Why did Zhang Jie truly want to kill him? That was the very question revolving in his mind at that moment. From his earlier confrontation with Zhao Yingkong, and then the attack from Zhang Heng’s arrow, a strange thought had suddenly surfaced: the concept of "a gentleman is open and aboveboard" implies a team structure. If he were the team leader, where would he stand? Should he charge to the front like Zhao Yingkong? That would be no better than being a mere brute. Does that mean only the intellectually inclined should lead? Zheng Zha pondered this for a moment, then grew calm, realizing that while this problem might be difficult in real combat, it wouldn't be so for the Reincarnation Squad. If they could just enhance Zhan Lan, based on her description of the Mind Chain, she could connect to every member's mental system and even exert minor control over the opposing team members. With Zhan Lan’s mental scanning ability added to that, everyone on the battlefield could move according to his will, like an extension of his own limbs. This would resolve the issue of being unable to control forces while fighting on the front lines. Furthermore, being at the very front would allow him to adjust his strategy in the most direct way based on the enemy's actual combat strength—much like how they were attacking him right now.

“Uh, Big Brother, these are the local bosses we know in the various districts, you…” A voice jolted Zheng Zha from his contemplation. The speaker was the little punk who spoke Chinese. Zheng Zha looked closely at him and the group behind him; they were all drenched in sweat, their heads slightly bowed. Only when Zheng Zha finally snapped back to attention did they all collectively exhale a sigh of relief.

Several among them, who had initially felt disdain or harbored malicious intent, suddenly realized that this Asian man before them was not someone to be trifled with.

When Zheng Zha had been staring at them while deep in thought just moments ago, that invisible pressure had made it impossible for them to meet his gaze. It was only now they understood they had run into genuine underworld personnel—at least, they assumed anyone possessing such oppressive force would be a true figure in the criminal element.

Zheng Zha looked over the group of punks: “Do you all know why I’ve summoned you? Before I state my mission, you need to tell me exactly how many subordinates you can fully command. Don’t drag in everyone you know, and don't deliberately misstate the numbers. I will certainly find a way to verify if you’ve told the truth. Alright, starting with you, how many men does each of you actually have?”

After saying this, he casually pointed at one person in the group.

That man was bald and heavily adorned with studs—besides a nose ring, there were many rings along both sides of his face, making him look like a repurposed tin can. He blinked in surprise, pointed to himself, and immediately said with a hint of deference, “Big Brother, I have seventeen underlings. We all have motorcycles, and we know this city inside out, and—” Zheng Zha waved a hand, cutting him off, and pointed to another blond youth beside him. “And you?”

“Twenty-three.”

“Eleven.”

“Thirty-seven.”

The number of subordinates these men commanded varied, the highest being a middle-aged man with over forty followers, and the lowest having only eleven. Combined, their underlings totaled over two hundred people. This group wasn't overwhelmingly large; scattered across the city, they would barely register, yet they weren't insignificant either. They possessed their own networks of contacts. If one traced the connections layer by layer, the net, though loose, would eventually yield a slight thread of evidence. And that tiny thread was all he needed; otherwise, he was as blind as he was now, knowing nothing.

Zheng Zha opened his travel guide, flipping it to the city map page. He pointed to the municipal map. “This is the map of the entire city, I assume? It doesn't look very large. Are there any other connected municipalities nearby?”

The punk who spoke Chinese immediately replied, “There are a few small clusters around, but it takes about ten minutes by motorcycle. And over the bridge, there are some residential complexes too.”

Zheng Zha nodded appreciatively. “Very well, here is the plan. I want you to search for the tracks of three males and three females. They are all Asians. Their general features are: one is a little boy who constantly fiddles with his hair; there is a young man carrying a bow and arrow—sometimes the bow is wrapped, but you can tell its fan shape from the outline; a bespectacled girl, uh, she seems to have a very large chest, cough; there’s a cold-looking girl around sixteen, quite pretty, with short hair; and a rather forthright-looking man who is usually accompanied by a beautiful woman, and this beauty always wears a qipao.”

