EM 1. The Beginning

Song Feng was a strange one. That wasn’t how he saw himself, but it was the conclusion most people came to after dealing with him.

The reactions to that statement usually fell into two types. One was silence, followed by a bitter, “You’re not just laughing at my misery, are you?” That meant he had just been wrecked by one of his own teammates. The other was a bright laugh and a casual, “Thanks for the compliment.” That meant he was enjoying life at the moment.

Song Feng worked for a private military company in the United States. He was a young man who loved his job and strictly followed the basic code of being a mercenary. Whoever paid, he served.

Although he held a different identity in China, the two roles rarely overlapped, to the point that he often felt being a mercenary was his main job, and serving his country was just a side gig.

The first time Song Feng got tangled up with Xiao Mingxuan, it was because of one of those side gigs. Later, every time Xiao Mingxuan thought back to the chaos of that day, he’d get a pounding headache. He remembered it vividly.

That day in Myanmar, the temperature had soared to forty degrees. He and his men descended slowly in a helicopter onto a village deep in the jungle. His identity was a drug lord, and naturally, he was there for the drugs. Higher-ups had said they would send a team for firepower support, and Song Feng was one of them.

Of course, he hadn’t known that back then. He only knew that the moment he saw the guy for the first time, he wanted to strangle him.

The village was under General Khun Sa’s control. He had a firm grip on the region with vast poppy fields and a well-armed force, sitting comfortably at the top of the chain. Recently, one of his factories had some kind of incident. The entire stock was ruined, and the drug supply took a hit. That was why they had to rush over in such brutal heat, trying to grab whatever goods were left.

A long table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by six men, each with guards behind them. When he walked in, they glanced up at him before looking away. Xiao Mingxuan didn’t care. He walked over to the window seat and sat down, lit a cigarette, and quietly waited for the general. He hadn’t even been in the business for two years and wasn’t technically qualified to sit there, but he handled major deals and spent big, so they reluctantly included him.

It was mid-afternoon. The heat was unbearable. A fat man sitting by the wall kept wiping sweat from his face and grumbling under his breath. When he saw that the others remained seated and patient, he clicked his tongue in annoyance and told his men to fan him harder.

The sound of a helicopter roared closer. Another drug lord had arrived. The man was tall, with shoulder-length hair dyed gold that seemed to glow. The others’ expressions shifted slightly, then turned to smiles as they exchanged polite greetings, a complete contrast to how they had acted earlier.

Xiao Mingxuan searched his memory. Fu Shanming, a major drug lord from Malaysia. People in the trade avoided him like the plague. The reason was simple. The man was mentally unstable, moody, and a complete pervert. He had always had a good relationship with the general, so there was no doubt he’d get his share of the goods. Xiao Mingxuan hadn’t expected him to show up here. It was a real pain in the ass.

Fu Shanming looked around the room, then his eyes lit up. He walked over and sat down in the chair next to Xiao Mingxuan, even scooting a little closer.

“…” Xiao Mingxuan stayed silent. Everyone knew Fu Shanming was gay.

The general arrived right after him and laid out the situation. The fat man spoke first. “I want the same amount as before.”

Their goals were mostly the same. The general wasn’t moved. “This is all the stock that’s left. The price is going up. Take it or leave it.”

The fat man said, “Money’s not the issue. I need the goods.”

Another added, “Me too. I can’t afford to be short on anything.”

“Don’t kid yourself. There’s only so much. If you take it all, what the hell are we supposed to do? Go drink northwest wind?”

They started arguing almost immediately. Xiao Mingxuan didn’t say a word. He was new here. Even if he opened his mouth, no one would care, so he sat still. The man beside him was quiet too.

He glanced over. Fu Shanming was inhaling drugs, looking like he was really enjoying himself. When he noticed Xiao Mingxuan watching, he licked his lips and stared at him with heat in his eyes. Xiao Mingxuan looked away and ignored it.

The sun outside was fierce. Even sitting indoors, the heat felt like it was roasting them. No one wanted to stay in this hellhole any longer than they had to. After shouting at each other for a while, they went from refusing to budge to each stepping back. The deal was almost settled, and once it was done, everyone would leave. That wasn’t what Xiao Mingxuan wanted. He spoke calmly, “I want eighty percent.”

