The Playground Incident

Section 1: Playground Quel’Thalas

Lawson continued walking through Local Alley until he passed by a small playground.

He stopped.

“Ah, wondrous, playground Quel’Thalas. I haven’t been here since I was a boy.”

Beside the entrance stood a sign:

WELCOME TO PLAYGROUND QUEL’THALAS

As Lawson stared at the playground, his mind drifted back to nine years ago.

Back then, nine-year-old Lawson had been sitting alone on one of the swings, gently rocking back and forth with a small box of apple juice in his hand. Every now and then, he took another sip through the straw.

Near the entrance, two men stood by the fence, talking.

One of them was Colin, standing 175 centimeters tall. Dressed in a white shirt, dress pants, and leather shoes, he leaned loosely against the fence with his arms folded across his chest, looking completely relaxed.

Beside him stood Michael, the man with the golden-rimmed glasses. He was dressed just as formally in a white shirt, dress pants, and leather shoes, with his usual briefcase in one hand. Unlike Colin, however, Michael stood perfectly straight, his expression serious.

“Be wary, Boss. The Frugal Organization likely waits in ambush.”

“The Frugal Organization doesn’t concern me, Michael.”

“Don’t be too overconfident, Boss. They must not be taken lightly.”

Colin gave a faint smile.

“We shall see.”

Section 2: The Frugal Organization’s Ambush

Colin was still leaning against the fence, quietly humming to himself, when a figure suddenly came sprinting toward him at incredible speed.

In an instant, the blurred figure exploded forward.

A streak of white light flashed through the air.

Colin had no idea what had just happened. By the time he felt blood running down his neck, a sharp claw had already sliced through his skin.

Michael had never lowered his guard.

He swung his briefcase with both hands and smashed it straight into the attacker’s abdomen.

BANG!

The impact drove Michael backward and sent the attacker flying in the opposite direction. The figure flipped twice in the air before landing in the sandbox on both feet and one hand, with the other hand raised.

SHHHHHH—!

Sand erupted behind the attacker as the figure slid backward.

If Michael hadn’t intervened in time, Colin would have been decapitated.

As the dust settled, the attacker finally came into view.

It was a woman, barely over 160 centimeters tall.

She wore a traditional Chinese Zhongshan suit with the front left completely unbuttoned, revealing a floral-patterned bra underneath. Her dark hair fell just short of her shoulders, framing a face with sharp, almost beastlike features. Her narrow eyes were fixed coldly on Colin.

But the most striking feature was her hands.

Every finger ended in a long, razor-sharp nail, some nearly ten centimeters in length. One hand rested in the sand, while the other remained raised, its five long claws gleaming in the light.

Michael stared at her for a moment.

“Oh, Linda. I haven’t seen you in…” His expression immediately turned grim. “So you’re with the Frugal Organization now?”

Linda gave him a cold smile.

“That’s right. My sister and I both joined the Frugal Organization.”

She lifted her clawed hand and pointed directly at Colin.

“Today, I’m here to eliminate him. Without him, the Humble Organization will crumble into dust.”

Michael’s face tightened. He didn’t even look back.

“Boss, flee. Now.”

Colin remained against the fence behind him, one hand pressed against his bleeding neck. His face had gone pale. The attack had happened so quickly that he still seemed to be processing what had just happened.

“I don’t think I can beat her,” Michael continued. “I don’t know how long I can hold her off. Just go.”

He stepped forward, placing himself directly between Linda and Colin.

Still sitting on the swing, Lawson took another sip of his apple juice through the straw.

“Why is there so much dramatic talking?” he muttered. “Just fight already.”

Section 3: Linda vs. Michael

Michael hurled his briefcase like a flying disc.

Linda instantly dropped onto all fours. The briefcase flew over her head as she charged forward like a wild beast, her hands and feet tearing through the sand.

Michael rushed straight toward her.

They collided in the middle of the playground and began a vicious close-range fight. Fists and kicks flew back and forth, while Linda’s claws flashed through the air.

