Plan Two X Base X Invisible Enemy

Bayer thought the same thing.

But the next moment, his expression changed. His eyes filled with terror and disbelief, as though he had seen a ghost.

The child he had expected to send flying with that punch, coughing blood until he died, had not budged an inch. The skinny boy had merely raised a hand and casually blocked his fist.

"What-?!"

"How is that possible?!"

The people behind Bayer cried out in shock. As they stared in disbelief, the child gave a mocking smile, grabbed the man who was so much bigger than him, and casually twisted and flipped him over.

With a mighty bang, Qi Zhou slammed Bayer into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The contrast was like a kitten flipping over a wild wolf that had swiped at it.

"You fucking-"

Bayer's curse caught in his throat before he could finish it.

Qi Zhou had bent down and crouched beside him, his fingertip pressed against Bayer's neck.

Bayer felt a faint prick at his neck. The pain was nothing, but the fear of imminent death that came with it made his pupils shrink to pinpoints.

Qi Zhou tilted his head, stared at him, and slowly said with a smile, "Huh? What did you say? I didn't hear you."

Though Qi Zhou was smiling, when Bayer met his eyes, there was nothing left in his heart but fear.

Everyone fell silent. The place went deathly quiet.

Wennide's voice drifted over. "It looks like Hall Master Bayer couldn't persuade my subordinate. What a shame."

His voice was full of mockery. "Then I'm sorry, Hall Master Bayer. We're all members of the same gang, so why don't you lend me your men? That would work just as well."

Bayer: "..."

A moment later, having completed the process of "borrowing men," Wennide reorganized the group with their new "companions" and set out for the eastern district. Their destination was the White Eagle Society's base in District Seven.

After passing through the southern district and entering the east, Qi Zhou saw almost no one along the way.

War had spread throughout District Seven. In what should have been a residential area, there were unextinguished fires and collapsed buildings everywhere, along with muddy pits mixed with blood and shattered limbs-but Qi Zhou did not see a single corpse that was even relatively intact.

Occasionally, a figure would peek out in the distance, then silently disappear back into hiding.

The group arrived at a collapsed ruin on a street corner. The White Eagle Society's base was there.

It was called a "base," but it was really just a basement dug into the ground, with its entrance covered by broken bricks, roof tiles, and wooden boards.

Under Qi Zhou's watch, Bayer, his face dark, had his men lift the boards covering the entrance, revealing the way underground.

He motioned for his men to step aside, then stared at Wennide, waiting for his instructions.

Qi Zhou turned his head and glanced into the entrance. Below it was a hidden passage that led into darkness; he could not see what lay at the end.

Wennide stood on the other side and returned Bayer's stare. With a polite smile, he said, "Why don't you lead the way, Hall Master Bayer?"

Bayer: "..."

With Kelirui missing, the outpost had lost the backbone of its defenses. Even though only a short time had passed, there was no telling whether the base was still safe.

Under Wennide's stare, Bayer's face darkened further. He held back his anger and pointed at one of the men he had brought. "You, go down and take a look."

The man went rigid. He opened his mouth to say something, but under Bayer's gaze, the words caught in his throat.

He could only lower his head and carefully make his way into the basement.

Some time after he disappeared from sight, his voice rang out. "Boss, there's nobody down here."

Even after receiving an answer, Wennide remained cautious. He gave Bayer a cold smile and said, "Hall Master Bayer, after you."

Bayer cursed and glared fiercely at Wennide, who met his gaze without backing down.

In the end, Bayer walked toward the entrance, and his two subordinates hurried after him.

After another short wait, Bayer called out, "Come down. There's nothing here. Not even the bodies of our people are left."

Wennide's face was exceedingly grim. He looked at Qi Zhou and explained, "This base was previously in the hands of Hall Master Kelirui's people, but Elder Kelirui hasn't appeared for several days-"

At the mention of Kelirui, Wennide's voice faltered, and a drop of cold sweat slid down his temple.

In that instant, an extremely frightening suspicion occurred to him.

He stared at the child standing before him, smiling all the while, looking innocent and harmless. His heart felt as though it was about to leap out of his chest.

This kid must have been the one who broke Kerien's arm; he had also killed Kerien's men.

Then what about Kelirui, the former hall master, who had likewise disappeared and never returned?

Wennide stared at Qi Zhou, then forced himself to look away, inch by inch.

"Vincent is one of Elder Eros's people. He's been fighting us for this area. If he found out Kelirui hadn't returned, he'd most likely seize the opportunity to move in."

He suppressed his fear and continued, then asked, "...Should we go down too?"

Qi Zhou nodded, unconcerned.

On this trip to the eastern district, Wennide had not brought any of his own subordinates. Instead, he had each minor leader send one person with him. Including Wennide and his three men, they had gathered ten people to investigate the situation at the base first.

Too many people would have drawn fire. The minor leaders under him were divided, and Bayer's men refused to obey him, so it was better to leave them all back home, where they could keep one another in check.

As long as he kept Bayer under control, he would not have to worry about Bayer's men causing trouble. It would also intimidate the minor leaders under him who were still wavering, making them less likely to entertain schemes.

With the "cannon fodder" in front, Qi Zhou and Wennide brought up the rear. After entering the tunnel, Wennide raised his hand, pulled a piece of ragged cloth over, and covered the entrance.

The group walked on, but all of a sudden, Qi Zhou sensed a trace of malice.

"What's-" Wennide, who had been watching Qi Zhou's expression, saw his face darken. Before he could finish his question, Qi Zhou pulled him back around the corner.

The next second, a burst of bullets shrieked through the air and tore into the White Eagle Society members walking in front. Blood splattered everywhere, and even when they died, their faces still bore bewildered expressions.

The gunfire lasted five seconds. The bodies of the people in front were riddled with holes, and their blood pooled and soaked the dirt red.

"Oh, someone's still alive. Looks like one of my kind came this time."

An extremely shrill, chilling voice drifted out of the basement, unbiddenly bringing a venomous snake to mind.

The person who had spoken gave an ugly laugh. "I really didn't expect that, even with Kelirui dead, someone among this bunch of trash would know Nen."

He paused, then said, "Hey, you behind the wall, why don't you come over and meet me?"

Wennide's expression turned exceedingly ugly. He turned to stare at Qi Zhou, watching him anxiously. He feared the child would abandon him and flee, and begged him to take him out alive.

Even he did not realize how ridiculous it was for an adult to place all his hopes on a child.

"No choice. Let's meet him." Qi Zhou frowned slightly and made his decision after a moment's thought.

He could escape, but Wennide would certainly die.

If Wennide died now, both his own plan and A-Wu's would run into serious trouble.

Hearing Qi Zhou's words, Wennide's expression eased, and his eyes filled with flattery and eagerness to please.

Qi Zhou looked away, walked around the corner into the basement, and stood in the center.

As he walked, the moment he passed the corner, his expression suddenly turned grave.

The vast basement was completely empty.