Then let the witch offer her loyalty

He turned on the car heater and said in a reassuring tone, "Everyone gets into trouble sometimes when they're on the streets. It's okay, it's good that you're back."

The car drove through streets and alleys, turning from an old industrial area onto a secluded side road, and finally stopped by the Blackwater Lake.

Around four in the morning, a light mist rose over the lake, and the lake water reflected the dim yellow streetlights on the shore, creating a stillness that was unsettling.

There is a large factory building here, which looks quite old. The iron sheet is covered with rust, and there are several faded old signs on the exterior wall. Judging from the various fish and shrimp patterns, it should be a seafood factory.

Sun Kan got out of the car and lazily nodded to a middle-aged man in a blue security guard uniform at the factory gate.

The security guard merely glanced at Zhou Yan, asked no further questions, and silently pushed open the iron gate.

"Let's go." Sun Kan patted Zhou Yan on the shoulder and led her inside.

The factory building has a typical seafood processing assembly line structure. Several long conveyor belts are placed on both sides of the aisle, and some blood-stained cutting knives are scattered on the operating table. The air is filled with a pungent fishy smell. It looks like a very normal seafood company.

But the further you go in, the stranger it feels. In addition to the fishy smell, there is also a faint chemical smell in the air.

Outside a cold storage room, Sun Kan stopped, squatted down, and forcefully lifted the edge of the metal floor.

A hidden door suddenly opened.

"Come in."

Sun Kan was the first to enter the dark tunnel, and Zhou Yan quickly followed.

Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, the space suddenly opened up.

This is a very large underground space, surrounded by various complex chemical machines. The tabletop is full of test tubes, flasks and various additives, and the air is filled with a pungent smell that makes people dizzy.

Many people are working here all night long; some are mixing liquids, while others are counting the finished "goods".

Sun Kan casually picked up a bag of white powder wrapped in transparent plastic from the table and tossed it to Zhou Yan with a smile: "Old job, 2000 per trip, how about that, brother treats you well, right?"

Zhou Yan hurriedly caught the things thrown at him, carefully placed them aside, and tentatively asked, "Brother, how many do you need to transport in one trip?"

Sun Kan shrugged: "About ten kilograms."

Zhou Yan was immediately startled upon hearing this: "How much? More than ten kilograms?! Brother, if I get caught, I'll be eating peanuts..."

Sun Kan joked, "What are you afraid of? You're not even an adult yet, they won't execute you. Besides, in our line of work, you're risking your life. If you don't want to die, just don't get arrested, right?"

Zhou Yan hesitated for a moment, then cautiously asked, "So... is it the same as before, with all the arrangements made along the way? I can just ride my bicycle and deliver it to them?"

Sun Kan shook his head and said, "This batch of goods is not being delivered to the border region. We are currently expanding into new markets, and this batch of goods is going to be delivered to the new city."

Zhou Yan hesitated for a moment and said, "But Xinshi is not like the border. They check very strictly there. There are checkpoints on the cross-lake bridge. If we send people in, won't we be caught every time?"

Sun Kan picked up a crumpled piece of paper from the table and threw it at Zhou Yan's forehead: "It's been over a year since I last saw you. You haven't grown taller, and your head hasn't grown either? Who told you to swagger across the bridge like that? Come with me."

Sun Kan led Zhou Yan out through the side door. Not far away was a water outlet, and beyond that was the vast Blackwater Lake.

Sun Kan picked up a backpack left on the ground by someone and said, "Here, a waterproof bag. Put the goods in it, carry it on your back, swim to the shore of Xinshi, and then find someone to meet up with."

Zhou Yan was immediately dumbfounded: "Swim across?! Swimming from the border to Xinshi, that's at least ten kilometers, right?!"

Sun Kan sneered and said, shaking his leg, "Is swimming ten kilometers difficult? It's not like I'm asking you to hold your breath and swim ten kilometers. You're so young, your stamina is definitely not a problem, don't worry."

