Old Camp

Old Camp

The Tuotu sedan continued along the highway, and before long arrived on the outskirts of Dongbao District. This place bordered National Avenue, which led directly to other cities and even all the way to Central City.

These were military-grade roads built back when Yangzhi City served as a material transit hub. Not only were they solid and broad enough for tanks to drive over, but—

Beyond the roads, the land was rather desolate. Several hills could be seen in the distance to the left ahead, with quite a few crude shack-like structures scattered across their peaks and foothills.

There was an old watchtower atop one of the hills. As the sedan approached, someone up there watched through binoculars, then replaced the flag overhead with another one.

As the sedan drew closer, a small camp came into view. Scattered sentry posts surrounded it, manned by young men and women with their jackets open, crossbows in hand. Five blood-red slash marks had been spray-painted onto their clothes and chests.

The sedan stopped before a roadblock at the entrance. The sentries shifted their crossbows, their arrowheads faintly aimed at the vehicle. A bald, fit woman chewing gum walked over, knocked on the window, and asked, "Where are you from?"

Wei Changan rolled down the window and handed her a card. "The Lu Commission Office already arranged it with your boss. The appointment was for this morning."

The bald woman took the card and clicked her tongue. She said to one of her subordinates behind her, "Go tell the boss the people he was expecting are here."

After a while, someone in the back waved in their direction. The bald woman stepped aside and shouted behind her, "Let them through!"

The roadblock ahead was moved aside, and the camp's two sheet-metal gates were pulled open as well.

Seeing the potholes ahead and the muddy pools of standing water, Wei Changan's mouth twitched. Still, he suppressed his heartache and drove in.

Once inside the camp, he kept an eye on the road while instructing Chen Chuan, "Junior, when we meet Guo Fatty—the boss here—try not to speak. I'll handle the negotiations."

"Okay, Brother Wei," Chen Chuan said.

Wei Changan glanced at him again and smiled. "But there's no need to be afraid. We came here on commission, with the Entrusted Company and the higher-ups of the Blood Scar Gang backing us. Guo Fatty won't dare do anything reckless. Still, I reckon he'll definitely try some tricks later. Just adapt to the situation."

The car drove into an open area. There was a fairly large field within the camp, probably once used for drills.

Beside it stood a battered phone booth enclosed in metal grating. Stacked along the edges were hollow concrete drainage pipes, with Blood Scar Gang members scattered across them.

They wore yellow-and-red plaid shirts. Most had brass knuckles on their hands and daggers tucked at their waists. As the sedan drove past, they all eyed it with ill intent.

At the center of the camp stood a large two-story barracks. In front of it sat a fair-skinned fat man who was over two meters tall even while seated. He had a bald head and wore a tight tank top that squeezed his flesh, with five torn claw marks painted across his chest. A man in a white coat and face mask stood beside him.

Not far away, several little white sheep were tethered by ropes. Bells hung from their necks, and their wool had been groomed soft and clean, making them look like pets.

"That's Guo Fatty, one of the Blood Scar Gang's leaders," Wei Changan said.

Chen Chuan studied him and noticed that his breathing was steady. He had likely trained in a Breathing Method. More notably, each of the man's five fingers on his right hand wore a gleaming silver finger guard that drew the eye.

When the car stopped in front of them, the two opened the doors and got out. Guo Fatty rose as well, spreading his arms. "People from the Lu Commission Office. I've been waiting for you."

After getting out, Wei Changan stood not far from the front of the car. He took out his card and gestured with it. "Mr. Guo, I'm Wei Changan, the client." Chen Chuan stood by the car door as well, though one hand was slipped into his pocket, where two small stones were already prepared.

"So you're just two young men," Guo Fatty said. "Why not come in and have a drink first?"

"Mr. Guo, sorry, but we didn't come here to make friends," Wei Changan refused. "The Lu Commission Office should have made it clear to you. Hand the man over to us, and we'll leave immediately. We won't disrupt your business."

Guo Fatty's eyes shifted. There was so much flesh on his face that his eyes looked especially small, giving him a shifty appearance. He grunted. "I said I'd hand him over, but if you just take him away like that, where does that leave my dignity in the gang?"

"Oh?" Wei Changan said. "Mr. Guo, are you planning to go back on your word?"

Guo Fatty waved a thick hand. "Going back on my word? Not quite. I, Guo, am a man of my word. But..." He took two steps forward and looked down at Wei Changan. "I gave the Lu Commission Office face, but that doesn't mean I have to give you face. If you want to see the man, that depends on whether you have the ability."

Wei Changan had known there would be something like this. That was why he had not been polite from the start—if he acted too accommodating, the other side would only see him as weak and easy to bully. He sneered. "Mr. Guo, that does sound like your style. Go on, what do you want?"

Guo Fatty seemed to grow more excited. He backed up a little and rubbed his thick arms together. "Simple. I heard you're a student at Wu University. Have a match with one of my people. What do you say? If you win, I'll let him go with you. Fair enough, right?"

Wei Changan frowned. Though he attended Wu University, he did not actually like fighting people in front of crowds. He found it undignified.

