Standing beside this important figure felt a little different to Li Xingkong.
When had he ever seen someone of this stature before? He had only seen them on television or in newspapers, never had such close contact with one.
Based on Li Xingkong's preconceived impression of such people, he had thought someone so important ought to be different from an ordinary citizen like himself. At the very least, he should have some kind of kingly aura that inspired fear, or a presence that commanded respect.
But Li Xingkong felt none of it. He looked the man over several times, inside and out, and this important figure seemed like nothing more than an ordinary person to him.
There was no kingly aura, no pressure bearing down on him.
Maybe this was what people meant when they said newborn calves feared no tigers. Perhaps, in other people's eyes, the numerous security guards, the many highly respected figures gathered around him like stars around the moon, and the countless people rushing about to attend to him all combined to create an intangible air of nobility.
But to Li Xingkong, that intangible air was nothing special.
You had lots of people because you paid their wages. People helped you get things done because you paid them. People feared you because your actions could affect them.
In Li Xingkong's view, an important figure had such status only because he had paid the corresponding price. In his mind, that was how the real world worked: you paid a price, and in return you gained status.
Li Xingkong had chosen to come make trouble for him for no other reason than that, as Li Xingkong saw it, his subordinates had done something bad. Whatever the reason, he had failed to keep them in line.
Whether he had ordered it or it had happened without his knowledge, he was the one in charge, so he had to take responsibility. He had to pay the price for it.
Luke Morgan did not even glance at Li Xingkong, because in his eyes, Li Xingkong was just a nobody, a tool he could manipulate however he pleased.
He stepped onto the podium, and the hubbub below immediately died down. Nobody dared make a sound at a time like this; after all, they all had to live in Freedom City.
"My dear citizens, I'm delighted that you could come here today to hear my speech."
Luke Morgan began speaking. Judging by the look of things, he had made careful preparations in private.
"As a member of Freedom City, I grieve for our city. Look at it-what has it become? Gangs run rampant, trouble breaks out constantly, and even my trip here today was affected. My driver's son was caught up in an incident of school violence!"
"This is proof enough that Freedom City's current administration has been grossly negligent. I believe it's time for me to lend further support to the administration of Freedom City."
"In the past, I contributed substantial funds to build Freedom City's self-defense force and support the operation of the relevant departments. This is plain for all to see."
"At first, these measures worked quite well, and Freedom City's crime rate fell for a time. But in recent years, even the thugs shooting it out in the streets have been carrying firepower I provided. What does that tell us?"
"When a tree is diseased, the best treatment is to chop off the diseased part. But Freedom City is so badly diseased that we may even need to pull it up by the roots and replace it with another tree."
"However, our council has also done a great deal over the past few years. At the very least, under its direction, no major upheavals have occurred in Freedom City."
"So from now on, I will personally take part in council affairs and work to straighten out the current chaos in Freedom City. Let's make Freedom City great again!"
After listening to it all, Li Xingkong felt that it was mostly nonsense. If politicians had to die for failing to deliver the benefits they promised after taking office, it would probably become the profession with the highest death rate in the world.
After some more nonsense, Luke Morgan finally finished his speech. At this point, they officially moved on to the next stage and began preparing for questions from reporters.
But Li Xingkong did not want to wait any longer. After spending all this time here, he felt he would have been better off going back to cultivate. This was a complete waste of time.
"Mr. Luke Morgan, may I interrupt you for a moment?"
Before the reporters could speak, Li Xingkong spoke up first.
This was an unexpected development. No one present had seen it coming, and the reporters who had been eager to rush forward with questions stopped, wanting to hear what the man holding the umbrella had to say.
"Of course. Freedom City is a democracy governed by law. Everyone has the right to speak."
Luke Morgan waved his hand, signaling the security guards who were about to rush over to hold off.
"Do you think that if someone's subordinate or employee makes a mistake, the boss bears any responsibility?"
Li Xingkong asked.
"Of course. If it's a mistake made at work, then their superior is naturally responsible. But their private lives are outside that scope."
"Second question: do you think it's right that a mistake should be punished?" Li Xingkong had already closed the umbrella in his hand.
