Qian Yuliu's Rampage

"Meet at thirty minutes at the upper-left tip, three hundred from the corner at sixty."

At first glance, Star-Picker's letter seemed utterly nonsensical. It gave neither a specific time nor a specific location. But Le Yu had obtained Qian Yuliu's memories, so he naturally knew how to decipher the coded message.

"Thirty minutes at the upper-left corner" referred to a specific time. "Upper-left" corresponded to the hour and minute hands: left represented the hour-hand position, while up represented the minute-hand position. "Upper-left" meant the starting time was nine o'clock.

But the hint in "upper-left" was too obvious, so nine o'clock could not be the correct answer. It needed to be adjusted, and the "sixty" referred to the angle by which the hour and minute hands had to be adjusted.

According to the rules of the cipher, because the minute hand was smaller than the hour hand, if the minute hand turned toward the hour hand, with the smaller approaching the larger, it would be written as "what fraction of what." Conversely, because the hour hand was larger than the minute hand, if the hour hand turned toward the minute hand, with the larger approaching the smaller, it would be written as "several tens."

Thirty was greater than one, so the minute hand remained unchanged while the hour hand turned according to "thirty"—the hour hand turned thirty degrees toward the minute hand. In other words, the time should be ten o'clock.

As for the "tip" in "upper-left tip," it referred to the moon, corresponding to the "circle" that represented the sun. Thus, the correct answer was ten o'clock at night.

"Three hundred from the corner at sixty" referred to the meeting place. To decipher this hidden information, all he needed was a map of Star Engraving Prefecture.

As an agent of the Statistics Department, Qian Yuliu naturally carried a map with him.

After opening the map of Star Engraving Prefecture, Le Yu easily found the prefecture's city center. The Radiant Bell Tower, standing in the Lecture Plaza at the heart of the city, was extremely conspicuous. As an obvious landmark found in every prefecture and county, it was naturally the perfect reference point for exchanging coded messages.

"Three hundred" meant three hundred meters in a straight line from the Radiant Bell Tower, while "sixty from the corner" meant turning sixty degrees clockwise from due north.

Le Yu first drew a circle on the map with the Radiant Bell Tower as its center and a scaled radius of three hundred meters. Then, starting from the center, he drew a straight line at a sixty-degree angle from the north-south line.

The point where the line intersected the circle was the meeting place designated by Star-Picker!

At night, the streets of Star Engraving Prefecture were bright as day. Le Yu walked down the middle of the main road with his head held high and his stride broad, looking nothing like someone heading to a secret meeting. Yet none of the patrolling Patrol Guards came over to question him. Everyone merely glanced at him before looking away.

If Le Yu had worn a hat and black clothes and acted furtively, he would have aroused suspicion. But his open and aboveboard appearance was his best disguise. This was what people meant by "the most dangerous place is the safest..." Except it wasn't.

The Steel-soled Boots Le Yu was wearing were standard-issue equipment of the Statistics Department. No one outside the department would wear such boots, and their footsteps were highly distinctive. The moment they heard them, the Patrol Guards knew that the person swaggering down the street was an agent of the Statistics Department.

One thing that took Le Yu by surprise was that Radiance had abolished the curfew—at least in administrative areas such as prefectures and counties. The military districts naturally had their own rules.

Thinking about it carefully, this was not difficult to understand. The purpose of a curfew was to prevent fires, theft, and vagrants. Fundamentally, it was a blanket ban on nighttime activity because visibility was poor. But every street in Radiance's prefectures and counties was equipped with solar-powered streetlights. Though the night was not as bright as the day, it was far from pitch-black.

Besides, the area around the Star Engraving Dance Hall was always bustling. Although most commoners could not afford to go there, canceling the curfew was worthwhile just to accommodate the nobles and wealthy merchants.

This also made things much easier for Le Yu. Even if the Patrol Guards saw an agent of the Statistics Department wandering outside in the middle of the night, they would not suspect anything. They would either assume he was working overtime at night to hunt down the Anti-Light Rebels or think he was looking for somewhere to have some fun.

"Kid, stop right there!"

When Le Yu turned from the brightly lit main street into a narrow lane with sparse streetlights, it was as if he had entered another world. The ground was filthy, mud churned underfoot, and the uneven buildings stood tightly packed together. Trash was scattered everywhere, while a faint stench, like the sour reek of rotting corpses, hung in the air.

Right ahead of him, a teenager in a short-sleeved hemp shirt was running for his life. His hair was disheveled, his face was filthy, and he had no shoes. He fled barefoot through the slightly chilly night, clutching an ornate money pouch completely at odds with his clothing in his right hand.

Chasing the hemp-clad teenager was a burly, muscular, bald adult man. When the bald man saw Le Yu approaching from the other end of the lane, he was delighted and shouted, "Help me stop him!"

