Chlorine Sodium's Arknights

After all, many hoodlums are essentially scumbags who just live day by day, and this is how they found their organizations and ways to make a living.

But this time is different, this time is completely different.

A bunch of scumbags from the gutter are actually baring their fangs at a lion!

This isn't a simple case of attacking the police; this is them fighting back when the Guard Department arrived!

This is an act of openly trampling on the state's instruments of power. This matter won't just end here.

However, Hoshiguma still got involved in something that wasn't her responsibility, because this wouldn't be an isolated incident. An undercurrent, as if these people had their minds washed by someone, was causing a bloody reshuffling in Lungmen's grey areas with insane ferocity.

The boss of the Outer Ring gang and his entire family disappeared. The boss of the Ursus gang suddenly died a few days ago. The boss of the Black Hand died in a car accident, with the perpetrator fleeing the scene and the real culprit still at large.

These leaderless gangs are either slowly destroying themselves through infighting or being absorbed by an unseen force, becoming incredibly aggressive and greedy.

While these people were originally scumbags, they at least possessed a basic sense of self-preservation, knowing who they could provoke and who they couldn't.

But now, they've lost that sense of self-preservation. They dare to attack the police; these people have gone completely mad.

Even from the distorted face in front of her, Hoshiguma could see that the person showed no fear. Instead, like a gambler who had bet everything, they stared at her with a ferocious and vicious gaze, as if they wanted to tear her apart alive.

"Big Sister."

Yan stepped forward to put the hood back on him, but Hoshiguma stopped her.

"No, it's fine. I've seen plenty of people who wanted to kill me. This look is nothing."

"Then what do we do with him?"

"We didn't catch any survivors in that firefight... Hand him over to the Guard Department. Consider it a favor to them. The rest can be left for that woman, Jiu, to worry about."

Without another glance at the man who seemed to be on the verge of collapse and madness, Hoshiguma walked out of the room.

Now, this undercurrent is slowly dragging the underworld into an abyss. The gangs are splitting uncontrollably, but once the Guard Department gets a handle on things... No, they already have. The moment of the firefight provided them with the justification to deal with all of this. They're probably thinking about their next move.

At that point, the Guard Department won't care if it was another faction's doing. They already wanted to crack down, and now that they have a reason, why would they let it go?

Now, preventing those lunatics from doing anything more foolish and finding a way out for the people around her are things that must be considered.

But, what should be done?

"Big Sister, has the Speaker told us what we should do?"

It wasn't just Yan; the others behind Hoshiguma were also concealing their worries. Anyone involved in the underworld could see this undercurrent. It was like a group of people crammed onto a raft; they could manage to get along before, seeing each other day in and day out.

But now, the small raft is about to capsize, and everyone is trying to save themselves. Even Hoshiguma might have to figure out her own way forward.

"The Speaker... hasn't given any instructions for the next steps yet."

"But..."

"Ah, I know. I'm anxious too."

Hoshiguma didn't hide her worry. Staying here another day was torture, like wanting to do something but not knowing what to do, just dragging on. If it continues like this, she might accomplish nothing.

Looking at the city sky, beyond the low buildings of the commercial district, she could see a corner of the Guard Department building.

A giant Guard Department badge also appeared at the top of the building.

The Guard Department?

Suddenly, a spark seemed to flash through Hoshiguma's mind.

It wasn't even a fully formed idea, but maybe... maybe it could work.

"Yan, do me a favor. And do it fast, as fast as possible, because no one knows when Lungmen will... change."

"Tell me, and I'll do it."

Yan would do anything for Hoshiguma, even if it meant going through fire and water.

"Go and get me some Guard Department uniforms. Not many, but quickly."

"...Huh? Guard Department uniforms?!"

ps: Recently, I've had to repeatedly check information for my writing. While looking at the text of "Roaring Brightness," I discovered that the name Beatrice appeared in the dialogue. This means Talulah and Chen already knew each other when they were in school, so I plan to add a little more screentime for a younger version of Paiya. [heart] Section 68 Chapter 66 [Interlude]

"Ugh~ It's so hard to understand."

Sitting at the table, looking at a corner of the tabletop, a five-pointed star that seemed to be burned by a branding iron, Yelena was somewhat bewildered.

She couldn't understand.

At least Yelena couldn't understand what the Sarkaz lady had said earlier.

Sacrifice is the art of communicating with souls.

If angels symbolize salvation, then demons possess the eyes of discovery.

Eyes that discover the depths of the soul.

Because they trade with souls, demons can always see through a person easily.

But Yelena wasn't like that, so she looked at the pentagram drawn by the demon and couldn't quite understand it.

If there was no reaction at all, it probably meant there was no resonance.

"Ugh... Resonance, what does that mean?"

She couldn't understand.

"Well, it's normal if you don't understand now. Even learning general magic is a long process."

Her metal hand rested on the girl's head, and Pianna comforted her like an older sister.

After all, magic was not something that could be easily learned with just talent or anything else.

However, she didn't actually intend to teach Yelena in front of her.

This was just a transaction. She would give the other party what they wanted in exchange for the child's trust, it was that simple.

There was no after-sales service for this kind of thing.

