Chapter 59 · Volume 1

【Magic Bloodthirst】

Jedoli died, as was only natural.
As a Rank 0.6 Ranger, there was no way he could survive a spell like that.
The dark ray first corroded his skin to the bone, while the toxin viciously gnawed at his senses. The excruciating pain wrung a blood-curdling shriek from Jedoli.
The spirit ray was even more ferocious. The briefest contact shook his mind, leaving his eyes vacant as he unconsciously abandoned all instinctual resistance.
Seeing the pathetic state of Jedoli's corpse, Katemor and Leo couldn't help but shudder.
They looked at the silver-white figure with deep dread in their eyes.
Too terrifying!
Thank goodness they weren't his enemies!
Slowly stepping out of the stairwell, his feet treading through the blood and severed limbs scattered across the floor, Bai Xiaodu stroked his chin with satisfaction.
He wasn't some kind of psychopath, nor did he enjoy killing.
But enemies didn't count as people!
Thus, Bai Xiaodu's conscience was perfectly clear.
Walking over to Jedoli's corpse, he noted that this guy was clearly an elite mob. He had even dropped a green-quality talent.
【Magic Bloodthirst】
【Quality: Green】
【Type: Passive Talent】
【Effect: Increases Spell Vamp by 5%.】
【Description: Let's see who the real vampire is!】
Bai Xiaodu happily accepted this gift and quickly equipped it in his talent slot.
Now he had sustain. He could save a fortune on health potions!
“Um... Brother Du, do you need me to get someone to clean this place up?”
Hearing Katemor's cautious question, Bai Xiaodu nodded.
“I'll have to trouble you with that. Also, there's another very important matter. Can you handle it?”
Katemor immediately stood at attention and said in a clear, resonant voice, “At your command, Brother Du!”
Bai Xiaodu blinked.
He wasn't used to being called “Brother” like this.
But why did it feel...
...strangely satisfying?
Keeping a straight face, his tail unconsciously wagged a little faster.
Bai Xiaodu pondered for a moment before giving his orders.
“Since that kid Jedoli was mixed up with your Northern Manager, Sothus, the stolen goods were probably shipped out with his help, right?”
Katemor nodded. “No doubt about it. Sothus has the most drivers under him.”
“Are you trying to find where the goods went and where the money ended up? No problem.”
“We in the Jackal Gang don't have an actual boss. We're split into four territories—East, West, South, and North—and none of us answer to the others.”
“But as of now...” Katemor let out a dry, awkward laugh.
The four territories had already been cut down to two.
“With the Northern Manager dead, they're leaderless. The remaining ones are just small fry. I'll personally step in to clean up the mess. If anyone dares to object, I'll put them down on the spot. I'll definitely have the ledgers sorted out for you today.”
Quick to act.
Bai Xiaodu snapped his fingers in satisfaction.
“To prevent any complications, I'll go with you.”
“Absolutely no problem.”
They immediately drove over.
Sothus certainly knew how to enjoy life; he had even bought himself a small villa.
They didn't encounter any real resistance along the way. A few confused guards tried to block them, but they were instantly paralyzed with fear by the photo Katemor had just snapped.
The group took control of the entire villa with ease.
Katemor grabbed the accountant by the collar like a helpless chick and threw him roughly onto a chair.
“Put all other accounts aside. Pull up everything related to the potion shipments for me.”
“Don't worry about retaliation. Sothus is dead, not even a speck of him left. From now on, I'm your boss.”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
Shivering, the accountant opened the safe as fast as he could and frantically searched for the relevant documents inside.
Although Bai Xiaodu was an amateur, he could at least read. He casually picked up a receipt and looked at it.
The numbers made him gasp.
“Holy crap, three tons of medicine! This is the first time in my life I've seen transcendent medicine measured in tons! Wait, and this is just on one receipt?!”
Medicine of the same value that Grandma struggled to afford was being shipped here like mineral water.
Bai Xiaodu gritted his teeth.
The further he flipped, the more shocking the details became, leaving him scratching his head in disbelief.
“My god, how dare you guys be this bold? Even the Director of the Pingshan District Transportation Bureau was bought off to help you smuggle these contraband goods.”
“Leaving aside the value of the shipment, I recall these are border planets...”
“Smuggling resources to border planets is a capital offense! Are these guys trying to supply the enemy?!”
His heart pounded wildly. Bai Xiaodu estimated that any single one of these charges would be enough to earn them a firing squad!
...
Pingshan District, Crimson Blood Group branch office.
Inside the office.
A middle-aged man in a cadre jacket and a tie sat in the visitor's chair.
He was slightly plump, with ordinary features and a highly polite smile on his face.
“President Xin, these are the report materials submitted to my bureau a few days ago. Someone has accused you of being involved in transactions with the machine civilization. Please take a look first.”
“I apologize, but I am indeed here to investigate this matter. After all, any suspected interaction with the machine civilization is a severe crime.”
“You do not need to explain to me, but you must provide a formal written explanation and response to the Federal Security Bureau.”
Xin Hai'an's beautiful face was cold with fury, but she was forced to suppress her anger.
Without a word, she lowered her head and flipped through the documents he had handed her.
When she reached the last page, her fingertips pinched the corner of the paper, her slender fingers turning pale from the force of her grip.
The contents of the report were simple.
A large batch of low-grade mana potions had been repackaged and smuggled from Pingshan District to the border planet Beta-231, which bordered the star system controlled by the machine civilization.
The shipment had been seized by Pingshan District Customs, and someone had reported that it belonged to the Crimson Blood Group.
If confirmed, it would be a severe crime—an absolute felony.
Even if the investigation ultimately proved that Xin Hai'an had nothing to do with it, she still wouldn't be able to escape association.
After all, she was the general manager of the Crimson Blood Group's potion division.
Although she wasn't the legal representative and could avoid the primary criminal liability, she would likely be branded as an accomplice.
Going to prison was unlikely, and a fine would be a minor issue.
But once the Federal Security Bureau labeled her a dangerous element, Crimson Blood Group's potion business would definitely face hard times ahead.
For Xin Hai'an, who was still hoping to vie for the leadership of the group, this was completely unacceptable.
Slowly putting down the documents, Xin Hai'an took a few deep breaths.
The matter had blown up after all, which was the outcome she dreaded most.
She knew that saying anything now was useless.
Federal law was not about fairness and justice; it was merely about maintaining stability.
After a brief moment of thought, she quickly came to a decision.
Generally speaking, a matter of this gravity would be reported to higher authorities rather than being handled locally by Pingshan District.
Under normal circumstances, the Federal Security Bureau would have sent someone to investigate her directly.
It shouldn't be a mid-level official from Pingshan District personally coming to her door with the report to have a chat.
With an expressionless face, her fingers slowly tapped on the desk.
“I understand some of the situation now. But first, you should know that I am utterly shocked and completely unaware of this matter.”
“This is my fundamental stance on this smuggling case.”
Her blood-red eyes narrowed slightly, and the ten-meter radius around Xin Hai'an instantly fell into a dead silence.
Looking at the somewhat bewildered mid-level official, she said calmly, “Within this area, electromagnetism is jammed. No recording devices will work.”
“If there are special circumstances, please feel free to speak openly.”

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