Because at that time, Ah Shui had been forcibly left in place by Hua Yan, and when she finally stepped into the alley, Hua Yan directly knocked him out with a palm strike. In fact, Ah Shui didn't know the critical part of what happened, and unfortunately, those were the key details.

Gradually, the air in the room began to feel icy. Ah Shui started to sense something was wrong. Amid his chaotic thoughts, Mazi, unable to stay calm, wanted to grab Ah Shui and question him properly, suspecting he might be hiding something.

Brother Qiang could tell from Ah Shui's expression and actions that he indeed knew little. Perhaps this was why Hua Yan felt safe leaving him behind.

Was she so confident in her judgment that she wouldn't doubt or misunderstand Ah Shui? At that moment, Brother Qiang's feelings were complex and indescribable. He signaled Mazi not to be rash and began to question Ah Shui himself.

"What do you think about this matter?"

Ah Shui looked at Brother Qiang, whose face was expressionless. He felt both angry and worried about Hua Yan. However, given the situation, he judged that Hua Yan must have left the base because she had discovered something important.

Although his feelings were mixed and he didn't know what to say, he thought it was better for her to leave. Given the current situation, it would be very dangerous for her to stay.

"Xiao Yan must have left…." Since he couldn't guarantee a lie wouldn't be uncovered, he decided to tell the truth.

Brother Qiang gave an appreciative smile. Indeed, smart people were best kept close. "Do you mean Xiao Yan remembered something or discovered a secret that made her leave?" Brother Qiang asked slowly, sitting in his chair.

"Maybe…."

"You were close to her. Do you know where she might go?"

"Brother Qiang, you should know…."

"Damn it! Brother Qiang is asking you a question. Don't act smart. Just because Brother Qiang isn't mad doesn't mean it's all okay!" Mazi raised his hand to teach Ah Shui a lesson, but Brother Qiang stopped him.

"Mazi, come with me." There were still many things to handle. The issue of those two men needed to be kept under wraps until the order was fulfilled. And would that woman's departure leave any problems?

Ah Shui was right; Brother Qiang understood that Hua Yan must be planning to return inland. He just couldn't guess how she would do it.

As they walked out, Mazi, still unwilling to let it go, asked, "Brother Qiang, you're not just going to let that woman get away, are you?"

"What else?" Brother Qiang continued walking, calmly asking in return.

At that moment, A-Jin came running in a panic. Seeing Brother Qiang, she sighed with relief and breathlessly said, "Brother Qiang, something's wrong… something's wrong. Someone's at the door!"

Both Brother Qiang and Mazi were extremely surprised. Who would dare cause trouble for them?

"Who is it?"

"It's someone named Cheng… he seems to be here for his missing men."

Unexpectedly, they came so quickly. It seemed the situation was getting trickier. Brother Qiang's mind raced, and he made a decision, a voice in his heart saying, "Don't blame me."

"Take me to him."

When they arrived at the reception room, they saw a lean man. He quietly looked at him, his eyes firm. Suddenly, he was speechless. How had he encountered two extraordinary opponents in just two days?

Cheng Cheng looked at Brother Qiang, then stared at Mazi, and said, "Can we talk?"

"Mazi, go out."

At the same time, Cheng Cheng also had his people leave the room.

Once only the two of them were left in the room, Cheng Cheng took the initiative, handing a photo to Brother Qiang and smiling, "You must be familiar with this person. I need to see her. You can name your price."

"Are you so sure she's here with me?" Brother Qiang's expression remained unchanged, his tone calm.

Cheng Cheng smiled faintly, "My men were killed by her. What do you think I know?"

"In that case, I must ask, why were your men infiltrating my base? Do you think my base is without protection?"

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"It was a misunderstanding. Aren't your men troubled about how to cover up the deaths of those two people? Now that I'm here, I won't pursue the deaths, and I'm willing to compensate for my men's actions. But I hope you can hand over that woman to me. I can even sell you a batch of weapons at the original price."

"Oh?" Brother Qiang's dark eyes flashed with a sharp light as his mind raced. At this moment, he truly admired the woman's decisive decision. Otherwise, she would definitely have been betrayed by him. However, some of her information was obviously very valuable to this man.

"What is this woman's name?"

"What?" Cheng Cheng wore an expression of disbelief. "You don't know?"

"I only know her as Xiaoyan…."

Suddenly, Cheng Cheng laughed, unclear whether it was in admiration or disdain. "Wherever she goes, she causes trouble… her name is Hua Yan."

"Hua Yan… I can't give her to you, but I can tell you some of her personal information. I guarantee that if you know this, you can easily catch her." Brother Qiang had never heard of a woman named Hua Yan before, but for someone to have so many people after her, she was definitely not ordinary. He would have someone investigate later.

Cheng Cheng didn't speak, contemplating the credibility of Brother Qiang's words. "Give me a piece of information first. Let me see if it's worth it."

