Glass shattered, tables and chairs flew.
The Lungmen youths swaying to the music in the center of the dance floor were all eager for the spectacle to get bigger. They abandoned the dance floor and crowded around the edge of the venue to watch the fierce fight up close. Every now and then, they booed at the losing side, thinking they were just lame.
Faced with the mess all over the floor, a big-headed man who appeared to be the owner cried out hoarsely:
"Good heavens, I just renovated this place!"
"Stop! Stop fighting!"
But his cries vanished like stones sinking into the sea, receiving no response. The burly men had no intention of stopping, and the guests at the scene joined in the heckling, hoping the fight would become even more intense.
"Mister Shi Lei."
Hearing someone call his name, Shi Lei looked toward the voice. Seeing that it was Kong, he asked:
"Miss Kong, what is it?"
"They're having a grand old time fighting, but the owner is the one suffering. Could you escort me to that stage? I want to borrow their microphone."
Before transmigrating, he had been an ordinary office worker, not a fighter. On top of that, the Embarrassing System had not instilled any combat experience in him. Though he could fight without getting hurt, it still felt awkward. Hearing her request, he bent at the waist in a gentlemanly bow and gestured for her to proceed.
"No problem, Miss Kong. This way, please."
Under Shi Lei's protection, Kong stepped onto the stage and had the DJ turn off the electronic music. She then picked up the microphone, adjusted the volume, cleared her throat, and began singing a cappella.
Her melodious voice echoed through the spacious hall. The moment the burly men heard it, they stopped moving. It was as if they had been frozen in place, completely unable to move.
The customers watching nearby were the same, rooted where they stood and unable to keep egging them on. In an instant, the fierce brawl came to an abrupt stop.
Kong sang for nearly a minute before stopping. As she set down the microphone, she stuck out her tongue sheepishly. At the same time the song ended, the sensation of being frozen vanished completely.
Having cooled down, the burly men knew they would certainly lose if they kept fighting. Supporting their injured companions, they slunk away from the scene.
"My sofa... my floor..."
Looking at the severely damaged venue, the bar owner felt like crying without tears. He slumped onto the floor in despair, as if his soul had been drained away.
The bartender in a vest walked over and asked:
"Big Head, should we notify Sister Oni?"
"No. Sister Oni finally managed to join the Lungmen Guard Department. Don't trouble her again."
While they spoke, Kong led Shi Lei over.
"Excuse me, are you the owner here?"
"I am."
Kong gave him a professional idol smile and said:
"I'm sorry. Please calculate tonight's losses first. We'll compensate you at full price."
With that, she returned to the booth. She took a pink phone from her bag and called Emperor over.
"Everyone, disperse. Go on, head back. Keep drinking and dancing, don't crowd around here."
Croissant urged the young men and women watching to leave, sounding extremely practiced. It seemed that during her business trips with Kong, she had done plenty of fan-dispersing work.
Texas picked up a broom from the corner and swept the broken glass in the booth to one side. Exusiai brought over another crate of beer and set it on the table with a bang.
"Hahaha, you have to throw a party after a fight. That's when it feels right. You guys were so sneaky just now. The fight was already over before I even finished warming up."
Texas had no interest in arguing and poured herself half a glass of alcohol. She was not wearing work clothes tonight. She wore a white shirt with a red jacket on top and black cropped pants below. Her expression remained as cool as ever, like an icy beauty.
Croissant was not about to indulge Exusiai. She immediately became the mouthpiece for a certain Lupo.
"You've got the nerve to say that? You only stepped in when we were nearly done. When you go on deliveries with Texas, do you usually loaf around like that too?"
"Of course not. I plan the best delivery routes for her and make the commissions easier."
The more Exusiai spoke, the less confident she became. Not wanting to continue the subject, she proactively shifted the topic to Shi Lei.
"Your shield seemed pretty good just now. When you have time, you should get a Comprehensive Medical Examination."
"A Comprehensive Medical Examination? Is that necessary?"
"Yes. It's not just a physical examination. It also tests your Originium Arts. It'll help you better understand that ability and figure out its exact limits. When you're free tomorrow, I'll take you there. It's at Rhine Lab, not far from the company."
