The Tangled Fates

"My code name's Ghost Leopard. I'll be your training officer for the next three months, and you'll remember that name for the rest of your lives!"

"This is Zone 25. Here, you all have just one name-Rookies!"

Somewhere in the South Pacific, on a tropical island.

Under the blazing sun, a young woman in camo gear stood before a group of massive guys, all nearly six-foot-three and dressed in matching uniforms. She held a shiny black whip, her uniform not hiding the slender shape of her waist, her belt accentuating a figure that looked almost delicate. Her face was streaked with camo paint, but her sharp features still peeked through.

"Report, instructor!"

"Speak!"

A local soldier, struggling with his English, said to the girl, "We can't understand what you're saying. Please speak in the local language!"

Juliet Black couldn't help but laugh out loud. With a sly look in her eyes, she motioned for the rookie to come closer.

"Come over here," she said, curling her finger at him.

The rookie, still confused, took a big step forward.

"Miss, though it's Death God International Mercenary Training Base, we're all local guys. Please use the local language!"

As soon as he finished, Juliet whipped out her whip, swinging it straight toward him. He was quick, dodging just in time, but he didn't expect her follow-up-a kick that sent him flying into the dirt, stirring up a cloud of dust. She walked over, pressing her heavy black boot squarely against his chest.

"Didn't understand me, huh?"

"You..."

"Out here, no one's going to reason with you. There's no law, no rights-only strength matters!"

Juliet scanned the crowd.

"And because my fists are stronger than yours, I suggest that each of you use your off-time to pick up some English, so you won't end up dead just because you didn't understand what I said."

With that, she kicked the rookie aside, smirking lazily.

"Now, you. Translate what I just said into your 'local language.'" Her tone was dripping with sarcasm.

A bunch of rookies, a bunch of weaklings! And they dared to think they deserved her speaking their language? She knew exactly what this was about-these guys were top soldiers, trained in multiple languages, just looking for an excuse to challenge her.

The rookie clutched his cracked ribs and struggled to his feet, painfully translating her words. The rest looked spooked, none daring to speak again.

The base's mortality rate allowed for up to twenty-five percent. That meant out of the forty of them, she could shoot ten of them at random, and it'd still be considered within acceptable limits. As long as they wanted to live, none of them would dare mess with her.

Juliet glanced at their faces and felt satisfied. She leaned back on a lounge chair, a large umbrella shading her.

"Now, let's start your first lesson: sunbathing! I love the equatorial sun, and I'm sure you'll feel Zone 25's burning passion too..."

Before she finished, a shrill alarm blared. Juliet's expression shifted immediately. Forgetting the forty rookies in front of her, she sprang up.

"Stay put! No one moves!" And with that, she took off toward the base headquarters.

The base held a treasure trove of top-secret files, and though someone tried to break in nearly every month, no one had ever tripped the base's alarms.

The intruder this time had to be an expert!

Before Juliet even reached headquarters, she saw a figure drop down from the three-meter-high concrete wall surrounding it. The person was a man, judging by his build, dressed in all-black casual wear, with a mask and hat hiding his face.

The base's snipers fired a few shots, but every single one missed. Some instructors tried to intercept him, but he turned and shot two of them down effortlessly.

"Useless! Give me the rifle!" Juliet's face darkened as she kicked over the sniper behind the cover at the entrance, taking up his position herself. She lay low behind the barrier, squinting as she measured the right moment to shoot.

But the man seemed to sense her presence; he turned and glanced in her direction.

Through the scope, Juliet saw his eyes-a pair of extremely beautiful and cold amber eyes.

At that moment, she pulled the trigger. With a dull bang, blood bloomed across his back, and the impact of the bullet shoved him off the cliff's edge, where he fell into the sea below.

Juliet finally exhaled in relief and turned to the instructor beside her.

"Go. Bring him back."

She wanted to see just who this guy was-someone bold enough and skilled enough to break into the base!

******

Half an hour later, in the Zone 25 Chief Instructor's Office at HQ.

