**Chapter 128: Test Subject, New World**
The pure white Room, the blue and white striped clothes, and the one-way mirror before her – everything felt overly familiar.
Zheng Duo En lay on the bed, her mind filled with scenes from the Organization Base Laboratory when she was a child.
Since she could remember, there was daily blood drawing and medicine. They, the Test Subjects, were confined to a Room every day, forced to fight each other. Only those who survived got food.
It wasn't just their own kind; sometimes large Wolfdogs that had been starved for days were released into the Room...
At six or seven years old, they had to fight these long-starved beasts with their bare hands, competing for food.
It seemed her past consisted of nothing but lying on cold experiment tables and killing.
No, that wasn't right, there was also her, that terrifying one.
Number One. She wondered how she was doing after escaping the Organization. She was truly envious! Zheng Duo En stroked the needle marks on her wrist, her mind filled with grey memories.
"Just like the Organization, another bunch of maggots who deserve to go to Hell!"
Turning her head, Zheng Duo En could vaguely sense someone observing her through the one-way mirror.
She raised her head, as if she could see the person behind the one-way mirror, and drew a finger across her neck in a provocative gesture, just like she had provoked Doctor Bai back then.
Although she had been locked up for three days for it, she didn't regret it.
People like them, who had undergone gene modification, didn't fear death.
Death was a form of release for them.
However, this time she couldn't figure it out. It was just a simple mission for the Organization, and the target was merely a Gang Boss.
Yet, she had been defeated by two Bodyguards who were just guarding the Gate.
Thinking of the two Bodyguards who transformed into tall Lizardmen, Zheng Duo En felt as if all her bones were faintly aching.
"Ah, ssi-bal!"
Zheng Duo En touched her side, those two monsters had broken at least three of her ribs.
Buzz! After a low-frequency vibration, the large mirror in front of Zheng Duo En suddenly became transparent glass.
Behind the glass stood a handsome man in a white suit, leaning on a cane, observing her with a scrutinizing look.
Standing beside him was that annoying Laboratory head.
Zheng Duo En suddenly jumped off the bed and lunged towards the mirror in front of her.
Just as her swinging fist was about to touch the bulletproof glass, the silver chain attached to her ankle reached its limit.
Clang!
"Ah, ssi-bal! Let me out if you dare! I'll definitely slaughter you bunch of bastards!"
Zheng Duo En squatted down, pulling hard at the chain on her ankle, glaring fiercely at Tang Song and grinding her teeth as she squeezed out a sentence.
"Gulp!" Professor Connors secretly glanced at the expression on Tang Song's face, genuinely sweating for Zheng Duo En.
He was terrified that she would also suddenly burst into a pool of blood! "You said she also underwent the transcription genetic experiment?"
Tang Song looked at the fierce, yet somewhat childish, gothic girl who resembled a savage young beast, then looked at Professor Connors beside him.
"Yes, Boss, we have tested her gene. From the test results, she should not be a naturally born human; she should be a clone.
Moreover, we have tested her, and the Test Subject possesses the ability to control objects with her mind!
The original body from which she was cloned should also possess this supernatural ability!"
Professor Connors answered Boss Tang's questions cautiously.
Unconsciously, his address for Boss Tang had also changed.
From calling him by his surname directly, it had become "Boss" now! "If I remember correctly, the Golden Gate Group is just a Yakuza organization in South Korea, a tiny little Area. Can they successfully conduct this kind of human modification experiment?"
Tang Song's words reached the Laboratory.
Zheng Duo En raised her head, a hint of mockery on her face, and said disdainfully:
"The Golden Gate Group, that piece of garbage. If the Organization didn't need them to provide research funds, I could flatten them myself!"
"Organization? What Organization are you?"
Tang Song stared at the girl's stubborn, disdainful eyes with interest.
Zheng Duo En was enraged by Tang Song's gaze, which felt like he was examining a cat or a dog. She suddenly lunged at the observation mirror, scratching fiercely towards his face with both hands.