"Of course. That's what our laws strive for!"
Luke Morgan found it strange. Why would this man suddenly ask questions like these?
After all, it was hard for him to imagine that someone would come after him for revenge because they had been caught in a honey trap.
They were in Freedom City. Could anyone here not know how much power he wielded? Not know how strong he was?
"I think that makes a lot of sense too. You're a reasonable man."
Hearing Luke Morgan's answer, Li Xingkong nodded. Then, with a speed too fast for thunder to reach one's ears, he punched Luke Morgan in the shoulder.
That single punch visibly deformed Luke Morgan's entire arm. It hung limp, devoid of feeling.
If it could not be treated in time, the arm might well be ruined then and there.
The entire venue fell silent, as though everyone had swallowed silence itself.
There was a trace of shock and disbelief in everyone's eyes.
How did he dare?
Even the security personnel maintaining order nearby were a little stunned. They had seen people fire a shot from eight hundred meters away, but never someone who got right up in the man's face and punched him.
They did not know what to make of the situation either.
After several seconds of silence, the entire venue erupted as though a bomb had gone off. All kinds of noise burst out, and the reporters' cameras below the stage began flashing like a barrage of flashbangs.
Everyone else was stunned, but Li Xingkong was not. Immediately after throwing the punch, he charged into the crowd below the stage.
Luke had failed to keep his subordinates in line. Whether or not he had deliberately allowed them to do those things, he deserved that punch.
But it was obviously impossible to stand there like an idiot and expect Luke not to have him arrested. It was time to slip away.
"Security! Catch him..."
Someone shouted, and the surrounding security guards hurried to cordon off the venue, ready to move in and find the audacious young man.
"Quiet, please! Quiet!"
Seeing that even greater chaos was about to break out at the venue, Luke Morgan spoke up.
In the current situation, keeping the venue under control was the most important thing for him.
As for Li Xingkong, if he caught him, how was he supposed to take care of him? He had to let him out so he could take better care of him.
"That citizen just now may have a grievance against me, but I believe he must have been misled. Freedom City is a society governed by law. We naturally do not condone vigilante justice or unlawful detention. I will refer this matter to the police for further investigation."
Li Xingkong's punch had already drawn most people's attention to him. Although he had rushed into the crowd, he was still easy to spot. But while Luke Morgan spoke, he darted around among the people several times at tremendous speed, shedding his disguise and adjusting his bones and physique as he moved.
In just a few seconds, he had changed his appearance in the crowd. Unless someone had kept their eyes on him the whole time, it would be difficult to connect him with the umbrella-carrying young man who had just been onstage.
Of course, Luke Morgan's intention to go easy on him and settle the score after he escaped had also given Li Xingkong an opening.
In any case, Li Xingkong was safe for the moment, hidden in the crowd below the stage.
Fortunately, the speech was being held in public. If it had been in an enclosed place like a conference room, getting out would have posed quite a few problems.
"Say, do you brute-force players never think about how you're going to get away?"
Standing below the stage, Li Xingkong was still watching his surroundings, ready to run at any moment, when the system suddenly spoke.
"Huh? I need to think about that too?"
Li Xingkong scratched his head.
"Do you think this is a game? You just charge in and auto-attack, and that's it?"
The system was somewhat at a loss for words. Li Xingkong had acted on whatever came to mind, without considering the situation from the bigger picture at all.
"It's fine. When the cart reaches the mountain, a road will appear."
Li Xingkong was full of confidence about his escape. With his current abilities, slipping out of this venue would be a piece of cake.
The system was completely speechless. After pulling something this big, did he think slipping out of the venue would solve everything?
This was not a game where you could kill someone, turn a couple of corners, and be in the clear.
After what he had done, who knew how much trouble it would be for him to slip back to the Divine Land from the Prisoner Continent?
Apparently, this guy had no idea how much harder he had made his own journey home.
"Damn!" The system was utterly speechless.
But then it remembered that it had taught him itself, and indeed had not taught him much about dealing with people or the ways of society.
"Understandable, understandable."
It was furious. It would give him extra lessons later.