Talulah, I'm still a child.

Looking at the brightly lit city in the distance, Talulah lowered her eyes. Her former homeland was far less important to her than the little fox in her arms. Only her sisters were worth visiting, and yes, there were others too.

Lungmen is never a monolithic entity. As mentioned before, the more prosperous a city is, the more dark corners it has. Slums and underground black markets are the shadows of Lungmen. Every day, bloodshed and betrayal are staged here. Large and small gangs, complex forces, and smuggling are among the most common businesses in Lungmen's underworld.

Where are the goods?

"They gave him sleeping pills in the car, so he won't wake up for a while."

Talulah lowered her voice. The gangster in front of her glanced into the car and nodded in satisfaction after confirming that the little fox was asleep. The adorable face matched the photo they had received.

"It was agreed before, 300,000."

"Hehe, don't worry, you won't be shortchanged. Here is the 100,000 middle payment. After the deal is done, in addition to the final 100,000, we will give you another 200,000 as a thank you. Our Stinky Tofu Gang always keeps its word, otherwise we wouldn't be able to gain a foothold in Longmen."

(They look like outsiders)

This is Talulah's assessment of the gangster in front of her, and it's mostly true. Most of the local gangs in Lungmen are under the control of the Rat King, and it's impossible for them to have such a ridiculously funny name. It must be a gang established by that outsider. But since they can come up with so much Lungmen Dollars, they must have been developing for a long time.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Crow, and I'm from Syracuse. Do you mind if I smoke?"

As the man named Raven spoke, he took out a cigarette. Talulah shook her head to indicate that she didn't mind, and then snapped her fingers lightly, instantly lighting the cigarette in Raven's hand.

"...This way, please."

Crow tossed his cigarette into the trash can and immediately dropped his carefree attitude. Putting everything else aside, the move Talulah had just made was definitely not something a nobody like him could afford to offend. Knowing when to back down was the secret to longevity.

"Okay, let's go."

Talulah gave the Yeti Squad a look, and they immediately understood. They took Mei Xue off the vehicle, carried her on their shoulders, and followed the crow into Lungmen.

————————————————————————————

"Yes, I'm sure that's what I heard, right here in 245, Block 3 of the slums... Yes, please hurry, I'm worried that the child will be harmed if we delay any longer."

Alina casually hung up the phone on the roadside and rubbed her temples helplessly. Talulah's idea was really infuriating and funny. She actually wanted to sell Mei Xue. However, it was indeed a good idea. On the one hand, it could earn some funds for the Reunion Movement, and on the other hand, it could make Mei Xue's appearance less suspicious. Who would suspect that a child had been abducted?

Then, Talulah and Chen Huijie can have a face-to-face conversation, which will also allow them to easily deceive Wei Yanwu.

"Now it depends on whether Talulah can persuade her sister. But then again, who would have thought that one-fifth of Duke Koschche's estate would be here?"

Looking at the bank in front of her, which was once run by Kosiché, Alina took out a mask and put it on, somewhat amused and exasperated. The members around her also secretly prepared themselves.

"I never thought I'd be at a bank one day. I was just trying to withdraw money, but it felt like I was robbing a bank."

After saying this, Alina quickly shook her head. No, how could this be called robbery? She was just here to collect Talulah's private stash of money. Of course, if the plan over there caused any mishap to the little fox, then Talulah would have to wait to get a beating when she got back!

Chapter 35 Huijie, This is your brother-in-law

To be honest, when this idea was proposed, Talulah was already prepared to be hated by the little fox. However, she didn't expect that Mei Xue not only didn't resist at all, but also cooperated with the operation. It was Daddy who said that if Talulah really dared to sell Mei Xue, he would dare to kill Talulah.

However, everyone knows that such a thing is impossible. Expecting Talulah to sell Meixue? Even if Ursus falls apart, such a thing is unlikely to happen.

"Yes, it's definitely in good condition."

"Getting something like this for 500,000, not bad, right?"

"It's not just not bad, this little girl can be sold for at least six times her original price."

"Heh, Mr. Li, you're just telling me this like that? Aren't you afraid I'll sell her off?"

Talulah put down her teacup, inwardly cursing, "Who do they think they are? My little fox is only worth three million? No, Mei Xue is priceless!" If it weren't for wanting her child to stay in Lungmen in peace, Talulah would never have resorted to such a method.

Of course, she had considered getting a fake certificate, but that was too easy for Wei Yanwu. He could control all the data in Longmen, so Mei Xue couldn't just appear out of nowhere. She needed a plausible identity that wouldn't raise suspicion. Coincidentally, Longmen had some shady business dealings every year.

