Nothing in this world will run toward you without hesitation—except for a 9mm Glock bullet pressed against your forehead.
When he pulled the trigger, Bai Xiaodu naturally blocked the splatter with his clothes.
Although his cuffs got dirty, his face remained clean.
Brother Yong's corpse, with only half a head left, collapsed straight down.
As a Warrior apprentice, Liya's reaction speed was very fast, and she tilted her head to dodge it.
The gang members watching the commotion nearby weren't so lucky; the bloody, gory mess sprayed directly across their faces.
“Ah... Ahhh!”
The waitress's screams and the lackeys' curses erupted, blending together under the dim, flickering lights.
Annoyed, Bai Xiaodu fired two more shots into the table.
“Quiet!”
“Wherever a sound comes from, I'll shoot!”
This tactic was highly effective; the desire to survive quickly drove away their panic.
The only sounds left in the room were stifled breathing and tense gulps.
Bai Xiaodu rested one foot on the sofa, his other hand keeping the gun pointed forward.
“Listen up.”
Bai Xiaodu's voice was cold, sounding more like an order.
“I've already touched the threshold of a transcendent, so I have no interest in killing mortals like you.”
“As long as you do what I say, I won't do anything to you.”
“Now, take me to the highest-ranking manager in this bar. Bringing some guy who isn't even a regional manager to see me... are you looking down on me?”
With a squeak, the door that had been heavily shut was opened from the outside.
A well-built middle-aged man stood in the corridor. He looked ordinary, but his face was incredibly grim.
He frowned as he stared down at Brother Yong's corpse on the floor.
Bai Xiaodu glanced at him.
“How should I address you?”
“Katemor.”
“Hello, Mr. Katemor. Your subordinate offended me, so I gave him a little punishment.”
“...A little punishment?”
Katemor's mouth twitched as he forced down his rising anger.
“Why are you here?”
Bai Xiaodu stared at his face and spoke slowly.
“I'm looking for a vampire criminal. His name is Jedoli.”
“Mr. Katemor, hand him over, and I can leave right now.”
Shaking his head in anger, Katemor's expression turned fierce.
“I don't even know him!”
“Let alone hiding him! You barged into my territory without any evidence and even killed my man!”
Bai Xiaodu curled his lip.
“Your eyes and body language tell me you're lying.”
“You know, sir, in my line of work, we often need to observe our clients' micro-expressions. I've even studied a bit of psychology.”
Bai Xiaodu rubbed his chin.
“Even if he isn't here, you're more or less familiar with him.”
“Katemor, you have until midnight tomorrow night to tell me where he is.”
Katemor was nearly exploding with rage and snapped back on the spot.
“Why should I help you? Just because of the mess you made today?!”
“Bai Xiaodu! Let me tell you, don't think I don't know what happened that night. You killed so many people; an autopsy will easily show that it was caused by Freezing Ray.”
“Do you think your status as a regular member can protect you? That old president is famous for keeping his hands clean of everything.”
Katemor sneered.
“With just a little push from me, the constant appeals from those people's families alone will ensure you spend the rest of your life in courtrooms and prison.”
“Bai Xiaodu, violence is not the way to solve every problem. But unfortunately, you're too stupid to understand that... What are you doing?”
Bai Xiaodu reached into his coat and shook out a crumpled photograph.
“Here.”
It was a low-resolution photo.
The subject was very simple: a plain sheet of standard A4 office paper, detailing a brief report on the casualties at the Qingjuwan Estate.
A small red 'X' had been drawn over it.
Katemor's pupils dilated instantly, and a loud roar seemed to explode in his head.
This kind of paper was highly specific. Its raw material originated from the Federation Central Planet—it was clean, white, and durable, exclusively used by the Pingshan District Explorers Association and the Pingshan District Federal Government!
What that small red 'X' represented went without saying.
Katemor knew of Bai Xiaodu's background. Originally, he had only assumed that the kid had gotten lucky, learned a spell, and let it get to his head, daring to directly provoke the Jackal Gang.
But now...
Before he knew it, cold sweat was slowly trickling down his forehead.
In his mind, the threat level of Bai Xiaodu was elevated by several ranks.
Gritting his teeth, Katemor spoke up.
“I'll admit you've got some backing... but don't push us too far. For the Jackal Gang to have taken over the underworld and lasted this long, we naturally have plenty of connections too.”
“At worst, we'll both end up ruined. Who's afraid of whom?”
“Three hundred thousand. Give me three hundred thousand. I don't know where Jedoli is right now, but I can mobilize the gang members to search for him. One day is too short. If you can confirm he hasn't left the Pingshan District, I can guarantee we'll find him within a week.”
Bai Xiaodu shook his head once more.
“Three hundred thousand is too little.”
Realizing his words might be misunderstood, he quickly corrected himself with a serious face.
“What I mean is, the amount you're giving me—three hundred thousand—is too little.”
“Are you kidding me? Remember, you're the one asking me for help!”
Bai Xiaodu scratched his ear.
“First of all, you should know that I always adhere to the basic principle of returning favors and settling scores.”
“First, when I was preparing to apply for membership in the Explorers Association, members of your gang stopped and threatened me.”
“Second, members of your gang beat up children from the orphanage where I live. Since this started because of me, I'm taking responsibility for it too.”
“Third, last night, you brought guns and dozens of men to stage a massive ambush against me alone.”
“Fourth, this dumbass of a subordinate named Brother Yong provoked me and even tried to lay his hands on me.”
“Fifth...”
At this point, Katemor flatly interrupted him.
“You've already retaliated for every single one of those. What grudge is there left to speak of?”
Bai Xiaodu smiled.
“I have never actively provoked you. If I had been even a little bit weaker, wouldn't my head be separated from my shoulders by now?”
“Don't pin all of this on me. I'm just a regional manager.”
“So what? I don't care.”
Katemor took a deep breath.
“This vampire traitor was also commissioned to you by the person backing you, wasn't he? You're just using public office to avenge a personal grudge.”
Bai Xiaodu maintained his smiling expression.
“Splendid.”
“You guessed right. I am indeed using this to settle a personal grudge. But what can you possibly do about it?”
“Now, go transfer six hundred thousand to my card, and tell me Jedoli's location before tomorrow night.”
Bai Xiaodu brandished the exquisite, bat-shaped knife in his hand, playing with it for a moment.
“This is a token given to me by a direct descendant of the vampire clan, and she is the one who commissioned me to investigate Jedoli.”
“Of course, if the investigation proves difficult, I wouldn't mind easing the burden of a certain leader in the Pingshan District Explorers Association. I could easily look into some evil gang business on the side, giving the Federation's citizens a chance to vent their frustrations.”
Having finished speaking, Bai Xiaodu casually tossed a business card over and left with Liya.
No one dared to stop them. They watched them leave with lingering, fearful gazes.
The colorful lights continued to flicker and sway.
Katemor just sat on the sofa, looking completely dejected.
He had always been the one threatening others. Since when had he ever been threatened like this?
In the Explorers Association, the only person with enough power to easily sweep this matter under the rug was likely the newly appointed Director-General Shen.
The Shen Clan of the Eastern Continent was a top-tier noble family. Even if she was just a young member here to build up her resume, crushing them would be as easy as stepping on bugs.
As for that knife, the faint sense of dread and chill emanating from it made it clear that it was an incredibly valuable weapon.
The vampire clan was also a highly renowned, powerful force on Blue Star, the kind where if you mess with a young one, their elders would immediately show up.
The Jackal Gang couldn't afford to offend either of these factions.
Katemor felt as though darkness had completely fallen over his world.
Just what on earth was the background of this fox-kin?
Rate on N.U.
