Video Editor

Under the quality inspection lights in the pre-cooked food factory, the clump of white powder stood out starkly against the black marble inspection table.

"Are you sure?" Su Ning stared at Dr. Lin's trembling hands, her voice an octave lower than usual.

Dr. Lin's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. He added the reagent to the test tube again, and the solution immediately turned into an eerie blue-purple color.

“Ninety-nine percent purity…it’s Cartel Group’s specialty cocaine.” He pushed up his slipping glasses. “Mixed into the ‘Calming Poria Powder’ that’s being shipped tomorrow, it’s enough to sentence the entire production line to life imprisonment.”

Outside the window, a rare downpour in Los Angeles pounded against the factory's corrugated iron roof, like countless angry fingers pounding.

Suning picked up the switched bag of raw materials...

There are subtle traces of secondary heat sealing at the seal, which ordinary quality inspectors would not notice at all.

"Zhang Jin." He uttered the name softly, as if reciting the scientific name of a highly poisonous medicinal herb.

Emily rushed in, phone still to her ear: "Su Ning, don't worry! Father has already sent people to investigate. The Chaozhou gang has indeed been in contact with the Mexican cartel recently. But we need evidence..."

“No need.” Su Ning took a black leather box from under the workbench. “I know where they are.”

The leather box was opened, revealing twenty-four silver needles neatly arranged inside. These needles were longer and thicker than the acupuncture needles used normally, and their tips gleamed with an eerie bluish-green hue under the light.

Emily gasped...

She recognized the needles; they were a secret treasure that Su Ning never showed to anyone.

"What are you going to do?" She grabbed Su Ning's wrist, feeling the pulsating pulse beneath her cold skin.

Su Ning gently broke free: "I'll do what I have to do."

He took his waterproof jacket off the wall and said, “Tell Uncle Chen that I’ll handle this myself. This Zhang Jin has crossed my line.”

"..."

……

The South Central District during the torrential rain resembled an abandoned ghost town.

Suning parked his car six blocks away from his target, his black windbreaker blending into the night.

He checked the leather case at his waist and the special watch on his wrist...

Hidden beneath the surface are three silver needles that have been quenched with the sap of the arrow poison tree.

The headquarters of the Chaozhou gang was located in an abandoned textile factory, with four guard posts around the perimeter.

Under the cover of the rain, Suning circled around to the fire escape at the back of the building.

The iron ladder was rusted, but the structure remained sturdy.

He climbed silently like a cat, rainwater running down his neck and into his collar, icy cold.

Dim light shone from a fifth-floor window, where two henchmen were smoking.

Suning took out a silver needle as thin as a hair from the leather case and dipped it in the transparent gel he always carried with him...

This is his specially made numbing agent, a mixture of aconite and datura extracts.

The needle pierced through the glass crack and precisely stabbed into the carotid artery of the first henchman.

The man had just shown a confused expression when he collapsed limply.

Before his companion could react, the second needle had already pierced the Yifeng acupoint behind his ear.

Suning pried open the window and climbed inside, his movements as fluid as if he had rehearsed it a thousand times.

He took the walkie-talkie and pistol from the unconscious henchman's waist, removed the magazine from the latter, and put it back in its original place...

He doesn't need a gun tonight; it's too noisy.

Footsteps and Spanish conversation could be heard at the end of the corridor.

Suning slipped into an electrical substation and, through the crack in the door, saw two Latino men walking toward the elevator, their waists bulging with weapons.

The Cartel members are indeed here.

“Cuándo llegará el envío?” (When will the goods arrive?) one of them asked.

“Maana al mediodía.” (Tomorrow at noon.) His companion replied, “Zhang dice que la fábrica estará limpia para entonces.” (Zhang said the factory would be completely cleaned up by then.)
A cold glint flashed in Su Ning's eyes.

After the two men had gone some distance, he took out three specially made silver needles from the leather case, each with a tiny cotton ball wrapped around its end.

This is his secret recipe...

The cotton ball was soaked in a fumigant made from mugwort, sulfur, and saltpeter.

The elevator is stopped at the top floor, displaying the number "9".

Suning chose to take the stairs, carefully avoiding any noisy spots with each step.

At the corner between the eighth and ninth floors, two members of the Chaozhou gang were playing cards.

Suning took two coins out of his pocket and tossed them gently into the distance down the corridor.

"What's that sound?" one of them asked, looking up alertly.

"Go take a look." The other man put down his cards and pulled out a gun.

