Chapter 31: No More Than Three

The Dark Web couldn't stand the light, so it required extreme secrecy.

But the Dark Web was also a transaction platform; since it was a platform, it needed to expand its customer base as much as possible and increase its reputation within the target demographic as much as possible.

Under the conflicting needs of secrecy and reputation, a referral system became the only choice for the Dark Web.

To maintain secrecy, newcomers had to be introduced by existing members, and to maximize influence, having just one referrer became a necessity.

Luca was an agent, his account level wasn't very high, but it was enough to refer someone else.

And the method of referral was simple: he would enter the referral page on the website, obtain a twelve-digit dynamic code, then send this code to Gao Yi, who would enter the dynamic code, and that was it.

Put plainly, it was an invitation code.

"Why does it have to be used within five minutes? I've sent it, hurry up and use it."

Gao Yi copied the invite code, a complex combination of letters and numbers, then found the registration page on the Dark Web. He clicked on it, entered the code he had copied, and the page immediately moved to the phase he was familiar with.

Name the account, set the password twice, just that simple.

"Why does it have to be done within five minutes?"

Gao Yi felt a bit of a headache, and helplessly said, "I have a problem, I haven't figured out what name to use yet."

"Then think of a name and apply again... wait, I can't refer anyone anymore. My next referral is... in a year from now!"

Luca stared, wide-eyed, flipped his phone around to show Gao Yi the screen, with the fonts and timing, then said in amazement, "How come it's a year from now!"

Gao Yi became somewhat anxious and said in shock, "You didn't know?"

"I've never referred anyone before, how would I know!"

"Don't you read the prompts before applying?"

"Do you read the website prompts before registering for an account? Tell me, have you read the registration notices of any app or website before signing up!"

Luca was also becoming a bit desperate; he hurried over to Gao Yi's side, saying, "Hurry, hurry up and register! Besides me, no one else can refer you!"

Gao Yi's brain fogged up, the more he rushed, the more frantic he became. He hastily set a password, ten digits, the same one he used for all his accounts.

The password would do, but the username hadn't been decided yet.

"What to name it, and it can only be in English? Damn it, what to name it..."

With the timer counting down, he had delayed for just a bit, but now less than three minutes remained.

Gao Yi typed in a word. He chose Lonewolf.

Someone had taken it.

Blood Stab, Hidden Stab, Dark Stab, Night Stab, all taken.

Ultimate Killer, taken.

He entered several cliché words in a row, all taken.

Luca urged from the side, "Hurry up! Hurry! Choose an impressive name, it's very useful for getting business, pick an easy one to remember, pick a..."

Gao Yi shouted, "Shut up!"

Less than a minute left, Gao Yi's brain raced at high speed, Luca urged from the side, "Call it... rose!"

"How do you spell it?"

Vermin and pests, birds and beasts, heaven and earth, local customs.

Gao Yi felt like his brain was about to explode, but he couldn't think of any usable word.

"Falke! Just choose anything, your nickname, anything, a number, prioritize with an A at the beginning, it'll rank you higher, just register already!"

Luca kept shouting, making Gao Yi's thoughts even more chaotic.

Less than twenty seconds remained, Gao Yi's fingers swiftly typed two words.

no three.

Busan, literally.

He entered it, clicked confirm, done, registration successful.

Gao Yi breathed out as if drained,

Luca looked at Gao Yi's username, puzzled, and said, "Busan, what kind of weird name is that? I told you to use numbers, not words! Whatever, at least you've registered. Uh... although the username can't be changed, that's okay. In a year, you won't be very famous, so you can think of a good name then and just stop using this account."

Gao Yi replied with a look of resentment, "That is my nickname."

"Nickname? You have a nickname? What kind of weird nickname is 'Busan'?"

Gao Yi was a bit annoyed, somewhat regretful, overall indignant, and then he bitterly said, "My nickname is not... not..."

His English was not good, not knowing how to say it, Gao Yi switched to Chinese, resentfully saying, "Never more than three."

"What does that mean?"

"Meaning never over three moves. My Chinese nickname is 'Not more than three punches'; later it became 'Never more than three.' When I registered, I did not know how to translate it, so... it became no three."

The entropy of information in Chinese was too high, and couldn't be accurately conveyed in English. With the seconds ticking away, Gao Yi really didn't know how to translate it accurately.

And indeed, Gao Yi's nickname was 'Never more than three.'

One move to kill the enemy, two to injure, three to control.

In a duel between masters, subduing an opponent without harm is much more difficult than killing them.

Gao Yi would only ever take up to three moves in a fight, so those who wholeheartedly respected him called him 'No More than Three Fists,' and others called him 'No More than Three Moves.'

'No More Than Three Fists' later became simply 'Never More than Three,' so the young Gao Yi had made a name for himself, one of 'Never More than Three.'

Just like 'Unparalleled Hand' Sun Lutang, 'Divine Marksman' Li Shuwen, 'Sword Immortal' Li Jinglin.

The reputation was made back in China, mixing it up with those practicing traditional martial arts, but a reputation was a reputation. In a hurry to come up with a name, Gao Yi naturally used the one he was most familiar with and proudest of.

He just couldn't translate it—'Never More than Three' turned into 'Busan,' and it had to be 'no three,' not 'No3,' since the latter could easily be mistaken for meaning the third.

Gao Yi did not want to be thought of as 'the third,' so 'Never More than Three' could turn into 'Busan,' but could not be misunderstood as 'the third.'

And that's how things ended up like this.

"Busan, Busan, hmm, okay, although it doesn't really mean anything, lacks characteristics, nor is it forceful or elegant, and isn't easy to remember, at least you've got a name."

Gao Yi couldn't help but say, "It does have meaning."

Ignoring Gao Yi's objection, Luca continued, "Congratulations, starting today, the assassin world has one more assassin codenamed 'Busan.' I wish you..."

Luca paused, thought for a moment, and finally said, "I wish you all the best."

There didn't seem to be anything else to say, so Gao Yi simply replied, "You too, take care."

Luca nodded, fell silent for a moment, and said, "There's nothing more to say, so that's it, goodbye."

Gao Yi did not ask Luca where he was going or what he was going to do, and Luca did not ask Gao Yi either.

Since they had decided they wouldn't work together in the future, there was no need to ask anything more. If fate willed it, they would meet again; without fate, they would forget each other in the world. After all, that's life.