Chapter 256: Q, Help Me Kill Him

At this moment.

On a coastal beach in Florida, United States.

A stunning young woman lounged comfortably beneath a sun umbrella, reclining on a deck chair. She wore oversized sunglasses that covered half her face, her long wavy hair cascading over her shoulders, and a bikini that showed off her enviable figure.

The Florida sun was scorching, but it still paled in comparison to the heat she radiated.

Every few minutes, some guy would try to approach her, hoping to strike up a conversation. But before they could even get close—still dozens of meters away—they would freeze in place, stiff and awkward.

Because just three meters from the woman stood several burly men, their expressions cold and their postures straight-backed and alert.

Any man who dared approach was met with a chilling, warning glare.

And if someone ignored that look, the bodyguards would casually lift the edge of their jackets, revealing the black metal of a gun tucked at their waist.

In the United States, land of so-called freedom, verbal warnings might be ignored by thugs and gang members. But the moment a gun barrel was shown, even the toughest punks would back off without hesitation.

After all, shootings were far too common in the US.

Anyone bold enough to flash a gun was likely bold enough to empty the entire clip in broad daylight.

And this woman didn’t just have one bodyguard. She had five, all dressed in black.

That alone made it clear—this woman wasn’t just anyone.

No matter how bold or horny a man might be, faced with this kind of setup, all they could do was awkwardly retreat, not daring to linger, let alone sneak another glance at her.

They feared that even a second look might get them beaten into the ground by those hulking guards.

…

Beneath the sun umbrella.

The sultry woman crossed her legs and reclined on the chair, listening to a call through her earpiece.

When she saw the caller ID, she had originally planned to exchange a few pleasantries. But after hearing what the caller said, her expression immediately darkened.

Then, in a voice laced with suppressed fury, she replied coldly and bluntly.

“K.”

“Are you threatening me? You know full well…”

“Back when I had just opened my casino, he came in with his wife and cheated me out of fifty million dollars. Nearly bankrupted me before I even got started.”

“If it hadn’t been for Professor stepping in, I’d have become a laughingstock.”

“And to this day, he’s still spending the money he scammed off me—oh wait, not scammed, cheated with loaded dice and sleight of hand.”

“So tell me, K…”

“Q, the man who made a living off deception and manipulation, who thought he could get rich through gambling, ended up running into a real con artist. He almost lost everything.”

“And yet, he didn’t pay with his life. In fact, he’s still alive and well. Now he’s even a member of the Drug trafficking organization we’re working with.”

“Given all that, do you really think I’d lift a finger to save him?”

There was no need to say more.

The woman basking in the sun and sand was none other than the Queen of the Dark Side—codename Q.

On the other end of the line, there was a brief pause.

Then K’s calm, even voice came through again.

“Q.”

“I think it’s time to let that go.”

“Back when we were helping J deal with the Lan Cai’er situation, we made a deal…”

“I would bring Ghost into the organization and have him take care of Lan Cai’er, making sure she stayed silent forever.”

“In return, you agreed to stop hunting him.”

“And if I recall correctly, he gave you back half of that fifty million. J even covered the other half of your losses.”

“So in the end, you didn’t really lose anything, did you?”

“Q, you know this…”

“If we hadn’t dealt with what J stirred up back then, it wouldn’t have just affected him. Even our escape routes—and Professor himself—would’ve been dragged into the mess.”

“Calling off the hit on Ghost in exchange for silencing Lan Cai’er was more than fair.”

“Besides, you know as well as I do—taking someone out quietly in Dragon Country is a whole different level of difficulty compared to doing it in the United States.”

At that, Q sat up from her lounge chair, her expression growing even colder as she shot back.

“K.”

“Since you know how much harder it is to do these things in Dragon Country than in the US…”

“Then what makes you think…”

“That I can pull Ghost out from under those dogs’ noses, break through all their security, and risk everything to save a man I’ve wanted dead for years?”

“Besides, shouldn’t you be taking responsibility for what happened with J?”

“J has always looked up to you. You’re the one who filled his head with criminal ideas, taught him to be ruthless and cold-blooded.”

“So why didn’t you teach him… that some people are off-limits? That there are lines we don’t cross?”

“Just thinking about it makes me want to slap J across the face.”

“That idiot pimp—how could he have the nerve to mess with someone like that? And even kill him? Just because of some whores in his brothel?”

“You should know, even after half a year, they’re still investigating. They’ve practically torn New York apart, and they’re not giving up.”

But before Q could finish, K’s voice came through again. Still calm, but now tinged with a quiet despair.

“Q.”

“I don’t have many options left.”

“The cracks in the organization are growing. My people are starting to question my judgment. I barely have anyone I can trust anymore.”

“Priest is the trump card Professor gave me. I didn’t want to use him yet, because once Priest makes a move, it means everything I’ve built in Dragon Country is over.”

“But I can’t accept that. I’ve worked too hard to give up on this market.”

“I’ve finally taken root in Dragon Country. If I have to crawl back to Professor now, I don’t know how I’ll face the others.”

“How can I tell them that their Boss K lost everything in Dragon Country?”

“So please, Q. I need your help. This isn’t a threat.”

“We’re both standing on the edge of a cliff. If Ghost gets caught by those dogs, I don’t know how much longer I can keep J’s secret under wraps.”

“And if you think rescuing Ghost is too difficult, then I ask you to send someone to finish the job. Deliver the fatal blow. Complete the hit from years ago.”

“Ghost once escaped by turning himself in, but now he has no way out.”

“Q, help me kill him…”