The freighter docked at a small port town on South City's east coast. While no one was watching, Jiang Nan jumped off the ship and slipped out of the harbor without a trace.
After all that traveling, Jiang Nan's stomach was already growling with hunger. Seeing that it was noon, he found a restaurant, ordered a set meal, and sat down in an inconspicuous corner to dig in.
He polished off a croissant in no time, stuffed down an entire beef pie, and drained a milkshake. With his stomach full, Jiang Nan took a moment to digest and plan his next move.
Something had just occurred to Jiang Nan that worried him a little. The phone that had crossed over with him was still in North City, hidden on the bookshelf in his room inside an unremarkable book with its center hollowed out.
That phone was his connection to home, his emotional lifeline. Looking at its photos now and then helped strengthen his resolve to return to his original dimension.
That was out of the question for now. He could only wait a few years before returning to the Red Ribbon Army's headquarters to retrieve it. Jiang Nan was just worried that Doris might throw the phone away while clearing out the belongings he had left behind.
Jiang Nan suddenly slapped his forehead again. Right! How did I forget about the Dragon Balls? If all else failed, I could just collect them. Maybe Shenron could send me straight back to my original dimension.
Jiang Nan stopped worrying about his phone, and his mood lightened. Before leaving the restaurant, he bought an ice cream, then wandered around town enjoying his treat and getting a taste of South City's local customs.
After wandering around for a while, Jiang Nan had a rough grasp of this world's prices. The universal currency of the Dragon Ball world was Federation currency. Judging by the recruitment notices outside the shops, the average monthly income in this town was probably around 3,000 dollars. That meant Jiang Nan would not have to worry about making ends meet for the time being.
(Note: the original work uses the Latin character z for its currency, transliterated as zeni, with a value roughly equivalent to the Japanese yen. For ease of reading, it is called Federation currency here.)
When Jiang Nan had accompanied Doris to South City, she had given him twenty thousand dollars in spending money. Added to what he had looted from Henry's estate last night, he now had over a hundred thousand dollars in cash in his small backpack, along with some jewelry whose value he had yet to determine.
As Jiang Nan wandered aimlessly, a black car slowly followed him. There were four men inside, and the man in the front passenger seat kept staring at Jiang Nan and comparing him with a photo on his phone.
"That's him, right?" the man in the passenger seat asked.
A red-haired young man in the back lowered his window. After taking a careful look at Jiang Nan's face, he said excitedly, "Looks like him!"
Beside him sat a young woman wearing smoky eye makeup and a nose ring. Looking smug, she said, "See? I wasn't lying. He's the guy the Silver Wolf Society put a million-dollar bounty on!"
The woman nestled against the red-haired man, wrapped a hand around his neck, and wheedled, "Rogue, once we get the money, let's move to West City, okay?"
The driver had a buzz cut. He glanced disdainfully at the woman in the rearview mirror. Rogue was only fooling around with trash like her. Once he got bored, he would pass her on to the gang's underlings to enjoy.
Did that clueless woman really think Rogue would marry her? What an idiot!
Rogue had plans of his own. He was the leader of the town's gang, but he had long since grown dissatisfied with throwing his weight around in a little town. He had never expected heaven to drop an opportunity like this right into his lap.
A few hours earlier, the Silver Wolf Society had called on all its connections to issue a bounty for a man named Jiang Nan. Rogue had assumed that affairs between major gangs like that had nothing to do with him. He had never expected the target to show up on his own turf.
The bounty? Rogue had no interest in it. What he wanted was for some big shot in the Silver Wolf Society to owe him a favor. That would give him a connection to someone important. With careful cultivation, he would eventually work his way into South City's high society.
Jiang Nan finally noticed the car nearby. He had not paid it any mind at first because everyone inside was an ordinary person, with the strongest having a power level of just 7. But if they kept following him, they were clearly up to no good.
"Boss, he's coming over!" warned the man in the hoodie in the front passenger seat.
Jiang Nan walked straight up to the car. He bent down to look inside through the window beside Rogue and asked with a faint, ambiguous smile, "Why are you following me?"
No one in the car dared make a rash move. None of them could understand why a wanted man like Jiang Nan was not scurrying around and hiding like a rat, but instead had the nerve to come over and provoke them.
Rogue had seen his share of trouble. He took a cigarette from inside his jacket and put it between his lips. The woman with the nose ring hurried to light it for him. Rogue took a deep drag, blew smoke into Jiang Nan's face, and prepared to speak with contempt.
Smack!
Jiang Nan backhanded Rogue across the face. Rogue immediately spat a mouthful of blood and two teeth all over the woman's face.
Who the hell are you trying to impress? Trash with a power level of 7!
The man in the hoodie pulled a black pistol from the center console, flicked off the safety, and fired at Jiang Nan.
Bang, bang, bang!
Jiang Nan calmly sidestepped the bullets. The people inside the car, on the other hand, were left reeling by the gunshots in the enclosed space.
Nearby pedestrians screamed and fled at the sound of gunfire. Seeing that someone was already calling the police, Jiang Nan grabbed the door handle and gave it a slight tug, pulling open the locked door. He kicked Rogue farther inside, then bent down and climbed into the car.
