Chapter 2: The Elite Agent
The Mercedes-Benz sped onto the main road, the scenery on both sides blurring as it flew backward.
“Chief Yu Lan, are you here on a new assignment from the organization?” Gao Tianlin asked, feigning casualness, trying to bait her into revealing her purpose.
“No. This trip is purely personal, which is why I didn’t want to trouble any of you,” Yu Lan replied, removing her military cap to reveal a head of glossy, ear-length black hair. She leaned back comfortably against the seat, looking for all the world like she was on a relaxing vacation.
Gao Tianlin secretly breathed a sigh of relief, though a sliver of doubt remained.
“I’ve booked a room for you at the guest house. Shall I take you there now? Or would you prefer to get a late-night snack somewhere first?”
“Thank you, Section Chief Gao. I’m tired. Let’s just go straight to the guest house.”
Gao Tianlin was overjoyed, his worries completely dissolving.
His greatest fear was that Yu Lan was on a special mission and would demand to go to the department headquarters overnight, which would expose his conspiracy immediately. Now that she was heading to the guest house to rest, by the time she woke up in the morning, he would be long gone.
“Chief Yu Lan, I hope you’ll stay for a few days this time. When you’re free, I’d love to ask for your guidance on my marksmanship,” Gao Tianlin said with a smile.
This was no empty compliment. As “Zhongnanhai’s Number One Female Bodyguard,” Yu Lan was famous for her uncanny accuracy, capable of firing with both hands simultaneously.
She had worked with Gao Tianlin during her first visit to Dragon City four years ago, and her almost supernatural skill with a firearm had left a deep and lasting impression on him.
“Of course. If I have the time, I’d be happy to exchange pointers with you, Section Chief Gao…”
Yu Lan offered a few pleasantries. She seemed exhausted from her journey and stretched languidly.
As she stretched, she naturally opened her mouth in a yawn. Her already magnificent chest swelled forward dramatically, looking even more voluptuous and giving the shocking impression that it might burst through her uniform.
Gao Tianlin caught this sight in the rearview mirror. His heart pounded, his eyes practically glued to the image. What a pair of massive tits… They’ve got to be F-cups, at least…
This top-tier female agent not only possessed world-class skills but also a bust that was in a league of its own, easily rivaling any large-breasted starlet from Playboy magazine. Before I escape, maybe I should just rape this big-titted bitch…
Once the thought surfaced, Gao Tianlin’s blood began to boil, and he found it nearly impossible to restrain himself. But on second thought, at this critical juncture, it was best to avoid causing unnecessary trouble. He forced himself to suppress the heat rising in his chest.
The Mercedes sped along, quickly entering the urban center of Dragon City and weaving through its streets and alleys.
Yu Lan, meanwhile, closed her eyes to rest, seemingly having dozed off in her seat.
Gao Tianlin kept glancing at the rearview mirror, admiring her beautiful sleeping face and the rhythmic rise and fall of her towering chest with each breath. His greedy eyes wished they could tear through her uniform to feast upon the naked flesh within.
He checked his watch. It was 12:10 a.m.
They were approaching the Dragon City Security Department building. Once they passed it, the road ahead was his sunlit path to the free world.
Just then, Yu Lan’s eyes snapped open. “Section Chief Gao,” she said in a low voice, “let’s stop by the office first.”
“What?” Gao Tianlin blurted out.
“Since it’s on the way, I’d like to drop in for a moment. Grab a cup of coffee. You don’t mind, do you, Section Chief Gao?” Yu Lan said lightly. All traces of fatigue had vanished from her eyes, which now shone as brightly as the stars.
Gao Tianlin’s mind reeled. He knew he’d been tricked.
She had come for him all along! Her act of being tired, her claim of wanting to go to the guest house—it was all a ruse to lower his guard, only to spring a surprise attack right at the department’s doorstep.
How cunning!
He was filled with regret. If he had known earlier that she intended to go to the office, he would have had ample time to prepare a countermeasure, like sending a text message to the assassins under his control. Even if they failed, they could have diverted her attention.
But now, he was out of time. Yu Lan was demanding they turn into the department headquarters immediately.
The moment they set foot inside, the theft of the hard drives would be discovered. And since only someone of his rank had access to those computers, the truth would be exposed instantly, with no chance of recovery.
Cold sweat beaded on Gao Tianlin’s forehead, but he managed to say, “Not at all, not at all… Let’s go right now…”
Before the words had even left his mouth, he made a hand signal to Xiao Ma, the driver. Understanding instantly, Xiao Ma slammed his foot on the accelerator and pressed several buttons on the console.
