The soft purring of a distressed cat could be heard audibly as it drew a small crowd of onlookers curious as to what was going on. Looking up, they realised that it was kitten with orange fur perching dangerously on the branch of a tree, which stood at a height of 4 metres.

No one knew exactly how the kitten got up there in the first place, but everyone knew that it was in a precarious position, given that it was still pretty far away from the trunk of the tree. To make matters worse, the branch that it was standing on wasn't very thick, and looked as if it would snap at any point of time.

Just as everyone was actively murmuring on the plight of the poor animal, a single individual swiftly pushed his way to the front and began climbing the tree, much to everyone's surprise. Despite the height of the tree, the young man appeared unfazed as he made his way up nimbly, much like a monkey.

When the young man had reached near to the top of the tree, after wisely selecting a more stocky branch to stand on, with his right hand firmly gripping another thick branch, he stretched his left hand outwards in the direction of the kitten before tapping the branch lightly, cooing it to come to him.

Initially overcome by its fear of falling, the kitten remained stationary, but after several coos by the young man to assure it, the kitten began to tread gingerly across the branch towards him. Just before the kitten could reach the young man however, the branch it was walking on suddenly snapped, forcing it to take a risk as it leapt towards the man.

Much to everyone's relief, the young man swiftly caught the kitten with his outstretched left hand before bringing it close to his body in an embrace. Holding onto the kitten tightly with one hand, the young man was somehow still able to make his way down the tree safely, earning the applause of all the bystanders who had witnessed his heroics.

After releasing the kitten back onto the ground, which mewed in appreciation before scampering off, the young man was approached by another 2 young men who looked more like delinquents. One of the two handed over a school bag before exclaiming, "As expected of Big Brother! His kindness towards animals know no bounds!"

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed drastically as the crowd of onlookers finally realised who the young man really was. As he was attempting to rescue the kitten, they didn't pay much attention to his appearance but now, upon further scrutiny, everyone could recognise the identity of the young man, who had become increasingly notorious over the past few months.

One of the onlookers stammered, "Y-Yellow streaks atop a head of black hair, a scar on the left eye inflicted during a brutal fight with loan sharks…there's no mistaking it, that's the Outcast, Seow Han Wei."

After Han Wei slung his bag across his shoulders, he walked away from the scene silently, the onlookers swiftly parting to make space for him to cross, as his henchmen followed closely behind.

An old man among the crowd mused, "To think that a young man like him is the current ruler of the Underworld here at Yishun, I'm lost for words. Even the Police aren't willing to take action against him, with his stabilising influence in this area once ridden with crime. How far would this kid go? We sure are living in some interesting times today…"

"Why are we meeting here today? Another assignment?" Jin Kai asked cheerily. Even though Jin Kai had now fully comprehended the danger of facing off against a Demon, he was still raring for another go, in hopes of slowly improving till he could match Aiko one day.

After all, unlike Jin Kai who had struggled to even injure the Demon, Aiko easily dispatched it with a single shot to the head from her Reflection, [Highway Sheriff Slim]. Speaking of Reflections, Jin Kai was filled with excitement as he couldn't wait to get his own. Unfortunately, Aiko told him that he wasn't ready yet, as he would probably need more ground experience to acquire the requisite control over his psychodynamic energy, despite his talent.

Aiko replied with a bright smile, "Nope, it's not a new assignment, but I've got some pretty big news to share! First of all, Jin Kai, I formally welcome you to the Foundation with your Foundation IC! Here you go!"

Receiving the white card with both hands from Aiko, Jin Kai quickly scanned through the content printed on the card before he realised that there was something off. Jin Kai asked sheepishly, "Erm, is there an error on the card? I'm only a Private, but the card states that I'm a Corporal? What's going on here?"

Aiko displayed heartfelt pride as she answered, "Well, I've reported back to HQ on all the missions we've successfully completed, and after the most recent Demon extermination, in lieu of your contributions and ability to hold your own against relatively tough foes, you have thus been promoted to Corporal straightaway! Congratulations, Jin Kai!"

Jin Kai could only smile abashedly as both Aiko and Su Lin clapped happily for him. Aiko then resumed, "Other than Jin Kai's promotion, I've another big piece of good news! We've been formally recognised as the Singapore Branch of the Psyche Seeker Foundation! This means that we've now been given access to the prized intelligence database of the Foundation!"

