Successful first mission

As their car traversed the slowly bustling city, it took about half an hour for them to leave the outskirts and finally set en route to their destination.

The entire car was eerily silent. The trio avoided conversation, not wanting to reveal any weaknesses that might lead to unnecessary troubles.

Zhang Mei also sat quietly, feeling uneasy amidst these mercenary individuals.

Despite understanding that they were helping, or at least on her side, Zhang Mei couldn't shake the fear of being surrounded by people of their kind, experiencing firsthand the harsh realities of society in the past few days.

"Did you notice it?"

Ming Chen remarked, glancing through the front mirror, startling Zhang Mei.

"N-no, I don't know anything."

She stammered as she is too nervous to even understand what Ming Chen is asking, surprising the trio.

Ming Chen's face, half-covered by a mask, displayed a helpless smile. Han Wei and he exchanged uncertain glances.

"Well, Miss Zhang, Mr. Demon's question isn't directed at you; it's for Mr. Ghost and me."

Kun Ming reassured as he patted Zhang Mei, easing her nerves.

'At least specify who you are addressing...'

She thought inwardly, refraining from voicing her complaint, unsure of how they would react.

"Two people have been trailing us for some time now. What should we do?"

Han Wei commented without turning back, and Kun Ming nodded in agreement.

Zhang Mei's heart started pounding intensely. Her already nervous state intensified, causing her hands to shake. She wanted to turn around to see who was following them, but Kun Ming held her shoulder and signalled with his eyes for her not to look back.

"They're speeding up now, trying to catch up with us. That means they're ready to make their move."

Ming Chen commented, adding a bit of tension to the atmosphere inside the small car.

"It's probably because we're out of the city already. Let them come closer to the car, then knock them out with the car itself."

Suggested Han Wei as he observed the speeding motorcycle through the front mirror.

"No, it's better if I stop the vehicle and deal with them directly."

Ming Chen decided after a moment of thought.

"It's easier this way, isn't it?"

Not convinced with Ming Chen's thought process, Han Wei argued back. Zhang Mei had similar thoughts but couldn't voice them like Han Wei.

"Idiot, who will pay for the damage that will be done to the car? Demon, don't stop it instantly but slow down first and stop it around half a kilo-meter from here."

Kun Ming couldn't help but curse a bit as he spoke. His and Ming Chen's thought processes were similar, while Han Wei seemed unconcerned about the car.

"Alright, then. You two stay in the car, while I deal with both of them quickly."

Han Wei decided after thinking for a moment.

'Hm, this Mr. Ghost is probably the dumbest of the team. Now he is going to get it again.'

Zhang Mei thought, feeling helpless against such rough decisions from him. She expected Kun Ming to burst out at this seemingly rash idea, but the next moment, she felt like she was the one being naive.

"Make sure to do it as swiftly as possible. I'll keep the engine on to get away quickly."

Ming Chen instructed, while Kun Ming nodded in agreement. According to them, fighting in the middle of the road would always be troublesome.

Therefore, someone needed to be at the wheels ready to escape at any moment, while someone else needed to stay with their mission subject to ensure 'its' safety. This consensus quickly formed among them.

Zhang Mei, on the other hand, felt confused by their decisions, unaware of the underlying strategy behind their actions.

After slowing down a bit, Ming Chen parked the car on the side of the road.

Han Wei gave Ming Chen a glance before lazily stretching his body as he got out of the car.

Zhang Mei felt like she was dancing on pins or a hot pan. She understood that the three had confidence in dealing with the two pursuers, but she also had doubts about Han Wei's capability to handle them.

Before she could finish her lingering thoughts, a motorcycle stopped beside their car with two punk-looking guys on it.

One was tall and slender with a buzz cut and piercings, while the other was short and muscular with numerous tattoos.

Both of them dismounted and observed the people in the car, not paying attention to Han Wei who approached them.

"Boss, this bitch thinks she can escape from us..."

The shorter, muscular guy dialled his boss, informing him after getting closer to the car window to confirm Zhang Mei's identity.

Zhang Mei shuddered as the guy approached the window.

"Well, what should we do with these people?"

The tall goon asked his mate, eyeing Han Wei, who stood in front of them.

"Nothing!"

Hearing this unexpected reply, the tall goon and the shorter guy turned in surprise as Han Wei answered the question.

"You-"

The tall goon started to say something cliche, but before he could finish his sentence, a fast and heavy fist landed on his stomach, making him bend over, gasping for breath.

Han Wei clutched the guy's shoulder with his left hand and swiftly delivered a powerful uppercut to the guy's chin.

"That's a KO."

Han Wei cheered for himself as he released his clutch, leaving the guy to fall straight on his back. Due to the impact of the punch, the guy had broken teeth and had completely passed out.

As the tall goon fell, Han Wei turned towards the shorter guy, whose fist was already on its way.