Though someone blocked his path, the hemp-clad teenager was not afraid in the slightest. When he was less than five meters from Le Yu, he suddenly turned, stepped onto the foul-smelling trash, and leaped upward. With both hands, he hauled himself up and climbed onto the roof.

He had chosen an excellent escape point. It was right in the middle of the lane, so whether the bald man ran forward or backward, he would have to go a long way around before he could catch up.

The bald man clearly realized this as well. He angrily punched the earthen wall beside him, leaving cracks in it, then roared at the sky, "You little bastard! Don't let me find you, or I'll tear you apart!"

The dim lights in the nearby houses immediately went out. What happened outside had nothing to do with these poor people, but the wisdom of survival taught them to keep their heads down. It was the only thing they could do.

Eighteen Streets.

This place had many names: the slums, the gambling district, the red-light district... Simply put, seventy percent of Star Engraving Prefecture's poor lived here, while another twenty percent lived around the docks and factories.

As an inevitable consequence of a society whose productivity had yet to reach material abundance, slums existed in every city. Eighteen Streets was one such place. Its streetlights were inadequate, and there were no Patrol Guards on watch. In exchange, however, living expenses were extremely low, and people could find tile-roofed shelter from the wind and rain. Workers and laborers generally lived here.

Because the authorities did not interfere too much, Eighteen Streets also contained establishments expressly forbidden by law, such as gambling houses. Compared to the peaceful districts elsewhere, Eighteen Streets was livelier at night. Gambling houses did not dare open during the day and challenge the authority of the court, so they only harvested gamblers at night.

From this, it was clear that the Qian Family was actually fairly wealthy in Star Engraving Prefecture. Qian Yuliu's parents had died when the siblings were young, yet the Qian siblings had still been able to attend school almost without needing to work, until Qian Yuliu became a mole and the family finally gained a normal income.

As Le Yu sorted through his memories, the bald man suddenly turned around and stared at him. After scrutinizing him for a few moments, he broke into a ferocious grin.

"You, kid. Are you with that little bastard? Why didn't you stop him just now?" The bald man took a pair of iron knuckle-dusters from his pocket and slammed his fists together, producing a metallic clang. He said viciously, "Do you know who I am?"

Oh, wow.

Le Yu froze.

He had never imagined that someone would actually dare to provoke Qian Yuliu.

How many damn hangovers had this guy had? How drunk was he?

"Wait!" Le Yu hurriedly called out.

"Want to beg for mercy?" The bald man licked his lips and jerked his chin toward the rear. "Go to the alley behind us and hand over the money, then let your grandpa have some fun. I might consider letting you go. I might even give you some money. Hahahaha!"

"Let me ask you something first. Who are you? Are you famous around here?" Le Yu asked cautiously.

"You don't even know Grandpa Lei? You know Boss Ying of Xiangle, right? Boss Ying is my brother-in-law!"

"What's Xiangle?" Le Yu blinked.

The bald man was getting impatient. He charged at Le Yu like a boar, as if he meant to gore this cabbage. "Stop pretending to be stupid. Anyone who comes here either gambles at Xiangle or visits Gentle Embrace. Now, get down and serve Grandpa Lei—"

Bang!

Le Yu kicked fiercely, sending the bald man flying through the air. His hundred-plus-kilogram body hung suspended for a second before crashing heavily to the ground with a thud. Then he vomited, splattering red, black, and yellow across the ground.

"In other words..."

Le Yu walked over and planted his foot on the man's stomach. "You're just the younger brother-in-law of a small gambling-house boss?"

"Y-yes, that's right. You're fucking dead..."

"You actually lied to me!" Le Yu stomped down hard, forcing stomach fluid out of the bald man's mouth.

"I—I didn't lie to you!"

"You're this ugly. How attractive could your sister be if you share blood? It's not that I don't believe you, but I believe Mendel even more!"

"M-Mendel? Who the hell is that?"

Le Yu was furious. "You dare insult Mendel?! The thing I was best at in high school was Mendel's laws of inheritance!"

"This kick is because you insulted a scientist!"

"This kick is because you picked a fight with me!"

"This kick is because you lusted after my body!"

"This kick is because you're ugly and don't even have hair!"

"This kick is because you lied about being that guy's brother-in-law!"

"I—I didn't lie..."

"You're still lying to me? Take another kick!"

After stomping him more than a dozen times, Le Yu grew happier with every kick. It was not that he was a sadist. He had simply encountered too much over the past two days and had been under too much pressure. Especially today: Mu Feihong had beaten him senseless in the morning, Chen Fu had subtly threatened him in the afternoon, and at dinner he had still had to face off against his little sister in the mid lane...

Le Yu was suffering!

He could certainly put himself outside the situation and treat it as playing through Qian Yuliu's main storyline from a first-person perspective, but he was still unhappy.

Now that a vicious wild monster had suddenly appeared, failing to vent properly would be disrespectful to this gift from heaven!