The others’ expressions changed. Together, they had barely managed to split the stock, and this man had the nerve to ask for eighty percent. Even if he had the money, could he even take that much?

The fat man, the most hot-tempered of them all, snapped, “Eighty percent? Who the fuck do you think—” He stopped. His voice caught in his throat. His eyes widened in disbelief.

Before anyone could react, four shots tore through the air. The fat man’s men dropped on the spot, each one hit between the eyes. Only one remained standing. He pulled a bayonet from the fat man’s back, wiped it off casually, then walked over and stood behind Xiao Mingxuan. The fat man slumped over the table, blood soaking through his back. He was no longer breathing.

Xiao Mingxuan put his gun away and repeated calmly, “Eighty percent.”

Fu Shanming’s eyes lit up. The others quietly sucked in a breath. In that moment, it felt like all their own men had become walking time bombs. No one knew which one might suddenly go off and send them to join the fat man.

The door burst open with a loud bang. Soldiers rushed in at the sound. The general didn’t even blink. He waved them off like it was nothing. His eyes skipped over the corpses on the ground and went straight to the people in the room, waiting for their response.

The few still standing were breathing hard. One of them couldn’t hold it in. “Boss Xiao, we all live off this trade. If you swallow that much stock, what are we supposed to do? And can you even move it?”

Xiao Mingxuan looked calm. “If you can’t get any this time, wait for the next. As for the market, if I want it, I can sell it.”

Fu Shanming grinned. “Once someone dies, the market opens on its own.”

Xiao Mingxuan’s brow twitched. He really wanted to kill him.

The others looked uneasy. If their own men were really wired like ticking bombs, then all it would take was one misstep, and they’d follow the fat man straight to hell. And the market they left behind? Xiao Mingxuan would take it all.

That ambition was too dangerous.

Once that thought took root, it started spreading. Twisting, wrapping tighter with each second. The air in the room turned heavy. Their stares grew sharper. No one said it out loud, but the same idea had already formed in more than one mind. Rather than hand over eighty percent for nothing, it might be simpler to kill him and be done with it.

They glanced at Fu Shanming, uncertain which side he’d choose. But he wasn’t paying them any attention. His eyes were still locked on Xiao Mingxuan, burning with heat, like he was seconds away from lunging at him. He didn’t seem to notice the tension, or maybe he just didn’t care.

Xiao Mingxuan’s fingers moved, just enough to send the signal. Things had gone off course. There was no fixing it now. All that was left was to switch to Plan B and move ahead of schedule.

The fight was about to break out. The house wasn’t large, and a brawl in here would mean dragging everyone down with it. The general could no longer pretend not to see. He was just about to step in when Xiao Mingxuan caught the lunatic lunging at him out of the corner of his eye. If that man got a grip on him and pinned his movement, he’d be finished.

He kicked the table over and jumped through the window with his men. Gunfire erupted behind them all at once.

The people inside rushed after them. Just then, a wave of gunfire suddenly broke out from the rear. The village was in a remote area. It wasn’t the main base, but it was well guarded. For a shootout to break out like this, someone must have already engaged the soldiers, though no one could tell who.

This time, it wasn’t just the drug lords. Even the general’s expression shifted. The fighting stopped. No one said anything, but the same thought crossed their minds. Narcotics police. Special forces.

Xiao Mingxuan had barely caught his breath when someone crashed into him. The hit came fast and hard, he didn’t even have time to react. In the next moment, he was dragged off the bamboo building and taken down with it.

Only one person would dare to pull something like this. Xiao Mingxuan cursed under his breath. He was just about to get up when the sound of engines came rushing in. It grew louder by the second. The soldiers at the checkpoint were gunned down one after another. A second later, the barricade was smashed open. Two modified off-road vehicles tore through the entrance, kicking up clouds of dust behind them.

Fu Shanming grabbed him and dragged him down to the clearing beneath the bamboo stilt house. “Come with me. We’re getting the drugs.”

Xiao Mingxuan had been planning to kill him, but the words caught him off guard. “You know where it’s hidden?”

