"The Underworld."

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"A hitman?" Silver Fox looked at Hua Bumíng in fear. A hitman with skills like that—who in the world could stop him?

"That's right. So you'd better answer my questions honestly," Hua Bumíng threatened.

Silver Fox nodded seriously. "Alright. What do you want to know?"

"How do I get in touch with a hitman organization or guild?"

That first question totally caught Silver Fox off guard. Aren't you a hitman? Why would you ask me that?

Noticing her confusion, Hua Bumíng added, "I got hurt recently… lost some of my memory."

Since there was no need for lies, Silver Fox believed him without much doubt.

To regular folks, assassin organizations were shrouded in mystery. But anyone with a bit of underground connection could figure out how to reach them—especially someone like her, who had been dancing on the edge of the law for years.

As Silver Fox explained how to access the hitman guild, Hua Bumíng didn't question it one bit. The method was nearly identical to what he had used in his previous life. On the surface, it looked like an ordinary shopping website. But if you logged in a certain way, it turned into the world of assassins.

The first big problem he faced was now solved. Once you found your way into the killer's network, things got a lot easier.

Seeing that Silver Fox was still visibly shaken, Hua Bumíng got straight to the point. "Relax. I'm not gonna kill you. How much money do you have on you?"

After a moment's thought, he added, "I mean real money."

"I've got 300,000 yen in cash. The rest—around 20 million—is in my account," Silver Fox answered honestly, not daring to hide anything.

Hua Bumíng unblocked her pressure points and said, "Alright. Hand over all the cash and you're free to go."

Silver Fox was stunned. That's it? He's letting me go just like that?

"What's wrong? Don't wanna leave?" Hua Bumíng asked when she hesitated.

At his reminder, she quickly handed over every bit of her cash, then bowed deeply to him. "Thank you!" Only after that did she turn and leave.

Hua Bumíng chuckled and shook his head. I robbed her, and she's thanking me. Unbelievable…

Half an hour later, Hua Bumíng was back at Professor Agasa's house. The door was answered by the professor himself.

"Bumíng, what took you so long? Ai and the others came back a while ago!"

The others? Hua Bumíng walked in while replying, "Had something to deal with, so I went somewhere else."

It wasn't until he reached the living room that he realized Conan was there too. He was sitting on the couch with Ai, deep in conversation. Judging by that, he probably already knew Ai's true identity.

The moment Conan saw Hua Bumíng, his expression darkened. "What did you do to that woman—Silver Fox?"

Hua Bumíng glanced at Ai. Figures. This girl must've spilled the truth. There were only two reasons Conan would ask that: one, he knew Hua Bumíng wasn't just some regular guy, and two, he knew Hua Bumíng had taken Silver Fox.

Ai shrugged helplessly, looking apologetic. "Sorry, Bumíng. Stuff like jumping from the third floor might fool little kids, but Kudo's not that easy to trick…"

"Fair enough," Hua Bumíng replied casually, digging in his ear. "I let her go."

"You what?" Conan shot up from the couch, yelling, "You let her go?! Do you even realize who she is? That woman's Silver Fox—a repeat offender who makes counterfeit money! Why the hell didn't you turn her over to the cops?"

"I know who she is," Hua Bumíng replied calmly. "But she's not part of that organization you're after. So even if you arrest her, it's pointless. That's why I let her go."

His tone was still as chill as ever, like it didn't bother him at all.

"....."