Chapter 612: 319 Green Luan (Second Watch)
Chapter 612: 319 Green Luan (Second Watch)
Qingqing my ass. Zheng Qing had to resist the urge to throw his coffee in his face. He sat there, arms crossed, slouching in his chair, legs propped up on the table, every inch the picture of a hoodlum.
“I seem to remember the last time you had a gun to my head, you didn’t call me that, my dear Night Hawk.” Zheng Qing’s lips curled in mockery.
The server came over, about to ask the guests what they’d like to drink, when he suddenly froze.
The gentleman said calmly, “A warm glass of water, please.”
The young server, clutching his wildly thumping heart, retreated. He had seen all kinds of men at the coffee shop, but never one like this.
He looked up and realized that the café’s customers had all disappeared without explanation. There had been a few patrons just moments ago.
The café was eerily quiet.
“Getting horny again, these shallow women, huh…”
“Qingqing…”
“Stop, don’t call me Qingqing. No one is allowed to call me that since A Yu died.” Zheng Qing silently added, and Ming Jing.
The name “A Yu” seemed to be a taboo. The moment the words fell, the air was filled with a suffocating silence.
Zheng Qing curled his lips.
“So, what brings the great Night Hawk here to see a ‘dead man’ like me?”
That’s right, she, Zheng Qing, was now a dead person in the system.
It was the organization’s rule: when you were deemed useless, death was your only path.
Just like A Yu had faced in the past.
Having devoted their entire lives to the organization, it was ironic that they had been reduced to nothing. The promise of freedom had always been a cruel joke.
A flash of bloodshot eyes, then a familiar cold smile. As she looked up, her eyes filled with seductive charm.
Paired with her unremarkable face, it was an eerie, awkward sight.
“I spared your life back then, not for you to defy me.”
“Pfft, am I supposed to kowtow to you in gratitude for your mercy? Keep dreaming.” Zheng Qing had had enough of this never-ending, shadowy existence. Face torn, resentful that he had contributed to A Yu’s death. Besides, she trusted Ming Jing to avenge her in the end.
The man placed a baby toy on the table. “Do you recognize this?”
Zheng Qing’s pupils constricted as she suddenly slapped the table and stood up, grabbing the man by his collar. “Dare to touch my son?” she snarled.
The man sat there, unperturbed, a stark contrast to Zheng Qing’s frantic rage.
“Your son is very cute. Don’t worry, he’s fine.”
Zheng Qing gritted her teeth and growled, “If you dare to hurt even a single hair on his head, I will make you pay with your life. Make no mistake about it.”
“The Green Ghost never goes back on her word.”
Zheng Qing reluctantly loosened her grip, laughing bitterly, “A Yu and I devoted our entire lives to the organization, but what did we get in the end? They’ll even squeeze me for my last ounce of value. You’d surely make a successful businessman.”
“After Zhao Kang’s death, Wu Rumei inherited all his property and emigrated last month. After extensive investigations, we found that she had been in close contact with someone for the past six months, making weekly phone calls. This person is skilled at counter-surveillance, so much so that not even my top hacker can uncover their identity. Who do you think it could be?” The man said unhurriedly.
Zheng Qing snorted, “How would I know?”
“I never knew you had such a soft heart. A mistress helping a legal wife to hatch a plot—truly touching.” The man’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Zhao Kang deserved to die—I’ve always been clear about right and wrong.”
“Indeed, selling people out and then counting their money for them. What business did Zhao Kang have to stand against the Wus? The Wus’ youngest son is not to be trifled with.”
A stack of files landed in front of Zheng Qing, who picked them up dubiously, her face growing darker as she read.
“This Wu Rumei, daring to deceive me—so she’s the real mastermind.”
Zheng Qing suddenly looked up, “Where’s the ledger?”
“Fake.”
In her first-ever experience of being duped, Zheng Qing was at a loss for words. “I’m going to find her now.”
“It’s too late.”Zheng Qing slapped the table: “Bitch.”
