Sitting on his lap, Guan Ya cast him a sidelong glance and said with a smile, "You can still regret it now. It's not too late."
"Too late!" Zhang Yuanqing pressed Guan Ya down onto the sofa, settling his full weight onto her lush, soft body. Taking in her faint fragrance, he gazed at the alluring face mere inches away.
Her Eurasian features possessed the sculpted delicacy of the West while retaining porcelain-smooth, fair skin. The exotic beauty gave her an overwhelmingly captivating allure.
"Sister Guan Ya, you're so gorgeous..." Zhang Yuanqing murmured.
A blush rose on Guan Ya's cheeks, her gaze soft and seductive as she looked straight back at him.
Zhang Yuanqing lowered his head and captured her warm, supple lips, kissing her deeply while Guan Ya responded with tender care.
Just then, the study door swung open. The Money Prince, dressed in an immaculate white suit, stood in the doorway. His face was cold as frost, and his voice was like a winter blizzard:
"What are you two doing?!"
Zhang Yuanqing bounced off Guan Ya in a flash, not even batting an eye as he said, "Ah, Chief, you're back! Sister Guan Ya and I were just testing the sofa to see if it was comfortable enough for you..."
Guan Ya sat up with an earnest, prim expression, awkwardly smoothing down her hem, collar, and hair.
"My study is not a place for your trysts. If I catch you doing this again, forget about your bonus this year!" Fu Qingyang said coldly.
He felt his study had been desecrated.
"Chief, you used the wrong word. We were being affectionate," Zhang Yuanqing said, attentively pouring tea for his boss and gesturing for him to take a seat by the desk.
Fu Qingyang took a sip of tea. "Guan Ya has a fiancé."
The faces of the young couple darkened simultaneously.
With a single sentence, Fu Qingyang offended both of them, ruined their mood, and destroyed the sweet atmosphere.
*Isn't the Fu family still on the fence? Besides, it's just an intention for a marriage alliance, not an actual engagement. How does that make him a fiancé? At most, he's a competitor. Tsk, so vindictive and petty...* Zhang Yuanqing grumbled internally before asking, "What did Mr. Bill want to see you about, Chief?"
Fu Qingyang pondered briefly, then said, "Senior members of the Dionysus Club may soon sneak into Songhai. He hopes I can represent the Five Elements Alliance in dealing with those overseas evil classes."
He then explained the grudge between the Dionysus Club and the Merchant Guild to Zhang Yuanqing.
*The strongest expert of the Void class is right here in Songhai?* Zhang Yuanqing was astonished. He thought to himself that a city like Songhai actually harbored so many big shots.
"The Void class excels at stealth and concealment. Can the Dionysus Club really find him?" Guan Ya asked from the sofa, knitting her brows.
"Theoretically speaking, no," Fu Qingyang shook his head, then added, "but since they dare come, they naturally have a way. That is not our concern. What the Songhai Branch needs to do is figure out how to deport the Dionysus Club members, or minimize the fallout if a clash erupts between the two sides."
Guan Ya thought for a few seconds and said helplessly, "That's not something the Songhai Branch can handle."
The strongest expert of the Void class was a formidable existence rivaling Alliance Leaders. For the Dionysus Club to achieve their goal, they would have to dispatch figures of the same caliber.
It clearly exceeded the Songhai Branch's operational limits.
Fu Qingyang said calmly, "That is why I reported the matter to that piece of trash and told her to come handle it herself."
Guan Ya curled her lip. "You disturbed her sweet-eating, manga-reading mood. When she comes to Songhai, the first person she beats up will be you."
Zhang Yuanqing stood nearby looking utterly lost, unable to make head or tail of the cousins' exchange.
Fu Qingyang let out a cold snort, as though a sore spot had been struck.
***
On Tuesday morning, outside the Fujia Bay residential compound.
A white sedan pulled up before the barrier gate and was stopped by a stern-faced security guard.
Wearing smokey eye makeup and large silver hoop earrings, Queen poked her head out and called, "I'm here to see a friend!"
The guard stepped out of the booth and glanced at her. He didn't soften his attitude for a luxury car worth six hundred thousand, nor did he make exceptions for the female driver's beauty. Solemnly, he said, "Please contact your friend."
*Security is pretty tight...* Queen grabbed her phone, exited navigation, and sent a message to Yuanshi Tianzun: *I'm at the gate of the Fujia Bay compound. The security guard won't let me in.*
She had come to report for duty today. A few days ago, she submitted a transfer request, and her personnel records had already been transferred to the Songhai Branch. When her direct superior signed and approved the application, he had been all smiles—a stark contrast to his earlier coolness.
