Raccoon Cat's men took the two of them to a room. Ma Jie looked apprehensive. "What do you need me to do?"
"Relax, it's nothing bad. That guy's a mechanic, and he knows gun blueprints. The boss has wanted to make a move on him for a while, but he didn't know his background, so he didn't act rashly. We just brought you here to find out more."
Ma Jie's mind immediately began racing with excitement. Meeting Boss Raccoon Cat was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He might even rise to success and escape his fate of having no one to rely on. He glanced at his yellow-haired cousin, who now wore a dazed, envious expression.
There was no need to hesitate over selling Han Xiao out. They weren't related or close, so why should I care if he dies?
After half an hour of restless waiting, Raccoon Cat finally came in. Yellow Hair and Ma Jie hurriedly greeted him, but Ma Jie moved so hastily that he accidentally knocked over his chair.
"Do you know where Technician Han came from?"
Raccoon Cat's expressionless face made Ma Jie even more nervous. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he stammered:
"His name is Han Xiao. He's a wanderer who sneaked across the border with me. It's his first time in West Capital, and he doesn't have any family or friends here."
A glint flashed in Raccoon Cat's eyes. "That's all?"
Ma Jie thought Raccoon Cat was dissatisfied and racked his brains. "Oh, right! When he entered West Capital, he didn't have anything with him. His clothes were in tatters, and he looked penniless."
"Very good."
Raccoon Cat turned to leave.
Ma Jie knew how to read the room. He said respectfully, "As long as you're satisfied, Boss."
Raccoon Cat paused and gave him a faint smile. "You're not bad. Stick with me from now on."
Ma Jie's eyes widened, and he was beside himself with joy.
I've made it!
Once Raccoon Cat had left, Yellow Hair hurried over, an ingratiating look on his face. "Ma Jie, I'll be counting on you to look after me from now on."
Now it was Ma Jie's turn to feel confident. He shot Yellow Hair a sideways glance and put on airs. "What did you just call me?"
"C-cousin."
Yellow Hair and Ma Jie's roles had reversed in an instant, and they both acted as if it were perfectly natural, without the slightest shame.
Ma Jie's vanity was satisfied. He patted Yellow Hair on the shoulder, beaming, then thought for a moment and asked one of Raccoon Cat's men nearby, "Brother, if you don't mind me asking, what's the boss going to do with Han Xiao?"
"Isn't it obvious? He'll have him captured and tortured until he writes down the gun blueprints. Once we have the blueprints, we can train our own gunsmiths. Then we'll kill him to keep him quiet."
"That's good." Ma Jie was reassured.
Less than three minutes later, Raccoon Cat returned to the table. He glanced at the untouched dishes and said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Han Xiao, right?"
"So you found out my name."
Han Xiao sensed trouble brewing, but he kept his face impassive. He quietly slipped his hand into his backpack and felt his way into the Light Power Arm's slot. It tightened with a click, ready to activate at any moment. Only then did he feel a little more at ease. Although he had come to the Kelo Junk Shop to set Raccoon Cat up, he was used to putting caution first, and he had learned that lesson the hard way. When Han Xiao first started playing Galaxy, he had been a greenhorn who treated NPCs like the rigid programs in other games and did whatever he pleased. After being caught out more than a dozen times, even a sow would know to be careful.
How exactly had he been caught out? Han Xiao could tolerate players camping his respawn point and hunting him down, but being camped by NPCs for three days...
Stop right there. Anyone who talks about my embarrassing past gets dragged out and flicked in the little pee-pee!
Raccoon Cat tapped his fingers on the table, neither too hard nor too softly. "Heh, I've been wondering where you came from. I never expected you to be just a wanderer who arrived in West Capital not long ago. I have to admit, you're cautious. It took me until today to find out your background."
"So?"
Raccoon Cat's face turned cold, his attitude changing in an instant. "Be sensible and hand over all the detailed techniques for making guns."
Having learned that Han Xiao had no one to rely on and stood alone, Raccoon Cat had finally decided to act. He tore off his mask of false friendliness, revealing the fangs hidden beneath his smile, and cast Han Xiao aside once he had served his purpose.
