Chapter 122: Young Master Shinoda Koji

Theresa was secretly pleased when the slightly neurotic rookie followed her.

At that moment, she noticed a "man in a black suit" patrolling nearby. Mimicking the mysterious demeanor of Old Qiu from the previous night, Theresa pointed toward the guard and whispered, "People like that are different from ordinary security guards; they are better described as hired thugs. Their job is to put their lives on the line. Do you know why they do it?"

"Money," Ma said.

Theresa turned and gestured toward a mysterious facility on the other side of the lake. "Over there, a group of people are performing mixed martial arts—not the illegal underground fight kind you might imagine, but actual life-or-death sumo wrestling matches. The people who come here enjoy this kind of raw, intense spectacle. Do you know why they do it?"

"Money," Ma repeated.

"Exactly. Everything eventually converges to that point." Theresa looked at the lake and smiled. "Isn't it interesting? In this light, everyone in the world is trapped in the game, risking their lives for something. Myself included, Theresa."

"No offense, but while I think you're impressive, I have no idea what you're talking about," Ma said awkwardly.

Theresa smiled. "I hear you like to stir up trouble with women. Since you were able to make Qiu Tianjue suffer, I suspect you have some special talents."

She paused, then continued, "It's not as complicated as you think. If you want my protection, a share of the profits, and another beautiful woman in your arms, we can work together. I will train you, and when the time is right, I will arrange for you to meet a woman. What you do with her is your business; I just need you to pay attention to the details and extract some information for me. I guarantee that any man would want her—you won't be losing out."

"?"

This was so sleazy that Ma felt embarrassed to agree, even if it were a "benefit." Furthermore, he subconsciously glanced at Quan Zhi-ling, worried about being looked down upon by her.

Theresa said coolly, "Don't look at her. She doesn't understand what we're saying. Although she pretends to, I am a good judge of character."

Even so, Ma refused: "You're a bad person. I don't want to do things like that."

Theresa smiled. "And who do you think is a 'good' person? Have you ever wondered why you're even standing in this place if you're such a good person?"

Ma replied, "You know nothing about power..."

Theresa interrupted him directly. "Fine, even if I know nothing about power, I know one thing: the moment I walk away, Qiu Tianjue’s men will be all over you. Do you really think those men in black are here to maintain order? Do you want me to leave?"

Since she was so unscrupulous, Ma thought it over. He decided to play along for now; he could always burn the bridge later if he had to.

With that, Ma pretended to consider the offer.

Theresa watched him with growing interest. He really was an interesting novice—good potential, a unique constitution, slightly brain-damaged but with a childish sense of justice. Combined with his physique and looks, this persona should be lethally attractive to that female tycoon. The mission had a real chance of success.

"Alright," Theresa smiled. "I won't rush you. Take your time to think it over; I have plenty of time. Your 'fresh' style is worth exploiting. The odds of success are high."

Ma adopted a strategy of feigned reluctance: "But I have a sense of justice. It sounds like you're planning to hurt people, and I can't just agree to that."

Theresa was calmer than he expected. She looked at the lake for a moment and said, "I've already said it—there are no 'good' or 'bad' people in this circle in any strict sense. I won't ask you to commit heinous crimes. I just want you to find a way to sleep with a woman, and I only want the information she holds."

She paused, looking out over the water with a smile. "I wouldn't call it a 'good' thing, but the U.S. government does it, the British government does it, businessmen do it, and even retail clerks do it to each other constantly. Everyone is doing it. See? It's not a 'good' thing, but you can't exactly call it 'evil'—this is just how the world's integrity works."

Ma broke into a cold sweat; he was almost persuaded.

Theresa glanced at him. "Still haven't decided? Think about it some more."

Ma felt the time was right. "You've... almost convinced me. Tell me who the target is first."

Theresa gave him a slightly provocative look. "Do you think I'm an idiot? If we make a deal, I'll give you some money upfront and train you. During that process, I'll get to know you, your background, and your connections—that's the detail work. You're overestimating your ability to trick me. Of course, I promise that if I'm not satisfied during the training and vetting process, you can still keep the money and leave."

While it was only logical that she wouldn't be foolish, Ma felt a wave of frustration.

Just then, a voice called out from the distance: "Oh? Theresa, is that you?"

An Asian man in white casual wear, accompanied by four fierce-looking bodyguards, walked over.

Theresa frowned. "It's you..."

"It is indeed." He approached, removed his sunglasses, and bowed. "We met in Kobe last time."

Theresa's expression turned strange; she didn't know what his purpose was this time.

Quan Zhi-ling was truly stunned. In just one day, she felt as though her entire worldview had been expanded.

Unexpectedly, she recognized this man. He owned a fairly famous talent agency in Kobe and, besides the entertainment industry, was involved in many other sectors. He wasn't from a traditional wealthy family, but he was far more troublesome than the average elite. His name was Shinoda Niji. His true background was as the leader of the Small Dragon Group under the Yamaguchi-gumi, and he was the grandson of the sixth-generation head of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Shinoda.

The most formidable aspect of the Yamaguchi-gumi wasn't just their wealth, but their nearly thousand organizations spread across almost every industry, operating under an alternative and rather mysterious "corporate culture"—all while remaining a legal organization. The so-called "society" specifically referred to them: a legal social group.

Quan Zhi-ling watched Shinoda Niji with a mix of tension and shock. Of course, she didn't know him personally, but as an insider in the industry, she was well-informed about him.

What kind of party was this? The parade of big shots was dizzying.

Because of this, Theresa, already mysterious, seemed even more formidable in Quan Zhi-ling's eyes. Theresa’s constant attempts to cozy up to young Master Ma, while she herself couldn't understand their conversation, left Quan Zhi-ling feeling both excited and worried. She was excited because no one in this circle didn't covet a high-quality contact list, but she feared that even with a list, one could never truly enter the circle and would only invite trouble.

After a moment of thought, her reason prevailed. Feeling flustered and awkward, she said, "You two talk, I'm going to find the restroom."

Ma and Theresa didn't respond.

Shinoda Niji, however, gave her a strange look. As an insider, he naturally "knew" of her. He smiled with great interest, "No need to leave just because I arrived. Stay; I believe there will be many topics you'll find interesting."

Quan Zhi-ling’s scalp tingled; she didn't dare refuse and looked at Ma for help.

This caused Shinoda Niji to sweep his gaze over Ma twice, a flash of displeasure in his eyes. He didn't know who this kid was, but he wondered why he was with Theresa, or if they were involved in some unspeakable business.

Contemplating this, Shinoda looked at Ma and said coolly, "And who is this?"

Theresa preempted the answer: "He's not important. Let's talk about something else."

Theresa's response made Shinoda frown even more. By the usual rules, if Theresa introduced someone by name, they were generally a partner. But by saying "he's not important" and refusing to give a name while they remained suspiciously close, Shinoda's mind jumped to the keywords "boy toy" and "secret dealings."

However, Shinoda didn't show it. With great poise, he smiled, "If we run into each other, we're acquaintances. Let's walk together."

As they continued along the lake, Shinoda looked at Quan Zhi-ling's figure with intentional focus, which only made her feel cold to the bone.