The man in the hoodie no longer dared to act rashly. He knew someone who could dodge bullets was far beyond the likes of him. No wonder the Silver Wolf Society had offered such a huge bounty.
The woman with the nose ring screamed in terror, but a single glance from Jiang Nan was enough to make her wisely clamp a hand over her mouth.
"Drive. Head west out of town." Jiang Nan lounged in the back seat, issuing orders.
The buzz-cut driver looked back at Rogue. One side of Rogue's face had already swollen, and blood still stained the corner of his mouth. Not daring to act tough with Jiang Nan again, he snapped, "What are you looking at me for? He told you to drive. Are you deaf?"
The car left the little town and headed west along a straight highway. Jiang Nan said nothing, and the driver did not dare stop without permission.
Afraid of further provoking this walking disaster, Rogue kept squeezing toward the woman with the nose ring. She barely dared breathe, worrying that Jiang Nan would kill them to silence them once they reached somewhere secluded.
At last, Jiang Nan spoke again. "Who sent you to follow me?"
Holding his swollen cheek, Rogue slurred, "No one sent us. It was..."
"Shut up. What the hell are you mumbling about?" Jiang Nan impatiently cut Rogue off, then pointed at the woman with the nose ring. "You tell me!"
Jiang Nan was secretly enjoying himself. I've been in this world for over three years, putting up with all that crap. Finally, it's my turn to have some fun. Hahahaha!
Although Jiang Nan's power level was only 40, Rogue and the others were far weaker still. Calling them ants compared with Jiang Nan would hardly be an exaggeration.
The woman with the nose ring said shakily, "S-sir, this has nothing to do with us! It was-it was the Silver Wolf Society. They issued a bounty to find you."
Already? The Silver Wolf Society had reacted faster than Jiang Nan expected. He asked, "What kind of organization is the Silver Wolf Society?"
The woman explained, "The Silver Wolf Society is a famous gang in South City. They're probably one of the top five in the whole city!"
"Higher than that. They have to be in the top three." The man in the hoodie seemed rather talkative and could not resist chiming in.
Rogue glared at him, and he quickly ducked his head, afraid to say another word. Jiang Nan chuckled. "It's fine. Don't be scared. I'm not some man-eating monster. Go on."
The man in the hoodie continued, "The Silver Wolf Society mainly runs casinos and nightclubs. They've practically monopolized South City's nightlife industry. Their boss is called Carlos. He came from nothing and fought his way up from the bottom. They say that when he was young, he took on the leading gang in South City's District 37 with just a machete and hacked them to pieces. That one fight made him famous!"
The more the man talked, the more excited he became, and admiration shone in his eyes. Jiang Nan only smiled without commenting.
Low-level thugs always worshipped individual strength, passing down hearsay from one generation to the next. But Jiang Nan knew that without intelligence and personal charisma, anyone trying to lead a top gang would only end up as cannon fodder in a power struggle.
"What channels did the Silver Wolf Society use to post the bounty? Did they say why they wanted me?" Jiang Nan asked.
The man in the hoodie said, "There's an underground online forum here in South City. Anyone who wants to find someone, post an illegal job, or sell something shady goes there. That's where we saw the Silver Wolf Society's bounty. They didn't give a reason, just a really high reward—one million Federation currency."
Jiang Nan pondered this. After a while, he said, "Turn onto that road up ahead!"
It was a small road that led into a deserted stretch of old forest. Everyone in the car immediately grew uneasy.
The woman with the nose ring felt a painful pressure in her lower abdomen. She was so scared she was about to wet herself. All she could think about was Jiang Nan killing them to silence them.
"Stop the car." Jiang Nan's tone betrayed no emotion.
The woman shuddered, then felt warmth spread between her legs-she had wet herself in fear. The other three were hardly doing any better, each barely daring to breathe.
"S-sir, don't kill me! I'll do anything you want!" The woman was already sobbing, her smoky eye makeup running in black streaks from the corners of her eyes to her jaw.
Rogue steeled himself and made a bold declaration. "I knew this day would come sooner or later when I chose this life. Those three are innocent. Let them go, and you can have my life!"
Rogue was gambling. He was betting that Jiang Nan would admire his loyalty, think more highly of him, and spare his life.
Fortunately, Rogue won his bet. Or rather, even if he had not made it, Jiang Nan had never intended to kill them. Although Jiang Nan disliked gang members, he had grown up in a peaceful society governed by law and had received a higher education. His conscience would not allow him to kill people so casually.
But Jiang Nan did not say that. Instead, he asked, "If I wanted to get to West City, what options would I have?"
Rogue was not stupid enough to suggest going to the airport. Someone with a Silver Wolf Society bounty on his head would obviously need to keep a low profile. Fortunately, he happened to know a few routes.
"There are a few options," Rogue said. "The easiest are private airports and cruise ships. Those private companies are pretty lax about checking identities. A lot of them don't even do the most basic checks. Pay them enough, and they won't care whether you're a murderer or a robber."