As soon as they left their posts, Su Ning appeared behind them like a ghost, simultaneously piercing the Tianzhu acupoint on the back of their necks with two silver needles.

The two fell to the ground silently, and he even had time to catch the falling playing card—the Ace of Spades, the card of death.

……

The ninth-floor lobby was brightly lit, and Zhang Jin was raising a toast with the Cartel Group's envoy.

A factory floor plan was spread out on the table, with "hidden goods locations" marked in red...

This is the very raw material warehouse that the FDA is going to raid tomorrow.

“To our cooperation,” Zhang Jin said in broken Spanish, his eyes gleaming slyly behind his gold-rimmed glasses. “Once that illegal immigrant is in jail, his restaurant and factory will all be mine.”

"Haha, that's right."

Suning crouched inside the ventilation duct, observing the interior layout through the blinds: twelve armed men, four exits, Zhang Jin with a gun at his waist, and the Cartel members carrying submachine guns.

He touched the twelve needles remaining in the leather case, his mind racing as he calculated the sequence of actions.

The downpour reached its peak at this moment, a bolt of lightning struck the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.

Taking advantage of this natural cover, Suning fired three smoke needles into different corners.

The cotton ball at the end of the needle struck the ground and burst into thick smoke, throwing the hall into chaos.

“Gas! Gas!” the cartel shouted.

Zhang Jin reacted extremely quickly, rolling behind the sofa and drawing his pistol at the same time.

But a series of muffled groans came from within the smoke...

Suning moved like a ghost, each needle hitting the enemy's vitals with pinpoint accuracy.

Someone fired indiscriminately, bullets shattering the crystal chandelier, and glass shards rained down.

When the smoke dissipated slightly, only Zhang Jin remained standing in the hall.

His six henchmen and the Cartel Five all fell to the ground, some unconscious, others convulsing in pain but unable to make a sound.

"Su Ning!" Zhang Jin roared into the empty hall, "I know it's you! Come out!"

A dark figure leaped down from the ceiling, and Su Ning landed almost silently.

He had no weapon in his hand, only a slender silver needle that he twirled between his fingers.

"You ruined my restaurant opening, and now you want to ruin my factory." Su Ning's voice was colder than a downpour. "Why?"

Zhang Jin suddenly laughed: "Because Emily should have been mine."

He ripped open his shirt collar, revealing a menacing dragon tattoo. "Why do you think Chen Yongren chose you? An illegal immigrant with no connections? Because he knows that real gangsters won't let their daughters be happy!"

Suning's eyes flickered slightly.

This madman's obsession ran deeper than he imagined.

Zhang Jin suddenly fired a shot, the bullet grazing Su Ning's ear.

At the same time, Su Ning flicked his wrist, and a silver needle shot out, piercing Zhang Jin's wrist as he held the gun.

The gun fell to the ground, but Zhang Jin grinned and pulled a dagger from his boot.

"What do you know?" He lunged at Su Ning. "I served as a mercenary in the Golden Triangle for five years! Do you think I'd be afraid of an illegal immigrant like you?"

The dagger slashed Su Ning's left arm, and blood immediately soaked through his sleeve.

But instead of retreating, Su Ning advanced, cutting into Zhang Jin's inner circle with a sidestep, and simultaneously piercing Zhang Jin's Zhangmen acupoint between his ribs with two silver needles.

Zhang Jin suddenly experienced paralysis on one side of his body and staggered into the French window.

The torrential rain pounded against the glass, and the neon lights of Los Angeles outside the window distorted into colorful rivers in the rain.

Su Ning approached step by step: "Where are those drugs?"

"It's already been delivered to the factory!" Zhang Jin laughed wildly. "Tomorrow the FDA will find a full ten kilograms! You and your little princess will rot in prison!"

A bolt of lightning illuminated the two figures, casting a huge, distorted shadow on the wall.

A resolute glint flashed in Su Ning's eyes as he took out the last gold needle from the leather case...

It is two inches longer than the others, and the needle has an eerie dark red hue.

"Do you know what the TCM doctors at Dongda University are best at?" Su Ning held up the needles in front of Zhang Jin's eyes. "It's not treating diseases, it's identifying acupoints."

The needle tip was gently placed on Zhang Jin's neck. "For example, this position, one inch below the Fengchi acupoint, insert three inch, and it can cause a person to be paralyzed as if they had suffered a stroke within twelve hours."