Her two fair and tender hands flailed, only a few centimeters from the observation mirror glass.
However, the chain on her ankle yanked her back fiercely. From Tang Song's perspective, the gothic lolita with smoky eye makeup looked like she was flailing and scratching at the air.
"Tap! Tap!"
Tang Song tapped the glass twice with his finger, indulging in his perverse pleasure, and watched the girl's frantic expression, a rare hearty smile appearing on his face.
"Have someone look into this Organization later, and the Golden Gate Group. Has it been handled?"
Tang Song turned to Lane and asked.
"Sloan has gone to South Korea with two people from the Brotherhood of Assassins! They sent back information the day before yesterday, saying they have already killed the chairman of the Golden Gate Group!"
......
Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
The environment of a small country with a small population made even the capital seem a bit petty.
Beach shorts, a floral shirt, and a curly-haired middle-aged man wearing brown sunglasses strolled out of the Airport in a swaggering manner.
Behind him, two Subordinates in black suits followed closely, pulling two large suitcases.
"Welcome back!"
Several men in suits and ties, dressed impeccably, saw the middle-aged man, approached him, and bowed in unison.
This scene, and the uniformly dressed men in black suits, caused the crowd at the Airport to dodge and walk around them.
"Zi Cheng, how many times have I told you, you're still so stiff!"
Ding Qing hooked his finger down to adjust his sunglasses, looked at the Leader of the Subordinates, and put an arm around his shoulder.
"Big Brother, you've returned at just the right time. Chairman Shi is dead, and the Group is currently fighting fiercely over who will take over.
I have already contacted several Elders of the Group for you, and they have expressed their support for you!"
Li Zi Cheng's usually tense face was filled with helplessness towards his unreliable Leader.
However, he felt a sigh of relief in his heart. Chairman Shi was assassinated. During this time, the various forces within the Golden Gate Group were openly and secretly fighting. With Ding Qing absent, all the pressure fell on him, a mere director.
One must know that the complex relationships within the Golden Gate Group could be traced back to the 1970s and 80s.
That was also the golden period of South Korea's development. With the support of the Federation, the South Korean economy achieved rapid development.
However, the inadequate legal system failed to keep up with the pace of the economy, leading to widespread chaos and disorder in society.
Where sunlight could not reach, the dark forces spread like a virus at high speed.
South Korea was full of young men from society who spoke "Ah, ssi-bal!" wore floral shirts, and widely opened their collars to reveal the tattoos underneath.
Gunfights caused by fighting over territory happened almost every day.
And some overseas Chinese Gangs fully utilized the characteristic of Chinese people to band together when encountering danger.
Several overseas Chinese Gangs united and formed a Gang, the Northmoon Clan.
This was the branch of the Golden Gate Group that Ding Qing belonged to.
Without the changes of the era, Ding Qing and his group might have remained in the Yeosu Area, lording over it.
But by the late 1990s, South Korea underwent large-scale anti-gang crackdowns. After several rounds of crackdowns, the Gangs across the country fell into a slump.
To survive, many Organizations began to transform. Gangs across the country began to integrate and form companies.
The hooligans in floral shirts who swore constantly had become a thing of the past, evolving instead into something like the Yakuza organization across the sea in Japan, wearing black suits, white shirts, and ties.
They looked just like office workers.
Because the Northmoon Clan lacked roots in South Korea, it merged with several Gangs to form a group company, the Golden Gate Group, becoming a cross-regional national Gang.
The Golden Gate Group was internally divided into the Jaebum Faction, the Imperial Sun Faction, and the Northmoon Clan, based on the predecessors of the original Gangs.
The Jaebum Faction had the strongest influence, and thus its Leader became the chairman of the Golden Gate Group.
Even though Li Zi Cheng was from the Northmoon Clan, he had to admire Chairman Shi's methods and drive.
