Ark, Just Tell Me Whether the Mission Was Completed

"I see. You're here to extort me, right?"

Luo Chen raised his head. There was no emotion in his brown eyes, yet the corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile.

Though Luo Chen was clearly smiling, it wasn't a bright smile. Instead, it gave off an unusually eerie feeling.

Huh...?

The broker was stunned by the smile on Luo Chen's face, but his expression quickly darkened.

This idiot had finally made him lose his patience.

"I am here to extort you. I'm shaking you down for money. So what are you going to do about it?"

The broker's voice was as biting as a cold wind. He clenched his fists, as though issuing Luo Chen a warning against his life.

Their conversation gradually drew the attention of those around them.

The other "salesmen and customers" in the agency noticed the situation as well, but they seemed used to it. Instead, they started discussing it with grins.

"Another one trying to skip out on Brother Wang Jie's consultation fee."

"He doesn't even know the rules here. Looks like some clueless kid. This should be fun."

Luo Chen studied the man before him, who had boldly admitted to his crime.

Tilting his head, he asked in return:

"How much are you trying to extort from me? Two thousand? Six thousand? Don't tell me you only want a measly two bucks."

"I originally only wanted two dollars from you. Since you've got money, hand it all over. I'm extorting six thousand from you. If you can't pay, don't even think about walking out that door."

Everyone present burst into laughter at that.

It was their first time seeing such a genius bargain a two-dollar consultation fee up to six thousand.

This was way too entertaining.

"According to Article 370 of the Lungmen Criminal Code."

"Whoever extorts public or private property in a relatively large amount, or repeatedly commits extortion, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention, or public surveillance, and may additionally or separately be fined; whoever extorts a huge amount or under other serious circumstances shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years, and shall also be fined; whoever extorts an especially huge amount or under other especially serious circumstances shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years and shall also be fined."

"A relatively large amount means two thousand or more. A huge amount means six thousand or more."

Luo Chen's serious, solemn words echoed through the room, carrying the majesty of justice that allowed no escape.

After those words fell.

The room, which had still contained a few murmurs of conversation, seemed to freeze in an instant.

Someone was actually bringing up Lungmen law in a place like this?

Was he too naive, or was he genuinely stupid?

Did he think he was some Lungmen Guard Department cop, constantly going on about laws and regulations?

Besides, even ordinary Lungmen Guard Department officers wouldn't dare come here and provoke them.

Who did he think he was?

A high-ranking officer in the Lungmen Guard Department, or some big official from the Governor's Office?

For the Gangsters' Retirement, Luo Chen Worried Himself Sick

"So what if I admit it? What can you do to me?"

"Since you refuse to accept kindness, if you don't hand over six thousand today, don't even think about leaving this place standing."

The broker took a domineering step forward, chin raised high, clearly not taking Luo Chen's words seriously.

Yet even as he was pressed step by step, Luo Chen showed neither fear nor hesitation. Instead, he sighed and wore a regretful expression.

"You only want to extort six thousand? Too late!"

"If you'd asked for six thousand a minute ago, I might have paid. But now I've changed my mind."

"Seeing how arrogant and conceited you are, you must be quite the big shot in the underworld."

"I think six thousand is completely beneath your status. How about you extort thirty thousand from me instead? Raise your profile a little."

The broker was completely dumbfounded by Luo Chen's absurd words. His expression froze like an oil painting, filled with confusion and disbelief.

"Wait, what the hell is wrong with you? You're the one being extorted, and you think the amount's too low?"

"What's wrong? You're a thug extorting someone, yet you think the amount's too high? That's terribly unprofessional." Luo Chen said, "You need to improve not only your skills as a salesman, but you also have a lot to work on as a thug."

The broker's blood pressure instantly shot through the roof.

"What thug? I'm in the underworld! Go ask around—who doesn't know the name Wang Jie?"

"Heh..." Luo Chen's lips curled into a disdainful smile, as if mocking the other man's ignorance and childishness.

His eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a sharp glint that seemed capable of seeing through the man's hypocrisy and shallowness.

With a raised brow and an openly teasing tone, he asked a middle-aged salesman beside him with a balding hairstyle:

"Hey, bald thug over there, do you know some underworld big brother who doesn't even dare extort thirty thousand?"

The balding man, who had been watching the show the whole time, was suddenly singled out. His face immediately turned green.

"Who the hell are you calling bald?! I have hair! Show some respect!"

Luo Chen glanced at the man's hairstyle and readily admitted his mistake.

"Sorry, I misjudged you. Then may I ask, balding thug brother, do you know some underworld big brother who doesn't even dare extort thirty thousand?"

The balding man nearly coughed up blood from anger. He stopped watching and directly blocked the doorway.

"Brother Wang, whatever's wrong with this kid, since he wants to give us money, why should we be polite?"

The broker named Wang Jie exchanged glances with the balding man, then viciously threatened Luo Chen.

"I'd like to see just how much money you have. Didn't you say thirty thousand? If you dare give one cent less today, I'll make you regret being born on this earth."