Yuanshi Tianzun had told her to report to Fujia Bay Villa, explaining that it was the patrol squad's headquarters in the Songhai Branch and the Money Prince's turf.
Before coming, Queen had checked the property prices of the Fujia Bay villas and had her jaw drop. For villas built in the downtown area like this, every single one cost a small target—a hundred million yuan.
Even the cheapest went for seventy or eighty million.
With her salary and benefits, she wouldn't be able to afford a villa here even if she worked for a lifetime.
Soon, Yuanshi Tianzun replied: *Wait a moment!*
Ten-odd minutes later, a young woman wearing a long, light trench coat arrived at the gate in a property shuttle cart.
"Excuse me, are you Miss 'Queen'?"
Wearing bunny ears on her head, the girl offered a gentle smile.
Queen was taken aback. "Yes, that's me..."
She couldn't help stealing a few glances at the bunny ears.
The bunny girl first took out an access card to open the gate, then opened the passenger door, slipped inside, and said, "Drive ahead. I'll show you the way."
Queen lightly tapped the gas and drove into the villa compound. Her eyes darted around the entire way. The villas were grand and luxurious, surrounded by elegant gardens. One could easily imagine that anyone living here was either filthy rich or of nobility.
*It'd be nice if I could live here... I wonder where Yuanshi Tianzun's 'workplace' is located. It should also be in Kangyang District. I'll report today, and tomorrow I'll find an agency to rent an apartment...* Gripping the steering wheel, Queen drove slowly, lost in thought.
Before long, guided by the bunny girl, the car arrived before the most grand and luxurious villa in the compound.
"This is the Young Master's residence, your headquarters," the bunny girl introduced.
Queen had just stepped on the brake when the bunny girl in the passenger seat spoke up: "Please keep going forward. Your residence is not here."
*Huh? Residence?* Queen froze, bewildered. "What do you mean?"
The bunny girl smiled. "The smaller villa next door is the residence Mr. Yuanshi prepared for you. You will be living there from now on. I am in charge of housekeeping..."
Queen's mouth dropped into an 'O'. "Yuanshi Tianzun arranged this place for me? I... I get to live here from now on?"
Unable to believe it, she pressed for confirmation: "Really? Are you serious?!"
The bunny girl nodded with a smile.
A surge of excitement rushed through Queen. Stepping on the gas, she zipped past Fu Qingyang's mansion and parked before that 'smaller' villa.
The wrought-iron gate was wide open. Yuanshi Tianzun stood by the entrance wearing a white T-shirt and light-colored cropped pants. Handsome and fair-skinned, he had a smile on his face, exuding a mysterious, ethereal aura.
It was completely different from his sinister, noble presence back in Yinyang Town.
"Welcome!"
Zhang Yuanqing opened his arms wide, looking like an old friend reuniting after a long parting.
After so many days, she still dressed just like before: an oval face, smokey makeup, and large hoop earrings—a trendy urban beauty with the faint vibe of a delinquent big sister.
Queen didn't step forward to hug him. Instead, she clicked her tongue and said, "Giving me such a nice place to live... Lord Tianzun, are you trying to keep me as a sugar baby?"
Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to tease back, Guan Ya's chuckle came from behind him: "That's right. Not only does he want to keep you, but he's already keeping a minor inside. Why don't you hurry in and meet her, so you two can discuss how best to serve Lord Tianzun?"
"Ah, Guan Ya!" Queen bypassed Zhang Yuanqing and happily rushed over, putting on an affectionate show of sisterhood as if completely deaf to what Guan Ya had just said.
Guan Ya hugged Queen warmly in return, as if her remark earlier was nothing more than casual banter between friends.
"This villa is my property. It'll serve as our squad's office. Queen, this is where you'll be living from now on. Another teammate arrived earlier; let me introduce you." Zhang Yuanqing interrupted the reunion and led Queen through the small garden into the villa.
The villa wasn't a bare-shell property; millions had been poured into fully furnishing and decorating it, making it completely move-in ready.
It had three stories in total, with each floor spanning roughly one hundred and sixty square meters. The ground floor consisted of a main living room, a kitchen, a study, a secondary lounge, and two bathrooms.
At the moment, six or seven workers were carrying tools and moving equipment, remodeling the secondary lounge into a gym.
A sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl was directing the workers with an air of great importance. She had a petite face, eyes dark as lacquer, a delicate nose, and a small mouth. Though young and lacking maturity and sultry charm, she was remarkably lovely and pure.
She was an eye-catching young beauty.
Xie Lingxi, the young miss of the Xie family from Sanzhuang Province. *She actually joined the patrol squad too?* Queen was taken aback.
She had seen this girl during the arena tournament, constantly babbling "Brother this" and "Brother that." Guan Ya hadn't seemed too fond of her.
The risk factor of an official patrol squad was far higher than that of a garrison team. It was hard to imagine the Xie family allowing a heiress born with a silver spoon in her mouth to join a patrol squad.
*The Xie family must value Yuanshi Tianzun enormously. Otherwise, they would never part with Xie Lingxi and send her here...* Queen thought to herself.
"Ah, it's Sister Queen!"
Seeing Queen enter, Xie Lingxi greeted her joyfully, her voice sweet and delicate. "Hello, Sister! Sister Queen, let's share a floor! Sister Guan Ya is going to stay on the same floor as Brother Yuanshi."
"Fine by me!" Queen replied with a smile, glancing at Guan Ya and Zhang Yuanqing.
*Uh, I don't recall Guan Ya ever saying she wanted to stay on the same floor as me...* Zhang Yuanqing was stunned, suddenly realizing that the Little Green Tea was stirring up trouble again.
With a single, offhand sentence, she had grouped herself and Queen into one camp—both being "outsiders"—while her claim that Guan Ya was sharing a floor with Brother Yuanshi subtly drew attention to his relationship with Guan Ya.
If Queen had feelings for him, she would inevitably develop hostility toward Guan Ya. Even if she didn't, she would still see Guan Ya as the "boss's lady," while she and Xie Lingxi were mere employees.
A class divide had been created.
As everyone knew, no matter how close a boss and an employee were, they ultimately belonged to opposing classes.
*Xie Lingxi seems to harbor serious hostility toward Guan Ya. The moment Queen arrived, she covertly started forming factions. I'd better drop by here less often in the future...* Zhang Yuanqing thought, unable to resist glancing sideways at Guan Ya.
The seasoned veteran narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips.
"Brother Yuanshi, I want to turn the spare study on the second floor into a home theater. Can I?" Xie Lingxi asked in a sweet, cooing tone.
"Do as you like," Zhang Yuanqing said, thinking, *Remodel all you want. It's all mine anyway.*
He continued, "If you have any issues, just tell the housekeeper bunny directly. No need to bring them to me. First, let me outline our squad's duties. Squad members must have a baseline of three months of field deployments each year. But from what I've heard, most patrol squads don't spend more than three months in the field, so it isn't overly busy.
"Our primary duties are tracking down wanted criminals, responding to calls for aid from colleagues in our district, and assisting with situations when garrison teams are short-handed.
"The branch and headquarters will assign tasks to us, but we can also proactively apply to handle certain incidents. Our bonuses are closely tied to our KPIs. I asked a few other squad captains in Songhai, and patrol squads that meet their targets make three to five times what garrison teams earn annually. However, it's also far more dangerous.
"What's even more dangerous is that once we leave Songhai, we lose the protection of the Elders. Given my reputation and rank on the bounty list, if we draw too much attention, we're likely to be hunted down and ambushed. It's my duty to inform you of these dangers beforehand."
Queen and Xie Lingxi both listened with somber expressions.
If that really happened, considering how "valued" Yuanshi Tianzun was, any enemy sent after him would definitely be at the Divine General level. Two Transcendent-stage novices like them would be snuffed out in minutes.
Zhang Yuanqing shifted the topic, continuing, "However, joining my squad comes with item benefits. Both of you are Level 3. When you enter a killing trial in the future, I will lend you items. In addition, during regular missions, I will allocate several items to boost your strength and enhance your self-defense capabilities."
As a wealthy heiress who already carried three or four items, Xie Lingxi was pleased with the perk of using Brother Yuanshi's items, but not overly astonished.
Queen, on the other hand, was different. Her eyes instantly lit up, and she blurted out eagerly, "Lord Tian—"
Glancing at Guan Ya, she quickly changed her address: "Captain, may I take a look at the items to get familiar with them?"
Xie Lingxi's anticipation grew as well.
After a brief thought, Zhang Yuanqing agreed to Queen's request. He promptly produced the Spectacles of Insight, Bloodthirsty Blade, Lucky Necklace, Beast Tongue bracelet, Hypnosis Box, Swordsmanship Master, and Flawless Human Skin, laying them out on the coffee table.
