Chlorine Sodium's Arknights

The Emperor was attacked.

Late at night, on the Lungmen Outer Ring Expressway.

On the already sealed-off highway, the roar of heavy motorcycles tore through the dead silence of the night, like the growl of a beast.

The crimson taillights streaked across the night like a red python coiled above.

"Hey, is the stuff here?"

"Yeah, I know. It'll be here soon."

Soon, the road ahead was no longer smooth.

The asphalt road, which had been laid out, was pockmarked with holes, and fragments of metal were scattered everywhere.

It looked like a battle had taken place here, with the white road signs stained black.

Car parts were scattered on the ground in small groups.

There were quite a few bullet holes on the concrete wall.

And on the asphalt road, tiny metal shards were flashing with a faint light.

The heavy tires of the motorcycle slowly came to a stop.

Pitch-black combat boots appeared next to the metal fragments.

Hoshiguma, the owner of the boots, bent down and picked up the object.

It was a shield-shaped piece of metal, and a pistol bullet, distorted and deformed by the high impact, was still lodged in it.

And the Lungmen logo was drawn around the bullet.

It was a police badge.

And the badge even had residual bloodstains on it.

With a pistol bullet stuck in it, one could imagine the situation at the time.

It was clear that at least three factions had been exchanging fire on the scene.

The owners of the black cars, the Lungmen Guard Department, and a third party.

It was easy to distinguish because of the marks left behind.

The Guard Department would not use such large-caliber weapons, and the crossbow bolts were clearly not the result of standard Guard Department equipment.

But it wasn't the mob either, because these marks were not something that could be produced by the black market goods that the mob acquired.

"Looks like things are getting lively."

Tucking the badge into her pocket, Hoshiguma mounted her motorcycle again and sped away amidst the roar of the engine.

Late at night, in a casino.

This was a place located in a corner of a bustling district.

[Pure Land]

A casino that didn't seem very large in scale, but it was always filled with a level of noise and luxury far exceeding other places.

The vehicles parked nearby also highlighted the extreme wealth.

A pitch-black heavy motorcycle slowly stopped nearby.

"Excuse me, would the guest also like to enjoy a moment of peace at Pure Land?"

The man in the suit at the door saw that the visitor was dressed very ordinarily, but it was only when he saw that the visitor was an Oni that he didn't turn them away.

There was no such thing as "a little gambling for fun" here. The guests who came here were all big spenders. Those who gambled for fun generally didn't come here, and such guests were not welcome.

"I'm not here to spend money. Call your spokesperson out. I need to see her."

Huh?

What are you talking about?

"You can't just see the spokesperson whenever you want?! If you're not spending money, get lost. We don't welcome vagrants here!"

He was a tall Oni, and even the bodyguard on duty couldn't look him in the eye.

"You don't need to know who I am. I want you to call Yan out."

How did this guy know the name of the general manager here?

However, when the tall Oni took off his sunglasses, through the dim light emanating from inside the door, he could vaguely recognize that the other party was a woman.

A female Oni? That was not a common species, especially in Lungmen.

And in Lungmen, there seemed to be only one highly respected female Oni.

And that person really liked motorcycles.

And this person seemed...

She arrived on a motorcycle too...

"Big... Big Sis?"

The man trembled as he took off his sunglasses, finally seeing who had arrived.

"Mm, it's good you recognize me. Call out your boss, I have something to discuss with her."

The arrival was none other than Hoshiguma.

A very famous enforcer in the underworld.

"Ah, yes! Big Sis, would you like to come in and rest for a bit?"

No one here didn't know Hoshiguma, they said obsequiously.

"No, no need to come in. I'll wait for her outside."

The sliding door creaked against the frame with each pull, and with every opening and closing, the decadent smell from inside wafted out.

The scent of money, the clinking of chips, and the shuffling of cards by the female dealer – this was the Pure Land of desire and wealth.

However, Hoshiguma didn't particularly like places like this. Although she was an enforcer, due to her reputation and personal reasons, she had never worked security here.

She walked to a dark corner untouched by the glitz and glamour, and the metallic click of a lighter sparked a tiny flame.

It lit the cigarette she habitually held between her lips, and the smoke, illuminated by the light, shrouded her vision.

