"I'm not joking. I set her free. These brothers can vouch for me," Zhou Ruiyang said, pointing at the men in black behind Luo Sheng.

Luo Sheng turned around. The men's faces were grave as they nodded silently.

"What the hell are you good for!" Luo Sheng slammed the table in anger.

"Boss Luo, we had no choice! We had this kid cornered in a dead end, but who knew he'd actually set the sparrow free," the leader of the men in black said plaintively.

"A bunch of idiots! Last time you failed to catch him, this time you caught him but lost the bird!"

"Don't spread rumors. I'm no eunuch," Zhou Ruiyang said, sitting on the sofa with perfect composure, not a trace of tension despite being captured.

After all, since they'd revealed their identities, there was nothing to fear. Besides, Mujin wasn't with him now, so they had no reason to keep him.

"Since the goods are gone, I see no reason to stay here," Zhou Ruiyang added. He was in a hurry to get back to his dorm to play games.

Luo Sheng's face flushed with anger. He stared intently at Zhou Ruiyang for a long time, then suddenly raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"You kid... you actually have a way to call the sparrow back, don't you?"

Zhou Ruiyang was taken aback and shook his head. "No, I don't."

"No, you do."

"No, I really don't."

"No, you definitely do. If releasing it meant you couldn't get it back, you should have given up searching when it was captured last time. But why were you at our transaction site? It must be because you usually let it roam free and call it back later. But that time, it didn't return."

After this analysis, Luo Sheng relaxed. "True. A sparrow trained to talk must be very smart. It can surely learn to find its owner. So you can't leave yet. You have to wait here for the sparrow to come."

"Aren't you afraid I'll report you after I leave?"

"Since I dared to bring you here, I have ways to handle it. And..." Luo Sheng tapped the table, a meaningful smile on his lips. "By asking that, aren't you proving you're afraid? If the sparrow really won't come, don't worry. I have plenty of rooms, and you won't lack food or drink. You can just spend a pleasant weekend here."

Zhou Ruiyang's expression grew serious. This guy really wasn't easy to deal with.

...

"Oh no, Little Sheep's been taken inside. What should we do, Brother Sparrowhawk?" On the eaves, Mujin the sparrow watched Zhou Ruiyang enter the house. She turned to the tall sparrowhawk beside her and whispered.

The sparrowhawk stood tall, observing the surroundings, completely ignoring her.

"Forget it. You clearly don't understand human speech. Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall," Mujin sighed, her mind blank.

She had found where Zhou Ruiyang was taken, but what to do next? Should she call the police? Mujin thought it wouldn't help much. Based on this residence, she guessed the mastermind was likely Boss Luo. If it was him, he'd surely have ways to deal with the police. After all, they were law-savvy thugs who could talk their way out of anything. Besides, Zhou Ruiyang's identity was known to them. Even if rescued this time, they'd keep haunting him. It would only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on successfully escaping pursuit and learning the enemy's identity. Reward: 0.5% progress bar, 20 points.]

Mujin was stunned. How was this an escape? Little Sheep was still inside!

[The goal of this mission is only the host themselves. So as long as the host escapes, it counts.]

How meticulous... Mujin gazed absentmindedly at the garden under the eaves. From the system's reward, the person in the villa was definitely Boss Luo. But how could she rescue Zhou Ruiyang from him? He had four known thugs, and there might be more fighters inside. On her side, besides herself as a sparrow, there was only this sparrowhawk brother. She glanced beside her—the sparrowhawk had flown away, darting through the seaside garden woods. Great. Now even he was gone, leaving her as the lone hero. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy. But she didn't even know Boss Luo's name.

Just as she worried, the villa door opened. Several men in black came out and lit cigarettes.

"I feel Boss Luo really values that sparrow. Since we messed up, will he blame us later?" the tall man said worriedly.

"Why blame us? Blame that young man. We didn't force him to throw the sparrow away," the leader replied.