Fear finally showed in Zhang Jin's eyes: "You wouldn't dare..."

The moment the needle pierced his skin, Zhang Jin's pupils dilated sharply.

Su Ning whispered in his ear, "There's something even better—if you combine it with a trace amount of aconitine, the symptoms will be exactly like a drug overdose. Perfect for a drug dealer who's just been betrayed by the cartel, isn't it?"

Zhang Jin's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

His limbs began to twitch involuntarily, and white foam came out of the corners of his mouth.

Su Ning dragged him to the sofa, took a packet of cocaine from a cartel member's pocket, and sprinkled it on Zhang Jin's chest and around his nostrils.

After a final inspection of the scene, Suning walked towards the safe...

It was indeed filled with a large amount of US dollars and drugs.

He collected these windfalls into his spatial world and turned to walk towards the fire escape.

The torrential rain continued to rage, but the chill of the rain had faded.

Suning stood on the rooftop, looking at the silhouette of the FDA building in the distance.

Back at the factory, Suning simply looked at Dr. Lin and said, "Dr. Lin, I need you to thoroughly disinfect the factory overnight... Yes, especially the raw material warehouse... Use the herbal solvent I prepared last time."

However, when he looked at Emily, he simply said, "It's resolved."

"..."

In the rain, Suning's figure gradually disappeared into the dark alleys of the South Central District.

Hours later, when the police discovered Zhang Jin's body, which appeared to have been overdosed on drugs, he was already at the factory overseeing disinfection procedures.

The drugs mixed in were broken down completely by a specially made herbal solvent.

The torrential rain in Los Angeles came and went quickly.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, Suning stood on the factory rooftop, watching the FDA convoy drive through the gate.

He touched the wound on his left arm, where homemade wound medicine had been applied.

Emily walked over to Suning and whispered, "Father wants to see you. He said... you're more like one of us than he imagined."

Suning looked up at the gradually clearing sky, a complex smile playing on his lips.

In this marriage that began as a sham, something real is irreversibly growing...

Like wild grass after a rainstorm, wild and stubborn.

...Because Suning had taken precautions and made preparations against the Chaozhou gang in advance, the FDA's search of the factory was naturally fruitless. However, Suning still gave each of them a red envelope.

This time, Su Ning's decisiveness and ruthlessness greatly impressed Chen Yongren, who then began to regard Su Ning as a potential successor, triggering a power struggle within the Five Blessings Gang and questioning from the elders.

The monthly meeting of the Five Blessings Gang is held in an inconspicuous teahouse in Chinatown.

On the surface, it was a business negotiation of the "Kinmen Chamber of Commerce," but in reality, it was a decision-making meeting on gang affairs.

When Suning was first invited to participate, he thought he was just going through the motions as a "son-in-law".

Until Chen Yongren patted the empty seat to his right: "Su Ning, sit here."

The teahouse private room instantly became so quiet that you could hear the tea boiling in the purple clay teapot.

The gazes of the twelve gang elders shot towards Su Ning like flying knives, with "Third Uncle's" eyes being the most sinister...

The 70-year-old man is Chen Yongren's uncle. He has a long scar on his left cheek, which is said to be from a fight with the Vietnamese gang years ago.

“Ah Ren,” Uncle San said, turning the jade thumb ring on his thumb, his voice hoarse like sandpaper, “this young man doesn’t seem to be a formal member of the Chamber of Commerce yet, does he?”

Chen Yongren slowly poured tea: "It will be soon. The way Suning handled Zhang Jin proves that he is qualified to participate in decision-making."

The word "handle" made Suning's fingertips tremble slightly.

The silver needles in the torrential rain that night, Zhang Jin's twitching lips, and the meticulously staged drug overdose scene...

Chen Yongren was fully aware of all of these things.

“Zhang Jin is a mad dog, it would be better if he died.” Uncle San sneered, “But the rules of the Chamber of Commerce cannot be broken. New members must pass at least three tests to join.”

The elders present nodded in agreement.

Suning noticed that only a few young gang leaders, such as Chen Zhiming, remained silent. They had just tasted the newly developed "Four Seasons Health Feast" at the Yihe Restaurant last week.

"What three passes?" Su Ning asked calmly, as if asking for a recipe.

A hint of admiration flashed in Chen Yongren's eyes: "The first hurdle, finances—proving you have the ability to make money. Your restaurant and pre-prepared food factory have already exceeded their targets."

"What about the second challenge?"

