Fugitive

In Xigang District, Yangzhi City, inside a dilapidated little factory left over from the Great Exploration era, Brother Qi stood outside a metal door, leaning against the wall and smoking.

After a while, the door opened and the man in the floral shirt came out. He asked, "How are the brothers' injuries?"

The floral-shirted man said, "Brother Qi, that kid was way too ruthless. Lao Hei said some of the brothers will be crippled even if they're treated."

Brother Qi cursed and said, "Lao Hei always brags about how skilled he is. He can't even handle these minor injuries?"

The floral-shirted man said awkwardly, "Lao Hei said the money Brother Qi gave only covers this much treatment. If you want them fully healed without any lasting problems, you'll need to pay more or use better medicine."

Annoyed, Brother Qi asked, "That money-grubber. What medicine could possibly be so expensive?"

"Lao Hei said he needs Blood Glue from Qingnang Jade Workshop."

Brother Qi was startled. He knew Lao Hei was trying to fleece him, and he could not help cursing aloud. "Damn it, I've protected his turf for so long, and he's treating me like a fattened pig for slaughter. What a fucking bastard!"

The floral-shirted man was equally indignant. "Exactly, Brother Qi. Isn't that why everyone says Lao Hei is black-hearted?"

Gritting his teeth, Brother Qi said, "Tell Lao Hei he'll have to wait for the money. Have him treat the brothers first! I'll handle what he mentioned that day!"

The floral-shirted man breathed a sigh of relief. "All right, Brother Qi."

"And that kid!"

Brother Qi said viciously, "He hurt my men. This isn't over! Think he can fight? Find an expert later and cripple him!"

The floral-shirted man loudly echoed him, though he knew it was pointless. They were only a small gang—where would they find the money to hire someone like that?

Just then, a lackey ran in. "Boss, quite a few unfamiliar faces showed up today. You should take a look. The brothers are afraid something might happen."

Brother Qi cursed under his breath, flicked away his cigarette butt, and strode outside. "Come on. Let's go take a look."

They followed the corridor out onto a second-floor platform. In the distance, two people were conducting some sort of secret transaction by the railing. A tall, thin man heard their footsteps and looked over warily. Only after seeing Brother Qi did he withdraw his gaze.

Across from him stood a man in a baseball cap and mask. Seeing them, he merely pulled his brim a little lower.

Brother Qi glanced at him and said to the floral-shirted man beside him, "That guy in the hat is new, right? Go remind him to pay the transaction fee."

"Got it, Boss."

Brother Qi led his people downstairs. His lackeys patrolled the place with steel pipes in hand, and when they saw him coming down, they all greeted him.

The lower floor had clearly once been a factory workshop, with an overhead crane still hanging from the ceiling. Now, an iron fence enclosed a ring in the middle of the space. Inside, two burly men fought bare-chested. Twenty or thirty people crowded around them, constantly urging, shouting, and cursing. Knocking sounds rang out without pause. The entire place was smoky and foul, with cigarette butts and shattered glass bottles scattered all over the ground, casually swept into corners and left there.

Small gangs like theirs did not dare openly run underground fighting rings like the Blood Scar Gang or Iron Chain Gang. They could only make do with this sort of small-scale operation.

This place mainly provided a venue for dealing prohibited drugs. In any case, as long as no one took it onto the streets in this part of Xigang, the Patrol Bureau rarely interfered.

But places like this were especially prone to trouble. It would have been manageable if they had enough manpower, but after Chen Chuan beat them up earlier that day, they had lost more than half their people. Worse still, nearly all the ones who had gone down were the tough fighters, while those left were just dead weight.

And everyone who came to places like this was a seasoned criminal or repeat offender. If they could not keep them in line, trouble would break out immediately.

When Brother Qi and his men came down, the probing gazes roaming all around finally eased somewhat.

In a corner they had passed earlier, the two people who had been trading were still talking. The tall, thin man said, "Awakening Clarity Capsules from Tiancong Herbs—genuine premium medicine. Do you know how much they cost? Do you know how hard they are to get?"

The man in the baseball cap said quietly, "I'll buy them as long as you have them, no matter the price."