With a soft thud, a sheet of bulletproof glass rose from between the front and back seats, isolating Yu Lan in the rear.
Simultaneously, the two rear doors locked with a sharp click, sealed shut by the central locking system.
Despite the sudden turn of events, Yu Lan remained perfectly composed, her posture unchanged.
“Section Chief Gao, what do you think you’re doing?” she asked calmly.
“What do you think? As our country’s most formidable female agent, surely you can figure it out,” Gao Tianlin sneered, his true colors revealed.
Yu Lan’s expression hardened. “Gao Tianlin, think this through! The country trained you. You can still pull back from the brink. Don’t take a step you’ll regret for a lifetime.”
“Nonsense!” Gao Tianlin shouted, breaking into a hysterical laugh. “What has the country ever given me? That pathetic little salary? Only a fool like you would willingly sell her life for the so-called ‘motherland’…”
“Silence!” Yu Lan’s face was a mask of ice. “I’m giving you one last chance. Don’t force my hand.”
“Then make your move! Why don’t you? Who are you trying to scare!” Gao Tianlin said dismissively. “This car is fitted with tempered glass. Go on, try shooting it. Or channel your ‘internal energy’ and see if you can break through and grab me.”
Besides her godlike marksmanship, Yu Lan was a master of traditional Chinese internal martial arts, as well as Japanese Karate and Western boxing. But tempered glass was strong enough to stop bullets; it couldn’t be broken by human strength alone.
Yu Lan sighed softly. She remained seated, watching as the car sped past the Security Department building and continued to race into the night.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Heh heh, just get some sleep. You’ll find out when you wake up…”
As Gao Tianlin’s sinister laugh echoed, a cloud of white smoke suddenly sprayed into the back seat, enveloping Yu Lan. Anesthetic gas!
Yu Lan reacted instantly, clamping a hand over her nose, but she couldn’t suppress a cough.
Her coughing grew weaker and weaker…
Finally, the smoke dissipated.
Through the glass partition, Yu Lan could be seen slumped sideways in her seat, clearly unconscious.
“Ha! Hahaha! Zhongnanhai’s Number One Female Bodyguard is now my prey!” Gao Tianlin crowed in triumph. He ordered Xiao Ma to turn the car around and head toward the suburbs.
“Chief Gao, what now?” Xiao Ma asked as he turned the steering wheel, his expression tense. Gao Tianlin had promised to take him along when he defected, and he didn’t want any mishaps before they even got away.
“You just drive. I’m contacting the ‘in-laws’!”
“In-laws” was their code word for the American intelligence network hidden in Dragon City. Gao Tianlin figured that Yu Lan had indeed been sent to investigate him but had slipped up due to a moment of carelessness. He needed help from the “in-laws” to ensure a smooth escape at dawn. He quickly took out his phone and dialed the number.
The call connected. They exchanged a few brief words in code.
The “in-laws” gave their instructions swiftly: Gao Tianlin was to bring both the hard drives and Yu Lan to a villa in the suburbs.
The Mercedes accelerated to top speed, hurtling forward.
Gao Tianlin lit a cigarette, took a few drags, then irritably stubbed it out.
Although Yu Lan was subdued, her disappearance was bound to cause a major stir. All he could do now was pray that no one would notice she was missing before 8 a.m., which would give him enough time to escape.
The “in-laws” wanted Yu Lan immediately, likely to interrogate her and find out how much headquarters knew so they could adjust their plans accordingly.
A brutal interrogation and endless torture awaited the beautiful agent until every secret was pried from her lips. Damn it, before I hand her over to those bastards, why don’t I satisfy my own lust first?
The wicked thought resurfaced, more potent than ever. Gao Tianlin felt a fire ignite within him, a desire he could no longer control.
He ordered Xiao Ma to stop the car. He got out of the passenger seat, pulled open the rear door, and lunged into the back.
The door slammed shut, and the car sped off once more.
The woman of his dreams was right before him, waiting helplessly for him to have his way with her. Gao Tianlin trembled with excitement. He fumbled with his pants, dropping them, then reached for the full breasts beneath her uniform.
But before his hand could touch the fabric, it was seized in an iron grip. A sharp pain shot through him as his wrist was twisted behind his back.
“Ah!” Gao Tianlin cried out in shock, staring in disbelief as Yu Lan sprang up, her presence radiating power, and expertly subdued him with a joint lock.
“How is that possible? Weren’t you hit with the anesthetic gas…?” Gao Tianlin stammered, struggling against her hold.