"Loyalty," Uncle Three suddenly interjected, his withered fingers tapping the table, "proving your absolute loyalty to the Chamber of Commerce."

The air in the tea room became thick and sticky.

Suning could feel Emily gently touching his knee under the table—a warning.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and used the opportunity to organize his thoughts.

The tea leaves unfold on the tip of his tongue with a slightly bitter taste followed by a sweet aftertaste, just like the predicament he is currently facing.

"The third level?"

“Courage.” Chen Yongren looked directly into Su Ning’s eyes. “This proves that you have the courage and ability to protect the interests of the Chamber of Commerce.”

After the meeting, Suning was arranged to rest in the "Listening to the Rain Pavilion" at the very back of the teahouse.

This elegant room, decorated with Ming Dynasty furniture, appears rustic, but it is actually equipped with the latest anti-eavesdropping devices...

Chen Yongren personally demonstrated the jammer switch on the wall.

“Third Uncle won’t let you off easily.” Chen Yongren brewed the second cup of tea, his expression blurred by the steam. “He originally planned to have his son take over my position.”

Su Ning recalled the middle-aged man with a burly face and a gold chain around his neck...

During the meeting, they kept staring at me with resentment.

“I have no interest in gang affairs,” Su Ning stated bluntly. “The restaurants and factories are busy enough.”

Chen Yongren suddenly laughed: "Why do you think Emily was able to grow up safely? Why have no thugs ever dared to collect protection money from your restaurant?"

He put down the teapot. "In this city, you either have a protector or you become someone else's prey."

The sound of arguing came from outside the window, followed by the crisp sound of porcelain shattering.

Chen Yongren didn't even flinch: "Third Uncle is throwing a tantrum. His favorite set of blue and white porcelain teacups is probably half broken again."

Over the next two weeks, Suning clearly sensed a change in the atmosphere around him.

Several unfamiliar faces have appeared among the restaurant's regulars, always ordering the cheapest tea but sitting there all day; the factory's night shift security guard reports suspicious vehicles loitering in the vicinity; even Emily receives an anonymous phone call warning her to "be careful of the person next to you in bed."

“They’re investigating you.” Emily shoved a pistol into the bedside table with a practiced ease that was almost heartbreaking. “My third uncle has been in charge of the gang’s intelligence network for twenty years; he even has informants in the FBI.”

Su Ning was grinding a dose of calming medicine when he heard this and stopped pounding the stone mortar: "What did you find out?"

“Something that would keep him up at night.” Emily sat down on the edge of the bed. “For example, your father is not only a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, but also a military doctor for a special forces unit; your family’s ancestral acupuncture technique was once used on the battlefield for… interrogation.”

The medicinal herbs in the stone mortar suddenly emitted a bitter smell.

Suning continued refining his movements, maintaining the same rhythm: "Anything else?"

Emily took a deep breath. "Third Uncle thinks your background is too complicated and you're not suitable to get involved with the core of the gang."

Su Ning poured the medicine powder into warm water and stirred gently: "Does your father know about this?"

“He knew even before Uncle San.” Emily smiled bitterly. “He said…that’s precisely why he values ​​you.”

A knock on the door suddenly sounded, and both of them tensed up at the same time.

The man who arrived was Chen Zhiming, dressed in a suit and tie but unable to conceal the murderous intent in his eyes: "Mr. Su, my third uncle requests that you 'mediate' a debt dispute."

Emily jumped to her feet: "No! This is obvious..."

"Holy crap! As long as I don't want to die, no one in this world can kill me."

"This……"

Su Ning picked up her coat and took out the black leather box from deep inside the medicine cabinet. "Address?"

Chen Zhiming handed over a note: "Abandoned drive-in cinema in Sunset District. The debtor is an Italian chef who borrowed 300,000 from the Chamber of Commerce to open a restaurant, and now he wants to default on the debt."

Suning nodded and turned to Emily: "Emily, help me look after the lavender in the backyard, it needs pruning."

"..."

……

The abandoned drive-in theater in the Sunset District looks like a steel tomb.

The rusty projection tower cast long shadows in the setting sun, and dozens of abandoned cars were lined up in an eerie square, their windshields covered in dust.

Su Ning walked alone into the ruins, his footsteps echoing clearly in the empty space.

The leather box was pressed against his lower back; inside, besides silver needles, were three small vials of homemade medicine...

This is his modified version of the "Three Talents Powder" based on a family secret recipe, designed to deal with different emergency situations.

