Chapter 7 Confirming the Threat

Zhou Zhengde, who was protecting the ‘important witness’ in the Thirteenth Floor Security Squad’s main headquarters witness protection room, was completely stunned when he heard the news reported by a rushing team member.

What did he mean, one person beat up more than a dozen people?

The witness protection room was about the same size as a regular single room, so Wei Na naturally heard the team member’s shouts.

Her face was still pale, clearly not having recovered from the previous shooting, and she quietly asked, “A group of thugs beat up that Mu Liang?”

“It’s hard to say who hit whom right now; both sides are badly injured, and they even ran through several streets, causing a lot of people to pay attention now.”

The team member frowned, glanced at Wei Na, and continued to report to Zhou Zhengde:

“Captain! Some of the thugs’ acquaintances are in the team. The leading thug is called ‘Rotten Fish,’ and he’s severely injured. When we arrived, his clothes were covered in blood, and he’s already been sent to the hospital next door for treatment!”

“What happened?”

Zhou Zhengde cleared his throat and said with his hands behind his back:

“Doctor Wei Na, please continue to rest. The testimony you provided is of great help to our investigation of this illegal weapons case. Thank you for your cooperation.”

“Let’s go see!”

Zhou Zhengde turned and hurried away.

Wei Na called out, “Could it be related to the Black Fire Gang? They couldn’t find me, so they went after Mu Liang?”

“Hopefully not.”

Zhou Zhengde replied in a low voice, and the alloy door of the witness room was heavily shut.

…

The Thirteenth Floor Security Squad’s headquarters is located next to the Central Passage.

There is a circular plaza here, with a dozen official agencies of the Thirteenth Floor compactly arranged around it.

In the center of the plaza is an elevator shaft encased in thick concrete walls. There are three entrances to the Central Passage elevator shaft, and the main entrance to the constantly open elevator room is directly opposite the Security Squad’s headquarters gate.

The Fortress officials do not prohibit civilians from using the upper and lower passages, but each use of the Central Passage costs 10 general credits. The other passages and a dozen elevators distributed in four directions only cost 2 general credits per use, making the Central Passage an exclusive passage for official personnel.

—Government workers can use the Fortress’s public facilities for free.

—These elevators cannot go directly to the Lower City and have complete surveillance and automatic defense Systems.

Consequently, the Central Passage Garden is also regarded as a ‘luxury green belt’ that only the ‘management class’ can enjoy, and ordinary citizens rarely come here to stroll around unless necessary.

Today, however, was different; the Thirteenth Floor’s circular plaza was very lively.

Earlier, the Security Squad had made a large-scale deployment, arresting a group of young people involved in a brawl, which also attracted many onlookers.

There was no other way; the Fortress had limited resources and prohibited entertainment internally, so there were rarely any fresh sources of amusement.

Wang Jixuan sat on a long bench beside the main entrance of the elevator shaft, with two Security Squad members, each with a pistol at their waist, beside him.

In front, more than a dozen thugs were squatting with their heads in their hands, most of them bruised and swollen, their hands bound by belts;

The worst off was the leading thug, who was now lying on a stretcher, covered in blood, being carried into the Thirteenth Floor Hospital not far away.

Wang Jixuan believed he had acted with discretion; the other party would not die from excessive bleeding, and this matter should not cause the officials to target him.

He had learned two new terms from Mu Liang’s memory—legitimate defense and self-defense.

Wang Jixuan was also a bit upset now.

He actually!

Got lost…

The Swift Steps Incantation only lasted for about a dozen breaths. The layout of the various passages was very similar, and he ran too fast to distinguish directions, turning a half circle and plunging into the encirclement of these ruffians.

These ruffians were even more vicious than he had imagined. He used the military strategy of ‘capturing the leader first,’ seizing that Rotten Fish, but some of the opponents were not intimidated and directly rushed up to hit him with metal pipes.

If he hadn’t used the leading ruffian as a shield, he would likely have been severely injured himself.

Boundless Heavenly Venerate!

He, a dignified!

Never mind, a hero doesn’t boast of past glories. He had, after all, failed his Undergoing Tribulation, and was now only in the initial stage of his comeback.