Zhou Yan swallowed hard. "The distance is one thing, but the real problem is carrying over ten kilograms of cargo. This... has probably caused quite a few drownings before, hasn't it?"

"Tsk." Sun Kan was getting a little impatient. "Why are you babbling so much nonsense? Let me tell you, I only introduced you to this good job because you said you were short of money."

“If I were to hire someone else, I would have to collect a deposit before they started working. I didn’t ask you for it because we’ve worked together before.”

"In short, are you going to do it or not? If you don't want to, fine, there are plenty of other people who will!"

Seeing that Sun Kan was getting angry, Zhou Yan didn't dare to say anything more and stammered, "I'll do it...I'll do it...Then shall we set off now?"

Sun Kan waved his hand dismissively: "Look at you, if you have no other problems, let's set off now."

Zhou Yan took the backpack handed to him by a thug and asked him about the meeting time and place after arriving in the new city.

She then carried her bag to the shore, turned back to Sun Kan, and said, "Brother, I'm leaving now."

Sun Kan waved his hand: "Keep it up, do a good job, I'll treat you to a late-night snack when you get back."

Zhou Yan took a deep breath, jumped into the icy lake, and began swimming towards the distant new city.

After Zhou Yan swam away, Sun Kan lit another cigarette and beckoned the thug over: "Get a small drone and keep an eye on her the whole way. If you find out she's cooperating with government officials to target us..."

Sun Kan made a throat-slitting gesture.

The thug asked in a deep voice, "Brother Sun, you don't believe her?"

Sun Kan squinted at the direction Zhou Yan had left in: "We have indeed cooperated many times before, so there shouldn't be any major problems. But this guy has been missing for over a year, who knows where he's gone? It's always better to be careful."

Chapter 182 The situation is tense

For the next month, Zhou Yan completely immersed himself in Sun Kan's territory. During the day, he worked at the seafood factory by Blackwater Lake, packing and sealing goods. At night, he helped transport contraband and ran errands for Sun Kan.

There were many hard and tiring jobs that the senior thugs were too lazy to do, so they would dump them on Zhou Yan, the newcomer, and she always managed to do them cleanly and efficiently.

Several times, Zhou Yan had bad luck transporting goods, and when she came ashore, she would run into the patrol team. Sun Kan thought she was going to get caught, but the little girl always managed to slip away in a flash.

If it were an ordinary outsider, no matter how well they did the work, Sun Kan would still set a probationary period of at least three to five years.

However, this wasn't the first time the two had worked together. When Zhou Yan was still young, Sun Kan often ordered her to do all sorts of dangerous things, and the results were always quite satisfactory.

It had been over a year since I last saw Zhou Yan, but he was still as efficient as ever, just like before.

Since they were already acquaintances and he was reliable in his work, Sun Kan's initial suspicions were dispelled through daily observation.

Gradually, Sun Kan began to involve her in more core business tasks, such as recording the accounts of goods circulation, assisting in contacting transportation channels, and even having her accompany him to negotiate an order.

One afternoon, Sun Kan summoned Zhou Yan to a secluded room in the park, which was separated by a heavy iron gate and covered with sound-absorbing foam.

"Zhou Yan, come here."

Sun Kan sat on the sofa and patted the seat next to him.

Zhou Yan walked over and sat down, placing her hands on her knees. Opposite her sat a tall, thin man shrouded in a black cloak.

The man lowered his head slightly, his eyes hidden in the shadow of his cloak, revealing a subtle sense of danger.

Sun Kan smiled and looked at the cloaked man, saying, "Old Liu, let me introduce you. This girl is the Zhou Yan I was talking about. She's incredibly clever."

“Zhou Yan, this is Liu Dashan. You can call him Brother Liu from now on.”

"Hello, Brother Liu." Zhou Yan greeted him politely.

