"NO—!!"

The man’s cry was cut off short when a bullet went through his head, splattering a burst of crimson blood and brain matter to the wall behind him. Even when his lifeless body toppled to the ground, his bulging eyes still retained a life-like dread and terror that would send chills to whoever saw it.

It was unfortunate that the men around him had gotten so used to seeing such a scene that they did not even bat an eyelid anymore.

A man emerged from the hallway while rolling his shoulders, groaning. "Boss, all clear!"

"That’s all?" He Juan raised his head in slight surprise, his hands pausing in the middle of wiping some droplets of blood that had stained his gun. He cast a furtive glance at the dead bodies around his feet, then shook his head in pure exasperation and confusion. "How can they be so weak? And they still claim that they want to take over Xuanlong this way?"

Around him, the men broke into amused guffaws. "Funny to hear something like that coming from you!"

"It’s because you are too strong, Boss! Daring to run their mouths in front of you has already proven their sheer stupidity!"

He Juan let out a snort, amused by the rainbow farts that were blown by the men. "Since when did you guys’ mouths become so sweet? And I have told you countless times, stop calling me ’Boss’." He was tempted to knead his temple only to recall that he was still wearing the bloodstained gloves. With a disgusted grimace, He Juan peeled off the silk gloves and added with a helpless tone, "Careful not to let the Manipulator hear you lest he will think I am planning to stage a rebellion."

One of them let out a disdainful harrumph, "Hmph, whoever I am following is the one I will call Boss!"

"That’s right!" Another echoed in vigor. "Not like he stands a chance against you, Boss!"

Hearing these passionate words, He Juan could do nothing but shake his head with a chuckle, slightly speechless. He felt like the men had put too thick of a rose-tinted filter when it came to him. However, it could also be attributed to the chaotic mess that had kept his hands full for the past few months.

Today’s society was ruthless and inhumane. The strong preyed on the weak; murder and theft became norm, and the ones who suffered the full brunt of it were innocent citizens. Law was nothing but words printed on a piece of paper and the police, who were restricted by the law itself, could do nothing to uproot this horrid corruption from its base.

These past few months, He Juan had his plate filled with hunting down the organization that specialized in kidnapping and trafficking omegas, both adults and minors. He had seen so many people suffering, mourning for the cruel loss of their children, lovers or parents, without knowing where or who they should go to cry for help. It always left an unpleasant feeling on the base of his tongue and he despised it down to his core.

One day, he abruptly realized that the world would not turn into a better place unless someone stepped up to clean it. And he thought ’why not?’ He had the strength, resource and network to take this matter into his own hands. Thus he set out to do it.

It was not until he sorted out some members from the organization and rescued a dozen of trafficked omegas that he realized that Xuanlong had emerged as a dark horse, its name whispered from mouth to mouth with fear and reverence, with his nickname closely tied to it – XIU.

In his defense, He Juan had not planned any of this nor had he expected such an outcome!

Alas, there was no use crying over spilled milk. With the rise of Xuanlong’s prestige and reputation throughout the country, the number of enemies lurking in the dark increased. In their eyes, Xuanlong was akin to a piece of fragrant meat and they were the hungry wolves who were eager to take a bite. Alas, they failed to take into account that this meat might have hidden some deadly poisons in it and the consequences they had to bear for their ravenous greed was — death.

Today was yet another new clan who rose to the challenge, thinking that they could devour Xuanlong into their bottomless stomach. And He Juan, this poor and helpless man, had been delegated to teach them a lesson they would not forget for a lifetime.

He swept his gaze over the messy house – overturned furniture, broken fragments of glass, blood splattered across the walls, more blood pooling under the dead bodies – and scratched his cheek awkwardly. Okay, perhaps he had gone a little too far in teaching them an unforgettable lesson, but he reasoned that he had a solid reason to do so. It was because those people had gone overboard with provoking him! He might have a good temper, but the same could not be said for his Alpha – it was aggressive, temperamental and territorial. And before He Juan knew it, he had snapped and pulled out his gun, resulting in the current situation.

He cleared his throat, "Alright, brothers. Let’s clean up this mess."

"Leave it to us, Boss! We will make sure that everything is spotless!"

"Right, even the police dog will not be able to sniff anything!"

"Boss, you have worked hard. Just go home, take a shower and rest. If you become ugly, then you won’t be able to find a Lady Boss for us!"

He Juan blinked in surprise and burst out into a fit of hearty laughter, his jet black hair sweeping down to his waist. Seriously, these people would not fail to amuse him to no end.

However, despite the joke and banter, he could sense genuine concern hidden underneath and it made his chest feel warm. He had indeed been running on espresso shots and three hours of sleep these past few days. A hot shower and sleep sounded like utter bliss.

"Okay, I will leave it to you then," he said after his laughter subsided, silver eyes crinkling into smiles. He chose not to comment about the Lady Boss and switched the topic, "Everyone has worked hard today. After this, go to a fancy restaurant, a bar or anything. Have fun and don’t let yourself go hungry. As usual, just put the bills on my tab."

The men whooped in excitement, their fists pumping the air. "Boss, you’re the best!!"

Laughing, He Juan waved them goodbye and left the scene of the massacre. His cheerful mood lasted until he stepped out of the building and his phone rang. "Hello?" He picked up the call while tossing his bloodied gloves to the trash can outside, knowing that his men would be meticulous in their cleaning.

He raked his fingers through his hair, and upon hearing what the other person had said, the traces of smile on his face abruptly faded to be replaced with a frown. "What?" he asked sharply, his silver eyes flickering in anger. "Who did you say you have found as a scapegoat?"