"And if it is?"

"If it's worth it, the conditions I offered still stand."

"Okay, she should be returning inland now."

"And?" To catch Hua Yan quickly, Cheng Cheng was willing to agree to the conditions offered earlier.

"She has amnesia and only knows she's from the mainland."

"Not bad." Cheng Cheng laughed. Although the information was limited, knowing she had amnesia sparked countless sinister plans in his mind. Manipulating an amnesiac, making her believe her enemies were her allies, leading her to harm those who loved her—when she finally regained her memory and realized she had been manipulated, what kind of expression would she have?

Brother Qiang saw the madness in Cheng Cheng's eyes clearly and realized that being targeted by such a person was terrifying. He didn't regret giving away Hua Yan's information. She was just a woman. Instead, his base would soon have new weapons, giving him more power.

Cheng Cheng asked a few more questions about minor details concerning Hua Yan. Brother Qiang didn't confirm that she had stayed at his base, so he only provided half-truths. He then led Cheng Cheng to see the bodies of his men.

When Cheng Cheng examined one of the wounds, he noticed the man's groin was black and purple, showing signs of being shattered. Cheng Cheng pointed and asked Brother Qiang, "What's this?" The chill in his voice was unmistakable.

Brother Qiang and Mazi were momentarily stunned, the next second holding back laughter. Seeing Cheng Cheng's displeasure, Brother Qiang explained, "To my knowledge, this is Hua Yan's killing move. My men have also suffered from it."

"This woman has become even more reckless after losing her memory. If that person finds out, what will happen?"

Before Brother Qiang could ask who Cheng Cheng was referring to, Cheng Cheng smiled slightly and said, "If you want to know, find out for yourself." Then, with hearty laughter, he said, "I'll be taking the bodies." With that, Cheng Cheng and his group left.

Mazi circled around Brother Qiang for a long time without seeing him give any orders. Curious, he asked, "Brother Qiang, aren't you going to have the brothers investigate this?"

"Are you that idle?"

"No, no," Mazi said, even more puzzled. Why had Brother Qiang suddenly lost interest in that woman's affairs?

In truth, Brother Qiang had simply realized that there were too many unknowns surrounding Hua Yan, and he wasn't ready to delve into them just yet.

"Then go and double the training regimen at the base."

Following this, not only did Cheng Cheng send people out like a net to search for Hua Yan, but Hu Fu, Hu Li, and the three departments also began their pursuit.

Suddenly, the upper and lower echelons of society were in swift motion. Meanwhile, Hua Yan continued to traverse the deep mountains in relative peace.

"What's going on lately? A lot of people seem to be searching for something," a group of raggedly dressed men in an alley were fervently discussing.

"Could it be some kind of treasure?"

"Seems like they're looking for a woman."

"Ha! If they're making such a fuss over a woman, I might as well believe it's the end of the world."

While they debated, a thin, disheveled woman crouched in a corner, her body wrapped in a long black coat, only her bloodshot eyes visible, a small smile playing at her lips.

After climbing mountains and crossing rivers, Hua Yan finally reached the most prosperous small city on the border. Though she wanted to continue on, she was exhausted to her limits. Unable to do more, Hua Yan stole a long coat from the outskirts to cover her ragged clothes and ventured into the city to gather information.

She discovered that many people had cast a wide net to search for her. She used some money to buy food and water and began mingling with the beggars and vagrants in the alleys, resting while gathering more information.

Hearing their conversations earlier had almost made Hua Yan laugh out loud. If the rumors continued to spread, people might start thinking she was some kind of deity.

She had rested for three days, but her body still felt extremely tired and sore. Though she wanted to leave, she couldn't manage it yet.

"Hey, mute, I had good luck today. Here's a chicken leg for you," one of the chatting men threw a plastic bag near Hua Yan.

She gave a thumbs-up and smiled, picking it up and eating without complaint.

To keep people from knowing she was a woman, she had been pretending to be mute. On her first night here, she had fought with these people after trespassing on their territory. They had tried to teach her a lesson.

But with just a tenth of her strength, Hua Yan had beaten them all. Since then, she had been warmly welcomed by this group. She slept during the day and at night roamed the area, picking through trash to maintain her cover. Occasionally, she helped these men fend off bullies. Despite not having a soft bed or clean, delicious food, she felt quite happy.

Whenever they called her "Little Mute," she felt a sense of peace, unlike the endless void she felt when she thought of the name Hua Yan, a name that brought nothing but confusion and darkness.

"Hey, Little Mute, how about I take you to the casino for some fun?" one of the men asked.

Hua Yan shook her head quickly, surprised.

"Don't corrupt Little Mute. It's healthier to take her to Red Sister's place," another joked, making everyone laugh heartily. Hua Yan rolled her eyes, pulled her collar tight, and closed her eyes, ignoring these playful men. Despite their antics, they were kind-hearted within their own limits.