"Well, well, looks like we've got a rich man here." The tall, thin man looked him up and down. "What, is someone's Implant Body undergoing aberration where you are? Why else would you buy such good anti-aberration medicine?"

The man in the cap said calmly, "What does that have to do with you?"

"It has everything to do with me," the tall, thin man said as if it were obvious. "How do I know you're not just screwing with me? If I get the medicine and you don't have the money, then I'll be stuck with it."

The man in the cap looked at him, took out a bundle of cash, waved it before his eyes, then put it away again. In an even tone, he said, "Goods in hand, money in hand. One hand pays, the other delivers."

The tall, thin man's eyes lit up. After hesitating, he said, "There aren't any Awakening Clarity Capsules at the moment, but do you want Talled Corporation's injectable anti-aberration medicine?" He gestured with his fingers. "The Little Grey Bottle. It can't compare to medicine from big companies like Qingnang Jade Workshop or Tiancong Herbs, but it should do for now, right? I'll get the medicine you want later."

The man in the cap considered it. "Give me two boxes first."

"Heh, wait here."

On the lower floor, Brother Qi was just considering how to squeeze some money out of the crowd when hurried footsteps suddenly sounded. A panic-stricken lackey rushed in. "Bad news, Boss! The place is surrounded by Patrol Bureau officers!"

Brother Qi was stunned. It took him several seconds to react before he shouted, "Quick! Cut the power and get out!"

At that moment, the entire abandoned factory workshop descended into chaos, with everyone scrambling and running in every direction.

Although Brother Qi had ordered a lackey to cut the power, perhaps because things were too chaotic or because of some interference, the lights remained on.

Brother Qi and his men prepared to leave through an opening at the side, but before they reached it, the lackey guarding the side door came running over first. He said in alarm, "Boss, bad news! Patrol officers are at all the back doors too!"

Brother Qi's heart sank, and the lackeys around him all showed terrified expressions.

Then they heard several shrill whistles, followed by the crisp, synchronized stomp of military boots. Patrol officers rushed in carrying Da Tuo Type Rifles, wearing steel helmets and gray uniforms. The front row knelt while the rear row stood, aiming black muzzles at everyone in the room.

Then came a shouted order: "Everyone squat down! Hands on your heads! Anyone who disobeys will be shot on the spot!"

Brother Qi's face went pale. How had his little operation drawn the Patrol Bureau? And he had paid tribute regularly too. Could it be Lao Hei? It had to be Lao Hei! He must have gotten hold of some incredible medicine. Lao Hei had really screwed him over this time!

No one in the venue dared resist. They obediently squatted down. Patrol Bureau officers were reservists; once they changed into uniform, they could be sent straight to the battlefield. Their guns were meant to kill.

Brother Qi and his men could only squat down as well, clasping their hands behind their heads.

Once the room had quieted down, a sharp-eyed patrol captain stepped through the passage left open in the formation. He swept his gaze around and asked, "Which one is Dou Qi?"

All the lackeys turned their heads toward Brother Qi.

The patrol captain smiled. "Looks like I won't have to look for him." He waved a hand. "Drag him out."

Two burly patrol officers immediately rushed over and smashed Brother Qi several times with their rifle butts. His head split open, blood flowed, and several teeth were knocked out. Then they dragged him out like a dead dog, twisted his hands behind his back, and brought him before the patrol captain. One grabbed his hair and yanked his head back, exposing his entire face to the light.

The patrol captain brushed Brother Qi's face twice with his gloved hand. "You're Dou Qi?" A faint smile hung on his face. "Do you know what you did?"

Forced to raise his chin, Brother Qi stammered through his missing teeth, "Sir, please show mercy. I'll make sure your tribute is more than satisfactory."

"You know the rules."

The patrol captain seemed pleased. He pointed around them. "I brought forty brothers here today. We came all this way at night, so you'll have to cover our travel expenses too."

Brother Qi immediately said, "I understand, sir. Even if I have to sell everything I own, I'll make sure all the officers' travel expenses are fully covered."

"See? That's why I say you know the rules."

