medical staff been replaced?”
The head nurse hadn’t expected the Pei family’s helm to be so perceptive. She quickly explained, “Yes, there was an issue with Elder Shen’s medication.”
A cold glint flashed through Pei Jue’s eyes, barely perceptible, before he withdrew his gaze.
“Shhk—”
A faint sound—a bullet cutting through the air—suddenly reached Pei Jue’s ears!
There was no mistaking that sound. He had undergone rigorous training since childhood and knew the sound of every type of bullet intimately.
And this particular sound—he had heard it before!
“Protect the Elder.”
He gave the order, then turned and walked toward the corridor behind him.
Qing Wu’s hand was clamped around an assassin’s throat. With a flick of her small blade, she severed his carotid artery.
Her gaze was calm, her movements swift, accurate, and ruthless—each strike sending another assassin to the ground.
“That technique… you’re the Fool?! Didn’t the Fool stop taking contracts?! Why are you here?!”
“Run! The Fool is here—this is a trap!”
Qing Wu paid them no mind. A bullet flew from her gun, striking an assassin square between the eyes!
A few assassins, bloodlust clouding their judgment, saw her and knew they had no way out. They drew their guns, ready to fight to the death.
“Your opponent is me.”
A faint male voice echoed from deep within the stairwell!
A man in a black shirt descended the stairs, black leather shoes striking the floor with each step—like a demon crawling up from hell.
A refined, composed smile curved at his lips. He moved at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, and before the assassins could even react, they had stopped breathing!
Qing Wu’s gaze landed on him.
She’d never seen him before.
But with that skill and that killing intent, if she wasn’t mistaken, there was only one person in the entire world who fit the bill.
The leader of Deep Sea, the number one organization on the Dark Web assassin rankings—the Singer!
Qing Wu frowned slightly, meeting Pei Jue’s equally scrutinizing gaze.
Pei Jue knocked down an assassin beside him with one hand, his wrist cracking as he smiled. “I heard your bounty went up again?”
Qing Wu: “…”
Is that polite?
Her bounty on the assassin rankings had reached two hundred million.
The people who wanted her dead could form a line from the Lin family villa all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Clearly, Pei Jue had also figured out her identity.
Qing Wu’s small blade sank cleanly into an assassin’s neck as she said coldly, “No need to sell yourself short. Your head is worth a pretty penny too.”
Pei Jue: “…”
He hadn’t expected the infamous Fool of the Dark Web assassin rankings to have such a sharp tongue.
Qing Wu clapped her hands, having taken down the assassins around her, and lifted her eyes to Pei Jue.
“You’re also here to kill Shen Lisu?”
Pei Jue shrugged, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to carefully wipe the blood from his hands.
“So what if I am? And so what if I’m not?”
He’d seen the post on the Dark Web too—the target had specified that the Fool take the contract.
He hadn’t expected the Fool to be a girl, and a young-looking one at that.
But Pei Jue knew that age, gender, and appearance were the least important things!
If anything, they were the best disguise.
Qing Wu’s gaze turned slightly cold.
If the Singer was also here to kill Elder Shen, she had no guarantee of walking away clean.
“Drop this contract.”
Pei Jue wasn’t surprised. He leaned against the stairwell, his custom-tailored shirt adorned with exquisite, elegant cufflinks, every gesture carrying an indescribable warmth and composure.
Even Qing Wu, looking only at his appearance, would never guess he was the Singer—a man who killed without mercy.
“I can. But you have to join Deep Sea.”
Qing Wu: “…”
Are you insane?
Everyone on the Dark Web knew that her High Tower and the Singer’s Deep Sea were rival factions, constantly stealing each other’s contracts.
And now he wanted her to join Deep Sea?
“…I’ll think about it.”
“I’ll await your good news.”
Qing Wu’s expression was complicated. She glanced at the unruffled Pei Jue, then looked away and left the stairwell.
Behind her, Pei Jue lit a cigarette, the smoke veiling his dark, sinister expression—like a soul reaper returning from the underworld.
…
Elder Shen had taken several phone calls, and the kindly expression he’d worn upon seeing his granddaughter immediately darkened.
He picked up his cane and entered the room next door.
Inside, an old man wearing a hospital gown, who had been playing chess against himself, looked up. “Why are you here? Didn’t I say my granddaughter-in-law was coming to see me today? Where is she!”
Elder Shen nearly swung his cane at him.
“I sent her back.”
Elder Pei slapped his thigh. “You just let her leave like that! I haven’t even seen her yet!”
Elder Shen snorted coldly and sat down on the sofa. The battle-hardened old general set aside the gentleness he showed in front of his granddaughter, his presence as imposing as a mountain.
“In this hospital, there are quite a few people who want my life.”
Elder Pei let out a huff through his nose. “What’s that got to do with me? If you die, you die—don’t expect me to bring a gift to your funeral. I’m broke! Where’s my granddaughter-in-law!”
He looked toward his grandson, who had just walked in through the door.
“You still have the nerve to show your face? I’m telling you, if you don’t marry my granddaughter-in-law this year, I’ll beat you to death!”
Pei Jue pressed his fingers to his brow and smiled. “Grandfather, you can’t beat me.”
The chess piece in Elder Pei’s hand flew straight at him, and Pei Jue caught it with one hand.
Elder Shen pretended not to notice, saying with a smile, “I heard some commotion. Someone’s come to kill me, haven’t they?”
Pei Jue nodded. “Yes, all anonymous Dark Web assassins. I suspect the S-rank killer Fool may also be after you, Grandfather Shen. If you need help, I’ll look into it.”
Elder Shen waved a hand and moved a chess piece.
“No need. This old man knows what he’s doing.”
“Chess, chess—let’s not talk about unpleasant things.”
Pei Jue said nothing more, maintaining his composed and gentlemanly demeanor, calm and unruffled.
Elder Pei hurled another chess piece at him. “Get out, get out! Just seeing you annoys me! Go ask my granddaughter-in-law to dinner and a movie right now, or I’ll die on you!”