Chapter 055: Dark Web Mercenaries, Tianyao Biotech Company

Song Kai glanced at Okamoto Jiro.

Okamoto Jiro stood there with utter disdain.

Suddenly, Song Kai moved—his fist shot out like the wind, aiming straight for Okamoto Jiro’s neck.

Okamoto blocked the blow with a swift karate move.

But Song Kai, in a sudden burst, summoned the Nine Thunder inner energy from within, twisted his fist, and with a resounding thud, struck Okamoto Jiro’s shoulder.

The force sent Okamoto flying, landing heavily on the ground.

Song Kai jumped over and pointed his pistol at Okamoto’s mouth.

“Stop!” Danlina shouted at Song Kai.

Song Kai laughed lightly, twirled his pistol a few times, and tossed it to Danlina. Smiling, he said, “Relax, I was merely testing your captain’s abilities. Frankly, I must admit, he’s a bit lacking. Well, it doesn’t matter—I never expected you all to be much help anyway.”

As he spoke, Song Kai kept his eyes fixed on Okamoto Jiro.

Okamoto’s face was flushed deep red; he was a Japanese who looked down on the Chinese with extreme prejudice. Yet, he hadn’t even lasted two moves!

Okamoto glared at Song Kai, his hand creeping toward his holstered pistol.

Song Kai looked back at him and said, “Oh, don’t be angry. I simply wanted to show you, Mr. Okamoto, that before you threaten someone, you should first ensure you’re stronger than them. I’ll let your act of abducting my woman slide this time, but next time—whether you’re testing or threatening me—it’ll turn into a real mess. Unless you kill me, I’ll kill you. And as you’ve seen, I have the power to do so.”

Okamoto clenched his teeth.

Danlina quickly stepped between Okamoto Jiro and Song Kai, smiling at Song Kai as she said, “Mr. Song, I apologize for what happened earlier. Our team acted rashly. We’ll return your beautiful girlfriend safely now, if that’s agreeable to you?”

Song Kai nodded, “Fine. In our country, teamwork is built on trust, not threats. I hope you all understand that.”

“Yes, I… will learn from this and do better!” Danlina responded immediately.

Song Kai shook his head, correcting her, “The proper phrase is ‘let this not happen again.’ That’s a Chinese idiom you… never mind, forget I said anything.”

Danlina laughed, then signaled upstairs, saying, “Escort the lady back and treat her well.”

“Yes.”

Xu Ling had stood calmly throughout; now, as she was about to leave, she glanced at Song Kai in confusion.

Song Kai said quickly, “Go ahead, Xu Ling. Don’t worry about me—I just have a few things to discuss with them. Oh, and remember to tell the finance department about the ten million. I’ll pick up the money this afternoon.”

Xu Ling rolled her eyes and got into the car, driving away.

Okamoto Jiro snorted coldly and said, “Danlina, from now on, you’re in charge of dealing with this punk. I’m leaving.”

“Yes, Captain.” Danlina nodded.

Okamoto Jiro, face dark, strode upstairs. As he reached the stairs, he could no longer contain himself; his expression twisted in pain, and he hurried up to his room.

He removed his shirt and saw that his shoulder had swollen up, looking like a chunk of braised meat.

“Damn it, what tremendous strength!” Okamoto’s facial muscles tensed. “My master was right—karate works wonders in other countries, but not here. In this land, only guns and money matter…”

…

Downstairs, Danlina watched Okamoto Jiro leave and let out a small sigh of relief. She turned to Song Kai, saying, “You two really are destined rivals—where there are foes, there’s a reunion, as the saying goes…”

“Stop!”

Song Kai’s face was dark with exasperation. “I beg you, Danlina, could you please improve your Chinese? ‘Rivals’ and ‘little rivals’ aren’t the same thing… Heaven help me. Anyway, just get to the point. It’s clear your captain dislikes me; he probably hates me by now. I’d better leave soon.”

Danlina led Song Kai toward a room, speaking as they walked. “Mr. Song, you really are impressive. Captain Okamoto is the best fighter in our thirty-person squad, yet you managed to defeat him.”

Song Kai shrugged. “You rely on guns. If it comes down to martial arts, you lot simply can’t compete.”

Danlina smiled and said nothing.