"Haha, Ms. Drake, you're joking. The most important thing in cooperation is trust, but... well, wearing this outfit makes me look a bit cheap."

Mr. Li rubbed his chin. In order to make the little fox look more in line with the plan, Talulah and the others specially changed him into a tattered outfit. However, when it comes to stocking the goods, the prettier the better, so as to attract more buyers to pay higher prices.

"Qiangzi."

"What's wrong, boss?"

A bald man behind Boss Li immediately stepped forward. Although he was wearing sunglasses, it was not hard to tell that he looked foolish.

"Go pick out a few clothes, the kind that a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl would wear, and they have to be nice."

"Ok."

Watching Boss Li's men leave, Talulah picked up her tea and pretended to take a sip. She thought to herself, "What a cunning old fox. There are people lying in ambush all around. He just wants to double-cross me. And the person in front of me is just a stand-in. That earpiece is probably used to receive instructions. After all, people in this line of work should minimize their meetings with people."

"So, Mr. Li, what about the final payment we agreed on?"

Talulah glanced at the little fox sleeping soundly on the sofa and secretly estimated the time. With her Draco's thermal vision, she could clearly distinguish where the people lying in ambush were hiding. The danger level was basically zero. However, she had to leave as soon as possible after finishing her conversation with Chen Huijie and not let anyone discover anything.

"The money... haha, I've already sent someone to collect it."

"Really? I wonder if it's Liberi with the crossbow, or Luper with the long knife, or someone hiding somewhere else?"

Talulah mercilessly exposed the assassins hiding around her. The two Yetis beside her also took out Originium Ice Crystals, and the temperature in the air suddenly dropped. Miss Black Snake thoughtfully used her tail to plug the little fox's ears to ensure that he could sleep peacefully.

“Miss Drake, sometimes being too smart isn’t a good thing.”

"Perhaps, but someone as foolish as Boss Li is definitely not a good thing."

Talulah gestured for the Yetis to put away the ice crystals, and flames erupted beneath her feet, deflecting the crossbow bolts aimed at her. At the same time, a crisp sound of shattering glass reached everyone's ears; the French windows had been smashed open, and a blue-haired dragon woman carrying two longswords appeared in the room.

"Lungmen Guard Bureau, don't move! Everyone stay put!"

For a moment, the three sides were locked in a standoff. Talulah looked at the puppet who claimed to be Boss Li, then snapped her fingers dismissively. The next moment, the puppet felt a burning sensation in his ears. The overheated earphones suddenly exploded, knocking the fake Boss Li to the ground unconscious.

"who are you?"

Chen Huijie gripped her black longsword tightly. After receiving the report, she rushed over without stopping. After observing for a while, she felt that the danger was not high, so she simply charged in. The main reason was that this gang consisted of low-level thugs. The only one who could pose a threat to her was this guy who played with fire in front of her. Chen Huijie felt a strong sense of threat from the guy's outstretched hand, and the Crimson Cloud Sword at her waist trembled.

"What, even after all this time apart, you don't even recognize me anymore?"

After the Yetis dealt with the remaining people and made sure there were no eavesdropping devices around, Talulah simply took off her mask, revealing a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar to Chen Huijie. Time changes a lot, but some things never change. The blood connection made Chen Huijie realize why Chixiao wanted to be unsheathed.

"Long time no see, Huijie."

“Talulah…”

Seeing this familiar person standing in front of her again, Chen Huijie almost lost her grip on the sword. She wondered if she was dreaming, but the connection between blood relatives remained.

"Ugh, sister, it's so hot."

Although Talulah didn't let her flames spread, the temperature was indeed a bit too high for the little fox, especially with her fluffy tail.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Meixue, it was my fault for not considering that."

Under Chen Huijie's strange gaze, the flames around Talulah immediately went out. She quickly ran to the little fox's sofa, picked him up, and kissed him on the cheek.

(Minimum three years)

These four words popped into Chen Huijie's mind subconsciously. The arrogant Talulah had just become like this. The contrast was too great for her. Chen Huijie glanced at the gangsters who were tied up by the Yetis and suddenly realized that she might have been tricked. Talulah was not surprised by her appearance, which meant that this was a trap set for her all along.

"you……"

Regardless, the long-awaited reunion with her sisters helped Chen Huijie resolve some of her inner conflicts. She breathed a sigh of relief and was about to ask Talulah if she needed anything when she saw her constantly touching the little fox's tail and ears, and then decisively kissing Mei Xue on the lips.

But doing all that wasn't enough. Talulah ran up to Chen Huijie with the little fox in her arms, her face beaming with pride and joy.