After the Golden Gate Group was established, he spent heavily to hire a dedicated legal department. Criminal behavior also changed from openly and brazenly committing crimes in broad daylight to doing so underground and behind the scenes.
The internal Organization was strict, with senior legal advisors. Coupled with the money obtained from crime that could be used for bribery, especially after the military government fell in 1994, when the high-pressure environment disappeared.
The Golden Gate Group ushered in another spring. The entire Organization had adopted a legal facade and no longer needed to hide in the shadows.
They could freely walk forward in the sunlight wearing suits, and had become one of the top gang organizations in South Korea.
However, the composition of the Golden Gate Group was extremely complex, consisting of Gangs from multiple regions. To maintain such a complex Organization with diverse components and nationalities, a strong leader was necessary.
Chairman Shi of the Golden Gate Group was such a person with power, influence, and ability. When he was around, he could balance the various forces within the gang.
But after he was assassinated.
The Golden Gate Group fell into a state of chaos. Several influential Big Brothers all wanted to be the Leader, naturally refusing to submit to each other.
In this chaotic situation, Li Zi Cheng was merely a director of the Golden Gate Group. With Ding Qing absent, he couldn't control the situation at all.
On the contrary, Ding Qing was not only the executive director of the Golden Gate Group—the Leader of the Northmoon Clan branch.
Although he was nominally only the third-ranked figure within the Group, he controlled the Group's main business. Chairman Shi had also always regarded him as a candidate for successor during his lifetime.
Escorted by seven or eight men in black suits, Ding Qing and Li Zi Cheng walked towards the Outside of the Airport. Outside the Airport, three black Hyundai cars had been waiting for a long time.
"So cool, Zi Yun, when do you think I can become an Important Figure like that, with people surrounding me!"
Looking at Ding Qing, who was surrounded by men in black suits, a girl who looked like a high school student standing by the roadside cast an envious look.
"Study hard, and when you get into Seoul University, you will definitely become an amazing person!"
The girl's best friend, the short-haired girl named Zi Yun, had a calmness in her eyes that didn't match her age. "Seoul University? Gu Zi Yun, do you think I'm like you?" The girl said dejectedly, "I can't hope for Seoul University. What do you think about me debuting as a star?"
Gu Zi Yun looked at her best friend in surprise: "A star? They have height requirements, right?"
The girl looked at her short legs and pouted angrily, "Gu Zi Yun!"
The two girls chased and played, Gu Zi Yun's gaze sweeping over the license plate number of the Hyundai car Ding Qing was sitting in.
...…
"Zi Cheng, this is the gift I prepared for you. I bought it at the Rolex store in Shanghai, a famous brand!"
Li Zi Cheng looked helplessly at the beautifully packaged watch box his Big Brother opened.
The glittering, obviously fake watch inside made him speechless.
How many times had this happened already? Every time he returned to the country, his unreliable Leader would bring back some counterfeit goods.
"No way, ah, ssi-bal, fake again!"
Ding Qing looked at Li Zi Cheng's helpless expression, picked up the bag in his hand, and smacked the Subordinate in the passenger seat.
"I told you to look carefully! It's a damn counterfeit again!"
The Subordinate had a look of helplessness and grievance, shrinking his neck, not daring to speak.
He wasn't Director Li; he had fought his way up with Big Brother since they were small-time hoodlums.
"Don't worry, Zi Cheng, when your sister-in-law gives birth to my big nephew, I will definitely prepare a generous gift for her!"
Ding Qing patted Li Zi Cheng's shoulder, making a promise.
Li Zi Cheng turned his head and looked out the car window, sighing.
"Big Brother, the situation within the Group is very bad right now. I received information that many people support Big Brother Zhong Jiu!"
"Hmm, Li Zhongjiu, he can't carry the Golden Gate Group!"
Ding Qing put a cigarette in his mouth, but before he could light it, Li Zi Cheng snatched it away and gave him a piece of candy instead.
Chewing on the candy, Ding Qing smoothed his curly hair in the rearview mirror.