“Chinese!” a gruff voice came from the largest RV. “Come over here and let’s talk about your ‘mediation proposal’.”

The RV door creaked open, revealing dim lighting inside.

Su Ning stepped forward, but noticed something was amiss the moment she entered the carriage…

It was too quiet; there were no sobs or pleas from the debtors, only a few heavy breaths.

The door slammed shut behind me.

Five guns were pointed at Su Ning at the same time; the guns were held by Uncle San's most capable henchmen.

On the sofa in the very center, Uncle San was peeling an apple, the peel forming a long strip that hung down to the ground.

"Where's the Italian chef?" Suning asked calmly.

Uncle San used the tip of his knife to pick up the apple peel: "A test is a test, why pretend?"

He cut the apple into six pieces, ate one piece himself first, and said, "Ah Ren said you are brave and resourceful, and I want to see it for myself."

Suning glanced around.

The carriages had been modified, with all the windows sealed off; the only exit was the heavy bulletproof door.

The five gunmen were cleverly positioned, blocking all angles for evasion.

"What test?"

“Simple.” Uncle San spat out the apple core. “My back has been hurting terribly lately. I heard you’re very good at acupuncture. Treat me. If you cure me, you pass; if you don’t…”

He shrugged. "Medical malpractice, you know! It's unavoidable."

This is a naked threat.

Third Uncle is testing the waters...

If Suning truly possesses the rumored acupuncture technique that can cause a "seemingly natural death," now is the perfect time to use it.

"You need to take off your shirt." Su Ning took out a leather case. "Lie face down on the sofa."

Uncle squinted, but slowly took off his silk Tang suit, revealing his scarred back.

The gunmen's index fingers were all on the triggers, ready to fire at any moment.

Suning selected seven silver needles of different lengths and sterilized them over an alcohol lamp.

When the first needle was inserted into Uncle San's Yaoshu acupoint, the old man's muscles visibly tensed up.

"Relax," Su Ning said calmly. "Tension can affect blood circulation."

The second needle is at the Mingmen point, the third needle is at the Shenshu point...

With each needle insertion, Su Ning would softly explain the effects of the acupoints, as if it were just an ordinary treatment.

But when he inserted the seventh needle...

When the old man touched the Dazhui acupoint on the back of his neck, his breathing suddenly became rapid.

“This needle…something’s wrong…” Uncle struggled to turn over, but found he couldn’t move his limbs. “You…poisoned me…”

Su Ning pressed down on his shoulder: "You're overthinking it! It's just a temporary numbness. The real key is yet to come."

He took out the eighth gold needle from the leather case and waved it in front of his third uncle. "There are two possible outcomes with this needle—either it will cure your back pain, or it will make you unable to stand up again. Which do you choose?"

The air inside the carriage seemed to freeze.

The gunmen looked at each other, unsure whether they should fire.

Large beads of sweat appeared on Uncle San's forehead, trickling down his wrinkles and into his eyes.

“Young man…” he finally said hoarsely, “Put the needles away! My back… suddenly doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Suning slowly withdrew the needle, her movements as precise as a surgical robot.

As the last needle left his skin, Uncle San gasped for breath, as if he were a drowning person surfacing.

“A smart man.” Uncle Three slowly sat up, gesturing for his men to put down their guns. “Ah Ren was right about you.”

On the way back, Chen Zhiming glanced at Su Ning in the rearview mirror while driving: "What exactly did you do to Uncle San? He called Uncle Chen and said you passed the test."

Outside the car window, the neon lights of Los Angeles began to illuminate.

Su Ning massaged his fingers, which were stiff from tension, and recalled the note his third uncle had slipped to him at the end...

It had a bank account number and password written on it, along with the words: "A gift for smart people."

“I just helped him make a choice,” Su Ning replied softly. “Sometimes, it takes more courage to help someone see the pros and cons than to kill them.”

Chen Zhiming nodded thoughtfully.

When the car stopped at the back gate of Yihexuan, he suddenly said, "The young people in the gang are all betting on how far you can go. I'm betting that you'll take over Uncle Chen's job."

Suning did not respond.

The lavender in the backyard was in full bloom, and Emily stood among the flowers, the moonlight gilding her with a silvery edge.

At this moment, gang warfare and power transitions all seem distant and unreal.

Only she, and this exotic sea of ​​purple flowers, were the answer to why he was willing to get involved in all of this.

...(End of chapter)