Confused, Jin Kai blurted, "Erm, what's so great about gaining access to this intelligence database? Can you explain it to me in simpler terms?" Sighing, Aiko replied, "Well, think about all the past missions we've undertaken. We've only been able to accept controlled cases so to speak, since our targets are all largely clients of the Foundation's affiliates.

The only Demon extermination mission we've done so far was sourced on our own through pure coincidence. However, now that we can tap on the Foundation's intelligence network, managed by the Foundation's highly skilled intelligence specialists whose role is to sniff out potential big targets by investigating into rumours and sorts, we'll be able to partake in more higher level missions and help more people out. Isn't that great?"

Jin Kai and Su Lin nodded awkwardly, not knowing what to say since they can't understand the greatness of the database until they've experienced it firsthand. Seeing the unconvinced expressions on the faces of her friends, Aiko pouted, "Very well, let me give you a demonstration on what this baby can do."

After logging into the system on her laptop, Aiko began scanning through the contents of the database, which was supported by a virtual private network (VPN). Browsing through the files under "Singapore", something soon caught Aiko's eye as she squealed in delight, "How about this? This looks interesting enough to warrant further investigation!"

Jin Kai and Su Lin looked at the document which was titled, "New Drug Traffickers on the rise in Yishun; believed to be subordinates of newly cemented Underworld Boss, Seow Han Wei" Jin Kai thought to himself, "Drugs, huh…this might be even more dangerous than Xue Lang. However, if we successfully resolve this, we'll be rescuing many people from the danger of consuming such poison, guess we'll have to do this after all."

Han Wei headed for the exit of the veterinary lab upon the conclusion of his lab session for the day. He was, after all, a student enrolled in a Diploma in Veterinary Bioscience in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, which would come as a surprise to most given that it was a course relatively difficult to get into.

As Han Wei headed for the school gate, he was stopped by the Polytechnic's Head of Discipline, Mr Ong. Mr Ong warned coldly, "I don't really care about your antics outside school, Han Wei, but trust me, if you get into another major fight, your expulsion is certain, is that clear?"

Han Wei acknowledged with disinterest, "Yes, sir." before going on his way, as though the Head's warning meant nothing to him. Angered by Han Wei's nonchalant attitude towards him, Mr Ong noticed Han Wei's form teacher, Mr Cheng, exiting the lab and swiftly stopped him, requesting in exasperation, "Mr Cheng, we need to talk. It's about Han Wei."

Mr Cheng smiled gently before replying, "Sure. Let's talk over lunch and coffee." At the canteen, as they tucked into their meals, Mr Ong launched into a tirade as he ranted, "That boy Han Wei, do you know how much work I've to do to clean up his mess from his run-in with the loan sharks? He's not only marred our school's public image, he's also a terrible influence to all our students, with his disrespectful, delinquent-like behaviour. How can you tolerate a brat like him?"

Mr Cheng took a sip of coffee before replying calmly, "I agree with you that Han Wei's brawl with loan sharks was an extremely unfortunate and regrettable incident. However, don't you think that the school is also partly responsible, for we've failed to educate our students properly to avoid such bad company, myself included?

Moreover, I've to disagree with you that Han Wei is a bad influence to our students. Despite being hot-tempered and brash at times, Han Wei is still a good student who hardly created trouble for me or any other teacher despite his contempt for authority. After all, he is someone who would fare better with the carrot than the stick, as a result of his rebellious nature against those who seek to impose their authority on him.

When given the due respect and freedom to go about his things, Han Wei has become a role model in his class, his grades one of the best among his peers. Moreover, Han Wei's presence has actually substantially reduced the number of bullying incidents in our Polytechnic, as he often protected those who got picked on often simply because they were different, making him truly a leader among outcasts."

After hearing all of Han Wei's positive traits, Mr Ong was simply lost for words as he reflected on his initial assessment of the young man. Perhaps Han Wei wasn't that rotten to the core after all, and there was some good within him…

Han Wei heaved a sigh of relief when he exited the MRT station at Yishun. Despite his ill reputation here as the unofficial underworld ruler, Han Wei never felt more at home in this town, which he had lived all his life.

After all, Han Wei had never dreamt nor desired to become the leader of a gang, everything just fell naturally into place following his actions against those unruly loan sharks which had been threatening the peace of his neighbourhood estate, including his own home.

Ever since tales of his brawl with the highly wanted loan shark Xue Lang spread throughout Yishun like wildfire, Han Wei's small motley crew which initially comprised of 5 people including himself soon ballooned to become over 100 men strong, with several youth delinquents pledging their loyalty to him, having been impressed by the strength he wields.

