Bursting Tomato 12

The funeral was indeed lively—so lively, in fact, that it could only be described as a raucous carnival. It didn't feel like a funeral at all, but rather a welcome party.

Emphasizing merriment and jubilation, the songs were upbeat, and the dances were sultry. To this, Dongye He explained, "My father was always a free-spirited man who loved excitement. He didn't suffer when he passed, so this should be considered a happy funeral. A bit more festivity suits him well."

The smile nearly broke through as he spoke.

The venue was vast. Dongye He had rented an open-air plaza stage, performing from morning until night. The lights were a riot of colors—purple, green, blue, red—radiating sheer joy.

There were no seats. Yan Xianchuan stood listening for a while, then silently covered her ears.

She turned her head and stared at Lu Mingqiu without a word.

Lu Mingqiu: "...Let's go."

A little over a week after the funeral, an opportunity finally arose. Dongye He left Quhai Tower and headed to his private horse ranch.

The ranch was located in the northern suburbs of Night City, an enclosed piece of land covered with turf, where four horses were kept.

When Dongye He stepped out of the car, the ranch manager, who had been waiting nearby, hurried over with a face beaming like a flower. "Boss, good to see you! Would you like to take a look at Stephen? The little fellow's gotten fast now."

Dongye He nodded. "Sure, let's go. When was it born...?"

"Three days ago, boss," the manager quickly replied.

Dongye He's brow relaxed. "A double blessing indeed."

The ranch's security was sparse—there were even more staff than guards. Groomers, feeders, bathers, and turf keepers added up to over a dozen people, while the security detail numbered only eight, and they worked in shifts.

After all, who would attack a herd of horses?

Dongye He always traveled with four bodyguards and Oriole, but he was also considering recruiting an esper as an extra layer of insurance.

Still, he didn't think anyone would dare attack him. Small gangs lacked the strength and couldn't track him down; major terrorist organizations wouldn't act rashly.

If he died, the entire medical industry would descend into chaos overnight, causing severe social turmoil. In today's world, there were no true terrorists dedicated to wiping out humanity—everyone had their own interests.

Additionally, marrying an omega had to be put on the agenda. He had gone years without a spouse or offspring, mainly because the old man above him had always been breathing down his neck, and he had no freedom in anything he did. So he'd simply forgone it all.

With that thought, Dongye He sent a message to his secretary, Jin Zaishun, to search for a suitable candidate.

The moment Dongye He set off for the ranch, Hei Ge transmitted his location.

The ranch wasn't in the city and was quite remote—ideal for operations.

This time, the team consisted of Gold Ring and Silver Ring, Yan Xianchuan and Lu Mingqiu, as well as Hei Ge and Atmore. Over the past two weeks, Atmore had been bouncing around like a frog in hot water, making his presence thoroughly known.

As for Xiaolin's matter, Yan Xianchuan and the others hadn't gotten involved afterward. But Atmore had sent a photo of a man lying on the ground, with a bloodstained pair of scissors beside him. The face wasn't blurred—it was an ordinary Asian face with a thin mustache.

The caption read: "He got what he deserved."

Xiaolin had left Night City with a new set of ID documents. Atmore handled all the arrangements. Before she left, she made a point to visit the two of them, thank them, and give them presents, including a serving of fried chicken.

After personally avenging herself against that scumbag and having some time to recuperate, she looked much better—there was a sense of relief, as if she'd been reborn. When she handed over the fried chicken, she was a little shy, saying it was her best dish.

The fried chicken was delicious, which explained why Atmore kept muttering that other places just didn't measure up after she was gone.

There were six of them in total, and everyone except Atmore was an esper. Lu Mingqiu hadn't planned to bring him along, but he'd volunteered and strongly recommended himself.

If this operation succeeded, the Dongye family would be no more. The taste of personally avenging one's enemies was sweet, and Lu Mingqiu, considering that, along with no gap in the team's composition, thought the plan was foolproof and agreed.

On the drive to the ranch, Atmore was bursting with energy. "When this operation ends, will I become a full member?"

Yan Xianchuan thought he looked even happier than Dongye He.

"Yes," Lu Mingqiu said.

Atmore laced his fingers behind his head and lounged back in the seat. "Sometimes I feel like I'm the main character in a comic. Have you read those—like superhero comics?"

Gold Ring and Silver Ring shook their heads in the back. Lu Mingqiu drove, and only Yan Xianchuan replied with particular interest, "I've seen the movies!"

"Those superheroes—aren't they all tragic? Their dads die, their moms die, or their uncles, aunts, friends, lovers, or everyone dies. Then they hit rock bottom, gain special powers, want revenge, and eventually end up on the path of justice, fighting crime."

"Doesn't that sound exactly like me?" Atmore said enthusiastically. "Following that pattern, I should be in the third stage now—seizing the opportunity—and next comes personal revenge."