A few instructors entered, looking anxious.

"Miss Juliet, we... didn't find him."

"What?" Juliet frowned and set down the shell casing she'd been fidgeting with.

It was from a dum-dum round, the tip completely shattered. With a hit like that, if he wasn't killed outright, he should've at least been immobilized on the spot. How could they not find him?

One of the instructors spoke up, head down. "He must have had someone waiting to pick him up."

Juliet took a deep breath, trying to rein in her frustration. She knew it-anyone skilled enough to infiltrate HQ would've come well-prepared.

"What did he take?" She knew the intruder had probably already grabbed what he came for before escaping.

"It was the SSS-level AN140618 file."

HQ's files were coded by location and date: A for Country A, and N for City N, followed by the year, month, and day. The file was about the 618 bombing case!

Juliet's eyes narrowed, a fierce gleam in them. She had to get that file back before they managed to crack its encryption.

"Ghost Tiger's back tomorrow. Have him take over those rookies in Zone 25. I'm heading to Country A."

"Country A?" The instructor gaped at her, stunned.

Everyone knew Country A was off-limits to international mercenaries and agents. Even the best fighters couldn't stand up to its strict enforcement.

Just two years ago, Ghost Tiger, the 19th Zone's head and a top-five assassin globally, had been detained there for two weeks-just for a DUI.

"What are you thinking?" Juliet's expression had softened by now. She pulled an old driver's license out of her drawer. Four years validity-still had six months left.

She gave a little snort.

"I'm a lawful citizen, flying in on a commercial flight. Problem with that?"

Instructor, "Uh... no problem at all."

Juliet leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing slowly, as if she were recalling memories buried long ago.

"Besides," she murmured, "I have a few relatives over in Country A..."

The next day, at City N Airport, Juliet sat on a public bench, while engrossed in a game on her phone. She looked like an ordinary schoolgirl in her T-shirt and jeans, her long hair tied back in a ponytail.

Without the camouflage, her striking features were fully on display, drawing quite a few curious glances.

"Juliet?" A middle-aged man in a suit rushed over, his expression dark. "Didn't I tell you to stay abroad? What are you doing back here? You can't be serious about-"

"Shut up!" Juliet interrupted him, lowering her head again, her tone icy. "Wait until I finish this."

"You-!"

Bowen Black glared at her, his anger boiling over. "Look at you! After all these years studying abroad, you've turned into a mess?!"

Victory!

The game's victory sound chimed in, and Juliet slowly tucked her phone away, acting as if she hadn't heard a word he just said. "Just dealing with a few things, I'll stay home for a few days."

"You know how Eileen is-"

"I said I'm staying home for a few days. Do you not understand?" Juliet scoffed, grabbing her suitcase and heading for the exit. "I don't care what happens with Eileen. I'm going home, and you can pretend I don't exist."

She didn't have to reunite with her so-called family. All she needed was a reasonable and perfect identity to remain in City N, nothing more.

"Because of you, Eileen's been seeing a psychologist for years. She's finally stabilized, and you can't stay at our house!"

At that, Juliet stopped, narrowing her eyes with a smile. "I'll give you some face and call you 'Dad,' but if you say one more word, I'll KILL Eileen. Got it?"

Remembering Juliet's past actions, Bowen's lips trembled, and he couldn't find the words to respond.

Juliet didn't care; she continued walking out.

She had been kidnapped as a child, spent time as a child soldier in a war-torn country, and fought in underground boHughg rings. At ten, a coach at the boHughg arena saw her potential and took her in, leading her to become the chief instructor at the international mercenary training base in Zone 25.

Four years ago, when she was fourteen, she uncovered the truth about her origins. Driven by a yearning for family, she eagerly returned home, only to find that two years after her kidnapping, her parents had found a girl who looked like her, raised her, and believed her to be their biological daughter.

Years of affection had far surpassed any notion of blood ties. This family didn't need her; her parents didn't need her.