However, more importantly, Han Wei became the big brother figure many of these delinquents sorely wanted but never had all their life, a big brother who accepted them fully for who they were without a tint of discrimination. Many of them joined gangs in order to fill the void within their hearts and in their eyes, Han Wei was a shining role model who exemplified everything they wanted to be.

Nonetheless, it was a tough job to manage a group this large, thus, Han Wei was thankful for the help rendered by his "2nd in command" and very first friend, Fu Sheng, who had an innate talent in HR management. Fu Sheng's assistance meant that all Han Wei had to do was show his face and boost the morale of the guys under him, without having to worry about the nitty gritty details of administration.

Now, as Han Wei was en route to his meeting place with his senior gang members, he encountered a group of primary school children picking on a single Eurasian boy who was dressed in the same uniform as them. Eurasians, as a result of their European ancestry, were usually of bigger build than Asians, but this particular boy was rather scrawny, even smaller than his Asian bullies.

Han Wei could barely make out their conversation as one of the boys teased, "My, my, you're already 11 and yet you still keep such an extensive collection of stuffed toys. Surely it won't matter if I just take one from you, right?"

The bully then snatched the boy's key chain which had an adorable miniature teddy bear and given the expression on the boy's face, nothing further needs to be said regarding the value of the key chain to the boy. Just before the bully and his accomplices can run off in glee, he accidentally ran straight into Han Wei, who merely stared at him coldly.

Recognising Han Wei as the ruthless delinquent their parents have warned them about, with his unique black hair with yellow streaks, the children began shaking in fear as the leader among them dropped the key chain unwittingly before turning tail and fleeing.

Han Wei picked up the key chain and upon stroking the stuffed teddy bear, memories began to flood his mind uncontrollably…

As a young boy, Han Wei hardly had any memories of his father, who passed away when he was five, and he was raised by his mother singlehandedly since then, who worked as a seamstress to make ends meet.

Despite the tough times they had to go through, Han Wei's mother never failed to shower her son with love in the limited amount of spare time she had, resulting in a strong bond between them. To relieve his mother's burden, Han Wei picked up sewing from her as he helped her with her work occasionally.

However, Han Wei's true interest lay with animals, more specifically small mammals and birds as he was fascinated with them since a very young age. Combining his passion for animals with his newly acquired skill in sewing, Han Wei began knitting stuffed animals based on animals in real life such as kittens and sparrows.

On one particular day at age 9, Han Wei was admiring his own handicraft bird in school by comparing it with a real life sparrow when a group of senior students suddenly snatched the stuffed toy from his hand before ridiculing him as they shoved him onto the ground, "Ha! Can't believe that you're a boy when you possess such cute, girly stuff! What an oddball!"

The worst had yet to come as the leader of the bullies ripped Han Wei's stuffed bird into two right before his very eyes. In anger, Han Wei growled before attempting to charge the leader, but he was restrained by 2 lackeys as the rest went on to beat him up, the price of attempting to retaliate against their leader.

Once Han Wei was beaten black and blue, the leader of the gang warned him arrogantly, "Don't breathe a word of this incident, for your own sake since you don't have any concrete evidence that we attacked you, given that there are no CCTVs in the area. Goodbye, pussy." They then departed, laughing evilly at Han Wei's plight.

Upon returning home, Han Wei's mother was horrified to discover that her son was covered in scrapes and bruises, his expression forlorn. Before she opened her mouth instinctively to ask what had happened, her sharp eye caught onto the broken stuffed bird on the table, as she instantly deduced what might have happened.

Mrs Seow then placed one arm across her son's shoulders as she asked gently, "I know you're deeply hurt at the moment, so I won't press you for details. Just feel free to share with me anything that you're comfortable to talk about." Mrs Seow knew deep down that her son was very different from other boys his age, with his hobbies in knitting stuffed animals and looking after stray animals including cats and birds.

Han Wei remained silent for a while before slowly opening his mouth and asking, "Mum, is it wrong for a boy to like cute stuff? What makes a man a man then? Am I considered a man? Or am I a wuss like what those bullies have called me?"

Mrs Seow embraced her son tightly before speaking gently, "My silly boy. A man is not defined by his preferences. As your father would have said, a man is truly a man only when he stands firmly to his beliefs and morals, regardless of whatever adversity might come his way.

If you like cute stuff, have the courage to admit it and stand against those who wrongfully oppress you simply because you are different. To continue to express yourself freely, you first need to be strong mentally before becoming strong physically, just like your father before you. Of course, that does not mean hurting others just because they dissed you, but there are times where self defence is necessary."

