Whether it was brute force or the overwhelming power of idol worship, Sharo was completely subdued by Lei Meow Meow. The aggressive, bossy gangster vibe she had earlier was gone without a trace, replaced by a teary-eyed schoolgirl sniffling on the couch.

In truth, compared to Lei Laohu’s nameless ragtag gang, Rakshasa was a far more sophisticated operation.

Sharo claimed that the girls in this very room were the core members of Rakshasa. Most of them were gorgeous and each had a small squad of loyal lackeys—er, "junior followers"—dedicated to keeping the peace in the area.

Yep, that’s right. Rakshasa actually kept order. They didn’t just repel other gangs; they also absorbed smaller crews and took over turf. Their funds came from a few local shops tucked away in alleys—like that video store from before—which also doubled as intelligence outposts.

Even more interesting, aside from a few gyaru scooped up from rival gangs, most of Rakshasa’s core were the daughters of shop owners right here in Tianping Commercial District.

Sharo wasn’t just spouting empty slogans when she said she wanted to establish a “new order.” In a way, Rakshasa was like a militia—one that had clearly picked up a few delinquent habits along the way.

And the so-called “protection fees”? That was just parents giving their daughters pocket money under the table.

If Sharo was telling the truth, then while you couldn’t exactly call Rakshasa harmless, their presence probably did more good than bad for the area.

“Hey, Sis Meow Meow,” I said. “You gotta admit, their setup is way more high-end than what you had going on back then.”

It wasn’t just the scale—they actually had systems and structure.

“Shut it. Back then we’d only been around for, like, two weeks!”

“Still, you never had such striving ideals, did you?”

“Ahem. Well, I do now, don’t I?”

Since Sharo was still claiming to be her fan, Meow Meow softened up a little, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket to gently wipe Sharo’s tears.

“Anyway, stop selling that crappy pirated footage. If you’re really my fan, at least buy my official albums, okay?”

Sharo nodded obediently. If she weren’t wearing that ridiculous gang jacket, she’d look like an obedient kouhai right now.

“So? Why did you even kidnap me little Jing?”

I reached for the contract on the table and peeled back the sheet that had covered it earlier. Called it—it was a work contract for a maid café.

When I looked at her again, Sharo had recovered a bit of her former haughty pride. “You should feel honored. We don’t just grab anyone, you know.”

“Oh, so I should thank you for thinking I’m good enough? That time when the Kamehameha café was being harassed—that was your crew, wasn’t it?”

She flinched a little, but didn’t deny it. Then she added hastily, “I told them not to get physical! Just scare them off a little, make them close up shop for a while, that’s all.”

Wow. How classy. Good thing the café’s business actually improved thanks to the owner’s perseverance…

“So let me guess,” I summarized. “You’re helping that rich kid, Lin Ziye, recruit maids—and at the same time, you’re eliminating the competition? And you’ve been doing all of this behind his back, right?”

At the mention of Lin Ziye, her face tensed up. “S-So what if I am?!”

“I don’t know what the two of you are to each other, but what do you think he’d say if I told him about all this? You think he even knows you’re the head of Rakshasa?”

That last part hit a nerve. She leapt to her feet, snarling, “If you dare tell that idiot, I’ll—!”

She didn’t finish the sentence—because Lei Meow Meow clamped a hand around her face mid-rant, smooshing her cheeks into a perfect “O” shape. Her eyes welled up with tears again.

“Oh?” Meow Meow said coolly. “You’ll do what?”

“I’m sorry! Lingmeng-oneesan, please, I’m begging you—don’t tell Ziye!”

And just like that, the head of Rakshasa was on her knees, groveling before me.

She really was completely under Meow Meow’s thumb. I guess the only way to handle a brute is with someone even more brutish.

“Ohohohoho~!”

I struck a pose and flopped back on the couch, one leg crossed over the other as Meow Meow looked at me with a face that screamed: Really? You’re doing this now?

“Goodness, whatever shall I do? I was kidnapped for no reason and suffered great emotional trauma. Sharo-chan, could I trouble you for some of those cookies you were hiding?”

Sharo pulled out the metal tin from under the table, popped the lid, and shoved it into my hands with gritted teeth.

“They’re all yours!”

Wow, they were actually really good. Rich and buttery. No wonder she hoarded them.

“Mmm, delicious. But now I’m thirsty.”

Without a word, Sharo handed me a bottle of milk tea. A bulging vein popped on her forehead.

“Oh no, I’m too weak to open it~”

Sharo wordlessly twisted the cap open and offered it to my lips with both hands. Sweet, sweet revenge.