“A little anesthetic gas is nothing to me. I expelled it with a bit of qigong,” Yu Lan sneered. With a flick of her wrist, she dislocated his elbow with two sharp cracks.
Gao Tianlin screamed and tumbled to the floor of the car.
“Stop the car!” Yu Lan barked at Xiao Ma.
But Xiao Ma, panicked like a cornered animal, only screamed in terror and stomped on the accelerator, making the car go even faster.
The Mercedes swerved wildly down the highway. Fortunately, traffic was sparse at this hour, or there would have been a major accident.
But the vehicle was on the verge of losing control, liable to crash into a barrier at any moment, killing them all.
Seeing the danger, Yu Lan shoved open the rear door. Braving the fierce wind, she leaned half her body out of the car.
Then, with a push of her feet, she executed a graceful flip, landing crouched on the roof of the car and clinging to it like a gecko.
Xiao Ma caught a glimpse of this and was scared witless. He frantically jerked the steering wheel and stomped on the gas, trying to shake her off. But Yu Lan was like a lone boat in a raging storm; no matter how violent the waves, she remained firmly anchored.
Suddenly, she stood up. Facing the gale, she struck a pose on the roof, her right hand holding a sleek, silver pistol. Her long, straight legs were slightly parted in a perfect shooting stance. She was an impossibly heroic and captivating sight.
A muffled gunshot shattered the night’s silence.
The custom bullet was incredibly powerful. The first shot tore a hole through the car’s roof. The second shot went through the hole and hit Xiao Ma’s right leg, making him howl and release the accelerator. The third shot hit the brakes. The fourth hit the gearshift, knocking it into neutral.
The Mercedes decelerated sharply, then veered violently toward the roadside guardrail.
Yu Lan leaped into the air. Like a bird taking flight, she landed gracefully on the pavement.
Behind her came the thunderous CRUNCH of the Mercedes smashing into the guardrail.
The front of the car was severely crumpled and smoking, but it didn’t look like it would explode.
Yu Lan walked calmly to the car, pulled open the doors, and dragged both men out.
Xiao Ma was bleeding from the head and had passed out. Gao Tianlin, though bruised and battered, was still conscious, grimacing in pain.
“I’ll give you one last chance. Tell me everything you know, and I might let you live,” Yu Lan said coldly.
Gao Tianlin’s face was ashen. “There’s nothing to say…” he mumbled in despair. “Just take me back and hand me over to the organization…”
“Who were you on the phone with? What did they want you to deliver?”
“You’ll never know… I’d rather die than let you find out…” Gao Tianlin gave a strange smile, then suddenly opened his mouth wide, as if about to bite down hard.
Fearing he would commit suicide, Yu Lan shot forward, her hand reaching to pinch his jaw.
But Gao Tianlin twisted his body to the side. His left hand whipped out from behind his back, a black pistol aimed squarely at her.
He had been faking it, using his words to lower her guard while secretly drawing the gun from the holster at the small of his back.
Another deafening gunshot rang out.
Blood gushed from Gao Tianlin’s left chest like a spring. His eyes were wide as he managed a bitter, broken smile. “This time… in our contest of marksmanship… I… still lost…”
His head slumped to the side. He was dead.
Yu Lan sighed, holstered her silver pistol, and bent down to search Gao Tianlin’s body.
Aside from a phone and a wallet, there was nothing of importance.
A few cars passed by, their drivers assuming it was a simple traffic accident. Not wanting to get involved, they all sped up and drove on.
In the distance, a few drunks staggered on the opposite side of the road, laughing loudly, completely oblivious to the scene.
Yu Lan’s brow furrowed in thought.
The truth was, while she was indeed in Dragon City on a mission, that mission had nothing to do with Gao Tianlin’s defection.
In other words, she had no prior knowledge of his treacherous intentions. It was only after getting in the car that his behavior aroused her suspicion. A little probing was all it took to force him to show his true colors.
Originally, Yu Lan had planned to feign unconsciousness to see who he would meet, hoping to catch them all in one net. But his mid-trip assault forced her to counterattack on the spot. Now that he was dead, how could she uncover the rest of the truth?
Pondering this, she turned to search Xiao Ma, but found nothing on him either. Just as she was about to wake him for questioning, a warning siren went off in her mind.
It was a sixth sense, honed by years in a perilous profession—an instinctual reaction to danger.
Yu Lan pushed off the ground with one knee and rolled hard to her right. As she moved, she drew her pistol again and fired repeatedly behind her without looking back.
The instant she rolled clear, Xiao Ma’s body was riddled with bullets.
Yu Lan took cover behind the Mercedes, kneeling to stabilize her aim, and only then looked back.
