It was precisely this tangled web of connections that allowed him to become the king of the Outer District's Sewage Flats.
Naturally, Gary had heard a few things about the secrets of the mystical world.
"So what if he's an investigator? Kill him!"
Gary's eyes turned vicious.
If that was the case, there was even more reason not to let this man leave alive!
Secrets were hidden here. If an investigator found out about them, the powerful people backing him would make him pay dearly.
Gary wasn't the only person who could rule the Sewage Flats.
As for whether killing an investigator would offend the Containment Bureau, Gary trusted that someone would smooth things over for him.
"Fire!"
Hearing their boss Gary's order, his men pulled out their Iron Gauntlets and Blunderbusses.
Then they surrounded Chen Lun and attacked.
Bang, bang, bang, bang...!!
Broken nails and glass shards sprayed from the muzzles, crackling like bursting fireworks as they showered toward Chen Lun.
Already on guard against this, Chen Lun didn't simply tank the damage as he had before.
The moment the men drew their weapons, he sprang forward and grabbed one of them, holding him in front of himself.
Amid a rapid series of dull impacts, the Iron Fist Gang member serving as a human shield was riddled with holes on the spot.
Blood covered his body. There was no saving him.
Holding the corpse in one hand, Chen Lun leaned out to return fire. Several shots rang out, the lead bullets striking his enemies squarely in the head and bursting into flowers of blood.
Seeing that their Blunderbusses couldn't hurt Chen Lun, the remaining men in leather jackets clenched their iron-clad fists and charged in to fight him up close.
Thud!!
The corpse, studded with tiny nails and glass shards, flew through the air and slammed into one man, knocking him down.
Chen Lun followed right behind it, punching another Iron Fist Gang member in the face!
A punch powered by 24 Strength was far more than an ordinary person could withstand. The man's skull shattered on impact, and he flew backward, spitting blood and broken teeth.
"Enough! You useless idiots!"
Gary dropped his cigar, leaped over, and aimed a kick straight at Chen Lun's head.
Whoosh-!
His burly body descended, his kick cleaving down like a battle-axe.
Smack!!
Chen Lun turned and raised a hand to block, stopping the kick dead.
Gary's pupils contracted slightly in shock.
He knew his own strength very well.
After regular injections of the "High-Concentration Fruit Honey" supplied by Butler Feldman, his physical capabilities had long since surpassed those of ordinary people.
That kick could punch through an iron plate, yet this "investigator" had blocked it with one hand!?
"Skipped a meal, sir?"
Chen Lun's face appeared from behind his arm, wearing a polite smile.
"You can't even put any strength into a punch, and you call yourself a gangster?"
"You bastard!!"
Gary flew into a rage.
He sprang into the air, twisting his body as he drove his other foot forward like a cannonball.
His bulging muscles even tore through the leg of his suit trousers.
Bam!!
His leather shoe slammed into Chen Lun's palm.
But in the next instant, the recoil sent a wave of numbness through Gary's leg! The other man's hand hadn't budged. It was like kicking an iron wall.
"Not bad, but you're still a long way behind that old man from the Red Apple Church."
Chen Lun spoke softly.
Gary's heart tightened. He knew he had met a formidable opponent.
He leaped backward to put some distance between them and caught sight of the dark golden scales slowly retracting from the back of Chen Lun's hand.
His heart immediately began to race!
"A Transcendent!?"
Gary cried out in shock.
Sweat poured off him. He felt as though his luck couldn't possibly be worse.
How had he managed to provoke a Transcendent!?
"Who exactly are you, sir?
If I have offended you in any way, I offer my sincerest apologies!"
Gary spoke in a grave voice.
He knew when to yield. Faced with an opponent he couldn't possibly fight, he immediately chose to bow his head.
The man was probably not an investigator. The Containment Bureau's Transcendents were all important figures at the team-leader level. Although the Iron Fist Gang ran rampant through the Outer District, it hardly warranted that much attention.
The other Iron Fist Gang members exchanged looks, fear creeping into their hearts.
Even their boss Gary was backing down?
Just how terrifying was this man!?
"Haven't you been looking for me?"
Chen Lun slowly approached.
"And planning to abduct my sister?"
Gary shuddered violently, his body going rigid.
He instantly realized who this man was-the outsider his men and Kent had mentioned!
Damn it, an outsider!?
This wasn't some easy mark with no standing or connections.
He was a bloodthirsty python! A terrifying beast!
Gary no longer had time to vent his anger on his men or that idiot Kent. All he wanted now was to survive.
Thump!
Gary, the boss of the Iron Fist Gang, dropped to his knees before the young man.
Even his powerful, burly body couldn't withstand the terror he felt now.
"I, Gary Bent, offer you my apologies, sir!
I am willing to pay any price. All I ask is that you forgive me and spare my life!"
Gary lowered his head and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.
The Iron Fist Gang members lucky enough to survive could hardly believe their eyes.
Their boss Gary, the ruthless, coldhearted man they knew, had actually knelt!
He was begging the black-haired young man for mercy!
Gulp.
One man in a leather jacket swallowed. He didn't even dare wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, afraid of drawing attention.
Chen Lun looked helplessly at the spineless man before him.
Damn it, couldn't you show a little backbone?
Fight back. Charge at me in a frenzy. Wouldn't it be better if I could just kill you and be done with it?
You're putting me in a difficult position here.
Suddenly, something else occurred to Chen Lun, and a thoughtful glint flashed through his eyes.
"You're saying you'll pay any price?"
He slowly walked over to the sofa, sat down, and picked up the documents Gary had been reading earlier.
They contained financial reports, funds for various businesses in the Sewage Flats and the Outer District, and certain unspecified expenditures.
"Yes, sir. Any price."
Gary gritted his teeth and answered gravely.
He had already prepared himself to pay dearly, but as long as he survived, nothing else mattered.
"In that case."
Chen Lun tossed aside the documents in his hand.
"From now on, I call the shots here."
Chapter 41: King of the Sewage Flats
Gary abruptly raised his head.
"S-sir? What do you mean by that!?"
Shock covered his face.
He had only intended to pay a hefty sum to save his own life. Now the man was declaring outright that he would take over the place.
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