“Okay, enough. Be a decent human, would you?” Sis Xi sighed, giving me a light smack on the head.

Rinka chimed in too. “Yeah, seriously. If you’ve got terms, just say them. You’ve definitely thought it all out already, haven’t you?”

“You two sure know how to betray your own teammate.” I shot them both a glare.

“Fine, I’ll spell it out. In exchange for keeping quiet—and as compensation for the trouble you caused Kamehameha—you’re going to work there as a maid!”

“...Huh?”

“Don’t play dumb. I mean it. Didn’t you want to find good maids? Why not train yourself on the job?”

I mean, being cute and pretty isn’t enough to be a good maid café staffer. And I seriously don’t think I’m cut out for it.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Why would I be a maid?!”

“Hey, Brother Lu, that café under renovation we mentioned—where was it again?”

I looked back at Lu Le.

“Fifth floor. I can take you there now.”

“Perfect. Let’s go—”

“I’LL DO IT!”

Sharo suddenly pinned me back into my seat.

“Excellent! Oh, and by the way—the owner doesn’t like hiring temps. You’ll have to stay at least three months.”

“Three months?!”

“What’s wrong? Can’t handle it?”

“...Fine. I got it.”

Watching Sharo sulk on the couch, biting her lip like she’d just been forced into a marriage of convenience, I couldn’t help but feel like the bad guy. Like one of those sleazy tycoons strong-arming a poor innocent girl. Why do I feel like the villain now?

Anyway, things had finally settled down. Leaving the defeated Sharo behind in full orz mode, we exited the Rakshasa hideout. On the way out, we passed over a dozen unconscious male gangsters sprawled at the entrance. According to Meow Meow, “They should still be alive. Probably.”

The hideout was buried deep in a maze of unlit back alleys where you couldn’t even tell which way was north.

No wonder Sharo had been so shocked to see Meow Meow break in—it’s hard to believe such a densely packed commercial district even had corners like this. The place gave me a glimpse of how the famed Kowloon Walled City would be back in the day.

Sis Xi nudged Lu Le with her elbow. “Seriously though, you’re amazing. Planning to memorize every inch of this area?”

He answered in his usual low voice, “It’s part of the job.”

Seeing my confusion, Meow Meow explained, “Lu Le’s been working with my old man to compile a complete map of all gang activity in Tianping Commercial District. They’re planning a major cleanup.”

So that’s why she didn’t want us calling the police. It wasn’t for Sharo’s sake—it was to protect Lu Le, who’s basically playing spy again.

Sis Xi added, “He even infiltrates some of the gangs directly to collect intel. It’s dangerous work. This district isn’t just full of street punks—there are actual yakuza gangster-types here too.”

When Lei Laohu ran off from home, Lu Le acted as a mole for Sis Yuanyue too.

“Don’t worry—his broody loner personality makes him perfect for undercover work,” Meow Meow said proudly.

Meanwhile, Fei still hadn’t let go of Jing’s hand. She trailed behind us silently, her presence so faint she was practically just a dotted outline.

I slowed down to walk beside her.

“You okay, Sis Fei?”

“I’m fine.”

She shook her head, but she didn’t look fine. She must’ve felt so helpless when she realized her girl was missing.

Suddenly, Rinka tackled me from behind.

“Lingmeng-chan, I was so scared! I thought we’d find you with your tongue sticking out, completely [censored]!”

“Hey! Don’t say stuff like that in front of little Jing! And keep your hands to yourself!”

“Nope~ It’s dark in here, so I can do whatever I want, right?” she said, wrapping both arms around mine and pressing herself against my back.

“I was really worried, okay? If you hadn’t called Sis Xi ahead of time, you’d have been in major trouble. Why didn’t you just wait for us like you were supposed to?!”

“Sis Lingmeng only came because she was worried about me,” Jing said unexpectedly.

After everything we’d been through, the girl in the baseball cap had definitely warmed up to me. When Rinka started scolding me, she even stepped up to defend me.

She’d really matured all of a sudden. Her rebellious streak had softened—and she wasn’t nearly as annoying now.

“I’m sorry for how I acted earlier. But I really do like you, Sis Lingmeng. Please don’t hate me.”

Rebellious girls turning sweet really are kind of cute. That classic gap moe.

I smiled and patted her head gently.

“Of course not. Your big sis here has never once hated you.”

She glanced up at me, tilted her head, and muttered—

“Liar.”

Tch. Okay. Still kind of annoying.