"You can request to use any of these items at any time. Aside from these, I have four or five Saint-grade items with special functions, which you may also request under special circumstances."
Xie Lingxi and Queen couldn't wait any longer. They snatched up the items and began checking their attributes one by one.
"They're all top-tier items..."
"Wow, Brother Yuanshi, you're so rich! Having this many top-tier items at such a young age, and that doesn't even include your robe, the arena championship prize, or your rewards from clearing the killing trial."
"I only have two items to this day, and one of them is a mediocre support tool. Captain, please take me as your sugar baby..."
The two beauties, one older and one younger, swallowed hard, their gorgeous eyes sparkling.
Queen couldn't take her hands off the Spectacles of Insight, Lucky Necklace, and Beast Tongue bracelet, fondling them repeatedly before putting on the spectacles.
Xie Lingxi, meanwhile, stared at the Flawless Human Skin in contemplative silence, wondering what she could do with it.
With the spectacles on, Queen appeared overjoyed on the outside, but was secretly observing her new teammates.
*Lord Tianzun is feeling rather smug. Heh, what a boy... Guan Ya doesn't like Xie Lingxi much, but it's not out of wariness; there's faint contempt hidden in her eyes. Well, the girl is still a minor after all, small in every department. She's somewhat guarded against me, though not overly so. Tsk, tsk, Guan Ya sure is confident in her charm... Xie Lingxi seems to be plotting something sneaky; the Flawless Human Skin gave her an idea. Oh, she wants to disguise herself as Guan Ya...*
Queen swept her gaze across the three without leaving a trace, then took off the spectacles and continued playing with the other items in delight.
"Ahem!"
Zhang Yuanqing took back the items and cleared his throat. "I'm going to the restroom."
*Not a single one of them is easy to deal with...* he grumbled internally as he turned away.
He decided he would consult his life mentor later on how to maintain balance among female teammates.
Stepping into the restroom, he emptied his bladder while contemplating the art of checks and balances, when he suddenly thought of Asano Ryo, who was around the same age as Xie Lingxi.
Asano Ryo was a disciple of the vice leader of the Thousand Cranes Group, and behind the Thousand Cranes Group was the Heaven's Punishment organization.
The Miller family was one of the prominent clans within Heaven's Punishment.
A young master of the Miller family happened to be Guan Ya's prospective fiancé.
In that case, he could easily gather and probe intelligence on the Miller family through Asano Ryo.
Though he could obtain the information by asking Fu Qingyang directly, having an extra channel was never a bad thing. Besides, when it came to Guan Ya, he didn't want to rely entirely on Fu Qingyang.
On most matters, he had zero qualms about bowing his head and relying on his superior.
Only where Guan Ya was concerned did Zhang Yuanqing refuse to depend on others for everything. Constantly begging Fu Qingyang over this matter would disappoint both Guan Ya and the Money Prince, making him look incompetent.
Like he couldn't accomplish anything without the Money Prince.
Furthermore, his purpose in establishing Return of the Dead was to expand his channels, and the Thousand Cranes Group made a great stepping stone to learn more international intelligence.
With this thought, Zhang Yuanqing opened the faction warehouse, clicked the "Recruit" option in the upper right corner, and using his finger as a pen, wrote into the prompt: *Asano Ryo!*
***
Tokyo.
Thousand Cranes Group Headquarters, Vice Leader's Office.
Dressed in a white kendogi, Asano Ryo knelt on a cushion, sipping tea with her teacher, Ryuzaki Ichi, who wore matching attire.
"Ryo-chan, the leader just returned from the Federal Empire and heard about what happened during your killing trial. He wants you to get in touch with Yuanshi Tianzun and maintain covert contact with him," Ryuzaki Ichi set down his teacup and said in a grave voice.
"But I don't have Yuanshi Tianzun's contact information..." Asano Ryo's mind stirred, and she asked, "Sensei, did the leader get pushed around in the Federal Empire again? The way they lecture him, it's just like a father scolding a son."
"Baka!" Ryuzaki Ichi snapped. "In the age of samurai, words like that would have required seppuku to atone for your offense!"
"I'm sorry, Sensei..." Asano Ryo hurriedly bowed her head in apology. Suddenly, she froze, snapping her head up to stare straight at Ryuzaki Ichi.
Or more precisely, staring into the empty space right in front of him.
A notification dialog only visible to her popped up before her eyes:
[Yuanshi Tianzun invites you to join "Return of the Dead."]
Chapter 315