The way Shi Lei secretly tested his skills on random civilians carried considerable risk. Having such a professional institution would be greatly beneficial to him. Only by understanding his abilities better could he develop more uses for them.
"Sure, but let me make this clear first. I'm completely broke right now and can't pay for the Comprehensive Medical Examination. How about I go after I get paid?"
Ever since Shi Lei came to interview at the company, Exusiai had been considering how to trick him into joining the Messenger team. Hearing that he was worried about money, she immediately patted her chest and promised:
"It doesn't need to be that troublesome. As long as the boss agrees, it'll be fine. The company will cover the cost to determine whether you're qualified to be a Messenger. As for how to convince the boss, leave it to me!"
Texas did not particularly care. To be honest, she did not need anyone's shield to protect her. But there was a little troublemaker in the team who often did crazy things. If Shi Lei joined them as a safety net, perhaps their margin for error would improve.
Croissant had a good impression of him and had no objection to the proposal. She thought that Exusiai had finally done something decent.
Kong was an external member, so whether Shi Lei became a Messenger had little to do with her. But if everyone approved of him, she did not mind casting a vote in favor.
"Then thank you, everyone. Cheers."
"What are you thanking us for? I'll look after you from now on. Cheers."
The five of them drank in the messy booth, yet the atmosphere only grew livelier. After several bottles of iced alcohol, they began playing drinking games such as finger-guessing to liven things up.
After an unknown amount of time, Emperor, dressed in hip-hop attire, arrived at the newly opened bar. It looked around, spotted its employees, and angrily barged into the booth.
"Exusiai, did you smash someone else's things again? Your performance bonus for this month is all gone!"
Exusiai felt terribly wronged and hurriedly begged for mercy.
"Don't, Boss! If you deduct any more, there'll be nothing left. I really wasn't the one causing trouble this time. If you don't believe me, ask them."
Emperor raised its head and folded its penguin flippers together.
"Hmph. Don't you say that every time?"
Exusiai was utterly helpless and cast the others pleading looks. Kong smiled and helped explain:
"You misunderstood. It really wasn't her this time."
"Fine. I believe Miss Kong wouldn't lie."
Emperor's anger came quickly and faded just as quickly. It stopped holding the matter against Exusiai. Using an opener, it uncapped a bottle of beer and gulped down several large mouthfuls before frowning.
"This beer isn't much different from what I sell. Why did you come drink here instead of going to my place?"
"Boss..."
Exusiai raised her right hand and said weakly:
"It's the end of the month, and we're broke. Plus, this place had an opening discount, so we thought we'd come hang out."
Emperor rolled its eyes at her and could not be bothered to talk about this walking disaster. Of the sixteen lawsuits Isu had handled this month involving property damage, Exusiai alone accounted for eleven.
"I don't think the damage here is too serious. Let the bar owner hire someone to fix it first. Since someone else caused the trouble, find them and make them pay full compensation. If you really can't find them, I'll just buy this bar."
Well, damn.
Its casual tone somehow gave Shi Lei the distinct feeling of a domineering CEO.
Kong stood up on her own initiative and offered to pass along the message.
"Since this started because of me, let me talk to the owner. You all keep drinking."
Croissant was uneasy about letting her go alone and volunteered:
"Kong, I'll go with you."
The two left the booth together and returned just a few minutes later. After all, the bar had only just opened, and no one wanted a brawl to happen. Upon learning that they would pay double compensation, the bar owner agreed immediately.
Exusiai figured the timing was about right and spoke up.
"Boss, there's one more thing. Shi Lei has a special Originium Art that can generate shields. I want him to join the Messengers on deliveries. What do you think?"
Emperor lowered its gaze and studied the man before it through its sunglasses. So Lin Gerei had offered such a high reward to find him because he valued this ability?
It did not answer Exusiai directly. Instead, it looked at the person concerned and asked:
"What they say is just what they say. The important thing is what you want. Do you want to do this? The Messengers at our company face more danger than those at other logistics companies. But high risk also means high income. One order could be worth several months of your current salary."