Comforted by his mother's advice, Han Wei rubbed away his tears before swearing inwardly that he would remain steadfast to his beliefs, growing stronger to achieve that goal...

Returning back to the present, Han Wei walked towards the Eurasian boy, who was slightly intimidated by Han Wei's appearance and build, given that Han Wei stood at a height several heads above that of the boy.

To the boy's surprise, upon standing right in front of him, Han Wei actually squatted down such that they became on eye level with each other. Han Wei quickly returned the key chain before remarking, "That's a pretty nice key chain you have here. Take good care of it next time, okay?"

The boy was stunned momentarily at Han Wei's action before gratefully accepting his key chain. Before Han Wei could leave, the boy stammered, "Y-You're so cool! Unlike me, who gets picked on just because I'm small, and like different things as compared to boys my age..."

Han Wei drew in a deep breath before placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, advising, "It's OK to be different, and your physical size isn't as important as the size of your fighting spirit. Remember, a truly cool person is one who sticks to his guns no matter what adversity lays before him. Dare to be different, and have the courage and determination to see your beliefs through when you're certain they're right for you. See ya, kid."

As Han Wei turned to leave for his destination, the boy stammered, "I-I'm Jimmy Bullard! What's your name, big bro? Will we ever meet again?" Han Wei waved his hand casually as he remarked coolly, "It's better if you don't know my name, for people who are associated with me are often viewed in a negative light, which I don't want for someone as young as you. As for whether we'll meet again, only fate would tell."

Jimmy could only stand awestruck as Han Wei walked away, his face forever etched in the memory of the little boy...

It didn't take long before Han Wei arrived at the meeting place, a basketball court where his fellow senior members have already gathered to play basketball together. This was merely a guise to cover up their meeting from the Police, since they can't stop a group of teens from enjoying sports together.

A brilliant idea conceived by the mind of Fu Sheng, who even thought of rotating the representatives from each section so that the Police can never pinpoint all their key members. Of course, Han Wei was no fool, recognising that the Police was purposely letting his group off the hook, since they hadn't done anything criminal as of now.

An organisation with the size and resources of SPF should easily obtain intelligence on his motley crew, but they haven't acted on that information despite the fact that Han Wei was possibly one of their Persons of Interest, implying that they valued his presence in bringing stability to the area, especially with regard to youths who steadily flocked towards him.

This had the surprising effect of reducing crime in the area, since these youths respected the wishes of their new boss to avoid creating trouble for others, for Han Wei believed that true freedom of expression meant respecting the freedom of others as well.

The meeting was rather routine, with each senior member simply taking turns to report the situation in their neighbourhood, of which there was nothing of note. Once everybody was done, Han Wei heaved a sigh of relief as he duly dismissed them all, though he noted that a few senior members stayed behind to converse with Fu Sheng.

For the past few weeks, Han Wei noticed that Fu Sheng was engaged in deep discussion with a couple of his senior members after every meeting, where they were always from the same groups. However, Han Wei didn't put too much thought into it, for technically Fu Sheng was the de facto leader of his gang while he was merely the inspirational figurehead.

Furthermore, Fu Sheng had been his closest friend all these years, and Han Wei trusted him fully in implementing plans that would benefit the youths under their charge; those who had been neglected and despised simply because they couldn't keep up with the mainstream.

Han Wei was confident that this was probably no exception, and his closest friend simply did not want to bother him with the cumbersome details. Seeing that there was nothing more to be done, Han Wei waved goodbye to his fellow gang members before taking his leave.

"Going home, boss? If there's no one at your place, can I hop over? Really want to see how your place's like!" It was Jay, one of the youngest members of his group at age 13. Despite his small frame and young age, Jay was one of the more outspoken individuals of Han Wei's group, never failing to speak his mind whenever he had any ideas.

Even though Jay's unreserved attitude drew the occasional ire from his fellow gang members, especially those who viewed seniority and hierarchy very highly, Han Wei appreciated Jay's candidness with him. After all, Jay's straightforward nature meant that Han Wei could confide in him, as he was assured that Jay wouldn't mince his words when asked to share his opinion.

Han Wei sighed, "Well, I won't be staying home for long, just a short while before I help out at my mum's shop, so suit yourself." Jay's face brightened instantly as he squealed, "Alright boss! Can I go over to your mum's shop as well later?"

Han Wei remained silent as he started walking towards home. It's not that he wanted to snub the young lad, but Han Wei really didn't know how he should respond against the boy's incessant questions. Thus, Han Wei concluded that silence was his best bet to keep Jay quiet.