"But Boss Luo is really arrogant. He says no one can stop what he wants. In Q City, he really has no opponents to fear," a short man said curiously.

"Pfft." The leader waved his hand, glanced around, and whispered, "Between us, don't spread this. Boss Luo was just bragging. Sure, he's someone in Q City, but there are many stronger than him. He's the type who bullies the weak and fears the strong. Last time I went with him to meet Nanyang Group's president, he was so servile, bowing and scraping. It was embarrassing."

"Then if this sparrow was raised by Nanyang's president, Boss Luo wouldn't dare to buy it, right?"

"Buy? Given his attitude, he'd call that bird uncle," the leader snorted. They'd just been scolded harshly and now wanted to vent behind his back.

This two-faced behavior made Mujin furious. It's disgraceful to slander someone while eating their bread. But from his words, she extracted useful information: Boss Luo was a sycophant. Could she use this?

...

Zhou Ruiyang sat on the sofa, quietly observing the villa. Luo Sheng sat opposite, legs crossed, scrolling his phone. Two bodyguards stood behind him—supposedly protecting him, but actually restricting his movement. Though surrounded, Zhou Ruiyang felt this was his best escape chance. The four captors were outside smoking; the villa's defenses were weakest now. If he didn't act, he'd be helpless when they returned. Relying on Mujin wasn't realistic. Even if she convinced a passerby about a kidnapping, the villa's security might block any rescue. Sorry, Uncle Li, I might have to get serious...

Zhou Ruiyang's eyes darted. He turned to a bodyguard. "Bro, what time is it?"

"Where's your phone?"

"It was confiscated."

The bodyguard glanced down, pulled out his phone. "Ah, 12:23... Holy shit!"

While he focused on the screen, Zhou Ruiyang pushed off the armrests, propelling himself up. Using his strong core, he executed a reverse kick, landing squarely on the bodyguard's head. The other guard never expected a sudden attack. Human brains aren't machines—even experts need reaction time (except for Ultra Instinct). As the guard shouted "Hey!", Zhou Ruiyang flipped over the sofa back, landed, and swept his legs out. The whole sequence took under three seconds: fluid, swift as wind, fast as lightning. To Luo Sheng, the first guard yelled "Holy shit!", he looked up, and both men were down in a flash.

Zhou Ruiyang turned to Luo Sheng with a cold gaze. "I'm leaving. Don't stop me."

"What kind of monster are you?!" Luo Sheng cried in terror, jumping up and reaching for his waist. As his coat lifted, Zhou Ruiyang's eyes widened. Something black was clipped to his belt. A gun?! In a blink, Zhou Ruiyang became a blur, charging at Luo Sheng.

"Bang—"

...

Outside, the men in black smoked and chatted. A girl in the distance caught their attention. She walked confidently, her shoulder-length brown hair drawing eyes. Striding up, she flicked her hair, crossed her arms, and smiled. "You guys, did you bring a boy back?"

The leader sized her up. Her chic coat, black slip dress, and thigh-high boots exuded elegance. Her aura wasn't ordinary. "Ah... who are you?" he asked politely.

"You'll know soon. Take me inside. I need to ensure his safety."

"Should I announce you?"

"No need. It's Uncle Luo inside, right? I'll go with you."

"Oh, you know Boss Luo? Fine." He easily believed her—anyone here must be extraordinary. Leading her to the door, he even reminded, "Miss, watch the step."

"Mm, thanks." Mujin smiled calmly, but inside, she breathed a sigh of relief.

As she entered the corridor, a "Bang—" shattered her calm. "What are you doing in there?!" she glared.

"This..." The men exchanged confused glances—they knew nothing of private punishments.

Mujin abandoned composure, striding down the corridor. "Little Sheep! Are you okay...?" Her anxious face froze at the sight: two men in black lay on the floor, and Boss Luo was held high by Zhou Ruiyang, gripped by the collar. Both turned as she burst in. Luo Sheng struggled to raise a hand. "Save me..."