Yan Xianchuan mused, "It does fit."

Especially with his handsome face and those azure eyes that carried a hint of melancholy when not smiling, making him look at anyone with deep affection.

Almost as soon as Dongye He stepped out of the car, they arrived right behind him.

The ranch's network wasn't difficult to crack. Within minutes, Hei Ge hacked in and transmitted Dongye He's location and the guards' positions via surveillance.

The cybernetically enhanced bodyguard, Oriole, stayed glued to Dongye He's side, while the other bodyguards lagged behind. The dense crowd would spook his horses, so Dongye He had ordered them not to get too close.

The ranch's original security stayed in place.

The plan was simple: first, neutralize the people in the control room, then advance.

Given the security here, they didn't need so many people, but Lu Mingqiu always favored being thorough, so she'd brought everyone along.

The control room was in a small two-story building painted green; upstairs were the sleeping quarters, downstairs the work area.

Using the feed from Hei Ge, Gold Ring manipulated some blades to fly through the open window and slit their throats.

The cleaning staff they encountered along the way were knocked out by Lu Mingqiu, collapsing silently. They were just hardworking employees, no need to kill them all.

Soon, the group reached the ranch perimeter. Dongye He was personally adjusting the saddle and tightening the girth, with Oriole standing a short distance away, occasionally scanning left and right.

Then Oriole's gaze suddenly stopped on the building, locking directly onto their position. He waved the ranch manager over.

"We've been spotted," Lu Mingqiu said, her gaze sharpening as she read his lips—"Go check it out."

A dozen possibilities flashed through her mind, and the most likely one surfaced: Oriole was equipped with thermal imaging sensors.

Further concealment was useless, and besides, Dongye He only had five bodyguards who could fight; the other four or five were nothing.

"Go," Lu Mingqiu ordered.

Gold Ring ripped off a door panel and hoisted it in front of himself as a shield. The group behind him charged out. But Lu Mingqiu didn't follow; she stayed in the corridor, using the wall as cover. As the pursuing gunfire moved with the main force, she waited until there was some distance from the door, then slipped out and took out Oriole first.

With one glance, one encounter, Oriole was dead. His covering fire was gone, and the barrage thinned considerably. Lu Mingqiu then turned to the others. Two of them fell, leaving only two, blocked by pillars where she couldn't see them.

She didn't need to deal with those two. The moment Oriole fell, Atmore fired and killed one, and Yan Xianchuan got the other.

Then she looked over with a slightly stunned expression—she'd been keeping a close watch on that target, never expecting someone to steal her kill.

The whole thing happened so fast that Dongye He only had time to hit the ground. A few seconds later, the gunfire stopped. He peeked up and saw several helmeted figures running toward him.

His heart sank. They hadn't killed him outright, which meant they had a use for him. He got to his feet and raised both hands over his head.

Silver Ring gave him a shove. "Move. Into the building."

Dongye He staggered slightly, but kept his composure. "What do you want? We can talk about anything."

No one answered.

Before coming, Yan Xianchuan had been told repeatedly: no unnecessary words, no unnecessary actions. So even though she wanted to chat with him, she clamped her mouth shut.

They entered a room on the right side of the corridor—a storage closet. On the shelves were several bristle brushes, with hair care products on the bottom rack.

Dongye He stood in the middle of the room, back against the shelf, a flicker of panic in his eyes. He repeated, "You can ask for anything. We can negotiate on price."

Lu Mingqiu had no intention of debating ethics with the likes of him. Silver Ring grabbed his arm and tied him to the shelf. She stepped forward, raised both hands, and pressed her fingers to his temples.

Her invisible mental power flowed through her gaze and into his brain. Brainwashing was a laborious task—it required altering a person's cognition, overwriting their core logic, and sometimes crafting new memories.

Even after success, it wasn't foolproof. Lu Mingqiu needed to reinforce the conditioning at least once a month, and even then, there was risk of it wearing off.

Her ability leaned more toward killing than controlling. Otherwise, why not just brainwash every wealthy family and be done with it once and for all?

This would take some time. While everyone waited and stayed alert, Yan Xianchuan wandered over to the shelf and picked up a bottle of edible fur-enhancing supplement. The label read: "Smooth, Soft, Flowing—Beauty for Your Horse," with a picture of a black horse whose coat gleamed.

She unscrewed the cap and leaned in for a sniff. It smelled like freshly cut grass, rich and green.

Yan Xianchuan dipped a finger in the pale brown, viscous liquid and stared at it, bringing it closer and closer to her lips.

She stopped—not because she wanted to, but because Atmore grabbed her hand with a look that said, have you lost your mind?

Yan Xianchuan looked at him, raised the bottle a little, and asked, "Want a taste?"

Atmore: ?

So you think I'm here to compete with you for food?