Those who are tsundere are destined to lose.

Not long after the three had left, Li Furui returned to the munitions factory with a foolish grin, just in time to run into a fellow sect member patrolling in a car.

"Well, if it isn't young Li! What's got you in such high spirits?" his companion asked with a smile.

"Heh, I gave a few people from Radiant Bird a tour of the factory," Li Furui replied, grinning from ear to ear. "They were very pleased—said they might consider transferring me to headquarters!"

At those words, the other disciple's expression turned grave. He quickly made a phone call, then said, "We didn't receive any notification about a visit from Radiant Bird today."

"What?!"

Before long, dozens of disciples from the Confucian Sect rushed down Mount Master in a flurry, attempting to track down the three who had just infiltrated the factory under the guise of the Radiant Bird Company.

But with the crowds of tourists in the Kunlun District, finding those three was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Meanwhile, the trio had returned to Chiyo Yasoji's luxurious suite and began discussing the intelligence they had just gathered.

"Honestly, Miss Yasoji, how long are you going to keep throwing up?" Chen Shang sat impatiently in a wooden chair in the lounge, urging her on.

After nearly fifteen minutes in the bathroom, the young lady finally returned, her face pale and ashen. Clearly, the scene they'd just witnessed had been far too much for a seventeen-year-old high schooler.

"Sorry for showing such a disgraceful side of myself," Chiyo apologized, taking a deep breath and maintaining her composure.

"Oh, it's nothing~" Black Calis replied cheerfully, "For someone your age, you were remarkably calm, all things considered."

Chen Shang shook his head with a sigh. "I thought you’d have seen things like that before in the Yasoji Group."

"How could I?" Chiyo instantly shot back, her eyes wide and teeth clenched. "The Yasoji Group would never commit such cruel acts!"

But as soon as the words left her lips, she hesitated, her tone faltering. "Well… the company does have Tokugawa Corp handle illegal business sometimes… but biological experiments? Absolutely not!"

Chen Shang simply smiled, unhurried. "I think, in time, you’ll see for yourself."

In Chen Shang's previous life, biochemical experiments were strictly prohibited by international law—anyone crossing that line would be condemned by the world. But in Night Axis City, a place ruled by the conglomerates, such lines simply didn’t exist. If any of them claimed they'd never done anything unsavory, the very claim would be a lie.

"By the way, Black Calis, you reacted pretty strongly back there too," Chen Shang remarked curiously. "You're a top-tier hacker, after all—it's surprising that something like this would faze you."

Black Calis rubbed her forehead and answered seriously, "I've seen images and videos like that on the dark web, but witnessing it in person was a first for me."

"Understandable," Chen Shang nodded. Despite her reputation as a remorseless criminal, Black Calis was more of a shut-in—a homebody who had little exposure to truly grotesque scenes.

"So, where exactly do they get those people?" Chiyo couldn’t help but ask.

Both women turned to Chen Shang, awaiting his answer.

"Most likely from the slums and the wastelands," he replied after a moment’s thought. "For those who don't know where their next meal is coming from, if you give them a piece of bread and promise them a job, they'll follow you anywhere."

"That's just monstrous…" Chiyo clenched her fists, her teeth grinding audibly. "Even if it weren’t for Midnight Headsman’s revenge, the Confucian Sect deserves to be wiped off the face of the earth!"

Chen Shang sighed and tried to persuade her, "Rein in your sense of justice. You, a leader of Tokugawa Corp, aren't exactly in a position to lecture anyone."

At this, Chiyo wilted, slumping lifelessly into her chair. For a conglomerate heiress and underworld boss, her position regarding this matter was indeed awkward. Chen Shang’s pointed words made her genuinely start to question whether the Yasoji Group was innocent of such deeds after all.

Sensing the tension in the air, Chen Shang quickly changed the subject. "Black Calis, have you finished mapping out the Confucian Sect’s layout?"

"It’ll be done tonight," Black Calis replied, her mechanical fingers flying over the keyboard as she took a sip of her gasoline cocktail.

"Good." Chen Shang nodded. "I’ll need the layouts for the Daoist and Buddhist Sects next."

Although he had a general impression of the three great sects’ internal structures, there was no guarantee they hadn’t undergone recent renovations or expansions. Up-to-date maps would be indispensable.

Chiyo straightened up and asked, "Are we really going to those two places as well?"

"No, we can’t get into the Daoist Sect anymore," Chen Shang explained. "They suspect the Midnight Headsman is hiding there, so the entire sect is on lockdown."

"That said, I’ve already contacted Midnight Headsman and asked him to send me their map."

He shook his head, his tone tinged with regret. "A shame, really—I was hoping to show you two around the Daoist Sect."

"We wouldn’t end up in another of those horrific research facilities, would we?" Chiyo asked warily.

"Those places are anything but fun…" Black Calis sighed in agreement.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Shang continued, "Now that you mention it, the Daoist Sect does have an artificial spirit root factory, where they extract essence from living flesh—"

Before he could finish, Chiyo punched him square in the face, knocking him to the floor.

"Enough—don’t say another word!" she growled, face dark as she retook her seat.

"Well done, Chiyo!" Black Calis cheered, clapping her hands.

Chen Shang got to his feet, rubbing his head and feeling a bit dazed. "Tomorrow, I’ll take you both to the Buddhist Sect. There shouldn’t be any facilities there that are too frightening."

After briefly outlining their plans for the next day, Chen Shang stretched his joints and prepared to leave the room. "It’s getting late. Let’s continue tomorrow."

Just as he was about to step out, Black Calis darted forward and wrapped her arm around his, the cold touch of metal pressing against his skin.

"I’m sleeping with you tonight!"

Chen Shang froze, quickly pulling his arm away. "Go back to your own room!"

"How heartless," Black Calis pouted, putting on an expression of feigned innocence. "And after all the fun we had together…"

At that, he noticed Chiyo’s murderous glare and the slow, deliberate way she drew the mechanical katana from the coffee table.

Then there was Black Calis’s affection score—a mere 31 out of 100. Anyone with sense would realize she was only playing around, hardly treating him as a lover.

"Use your head, Chiyo Yasoji!" he shouted, exasperated as she advanced with blade in hand. "What kind of normal man would want to sleep with a lump of cold metal?"

"Exactly! What kind of normal robot would want to sleep with a human?" Black Calis chimed in, then couldn’t help but burst out laughing. "Zihahaha! But Chiyo, your reaction is priceless!"

"Tch." Realizing she’d been played, Chiyo sheathed her blade, clearly annoyed.

She’d long suspected there was nothing romantic between Chen Shang and "Four-Leaf," but seeing them act so familiar still made her uncomfortable.

"Bringing two female companions was a mistake," Chen Shang muttered as he left the room.

After he was gone, the two girls exchanged glances, an awkward silence settling between them.

"Um…" Chiyo ventured at last, "You knew Chen Shang before, didn’t you? What kind of person is he?"

Black Calis tapped her chin thoughtfully, then smiled. "He’s a man with a past full of sin—quite literally."

With that, she left the room, pausing at the door to add, "But I’m very interested in him. So you’d better make your move, Chiyo. If you play too hard to get, you’ll lose~"

"Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!"

Ignoring Chiyo’s protests, Black Calis strode away and sent a text to Chen Shang: "I need to talk. Come to my room later."