She was waiting for Yan.

Yan was a girl Hoshiguma had saved once during a gang shootout, using her connections. Hoshiguma was different from other gangsters.

She could even say she wasn't truly one of them, yet in a way, she was.

In the eyes of the Guard Department, she was a member of the underworld, a villain carrying accusations.

But to her subordinates, she was more like a beacon to those who could only live in darkness, not living solely for profit.

A calm Oni, she stood out among her peers.

Never doing evil, never bullying the weak, valuing relationships, loyal, and able to hold her liquor. Perhaps Hoshiguma was truly born in the wrong era, born in this modern age of indulgence rather than those more legendary times.

No one knew why such a learned and skilled Oni woman, who shouldn't have been a gangster's enforcer, held such a position.

As for Yan, she had found her own place in Lungmen as she grew up.

With a "clack," the sliding door opened again, revealing a young, tall female manager in a black suit dress, her long black hair reaching her waist.

It was hard to believe such a young woman could climb to the position of manager.

But she was indeed in that position, relying solely on her exquisite and invincible card skills.

Perhaps it was talent.

After all, Hoshiguma had never won against her at the card table.

"Big Sis? You're finally here."

Yan always had a cold expression to the outside world; it was a psychological tactic. No matter what happened, her opponents couldn't read any information from her face.

But upon seeing Hoshiguma, the girl's face lit up with joy, like a field in spring after winter, everything blooming with warmth.

"Just came to see you and handle some business. How have you been lately?"

"Thanks to Big Sis, I'm doing very well."

"That's good. And also..."

Seeming a bit troubled, Hoshiguma scratched her hair, feeling a bit awkward.

She had come to visit, but it seemed they would end up discussing work.

Discussing it felt a bit insincere, but not discussing it meant neglecting important matters.

Moreover, she didn't want to drag people she knew into trouble. But in all of Lungmen, if there was one place that no one could find and no one could easily interfere with, it was this place.

This gambling hall called the "Pure Land."

Because in a sense, it truly was a "Pure Land."

ps: Relying on my backlog again today, haven't written a single word [slumped]

Section 67 Chapter 65 [The Sky Is About to Change]

"Please follow me. The goods are in the VIP room."

Yan spoke first. The myriad of human experiences within the casino had made her understand what she needed to do to alleviate the conflicted emotions of the woman before her, who meant more to her than her own family.

"Alright... I'll do as you say, Yan."

Without passing through the casino filled with desire and money, shouting, women's laughter, and the scent of hormones, Yan led Hoshiguma through a narrower back door into the staff corridor.

She knew Hoshiguma didn't like places like that.

They went down the white-painted stairs and finally, she took out a key and opened a door that was rarely opened under normal circumstances.

And this was not a place employees were allowed to come.

The interior was low and dark, not narrow, but incredibly black.

Its underground location meant the sole window was barred with iron, and a humming ventilation fan cast a flickering light, repeatedly cut by the blades before connecting again.

Fiber optics pierced the dust, making the place feel frigid.

And the so-called "cargo" was, in the dark environment, a human silhouette outlined by a faint light.

The person was bound and locked tightly to a chair, a black hood over their head, trembling incessantly and letting out whimpering sounds.

"This is the only tongue we found. Yang San. A Lungmen local. Got into the business three years ago. Went to prison the second year for assault. Just got out a few months ago."

As she spoke, Yan, wearing gloves, removed the cloth bag, revealing the man's face, beaten to the point of disfigurement.

It seemed that to make the other party speak the truth, the local gangsters didn't care what methods they used.

However, they still didn't get the truth out of him.

These people were like they had been consumed by desire, their entire personalities changing, becoming irritable and insane.

It wasn't just him; many who participated in the attack were in the same state.

Utterly mad, they even dared to engage in a street firefight with the Guard Department when they arrived at the scene.

There are many rules in the world. Many say that what goes around comes around.

And there are rules in the underworld. One of them is not to mess with the cops.

No matter how powerful a boss is, they wouldn't dare to casually provoke the cops. After all, this was a gray industry. The rulers of Lungmen had just stabilized their power and didn't have time to deal with these rats in the gutters, so they could lend money at exorbitant interest rates, help construction companies drive away stubborn residents, and collect debts.