Let the Big Shot Behind You Come!
The echoes from downstairs reverberated through the ruins of the alleyway.
Chixin held a briefcase containing medicine in one hand, his mustache slightly upturned, his gaze sweeping over the twenty boxes of sealed water and military canned goods on the open ground.
Behind him, more than a dozen gunmen wielding electromagnetic firearms spread out in a fan shape, their gun muzzles lowered and their finger movements practiced.
In the Lower City, no one can resist these things.
Clean water is life, and the inner city's landmarks are the ladder to heaven.
Even if the other party does have some brute force and manages to dismantle two old Mecha by chance, in the end, he is nothing more than a Black Street urchin huddled in the mud of a sewage outlet.
However, there was no sound of doors opening on the second floor, no panicked running, and not even any extra breathing.
Clang.
A crisp, dull sound of porcelain clashing came from behind the wooden window of the small building.
That was the sound of a rough porcelain bowl being placed steadily on the table.
Chen Fan pulled out a rough piece of paper and wiped away a bit of food residue from the corner of Chen Xi's mouth, then pushed the empty bowl aside.
"Brother, there are too many of them."
Chen Xi sat on a small round stool, clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands.
She heard people downstairs mentioning "deputy gang leader" and "elderly quota," words that carried immense weight for the migrants in the Lower City.
"Sit down and digest after you've eaten."
Chen Fan got up and walked to the window.
Squeak.
The closed solid wood window sash was pushed open halfway.
Chen Fan rested one hand on the windowsill, looking down at the ground.
The morning light shone on his sharply defined face, his newly grown skin, fresh from the scabbing of old skin, was smooth and even, without any glow from any Superpower activity, and his expression was calm.
Chixin his head and met those eyes.
For some reason, Chixin's heart skipped a beat.
He had seen that look before, but it should never appear on the face of a scavenger from the lower city.
That was the indifference of a predator at the top of the food chain looking down upon the skeletons.
Chixin suppressed the absurd unease in his heart, forced a smile, and moved the briefcase forward half a foot:
"Brother Chen, now that you've shown up, come down and complete the formalities. The supplies in the car are a deposit, and the potion in the box can stabilize your Genes chain. As long as you sign this Divine Soul Blood Contract, you'll be the second-in-command of the Viper Gang. From now on, you can do whatever you want in this West District."
Chen Fan's gaze lingered for a moment on the medicine inside the bulletproof box before shifting away.
"Second Tier defective precipitate, Alloy coins mixed with industrial waste."
Chen Fan's voice was calm, and his words were clear and distinct, reaching the ears of everyone present:
"With this scrap metal and medicine meant for beggars, who gave you the audacity to stand up for me?"
The scene fell into a deathly silence.
The dozen or so armed thugs following behind the truck froze, exchanging bewildered glances.
Chixin's smile gradually froze, his mustache twitched twice, and the red light in his eyes surged violently.
"What did you say?"
Chixin's voice turned somber, and his fingers tightened suddenly.
With a "poof," a ball of orange-red flame burst forth from his palm, distorting and crackling the surrounding air, and a pungent smell of sulfur quickly filled the air.
"Chen Fan, don't push your luck!"
Chixin pointed at the box on the ground and shouted sternly:
"Outside the Third Base City, the Far East Chamber of Commerce is the law! Iron Wolf was occupying the outhouse, and we let him die. Who do you think you are? You survived by sheer strength, and you really think you can rule the Black Street? The Chamber of Commerce is willing to take you in; it's a miracle you've been blessed by your ancestors!"
He raised his other hand, revealing the gold badge engraved with intricate serpentine patterns.
"Open your dog eyes and see clearly! This is a specially approved guest retainer order from the Chamber of Commerce! In the West District, disobeying the Chamber of Commerce only results in death! If you know what's good for you, get down here and kneel down to receive it right now, or not only will you die today, but I'll also skin that little bastard hiding in the building alive, throw her into a pot of boiling water, and feed her to the dogs!"
Before he could finish speaking...
Standing by the second-floor window, Chen Fan raised his index finger, which was resting on the windowsill, and flicked it lightly into the Void.
There was no violent roar; only a muffled explosion echoed in the air.
Chixin's angry curses abruptly stopped, and his scalp suddenly tingled.
He couldn't detect any trajectory of the energy attack in his line of sight.
Only a thin vacuum line, tearing through the airflow, swept across.
Click!
The golden serpent badge in Chixin's hand instantly turned into countless fragments.
The extremely domineering penetrating Hidden Force exploded along the metal fragments, instantly tearing the skin and flesh of Chixin's entire right hand, causing blood to spurt out.
The bones in his arm made a dull thud as if they were dislocating, and he was thrown several meters away by the sudden, immense force, his back slamming hard into the steel plate of the heavy truck, leaving a clear, human-shaped dent.
"Puff!"
Chixin slid off the vehicle and fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He clutched his right arm tightly with his left hand, his face filled with horror.
The moment his protective fire energy touched that finger-force of wind, it didn't even have the chance to resist and was directly crushed into nothingness.
"Vice Leader!"
The Viper Gang gunmen around them were terrified. They all raised their gun barrels in unison, and the sound of the bolts being pulled back was deafening.
Chen Fan withdrew his finger, his gaze not lingering on the fallen Chixin for even half a second.
"A mere watchdog dares to bark here."
Chen Fan said indifferently, "If you really want to talk, have your gang leader come over here and talk on his knees."
"Arrogant brat, it seems the illusion brought about by your physical breakthrough has blinded you."
A cold, steady voice suddenly pierced through from behind the convoy.
At the street corner, an armored off-road vehicle, entirely black and covered in heavy bulletproof armor, slowly shut off.
The car door opened, and a tall man wearing a dark green tactical leather trench coat stepped out.
The man's right cheek was covered with bluish-black mutated scales, and his long, narrow snake eyes emitted a captivating, eerie green light. A stench that was visible to the naked eye swirled around him.
Huo Qing, leader of the Viper Gang and Third Tier lower-level poison-type Esper.
Huo Qing didn't even glance at Chixin, who was sprawled on the ground. Instead, he raised his hands and clapped them gently three times.
Snap, snap, snap.
The applause sounded particularly jarring on the quiet street.
"A flick of the finger can shatter gold; the arm bone of a Second Tier fire wielder can be destroyed from a distance. What effortless control of power!"
Huo Qing stood in front of the truck, a slight smile playing on his lips:
"The entire Seventh Special Operations Team under that old madman Doctor Chu was wiped out. It seems they didn't all die from a trap. You certainly have the ability to fight beyond your level. No wonder you dared to say something as insane as making me kneel down to talk to you."
Huo Qing turned to the side, bent down and opened the rear door of the SUV, his expression becoming submissive.
"Elder Song, look at the weeds in the Lower City, they always have this arrogant and unruly air about them."
In the shadows of the back seat, a withered hand wearing a black leather glove rested on the car frame.
Immediately afterwards, an elderly man wearing an expensive light gray dustproof woolen overcoat strode out.
The old man had gray hair, a thin and frail body, and two thin lips pressed together below his hooked nose.
On the index finger of his right hand was a deep blue gemstone energy storage ring cut from a dodecahedron, the ring face faintly emitting a low hum like the crashing of ocean waves.
Elder Song, Chief Executive Officer of the Far East Chamber of Commerce in the Third Base City.
Third Tier upper level, water-controlling Esper.