"Hmm." Liu Dashan responded, slowly raising his eyes from under his cloak to carefully examine Zhou Yan.

There was no frivolity in his eyes, as if he were assessing the quality of a product, but that was precisely what made it so chilling.

“Little sister, Sun Kan has mentioned you to me several times, saying that you are very capable and a talented person.”

Zhou Yan nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Brother Sun, thank you, Brother Liu."

Sun Kan patted Zhou Yan on the shoulder and said earnestly, "We're all on the same side, so I won't hide anything from you. Old Liu is a member of the Witch Alliance."

Zhou Yan's expression clearly froze, and his eyelids twitched slightly.

This small detail did not escape Sun Kan's notice, and of course, Zhou Yan's reaction was within his expectations.

This border region is full of thugs and hooligans who steal chickens and dogs and brandish knives and guns all day long. How many good people can be involved in violent gangs?

But compared to the Witches' Alliance, an illegal organization officially named and labeled, even the worst violent groups pale in comparison.

It's normal to feel nervous when you suddenly see someone from the Demon Alliance.

Sun Kan gave a meaningful smile and continued, "Let me be frank with you, the Demon Alliance has recently been expanding its business in the border regions and has some dealings with us."

“I’ve watched you grow up, you little rascal. You’re quite intelligent. It’s not good to just wander around aimlessly all day. Why don’t you come work for me and gain more experience while you’re still young?”

"From now on, you'll focus solely on Lao Liu's line. I'll have someone mentor you, and once you're familiar with it and can handle things on your own, I'll assign a few people to guide you and make you a small leader or something. That way, making money will be much easier."

After an initial moment of stunned silence, Zhou Yan gradually came to his senses, his face lighting up with joy. He said gratefully, "Thank you, Brother Sun! Thank you, Brother Sun! So, what kind of business does Brother Liu mainly handle?"

The moment the words were spoken, the atmosphere clearly turned cold.

Liu Dashan's face darkened, and his gaze swept over from the shadows under his cloak, radiating a chilling aura.

Sun Kan frowned, his expression no longer gentle. He slapped Zhou Yan on the back of the head, his tone tinged with a hint of reprimand: "I just praised you for being clever, and here you are, asking me silly questions! Ask your mother, what have I taught you?!"

Zhou Yan quickly lowered his head and apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I was just too happy... I shouldn't have asked, I was just being a smart aleck..."

Liu Dashan snorted and stood up, saying, "Forget it, it's normal for kids to be impulsive. All young people are like that. They'll learn from me slowly. It's getting late, I'll head back now."

Sun Kan also stood up: "Okay, Zhou Yan and I will see you off."

...

Ever since that "Ugly Bro" dealt with Luo Fei, Chu Fan has taken over his territory and business.

Luo Fei is a loan shark, but this line of work isn't as easy as people imagine.

These days, it's the debtors who are treated like servants, while the creditors are treated like royalty; lending money is easy, but collecting debts is difficult.

Especially in remote, dog-eat-dog places like the border regions, if you don't have any skills and dare to lend money, you'll be ripped off in no time.

That's what they say, but anyone who dares to owe Chu Fan a debt is really asking for trouble.

Everyone knows that Chu Fan is the famous "Frontier Axe King". It is said that he once charged into Luo Fei's warehouse alone with an axe and chopped people indiscriminately, killing more than thirty people.

Even the most arrogant and capable "red sticks" in various groups wouldn't dare to challenge Chu Fan to a fight.

With its powerful reputation, accumulating funds, and expanding group size, Chu Fan's Undying Gang has been developing rapidly in the past six months, becoming the most outstanding among the many rising stars in the border region.

On this day, Chu Fan sat on the leather sofa in his office, with half a glass of chilled brandy in front of him, and was smoking a fragrant cigar.

His profound and elegant demeanor resembled that of a successful CEO—if it weren't for the smell of blood in the air and the fact that a badly beaten man was kneeling in front of him, he would have looked even more like one.

