At 12:30 a.m.
The night was hazy, with not a single star in the sky. A gentle breeze washed over the dilapidated buildings.
Large numbers of Guard Team members and patrol officers roamed the district.
That night, the civilians tossed and turned in unease.
Every household had locked its doors and windows. To feel a little safer, some went to the trouble of barricading their doors with tables, chairs, and stools.
Some men, wanting to be extra sure their families were safe, simply dragged a chair to the door and sat there with a cleaver in hand.
The abandoned commercial street was silent and deserted. Eight or nine out of ten streetlights along the road were broken.
Qin Xun had chosen to ambush He Laowu here because he knew the surveillance cameras were broken, and hardly anyone lived nearby.
This area was due for demolition soon.
But it was not to provide a comfortable living environment for the civilians.
The nobles wanted to expand the noble district.
They planned to build activity centers in this area for themselves and their children to enjoy.
"Is that the noble district of Zone 108?"
Xu Chao stood on the roof of a six-story old building, gazing at a brilliantly lit area in the distance.
Compared to the darkness here, it was ablaze with light.
The two places seemed like two entirely different worlds.
"Yeah, the lights in the noble district stay on all night." Qin Xun added, "We should be glad those nobles are afraid of dying. At least half the Guard Team's forces should be over there right now. Otherwise, there'd be even more people after us!"
"How old are you?" Xu Chao looked at Qin Xun, who was crouching on the ground.
"What time is it?"
"March 16, 12:30 a.m." A blue light lit up on Xu Chao's forehead, illuminating the watch on his wrist.
"Eighteen. I just turned eighteen today."
"Here, a birthday present!"
Qin Xun looked at the red rose Xu Chao held out to him.
He smiled.
He smiled, deeply moved.
"What man gives another man a rose?"
"Because I can't find anything else right now. The gift may be small, but the sentiment is what counts."
"I don't have anything else on me either. I'll give you one too." Dazhuang also held out a red rose to Qin Xun.
Right after that, even Mengmeng came over to Qin Xun with a rose in its mouth.
In a flowerpot not far away, only three broken stems remained...
To be precise, one had been bitten off.
"Thank you."
When Qin Xun said those two words, even his voice was a little choked.
He patted Mengmeng's head, took the rose from its mouth, and thanked it too.
Then he placed the three roses in his schoolbag as though they were treasures.
Though they were only three flowers, they carried more weight in Qin Xun's heart than that bag of gold.
In these chaotic times, someone besides his family had given him birthday presents on his birthday.
That was something to be happy about!
He was happy now, truly.
"Didn't you say He Laowu has to take this road home? Why isn't he here yet?"
Xu Chao looked down at the dark street, growing impatient from waiting.
"He Laowu usually goes home at two in the morning. It'll be at least another hour and a half."
"We have to wait here another hour and a half... Will he definitely come?"
"Hard to say, but there's an eighty percent chance."
Qin Xun had barely finished speaking when two black sedans appeared in the distance.
The one in front was He Laowu's personal car.
"He's here!" Xu Chao grinned.
"That's not right..." Qin Xun murmured. "He Laowu should still be at the Drunken Moon House at this hour. He rarely goes home this early."
"Never mind all that. We're already here, so let's catch him first!"
Xu Chao rubbed his hands together. Mengmeng had already checked, and there were no Guard Team members or patrol officers nearby, so they could make their move without fear!
He Laowu sat in the back of the sedan with his legs crossed and a cigar between his fingers, his face covered in women's lipstick marks.
"Faster!" he urged the driver.
It wasn't his habit to go home so early.
At this hour, he would usually still be lost in the warm embrace of the Drunken Moon House.
But tonight, after giving it some thought, he had decided it was better to go home early.
The entire city was on alert, and as the District Chief's loyal subordinate, he had firsthand information.
He knew what had happened.
Several Psionic Power users from outside had killed two important figures who were also Psionic Power users and taken Qin Xun and his sister away.
Although it was possible they had already escaped, they might still be in the district.
Either way, it was better to be careful.
As the old saying went, a careful ship could sail for ten thousand years.
After all, Lin Cheng had most likely already told Qin Xun that he had poisoned Qin Ling.
If those Psionic Power users who had taken Qin Xun away were on good terms with him, and Qin Xun brought them after He Laowu, that would spell trouble.
Although he had bodyguards with guns, even guns might not be enough against Psionic Power users.
It was better to go back and stay put in the noble district.
The security forces in the noble district were more than capable of keeping him safe.
"Xiao Zhang, starting tomorrow, you won't need to be my driver anymore."
The driver's heart clenched. He glanced at He Laowu in the rearview mirror, his words coming out somewhat incoherently. "M-Mr. He, did I do something wrong?"
In the Fallen Zone, working as someone's driver was a highly sought-after job.
Anyone who could afford a car was a noble or a wealthy person.
As a driver for these nobles, even if you couldn't eat meat, you could still have a sip of the soup.
Most importantly, it counted as having some connection to the nobles, however small.
Whenever there were good benefits or policies for the civilian district, people like them who had connections to the nobles were sure to be first in line.
Even their families could speak a little more confidently in front of others because they drove for nobles.
"You've done very well. You've heard about Lin Cheng. Starting tomorrow, you'll take over his position and be my assistant!"
Hearing this, the driver was so excited that he nearly burst into tears.
His mood shot from the bottom of a valley straight up into the sky.
"Mr. He, thank you, thank you! I don't even know how to thank you. From now on, I, Xiao Zhang, will do my utmost to work for you!"
"I remember you have a younger sister. She's nineteen this year, I think. You know what to do, right?"
The driver's head jolted, and he froze.
Once again, he understood that pies didn't fall from the sky for free.
Learning that He Laowu had designs on his sister, he felt a surge of anger rise in his heart.
He desperately wanted to slam on the brakes, drag He Laowu out of the car, and beat him senseless!
But He Laowu's four bodyguards in the car behind them certainly wouldn't stand by and watch.
And if he actually did that, he would lose far more than just his job.
He knew what He Laowu was like. Whenever he took a fancy to a woman, he would find a way to get his hands on her.
So He Laowu's offer to make him an assistant wasn't a transaction!
He was merely giving him a little benefit.
If he agreed to give his sister to He Laowu, he could have the assistant's position.
If he refused, He Laowu would find another way to get his hands on his sister, and he wouldn't get the assistant's position either!
In his heart, he cursed eighteen generations of He Laowu's ancestors.
But on second thought, it seemed he could only hand his sister over?
Just as he was lost in thought, a man suddenly descended from the sky and blocked the road ahead!
In a panic, he hurriedly slammed on the brakes!
He Laowu lurched in the back seat and nearly fell into the front!
"Fuck!"
Seeing a man blocking the middle of the road, He Laowu was furious.
He was about to stick his head out the window and curse him out when he realized something was wrong.
He turned to look behind him.
His four bodyguards in the car behind had just gotten out. Before they could pull the pistols from inside their coats, another man with a bright light flashing on his forehead descended from the sky and knocked them to the ground!
The man was incredibly fast. In almost an instant, he crushed all four bodyguards' throats at once!