"Zi Cheng, how did the chairman die?"
Li Zi Cheng's body stiffened, but he immediately relaxed and replied, "He was shot in the head from a long distance with a sniper rifle when he came out of the prosecutor's office!"
"Phew!" Ding Qing reached up and patted his forehead, sighing.
"I advised the chairman early on not to send people to New York, but he wouldn't listen!"
"Big Brother, do you mean it was done by an overseas influence?!"
Li Zi Cheng's heart trembled. Originally, he had planned to get rid of Chairman Shi with a car accident, but unexpectedly, before his car arrived, Chairman Shi was shot in the head.
The gruesome scene still made Li Zi Cheng's stomach churn when he thought about it now.
During this time, both the underworld and authorities in South Korea had been investigating the murderer of Chairman Shi. So many people had found no results, but looking at his Big Brother, he seemed to have guessed it long ago.
"Zi Cheng, besides Zhong Jiu vying for the chairman's position, who else is there?"
Although Li Zi Cheng was guessing which overseas influence his Big Brother was referring to, seeing that Ding Qing had no intention of telling him, he wisely didn't ask further.
"There's also Vice Chairman Zhang. There are whispers within the Group that he might take over!"
The corner of Ding Qing's mouth curled up, a hint of mockery in his smile: "The old fox can't hold back anymore, huh!"
"Big Brother, what should we do? Should we make some preparations!" Li Zi Cheng asked Ding Qing.
"Zi Cheng, the chairman's position isn't as easy as you think!"
Ding Qing patted Li Zi Cheng's shoulder meaningfully: "Wait a little longer, someone will come out to clean up this mess!"
......
Incheon Port, an ocean-going Cargo Ship slowly docked at the Harbour.
Eight backpackers disembarked from the Cargo Ship and blended into the crowd.
Leading them was a young man with a refined appearance, possessing the air of a noble young master.
......
Cheongnyangni, Seoul, a seventeen-story building.
A group of people waited in front of the building. Seeing the Hyundai car approach, a middle-aged police officer with a scruffy beard threw the cigarette butt in his mouth onto the ground, ground it out fiercely, and walked towards the convoy.
"Director Ding, I apologize for interrupting your enjoyment, but we may need you to come with us!"
He pulled out an identification, flashed it in front of Ding Qing, who had rolled down the car window, and then took out another cigarette and put it in his mouth.
"Ssi-bal, this is really trouble! Section Chief Jiang, you're really like a mad dog!" Ding Qing raised his eyebrow:
"What, I just got off the plane, you won't even let me eat a hot meal?"
"I've prepared Director Ding's favorite stone pot bibimbap at the police station! Just waiting for Director Ding to grace us with his presence!"
Section Chief Jiang smoked his cigarette, staring intently at Ding Qing with a pair of seemingly cloudy eyes.
Ding Qing looked at Section Chief Jiang, then suddenly laughed, clapped his hands, and said, "Since it's Section Chief Jiang's kind offer, I can hardly refuse. However, you should carefully consider the consequences of taking me to the police station!"
Section Chief Jiang smoked his cigarette, his eyebrows furrowed into a frown. As a section chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Department, he naturally understood the threat in the man's words.
But as the implementer of the "New World" plan, he also knew he had no retreat.
This was also the reason he rushed over immediately after receiving the intelligence about Ding Qing's return from Li Zi Cheng.
"Haha... Section Chief Jiang, I was just joking with you. This isn't our first time dealing with each other. We're all old friends. You're still the same as before, can't take a joke!"
Ding Qing leaned against the window, looking at Section Chief Jiang's serious expression, and suddenly burst into laughter, his face full of the playful mockery of a successful prank.
"Director Ding, you've had your joke. Our police car has been waiting for a long time! Get out of the car!"
Section Chief Jiang was stern-faced.
Ding Qing spread his hands: "You don't mind if I give some instructions to my Subordinates, do you? If I don't explain clearly, these little brats will turn everything upside down!"