The one kneeling was none other than Zhou Haiwei. His face was bruised and swollen, and there was a gash on his lip. He trembled like a fish that had just been dragged ashore.

"Fan... Brother Fan..." Zhou Haiwei trembled as he spoke, blood and snot slid down his face, "Could you give me a few more days' grace period for the money I owe?"

"I...I really didn't mean to renege on my debt, I just...I've been on a winning streak lately! Really a winning streak! Brother Fan, give me a few more days, and I'm sure I can win it all back from those lousy bookies. Then I'll pay you back with interest!"

Chu Fan took a deep drag on his cigar, savoring the rich, spicy sensation in his mouth, and glanced at him sideways without saying a word.

The henchman standing nearby understood what he meant and kicked Zhou Haiwei hard in the face, sending him rolling away like a ball, falling to the ground and wailing in pain while clutching his head.

"Ahhh—Brother Fan! Brother Fan, please stop hitting me!"

Chu Fan finally spoke, calmly saying amidst the lingering disgust, "Little Zhou, it's not that I'm not giving you face."

"Every time you use new debt to pay off old debt, the stack of IOUs is thicker than my desk. You keep borrowing more and more, and dragging it out for longer and longer. Do you think I'm a fool?"

Chu Fan stood up, flicked his cigar, and a few embers of ash landed on Zhou Haiwei's hand, burning him.

"You refuse to exchange the money, and you refuse to cut off your hand, which puts me in a difficult position."

Several henchmen rushed forward and pinned Zhou Haiwei down. One of them grabbed his hand and held a machete to it.

"No! No, no, no!" Zhou Haiwei struggled frantically, crawling on his knees to Chu Fan's feet, clutching his trouser leg and wailing, "Brother Fan! Brother Fan, please! Don't cut off my hand! I promise I can pay back the money, I promise I can pay it back!!!"

Chu Fan stepped forward, used Zhou Haiwei's hand as an ashtray, and pressed his burning cigar against the back of his hand: "It must have been a long time, huh? Little brother?"

The cigar butt burned his skin with a hissing sound, and Zhou Haiwei grimaced, cold sweat pouring down his face. He swallowed hard and said in a trembling voice, "One...one month! Brother Fan, give me one month, and I'll find a way to pay back the 20 I owe you within a month!"

Chu Fan seemed to have heard a joke, his laughter full of sarcasm, and suddenly kicked him away.

The thugs around him also started punching and kicking Zhou Haiwei, making him roll on the ground.

"Brother Fan! Brother Fan, stop hitting him!!!"

Chu Fan stepped forward and stepped on Zhou Haiwei's head, waving the still-burning cigar in front of his eyes, and said in a sinister tone, "Three days. I'll only give you three days."

"If you can't raise 20 in three days, I'll take something from you every day."

As soon as Chu Fan finished speaking, his underlings stuffed Zhou Haiwei into a sack, beat him again, and then dragged him out of the office.

Zhou Haiwei was dragged into the van like a dead dog, and the door slammed shut.

The van bumped along for about half an hour before stopping. The driver opened the door, threw Zhou Haiwei out of the van, and drove off.

Zhou Haiwei struggled incessantly, his hands clumsily groping for the knot at the bag's opening. It took him a great deal of effort to untie it and climb out.

He was covered in injuries, his clothes were tattered and torn, and there was mud and bloodstains everywhere. His eyes were swollen and bruised, making him look like a panda. He could taste the blood in his mouth with the slightest movement of his tongue. He was in a terrible state.

"Damn it... what sins did I commit to deserve such bad luck..."

Zhou Haiwei felt a lump in his throat; he was almost forty years old, yet he nearly burst into tears on the street.

"No... I need to make money... I have to find a way to make money... I need to get 20 within three days, or Brother Fan will kill me..."

Zhou Haiwei frequently borrowed money from Chu Fan and knew very well what kind of person he was.