Standing on the road were three men in black trench coats, each holding a submachine gun.
They were the staggering drunks from across the street. It was an act. They had crept up on her, completely unnoticed, and launched a surprise attack.
All three wore black ski masks. Their trench coats were marked with several bullet holes, but they showed no signs of injury.
They were clearly wearing state-of-the-art body armor.
“Come on out, little miss Yu Lan. Unless you want to be blown to smithereens…” the leader said in a low voice, holding up a grenade.
If he threw it, the Mercedes she was using for cover would become a massive bomb, far more powerful than the grenade alone.
Yu Lan slowly stepped out.
The three men’s eyes lit up with greed. This elite agent had an incredible figure! Her breasts were so huge, yet her waist was so slender. The sight of her made them want to rip off that uniform and play with the tempting body hidden beneath.
“Black Snake. So it was you behind this all along,” Yu Lan said, her face grim.
The leader was none other than the notorious American agent code-named “Black Snake.” He had crossed paths with Yu Lan many times in the past and had never come out on top. They were old adversaries.
Black Snake let out a strange, cackling laugh. “Well, if it isn’t my old flame. The moment Gao told me he’d caught you, I rushed right over. A pity he was no match for you. You still managed to turn the tables…”
Although Black Snake had suffered many defeats at Yu Lan’s hands, this was the first time they had faced each other in a direct, guns-drawn confrontation.
“Now, my dear, be a good girl and drop the gun. Don’t try anything funny. Your bullets are no threat to us.”
With three guns aimed at her, Yu Lan had no choice but to relax her fingers and let her silver pistol fall to the ground.
A flicker of excitement appeared in Black Snake’s eyes. He could already picture it: the beautiful agent, his captive, stripped naked and strung up in an interrogation room, her full, white breasts jiggling as she sobbed and moaned under the lash of his whip…
But this fantasy had barely formed in his mind when the situation on the ground changed dramatically.
Before the silver pistol had even hit the pavement, two smaller, golden pistols slid from the sleeves of Yu Lan’s uniform, landing perfectly in her waiting palms.
She dove to her left. Gunshots erupted. In almost the same instant, Black Snake and his men pulled their triggers, but they were a fraction of a second too late.
Yu Lan fired two shots from each hand. The submachine guns were blasted from the hands of Black Snake and his two accomplices. The remaining bullet struck the forehead of the man to Black Snake’s left.
The other two were stunned. Before they could react, Yu Lan pounced like a nimble leopard, swinging a fist at Black Snake’s temple. The other accomplice hastily moved to block, using standard Western boxing techniques.
Black Snake retreated. It was a purely instinctual reaction to danger. Yu Lan’s speed was simply too great—almost inhuman. Years of training had taught him to recognize a superior, terrifying opponent on sight. He abandoned his subordinate and turned to flee.
Just then, a sedan sped toward them from a distance—Black Snake’s pre-arranged extraction vehicle.
With a sharp cry, Yu Lan executed a “Joint-Dislocating, Tendon-Splitting Hand” technique with both hands, seizing her opponent’s arms. With a push and a pull, she snapped both of his thick arms.
The massive man, nearly 1.9 meters tall, screamed in agony but still threw himself at Yu Lan, desperately trying to block her path.
Yu Lan’s eyebrows shot up, her beautiful face flashing with killing intent. She dropped into a crouch and unleashed a series of sweeping leg kicks.
Another scream tore through the air. This time it was his leg bones, shattered in several places.
Black Snake was scared out of his wits, scrambling and stumbling as he ran for his life.
This woman was terrifying! And she got more terrifying every time they met!
In that moment, Black Snake swore an oath: from this day forward, he would never again face this monstrous female agent in a direct confrontation.
The sedan was now close, slowing down. Black Snake dove through the open window and into the car. A gunman leaned out the window, his light machine gun spitting fire at Yu Lan.
But Yu Lan’s reaction was faster. An instant before the gunman opened fire, she had already thrown herself into a ditch by the side of the road, a blind spot, avoiding the entire volley of bullets.
The car sped away. By the time Yu Lan poked her head out to give chase, it was too late. The sedan quickly disappeared down the road.
She had no choice but to stop and return to the captured man.
“You…”
She stopped after two words.
She saw black blood trickling from the corner of the incapacitated man’s mouth. He had committed suicide by swallowing a fast-acting poison pill.
Victory or death. Never be taken alive.
Yu Lan shook her head. Without lingering any longer, she vanished into the night.
The wind blew, carrying the distinct chill of late autumn.
The slender, uniformed figure slowly melted into the darkness.