The Embarrassing System did not give him money directly, and a refined retirement life required money for everything. Like a leader dangling an empty promise, he could only hope that today's hardship would bring sweetness later.
"Boss, I've never worked as a Messenger before, so I'm not sure whether I can handle this job. But how could I be afraid before even fighting? I am willing to give it a try."
Originium Arts capable of generating shields were exceedingly rare in Terra. Emperor felt that his potential probably went far beyond simply protecting people. The specifics would have to wait until the Comprehensive Medical Examination report came out.
"Very good. Young people should look like young people. I'll approve paid leave for you tomorrow. Go get that Comprehensive Medical Examination first."
After saying that, Emperor drained the bottle with several gulps. It grabbed another bottle from the table, opened it, and asked:
"Did the people who came looking for trouble run away? Did they say when they'd come back?"
Texas held her glass in one hand, sitting with her legs crossed in an elegant posture. Hearing this, she slightly raised her chin, signaling everyone to look toward the bar entrance.
"They're here. Over there."
Emperor's cheeks were a little red, though it was unclear whether alcohol was the cause. It emptied the beer in one gulp, raised the empty bottle, stood on the sofa, and waved its flippers as it commanded:
"These Lungmen profanity really have the gall to come back. Get them!"
Shi Lei and Exusiai exchanged smiles, grabbed beer bottles in perfect understanding, and spoke in unison:
"Roger, Boss!"
November 28, 9:54 p.m.
Slums in the Lower City, Lin family residence.
Lin Yuxia stood on the balcony in a black qipao, gazing up at the night sky in silence for a long time.
After a day of searching, she had not found any man who matched the criteria. She guessed that he did not live here and had only appeared in District 25 because of that night's operation.
Her father's influence extended only through the Slums. If she wanted to investigate personal records in the Upper City, the Lungmen Guard Department, with its vast archives, would be the best choice.
She knew two people in the Lungmen Guard Department: Chen and Swire.
The three had grown up playing together, and she had even attended school with Chen.
But Lin Yuxia had a falling-out with Chen and an unpleasant quarrel with Swire. They had not contacted each other in years.
She hesitated on the balcony for a long time before choosing one of the difficult options. Taking out her phone, she made the call.
Chen answered the call, both surprised and confused that Lin Yuxia would contact her. After a brief silence, all the countless words between them condensed into one:
"Hello?"
Compared to Chen, Lin Yuxia was closer to Swire. But Chen had personally participated in that night's operation, so speaking with her directly would cost less effort.
"I already know about your Lungmen Guard Department leading a team into District 25 last night."
The two had not interacted recently, and Chen guessed that this was probably why Lin Yuxia had called. She just did not know whether this was Lin Yuxia's own intention or an order from the Rat King.
"Yes. We received orders from above to eliminate illegal immigrant Infected in the Slums. But we later discovered that the intelligence was wrong. They were Lungmen Infected who had been deported and then returned. I'm truly sorry about this. But the tragedy has already happened, and the Lungmen Guard Department is trying to compensate the families of the victims."
The entire Slums were managed by the Rat King, Lin Gerei. Even if something had happened, he should have been the one negotiating with Governor Wei Yenwu. There was no need for Lin Yuxia to deliver messages on his behalf.
"No, Chen. I contacted you this time for something else."
"Then what is it? Do you want justice for the Infected? No problem. I promise I'll continue investigating this matter and give them justice. Of course, empty promises aren't convincing. I've recently been pushing for the Infected Residency Act to be filed, with the aim of helping the Infected in the Lower City. I hope Lungmen can become a sufficiently inclusive city, where both local Infected and Infected from elsewhere can live well."
Hearing this, Lin Yuxia could not help feeling wistful.
She remembered how timid and shy she had been as a child, often hiding behind Chen. Chen had possessed the same sense of justice then as she did now, a justice for the common people of the world.
"You're still the same as before, righteous like a sharp blade. So sharp that it hurts everyone who looks directly at your light and makes them ashamed of themselves. To be honest, I envy you very much, but I am destined never to become you."
Before you continue