"What, all assassins annihilated and the mission still incomplete?" Boss Xing slammed his palm onto the wooden table in front of him, and the solid wooden table instantly shattered into pieces, scattering across the floor.
"Boss Xing, it seems the abilities of your subordinates are quite average." Across Boss Xing, a black-clad woman sat; witnessing the scene before her eyes, she didn’t show a hint of fear—as if it was not a table that was smashed, but a mere piece of paper.
"I think, it’s the hospital information you provided that was faulty," Boss Xing said in a low voice, coldly staring at the woman in front of him.
"Boss Xing, you happen to be the first to dare doubt our Wang Family," the woman retorted with a laugh, not angry but her voice even more chilling. Indeed, it was a kind of overwhelming presence.
"Ha-ha, just a joke," Boss Xing quickly changed his tone, smiling as he spoke.
"Here’s a piece of advice, better refrain from making jokes about our Wang Family; you can’t afford it," the woman said coldly, waving her hand, "Your subordinate sacrificed, I can compensate them with a pension, however..." she paused here "the mission I entrusted to you remains incomplete, how should we deal with this breach of contract fee?"
Boss Xing’s face beneath the mask reddened, this time he had lost an entire team of assassins and failed the mission, leaving him with a seething anger that gnawed at him from inside.
"Miss Wang, do you even know how many people are protecting the target you wanted to be killed?" Boss Xing took a breath and said indifferently.
"Many, but is that your excuse for failure?" the woman scoffed. "Strong people find ways, weak people find excuses. Is this truly your strength?"
"It was just a mishap, your target is protected by experts, it just requires a bit more effort," Boss Xing clapped his hands "Our cooperation continues. I will complete the mission and make things right for you."
"That’s good; in that case, I’ll be looking forward to your good news."
"Wait a minute." Just as the woman was about to leave, Boss Xing suddenly stopped her.
"What, does Boss Xing have something else?"
"Regarding the payment, there are so many experts around the target, I need to raise my price," Boss Xing stated straightforwardly, without any hesitation.
"Are you trying to jack up the price, Boss Xing?"
"Ha-ha, Miss Wang misunderstood. There needs to be a benefit for there to be motivation. Besides, given the target’s status, isn’t it worth a price increase?" Boss Xing spoke softly, though hiking the price on the ground can always be seen as a rogue’s move. The blunter term would be extortion.
"Fine, one billion, how about that?" A minute later, the woman slowly extended a finger, speaking softly.
"That’s reasonable. Miss Wang is straightforward."
South America, in the forest.
As day broke and everyone had finished breakfast, they headed deep into the forest. Throughout the journey, Ye Shikai was very cautious of their surroundings. According to the Hidden Guard, two leopards loitered near the campsite last night, showing signs of interest, and it was only with light that the Netherworld Palace Hidden Guard scared them off.
"Everyone, be careful. There could still be danger," Ye Shikai warned as he constantly surveyed the surroundings. In this place, even a slight scratch from wild flowers and vegetation could be lethal. Fortunately, Zi Yun had volunteered to take on the mission, avoiding further losses.
The quiet woods occasionally carried the "suo suo suo" rustling sounds of creatures moving. Leopards were top hunters of the jungle. In such a complex environment, one might not notice a leopard approach. In his days with the Dragon Teeth special forces, Ye Shikai once led his team to survive two weeks in the jungle. But compared to the rainforests of South America, those experiences were hardly comparable.
"Jungle leopards strike in mere seconds from initiating an attack to end," Ye Shikai continued. In reality, the Netherworld Palace’s Hidden Guard had taken thorough precautions, even bringing thermal imagers. With such devices, all creatures in the jungle could be spotted easily. But due to the unique magnetic fields of the rainforest, any electronic device would fail, rendering their "high-tech" gadgets useless.
"You seem to know a lot about wildlife," Ji Qian, wielding her jeweled Magic Wand, said with a light smile.
"Do you know about the jungle law?"
Jungle law: The survival of the fittest, the law of natural selection, the predicament of being the weaker prey to stronger predators. Any creature that can survive here has its own strengths. These terrifying creatures had lived in this rainforest; they were the top predators...
"If you don’t want to become prey to a hunter, then stay alert," Ye Shikai commanded.
"Everyone, halt!" Ye Shikai shouted. The sound of something rustling approached from directly ahead, resembling the friction between a python’s body and the ground leaves, or a shower of sand hitting dry leaves.
"Boss, what’s that noise?" Soul Destroyer asked, tense.
"I don’t know," Ye Shikai said with a solemn expression, eyes fixed straight ahead, his eyes widening. And what was terrifying was the sound growing louder, like a swarm of bees buzzing irritably near one’s ear.
"Everyone, be cautious. There’s definitely something ahead," Ye Shikai said, keeping his gaze fixed forward. However, despite the increasing noise, nothing appeared in sight, raising the specter of ghostly apparitions...
Then suddenly, a small bug dropped onto the arm of a Hidden Guard.
"What’s this?" someone asked next to him.
"It looks like... an ant." The Hidden Guard curiously looked at the tiny creature on his arm; as he was engrossed in examining it, a sharp pain shot through his body...
"Damn ants, how dare you bite me."
"Ants." Upon hearing this, Ye Shikai’s pupils dilated, a sense of imminent danger washing over him. A single ant couldn’t make such a loud noise - unless it was countless ants, an entire swarm, as many as trillion...
When Ye Shikai turned around again, the ground before him, the branches, the trunks, were all covered as if doused in black paint—an oncoming tidal wave of black, like a dark sea rushing towards them.
"Marching Ants, everyone be careful!" Ye Shikai yelled. The "dark sea" wasn’t anything else but swarms upon swarms of black Marching Ants, in the tens of millions, so dense they blotted out the sky.
"What, Marching Ants?" Soul Destroyer instinctively stepped back. Marching Ants, also known as Army Ants, never build nests; like nomads, they move in groups. From birth, they are in constant motion, always hunting, like locusts leaving destruction in their wake. Each only a centimeter or two in length, but they are one of the most terrifying predators in this rainforest.
"Everyone, retreat!" Ye Shikai shouted. Meanwhile, it seemed that the Marching Ants had also noticed the group and charged aggressively towards Ye Shikai...