Who Gave You the Courage to Force Your Way In?

Just as Fu Haoran and Yuri were checking the canned goods payment, the office door was shoved open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang.

Countess Martha Haig stepped inside, her deep purple gown making her complexion look even colder and prouder, the long dress dragging across the floor.

Behind her, two black-suited guards stood with straight backs, the outlines of laser pistols bulging at their waists clearly visible, exuding an oppressive aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Without waiting for an invitation, she walked straight to the chair opposite Fu Haoran and sat down, a cigar pinched between her fingers. With a casual flick, ash fell onto the polished desktop.

"Governor Fu, quite the leisurely mood." Martha blew out a puff of smoke, her gaze sweeping over the accounts on the table.

"I hear your canned goods are going crazy on the black market. Even that profiteer Reck is scrambling to get his hands on them. You've actually impressed me."

Fu Haoran kept the smile on his face, his gaze roving unabashedly over her body. Since she came to him, why not look?

"Lady Martha, you didn't grace me with your presence just to compliment me, did you? If you have something to say, spit it out."

Martha exhaled smoke, blurring her face, but it couldn't hide the greed in her tone: "Your canned goods—I want all of them."

"What price are you offering?" Fu Haoran didn't refuse outright, wanting to hear her quote.

But her first words made him regret his naivety.

"First, I'll take all the cans at cost price."

"Don't talk to me about black market premiums. In my eyes, that's all they're worth."

"Second, all distribution rights go to me. You're not allowed to sell to any more black market merchants, cross-Hive nobles, or even those orders you've got in hand."

Hearing this, even Yuri beside him couldn't help but frown.

Buying at cost and banning independent sales—this wasn't cooperation, it was outright robbery!

Fu Haoran's reply was blunt: "Get lost."

Now it was Martha's turn to not believe her ears.

She had imagined Fu Haoran would rage, would play word games, would try to cozy up to her... but she never expected him to tell her to get lost.

"Governor, it seems you still don't understand your position."

She stood up, looking down at him from above: "Seventy percent of the Hive's synthetic food production lines, ninety percent of the Promethium refineries—all under my name."

"The keys to every door in the Mid-Hive Promethium warehouse are in my hand."

"The Promethium factory occupied by the Iron Hand Gang in the Underhive can only run because of me."

Martha didn't say it outright, but the Iron Hand Gang was just a pack of dogs she kept.

Even if those dogs weren't so obedient now, as long as she made up her mind, swapping them for a more docile pack was no trouble.

"Without Promethium, your canning line can't run for a single day. No matter how many cross-Hive orders you have, you won't deliver a single can."

"Also, I must remind you: without Corpse Starch quotas, those starving refugees in the Underhive will tear your Governor's mansion apart first, and they'd be happy to put you on the gallows."

Yuri, standing to the side, felt his smug expression stiffen.

He knew better than anyone that Martha was telling the truth. Promethium was the Hive's lifeline; whoever held it held the power.

"If this kid really falls out with Martha, won't my money go down the drain too?" Yuri muttered inwardly but didn't dare speak up. Still, he looked at Fu Haoran with a hint of schadenfreude.

"This kid's finally taking a fall. Let's see how he handles this."

"Oh, and one more thing," Martha added, "Even if you agree, I'm raising the Promethium supply price by thirty percent. After all, supplying you comes with risks."

"Are you trying to rob me while the house is on fire?" Fu Haoran said flatly, with no trace of anger detectable.

"So what if I am?" Martha straightened up, her gaze haughty. "Governor, you're just an outsider here. You follow the rules of this place."

"I'll give you one day to think it over." Martha stubbed her cigar out on Fu Haoran's desk, leaving a black scorch mark.

"Same time tomorrow—either you sign the contract, or I cut off all your Promethium supply."

"Guess who'll cave first—you, or your own soldiers turning on you?"

With that, Martha turned to leave.

"Lady Martha, hold on a second." Fu Haoran called her back.

"Oh? Giving in that fast?" Martha turned with contempt, but her expression shifted in the next instant.

Biu! Biu!

Two laser pistol shots rang out, and both guards took hits.

They stared in disbelief at the wounds on their bodies. Luckily, they wore high-grade armor that saved their lives.

But more gunfire followed.