Fu Shanming nodded. “Move.”

Drug lords, soldiers, and an unknown group were caught in a mess of crossfire. The scene was chaos. More than once, Xiao Mingxuan could feel bullets graze past his body. Fu Shanming led him around the worst of the fire and moved deeper into the village.

They stopped at a run-down wooden hut. He kicked the door open. Inside was nothing but clutter.

Xiao Mingxuan’s first instinct was that he had been played. Before he could speak, Fu Shanming pointed to the corner. “There’s a hidden compartment under that pile. The drugs are inside.”

Xiao Mingxuan walked over, half convinced. “How do you know?”

“I know a lot of things,” Fu Shanming said with a laugh. “I also know a few countries in Southeast Asia are joining forces to crack down on drugs. The factory got hit because of them. The general figured the higher-ups were planning to cut him down, so he planned to sell this batch and lay low. That’s why he picked a place this remote. Still didn’t stop them from surrounding us.”

Xiao Mingxuan paused. “Where did you hear that?”

It really was a joint operation. The one who killed the fat man had been with Thai police. Out of all six drug lords’ men, only one was undercover. Everything had been placed on this one shot.

Fu Shanming didn’t answer. He stared at him and licked his lips. “Turned you on?”

Xiao Mingxuan choked. They were still in a situation where they could be killed any second, and this man was thinking about that. There was no understanding a lunatic’s mind. He held back his temper. “Once I get the drugs, I’ll let you have your fun.”

Fu Shanming kicked the junk aside. A square-shaped mark was visible on the floor. He reached for Xiao Mingxuan. “I’ll open it.”

Xiao Mingxuan hadn’t planned to bend down himself, so he took a step back. But suddenly, a sharp pain hit his arm. He yanked away and looked down. It was an injector, about the size of a knuckle. The liquid had already been pushed in. He didn’t know what it was, or if the needle had even been clean.

His eyes darkened. He pulled it out and tossed it aside. Before he could speak, a wave of heat surged through his body. He realized immediately what it was.

Fu Shanming’s gaze was burning. His breathing was heavy, as if he were the one who’d taken the drug. He pulled his belt open. “Baby, fuck me.”

Xiao Mingxuan’s forehead throbbed. As Fu Shanming lunged, he kicked him hard and sent him flying.

Fu Shanming climbed back up, more fired up than before. Just then, a low rumble broke through the air above.

Reinforcements had arrived.

The pressure in Xiao Mingxuan’s chest loosened. He wasn’t going to waste another second on this lunatic. His shoulder shifted as he reached for his gun.

Fu Shanming had seen his marksmanship up close, so he’d been quietly watching for a chance. The moment Xiao Mingxuan reached for his gun, Fu Shanming rammed into him with full force. The impact knocked him flat to the ground, and the gun flew from his grip. He gasped for air, chest heaving. The drug was spreading through his system fast, burning under his skin. His state was slipping, and if it went on like this, he wouldn’t be able to hold it together much longer.

Fu Shanming didn’t give him a chance to fight back. His hand went straight for Xiao Mingxuan’s crotch.

Xiao Mingxuan’s breath caught. Fu Shanming lowered his head, trying to unzip his pants. His brain buzzed like a short circuit. Just as he was about to lose it, the door slammed open. A man stormed in, wearing a tight black T-shirt, camo pants, and boots. His face was streaked with paint, and he carried a submachine gun. “Boss, I’m here to save you,” he shouted.

Xiao Mingxuan looked down. Fu Shanming had been knocked forward by that kick, and now his entire face was buried in Xiao Mingxuan’s crotch. The scene was a damn mess.

Song Feng saw Xiao Mingxuan wasn’t moving. He looked at the two of them, then quietly averted his gaze. His voice held a strange sincerity. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt,” he slowly turned to leave.

“….”

Fu Shanming sprang up, face twisted with rage, and looked back. Seeing that the man had already left, he paused for a moment, then turned back and continued what he was doing.

Veins throbbed on Xiao Mingxuan’s forehead. Just as he was about to kill the bastard, Song Feng circled back and called out, “Boss, better hurry. We’re on a tight schedule.”

“….”