Michael blocked with his forearms and struck back whenever he found an opening, but Linda was too fast. Every time he pushed her back, she attacked again from another angle.

Within seconds, his white shirt had been torn open in several places. Long claw marks ran across his chest, arms, and shoulders, blood soaking into the fabric. Even his dress pants had been slashed along the thigh and calf.

Lawson leaned forward on his swing, still holding his apple juice.

“Oh, now we’re talking!”

Meanwhile, Colin remained beside the fence, pressing one hand against his wounded neck to slow the bleeding. His face was pale, but he kept taking slow, deep breaths to calm himself. His eyes never left the battlefield.

Michael knew he couldn’t defeat Linda in a direct fight. But he couldn’t retreat either. Colin was standing only a short distance behind him, still wounded.

He had to keep Linda occupied long enough for his boss to escape, no matter what.

Suddenly, Linda jumped backward, creating several meters of distance between them.

She glanced past Michael toward Colin.

Then she changed her target.

Section 4: Unwavering Loyalty

Linda suddenly rushed toward Colin, attempting to slip past Michael.

Michael immediately moved across her path, throwing his body between Linda and his boss.

Linda’s claws struck him directly in the chest.

SHHK!

Five razor-sharp nails pierced through his white shirt and sank into his left pectoral muscle.

For an ordinary man, those claws would have pierced straight through his chest and into his heart, killing him instantly. But Michael’s chest muscles were so thick and solid that the claws could only penetrate about one centimeter.

Blood began spreading across his shirt.

Michael clenched his teeth and held his ground.

Linda pulled her claws free and darted toward the opposite side, trying to get around him again.

But Michael was already there, blocking her path.

This time, Linda delivered a powerful kick straight into Michael’s chest.

The impact was so strong that the back of his white shirt burst apart.

Michael spat out a mouthful of blood, but he held his ground.

Before Linda could slip past him again, Michael stepped forward and forced her back into close combat.

The two exchanged punches, kicks, and claw strikes once again. Michael refused to give her any space. As long as they kept fighting at close range, Linda couldn’t easily slip past him to attack Colin.

But Michael was getting weaker.

His body was covered in wounds, and his movements were slowing. He knew that if the fight continued like this, he might not survive.

For Colin. And above all, for the Humble Organization.

He had already made his decision.

If protecting the organization meant sacrificing his life, so be it.

Lawson, meanwhile, was having the time of his life. To him, it was like watching a live-action movie right in front of him. Sitting on the swing with his apple juice in one hand, he raised his other fist excitedly.

“Oh, yeah! Bravo! Bravo!” he shouted. “Kick his ass, big sister!”

Michael narrowly avoided another slash across his throat.

“Damn,” he muttered. “I’m losing.”

Despite all his efforts, he was barely keeping up.

And yet, not even twenty seconds had passed.

Lawson watched Michael struggling against Linda and frowned. He took another sip of his apple juice, only for the straw to make a hollow slurping sound.

The box was empty.

He casually tossed it onto the ground beside the swing.

“Oh, is it ending already?” he muttered. “What am I supposed to do for the rest of the afternoon?”

Section 5: The Tide Turns

As Michael spat another mouthful of blood and struggled to hold his ground, Colin had already regained his composure.

Still pressing one hand against his wounded neck, he focused his mental power entirely on Linda.

Then Colin spoke, his voice calm and commanding.

A faint golden light began to glow from his mouth.

“Linda, you gave up the life of a fighter a long time ago. That is no longer who you are. You have chosen a different path. From this day forward, you will dedicate yourself to one goal: to become the greatest prostitute the world has ever known.”

The golden light around Colin’s mouth intensified as he poured an enormous amount of mental energy into his final words.

“DON’T YOU REMEMBER, LINDA?”

The words themselves burst into existence as blazing golden letters.

