1:00 a.m., Supaku Lane, City A ;

"How do you even know people in Country X's largest prostitution area, Xinghe?", Ashfakh Ali sighed, as he walked carefully behind the girl, who was now in her male alias.

"A woman has her needs, Ashfakh.", the girl turned around to wink at the man with her lips curled up in a cunning smile, "Just don't tell Yuan about this, okay?"

"Of course. It's embarrassing enough that I am here.", the man rolled his eyes, "I just want to get over with this."

"Come on. Cheer up. Look at the women here. Smokin' hot. Stunning. How could you not like it here?", Rong Xinghe laughed as she blew a kiss to one of the three women smoking cigarettes outside a small-old blue building, as she walked past them. The woman, subconsciously bit her lip, in return.

"Good god, Xinghe! Stop it. This is a straight-up betrayal to President Xi.", the man gasped as he noticed the platonic interaction between the two women, "I definitely sell you out if you cross the limit once more. Just do what you are supposed to do here. No flirting."

"Consider me warned.", the girl nodded, her expression serious, "Alright. We need to turn right at the end of this street. The oldest, shabbiest building there, should be our port of call."

"And what am I expected to do once we reach there?", Ashfakh Ali placed his question, as he eyed the girl beside him cautiously.

"What are we supposed to do in a Red light area? Pick a girl and follow her to her room.", the girl shrugged, "Now speed up, will you?!"

"..."

___________________

1:30 a.m., Rong Family Mansion ;

"Son! How did you even get out of that hellhole?", Gu Hong sobbed as she applied ointment against Rong Yufan's bleeding arm, "What happened there? What did that bi*ch do to you?"

"I didn't escape, Mom. ", the man gritted his teeth, "They let me leave. Apparently, I am not needed by the Army, for a while."

Since Rong Xinghe wasn't working on locating Ahmed Ali Fadhil on an urgent basis, she'd decided to release Rong Yufan for the time being. She was well aware of what lengths the Rong family could go to, for the sake of their prince, their heir, their brainsick psychotic son. And she didn't want any drama from their side while she tried to protect the thousands of innocents out there in her country. Naturally, the Military had confiscated Rong Yufan's passport, so that he couldn't leave the country, lest his presence was needed again.

"This is outrageous!", Rong Chang roared, "She is clearly using her position to bully the Rong family now. We should've had just strangled her to death when she was found alive after that train incident!"

"Calm down, dad.", Rong Yufan took a deep breath, "I will show her, her real place. That girl has no fear left in her eyes. I saw it when she was interrogating me. And I believe it's important, that I sow that very fear back, into her mind again. How can I let a good-for-nothing birdie such as her, to forget her original status? Just give me some time. I will strike back. And this time, it's not going to be her niece or nephew. This time, it will be much more frightening, much more fun."

"What are you thinking, boy?", the old man questioned bitterly, "Don't be reckless. And stay low for a while. Okay? We still need to understand more about those two men, the ones who took you away from here, earlier. The Florences. How could your hypnotism not work on them?! It doesn't make any sense. Your skills are exceptionally disconcerting."

"That is exactly what's been troubling me too, for the past few days, Dad.", Rong Yufan agreed, his face void of any specific expression, "Don't worry, you two. I will get to the bottom of it soon."

"Just get some rest first, Yufan.", Gu Hong caressed her son's hair tenderly, "You can do whatever you want from tomorrow, okay? Today, just sleep and let your body recuperate."

"As you wish, Mom.", the man smiled, for there was another ploy, another ruse, for him to fabricate.

______________

Meanwhile, Supaku Lane ;

As the two 'men' stood in the house of ill repute, waiting for the boss, the 'madame' to show up, they couldn't help but observe every discernible corner of the ramshackle cottage vigilantly. It was a two-floored space, with roughly ten to fifteen girls. At least, that was how many they'd seen. The ground floor was merely a front. With kids running around, and men mopping the floor, it almost looked like a normal lower-middle-class household.

The two floors above, though, was a whole another world! That was where the women, who'd been added to this business since, probably, the day they were born, satisfied and served their clients. Vivid, radiant lights and incredibly dulcet music, made it look like there were some festivities to look forward to. But then again, in brothels like these, such were the regular, normal days.

"Xinghe, who are we looking for here?", Ashfakh Ali questioned the girl in a whisper.

Clearing her throat, Rong Xinghe stressed her vocals to the necessary limit, before she spoke up in her male voice, "Call me Lu Xi! Does my outfit or make-up look like that of a woman?"

"Sorry.", the man scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "But seriously... what's happening?"

The girl was about to reply when a woman, followed by five other women, all dressed up in seductive clothes, walked in, into the room, "Mr. Lu! What a rare occasion?", the thirty-year-old woman clasped her hands against her chest, as she stared at Rong Xinghe dreamily, "For you, I've presented the fresh batch of chicks, as usual."

"Only you care about me, Madame Sato.", the 'man' smirked, "But tonight, I want to have the best I've ever had. I really need to blow off some steam. Where is that girl... um... Ruby?"

"Lord... about that. I...", Madame Sato gulped nervously, "She is pregnant. I am afraid... she won't be able to fulfill your dark desires."

"She is?", Lu Xi raised his brows, stunned. After putting on a show of considering something, the girl pulled out a bundle of 30,000 RMB, as she looked at Madame Sato, determined, "I still want her.", he commanded, "Same room. Two hours."

"Young Master Lu... I can't."

"I won't be rough, Madame.", the 'man' promised assuringly, "You have my word."

With that being said, Ashfakh Ali was officially rendered speechless. This had to reach Xi Yuan's ears, at any damned cost, he firmly resolved.