"What are you doing over there?!"

Several gang members suddenly appeared at the entrance to the lane. Seeing Le Yu stomping the bald man, they were shocked. "Master Lei! How dare you beat our man? Let Master Lei go!"

"Hack this bastard to death and avenge Master Lei!"

"Cut off his hands and feet!"

By now, Le Yu had nearly finished stomping him. The frustration in his heart had eased considerably, so he kicked the bald man, whom he had beaten beyond recognition, toward them. Then he stamped his foot heavily, raised his head, and said coldly, "You want to pick a fight with me too?"

"What kind of onion are you..."

Among the snarling, clawing thugs, one suddenly went pale. He hurriedly pulled the others back and said cautiously, "Sir... you're not from Eighteen Streets, are you?"

The sound of the Statistics Department's Steel-soled Boots was the stuff of countless people's nightmares.

Le Yu did not answer. From Qian Yuliu's memories, he had already found the correct way to deal with these gang members. "I'll count to ten. If you and this bald pig are still in front of me after ten seconds, your gambling house can close tomorrow. Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Gangs, gambling houses, and thugs.

These things could pose a major threat to ordinary people, but to the Statistics Department... No, the Statistics Department was not even necessary. A mere junior agent of the Statistics Department was already beyond anything this trash could afford to provoke.

As Prefect Ding's trusted department, and as the overbearing Statistics Department, no one in Star Engraving Prefecture dared provoke them openly. As for the shadows... the Statistics Department could not be bothered to dirty its boots by dealing with places like this.

Never mind anything else. With the excuse of "arresting Anti-Light Rebels," Le Yu could turn all of Eighteen Streets upside down and then turn it upside down again. Gambling houses and their bosses had not even earned the right to lick his boots.

The other thugs realized that something was wrong as well. They hurriedly hoisted the bald man up and slipped away. They left Le Yu's sight before he finished counting down, without saying a single harsh word.

They may have had their doubts. Wearing Steel-soled Boots did not prove that Le Yu was an agent of the Statistics Department. But they had the unique wisdom of thugs. If they charged, they might not be able to defeat Le Yu even if he was a fake, and if he was genuine, they would be finished. If they retreated, then regardless of whether Le Yu was real or fake, they could give their boss an explanation. After all, only the bald man had been beaten.

Le Yu had held back as well. Aside from the first kick, which had used combat techniques, the dozen or so kicks afterward had been random. Though he had given the bald man a makeover and fixed his teeth, none of the injuries were fatal. Hopefully, this beating from society would teach the bald man to become a better person.

Le Yu shook the filthy blood from his Steel-soled Boots and continued down the lane. Suddenly, a voice came from the rooftop. "Hey, I'll give you half."

A money pouch was thrown down. Le Yu reached out and caught it, then saw the hemp-clad teenager standing on the roof and looking at him. Though the boy was covered in grime, his eyes shone like stars.

Le Yu asked, "What do you mean?"

"You helped me drive Fatty Lei away. Whether for emotional or practical reasons, I should give you half." The hemp-clad teenager patted his thin chest. "That's called fairness."

"A thief talks about fairness? Then you really are a thief with principles." Le Yu smiled.

"A thief with principles? I like that phrase!" The hemp-clad teenager's eyes lit up. "You were so impressive just now. You stomped Fatty Lei, and Boss Ying's men still didn't dare cause trouble for you. How did you do that? Who do you work for? Can I work for you?"

Le Yu smiled and stamped his feet. "You know who I work for now, don't you?"

"So you're Black Dog!" The hemp-clad teenager suddenly understood.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. You can run after stealing money from thugs, but if you dare say 'Black Dog' in front of Black Dog... then your reincarnation skills will be put to the test."

"Tch, aren't you saying 'Black Dog' too?"

"When you're qualified to wear these Steel-soled Boots, you can say it too." Le Yu took out his pocket watch and checked the time. Feeling that he was running short, he stopped paying attention to the little brat and quickly left the lane.

The hemp-clad teenager watched Le Yu's departing back, his eyes filled with yearning and admiration.

Damn, am I going to be late?

Because of the little interruption along the way, Le Yu realized that he might not make it in time. He grew anxious. After all, this was not a date, but an underground meeting between a mole and an informant!

If you stood up your girlfriend on a date, the worst that could happen was a breakup. But if you stood up an informant at an underground meeting, the informant might suspect that you had been arrested, flee the city overnight, and even write your name on the list of the dead!

Le Yu naturally sped up. When he was two streets away from his destination, a dim little house beside him suddenly opened its door, and two beams of dark light erupted.

Le Yu had already reacted quickly—the instincts of Qian Yuliu's body were extremely powerful—but his opponent was faster and stronger!

Two hands clamped around Le Yu's throat and left wrist like iron shackles, dragging him into the pitch-black house!

In the darkness, Le Yu heard a chilling voice.

"Finally got you."