“No doubt about it — I’m the real deal idol. Want me to sing you a song?”

Meow Meow flashed that idol-bright smile and, with one kick, booted the sunglasses guy’s baton away — completely crushing whatever deluded idea he still had of putting up a fight.

“Alright then, Mr. Turkey-Head, before the cops show up, care to tell us who sent you?”

The guy on the ground snarled through gritted teeth, “Tch, you really think I’ll tell you?”

Fair enough — he at least had some pride. But he was still a cowardly thug, and pride doesn’t last long.

Meow Meow sighed, changed tack, and slapped the concrete wall beside the alley.
“See this cement wall?”

Before he could answer, she punched a cement brick off the wall with her bare fist…a scene that felt oddly familiar.
“Which do you think’s harder — your skull or this wall?”

I couldn’t help myself: “Hey, don’t go wrecking other people’s walls!”

The shades guy bowed his head and thought for a moment, then glanced at his bound cronies and finally spilled it.

“It’s Rashomon. They sent us. What else can we do? A little crew like ours — ten, twelve guys — we just do what they tell us or we starve in Tianping.”

“Then stop being thugs, you idiot!” Meow Meow snapped.

Lei Shan pressed: “How would Rashomon even know who the police point-person is? That’s secret. How’d a gang get that kind of intel?”

The sunglasses man shrugged helplessly.
“How should I know? We’re just the discarded pawns of that Lu Huangze guy. But Rashomon’s got local gangster mobs backing them so all the other crews are wary. Maybe the mobs leaked the police details to them.”

He fell silent a moment, then added, “Even if we fail, they’ll have other ways to stop the police sweep. Miss Idol, if you don’t want to cause your old man trouble, maybe lay low for a while.”

Huh — suddenly he’s worried about Meow Meow’s safety? People facing death do talk nicer, I guess. Even if it’s just arrest.

The cops came quickly. The lead officer was a familiar face — that young cop who was often tailing Lei Laohu. After they hauled the dye-shop thugs into the van, Sis Yuanyue made the introductions and we got spared paperwork thanks to her.

Before they drove off, Meow Meow even signed an autograph for the gray-haired one.

Once the squad car pulled away, Lei Luo-chan finally relaxed and wiggled out from behind the wheelchair, rubbing her head.

“Phew, that scared me — I really didn’t want that kid to recognize me.”

Even if he’d been told, he wouldn’t have believed it; Lei Luo-chan and Uncle Lei looked nothing alike.

I asked, “About what that sunglasses guy said — Uncle, what do you think? Could Rashomon have gotten your intel through the mob?”

Rinka: “Do the police have mob plants inside?”

Lei Luo-chan frowned. “Can’t rule it out. Could be leaks from other channels… but one thing’s sure: Rashomon has its sights on me now.”

She looked at Meow Meow and Sis Yuanyue. “You two be careful for a while. Xiao Xi too.”

Sis Yuanyue agreed. “Actually, everyone should be careful. If someone’s watching us, anyone who’s often with my daughter could be a target. Maybe we’ll postpone that KTV trip.”

“Let’s head back to school and tell Haitang and the others what happened then.”

Tangerine took the wheelchair from Rinka. “No matter what happens, I’ll protect Onii-chan!”

That made me a little happy.

Rinka went on: “Keep operations dispersed for now. If anything happens, gather at the hideout. At least Biyang Academy has decent security — those thugs can’t get in.”

I asked Lei Luo-chan, “If the local mob backs Rashomon directly, would that put the police in trouble?”

The goth-loli grinned like she’d heard a joke. “Kai, I think you’re overestimating the local mob. This isn’t a movie.”

She calmed down and explained. “Sure, if they intervene it’d complicate things, but they won’t jump out over a single distribution channel. From what I can tell, Rashomon is just one of the networks for trafficked stimulants. The mob aren’t fools — they wouldn’t pick a street fight with the police over one sales channel. Honestly, I’d love for them to make a move openly so they can be nailed in flagrante.”

Lei Luo-chan grew more animated, flushed with that fired-up look like someone at a drunken rant.

“The worst of these so-called mob bosses will even do PR — hand out charity at the market, smile at old ladies, then use the headlines to whitewash themselves. It’s terrifying what they hide.”

Sis Yuanyue pinched Lei Luo-chan’s ear. “Okay, okay, quit scaring the kid.”

“I’ll just say one more thing!” Lei Luo-chan protested, teary-eyed but insistent. “Some of those deep-timers act so civil in public, sending gifts to neighbours and stuff, but you’d never guess what they do at night.”

That sounded too much like Zhu Beihai — and it chilled me.

Lei Shan rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “If Rashomon already knows Meow Meow, then we can’t have Meow Meow go to the meeting with Rakshasa’s girls.”

Sis Xi: “Then you shouldn’t go either — those guys just recognized you.”

Lei Shan shook her head and tapped her floral mask. “Police won’t let them go that fast, and I always wear this mask. Change my look a bit and no one will spot me. Let me and Sharo go to the meeting.”

Sis Xi vetoed it immediately. “No way. It’s too dangerous — you were stabbed recently. I couldn’t live with it if something happened again.”

Rinka proposed asking the student council girls: “Haitang’s strong, Qiaojue is persuasive — they can help.”

Meow Meow shot that down too. “You three danced at the concert. Anyone who bothers to check the footage will recognize you.”

Rinka glanced at me. “If that’s the case, Kai-chan can go!”

Right — the backstage makeup disguise from the concert. I remembered.
“Come on over for makeup, Kai-chan” Rinka plopped me in front of the mirror.
“Rinka, can you do the same disguise you used at Tony Yang’s shop?”
“Eh? Why?”
“Well, the concert is on live, I’m worried that people who knew my mom previously might recognize me.”
“Sure — my stunt makeup will make you unrecognizable.” She pulled out a kit and got to work.

Everyone remembered that now. Sis Yuanyue nodded. “Yeah, your makeup was already practically a disguise.”

Rinka asked, “So, Kai-chan, willing to go?”

I hesitated — then caught Meow Meow’s eyes. They were full of pleading. I couldn’t say no.

“All right. I’ll go.”

Rinka clapped. “Then Kai-chan and Lei Shan it is. Don’t worry — we’ll handle your backup.”

Tangerine worried: “But Onii-chan’s so weak; you’re sending him into danger!”

Ouch. That stung — but I patted her hand anyway. “It’s fine. Your onii-chan’s a god, remember?”