True enough, Jay soon piped down after a while, respecting his boss' right to silence. Now, without Jay's constant bombardment, Han Wei could finally clear his mind and think about what he had to do for the day. However, before Han Wei could drift deeper into his thoughts, he sensed something off about his environment, his battle instincts pricking him at the detection of hostile intent.

Han Wei focused on listening as he slowed down his walking speed. True enough, his ears picked up the sound of footsteps, neither too far nor too near from him. Han Wei also noticed that the sound went cold when he stopped moving, further confirming his belief that they were being tailed.

When Han Wei turned round the corner of a block, he whispered quietly to Jay, who was getting confused from Han Wei's erratic movements, "We're being followed. Go ahead without me, I want to see who exactly is tailing us." Jay obliged without complaint as he walked ahead of Han Wei, trusting his boss to fend for himself.

Han Wei kept his back tightly plastered against the wall, his heartbeat rising rapidly as the sound of footsteps grew more audible. He was tempted to swing a punch at first sight of his stalker, but quelled his desire to do so after considering that he might hurt an innocent person in the process.

Han Wei took a few steps back from the corner just as 3 figures appeared, a young man and 2 young ladies. Han Wei stared straight into their eyes, scrutinising their expressions. True enough, the young man expressed shock momentarily before recovering his composure shortly thereafter, while the 2 ladies remained stoic.

That brief lapse, which was a reflection of surprise rather than fear, was sufficient to validate Han Wei's belief that the 3 before him were his very stalkers. Han Wei growled, "Who are you people? What business do you have with me?"

To his surprise, the trio before him simply murmured among themselves before the blonde-haired lady replied, "You're Seow Han Wei, right? The so-called big boss in this area? Unfortunately, despite your notoriety, you're not the target we're looking for. Sorry for taking up your time and causing alarm."

Han Wei was confused. Who exactly were these weirdoes looking for and what exactly were they investigating? Just as the trio turned to take their leave, Han Wei rushed up to them in an attempt to stop them, hoping to get some answers.

However, before Han Wei could place his left hand on the shoulder of the blonde-haired lady, his instincts kicked in as he raised his right arm quickly to shield his face. BAM! A roundhouse kick crashed into his right fist, causing him to reel slightly. The force he felt wasn't like a heavy slug that he was accustomed to from street brawls, but a pinpoint strike that stung despite possessing little power.

Han Wei was genuinely shocked, as the Chinese lady withdrew her foot as fast as she had kicked. This young lady was no ordinary person, probably a martial arts expert. Han Wei's thoughts were then disrupted by a cry, "Boss, you alright? Who're these guys who dare to lay their hands on you? I'll call down the rest of the gang now!"

It was Jay and before he could whip out his phone, Han Wei interrupted, "It's OK, Jay, I'm fine. Let's not create any more unnecessary trouble. Ladies, I apologise if my actions were rude, I was just too eager to get to the bottom of things. Please forgive me."

The blonde lady replied with a smile, "It's cool, I'm sure you didn't mean any harm and I also have to apologise for my friend's hastiness. She can be a little too vigilant at times. In any case, I can't divulge too much on our affairs but I'll give you a hint; pay closer attention to your gang members, the rumours haven't been too good. Bye."

The blonde lady took her leave alongside her 2 companions, as her female companion continued to watch Han Wei warily for a while before eventually turning away. Han Wei heaved a sigh of relief that things didn't escalate any further, as he really didn't want to fight women, not to mention highly trained ones.

After all, Han Wei was brought up to be chivalrous in his family, so hitting a woman was a no go. However, to be frank, the stinging sensation in his right hand reminded Han Wei that even if he was to go toe to toe against that mysterious female exponent, things probably wouldn't end up favourably for him.

"Hey, boss, you OK? You seem to be in a daze. Star-struck by the lady who kicked you? I didn't know you were a masochist if that's the case hehehe" Jay rambled as he gave Han Wei a friendly pat on the shoulder. Han Wei retorted, "Don't spout nonsense, I was just thinking about what that blonde lady said about our fellow brothers. I think what she said warrants an investigation, but let's keep it between the two of us for now, OK?"

Jay nodded excitedly as he chirped, "A secret mission entrusted to me by the boss...rest assured that I would get to the bottom of the matter with the best of my ability!" Han Wei simply smiled in acknowledgement, concealing the unexplainable sense of anxiety bubbling deep within his heart, as if dark times were upon him...