"Does our relationship mean nothing to you?"
"What relationship? Ours was nothing more than a transaction."
"Aren't you afraid I'll suddenly attack and kill you?"
Han Xiao grinned.
Raccoon Cat wore a mocking expression as he snapped his fingers. The four men beside him drew their pistols and pointed them at Han Xiao.
"Did you think I wouldn't make any preparations? How ironic. All these guns pointed at you were made by you."
There were six gunmen in total. Raccoon Cat and four of his men were across the table, while two guarded the door behind Han Xiao. In the cramped room, Han Xiao had limited space to dodge.
Han Xiao held his ground and said slowly, "Even if I hand over the techniques, you'll still kill me to keep me quiet."
Raccoon Cat sneered. That was exactly what he had in mind. Something was only valuable if few people possessed it, and he understood the importance of cutting weeds down to the roots.
"I hope you'll cooperate. At least that way, you can spare yourself some pain."
"What if I don't?"
"Some of my men are very good at interrogations. You'll talk sooner or later."
The lazy expression suddenly vanished from Han Xiao's face, and his piercing gaze made Raccoon Cat's heart tremble.
"You think I have no way out?"
Raccoon Cat noticed that Han Xiao's left hand was still inside his backpack. He shook his head. "Maybe there's something in your bag you're counting on, but the moment you make a move, my men will shoot."
"What if I told you the bag was full of high explosives?"
The backpack was only open a crack, and no one could see what was inside.
Raccoon Cat scoffed. He didn't believe that bullshit for a second. Ma Jie's appearance had been pure chance, so Han Xiao couldn't possibly have prepared in advance. Who was he trying to fool?
Han Xiao said unhurriedly, "I don't know who told you about my background, but clearly, that person doesn't know much about me. Why don't you try opening your computer, going on the Dark Net, and looking for the latest bounty?"
Raccoon Cat frowned. Han Xiao's confident manner made him uneasy.
He had some influence in West Capital, but in the underground world as a whole, he was just a minor local bully. His horizons were limited, and he wasn't qualified to get involved in Dark Net affairs, so he rarely paid attention to it and knew nothing about Germinal's bounty.
Raccoon Cat thought this was a trick by Han Xiao to buy time. Besides, he was a boss. Wouldn't he lose face if he did whatever someone else told him to?
Han Xiao said calmly, "You don't believe me, so do you want to take that gamble? Life is always full of surprises. Explosives can do the most damage in a confined space like this. First comes the blast, sending shrapnel flying with the shock wave into every corner, with more force than a bullet. Then come the searing flames, setting the house on fire. Everyone here will catch fire, but don't worry, you won't burn to death, because you'll already have been dismembered by the shrapnel from the initial blast..."
The men behind Raccoon Cat couldn't help taking a step back. Han Xiao sounded so convincing that he had scared them.
Raccoon Cat shouted, "Enough! I'm not interested in joking around with you. Get up and behave yourself, or I'll have my men shoot."
Han Xiao shrugged and sighed. "Can't we talk this over? I'll hand over the blue-"
Just then, the sun's last ray sank below the horizon, and night took possession of the sky.
Halfway through his sentence, Han Xiao suddenly sprang into action without warning! His left hand clenched into a fist, and the mechanical arm was like a beast waking from slumber. The backpack tore apart, scattering scraps of cloth through the air. He flipped the dining table in front of him, sending pots, bowls, utensils, soup, and dishes crashing down on Raccoon Cat and the four thugs.
Talk it over? No way. Did you actually believe that?
Four in front and two behind. Han Xiao made his decision. He flipped the table to block the fire from the front, raising it as a temporary shield. Then he turned and charged toward the door, the mechanical arm held in front of him. His momentum was ferocious, his posture like that of a charging cavalryman.
With a clatter and a crash, the table knocked the four thugs over.
A plate struck Raccoon Cat's forehead, drawing blood. Clutching the wound, he roared, "Fire!"
At that moment, only the two thugs at the door could shoot.
Gunfire erupted!