"Come on, Huijie, look at the brother-in-law I found for you. Isn't he adorable?"

The room fell silent. Chen Huijie felt an urge to kill Talulah with the Chixiao sword at her waist. As for Mei Xue's reaction? The little fox, who had just woken up, was still a bit confused. He didn't even know who was holding him, but he still subconsciously took an apple out of his tail and handed it over.

"Sister, would you like an apple?"

Looking at Mei Xue, who was still exceptionally well-behaved even in her dazed state, Chen Huijie took a deep breath and then grasped Chi Xiao.

"What kind of joke is this, you bastard from Longmen?!"

Chapter 36 Thus, Mei Xue and Talulah separated.

"So, you're saying you want me to take care of him for a while?"

After nearly turning against her own brother, Chen Huijie finally managed to suppress her inner impulse and sat down to listen carefully to Talulah's explanation. She finally understood that Mei Xue was not her brother-in-law, which was good. Otherwise, she would have arrested Talulah. No, she should have arrested her for entering the city without permission.

"Yes, our situation is really bad right now. I have no one else to rely on, and I don't have the energy to take care of him anymore while being hunted by Ursus."

In order to get Chen Huijie to help protect Mei Xue, Talulah basically exaggerated the situation of the reorganization, saying that there was a shortage of water and food, insufficient weapons, and a large population of elderly, weak, women and children. The little fox believed it. Mei Xue was still thinking about whether she could earn some money to help everyone, or simply go back, so that at least everyone would not have to worry about food.

Chen Huijie looked at Mei Xue sitting in Talulah's arms. He was a lovely child, and his background was heartbreaking (Talulah made it up). Most importantly, although he was not her brother-in-law now, it was uncertain in the future. Putting everything else aside, Talulah's behavior was indefensible.

"Why would you resort to this method?"

"There's nothing we can do. You know how suspicious our uncle is. Even though Kosichek is dead, he can't help but suspect that I've become his successor, which would implicate Mei Xue."

This statement is indeed correct. Chen Huijie still has a deep impression of the name Koschche. She still remembers how happy Wei Yanwu was when he heard that Koschche had died. He even called the Rat King to invite him to go to the flower market. Although he was later punished by Wen Yue with "kneeling on the keyboard with his left foot, kneeling on the remote control with his right foot, and having a durian on his head", Wei Yanwu still smiled very easily, as if a mountain had been lifted from his heart.

There aren't many people who can make Wei Yanwu show that kind of expression, but Koschke is definitely the most terrifying one.

"Hmph... How can I believe that you are the Talulah I know, and not a new schemer who has inherited Koschei's will?"

"I can't prove that to you."

Talulah shook her head. Chen Huijie didn't understand Koschei, or rather, she didn't understand what the so-called Black Serpent was. The Black Serpent was never a specific code name or person, but a collective entity, an evil being born from the collective will of Ursus. Koschei was just one of the branches of the Black Serpent.

"But Huijie, can you tell me... when Mother passed away..."

I still think of your name.

Chen Huijie gripped Chixiao tightly, repeatedly telling herself to stay calm, but the scene of Talulah being taken away that day, and her mother's resentment before her death kept replaying in her mind.

"I understand, the usual place, right?"

“No, Wei Yanwu didn’t want anyone to disturb them, so he specially changed the location. If you really are Talulah, you should know where it is.”

Mei Xue didn't say a word from beginning to end. He knew there was no room for him to interrupt. The little fox obediently hugged his tail, waiting for his two older sisters to discuss how to deal with him. Talulah and Chen Huijie had a lot to say to each other, but when they got to the point of speaking, they realized it was unnecessary. In the end, they could only talk about their lives. However, Talulah's life this year was inseparable from Mei Xue, which caused Chen Huijie's gaze to keep glancing at him.

“Before that… I promised to take care of him for you, but you should also understand that I can’t keep an eye on his every move. The Guard Bureau is too busy.”

"Don't worry, my Meixue is smarter and more sensible than you think, right?"

When Mei Xue is mentioned, Talulah always smiles happily, genuinely. It could never be faked, because Chen Huijie knows what Talulah looks like when she smiles. They are sisters, not only closely connected by blood, but also by a more wonderful connection.

"Come on, Meixue, say hello to Huijie."

Hello, Sister Chen.

The little fox greeted her politely, but judging from the way her tail and ears looked, she was still a little nervous. After all, this Sister Chen in front of her was a stranger, and the little fox was somewhat worried. However, she was no longer the child who only knew how to be withdrawn.

"Yes, Mei Xue, right?"

"Sister Chen, would you like an apple?"