Two thugs were far from well-behaved. They sidled up to Artemis, not only making lewd remarks but one, bolder than the rest, reached out to slap her backside.
The man selling instruments and powder, a man of the world, immediately put away his guitar upon seeing this scene. Grabbing his belongings, he made a swift exit.
"Sigh."
Artemis let out a helpless sigh, long accustomed to such occurrences. After all, she lived in Gotham. What else could she expect?
Artemis's expression shifted. She looked at the two thugs beside her and said, "This isn't a good place, is it? In broad daylight. How about we go over there?"
As she spoke, her gaze fell upon a dark alleyway not far away.
Upon hearing her words, the two thugs exchanged glances, their faces contorting into lewd smiles.
"Such a shy little thing. Fine, brother will oblige you."
The two thugs followed Artemis into the alley. A few minutes later, Artemis walked out alone, clutching a wad of cash.
"More pocket money."
She put the money into her schoolbag, her mood instantly brightening.
As Artemis drew closer to home, she happened to see an elderly neighbor walking her dog.
Before Artemis could speak, the old woman addressed her first, "Artemis, dear, hurry home and take a look. Lots of men in black have arrived."
Artemis's heart tightened at the old woman's words.
"Mom!"
Before the old woman could finish, Artemis had already broken into a run towards her house.
Soon, Artemis saw her home, a dilapidated little house.
But today was different. Three black luxury sedans were parked outside her house, and two men in black, wearing sunglasses, stood guard at the door. They looked undeniably formidable. Adding to the scene were a considerable number of nosy neighbors gathered to watch the spectacle.
Seeing Artemis return, the neighbors automatically cleared a path for her.
However, as Artemis approached the door, she was stopped by the two men in black.
"Apologies, our boss is in discussion with the mistress of this house. You may not enter."
"Get out of my way."
Artemis couldn't afford to wait. She shoved aside the men's hands and attempted to storm inside.
The men in black were not to be trifled with. After all, they were paid handsomely every month, and if they couldn't handle such a simple task, they wouldn't dare to continue their work.
Seeing them still blocking her path, an agitated Artemis, without a word, raised her hands to engage them.
Just as the three stood poised for a confrontation, about to erupt into a fight, the front door opened, and a man named Harry, dressed in a suit, walked out slowly.
As a werewolf, he found such human attire incredibly uncomfortable. Not only was it bothersome, but it also hindered his movements. He truly couldn't fathom why human bodyguards all favored suits.
Harry glanced at the two men at the door and said, "The boss said to let her in."
"Yes."
No one dared to disobey Harry's command.
Despite their human appearance, these two were pure-blooded werewolves.
Harry turned his gaze to Artemis and said, "Miss, please come with me. My boss wishes to see you."
With that, Harry didn't give Artemis a chance to respond and turned back into the house.
Artemis felt utterly speechless. It was her home, yet she felt like an intruder.
Following Harry into the living room, Artemis saw her mother, seated in a wheelchair, conversing with a man in a sharp suit. Judging by his age, he wasn't much older than Artemis herself.
Upon seeing Artemis, her mother's emotions visibly stirred. She looked at Bai Qi and said, "This has nothing to do with her. She's just a child."
"Mom! I'm not a child anymore."
Hearing her mother refer to her as a child, Artemis instinctively reacted with displeasure.
However, her mother clearly didn't have the time to consider Artemis's feelings. Hearing Artemis argue with her, she immediately snapped, "Go to your room!"
At this point, Bai Qi spoke up. He waved his hand and said, "There's no need to be so agitated. Artemis is no longer a child, and I believe she has the right to know about this."
To this, her mother firmly refused, "No, she's still a child. Now, go to your room, quickly."
Sometimes, children are like this. The more their parents forbid something, the more determined they are to do it. If their parents tell them to go east, they'll insist on going west. If their parents tell them to catch a dog, they'll insist on killing a chicken.
Artemis was precisely in this state. After her mother's repeated scoldings, her anger flared, and she plopped down onto a nearby sofa.
You don't want me to listen? I absolutely will listen. I want to hear what you're discussing that you want to keep from me.
Seeing Artemis's reaction, Bai Qi's lips curved slightly. He turned back to her mother and said, "Alright, madam. Can we continue our previous discussion?"
Seeing Artemis's resolute stance, her mother sighed helplessly and said, "Yes, but my answer will not change. I will not agree to your proposal, no matter how much money you offer."
Bai Qi's purpose for being here was singular: to recruit the woman as a captain for one of Umbrella Corporation's security companies. To this end, Bai Qi offered a substantial salary.
For anyone else, this would have been an easy decision. Looking at their dwelling, it was dilapidated, with creaking floorboards and worn-out furniture. A high-paying job could drastically improve their family's circumstances, making it possible to move out of this impoverished and chaotic neighborhood to a safer, more secure affluent area.
However, the woman remained steadfast, unmoved by any salary Bai Qi offered.
The reason was simple: the woman had grown weary of that life.
In her youth, she possessed agile skills and was adept at using various weapons, often killing with invisible precision. She was known as a formidable mercenary, a female hunter. Her boyfriend was the renowned Sports Master.
In their youth, the two fell in love and soon married, giving birth to two children.
Tragically, due to the nature of their professions, they were soon targeted by enemies. The female hunter was severely injured during an attack, leaving her permanently paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.
Even though the Sports Master later made those responsible pay with their lives, it was all too late.
Due to her physical disability, the female hunter could no longer work, and her relationship with the Sports Master deteriorated.
However, this was not the reason for their eventual separation. The Sports Master intended to train their two children as assassins and hitmen. It was during her paralysis that the female hunter saw everything clearly and did not want her children to live the same life she did.
After a prolonged period of arguments, they completely broke ties. The Sports Master took their elder daughter, while the female hunter raised their younger daughter alone.