In the narrow, quiet interrogation room, iron nets on the walls held various torture tools. At the center, a red-haired youth sat in a restraint chair, wearing only brown boxer shorts. He stared in terror at the black-haired boy before him.

"Do you know where you are?"

The black-haired boy held a slender brown rod, used for whipping prisoners brought here.

"I-it's the N-n-n... Northern District!"

"Do you know who I am?"

"Yes. Ouyang Qingdan, second-in-command of the Xiaomo Family."

Noah City was divided into five districts. The Northern District was managed by the Xiaomo Family, supplying tobacco, alcohol, and weapons to other areas. The young man in the loose black suit was indeed Ouyang Qingdan.

"Huh? Seems the rat learned quite a bit about our district before sneaking in to steal."

Ouyang shook the rod calmly. He stared seriously at the deep red welts on the youth’s skin. "Who sent you to steal documents from our Northern District?"

Truth serum had been injected. The prisoner would answer any question honestly.

"It was Oli—"

Just uttering the first two syllables of his master’s name, the red-haired youth foamed at the mouth. He choked and died instantly.

Ouyang clenched his fists. His shoulders trembled slightly with rage as he glared at the corpse. Alive one second, dead the next. This was the ninth body this week.

Before entering the interrogation room, every prisoner was thoroughly searched—even tooth gaps checked. No hidden poison was found. It was as if magic triggered the symptoms. The method was cruel and baffling.

Nine body bags lay neatly in a quiet, tidy factory. At midnight, night watchmen would haul them to a disposal site.

Beside Ouyang stood Xiang Xingqiu, his assistant since joining the family. She had short chestnut-brown hair and wore a black uniform. She was the Xiaomo Family leader’s younger sister.

"Tired from work, Brother Ouyang? Let’s grab some noodles."

"Sure."

At Ge’s Noodle House, they were regulars. A glance at the owner, and noodles hit the boiling pot.

"Two light, refreshing Yangchun noodles, coming right up!"

Ouyang saw Little Qiu grinning foolishly at him. He shook his head helplessly.

"Heh heh, sorry. Everyone knows you hate your full name, but you won’t change it. Outsiders think we’re just calling you Ouyang Qingdan."

Xiang Xingqiu chewed her noodles, recalling how people joked about "light flavors" linking to Ouyang in the Xiaomo Family. She’d heard his name’s origin—he kept it to remember the past.

His childhood was poor. Meat was a monthly luxury, life was bland—that’s why he was named Qingdan. Soon after he could remember, his father died in a construction accident. His mother took the compensation money, left him in the Northern District, and remarried elsewhere. Her new husband refused to take Ouyang as a burden.

Brother Long found him and raised him like a younger brother. The busy family leader gained another companion.

"By the way, I heard Zero District got a new boss today. Leaders from other districts went for a meeting. Brother Long left early—he should be back by now."

His absence caused unease. In just six hours, nine rats infiltrated the Northern District. Suspicious.

From one dead rat, they learned the goal was local personnel files.

Their phones chimed with short WeChat alerts. Both checked the family group chat. Seeing the uplifting message, Ouyang sighed in relief and smiled.

"Brother Long is back. He’s calling all twelve officers to headquarters. I need to go. Coming?"

"You head on. I’ll pay. I hate officer meetings anyway."

Ouyang wiped his oily mouth with a tissue, leaving half his noodles. He rushed toward headquarters.

At the tallest white building in the Northern District, the 44th-floor conference hall held twelve officers around an oval table.

At the head sat a middle-aged man in a gray shirt. His red-brown tie hung loose. White streaks framed his temples. His stern gaze swept the room.

Some officers hid their real names, using zodiac aliases instead.

Ouyang stood quietly behind Brother Long, watching the impressive officers. He envied them. Brother Long had promised: after learning from seniors, Ouyang would take an officer role when he came of age.

"Just met Zero District’s new boss. Worse than the last—a real monster."

The stout man beside him, alias "Pig," waved a half-eaten chicken leg lazily. "Zero District’s always been a monster zone. Lucky they’re caged. If freed, the world might end."

From this height, Ouyang gazed south at the fog-shrouded area. Buildings were invisible, hidden by a mysterious barrier. Curiosity stirred.

Residents there weren’t ordinary humans. They were Mosterians—beings with special powers, human-like but different. They never interacted with humans. An agreement kept them in Zero District; humans couldn’t enter. Only a Dragon Seal permit allowed free access, and few had one.

"The founding agreement trapped Zero District’s leader. He’s offering four million Fire Vouchers to all four districts. We must find a special item: the zero-factor Neyin. Its holder has a black bat-wing mark, under three centimeters, on their right shoulder."

"That much money..."

"Neyin? What’s it for?"

"Mosterian money isn’t easy to earn..."

Brother Long tapped the table three times. Silence fell instantly.

"You know their money’s dangerous. Other districts are carving fake shoulder tattoos to claim the reward. They lose both money and lives."

His voice carried crushing authority. "Don’t be fools. Meeting adjourned."

As officers left, Ouyang stayed to clean. Brother Long stopped him.

"Don’t keep the nine bodies here."

He knew what happened during his absence. Clues from Zero District’s leader pointed to them as the mastermind behind the nine rats. Something had escaped. Brother Long suspected a Neyin search. He stroked his chin, uneasy. The clue felt incomplete.

"Ouyang, take Third and Fourth with you. Dump the bodies near Zero District before midnight. I don’t trust leaving them here."

Dust to dust. Return whence you came.

Other officers were too visible. Ouyang, unseen and reliable, was the perfect choice.

"Understood, Brother Long."

"Remember—if you see red-eyed creatures, run. Don’t stop."

"Red eyes?" Ouyang joked lightly to ease tension. "Like a little white rabbit?"

He glanced up. Brother Long’s stern stare froze him. The joke died instantly.

"About the scar on your right shoulder... I recall you said your mother burned you with boiling water?"

"Yeah."

Ouyang remembered clearly. After his father’s death, his mother’s mind unraveled. Coming home ten minutes late, she feared he’d abandon her like his father. To punish him, she poured scalding water from the kettle onto his shoulder. The scar remained after healing.

"Do you recall any mark there before the scar formed?"

Seeing Brother Long’s worry, Ouyang met his gaze firmly. He grinned easily.

"Don’t worry, Brother Long. Since you took me into the Xiaomo Family, I’ve considered my life yours."

They locked eyes. Brother Long’s lips curled into a faint smile, melting the tension.

"I meant nothing by it."

A trace of concern flickered in his eyes. Four million Fire Vouchers could buy a lifetime. He feared greedy men might target Ouyang, mistake him for Neyin, and drag him to Zero District. He might never see his adopted brother again.

Since Ouyang joined, his sister Xiang Xingqiu had been happier, clinging to him daily.

*I’m worried about you...*

The words stuck in his throat. Before him stood a strong, obedient younger brother. He couldn’t voice his true feelings.

"If that’s all, I’ll prepare now."

"Be safe on the way."

Ouyang closed the door tightly behind him. Only when silence filled the room did he take a deep breath.

*Scared me to death...!*

He leaned against the wall, heart pounding. For a moment, he’d feared Brother Long would sell him as Neyin to Zero District. But that worried look in his eyes... it eased Ouyang’s panic.

He ruffled his messy short hair, muttering to himself.

"Tch... Brother Long would never do that."