"What other options?" Jiang Nan asked.
"A private plane. There are several aircraft dealerships in South City. You don't need to provide identification to buy a plane. Just pay, and it's yours," Rogue said.
"How much would a plane capable of crossing the ocean cost?" Jiang Nan asked.
Rogue's heart tightened as he realized he might have said the wrong thing. Bracing himself, he answered, "The cheapest would probably cost ten million Federation currency."
"Oh..." Jiang Nan's eyes shifted thoughtfully. Then he amiably draped an arm around Rogue's neck. "Buddy, I haven't asked your name yet."
"My name is Rogue." Rogue inwardly cursed. Why did I have to open my stupid mouth about planes?
"Hahaha! You've got quite a presence, Rogue. I can tell you're a man destined for great things. As you've probably noticed, I've run into a little trouble. I was hoping you could lend me some emergency money to buy a plane." Jiang Nan tightened the arm around Rogue's neck.
Rogue looked troubled. "I-I don't have that kind of money. I just look after a few places in town and collect protection money."
"Then how much do you have?" Jiang Nan looked displeased.
"Six hundred."
"Six million? That should be enough for a secondhand plane, right?"
"Dollars."
"Six hundred dollars?"
"Six hundred dollars!"
Jiang Nan was so annoyed he laughed. You're a gang boss, and you only have six hundred dollars? You'd have more than that if you got a regular job! But on reflection, it made sense. Just look at the car they were riding in: a battered old model that had changed hands who knew how many times, without even air conditioning.
Seeing Jiang Nan's disbelief, Rogue explained, "I've got dozens of guys under me, and none of them have proper jobs. Supporting that many people costs a lot. We were supposed to collect protection money today. Maybe you could give me two days?"
Jiang Nan was speechless. Still, he had never really expected to extort money from them. He had only wanted to give these thugs, who bullied ordinary people, a little punishment. He had not expected them to look so impressive on the outside while having absolutely nothing in their pockets.
Seeing how nervous Rogue had been earlier, Jiang Nan had thought he might actually have enough money to buy a plane. After all that, he only had a few hundred dollars. What were you so nervous about?
"All right, all right. Leave your phones in the car and get out," Jiang Nan said impatiently.
Rogue swallowed with difficulty, while the woman with the nose ring started wailing again. They all thought Jiang Nan was about to kill them.
"My life is so miserable! My parents divorced when I was little, and my stepmother was always cruel to me. No one ever cared about me or loved me, and now I'm going to die here! Fate is so unfair to me! So unfair!" The woman climbed out of the car in tears, endlessly railing against her tragic life.
After getting out, Rogue kept studying the terrain, looking for an escape route. Once everyone was out, Jiang Nan opened the door, sat in the driver's seat, and stepped on the gas, leaving the four of them staring at one another.
Once they were sure Jiang Nan was far away, Rogue and the others started heading back. They were a full twenty kilometers from town, and walking all the way back would be difficult. Their only option was to return to the main road and see if they could flag down a passing vehicle for a ride.
After a long wait, a vehicle finally came by. But the driver took one look at the shady group by the roadside, floored the accelerator in fright, and sped away, leaving Rogue standing dumbfounded in the wind.
Rather than wait, they decided to start walking back. After ten kilometers, a passing truck driver finally agreed to give them a lift. By the time Rogue and the others returned to town, it was nearly dark, and they were all ravenous.
Rogue was in no hurry to eat. The first thing he did after returning to his turf was call the contact number listed on the Silver Wolf Society's bounty notice.
"Hello?" A stern male voice answered.
Rogue asked cautiously, "Hello. Is this the Silver Wolf Society?"
The man on the other end remained silent for a few seconds before asking, "What do you want?"
"Sir, here's the situation. My name is Rogue, and I'm in charge of the Razor Gang in Whale Town on South City's east coast-"
"Cut the crap. Get to the point!" The man sounded impatient.
Rogue hurried to make a long story short. "I ran into Jiang Nan, the man on your wanted list, today. I even fought him!"
"Where is he now?" The man on the other end sounded interested.
Rogue said, "I spotted Jiang Nan in town and followed him, hoping to capture him. Turns out he's pretty tough. After a life-or-death struggle, he still managed to escape."
The man sounded irritated. "You let him get away? And you still dare call me? Are you wasting my time?"
"Sir, I would never dare waste your time," Rogue hurried to explain. "I know what Jiang Nan plans to do next. He's planning to flee to West City."
"What makes you say that?"
"After our fight, Jiang Nan asked me how to get to West City. He also stole my car. The license plate is XXXXX. You should be able to track his movements with that information," Rogue said.
The man was very pleased with this information. "Thank you for the tip. This is very useful to us. Your name is Rogue, right? The Silver Wolf Society owes you a favor."
Rogue hung up, delighted. He could already picture a future in which he led the Razor Gang to the top. Filled with ambition, he squeezed the six hundred dollars in his pocket and waved grandly. "Come on! Let's treat ourselves to a good meal!"
(He is actually just a minor character and never appears again after this chapter.)
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