Section Chief Jiang gestured to the Subordinate beside him, smoked his cigarette, and walked to the side, leaving Space for Ding Qing to speak.
Just as Ding Qing said, they had dealt with each other more than once or twice.
So Section Chief Jiang did not produce an arrest warrant for Ding Qing, nor did he give a reason for arresting Ding Qing.
Ding Qing also tacitly did not ask. He knew himself that if the Metropolitan Police Department really wanted to invite him in for a chat, they could easily collect a large amount of evidence.
After years of dealing with each other, there was more or less a tacit understanding between them.
This was also one of the reasons why Section Chief Jiang voluntarily stepped aside.
...
Inside the Hyundai car, Li Zi Cheng lowered his head and said to Ding Qing:
"Big Brother, I will have the people from the legal department get you out of the police station as soon as possible. It won't be longer than forty-eight hours at the latest!"
"No, have the people from the legal department find a way to keep me in there for half a month!"
Ding Qing patted Li Zi Cheng's shoulder: "Remember, keep a close eye on the movements Outside for me. Also, don't compete for the chairman's position. Let Zhong Jiu and the one surnamed Zhang fight for it!"
"Why, Big Brother? It's not like we don't have the strength!" Li Zi Cheng was a bit puzzled!
He didn't understand why his Big Brother wanted to go to jail cell. If he really didn't want to compete, wouldn't it be better not to come back from abroad?
Ding Qing looked at the brother who had followed him for many years, and after a moment of silence, said, "Zi Cheng, you should know that the Group's main business is in my hands right now, so I am very clear about the flow of funds within the Group!"
"All along, over forty percent of the Group's annual profit has flowed into unknown overseas accounts!"
Li Zi Cheng's look changed upon hearing Ding Qing's words: "Big Brother, could it be that Chairman Shi was secretly transferring the Group's assets during his lifetime!"
"If only it were that simple!" Ding Qing said with a bitter smile:
"The money transferred to these overseas accounts has been increasing over the years. From forty percent initially, it later rose to fifty percent,
And recently, sixty percent of the Group's annual profit has to be paid to these overseas accounts!"
"Later, I went to talk to the chairman..."
Li Zi Cheng held his breath, as if his heart had stopped at that moment. He vaguely felt that what his Big Brother was about to say would be a shocking secret.
"The real reason Chairman Shi was able to lead the Golden Gate Group to unify the Underworld of South Korea for so many years, besides his tough methods, is that he had someone backing him! Zi Cheng, do you still remember Zheng Tai Xian from the Seven Stars Gang?"
"I remember. He was said to be a powerful Mutant, and later accidentally drowned..."
Li Zi Cheng's words stopped.
"A Big Brother who could contend with Chairman Shi back then, and a powerful Mutant at that, died from accidentally drowning!"
Ding Qing put his arm around Li Zi Cheng's shoulder and lowered his voice:
"Remember, Zi Cheng, Chairman Shi is dead, they will definitely show themselves. You keep a close eye on the Outside for me..."
"Big Brother, since Chairman Shi had their support and could sit firmly in the chairman's position, why don't you..."
"How do you think Chairman Shi died? He was driven to his death!"
Ding Qing interrupted Li Zi Cheng without politeness:
"If it weren't for that group of people bleeding the Group dry like leeches, the chairman wouldn't have lacked money and tried to seize the smuggling business in New York, thus provoking that newly risen Crime Emperor!"
"Chairman Shi is dead, they will definitely show up, but whether it's good or bad, I can't say. I'm too passive abroad, but being locked up in the police station is just right. You keep a good watch for me Outside...
Do you understand what I mean!?"
"I understand! Big Brother!"
Ding Qing pushed open the car door, adjusted his shirt, and casually threw his sunglasses to Li Zi Cheng inside the car.
Li Zi Cheng caught the sunglasses Ding Qing threw to him, watched his back as he walked towards the police car, and felt his entire back soaked with sweat.
(end of chapter)