“As they say, becoming a mother makes you stupid for three years. Your IQ has really plummeted since you became a mother.”
Zheng Qing glared at him: “Would Madam spare you if this gets messed up?”
Night Hawk’s boss, Madam, Zheng Qing had never seen her before, not even knowing whether she was male or female. Every time, it was Madam who issued orders, and Night Hawk would assign her tasks.
She once complained to A Yu that this “Madam” must be an old menopausal woman, otherwise, she couldn’t think of who else would come up with such weird and demanding tasks.
Before, she had always thought that she was part of a just organization, punishing the evil and helping the weak. That was until one mission where she assassinated someone, only to learn from the news the next day that the person she killed was actually an honest and clean public servant.
From that day on, her faith began to crumble.
Later, when she entered the entertainment industry, she used her identity as a cover, gathering all kinds of evidence under the flashy surface. Batch after batch of people were taken away, replaced by new ones who were no different than those before, corrupt and unscrupulous individuals who turned the entertainment industry into a cesspool of moral decay.
At that time, she knew that all justice must bow to interest. Madam probably wasn’t a good person either, and Night Hawk was just a butcher who aided in evil deeds.
However, by then, she and A Yu were already neck-deep, unable to extricate themselves from the situation.
On the anniversary of A Yu’s death, she drank too much, went to a bar to drown her sorrows, and had a one-night stand with a man. She left without a care, barely giving a thought to the man, considering him merely a passerby in her life.
Until two months later, when she discovered she was pregnant.
For the sake of her child, she would rather risk it all than continue being a caged assassin. She wanted to become a soaring Green Phoenix.
She tried to negotiate with Night Hawk, asking to complete one last mission for her freedom.
Night Hawk agreed, but she knew that Madam wouldn’t let her go.
Her fate was ultimately, death.
That night in the warehouse, she was already prepared to die. Yet, Night Hawk’s gunshot only hit a passing hare instead.
The price Night Hawk paid for sparing her was to infiltrate Jiangzhou and wait for an opportunity to strike.
So she came to Jiangzhou, changed her name, and kept a low profile, until she met Ming Jing, a girl who eerily resembled A Yu. Through her, Zheng Qing gradually learned about A Yu’s cause of death.
Clues finally pointed to Ran Bowen of the Qinglong Association… Which should be the reason why Night Hawk had her go undercover in Jiangzhou. She just didn’t know what Night Hawk’s ultimate plan was, whether Ming Jing was a pawn in his game or just an unexpected coincidence.
What exactly did this coincidence have to do with A Yu’s death?
The more Zheng Qing thought about it, the more confused she became. Her mind turned into a mess. Night Hawk was right – ever since she became pregnant, her mind had been getting more and more muddled.
“Madam doesn’t know about your existence,” Night Hawk spoke plainly.
Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow: “Interesting, so you’re not exactly loyal to Madam.”
No wonder he dared to spare her life.
The man neither agreed nor disagreed. “I know you still blame me for A Yu’s death. Some things, you’ll know eventually.”
“I want to know now, did you kill A Yu or not?”
The man looked pained, his jaw tense, showing his inner turmoil.
“Pfft. Pretending now? Even if you didn’t kill A Yu yourself, you must have given the order.”
After a while, the man took a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket and pushed it in front of her: “Same old rules, burn it after you read it. This is the final ultimate mission. If you complete it, I will personally hand you the passports for you and your son.” With that, the man stood up and left.
“What about Xue An? I want his life.”
“He’s already dead.”
Without stopping, the man left.
As Zheng Qing’s mind raced, she suddenly got up, “Wait, that woman just now… she…”
The man had already pushed open the door of the café, his tall figure disappearing into the rain.
Zheng Qing murmured, “So she was also your pawn…”
She unfolded the paper in her hand, gave it a glance, and took out a lighter from her pocket.
The flame burned brightly, quickly turning the paper to ashes.
“I’ll bet with you one last time,” she said.