Only after the father and son had completely disappeared from Hungry Wolf's sight did she finally gesture to her subordinates and point at the Feline woman lying on the floor.
"Carry her out. Send her to Ursus to mine."
"That's the only value she has left."
Her calm, icy expression shifted the instant she finished speaking. Turning her head, she looked toward the silver-haired beauty beside her and said softly,
"I didn't expect it. The ruthless, unmatched Fire Dragon… actually has a kind heart."
Still teasing, Hungry Wolf sank back into the sofa. Her beautiful eyes made no attempt to hide their desire as they traveled openly over Chen Mo's long, well-built frame.
"This really is… making me like you more and more."
Ugh. Disgusting.
Chen Mo rubbed his arms, skin crawling with goosebumps.
"Cut the crap. Give me my money—and my ID."
"And listen carefully. I've wanted to beat you up for a long time. If you try to stall me again with 'later' or 'soon,' I'll turn you into roast wolf on the spot."
The room temperature began rising.
Even with the suite's cooling system running at full power, it couldn't fight off the sudden, searing heat.
It was a warning.
And it was his final ultimatum.
Under that crushing pressure—mixed with a heat that felt almost supernatural—the elite enforcers couldn't summon even the idea of resisting. Sweat poured down their backs as they clustered behind Hungry Wolf to shield her.
They'd seen what Chen Mo did to enemy forces. The fact that they still stood here now was proof of both courage and loyalty.
Yet even in this hostile atmosphere, Hungry Wolf looked unbothered—composed, almost playful—as if she were certain the man glaring at her wouldn't actually strike.
"Your temper really needs fixing, Fire Dragon."
"Sit down and talk with me. Don't worry—you'll get your pay today."
Her words were like liquor tossed onto a flame.
At some point, the scorching aura had surged again. Somewhere outside, the building's fire alarms began shrieking nonstop.
People in the corridors screamed and fled, the sirens turning the night into chaos.
But inside the suite—
it was deathly silent.
A long while passed.
"What do you want to say?" Chen Mo asked.
His thick tail swayed once behind him. The instant his words fell, the terrifying heat—hot enough to threaten the entire building—vanished without a trace.
That should be enough of a show of force.
Hungry Wolf—the underground empress of District 19—was sweating heavily now. Chen Mo felt a grim satisfaction.
She'd been getting arrogant lately. Yesterday she tried to touch him; today she was openly flirting. If he didn't put some color in her face, she might really start treating a Draco like a stray Perro.
Hungry Wolf finally spoke—not to him, but to her people.
"Take this crate of Oripathy suppressants downstairs. The sisters have been waiting."
"Yes, Boss."
Only after one enforcer carried away the priceless box of medicine did Hungry Wolf turn back with a smile.
"What are you planning to do next, Chen Mo?"
"Huh?" Chen Mo snorted. "What's it to you?"
He strode forward and shoved aside the enforcers who tried to block him. Arms crossed, he looked down at Hungry Wolf with cold disdain.
"Whether I go haul bricks or get a proper job, it'll still be better than staying in a dump full of human trash—"
"Do you really think," Hungry Wolf cut in, "that you'll be able to live peacefully in Lungmen?"
Chen Mo didn't explode. Instead, he frowned.
"What does that mean?"
It made him think of those eyes—those subtle stares—every time he stepped outside Hungry Wolf's territory.
It was true. For about half a month now, someone outside District 19 had seemed to be looking into him.
But as he'd reasoned before, whoever it was, they hadn't moved. After a tense stretch, Chen Mo had stopped caring.
Now that Hungry Wolf brought it up, a bad feeling crawled up his spine.
"Just like you suspected," Hungry Wolf said evenly. "The people investigating you… their background is big. Very big."
"If you walk away from us openly—if you upset the balance the Lungmen underworld has only just managed to achieve—then the peaceful life you imagine will only get farther and farther away."
Her tone stayed calm. She set down the drink in her hand—hot enough to be alarming—and rose.
She didn't avoid Chen Mo's chilling gaze.
Instead, she stepped close enough that one wrong move could cost her life, and she looked him straight in the eye.
"The Hungry Wolves consolidated every force in District 19. Under my rule, the crime rate here dropped to the lowest it has ever been."
"We recruited the Infected and gave them a chance to live."
"We took in the homeless and gave them quiet places to sleep."
Hungry Wolf's voice softened slightly.
"All of that is because of you, Chen Mo. Your contribution is enormous."
She lifted a hand. Behind her, a still-trembling enforcer hurried forward and presented a prepared set of documents and a bank card.
Hungry Wolf's eyes never left Chen Mo.
"I won't—and I can't—stop you. But remember what I said."
"Whether it's malice or goodwill, someone has been watching you. Be careful."
Chen Mo took the small ID card and the bank card he'd been dreaming about.
Yet instead of joy, something heavy settled in his chest.
He could guess who was watching him.
Damn it—he'd always hated dealing with the scheming types. Even back in the game, that kind of opponent was the hardest to handle.
His face fell as he remembered half-glimpsed plot points he'd skipped past back then—just enough to know what kind of pressure this could become.
Under the eyes of Hungry Wolf and her enforcers, Chen Mo pocketed the payment, then headed for the exit, thick tail dragging behind him.
Only when his foot reached the threshold did he glance back at Hungry Wolf's calm, unchanging face.
"Let's be clear. From now on, I'm not under your command. If I need something, I'll take it from you directly."
"And if I find out you're pulling anything I don't like… I'll be the first to come and 'handle' you."
He had his papers. He had his money.
With his strength, he could leave whenever he wanted.
But if he stepped outside District 19 now, that old dragon might interpret it as him making some big move—and then the cost would outweigh the benefit.
So for the time being, it was better to stay here, watch, and find a chance to figure out what the other side wanted.
Hungry Wolf, faced with a Fire Dragon she had "lost and regained," remained unusually calm—like she'd always been certain he wouldn't truly leave.
And maybe she was right.
Being a local king here beat working for wages outside by several orders of magnitude.
"No problem," Hungry Wolf said smoothly. "From now on, Chen Mo, you're no longer a member of the Hungry Wolves."
"You're my partner."
"Our status is equal. If anything major happens in District 19, I'll consult you."
She smiled.
"How does that sound, Chen Mo?"
Chen Mo thought for a moment. It did sound good. He wasn't losing anything.
He nodded, satisfied.
"Fine. At least you know your place."
Good. Even the reputation issue that had been bothering him could be fixed.
If anyone dared call him a gang's "bad man" again, he could throw a righteous fist right back at them.
With that, Chen Mo left the now-quiet luxury building and wandered the streets at his leisure.
Under the gazes around him—some wary, some greedy—Chen Mo suddenly thought of something and froze.
…Wait.
Why did it feel like his behavior just now was exactly like some tsundere little brat trying to act tough?
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