Haisha Bar

"Damn it, the security in this settlement has been getting worse and worse over the years. How many missing persons cases has this been now? Has the Church completely given up on this place?"

"I dug up an ancient coin at the black market today. It looks like a real gem. I'm going to find someone to appraise it in a bit. If it turns out to be a Corrupt Calamity artifact, I'll be rich! I'll definitely find a girl to have a good time with then!"

"Hey, did you hear what Old John said when he just got back from outside? Apparently, there was a red light shooting into the sky over at the Relic Cave. Who knows, maybe some treasure was unearthed! How about it? Want to go try our luck later?"

"Give it a rest. A red light shooting into the sky? You believe that old drunkard John? It's probably just another hallucination he made up after getting wasted outside. It's not like he hasn't been spouting nonsense like that a dozen times before."

"To those bastard dogs of the Kalleva gang, may they ascend to heaven soon. Cheers!!"

The moment the bar door was pushed open, the chaotic shouting and yelling of drunken patrons at the counter flooded into their ears.

Some were in groups of three or five, playing finger-guessing games and drinking, while others were boasting and showing off to their friends. Of course, the vast majority were those using the alcohol to vent their various dissatisfactions with life.

Deafening background rock music stimulated people's nerves, and the dazzling, colorful neon lights made the people on the dance floor twist their bodies to their hearts' content.

No matter the era, entertainment venues like bars would never disappear.

There were quite a few bars in the Black Cave Settlement, and the Haisha Bar was just one of them. Liao Ji, who had just entered, was clearly still a bit unaccustomed to the slightly chaotic environment of the bar, but looking at the young girl beside him, she seemed as comfortable as if she had walked into her own home.

"Pfft! Old antique, don't tell me this is your first time in a bar? Alright, relax. This is our turf, and you've got me covering you. No one can bully you!"

The girl patted her own shoulder with the air of a big sister, but given their previous experience in the sewers, Liao Ji maintained his usual attitude toward Irin's words: first doubt, then doubt again.

"Your turf?"

"Yeah, because the owner who runs this bar used to be a pretty famous scavenger. After he retired, plenty of his colleagues naturally came over to show their support and spend money. Over time, it evolved into a recognized gathering place for all the scavengers in our Black Cave. Everyone comes here to form teams, recruit people, exchange intelligence, trade items, and post commissions. In short, just think of it as our guild headquarters!"

The girl wore a proud and smug expression; it was clear she had a strong sense of belonging to the Haisha Bar, so Liao Ji began his next interrogation.

"So... you're pretty famous here?"

"Of course! You can grab any scavenger here and ask them; who doesn't know the name Irin? It's no exaggeration to say that when it comes to scavenging ability in the wild, they couldn't beat me even if they all teamed up. Otherwise, why do you think those Kalleva gangsters specifically came to me to be their guide?"

"I see... that's quite impressive."

Seeing the rare look of praise on the young man's face, Irin lifted her fair chin. She had finally managed to win a round and take the dominant position between the two of them.

The girl continued talking while leading Liao Ji through the bar.

"The back door of the bar we're heading to belongs to the internal area. Theoretically, it's only for bar staff, but it doesn't matter. I'm super close with the people here, including the owner I mentioned earlier. We're all brothers, so if I just ask him for a small favor, he'll definitely let us through."

"But at this hour... he's probably slacking off, hanging out at the bar counter chatting with customers. You keep an eye out for me. If you see a middle-aged man with a chin full of whiskers, fierce-looking eyes, a head shaped like a winter melon, a beer belly, and a sapphire necklace hanging around his neck, call me. That's Brian, the bar owner."

Irin was still busy giving Liao Ji the rundown when she noticed the young man suddenly stop in his tracks, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

Before the girl could even turn around in confusion...

A rough, taunting voice reached them first.

"Yo! What kind of wind blew into our bar today? To think it could bring in such a pretty little sister? Want to come have a few drinks with us brothers?"

Hmm.

Getting hit on at a bar—an expected plot point, a standard routine for Liao Ji.

However.

Liao Ji sized up the man who had come to hit on them.

A beer belly.

A chin full of whiskers.

A head shaped like a winter melon.

As for the eyes, they should have been fierce, but right now they were completely lecherous, scanning Irin up and down.

Most importantly, the big guy had a sapphire necklace hanging around his neck.

Sigh.

Liao Ji let out a sigh.

Soon, several more men appeared behind the big guy. Judging by their appearance, they were part of the same group. They also stared at Irin with lecherous eyes and began to comment on her in a pretentious manner.

"Tsk tsk, look at those designer clothes. Looks like she might be a rich young lady?"

"Little sister, it's not good to come to a bar dressed so nicely. You'd better hurry home!"

"These legs are incredible. I could play with them for a year!"

"It's a pity her chest is a bit small, too green. I prefer more mature married women."

"Hey, hey, keep it down. Watch your language. If you annoy the young lady, she might bring her bodyguards from outside and break your third leg first."

"Hahahaha!"

The four or five patrons, led by the bar owner "Brian," burst into loud laughter.

But soon, one of the patrons, after taking a closer look at the girl, suddenly said:

"Come to think of it, don't you guys think this girl... looks a bit like Irin?"

Liao Ji had hoped the situation might take a turn here.

But unfortunately.

"What? Have you gone soft in the head from drinking? I watched that kid Irin grow up; how could she possibly be such a sissy? Wearing high heels and all—oh boy, I can't, my stomach hurts just imagining that image, oh boy."

Brian clutched his beer belly in an exaggerated manner.

The rest of the patrons, dressed like scavengers, chimed in one after another, even scolding the previous customer.

"Exactly, exactly. The moment you said she looked like Irin, I almost lost all interest. We finally found someone easy on the eyes, don't go ruining the mood."

"I'm dying of laughter. Forget high heels; if you can get my big brother Irin to wear a dress, I'll livestream myself eating the toilet bowl!"

"Alright, alright, stop going on about Irin. Look, you keep mentioning another woman in front of this little lady, she's already getting annoyed."

"A woman? Don't tell me someone actually still thinks of my big brother as a little girl? If Irin heard that, she'd greet your entire family from top to bottom!"

"To be fair, that's true. I've got to hand it to Brother Lin's mouth."

"Hahahaha!"

The situation had indeed taken a subtle turn.

Though it was developing in a strange direction.

It seemed that once the topic of "Irin" was opened, the scavengers and the bar owner set aside their flirting and advances, instead starting to trade jokes about "Irin in women's clothing," as if it hit their funny bone perfectly.

Liao Ji: "."

He glanced at the girl beside him, who had lowered her head slightly, her long brown hair obscuring half her face. While he couldn't see her expression, judging by the fists clenched rock-hard on both sides of her body—

He estimated her mood was terrifyingly dark.

Through the "Contract," he could feel the Corrupt Calamity rapidly condensing within the girl's body.

For a moment, Liao Ji didn't even know whether to pity Irin or pity this group of Irin's "good brothers" across from them.

Fortunately.

Just as this boat of friendship was about to capsize.

Bang!

A loud, clearly intentional kick echoed from the entrance of Haisha Bar.

In an instant, everyone in the bar was drawn by the violent commotion and turned their heads to look, including Brian and the other patrons.

One of them was even startled by the noise.

"No way, is it really the young lady? Does she really have bodyguards?"

Clearly not.

Because—

Liao Ji narrowed his eyes as he watched a dozen gang members, armed with clubs or firearms, swarm into Haisha Bar following a series of hurried footsteps.

And the identity of these gangsters—

The "Sand Rose" emblem prominently displayed on their jackets said it all.

Kalleva.