***
In the car, a still-shaken Black Snake tremblingly took out a lighter. It took him several tries to light his cigarette. After a few long drags, his racing heart began to slow.
In all his years as an agent, he had never been so close to death. A CIA-trained combat expert couldn’t even last a single move against her. It was horrifying.
“That skill, that speed… it’s not human! A woman with those abilities… even within the Agency, probably only the legendary Adam and Eve could match her! Wait… could she be…?”
As he calmed down, Black Snake suddenly recalled an old story that circulated secretly among the CIA’s top brass. The thought made his hand tremble so much he almost dropped his cigarette.
“If it’s true, then this is terrifying.”
Black Snake decided he would report his suspicions to CIA headquarters immediately. As for the mission, to hell with it. All he wanted now was to get as far away from this city—and this horrifying woman—as possible.
***
“Cheers! Brother, let’s… keep… drinking!”
In a corner of the ground-floor hall of Dragon City’s most luxurious restaurant, the “Imperial Grand,” the man with glasses was smiling foolishly, completely drunk, as he poured another full bowl of liquor for Fang Qiang.
Fifty-percent alcohol by volume.
“Drink! Anyone who doesn’t drink is a bastard… Let’s drink for… three days and three nights!” Fang Qiang laughed, his face flushed with alcohol. He raised the bowl and tilted his head back, downing it in one go.
But tears began to stream down his face again.
“Don’t cry, brother. Don’t cry… Plenty of fish… in the sea. We’ll find… another one…”
“You… you don’t understand. She and I… we had something deep. We were together… for a year and a half…”
“Hahaha…” The man with glasses burst out laughing. “A year and a half is nothing! My girl and I… were together for seven years… Seven years! My God…”
Fang Qiang was stunned.
The man’s voice choked with emotion. “Seven years of history,” he mumbled, “and it can’t compare to some pretty boy with a car and money…”
Fang Qiang felt a pang of empathy. Life, he realized, was truly full of suffering.
“Man, looks like… you have it even worse than me… Come on, let’s have another bowl!”
“Cheers!”
The two bowls clinked together again.
***
The next morning.
Dragon City Coastal Park, on the beach.
The bright sunlight warmed the entire stretch of sand, and the air was fresh and clean.
A bearded director was shouting into a megaphone, ordering a dozen crew members and staff to run back and forth.
Four high-definition cameras, positioned at different angles, were all focused on a beautiful woman on the beach. Camera flashes went off incessantly.
She was a young beauty in a bikini. Her face was lovely, and at 178 centimeters tall, her long, pale, slender legs were the center of everyone’s attention.
She couldn’t have been more than eighteen, but the practiced ease with which she struck her poses, and the unconcealable pride in her eyes, marked her as a seasoned, mature star.
She was Yu Xin, the model who had risen rapidly in recent years to become a household name throughout Southeast Asia.
“Excellent, one more… just like that, again…” the bearded director yelled excitedly, commanding the photographers to keep snapping pictures while he openly admired the beauty before him, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
What an unbelievably seductive pair of legs!
Even the director, who had seen countless women and photographed nearly every female celebrity, couldn’t help but be stunned. In all his experience, he had never seen legs as long, as perfect, and as full of youthful energy as Yu Xin’s.
At this moment, the nation’s hottest supermodel stood barefoot on the sand, holding her sandals in one hand, the other resting on her bare hip. Her long hair flowed in the sea breeze, creating an image of effortless freedom.
Her alluring, fair legs were displayed to their fullest extent for the four cameras. Her full, rounded thighs and perfectly curved calves were met with a frenzy of shutter clicks, murdering film at an astonishing rate.
“OKAY, CUT!”
Finally, the bearded director gave the order, and the shoot ended.
The fans who had been gathered around, waiting eagerly, immediately cheered and pushed past the staff’s barriers. Waving flowers and autograph books, they swarmed toward their idol.
A few reporters were at the front of the pack, thrusting their microphones forward.
“Miss Yu Xin, could you spare a moment for an interview? Just five minutes…”
“Sorry, I have an appointment. I have to go now. Next time!” Yu Xin waved a hand dismissively, took the jacket her assistant handed her, and hurried off in the opposite direction.
Four or five burly security guards escorted the sexy model, quickly breaking through the crowd. They got into a large, luxurious BMW, which sped away with a screech of tires.
All that was left on the beach was a trail of her delicate, beautiful footprints.
Fans ran frantically after the car, screaming, unwilling to let her go. Others rushed to the beach and knelt, ecstatically kissing the footprints as if they were divine marks left by a goddess.
