22: Divine retribution is in rage! A bronze-level assassin has become a disgrace to the organization?

One kilometer beneath Tianqiong City, there existed a gray zone that would never be marked on any map.

This was the headquarters of the Heavenly Punishment organization's Seventh Alliance District.

The entire base was constructed from cold alloy and illuminated by dim blue light strips, embodying the ruthless aesthetic of futuristic technology.

A massive holographic screen scrolled through global assassination orders and success rate data; each flickering number represented the end of a life.

Upon the central throne of the base sat a bewitching yet dangerous woman.

She wore a black high-slit gown, her exposed skin as pale as snow, her lips as red as blood.

She was the Minister of the Seventh Alliance District, codenamed Black Widow.

A name that could make the entire underground world of the Alliance District tremble in fear.

At that moment, she was idly stirring the crimson liquid in her cup with slender fingers while listening to her subordinate's report.

Below the throne stood dozens of killers with varied auras—some burly, some ghostly—each wearing a badge on their chest denoting their Rank: either silver or gold.

They were the elite of Heavenly Punishment, the Incarnations of Death walking the mortal world.

"Speak."

Black Widow spoke, her voice languid yet carrying an undeniable authority.

A subordinate in charge of intelligence stood in the center of the hall, trembling slightly with fear.

He reported with trepidation:

"Minister, codename Night Owl... mission failed. Currently... apprehended by Tianqiong City police."

"Failed?"

Black Widow stopped stirring her drink. She raised her eyes, a flash of coldness within them. "A Bronze-Rank, sent to assassinate a powerless rich kid, failed? How was he caught? Was he counter-killed by the target?"

In her view, this was already a joke.

Heavenly Punishment's products were guaranteed quality; even a Bronze-rank Killer should be able to handle ordinary people as easily as crushing an ant.

"No... it wasn't that."

The subordinate's voice trembled even more; he hardly dared to look Black Widow in the eye. "According to preliminary reports from our informant embedded in the police... the report states..."

He paused, as if organizing the most absurd words imaginable.

"The report states that after infiltrating the target's room, Night Owl was... knocked unconscious by a bathtub that fell from above. Then... then his own poison-coated dagger, due to... gravity, slipped through the bathtub's drain hole and precisely... stabbed him in his own buttocks."

"..."

Dead silence.

The entire hall fell into dead silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

The expressions of all Gold and Silver Medal Assassins froze; some gaped, others widened their eyes, as if hearing the most ridiculous joke since the birth of the Universe.

A killer renowned for stealth and assassination, struck by a bathtub.

A master poisoner, backstabbed by his own poisoned blade.

What... what kind of third-rate comedy movie plot was this?

Three seconds later.

"Pfft..."

Someone couldn't hold back, letting out a suppressed snicker.

This sound was like lighting the fuse of a powder keg.

"Bwahahahaha!"

"My god! A bathtub? Was he there to kill or to take a bath?"

"And stabbing himself with his own knife? What kind of performance art is this? Is Heavenly Punishment's initiation rite this hardcore now?"

"Night Owl? I think he should rename himself 'Bath Owl' or 'The King of Freebies'! He's an utter disgrace to our organization! A century-defining humiliation!"

A tall Gold-rank Killer doubled over laughing, accidentally slipping from his seat and falling to the floor, still clutching his stomach in laughter.

In an instant, the entire base transformed from a stern assassin's lair into a scene of comedic crosstalk performance.

Black Widow's face instantly turned ashen.

These laughs were like resounding slaps, striking her face hard.

"All of you, shut up!"

She slammed the armrest of her throne, a wave of Killing Intent instantly sweeping through the hall.

The roaring killers were like ducks with their necks wrung—the laughter ceased abruptly, but each of them still stifled chuckles, shoulders shaking.

"A bathtub? I don't believe it!"

Black Widow stood up, her figure curvaceous, but her expression was now icy. "There must be something strange behind this! That Gu Fan is definitely not ordinary! A useless fool dares to bring shame upon Heavenly Punishment?"

Intense Killing Intent erupted from her eyes, so strong it seemed to freeze the air.

"I will go to Tianqiong City myself. Not just that Gu Fan, but him and his entire Family—I'll turn them all into the most perfect artworks in my collection room!"

The top-tier malice, a "wipeout" declaration targeting a Family, uttered by this S-Rank Powerhouse, far exceeded the intensity of anyone before.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Gu Fan, enjoying afternoon tea at the police station, heard that familiar voice in his mind once more.