As for Eileen...

Juliet had tried that four years ago. No matter how delicate and innocent an angelic bitch might seem, it couldn't withstand the force of her kick.

A black Porsche pulled up in one of City N's upscale neighborhoods. Juliet got out, walked to the back, grabbed her suitcase, and confidently headed toward a cream-colored villa.

Bowen followed behind, suppressing his anger, and putting on a facade of concern. "Juliet, when you see Eileen, don't scare her. You don't know-after you hit her back then, she's had serious psychological issues and even suicidal tendencies..."

"Stop! Don't talk to me about this." Juliet shot him a sideways glance. "If someone's scared, they should keep their head down. Don't you get that?"

Eileen's depression and thoughts of suicide? She probably just wanted to keep her status as the Black family's daughter.

The Black family's wealth was nothing compared to her salary at the training base. Who cared about being the Black family's daughter?!

"YOU!"

"What about me?" Juliet sneered. "If I hit her, she better just take it. Otherwise, if she makes a fuss, everyone in City N will know she's a fake! Don't forget, when Grandpa passed away, he made a will, and I'm the rightful heir to the Black family. She, Eileen, is nothing!"

Just as she finished, a girl in a white dress with long hair hurried down the stairs.

"Dad, you're back so early..."

But when she saw Juliet sitting on the couch, Eileen froze, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Juliet?!"

Her voice was laced with both fear and hatred. She stared at Juliet, her fingers trembling involuntarily. She remembered four years ago when Juliet returned with short hair, looking boyish yet surprisingly beautiful, her eyes shining fiercely.

Four years later, Juliet was even more stunning, but her gaze was even more unsettling.

Eileen glanced nervously at Bowen, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Uh..." Bowen quickly said, "Eileen, Juliet's just staying for a couple of days, she'll leave soon. Don't mind it."

As soon as he said that, Juliet casually added, "Oh? Sister, nice dental work you got there. Looks pretty real."

Eileen shivered again. She looked down, hiding the waves of hatred in her eyes.

Once, Juliet had smiled at her like that, calling her "Sister," only to kick her down the stairs and bang her head on the ground again and again. That had been the closest she ever got to death.

"Juliet!"

Seeing Bowen's rage building, Juliet shrugged.

"Fine, I won't say anything. I'm still staying in that room upstairs; just clean it up before I get back."

"You're leaving?" Bowen frowned deeply.

Juliet replied lightly, "Just going out to get some air. Wouldn't want Sister to see me and worsen her condition."

She emphasized "worsen her condition" with a mocking tone before standing up and walking out.

Once outside, Juliet pulled out her phone, answered a call, and spoke lazily. "Spill it."

"Leopard, you made it to City N?"

Juliet's code name was Ghost Leopard, but only those very close to her called her Leopard.

"What? You got a problem with that?"

"No, it's just that I'm in City N too." The voice on the other end sounded excited. "I flew in from S City overnight, and you won't believe the crazy patient I saw..."

Juliet wasn't interested in his chatter but responded anyway. "Go on."

"So this guy got hit by a Dum-Dum bullet in peacetime, when they're banned worldwide! His bulletproof vest got torn apart, shrapnel pierced his lung and hit his spine, leaking spinal fluid. He was almost paralyzed. I spent eight hours in surgery just to save him..."

"What did you say?!"

"What's wrong?"

The person on the other end sounded confused. "Just that a guy got hit by a Dum-Dum bullet..."

Juliet's temples throbbed as she gritted her teeth. "Now guess where he probably got hit in peacetime, when Dum-Dum bullets are banned everywhere?"

"Wait, what?"

"I came to City N to find him! Is he still there with you?"

"Uh... he already left..."

Juliet's face darkened. "Send me the address. I'm on my way!"

After hanging up the phone, Juliet walked inside. Seeing Bowen still standing there, she reached out her hand.

"I need to go out. Give me the car keys."

Bowen had been trying to comfort a tearful Eileen, but at Juliet's words, his expression soured even more.