He would just find his Dao Heart later.

Just then, Team Leader Zhou, whom Wang Jixuan had only met once, hurried over from the side.

Zhou Zhengde frowned, glaring at Wang Jixuan and the thugs on the ground.

“Lock them all up!”

Zhou Zhengde roared in his deep baritone voice:

“Idle and unproductive! Providing no value to the Fortress! And disrupting public order! Our Thirteenth Floor Security Office must severely punish these brawlers!”

The onlookers, near and far, applauded sparsely.

Zhou Zhengde walked up to Wang Jixuan, frowning as he scrutinized him, noticing that Wang Jixuan had several large bruises on his body and his clothes were torn, but he was still sitting upright.

Zhou Zhengde inexplicably felt an indescribable sharpness.

“Let’s talk inside.”

A Security Squad member immediately stepped forward to put handcuffs on Wang Jixuan.

“No,” Zhou Zhengde glared and scolded, “He’s a victim! Why put handcuffs on him? Do you want citizens to write letters of complaint saying we enforce the law arbitrarily?!”

The team member quickly nodded, then turned to help, inviting Wang Jixuan into the main entrance of the security office.

Half an hour later.

Zhou Zhengde leaned back in the chair of his single office, raising a hand to rub his forehead.

Wang Jixuan sat on the hard metal bench, looking at the large photograph on the wall.

In the photo, Zhou Zhengde, wearing a crisp light blue uniform, was receiving a medal from an old man.

That should have been Zhou Zhengde’s moment of glory.

“Tsk,” Zhou Zhengde ran his fingers through his slicked-back hair, tossing the confession file onto the table. “You’re good with your hands. So many of them fought you alone, yet you weren’t very injured.”

“I secretly practiced free combat for a few years,” Wang Jixuan said earnestly.

“This thing of yours.”

Zhou Zhengde picked up the thin metal pipe placed on a sterilized tray; the sharpened end was stained with blood.

“This could even be considered an illegal weapon.”

“But I can’t blame you; after being bullied for half a year, you’d definitely try to resist.”

“Given that we just helped each other out, I’ll help you settle this trouble. Those thugs also have acquaintances who came to me to plead, so this incident won’t be reported. Do you think that’s acceptable?”

“Yes,” Wang Jixuan nodded, not asking for anything more from these officials.

He had his own solution.

Zhou Zhengde wondered, “With your skills, why didn’t you resist before?”

Testing this humble Daoist?

Wang Jixuan immediately lowered his eyes, sighed, and said, “After choosing to retreat once when bullied, I never had another chance to resist.”

“That’s true,” Zhou Zhengde empathized deeply. “I’ve seen too many similar cases. Your previous self-harming behavior was also related to this, wasn’t it? However, this time the trouble will be bigger. According to what they said, this time a big shot from the Black Fire Gang directly found their boss, Rotten Fish, the one you cut on the neck with this metal rod. Luckily, it was just a superficial wound.”

Wang Jixuan was puzzled: “Big shot?”

“A big shot usually refers to one of the top figures in a Gang.”

Zhou Zhengde tapped his finger on the table:

“You don’t know how powerful the Black Fire Gang is. They are one of the seven major Gangs in the Lower City. That place, the Lower City, is very chaotic, but it also has some… some very valuable resources. The background of each of these Gangs is very complex.”

“Wei Na has already told you what the Black Fire Gang does… organ trafficking.”

Wang Jixuan asked, “Don’t you prohibit this kind of thing?”

“Of course we prohibit it! The laws completely prohibit it!”

Zhou Zhengde pursed his lips and shrugged:

“Guess how many people in this Fortress can afford to pay for organ transplants? And what positions do some of them hold?”

“As far as I know, some old guys in the Fortress Security General Bureau have unclear ties with the Black Fire Gang.”

“The Black Fire Gang is just a black glove.”

Wang Jixuan suddenly understood.

Is this what’s commonly known as officials and bandits being in cahoots? He was certainly gaining new insights.

“I actually don’t want to get involved.”

Zhou Zhengde sighed:

“My life is great now. I have a conservative girlfriend, a decent job, and two hundred subordinates I can directly deploy.”