Luo Chen immediately gave him a thumbs-up. "Now that has a bit of underworld flavor. But I suggest being more specific when you threaten people."

"You only said you'd make me regret it, but you didn't explain how. Vague concepts like that aren't convincing."

"For example, you could say you'd pour me into concrete and dump me into the sewers. Or throw me into a meat grinder, turn me into buns, and sell them to other customers."

"Or find twenty burly men who like men and have them ravage me all night."

"Only by giving specific methods of threat can you create better intimidation. It also lets the person being extorted feel that you've actually thought about the matter instead of just putting on a show."

After Luo Chen finished speaking in that instructive tone, it wasn't just Wang Jie and the balding middle-aged man who fell silent for a moment.

Even the onlookers felt a chill spreading through the air.

Being poured into concrete was understandable enough.

But turning someone into buns and selling them to customers was a little too insane, wasn't it?

And those twenty burly men—was that something a normal person could come up with?

Why could this guy say such horrifying things so righteously?

Had he fed human flesh to customers before?

After several short yet agonizingly long seconds, Luo Chen spoke again, breaking the silence.

"Seeing how you two are still working the front lines at your age, you probably don't look like men with families."

"You must be pretty worried about retirement in the second half of your lives."

"Since you're so pitiful, I'll let you extort three hundred thousand from me."

As he spoke, Luo Chen pulled out his empty wallet and rummaged through it for Hoshiguma's bank card.

At that moment, one of the watching customers asked curiously:

"I don't really understand. What does three hundred thousand have to do with their retirement?"

Smiling, Luo Chen placed Hoshiguma's bank card on the table.

"According to the Lungmen Criminal Code, the standard for determining an especially huge amount in extortion is three hundred thousand or more, punishable by over ten years in prison."

The first time Luo Chen mentioned the law, everyone, including the broker, thought there was something wrong with his head.

But when Luo Chen calmly took out a bank card and smilingly explained the Lungmen Criminal Code again, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

A bad feeling surfaced in the broker's mind.

Just who was this guy?

"Who exactly are you?"

"Just an ordinary Lungmen citizen. I haven't used these cards in a long time. Do you have a card reader? Help me check how much is on them. If it's less than three hundred thousand, I can take out a loan."

When Luo Chen placed a co-branded bank card bearing the Lungmen Guard Department emblem onto the table, Wang Jie's eyelids immediately twitched.

He instantly followed Luo Chen's hand and looked into the wallet, vaguely spotting something resembling an officer's identification card.

"Could this be an entrapment operation?"

Wang Jie's old face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Still, he clung to a shred of hope. There were plenty of Lungmen Guard Department cops, and any cop capable of handling matters here would have to be at least an inspector.

Ordinary junior officers still had to respect his boss's standing. They couldn't do anything to him at all.

And judging by the young man before him, he had probably just graduated from university at most.

Becoming a full officer would already be the limit.

A mere full officer dared to come here and entrap him?

After thinking through that logic, Wang Jie immediately calmed down. He reached out and snatched the officer's ID from Luo Chen's wallet.

Yet when he saw the Chief Inspector insignia on Luo Chen's identification, the broker who had still held onto a sliver of hope suddenly wanted to die.

Luo Chen was somewhat displeased that his ID had been snatched away.

He had originally planned to wait until the boss here and Lin Yuxia had both been called over, then give them a crooked smile and personally arrange their retirement.

Who would've thought this guy was lousy at being a gangster but had such sharp eyes? He had only exposed one corner, and it had already been noticed.

"Quit standing around. Hurry up and swipe the card."

"Extorting three hundred thousand while knowingly breaking the law is an extremely serious offense. One crime on top of another—at least fifteen years."

"For the sake of your later years, you can also flee in fear of punishment and keep increasing your sentence. Strive to spend the rest of your lives in prison. I guarantee I won't stop you. I'll gladly help you achieve your wish and ensure you have no retirement worries."

As an old hand who had spent over a decade in the underworld, Wang Jie naturally knew how to distinguish the various ranks of Lungmen Guard Department insignia.

Senior Inspectors could often serve as commanders of a Lungmen Guard Department squad or directors of a district branch.

A Chief Inspector, on the other hand, commanded an operations team at Lungmen Guard Department headquarters. That was undeniably upper management in the Lungmen Guard Department.

But could his luck really be that bad, to run into a high-ranking Lungmen Guard Department official?

Would people like that leave headquarters and their offices to wander around a place like the border between the Upper City and Lower City?

Was that even possible?

Could this guy be a fraud?

The moment the thought arose in Wang Jie's mind, before he could even speak.

Luo Chen added another sentence that made his soul tremble.

"I remember Miss Lin saying this area is her territory. Oh, right—tell your boss not to forget to notify Miss Lin. I truly don't wish to offend her, but I was forced into this. I hope she won't mind."

Why Are You Crying? You're Making Me Look Like the Bad Guy

It was over!

He knew Boss Lin. This man had to be a high-ranking Lungmen Guard Department official!