"You've been abroad this whole time. Now that you're back, what could possibly be so urgent?"

"Dad, it's none of your business. Why are you being so nosy?"

"I've supported you all these years while you were overseas..."

"Stop patting yourself on the back!" Juliet interrupted him with a scoff. "You supported me? That was all Grandpa's money. You haven't even given me my share of the stock dividends over the years. How can you say that with a straight face?"

With that, she snatched the car keys from Bowen's hand and started to head out. But then she paused, walked over to Eileen, and gently patted her cheek, smiling as she said, "Sister, make sure to clean up my room, okay?"

Eileen's lips trembled as she nodded vigorously.

Juliet chuckled softly. "And we're not kids anymore. While I'm staying at home, I hope you won't pull any of those low-class tricks like you did four years ago, got it?"

"Y-yes... I understand..."

Eileen was on the verge of tears, and Bowen's eyes were practically blazing with anger at Juliet.

But Juliet didn't care, clutching the car keys as she walked out the door.

With a loud "bang," she slammed the front door shut. That's when Eileen could no longer hold it in, tears streaming down her face.

"Dad, did I do something wrong? Why does she hate me so much? It was like this four years ago, and now... it's still like this. Maybe I should just leave..."

"Eileen, don't think like that. You're the only daughter your mom and I have. She won't be staying long."

Eileen collapsed on the couch, covering her face as she cried, while Bowen sat down next to her, trying to comfort her.

"That bag girl is eighteen now. Your grandpa's will stated that eighteen percent of the company shares would be transferred to her once she came of age. She's back now, probably to claim those shares! Once she gets them, she'll be out of here."

"Dad?" Eileen suddenly looked up, her face filled with distress. "Are you really going to give her eighteen percent of the company shares?"

When she was six, Old Mr. Black had insisted on a DNA test, which revealed that she wasn't the real daughter of the Black family. Since then, she had tried her best to please everyone in the Black family to stay.

She thought Old Mr. Black would just forget about his real granddaughter and that Juliet would never come back...

Not only had Juliet returned, but Old Mr. Black had left her all his shares!

If this got out, she'd be the biggest joke in all of City N!

"There's nothing I can do. His will was notarized, and there's a copy with Juliet..." Bowen gritted his teeth. "But don't worry. That bag girl doesn't know anything. I'll find a way to make her give up her claim to the inheritance!"

Eileen felt a bit of relief at that, her eyes still watery as she said, "Dad, I don't want the Black family's stuff. I just feel... the company is Grandpa and your hard work..."

"You don't need to say more. I understand you, Eileen. You're the true daughter of the Black family. That embarrassing bag girl doesn't deserve it at all!"

Eileen sniffled, a glint of calculation flashing in her eyes.

"Thank you, Dad..."

******

A Porsche pulled up in front of a private hospital in City N. The entrance looked eerily quiet, not even a sign to be seen.

As soon as Juliet stepped inside, a man in a white lab coat rushed out and nearly collided with her.

She sidestepped quickly and grabbed him by the back of his collar, yanking him back. "Where is he?"

David paused for a second, then quickly realized who she was. "Leopard, you got here fast!"

"Cut the chatter! Where is he?"

"He left." David rubbed his nose, sounding a bit helpless. "I didn't know he was the guy you were after."

David was mixed race, with striking gray-blue eyes and light brown hair. He was naturally gifted in looks.

He was the medic at the base and had the lowest combat skills among everyone there, even less than the cafeteria lady. In a place filled with violence and savagery, he was like a lamb lost in a wolf pack. So, his code name fit him perfectly-White Sheep.

Juliet narrowed her eyes slowly, her gaze growing more menacing.

David quickly added, "You know I don't keep patient records here, and there aren't any cameras. Plus, he paid through an anonymous international account, so we can't trace him."

"Who said we can't trace him?" Juliet replied as she walked further inside. "He had surgery here, right? You have blood and tissue samples, right? Bone scans too? And his appearance... well, the base sent a lot of people to hunt him down, so the look he showed here might not even be the real deal."

