Chapter 7 Can Become Famous

"Pursuing fortune under the guise of justice, what could be more beautiful in this world?"

The only flaw was that this mission seemed indeed more challenging.

First off, the information was insufficient; the task's details should have been provided by the client, but there was only one rather blurry side-profile photo.

His name was Zhao Jinlu, and his public persona was the boss of Asian International Investment Company, often active in Shan State and occasionally residing in a small town under Chiang Mai.

That was all the information they had, which compared to the female internet celebrity they'd investigated before, was extremely vague for this target.

But none of that mattered; Gao Yi looked at Luca earnestly and asked, "How do we take on this mission?"

"You haven't grasped the situation yet."

Luca was somewhat taken aback and with a sense of resignation said, "Actually, the woman was the mission I wanted to accept. First, it pays well, and secondly, it's not too difficult. All we need to consider is the cleanup afterward, and once we're done, we leave Thailand. But you said no to that mission, and I respect your principles."

Grabbing the phone from Gao Yi's hand, Luca, with a helpless expression, continued, "But this mission is different. To start with, the fee is only twenty thousand and three hundred dollars, not to mention the target is a fraud company's boss involved in human trafficking. So he's wealthy, and he always has a lot of armed bodyguards around him."

"A lot of bodyguards?"

"Yes, armed bodyguards. Listen, the target is also a Dark Web client. He knows there's a bounty on his head. Although he can't make the Dark Web cancel the mission, he can certainly beef up his own security. So, you can imagine the difficulty level!"

Gao Yi was somewhat bewildered and said in amazement, "Are you saying that this target knows there is a bounty on him, so he is always surrounded by many protectors?"

"Yes, so you must understand, the target will not venture out easily. Even if he does, he won't leave any good opportunities for someone to take action."

Luca spread his hands helplessly and said, "Twenty thousand dollars isn't a lot, but there's always someone willing to try. The fact that this target is still alive means he's not easy to take down."

"How do you know all this?"

Luca shrugged and replied, "Because this mission is quite notorious, the client had posted a sympathetic thread on the Dark Web detailing the tragic fate of his daughter, hoping someone would help him with his revenge."

"And then?"

"Of course, no one was willing to help. Heroes are just something from comics and movies. The Dark Web is overrun with scum! Then the target discovered the bounty. He asked the Dark Web to remove the post accusing him, and in turn, he offered two hundred thousand dollars for the client's head."

"And then? Did the Dark Web agree to it?"

Luca let out a sigh and said, "Of course not. The Dark Web doesn't allow such reputation-damaging situations to occur. Once a client posts a bounty, it's absolutely forbidden for the targeted individual to place a counter-bounty on the client."

Gao Yi felt that should be the case, believing that even the Dark Web, being a product of the Underworld, must maintain some credibility and rules.

"That's more like it. Even the Dark Web has to follow rules. What happened next?"

Luca went on, "The Dark Web didn't cancel the client's request but did delete the emotional plea for help."

"So, they just left up a mission that nobody wants to take?"

"The Dark Web's minimum standard is twenty thousand dollars, meaning the minimum amount for a public mission is twenty thousand dollars, plus a twenty percent service fee, and the time limit is one year, maximum one year."

Raising a finger, Luca continued, "After the time expires, the Dark Web will give the client a choice whether to continue the bounty. If they choose to do so, they must pay another twenty percent of the bounty fee, and the bounty has to be increased, but there's no limit to how much. That's why the client for this mission only adds one hundred dollars each year, on top of the four thousand dollars service fee."

Gao Yi frowned and asked, "So, we'll definitely get paid for completing the mission?"

"Yes, the money has already been paid to the Dark Web. When it's time, the Dark Web will pay out, and you don't need to worry about not receiving the money."

Learning a bit more about how the Dark Web operates, Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, "There isn't much money in this mission, but I want to take it."

The expression on Luca's face was troubled, and he whispered, "Listen to me first. If we take on this mission, we first need intelligence. We have to know the target's detailed situation, and to get that, we either have to gather it ourselves or buy it, not knowing how expensive it will be."

"What else?"

"Also, we'll need to take action in Shan State. I don't know which city exactly, but without a doubt, we'll need to leave Thailand and enter North Myanmar, which is dangerous. The moment either of us sets foot in that kind of place, especially me, we stand out too much."

"Hmm..."

"The target is likely under protection from local armed forces, so even if we do take down the target, we still need to make a safe retreat. Honestly, I think the twenty thousand and three hundred dollars might end up at a loss for us!"

After finishing, Luca added gravely, "Other than drug-addled junkies, who would be foolish enough to take such a mission? And registered assassins are even less willing."

Gao Yi hesitated for a moment, then said, "If others won't, I will! It sounds like a bad deal, but have you considered the fame we could gain by completing this mission?"

Suddenly struck by this notion, Luca hesitated, then said uncertainly, "Well, fame... Fame isn't so bad."

Gao Yi spoke very seriously, "This is my first mission; I'm not about making a lot of money, just getting practice and getting known. I'll do it for your fame as well. Killing such scum would satisfy me, and for you, as long as you don't make a loss, it's profit. Small profit, but high turnover, right?"

Being moved by the prospect of fame seemed to have an effect on Luca, and he wavered.

After deep thought and a somewhat pained expression, Luca casually went on, "I'll try gathering some intelligence. If it's not too expensive, we can think about it."

Luca suddenly agreed, seemingly not so principled after all.

Glancing back at the two bodyguards outside the door, Luca sighed and said, "You'll be taking action on this mission, but I need to take care of the intelligence, the preparation for entry and exit, and front all the initial costs. So, I want to split both the investment and the commission evenly. Agreed?"

"I agree!"

Luca clapped his hands, rubbed them together and then reached out his right hand to Gao Yi, "So it's decided. Once you're fully recovered and we're certain we can accept the job, I'll take the next steps."

Gao Yi, perhaps afraid that Luca would change his mind, quickly gripped his hand.

The actual earnings didn't matter much; after all, Gao Yi felt that the money he owed Luca couldn't be repaid with just one mission. So taking on a satisfying mission made good sense.

"There is just one problem, during the time I can move around but haven't fully recovered, could you take me out for firearms training? I've never really handled guns and am not familiar with them."

For Gao Yi, his first-ever touch of a gun had resulted in killing a man, but his knowledge of firearms came solely from movies and things he'd read online. Despite his impressive record, he truly wasn't skilled with guns.

As an aspiring assassin, not knowing how to handle a firearm was unacceptable.

Gao Yi's request was reasonable, and Luca agreed succinctly, "Okay! I'll take you to a shooting range, but let me be clear, you're paying for everything. I'm just fronting the costs."