"Heh heh, don't worry. Where would I find the time for that?" Yang Ce tossed the casing up in the air and caught it as he walked over. When he reached Wang Yanqiu, he handed it to her.

To be continued.

978. That's Not Fair

Wang Yanqiu snatched the shell casing and began carefully studying the batch-number markings on it. She examined it for a long while but found nothing out of the ordinary—it really was the very bullet she had fired.

"How did you find it?" Wang Yanqiu was intensely curious. Though Yang Ce had found the bullet, she still could hardly believe it. After all, the facts were right before her eyes—in this pitch-black night, even seeing the road was a struggle, let alone finding a tiny shell casing.

"Actually, the moment you fired, I locked onto the bullet's trajectory, so I could calculate roughly where it would land." Yang Ce spoke in a way that was half truth, half pretense.

"Really?" Wang Yanqiu was doubtful, yet not entirely disbelieving. Yang Ce was, after all, a killer like herself—and a formidable one. Locking onto a bullet's trajectory sounded astonishing, but it was not impossible.

"It's true. Otherwise how would I have gone looking? Searching inch by inch would be no different from fishing a needle out of the ocean." Yang Ce spread his hands and explained.

Wang Yanqiu nodded. She had no choice but to believe him. It was just that this bet, which had seemed like such a bargain, had in fact cost her dearly. She had blindly underestimated Yang Juehuan's ability, always placing him on the same level as herself. She had assumed finding the bullet would be very difficult for her, and therefore for Yang Ce as well—never considering that Yang Ce was far more professional than she.

"If you're that good, why bother with reaction training?" Having lost the bet, Wang Yanqiu was somewhat indignant, and her tone was none too pleasant. "I say—you didn't deliberately cook up this reaction-training excuse just to make a bet with me, did you?"

No wonder Wang Yanqiu thought so. Yang Ce's behavior tonight really was rather bizarre. Who in their right mind would run a reaction test for no reason?

"It was just a whim." Yang Ce gave a dry laugh. And in fact, that was the truth of it.

Looking at Yang Ce's sly expression made Wang Yanqiu angry. She decided not to say another word to him and headed toward the car.

"Freezing to death." Wang Yanqiu got into the car and turned on the heater.

"Where to now? Your headquarters?" Yang Shuoxuan got in, shifted the gear into drive.

"All right, I'll tell you how to get there." Wang Yanqiu nodded and set aside what had happened before. She really could not understand how this fellow's mind could be so filthy, stuffed with so many dirty ideas. So he did not take a lover seriously? Then why did he not go find Chen Shutang?

What Yang Ce had not expected was that Wang Yanqiu's headquarters should be located in the shantytown—though on the eastern side, far from where Fang Tian and Lin Yanhe lived, it was still quite a coincidence.

Two killers, living so close to each other.

"Why set up headquarters here? It seems pretty out of the way," Yang Ce said, glancing around. The place was all narrow lanes that cars could not enter, so he had to park on the road outside.

"What's so bad about a place being out of the way? Crowded places are full of all sorts, and it's no good if the wrong people notice us. Come nightfall, there's hardly a soul around here," Wang Yanqiu said.

"It's not that. I just feel that for a new organization with a new outlook, being stuck in such a run-down place is a bit... uncomfortable," Yang Ce explained.

"Make do for now. This whole area is due for demolition soon, so we'll figure things out then," Wang Yanqiu said, sounding unconcerned.

As they spoke, the two of them came to a small door. Wang Yanqiu knocked on it—knocking in a set sequence of heavy and light raps. After a moment, a voice came from inside: "Who are you looking for?"

"It's me. Open up," Wang Yanqiu said softly.

The little door opened at once. A young man, seeing Wang Yanqiu, said respectfully, "Chief."

Wang Yanqiu nodded and stepped inside. Yang Ce followed behind, but the young man barred his way: "Chief, who is this—"

"Let him in. He's newly joined the organization, and he's my partner," Wang Yanqiu said.

Hearing that, the young man stepped aside and let Yang Ce through, then quickly shut the little door.

The courtyard was small, but immaculately kept. Following behind Wang Yanqiu, Yang Ce headed for the main hall.

The main hall, which had been murmuring with whispered conversation, fell dead silent as Wang Yanqiu walked in. Yang Ce followed her inside, and under a roomful of puzzled stares, plopped himself down carelessly in the seat of honor.

That was Wang Yanqiu's seat, and before she could even sit down, Yang Ce had taken it, which irritated her no end. She shot Yang Puqi a glare; entirely unbothered, he gave a chuckle and murmured, "Want to sit on my lap instead?"

Wang Yanqiu had no choice but to stand off to the side.

"Outrageous! Who the hell are you, that you dare sit in the chief's seat?" At that, one of the brothers of the organization rose to his feet and pointed at Yang Ce, shouting in great displeasure.

Yang Ce glanced at him, then swept his eyes over everyone in the hall—and caught sight of three familiar figures: one was Wu Ming, just released from Baolin's custody, and the other two were Black Rat and Edge, whom he had met in Hong Kong.

"Your chief hasn't said a word yet—what gives you the right to?" Yang Ce glared at him. So I've barely arrived and you want to put me in my place?

The man was furious. He gave a cold snort: "Get up this instant, or I won't be polite."

"Ah, fine. Looks like I'd better explain. From now on, the Black Widow Assassins will be known as the Black Butterfly Assassins. And as for why it's called the Black Butterfly Assassins, that's because—hiss!" Yang Ce sucked in a sharp breath, feeling as though a crab's pincer had clamped onto his back. He turned his head to find Wang Yanqiu glaring furiously at him. Yang Ce grinned and went on: "—the reason is none of your concern. What you do need to know is that from now on, I'm your chief."

Yang Ce kept on talking a blue streak, only to be pinched again from behind, Wang Yanqiu using her hand as a crab's claw. She whispered, "If you keep acting up, that bet we made before is off."

Off? Yang Puqi froze. So this little Miss Wang meant that for now it still stood? At that thought, Yang Juehuan's mind began racing, and he switched tack. "Er—of course, I'm your deputy chief. Your chief is still her. Now then, I'll give the seat back to her."

Wang Yanqiu looked at Yang Ce, clowning about as he was, caught between annoyance and amusement, and utterly helpless. Seeing him offer her the seat, she actually felt a little embarrassed, and shook her head: "You sit."

"Chief, what on earth is going on here?" The brother from before, seeing that Wang Yanqiu hadn't contradicted Yang Juehuan, stopped pressing so aggressively. He was simply puzzled as to how this deputy chief had come about.

"Golden Ox, hold your peace for now and listen to me." Wang Yanqiu wiped the smile from her face and put on a serious expression. The people in the hall immediately dared not speak another word, and the man called Golden Ox sat back down, listening carefully to what Wang Yanqiu had to say.

"This is Yang Ce, a newly joined assassin of the organization. I believe several of you brothers have already crossed paths with him. As for his skill, I need hardly say more—he's even better than I am," Wang Yanqiu said coolly. "Wu Ming. Black Rat. Edge."

The three rose at once. They had personally traded blows with Heng, so they did not doubt the chief's words in the least, and all nodded. The others, however, had never fought Yan, and so took it lightly.