Han Wei took a step back through his right leg and bent backward to dodge the incoming punch. Missing his target, the shorter guy lost balance and was about to fall on Han Wei. Han Wei didn't give him that chance; from his dodging position, he used both hands on the road to propel himself and delivered a stomping kick to the guy's guts.

The force sent the shorter thug flying back, crashing onto their car before sliding down with a bit of blood in his mouth.

"F***K you!"

Both Ming Chen and Kun Ming shouted hysterically at the same time as the thug knocked onto the car.

Han Wei offered an apologetic smile at the two of them before taking two steps towards the guy and delivering a sharp kick to his face, completely knocking him out.

Without wasting a second, Han Wei rushed back inside the car, which swiftly drove away from the scene.

Zhang Mei was completely bewildered, struggling to understand how such an apparently 'idiotic' guy could be skilled in fighting or martial arts. Her mind was blank, unsure of how to respond to what she had just witnessed.

Meanwhile, the trio didn't pay much attention to her confusion.

None of them seemed surprised by the seemingly simple fight that had just taken place. They had trained to a level close to their master's expertise. Unlike many who learned martial arts solely for self-defense without practical experience, the trio had real fighting experience.

Their master emphasised practical application of knowledge, which contributed to their confidence in establishing a mercenary organisation like Mystic Shadows.

Ming Chen and Kun Ming were now staring intensely at Han Wei, especially Kun Ming, who seemed as though he wanted to pierce holes in Han Wei with his gaze.

"Could you please concentrate on the road? Mistakes happen sometimes, and we are still in the learning phase."

Han Wei commented, expressing concern about potential accidents.

After contemplating Han Wei's words for a moment, Kun Ming and Ming Chen harrumphed.

They acknowledged that this was their first mission, and some mistakes were inevitable. A little damage to the car didn't qualify as a significant error, so they let it go, albeit somewhat grudgingly.

An hour later, the car slowly parked in front of a five-story building that appeared to be a residential structure. The area, while not particularly affluent, seemed decent, suggesting it was a place where white-collar workers typically resided.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Zhang Mei, who had been sitting in silence, visibly troubled, rushed out of the vehicle. Without hesitation, she proceeded to embrace a middle-aged woman, breaking down into tears.

Beside them, a middle-aged man stood, offering his gentle consolation to the distressed girl.

Ming Chen exited the car after handing over the wheels to Han Wei. Kun Ming expressed the desire to get out as well, but Ming Chen signalled for him to stay put, a command he followed without complaint.

They all understood the importance of minimising their presence and leaving as few traces as possible.

After waiting for a minute, Ming Chen took out his mobile and dialled Zhang Wanyi.

"Hello, Mr. Zhang... This is Demon King. We have completed the mission; please confirm and transfer the payment."

Having said that, Ming Chen approached the trio, who were now looking at him.

"Miss Zhang! Please confirm with your father that you have reached the destination."

Ming Chen handed the mobile to Zhang Mei.

Feeling a bit relieved, Zhang Mei couldn't help but observe Ming Chen with curiosity. The nervousness that had clouded her thoughts was now lifting.

She realised that the man in front of her, along with the two in the car, were somehow out of the ordinary compared to people like her. They lived a life she couldn't comprehend, setting them apart from the majority of society.

'He looks to be pretty good-looking, even if he's not considered handsome.'

Seeing Zhang Mei blankly staring at him, Ming Chen felt a bit awkward with his hand outstretched. Fortunately, the middle-aged man saved him from embarrassment by taking the mobile from his hand.

"Hello Wan!... Yes, she safely reached here. I hope that you can also... Yes, yes, we can talk about this later."

After confirming the mission success, Zhang Mei's uncle disconnected the call and handed the mobile back to Ming Chen.

"Hello, Mr. Demon, I'm Zhang Mei's uncle, and this is her mother. We are very grateful to you for accepting this mission. My brother-in-law said that he will be transferring the money to you in a minute and also promised to give an excellent rating."

Expressing gratitude, Zhang Mei's mother also had tears lingering in her eyes.

'Ding, You have received NTD 70000 from account *****.'

Looking at the number, Ming Chen's mood improved, finding Zhang Wanyi an interesting person.

"Alright then, we have received the payment for the mission. If there is anything that needs our services, you can just request through our application."

Ming Chen turned back and started walking towards their car.

"Thank you... Hope we can meet again."

Zhang Mei said, taking two steps forward as she gathered the courage to express her gratitude.

Ming Chen stopped for a moment, raised his hand, and waved at her without turning back. Zhang Mei's mother quietly observed this, her thoughts swirling. However, she soon shook her head, keeping her thoughts to herself.

"Well! Should we directly drive back home, or should we go and have some fun?"

Han Wei suggested as he drove the car through the streets of Taoyuan city.