Song Kai understood that Okamoto truly had skill. Although they’d only exchanged a few moves, Okamoto Jiro’s karate was clearly well-practiced. To call him a grandmaster would be an exaggeration, but he’d certainly reached the level of a minor master.

However, Okamoto’s opponent was Song Kai.

Despite his youth, Song Kai had studied martial arts in the Quanzhen Sect for over twenty years—and not just any skills, but the most authentic methods. In the Yuan dynasty, when hot weapons were nonexistent, brute force ruled, and martial arts enjoyed their most glorious era.

Song Kai had trained on the mountain from dawn to dusk, from childhood to middle age.

Such dedication and toil were beyond what people nowadays could imagine.

So, despite Okamoto’s formidable karate, in Song Kai’s eyes, he was merely a stronger rookie. What’s more, Song Kai possessed the Nine Thunder inner energy, which gave him explosive power.

Naturally, Song Kai wouldn’t explain all this. He followed Danlina into a room.

Inside, aside from a few computers, there was no one else.

Danlina said, “Mr. Song, before I begin explaining, I want you to know: everything I’m about to say is confidential. You must not reveal it.”

“Alright.”

Danlina turned on a computer, quickly logged in, and navigated through countless pages and links with astonishing speed.

She said, “You’ve heard of the Dark Web, haven’t you?”

“Yes. Last time, my computer was infected, and the ransom could only be paid in bitcoin. One of our CCTV reporters even covered a story about the Dark Web. Is this related to my parents’ deaths?” Song Kai asked.

Danlina was clearly an expert hacker. She logged in, switched screens rapidly, typed several strings of code, and finally the page stabilized.

It was an all-English website. Although Song Kai couldn’t speak English, he could read it.

It was an information post seeking a liver—a reward of one thousand bitcoins, requesting a liver with matching blood type, antigens, and serum heparin levels. All the necessary criteria were listed.

If these indicators matched, a perfect transplant could be performed.

Most people believe matching blood type suffices for transfusions and organ transplants. In reality, there are numerous factors to consider. The better the match, the more likely the organ will survive post-transplant. Poor matches can result in severe rejection, lifelong medication, and widespread inflammatory responses.

Song Kai frowned as he read.

Danlina said, “At today’s rate, one bitcoin is worth about twenty thousand yuan—so this is a twenty-million-yuan transaction. The buyer wants a liver like this.”

Song Kai narrowed his eyes. “Could it be… my father’s organ was coveted, and that’s why he disappeared?”

“No, no, Mr. Song.” Danlina looked him in the eye. “Many illegal transactions occur on the Dark Web. What I’ve shown you is just one—a very minor deal. Every year, millions of people go missing worldwide, becoming commodities in the Dark Web trade. If your father were just another commodity, we wouldn’t have contacted you.”

“What are you getting at?” Song Kai frowned at Danlina. “Do you think my father spent money to buy these things—to engage in illegal deals?”

Danlina typed swiftly on the keyboard, and soon a company appeared on the screen: Tianyao Biotech.

Then, another window popped up, showing a single photo and a name.

The name was Ding Zhe.

“Ding Zhe? My father’s business partner?” Song Kai was utterly stunned.

“Oh? You know him?” Danlina was surprised. “This person’s identity is extremely well-hidden. He doesn’t use this name in your country. How did you learn about him?”

“A friend told me. She said my father’s death might be connected to Ding Zhe, but she couldn’t uncover more.” Song Kai explained. This name had indeed been given to him earlier by Wu Hongying.

That was on the second night after the knife master’s assassination attempt, when Wu Hongying mentioned it. But Song Kai felt it was too dangerous and asked her to stop investigating.

Danlina said, “Oh, in that case, your friend is quite remarkable. Anyone able to uncover information about Ding Zhe is no ordinary person.”

Song Kai thought for a moment and asked, “My father and Ding Zhe were partners, and Ding Zhe’s Tianyao Biotech is connected to the Dark Web?”

“Exactly. Tianyao Biotech is deeply involved. It’s one of countless mercenary companies operating on the Dark Web!” Danlina said.

She sighed softly. “In the Dark Web, those who accept and execute assignments—individuals or companies—are known as Dark Web mercenaries…”