As long as she had that information, she could cross-reference it in the global DNA database. She was determined to dig deep and find him!

David nodded. "Okay, I'll get started on it."

The DNA test results came in quickly.

In the office, Juliet typed furiously on the keyboard, a cold smirk playing on her lips.

David rubbed his arms, feeling a chill.

"I gotta say, Leopard, that guy's had it rough enough. Can you not smile like that? It's kinda creepy. Using a sniper rifle with dum-dum bullets? Only you could come up with something that brutal."

It's worth noting that large-caliber sniper rifles were typically anti-material weapons, capable of taking down helicopters with armor-piercing rounds. The fact that the poor guy was still alive was already a miracle.

Juliet turned sharply. "How do you know I used a sniper rifle?"

David replied without hesitation, "Come on! That guy was wearing the top-of-the-line body armor, Dragon Skin. The only weapons that could break that would be a large-caliber sniper rifle or a grenade launcher... Oh, wait..."

Juliet paused the program that was scanning for information and let out a chuckle. "Well, that narrows it down, doesn't it?"

The global DNA database was so vast that it was tough to find a match right away. She had already cross-referenced the bone scans but came up empty.

Many mercenaries and assassins were regulars on the wanted lists. Their appearances could change dramatically, and traditional tracking methods like blood samples and fingerprints didn't work on them. That's why bone scans were the latest tracking technique. If that guy's bone sample wasn't in the database, it probably meant he wasn't one of the usual suspects.

David swallowed nervously. "Actually, I think... that unlucky guy just had surgery and probably hasn't left City N yet. We could search locally."

Juliet shot him a sidelong glance. "How do we find him? Send people in and make a big fuss about it?"

David fell silent again. That idea seemed pretty unrealistic in Country A.

******

Meanwhile, at a mansion on the outskirts of City N, a pale-faced man lay sprawled on the bed, half his face buried in the pillow. One could just make out his sharp features.

He was wrapped in bandages, with faint blood seeping through them.

"William, I found out. The on-duty instructor at the Death God International Mercenary Training Base that day was Ghost Leopard from Zone 25-an Country An woman. She became the top figure at that training base two years ago, but her age is unclear."

Frank Brown sat beside him with a sleek laptop resting on his lap. He was receiving information from abroad while speaking.

"Ghost Leopard's first recorded appearance was eight years ago when she beat the champion at an underground fight in Southeast Asia. The peak age for female boxers is between 18 and 28, so we estimate Ghost Leopard is between 26 and 36."

"However, according to mercenaries who trained at the Death God International Mercenary Training Base, Ghost Leopard is very young, definitely under 30..."

Before he could finish, the man on the bed stirred slightly.

"Useless."

Frank raised an eyebrow.

William Smith croaked, "This information is useless. The Death God Training Base lost something, and the on-duty instructor bears direct responsibility. She's already in City N."

"How do you know Ghost Leopard will come to City N?"

William's eyes darkened. "She will definitely come to City N!"

"Okay then," Frank nodded, smiling. "Since she's here, she'll find a way to come after you. We can set a trap."

"Who's the bait?"

Frank glanced at the man, all wrapped up in bandages.

"Uh..."

Setting a trap in front of someone like Ghost Leopard felt a bit risky.

William smirked slightly, his voice icy. "Bring people over. This isn't the Death God Training Base; she won't stir up any trouble here."

Frank couldn't help but say, "William, why don't we just head back to City W? Ghost Leopard can't make a scene here. If she attacks you from behind, you won't survive..."

Under William's increasingly cold gaze, Frank eventually fell silent.

Ghost Leopard was known as a sniper, a top-tier expert operating in vast, uninhabited areas. She was also the mercenary king who had single-handedly wiped out a militia base with dozens of members in a war-torn country.

Just thinking about someone like that chasing them in City N made Frank break out in a cold sweat.