“But Wei Na… you know, Wei Na is a friend I can’t stop worrying about, my best friend.”

“The Lower City Gangs’ code of conduct is to never give up until they achieve their goal, otherwise, they’ll feel they’ve lost prestige and their position is shaken. The investigation into the death of that Brother Hua has been submitted to my superiors, and it’s probably already on the Black Fire Gang BOSS’s desk.”

“Wei Na acted in self-defense, legitimate self-defense in every sense of the word.”

“But both you and Wei Na will be targets for their subsequent retaliation.”

“That Brother Hua was the Black Fire Gang’s big BOSS’s biological brother, and that’s the biggest problem.”

Wang Jixuan silently pondered.

Boss, it seems to mean the Gang leader.

“I can only help you for a while,” Zhou Zhengde sighed. “I’ll get you a different safe house to stay in. When you go out later, try to wear a hat and a mask, or even a helmet if necessary. There are many people in the Security Squad System who have unclear ties with the Lower City. I’m just a captain who was recently transferred here, so I can’t guarantee how long you’ll be safe. This is the only thing I can do.”

Wang Jixuan nodded, looking at the tired-looking Team Leader in front of him, and said, “I owe you a favor.”

“Hmph! Then I very much look forward to you repaying that favor!”

Zhou Zhengde tried his best not to laugh when he said this:

“I don’t have absolute authority here either.”

“I have another suggestion… Although this conflict was self-defense for you, I can use this conflict to classify it as a brawl and have you stay in the Security Office’s solitary confinement for two months…”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Wang Jixuan shook his head; he didn’t like being in prison, and he smiled:

“I’ll go hide first. If I can’t hide, then we’ll deal with it then.”

“Alright, as you wish.”

Zhou Zhengde pulled open a drawer, took out a button-sized alarm, and tossed it into Wang Jixuan’s hand.

“If you encounter danger, press it three times. It will flash red, which means it’s alarming, and I’ll immediately send people over.”

“Thank you.”

Wang Jixuan habitually cupped his hands in agreement.

Zhou Zhengde tilted his head, watching his gesture, then decided it might be some strange habit popular with young people and didn’t pay much attention.

The Black Fire Gang had territory, thugs, and a large number of firearms in the Lower City; no matter how much he warned, it would be useless. Protecting Wei Na had already left him distraught, and the Black Fire Gang was constantly pressuring him through various connections.

For this young man, Zhou Zhengde felt he had already done his utmost.

“Owe me a favor?”

Zhou Zhengde smiled dismissively.

“Quite individualistic.”

…

The next day.

Near Central Plaza, inside the Security Squad’s safe house.

Wang Jixuan took off his baseball cap and mask, worth 3 general credits, and placed two large bags of emergency food on the table.

To be safe, he hadn’t returned to his residence to retrieve clothes, as several groups of ruffians were already searching for him in this area.

The ruffians on each floor were an extension of the Lower City Gangs’ influence.

The trusted subordinate of Team Leader Zhou who brought Wang Jixuan here told him he could stay for a maximum of two months.

The safe house was no different from an ordinary single accommodation room; the only thing that made Wang Jixuan uncomfortable was a camera in the corner.

Although it was broken.

Wang Jixuan deftly took off his shirt, precisely threw it onto the camera, then moved to the washbasin and began to thoroughly clean his body, trying his best to increase his speed of absorbing Spiritual Qi.

In the mirror, the young man was so thin that his ribs were visible, and most of the bruises on his body had faded.

Wang Jixuan let out a soft breath, then, dressed only in his underwear, walked to the single bed, quickly formed hand seals, and assumed the five-hearts-to-heaven sitting posture.

Although cultivation here was slow, persistence was key.

‘Did this humble Daoist’s previous failure in Undergoing Tribulation stem from insufficient tempering of the Mortal World?’

‘So be it.’

‘The Black Fire Gang commits evil deeds and harms living beings. This humble Daoist shall act on behalf of the Dao and protect his Dao Body!’

‘But I must cultivate first, at least reaching the Qi Refining Realm before anything else.’