But he knew that if he refused, this could drag on for who knew how long. So he did not waste words and began taking off his wristwatch. "Fine. Where is he?"

"Straightforward!"

Guo Fatty quickly added, "But I get to choose where you fight."

Wei Changan paused and stared at him. "Where do you want it? Mr. Guo, don't push it. If this ends badly, don't blame Wei for not giving you face."

"Of course, of course. You're from the Lu Commission Office, after all. We have to consider its reputation..."

Guo Fatty chuckled, pointed at the battered phone booth nearby, and said teasingly, "In there. How about it?"

Wei Changan frowned but did not refuse. He resumed taking off his outer clothes, then went to the car and tossed everything inside.

Guo Fatty clapped toward the sky and let out an "Oh-ho!" At once, a drummer at the edge of the field began beating a drum with both hands. Amid the rhythmic pounding, a lean, scar-covered man around thirty years old stepped out.

He first gave Wei Changan a sinister look, then blew a wad of snot at him, wiped it directly onto his pants, grinned, and walked into the phone booth.

Wei Changan looked disgusted. He said to Chen Chuan, "Junior, I'm going to settle this. Remember to adapt to the situation."

Chen Chuan remained calm. "All right."

Wei Changan gave him an appreciative look. He had once been a newcomer himself and had guided newcomers before. Anyone coming to a place like this for the first time was bound to be nervous. It was rare to see someone as natural as Chen Chuan.

He walked over and squeezed into the phone booth. Someone then came up, pushed the door shut, and hung a lock on the outside. This was usually to prevent the two fighters from shoving each other out during the struggle.

Chen Chuan took a look. The phone booth was extremely cramped. The two men were practically face-to-face, less than half a foot apart. There was no room for throws or grappling, nor could they use kicks. Without short weapons, punches and elbows would be the most effective attacks inside.

But neither of them would find it easy to dodge, and generating force would also be difficult. It came down to who was more ruthless and who punched faster. Even someone stronger than their opponent would inevitably get hurt or suffer losses. It was an additional restriction.

After thinking it over, he unbuttoned his clothes, took off his outer jacket, and tossed it into the car as well.

Once Wei Changan stood inside, his eyes became utterly cold. He showed no reaction at all to the filth on his opponent or the stench from his mouth. It was as if the clean, refined urban elite from earlier had vanished, leaving behind only a pure Fighter.

The drumbeats suddenly stopped. Guo Fatty raised both hands and screamed, "Begin!!!" The drumming immediately resumed at a faster pace.

The lean man reacted quickly. The instant the shout ended, he swung a punch at Wei Changan.

When the sound rang out, Wei Changan merely tilted his head slightly back, then suddenly smashed it forward in a headbutt! His legs seemed nailed firmly to the ground, while his entire body resembled a whip. At that moment, his head became the whip's tip. Though the movement was small, power rose from his feet, passed through his knees to his waist, from his waist to his spine, then from his spine to his neck. Layer upon layer, it accelerated to astonishing speed.

His head actually pierced through the shadow of the punch and struck his opponent's head first. With a dull thud, the phone booth shook. The lean man's eyes rolled back, and he slid down like a lump of mud.

The cheers outside came to an abrupt halt. Even the drummer could not stop in time and struck several extra beats. No one had expected the thrilling spectacle they anticipated to end so quickly.

Wei Changan still had the leisure to straighten his tie. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead, then said outside, "Mr. Guo, can you hand the man over now?"

Guo Fatty stared at him for a while with his mung-bean-sized eyes. "Of course, of course." He turned and shouted outside, "Go bring him out."

Before long, a thin, short man in his forties with a face full of beard walked out. Three bodyguards followed beside him, one of whom surveyed the surroundings with a vicious gaze.

"What is it, Boss Guo?"

Guo Fatty chuckled. "Chou Big Beard, it's not that I don't want to protect you." He pointed at Wei Changan and Chen Chuan. "The people brought by the Lu Commission Office want to take you back to the Patrol Bureau for questioning."

Chou Huzi's expression changed. He spat out a curse and said to two of the bodyguards beside him, "Stop them." Then he took off running. In the direction he fled, a sedan was parked.

Wei Changan's expression changed when he saw this. He shoved the door and said, "Guo Fatty?"

Guo Fatty spread his hands. "I said I'd give you the man, and now I've brought him right before you. Whether you can take him back is your own business."

Wei Changan knew that if Chou Huzi got into the car, he would be hard to catch. He drew a breath and punched the door. The entire phone booth shook, but the door did not open.

Guo Fatty began to chuckle.

After Wei Changan entered the phone booth and was locked inside, Chen Chuan had already felt that things might change, so he had been mentally prepared. Seeing this now, he did not hesitate in the slightest. With a tap of his foot against the ground, he shot forward and chased after Chou Huzi.

Seeing him move, Wei Changan urgently shouted, "Hey, don't go! The one beside him is Zhai Wu from the Black Arena!" But Chen Chuan was extremely fast and did not stop, as if he had not heard.

Wei Changan grew anxious as well. He looked at the door, but someone was wedged against his feet, making it even harder for him to exert force.

There was no other way.

He helplessly took a breath, leaned back again, and smashed his forehead into the door.