Chapter 19

At the break of dawn, only a crescent moon hung in the sky, but this moon now appeared a deep crimson.

On a quiet street in the western district, a disheveled figure suddenly darted out from an alley. She was dressed in a tight leather outfit that accentuated her perfect curves, and her arms were already cut in several places, oozing fresh blood.

A cold, sharp dagger was tightly clutched in her hand, its blade gleaming under the moonlight, with traces of blood proving it had just sliced through someone's flesh.

"Young Miss, there's no need to run anymore..." A deep voice echoed from a warehouse ahead of her.

The woman immediately stopped her frantic sprint, her eyes wary as she watched several figures emerge from the warehouse, more than a dozen in total.

The man leading them had a bandaged head, a rugged face, and was wearing a black overcoat. He was toying with a domestically produced 37-type pistol, calmly blocking the path ahead.

"Young Miss, your skills are indeed terrifying. You've taken down over thirty of our brothers and managed to escape to here..." The man's cold, emotionless voice continued, "However, Young Miss, we anticipated this. We set up this elaborate trap for you today, knowing that you would eventually run out of ammunition. Now, without a gun or bullets, we've come out."

"Black Bear, I treated you well in the past. Why do you insist on working with my father against me?" The woman panted, having already taken down dozens of enemies, her own subordinates were all but gone, and she was at the end of her strength.

Black Bear chuckled, "Young Miss, no matter what conflicts the boss has with you, my life was saved by him, so I must serve him. You treated me well in the past, but ever since you left the Western Alliance to form the Red Thorn Society, you became the boss's enemy, and thus, my enemy. There's no room for sentiment."

"My father is autocratic and his business dealings are inhumane. Even the underworld despises him. He treats you all like dogs. So many elders and brothers have chosen to follow me. Why are you so stubborn?" The woman knew she had no strength left to resist the gunfire of over a dozen men, so she made one last attempt to persuade him.

Black Bear shook his head, his expression still cold, "Young Miss, before I send you off, let me give you one last piece of advice—criminals can be ruthless, but they must uphold the code of 'righteousness'..."

As he finished speaking, Black Bear pointed forward, and the dozen or so men in black immediately raised their submachine guns, aiming at the woman from ten meters away.

In that moment of life and death, just as all the gunmen were about to pull the triggers, a ghostly, magnetic male voice echoed in everyone's ears...

"Hey, guys, you can disturb my moon-watching, but you can't really plan to shoot a woman with a dozen men, can you? Men can only use their guns down there, not anywhere else. Look at how beautiful she is..." The voice was filled with regret.

"Who's there!" Black Bear looked around alertly but saw no one.

The woman, who had been bracing for death, suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief, staring at the sky ahead!

A figure descended from the heavens like a ghost, appearing before the dozen gunmen. It was as if a vampire from European mythology, silently spreading its massive bat wings and extending its sharp claws under the moonlit night.

This was a young man with a slightly lazy expression. His face was a mix of amusement, curiosity, and mostly disdain.

Black Bear didn't like this look, but a sense of fear crept into his bones, "Who are you!?"

The young man didn't answer but turned his head to the woman, "If I help you deal with them, will you agree to one request?"

"Sure, anything..." The woman's pale face, due to blood loss, flushed. She could imagine any request a man might make after saving a woman, including offering her body, but she had no choice. Even she didn't understand why she trusted a stranger, unarmed, to save her fragile life from over a dozen gun barrels!

"Whoever you are, you must die..." Black Bear was furious. He hated being ignored and was the first to aim his pistol at the man.

"Bang!!!"

The moment the gun fired, the man disappeared. When he reappeared, his hand was already covering Black Bear's skull, and with a casual twist...

"Crack... Crack!"

Black Bear fell to the ground, his eyes wide open in disbelief and unwillingness. He hadn't even had time to react before his neck was snapped!

All the black-clad gunmen were stunned. Black Bear, one of the best in the gang, a former underground black market boxer, had died mysteriously the moment he pulled the trigger!

"Remember what that stupid bear said? Let me give you all a piece of advice—bullets are only effective against the weak..."

As he spoke, the man's body turned into a blur, darting through the dozen men. Each time he approached one, he struck with a single hand. Whether he slapped their heads, choked their throats, or hit their chests, every man he struck instantly fell to the ground.

The woman, watching from a distance, could only understand the gruesome methods used to kill the gunmen after they were already dead—crushed skulls, snapped necks, and shattered internal organs. If the man had initially been seen as a hero saving a beauty, he was now nothing less than a god of death in her eyes.

Yes, she had been saved by a man who was like a god of death, and she had agreed to his demands!

In fact, even if she hadn't agreed beforehand, she wouldn't have had the strength to resist him. Humans can say "no" to other humans, but not to a "god"!

The battle, which was a foregone conclusion, ended almost instantly. The young man clapped his hands and slowly walked up to the woman. Under the moonlight, he smiled, showing no discomfort from the recent slaughter, "I'm Yang Chen. What's your name, beautiful?"

"Rose..." Rose was somewhat dazed.

"Rose... nice name," Yang Chen chuckled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "Miss Rose, let me tell you my request..."

"Please... please go on..." Rose lowered her head, preparing to be at his mercy, but her heart beat faster involuntarily.

Yang Chen spoke seriously, "Miss Rose, I hope... you don't tell anyone about what happened today. I don't want to get involved in your gang's troubles. Please..."

Please? He's saying please to me?

Rose looked up in shock. For a moment, it felt as if the world had frozen, and all she could see was the man's awkward smile, a mix of sincerity and warmth...

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