Chapter 75 The Initiation of the "Jing Ke Order"

"Boss Tang, do you truly mean to protect me?" On the way back, Mountain Qiu bit her lip, her fiery gaze fixed on Tang Long, seeking to ascertain the authenticity of the ‘Jingke Token’. If Tang Long was merely bluffing and did not actually possess the token, it would bode ill not only for him but also for her and even the entire Fishhead Village.

Yet she couldn’t directly ask Tang Long for the ‘Jingke Token’, so she could only probe with this gentle question.

Tang Long was no ordinary man—he’d spent years fishing in the lakes, traveled the world, and encountered all sorts of people. The moment Mountain Qiu spoke, he understood her intentions.

With a smile, he replied, "Let’s be straightforward. First, a few points: the ‘Jingke Token’ is a gift to you. If you wish to stay in Fishhead Village, that’s wonderful; if not, I won’t force you. Once I give you this thing, it’s yours with no strings attached, simply because I find you agreeable."

His words left Mountain Qiu momentarily stunned.

"If you choose to stay, whether as a friend or as a villager, you’ll be safe here. No one will take you away from Fishhead Village, as long as you abide by the law."

"I can do that," Mountain Qiu replied calmly, then paused before continuing, "And as a return, I’m willing to invest all my money into Fishhead Village."

Tang Long nodded; he didn’t doubt her sincerity. He smiled and asked, "Do you know what the ‘Jingke Token’ actually is?"

"No," Mountain Qiu shook her head. She’d only heard rumors, never seen it herself. From the name, she guessed it was some kind of token.

Tang Long laughed. "In the past, the ‘Jingke Token’ was just a piece of paper, but now, with technology so advanced, every trade has modernized. You might not have seen the ‘Jingke Token’ itself, but you must know about the ‘Bloodkill List’ app, right? It’s also known as the ‘Assassin Leaderboard’ domestically. Over a decade ago, people browsed it on computers; now it’s on smartphones. Ordinary people don’t know how to access it, but for people like you, it’s not unfamiliar."

Mountain Qiu nodded. "I know of it. My guide used to take jobs from there; he had a ranking, but I didn’t. We shared an account."

Tang Long said, "No matter which one of you used that account, every task executed through it leaves a record in the system, linked directly to your affiliated company. The ‘Assassin Leaderboard’ doesn’t assign or distribute jobs—it merely functions as a platform. Behind it is an ancient intermediary organization in this field. There used to be the ‘Bloodkill List’, the ‘Assassination List’, and so on globally, but now, the most trusted and highly ranked one is the ‘Assassin Leaderboard’.

"In the past sixty years, about twenty ‘Jingke Tokens’ have circulated worldwide. Around ten have already been used; the remaining ten are now recorded on the blockchain. The operating company behind the ‘Assassin Leaderboard’ is responsible for ‘redeeming’ them. Each token’s market value is sixteen hundred million dollars.

"Every ‘Jingke Token’ is stored in a cold digital wallet. Only by activating this wallet and transferring it into the leaderboard’s backend wallet can it be used. Once activated, the token shatters and disappears. The app’s operators then relay the order to every assassination group in the world, granting it credibility and ensuring the target is pursued."

Tang Long did not tell her that each ‘Jingke Token’ could be traded on the market or instantly converted into any currency through the leaderboard’s trading system. Sixteen hundred million dollars is the app’s estimated value; once reclaimed, the token is destroyed and never recirculates.

Now, the ‘Three Great Decrees’ of the assassin world are all issued, repurchased, used, and destroyed by the ‘Assassin Leaderboard’.

"Can you log in to the Assassin Leaderboard app on your phone?" Tang Long asked.

Mountain Qiu took out her phone without hesitation, accessed her hidden folders, and entered the dark web to launch the app.

"In the command bar, enter 88188 followed by the pound key!"

Tang Long gave instructions as he drove; anyone could log into the software.

Following his directions, Mountain Qiu soon reached a backend interface.

"It needs an account and password!" she said.

Tang Long glanced over and shook his head. "Ignore that. There’s an ‘Activate’ button—press it!"

Once she did, a black window appeared with a small microphone icon at the bottom.

"Choose voice mode."

Mountain Qiu held down the microphone as Tang Long instructed.

"Activate Assassin Command. Commander: Your Neighbor Next Door!"

As Tang Long finished speaking, her phone buzzed and switched to another black screen.

"Voice confirmed. Command activated!"

"Welcome, code: 000114118. Please state your request!"