“Spread the word: search for these six people. For every person you find, the team that locates them will receive two gold bricks.” As Zheng Zha spoke, he retrieved two gold bricks from his Spatial Ring. He continued, “You can use your own networks; I won't dictate your methods of searching. Find one person, get two gold bricks. Find a second, and you get three gold bricks. It scales up. I have more than enough money. As long as you complete the mission, the money is yours. Don't try to get anything without working for it, and don't even think about attacking me—I will show no mercy, understand?” Zheng Zha spoke coldly. He understood the ugliness of human nature; a hundred percent profit is enough to make people take risks. He didn't want to be entangled with the punks of this world while facing the dual threats of the Grim Reaper and his companions. So, he directly pulled a piece of gold from his Spatial Ring and held it, silently watching the assembled punks. Indeed, greed and viciousness flickered in many of their eyes. But just then, everyone watched in astonishment as a mass of blood-red flame erupted from the gold brick in Zheng Zha’s hand. The brick rapidly softened and liquefied under the fire, quickly turning into a molten stream that dripped onto the carpet, immediately burning several large holes through it. The punks stared in horror at his left hand, which was emitting flames. Only after the fire completely vanished did they all swallow audibly in unison. At that moment, those eyes filled with greed and malice instantly cleared. While wealth was desirable, facing an unknown, terrifying level of power made one’s own life infinitely more important. The punks stood stock-still, and in their eyes, Zheng Zha had transformed into a legendary figure possessing superpowers.

“Take this melted gold for your expenses for the time being. Remember, my word is absolutely solid. Find one person, two gold bricks; find the second, three bricks, and so on. However many you find, that’s how much gold you’ll receive! You, stay behind. The rest of you, go back. Report the situation here tomorrow night. Within one day, I expect you to contact all your subordinates and networks. Now, leave.”

The punks exchanged glances, then rushed to the carpet to pick up the still slightly hot gold granules. Perhaps because Zheng Zha was present, they distributed the gold quite fairly, even the Chinese-speaking punk who had guided them received a share. Then, these men departed in haste, as if fleeing, leaving only Zheng Zha and the Chinese-speaking punk behind.

Zheng Zha observed the punk’s uneasy, even fearful, expression. He smiled and said, “Don’t be so tense; I don’t harm people without reason. I kept you behind because I need to ask you something: do you know anyone in the police force?”

The punk swallowed hard. “Big Brother, I know a few, but I’m not close to them. I only dealt with them when I was arrested before.”

Zheng Zha continued smiling. “Don’t be afraid. I want to meet someone from the police. It’s getting late now. Can you find one of them and bring them here before noon tomorrow? Don’t worry, this half gold brick is yours now. Use it to bribe them for me. And finding a cop easily tempted by gold—I’m sure you’re more familiar with that than I am? Tell them I have a mission for them, and upon completion, a huge amount of gold, enough for them to live lavishly, will be theirs.”

The punk dazedly accepted the half-brick of gold. He squeezed it hard in his palm, then smartly replied, “Yes, Big Brother, I know people like that. I will definitely bring one tomorrow before noon! Haha, Big Brother, rest assured, I will bring him over.”

Zheng Zha paused in thought, then smiled again. “Then you can go. Also, while you’re out, discreetly ask if this town has any arms dealers. Be careful not to let anyone know you’re inquiring about that. That’s all. You can leave now.”

The punk immediately walked respectfully to the door. As he closed it, he suddenly turned back and said, “Big Brother, I know you want to play for high stakes. My brothers are definitely sticking with you. A Big Brother who is so generous and powerful is far better than the gang bosses who control this city. The brothers will follow you!” With that, he respectfully closed the door.

Zheng Zha let out a wry smile. He knew the impression he had cast was completely misinterpreted by these punks. He looked like a gangster boss aiming to take over, using money to pave the way, and they were his first batch of followers. Although his commands sounded remarkably similar to those of a mob boss, he had to get these tasks done. In any case, he only had five days. Surviving these five days, or finding Zhang Jie and the others within these five days—either outcome was one of his current objectives! Zheng Zha composed himself and immediately pulled out the communicator from his Spatial Ring. He activated it and said, “Is that Wang Xia? I need to ask you something. If I provide you with enough weapons, and in return, I can fight alongside you, do you have the confidence to fight against several superhumans like myself?”