[Ding!]

[Detected 'Wipeout' malice from Heavenly Punishment organization's District Minister 'Black Widow'!]

[Malice Nature: Transference, Torture-Killing, Mass Extermination.]

[Malice Rank: S-Rank.]

[Retribution Triggered! Multiplier: One hundred and twenty times!]

[Random Effect Generating... Detected malice source's environment contains highly integrated electronic equipment, and target is extremely concerned with personal image.]

[Congratulations on Selection: Fashion Terminator (Tony Teacher Electrocution Edition) + Loyalty of Fire Suppression System!]

Within the Heavenly Punishment base, the moment Black Widow's Killing Intent peaked.

The giant holographic projection screen before her, as large as a basketball court, suddenly emitted a "zzzt" sound, bursting into a dazzling shower of electric sparks.

A powerful current, like a precisely guided electric serpent, ignored all insulation protections, crossed over a dozen meters, and accurately blasted toward Black Widow.

The target was not her body, but her expensive hairstyle—meticulously styled for three hours, smooth as a black waterfall.

"Boom!"

Black Widow felt a sudden numbness on her scalp.

The high-voltage static instantly passed through; her beautiful hair instantly stood on end, then turned scorched, curly, fluffy... finally, under everyone's horrified gazes, her hairstyle transformed into a huge, pitch-black, smoking... bird's nest.

If this was only the destruction of her image, what happened next was the collapse of her dignity.

"Woo—woo—woo—!"

The base's highest-level fire alarm System was suddenly activated by the out-of-control current.

A cold electronic synthesized voice echoed through every corner of the base, playing on loop:

"Warning! Warning! Detected that the Minister's hairstyle is on fire! Combustion Rank: Level Three! This is not a drill! Repeat! The Minister's hairstyle is on fire! All personnel are to immediately execute 'S-Rank Fire Suppression Protocol,' using dry powder fire extinguishers to aim focused sprays at the Minister's head!"

Black Widow touched the "bird's nest" on her head, still emitting a roasted meat scent, and listened to the humiliating alarm broadcast, her entire body freezing.

Through the reflection on the alloy walls, she saw her own utterly ridiculous appearance.

She was so angry she was speechless, her mind blank.

"Minister! For the organization! I apologize!"

At that moment, a Gold-rank Killer, fiercely loyal to the organization but not the brightest, roared as he charged in from outside.

He strictly followed the S-Rank protocol, holding a huge dry powder fire extinguisher like a brave firefighter.

"Don't—" Black Widow tried to stop him.

"Psssssshh————!!!"

The loyal subordinate had already unleashed a fierce spray directly at her "bird's nest" head.

White dry powder foam covered Black Widow's entire body like a blizzard.

Her sexy high-end gown, her beautiful face—all were now a complete mess, like a sculpture that had just escaped an exploding flour mill.

The entire hall fell into dead silence once more.

This time, no one dared to laugh.

Because they feared they might actually laugh themselves to death.

A few minutes later, Black Widow wiped the white foam from her face; her bird's nest hairstyle, now coated with dry powder, had become even more solid and three-dimensional.

But the fury in her eyes had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented gravity and... fear.

"This is no coincidence... nor technology..." she spoke hoarsely, "This is a 'rule' power we cannot comprehend, a Karma-based weapon!"

She looked at Gu Fan's profile photo, which had somehow been pulled up again on the holographic screen. That sunny, harmless smile now seemed more terrifying to her than a demon from the abyss.

"All direct malice targeting him will cause us to fail in the most absurd, most humiliating ways."

Black Widow took a deep breath; the Killing Intent in her heart had long been replaced by fear.

She knew that if her Killing Intent had been just a bit stronger earlier, perhaps instead of her hair getting electrocuted, the entire base would have exploded.

She descended from the throne, issuing a new command in an indisputable tone.

"Abandon all physical assassinations! Effective immediately, designate target 'Gu Fan' as 'Taboo'-class! No one is to harbor any direct malice toward him in their hearts!"

"Activate 'Plan B'!"

A flash of cunning and resolve passed through Black Widow's eyes. "Dispatch our Silver Medal Assassin most skilled at manipulating hearts and laying traps, 'Thousand Faces.' Since we cannot kill him with blades, let him die from 'accidents' and 'coincidences'!"

"I will make him betrayed by all, have him betrayed by those he trusts most, make him walk into the grave we've prepared for him! This time, we won't be killers; we'll be... Fate!"