The Meeting

The power players on either side of the long conference table exchanged a few discreet glances.

A bald man with a skull tattoo covering his entire face grinned.

"Boss, you know me. At night, I'm either screwing women or boxing—or screwing women while boxing. Since when am I into that kind of thing? Looking at stars? Were there even any last night?"

The bald man had a nose ring, and his earlobes had been stretched out on purpose to hold bone earrings. His studded leather jacket bore a red skull emblem. He was lean and looked like a punk through and through.

Some of the others said they thought they'd seen something, while others laughed it off and gave vague answers. None of them seemed to take it too seriously.

Long Zhibin pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses. "Mayor, I noticed it right away yesterday. It's been a long time since the sky over No. 97 Settlement was this bright."

Zhou Hao looked at him and nodded. "It really was bright. Even our town was completely lit up. We could see the darkness we normally can't. Did you notice anything strange?"

Long Zhibin thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I didn't."

Zhou Hao chatted with the others one by one about the night sky, the environment, and the weather, then said, "I hope we can keep seeing skies like that. All right, let's get down to business."

He led them in discussing several matters concerning the town: population movements, food distribution, public safety in their territories, and so on.

Though these were routine matters, the big shots at the table often got into arguments. Many everyday issues involved core interests, after all, and few people here were the peaceable sort.

But with Zhou Hao mediating, they at least managed to maintain a semblance of harmony, which seemed to satisfy him.

With the morning nearly over, Zhou Hao turned to Long Zhibin. "Zhibin, I heard your supply convoy was attacked again yesterday?"

Long Zhibin fell silent for a moment.

The convoy had only just been attacked yesterday, yet today—no, it seemed Zhou Hao had already known before dawn.

There might not be anything happening in town that Zhou Hao didn't know about.

He adjusted his glasses. "Mayor, it's true. Things have been unsettled around town lately."

The tattooed bald man leaned back in his chair, then propped his muddy boots right up on the long table. "Exactly. There are always dogs barking at their owners."

Zhou Hao remained calm. "A lot of drifters have nothing to eat in winter. They might take desperate measures. But spring is almost here. This can't happen again."

Long Zhibin nodded. "I think so too."

Zhou Hao turned to the other side, looking at the big feet on the table.

The bald man raised his eyebrows, lowered his feet, and sat up straight. "When spring comes, they'll be able to dig up food in the fields. No one will be fighting over dog bones."

Zhou Hao nodded, then looked at Long Zhibin again. "What about your Hunting Grounds? Have things been peaceful there lately? Everyone divided those up, and the rules say we stay out of each other's territory."

"Wild dogs from other places wander in now and then, but I've driven them off. No problems."

Zhou Hao studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Good."

The bald man looked Long Zhibin up and down in surprise, then scoffed.

Zhou Hao kept everyone for a luncheon. Rare ingredients of every kind were brought out one after another, and the meal rivaled the finest private clubs in the city.

These rulers of the town lived lavishly even by the Wasteland's standards, but there were still many things they could only find at Zhou Hao's place.

They didn't hold back. Though this wasn't their first time, every meal was a rare treat. Still, they understood that it was a show of Zhou Hao's power.

In the afternoon, everyone gradually took their leave. The executive director of Magic Food and the skull-headed man happened to have parked beside each other. They exchanged glances by their cars, and the potbellied middle-aged man with a cigar in his hand suddenly said, "Boss Gu, Commissioner Zhou was making sure you wouldn't target Long Zhibin again today."

The skull-headed man sneered. "You really believe that?"

"What else? Hasn't he always been trying to mediate between the two of you?" the fat director replied with a smile, his hair combed to perfection.

The skull-headed man spat. "Give me a break. Did anyone there not realize Zhou Hao only wanted to ask about those stars last night? If anyone didn't catch on, speak up. If you're that useless, you might as well hand your underlings and your cash over to me."

Two members of the Town Committee nearby came closer, but neither said anything.

The Magic Food director grinned. "Boss Gu certainly has a sharp eye. The sky last night really was strange. Did you notice anything?"

The skull-headed man nodded. "I did."

The cigar in the middle-aged man's hand suddenly paused. A flash of keen interest passed through his eyes. "What did you notice?"

"That your mom had a thing going with your grandpa."

The skull-headed man abruptly mocked him. "You're always trying to pry information out of me. What, do you think I'm your father?"

The middle-aged man's expression changed in an instant. His whole demeanor shifted from that of an amiable, portly businessman to a sinister kingpin. "Gu Jian, you're getting bold."

"What's bold about it? What can you do to me, Cao Yunlong? Without me taking the fall for Thunder Dragon, you'd have to do it yourself! You keep testing me like this. I've been fighting Long Zhibin for ages—do you really think we can make peace now? What the hell are you testing me for? You keep asking me to do your dirty work without giving me a cent. Watch it, or I'll really walk away. Let's see how Zhou Hao and his son devour your food factory!"

Gu Jian, leader of the Skull Gang, spat on the ground, opened the door of a red sports car with a modified suspension, and climbed in. He slammed the door shut, stomped on the accelerator, and roared away like lightning.

After the two men nearby also took their leave of Cao Yunlong with knowing looks, his dark expression instantly turned neutral. He got into his Rolls sedan and sank into thought in the quiet, smooth-riding back seat.

"Why was Zhou Hao so concerned about the change in the weather last night? What could have caused it?"

"Could it... have been a Second Domain Limit expert?"

Cao Yunlong looked incredulous as he instructed the secretary in the front seat, "Keep an eye out for any strange people in town lately."

"Keep an eye out for anything strange happening at the company lately," Long Zhibin told Brother Leopard, who had been waiting in the car.

He filled Brother Leopard in on what had happened at the meeting. Brother Leopard hissed. "What exactly is going on? Even Mayor Zhou took it so seriously."

Long Zhibin shook his head. "I don't know, so we need to be careful. Also, the supply convoy should be safe now."

"That's good. But, boss, why didn't you ask Mayor Zhou to deal with the Hunting Grounds too?" Brother Leopard scratched his head.

Long Zhibin rested his head on one hand and gazed out the window. "It would've been a bad idea to deal with it. I have a plan."

Two days had passed since Chen Chong acquired his Second Form, and he was still devoting himself entirely to boxing practice, undisturbed.

But unless he entered a state of mastery, his progress at this stage was negligible. All he could do was hone his technique. And entering that state would take Chen Chong who knew how much grinding practice.

He was confident that, with his abilities, as long as he ate enough Nutrient Paste every day, he'd eventually reach that state. But he couldn't say how long it would take. He had no experience; maybe ten days or half a month, maybe longer.

He'd thought he wouldn't see Pei Li for quite a while. But that day, while he was practicing his punches, Pei Li suddenly knocked on his door again.

"Get ready. We're leaving tomorrow."