Even though I came downstairs with the others, my original body was still in bed — hope Lü Le won’t mind… no, I reckon she probably didn’t realize it was a male body, right? When I take off my glasses I can really pass for either sex.

“Except for that dumb girl, is everyone else here?”
Lei Meow Meow swept her gaze across the cramped living room, counted heads, then nodded and pulled a megaphone out from behind her.

“As soon as Lü Le gets down we’ll start the op briefing. We went over the rough plan at the hospital yesterday, but to make sure nobody’s out of the loop, let Xiao Kai explain it to you.”
She didn’t give anyone a choice and tossed the megaphone at me. I sighed and arranged my thoughts.

“Ahem. The gang that stabbed Lü Le is called ‘Rashomon.’ They stole an important notebook from him — it contains practically all the info about the gangs in the commercial district: territory maps, hangout locations, even evidence of their crimes. Think of it as a ‘gang encyclopedia’ for the Tianping Commercial District. What do you think would happen if that fell into Rashomon’s hands?”

Yang Qi cupped her cheeks and answered, “If it were me, I’d use it as leverage — blackmail other gangs into acting as pawns against the police sweep.”

Oh? So you’re that kind of schemer, huh?

“Pretty much. According to the intel our sources gave the police, Rashomon will be holding a meeting soon — the purpose is to join forces with other groups and coordinate resistance against the police crackdown.”

“Oh? So we storm in and get revenge?”

Haitang rubbed her hands together on the sofa, fired up. If there’s an excuse to punch someone, she’s the first to volunteer — she and Meow Meow share that streak.

But this time Meow Meow was unusually calm; she didn’t even need Sis Xi to play brake.

“No,” Meow Meow said. “The goal this time is just to find out when and where Rashomon’s meeting will be. Avoid conflict if possible. Leave the arrests to the police.”

“Right.” Lei Luo-chan nodded in earnest, adding, “Even for recon ops, if things look wrong you withdraw immediately. I don’t want any of you getting hurt.”

Lei Luo-chan — decked out as an adorable gothic-loli and being cuddled by Sis Yuanyue — looked like a delicate porcelain doll. Since Haitang and the others hadn’t seen her before, they were curious when this tiny, grown-up-sounding kid spoke up.

“Um, I was wondering earlier — who’s this cute little one?”
Bei Qiaojue leaned over Sis Yuanyue and tried to pinch Lei Luo-chan’s cheek, but the kid turned away.

Yang Qi smiled, “Probably Sis Meow Meow’s dad, no?”
Smart — before either Meow Meow or I could explain, she’d already guessed Lei Luo-chan’s identity.

Qiaojue pulled her hand back, perturbed. “Really? The notebook can even do that?”

I asked how she’d figured it out.

“We met at the Western restaurant after that bar op. With the recording from back then, it wasn’t hard to deduce,” she said.

“Oh, I remember now. But— little miss, you remember someone you met just once three months ago?”
Lei Luo-chan looked startled.

“Heh, Uncle you’re just so cute — it left a deep impression!”

“Don’t call me cute!”

He’s actually a man in his forties inside; being called cute must sting a little. Lei Luo-chan puffed a tiny fist in Sis Yuanyue’s arms, unaware that the gesture only made her more adorable, so she hugged her tighter.

“Ah, Old Lei is just too cute!”

“……”

I said, “Honestly, I’m kind of surprised. Lei Luo-chan, I thought you’d try to stop Meow Meow from getting involved in this.”

“Of course I oppose it. But does opposing help? She doesn’t listen. Better to let her help within safety lines than to let her run wild.”

Loose control rather than total lockdown.

He is a father after all; worrying about his daughter makes sense. But does Meow Meow really need to be sheltered? Even as a girl, she’s not the kind of opponent most small-time thugs can handle. After all, Lei Laohu built his reputation on fists (and money) — he’s a king among beasts.

And this time, we’ve also got Haitang—whose real combat ability is on par with hers—joining in.

If the two of them really charged straight into that so-called “Rashomon,” the whole organization would probably get half-demolished by a pair of high-school-girl-looking Gundams.

So I admitted it plainly: “Actually, Meow Meow’s fighting skills plus Haitang’s group would already be too much for them to handle.”

“Exactly~”
“Still — this op must not be reckless.”

Haitang puffed up with pride at my compliment, but a cool female voice cut her down.

“Don’t underestimate the depth of a major gang’s resources. A big crew keeps full-time muscle — real hard men, not the sort you can take lightly. Rashomon is notoriously cunning; they won’t meet you head-on.”

It was Lü Le — she’d come down the stairs, wearing a red office outfit. Her frame was smaller than Sis Xi’s; the suit hung on her shoulders and the pencil skirt reached past her knees, leaving only a slender strip of calf — like a little girl borrowing her mother’s clothes. Ill-fitting formal wear always looks off.

She’d finally taken off her mask. With those three-white-eyes that give off a natural killer’s aura, she looked like the icy femme fatale from a movie.

“Ooh, another beauty,” Qiaojue drawled, amused.

Yang Qi nodded in agreement. “I also agree with being cautious. Spooking them could make things worse. If Rashomon pulls out of the district, the police sweep fails.”

Play the long game to catch the big fish.

Because the room was crowded, Sis Xi hugged Lü Le close and set her on her lap. Lü Le didn’t resist — she nuzzled against Sis Xi just like Lei Luo-chan cozying in Sis Yuanyue arms.

Sis Xi loved physical contact; before she knew I was male she often tried to come at me for hugs and “chest attacks.” Honestly, that habit of hers is too defenseless.

I half-jokingly guessed that Lü Le might be secretly enjoying it too.

Meow Meow urged, “Okay, Xiao Kai, continue the briefing.”

“Right. As I said… the goal is to find Rashomon’s meeting location and time. We happen to know the leader of the gang ‘Rakshasa’.”

“Xiao Lei went to fetch that leader, right?” Haitang asked. “What kind of group is ‘Rakshasa’?”

“A fairly large gang,” I answered. “But their nature differs from other crews. Their system and organization are mature — they even run legitimate shops. They were selling unauthorized bootleg discs for profit, which is small fry compared to other stuff. So their harm level is lower.”

I never went on with the charges but …kidnapping’s still a serious crime, though.

Haitang pressed on: “Why would they help us? A police sweep would threaten their foundation.”

Lü Le explained, “Simple. The sweep won’t hit them much; they could use it to wash their name and even expand.”

Meow Meow added, “Lü Le and other informants did more than just scout. They collected evidence on the gangs since the police need proof to act. The bigger the gang, the dirtier their pockets. Compared to that, Rakshasa — selling bootleg discs — is a small-time operation. Rashomon, though, deals in addictive stimulant drugs for local black-market distribution.”

What Rakshasa did might earn them at most fifteen days behind bars; while Rashomon’s crimes are on another level. Sharo surely sees the opportunity — she’s no pushover despite being roped into maid work.

“Knock, knock, knock.”
Just then, someone knocked on the front door of the hideout.