"Initiate the ‘Jingke Token’!"

"To initiate the ‘Jingke Token’, you must activate the cold-chain wallet. Please connect your wallet," came the mechanical yet intelligent reply.

"I’m your Neighbor Next Door. Activate my frozen wallet, code 114118!" Tang Long said, whistling afterward.

Mountain Qiu stared at the phone screen—it was no longer black but a soft gold. A mystical design appeared, then condensed into a purple token bearing three mysterious, blood-red characters.

"The ‘Jingke Token’ has been transferred to the backend wallet. Welcome, esteemed guest. I am your personal steward; how may I assist you?" came a steady voice from the phone.

Startled, Mountain Qiu glanced at Tang Long. The voice sounded so real, as if one could picture a perfectly poised butler standing before them.

Tang Long shrugged carelessly. "Use the ‘Jingke Token’ to clear Mountain Qiu’s record. From now on, no grudges or business with her. No assassin group may accept any assignment targeting her. Mountain Qiu retires and will never again cross paths with the ancient assassins. Understood?"

About a second later, the butler’s voice replied, "Please confirm: activate the ‘Jingke Token’ to clear the assassin Mountain Qiu’s record. Second-tier assassin Mountain Qiu retires; the underworld will initiate protection protocols. No assassin group may disturb her again. The leaderboard will do its utmost to erase her traces and guarantee her safety."

"Activate!" Tang Long commanded.

The butler replied respectfully, "Very well. The ‘Jingke Token’ will now be used and bound to Mountain Qiu, after which it will be destroyed and recorded on the blockchain. You have ten seconds to reconsider. Beginning countdown now!"

"10, 9..."

Tang Long glanced at Mountain Qiu, smiling. "Just hang up the call. You can uninstall this app now and best never log in again. Every time you do, it tracks your location via satellite and stores it in the database."

Mountain Qiu was stunned, her throat dry as she asked softly, "Is it really that simple?"

Tang Long shrugged with a carefree grin. "What did you expect?"

"Now your information has been wiped. Every assassin group worldwide has received notice of your retirement. Your bounty has risen to sixteen hundred million dollars—the amount the leaderboard will spend, at most, to ensure your safety."

He added, "Even if you’re killed, if your protection fund isn’t used up, the leaderboard will avenge you until the entire sum is spent. Of course, if you die by accident, break the law, or are killed by a civilian, they won’t intervene. The leaderboard’s reach extends only within the underworld. If an old enemy from your past kills you, that falls within your protection."

The ‘Jingke Token’ holds not only authority but inherent value, which can be used to take lives—or to safeguard the user. That’s the effect of all three major decrees in the assassin world.

"Thank you," Mountain Qiu said softly, biting her lip.

She understood the significance. A ‘Jingke Token’ worth sixteen hundred million dollars—she herself wasn’t worth nearly so much. For five million dollars, countless people in the world would kill her.

"No need," Tang Long responded, truly indifferent. The value of the ‘Jingke Token’ was not the same as selling it. No matter how much it was worth, he would never sell it.

Giving it away was fine, but selling it? Never. Don’t ask why—he had his pride and wouldn’t stoop to that.

"Don’t think too much. From now on, you’re a member of Fishhead Village," Tang Long said, half-joking as he noticed how pensive Mountain Qiu looked.

"Yes," Mountain Qiu’s eyes brightened with understanding and she smiled. "From today, I’m part of Fishhead Village—and one of your people, Boss Tang."

Tang Long rubbed his nose at her direct words, easily catching her meaning. He just laughed twice and said nothing.

They returned to Fishhead Village just in time for lunch.

"There are so many people today! I had Li Ergou make three trips to town for supplies. Do you know how many visitors are in Fishhead Village right now?" Zhang Xiu’e looked at Tang Long, her voice raspy with excitement.

Tang Long frowned, a touch of concern in his voice. "Take a break, have some water. We’ll welcome as many tourists as we can accommodate, but if we can’t—"

"How could that be?" Zhang Xiu’e interrupted before he could finish. "They all came to visit our Fishhead Village. Since they’re here, we must treat them well. Even if we can’t, we must do our utmost."

Looking at Zhang Xiu’e’s earnest and stubborn face, Tang Long found her utterly endearing. Grinning, he said, "You belong to Fishhead Village—now and always. And Fishhead Village, well... belongs to me."

Zhang Xiu’e froze. Wasn’t he saying that she belonged to him? Blushing, she glared at him and muttered, "You rascal!"