Even if they could normally take on ten men alone, against the overwhelming firepower of Wade and the others, the two swaggering bodyguards only struggled for a moment before being riddled with bullets.

Wade and the other guards hadn't expected Fu Haoran to strike so suddenly, but since their governor had made the move, they didn't hesitate to finish the job.

As the guards fell, Fu Haoran swung his gun toward Martha, a faint smile still on his lips:

"Lady Martha, care to bet whether I dare pull the trigger on you?"

Martha's mind went blank. Her reason told her Fu Haoran absolutely wouldn't dare—unless he was an idiot, no one would.

But the two still-warm bodies beside her told her that this madman in front of her would dare to do anything.

[Damn it, why did I only bring two bodyguards!]

Martha simply couldn't understand how anyone dared to shoot at her.

"Kill me, and you declare war on all the nobles of the Hive City. They won't let you go..."

"So what?" Fu Haoran let out a sneer. "I've long felt this rebellion wasn't thorough enough. I wouldn't mind turning this planet into a river of blood, and I wouldn't mind dragging all of you down to hell with me."

Martha was afraid. She saw no trace of humor in Fu Haoran's eyes.

"He... really dares to kill me?!"

"How dare he?!"

Martha collapsed to the ground, staring at the bodyguards' corpses. Fear nearly made her lose control of her bladder.

But hearing Fu Haoran's excuse of "bad aim" and seeing that he didn't seem to be finishing her off immediately, the ingrained superstition of rules and transactions that was etched into her bones vanished without a trace.

"I... I apologize for my earlier rashness. I'm willing to... pay compensation to express my regret."

Yet Martha added:

"I can concede on the canned goods distribution rights. How about fifty percent of the black market price?"

Fu Haoran: ...

He gained a deeper understanding of the nobility's greed.

After paying a large sum of money, Martha was finally allowed to leave.

Fu Haoran holstered his gun and said to Wade, "Dispose of the bodies. To the public, say that Lady Martha's bodyguards attempted to assassinate the Governor and were shot dead on the spot."

"Countess Martha voluntarily donated to prove her innocence."

After Wade left to carry out the orders, Yuri asked with lingering fear, "Kid, aren't you afraid of pushing it too far?"

"Huh? Push what too far?" Fu Haoran didn't quite understand.

Yuri, putting on the airs of an experienced senior, said smugly, "Don't pretend. You were just trying to scare Martha. She's just a woman, after all."

"Kill her two bodyguards, scare her out of her wits, force her to bow her head, and then extort her to bleed dry."

Yuri felt he had seen through everything.

But Fu Haoran shook his head and said, "No, I really wanted to kill her. My aim just wasn't good enough, and I missed."

Yuri: ...

Wade: ...

"Kid, have you never thought about the consequences? Aren't you afraid the nobles will band together and kill you?"

Yuri was furious. He felt someone was insulting his intelligence and might very well ruin his entire plan—and possibly drag him down to die with Fu Haoran!

"Them?" Fu Haoran looked at Yuri with contempt. "If they actually dared to make a move, I'd think a little more of them."

"But that would be even better. I could launch a full-scale purge with just cause."

"This rotten world needs a complete reshuffle. If I don't clean out these vermin, all efforts are for nothing."

Yuri was stunned. He couldn't understand how a young man in his early twenties could harbor such ruthless determination toward these decadent nobles.

The matter seemed to have settled for now, but Fu Haoran knew the real trouble was yet to come.

"Wade, summon all the officers. We've got a lot of work ahead."

"Once Martha gets back, she'll definitely team up with others to cut off our Promethium. We need to be ready to strike first."

Hearing Fu Haoran's words, Yuri nearly dropped to his knees: "You... you're not really planning a full-scale purge, are you?"

Fu Haoran smiled and said, "How could I? I'm not that kind of person."

Yuri breathed a sigh of relief, then heard Fu Haoran add, "I don't like fighting battles I'm not sure of, but sooner or later, I'll clean out all these vermin."

"I'll make these nobles understand what the Governor's wrath means—rivers of blood!"

Yuri stared blankly at the murderous Fu Haoran, then at Wade and the others, who looked completely used to it.

He suddenly wondered if he had joined a cult.

This wasn't a governor at all—this was a fanatical follower of Khorne. This Hive City was absolutely unlivable!