Of course, it wasn't entirely absent. If one was willing to pay a little extra when buying something, the merchant would naturally be happy to provide excellent after-sales service.

But the girl couldn't afford the extra price for now, and devils naturally didn't offer after-sales.

"Is that so..."

"Of course."

Pianna displayed a charming smile, befitting a lady, a smile as gentle as a spring breeze that easily earned the girl's trust.

After all, I'm "freely" teaching you someone else's lifelong mastery.

A devil, how could they possibly lie?

Right?

Meanwhile, at the outermost edge of Lungmen, in a place called the slums.

Infected individuals were everywhere, and Lungmen, a bustling transportation hub with a mix of people, naturally gathered quite a few of them.

But here, in Lungmen, even with its diverse population, it was not a place for the infected to find refuge. These people were just relatively less resistant to the existence of infected individuals compared to Ursus. At least, these infected could set up small encampments in the outermost ring of Lungmen, the poorest areas, places untouched by the city's light, or find a place to settle in abandoned buildings.

Despair still permeated this place. Most infected were like walking dead, living day by day, leaning against walls, staring at the sky with cloudy, numb eyes.

The slightly better ones found some meager labor jobs on the city's outskirts. After all, infected individuals were not suffering from myasthenia gravis, not all of them.

Their strength and bodies were also a way to earn money, weren't they?

It was just that the bodies of the infected were considered non-recyclable waste. They could only exert physical strength, not be fully embraced. Therefore, robbery was common here. But when those vicious criminals, during their robberies, also intended to commit sexual assault, they would be discouraged after noticing large patches of Originium crystals on the victim's clothes.

After all, people don't have sex with a dog that has smallpox, regardless of gender.

However, due to the poverty and complex public security situation, even the Guard Department couldn't extend its reach here, so the public security situation could be imagined.

Poverty was the soil that bred sin.

And at this moment, several Sarkaz were gathered in a dilapidated housing area.

There were no owners to speak of. Homeless infected individuals gathered in small groups under the abandoned houses. They didn't care about a few more temporary residents, and the Sarkaz mercenaries didn't care who was around them.

They were mercenaries, not pampered young soldiers. One-third of the dirty work in this world was handled by mercenaries.

"Where did that guy go?"

"He said he was going to earn some extra cash, and then he just vanished without a trace."

"Hmph, maybe he died somewhere. Mercenaries working alone don't usually have a good end."

Sarcastic, harsh, and devoid of sympathy, that was the nature of Sarkaz mercenaries.

Only war, only business. All Sarkaz people wouldn't think much about anything other than killing.

This was also quite normal. If you wanted to know what kindness was on the war-torn land of Kazdel.

Just count how many charred, uncollected corpses there were in the ruins and trenches.

This was the price of useless emotions.

However, they were still a team, so the most basic trust had a little bit of credibility in front of profit.

Just a little bit.

After all, friends and mortal enemies were separated by only a thin sheet of paper. Loyalty and friendship were limited only to each other, or perhaps not even to each other.

"Shut up."

Suddenly, just as everyone was cursing the man for his incompetence, a low male voice silenced them.

It was a mercenary leaning against a wall, the whetstone in his hand and the blade flashing with sparks.

"That guy might be dead, so the money needs to be redistributed."

"How do we split it?"

The man didn't answer. He was the temporary leader of this group of mercenaries.

He slowly walked out of the house. The Lungmen sky was covered by dark clouds, and sunlight still couldn't illuminate this land.

"It depends on how he died. How he died determines the price. Of course, this matter can't just end like this."

"I know that guy said he was going to earn some extra cash. It seems he went to the gangsters in the suburbs. Their people came to discuss prices before."

One of his subordinates recalled.

"Then where do we go? We'll demand an explanation from those Felins. You were hired by me, and losing even one person is a loss. We can't just let this go."

As he spoke, the man picked up the long saber leaning against the wall.

"Let's go, I still have things to do today."

ps: I just found out these past few days that signing a contract in the middle of the month doesn't get you the full attendance bonus!!!

All that work was for nothing. You have to start from the first of the month to get the full attendance reward. So, for the last few days of this month, I'll maintain a daily update of 4,000 words. I'll wait for more suggestions and then go all out next month. After all, a full attendance bonus is over two thousand yuan.

So, for these past few days, it'll just be 4,000 words a day. Please understand. Next month, I'll be like Go-Toubun no Hanayome. Why isn't there a bonus for signing mid-month? This is such a predatory clause, sob sob!!!!

I'm so poor, I'm about to eat dirt, wuwuwu.

Some big shots also suggested I revise the earlier parts. I agree it makes sense, so this month's task will probably be to get more suggestions and then thoroughly revise the content of the previous chapters to make the writing a bit more appealing.

Section 69 Chapter 67: [Tracking]

"Very good, excellent."

"As expected of my ally, you've been a great help to me."

Looking at the portrait drawn according to the description, Koschei was satisfied as he looked at the facial sketch hanging on the wall.

The next most likely heir of the Taigu Group family. Such leverage would be the best bargaining chip.

In the safe house, Duke Fedia from Ursus was admiring the sketch, drawn from memory.