The patrol captain smiled again, but his expression suddenly changed. He backhanded Brother Qi with a slap so hard it made everyone wince, then snarled, "If you know the rules so well, how did you dare attack a patrol officer's family? Looks like you knew exactly what you were doing!"

Brother Qi showed a terrified expression. "Sir, I didn't, I didn't..."

"Didn't?" the patrol captain said. "Let me remind you. What did you do this afternoon?"

The floral-shirted man in the crowd trembled all over upon hearing that and lowered himself even further.

Brother Qi realized what had happened too. He instantly knew Dan Xiong had set him up, and he hurriedly shouted in explanation, "Sir, I didn't know! I really didn't know! I didn't know that young man was family of the Patrol Bureau. I was deceived too!"

Dan Xiong had never told him about this. He had even said the other party was just a poor student with slightly better luck. Otherwise, Brother Qi would have thought twice before touching him.

But he knew saying that was pointless now, so he quickly added, "Sir, I know Qi Wu from the Iron Chain Gang. I pay tribute to him."

The patrol captain snorted. "What, you think you can use the Iron Chain Gang to pressure me?" He turned to a capable-looking patrol officer standing behind the formation and said, "Brother Wu, I found the man for you. What happens next is up to you."

The young patrol officer surnamed Wu stepped forward, silently drew a Kenji Year 15 Type Handgun, disengaged the safety, and fired four shots into Brother Qi's hands and feet.

Brother Qi screamed repeatedly and convulsed violently before collapsing like a dead dog.

The patrol captain said, "You're kind-hearted, Brother. You even left him alive."

Officer Wu lowered the muzzle and said in a perfectly natural tone, "We still need to take him back and ask who else was involved."

The patrol captain patted his shoulder, then walked to the center of the room and shouted sternly, "Search the place. See what prohibited goods you can find, then we'll wrap it up."

One patrol officer asked, "Captain, what about these people?"

The patrol captain said, "Take them all back and interrogate them."

"Yes, sir!"

The patrol officers began cuffing everyone one by one. But when they reached the man in the baseball cap, he suddenly sprang up and bolted straight for the door.

The patrol officers guarding the entrance were well trained and decisive. The moment they saw the disturbance, they opened fire on him without hesitation. But after several sharp cracks, the man's body only shuddered faintly, as though he had suffered no other effects. In the blink of an eye, he had rushed up to them. With a light push of both hands, the patrol officers before him stumbled apart, throwing the area into chaos.

Still, someone reacted quickly enough to tear off his mask as they fell. Someone cried out, "It's Tong Qianjiang!"

By then, the man had already darted outside.

Patrol officers outside tried to intercept him, and gunshots rang out one after another. They seemed to hit him several more times, but it still did nothing. By the time the patrol captain ran out, all he saw was the man's figure disappearing into the darkness before vanishing without a trace.

The patrol captain's face was filled with fury. "Damn it, that kid was wearing a Protective Suit!"

The Great Shun Republic strictly controlled Protective Suits capable of effectively resisting rifle fire. Such things were like armor in ancient times—if someone with exceptional combat ability wore one and wielded a weapon, ordinary people would simply be slaughtered.

A patrol officer ran over from behind, saluted, and said, "Captain, the brothers are fine. They only suffered some minor bruises."

The patrol captain asked gravely, "Are you certain it was Tong Qianjiang?"

"One of the brothers saw him last year. He was part of the escort team, so it shouldn't be a mistake."

The patrol captain was puzzled. "Why would Tong Qianjiang come here? And where did he get a Protective Suit?"

But then he grew excited. Tong Qianjiang was the younger brother of the fugitive Tong Baitao. Their group had vanished without a trace after breaking out of prison. He had thought they had already left Yangzhi City, but unexpectedly, they had run into one of them here today.

Those vicious criminals had been on the run for so long. Solving this case would be a major achievement! He had only come here to lend someone a hand, yet he had stumbled into such a stroke of luck.

The patrol captain called Officer Wu over. "Brother Wu, I need to return to the bureau. This is no small matter and must be reported. Go tell Captain Nian. If you find Fang Dawei's group, once the case is solved, Baofeng District will get its share of the credit too."