For an instant, the entire playground seemed to darken around them as the glowing words shot forward. They passed harmlessly through Michael’s body and slammed directly into Linda, vanishing inside her.

For another few seconds, Linda kept fighting as if nothing had happened, exchanging several more blows with Michael. The Golden Speech needed a moment to take hold, as the new memories, logic, and sense of identity settled into her mind and became her new reality.

Then Linda stopped.

Michael saw the opening immediately.

He stepped in and drove a full-force punch straight into her abdomen.

BANG!

Linda folded around his fist and shot backward like a cannonball, flying across the playground before smashing into a concrete wall dozens of meters away.

BOOM!

The impact cracked the wall behind her. Linda dropped heavily to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Lawson’s eyes went wide.

He was so stunned by what he had just witnessed that he slipped straight off the swing and crashed onto the ground.

“What the… What just happened?”

Michael turned around.

Colin was still leaning against the fence, one hand pressed against his wounded neck. But now, the enormous amount of mental energy consumed by his Golden Speech had taken its toll. Deep, dark circles had formed beneath his eyes, and his entire face looked drained of energy, as though he hadn’t slept for several days.

“Oh. Your Golden Speech is still as powerful as ever,” Michael said. “I completely forgot you had that move.”

Colin managed a faint smile and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Golden Techniques never fail.”

Still sitting on the ground beside the swing, Lawson heard every word. His eyes lit up.

“Golden Techniques…” he repeated quietly. “So that’s what it’s called. Damn… I wish I knew how to do that.”

Section 6: The Origin of the Legendary No. 1 Prostitute

Linda slowly pushed herself off the ground, one hand pressed against her abdomen.

She looked around the playground in complete confusion.

“What’s going on? Where am I?” She stared down at her clawed hands, then at Michael. “Why am I fighting here? I swore I’d never fight again. What the hell is going on?”

Michael simply stared at her, unsure what to say.

Lawson stared at her in confusion. Had she gone crazy? Lost her memory?

Or… could this be the power of the Golden Techniques they were talking about?

Colin pushed himself away from the fence and took a few unsteady steps forward. Michael immediately walked over and supported him by the arm.

Colin watched Linda for a moment.

“Hmm. Looks like now isn’t the time to conserve my mental energy. All right. I’ll just push it a little further.”

He pointed toward a nearby massage parlor called The Forbidden Garden. As he spoke again, a faint golden light glowed from his mouth.

“Linda. Now go back to work.”

The words emerged as glowing golden letters and shot toward Linda, disappearing into her body.

Linda looked toward The Forbidden Garden.

“Oh, yeah! I totally forgot I’m on my break. I better get back before I get fired.”

Without another word, she turned and hurried toward the massage parlor.

Lawson remained sprawled on the ground, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

“Unbelievable…”

Michael helped Colin away from the playground and supported him all the way back to the Humble Organization headquarters.

Section 7: The Ultimate Sacrifice

Later that day, inside a dimly lit office at the Humble Organization headquarters, Colin, Michael, and Brian sat around a table for an emergency meeting.

Colin was still visibly exhausted. Rewriting Linda’s memories, logic, and entire course of life had consumed an enormous amount of mental power.

“Starting today, I’m staying behind the scenes,” Colin said. “I’ll remain here at headquarters and operate from the shadows indefinitely.”

He paused for a moment.

“This is a strategic decision. As long as I remain hidden, neither of you will be easy targets. Anyone considering an attack against either of you will have to account for my existence. Even if the attack succeeds, my Golden Speech will ensure their eventual demise.”

He looked at Michael and Brian.

“I believe this arrangement is in the best interest of the organization.”

Michael frowned. “Boss, you’d be sacrificing so much of your own freedom. Do you really think it’s worth it?”

Colin looked at him calmly.

“My personal well-being is irrelevant when weighed against the future of the organization.”

Brian looked at him. “What about the massage parlors? The premium services?”

Colin remained completely calm.

“Don’t worry. There’s always in-call service.”