Chapter 300: The Hour of the Dragon (3)

Chapter 300: Chen Shi (III)

Kinjo City, the largest coastal city in the northern part of the Japanese civilian area, served as one of the landing points for the Imperial Expeditionary Forces during the 'Longwu Expedition' period.

As Binguan pointed out, almost the entire city had been razed to the ground.

After the establishment of the Japanese civilian area, San Chuan Heavy Industries took full charge of the reconstruction, employing traditional architectural styles to restore the city, preserving numerous ridgelines, stone-paved streets, and forest courtyards.

Thus, in this city, San Chuan Heavy Industries' influence rivals even that of the local Xuan'ai Si Ya Men and Jinyiwei Husu.

Si Shi time, the morning light was already bright.

In a Ming-style breakfast shop on the eastern tea house street, the sleepless Li Jun and his three companions were feasting heartily.

The table was piled high with food, three identical black rain umbrellas leaning casually against the edge.

"Ah."

Fan Wujiu swallowed the last bite, suddenly sighed, and slumped back in his chair, listless and limp.

"Old Ghost is eating prison food at the Senkoku office, while we're having breakfast here. Thinking about that, my appetite's gone."

"Ma Ye, did my eyes short-circuit? I really didn't see where you're lacking in appetite."

Ma Wangye glanced at the thick stack of bowls and dishes in front of Fan Wujiu, couldn't help but mock, then picked up the canned oil on the table and poured some into his palm.

"You, a military officer with barely any stomach function left, eating so much—this isn't just wasting food?"

"What do you know? As the saying goes, 'A man is iron, food is steel; skip a meal and you'll starve.' Without food, how can a military officer fuel his body?" Fan Wujiu retorted irritably.

"These days, native food is as expensive as oil. Eating so much, the energy you burn wouldn't even light a fart. Why not follow Ma Ye's example and oil yourself up? Be frugal and thrifty at home."

With his back to the shop owner, Ma Wangye unbuttoned his robe's collar, evenly spreading the machine oil from his palm onto his armor.

"A good man doesn't join the Jinyiwei unless he's fed and housed."

Fan Wujiu sneered, "Brother Jun said our Husu isn't short on money, Old Ma, why the rush to be frugal?"

"Luxury is easy to fall into, but frugality is hard to return to. You're a spendthrift through and through!"

Ma Wangye gave a cold snort, too lazy to argue further, and carefully tended to his armor plates.

Watching this scene, Fan Wujiu seemed to suddenly remember something, shivering involuntarily.

"Old Ma, do you guys usually eat this stuff? When you were out with me in the mixed halls, the stuff you produced wasn't all black and greasy too? Damn, no wonder I've been with you, those Madam Sang all demanded an extra half-price—turns out the reason was here!"

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!"

Li Jun and Xie Bi'an, who were buried in the mountain of bowls and dishes, simultaneously looked up, shouting in unison.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Fan Wujiu raised his hands, feigning innocence.

"Heeheehee."

Ma Wangye, who was applying oil, paused, his helmet's red eyes emitting a sinister laugh, "Fan Wujiu, if you really want to know, find a place next time and we'll spar alone—I'll satisfy your curiosity!"

"Old Ma, you shut up too."

Li Jun put down his chopsticks, his face grim, his appetite completely gone.

With these two clowns around, even a meal isn't peaceful.

He checked his wrist sundial; the time was already past the middle of Si Shi. Turning to Xie Bi'an, he asked, "Xiao Bai, the person you're looking for hasn't arrived yet?"

"He should be here soon."

As Xie Bi'an spoke, a noisy footstep sounded outside the shop door.

"Welcome."

The breakfast shop owner, nodding and yawning, looked at the group of fierce-looking men entering with such imposing steps, his heart trembling. Even the final tone of the last character 'lin' quivered and stretched.

When did the violent organizations in the Japanese civilian area change their rules, choosing the early morning at a breakfast shop for negotiations?

It wasn't strange for him to have such thoughts; these men didn't look like good people.

The Japanese civilian area never lacked those who used violence.

If this place is seen as a forest of survival of the fittest, then the millions of ordinary civilians are the grains of soil nurturing this forest.

The four major sequence enterprises that grew at an incredible speed after the war are like towering trees rooted deep into the earth, intertwined and unshakeable.

Various large and small, countless violent organizations are like hyenas living in the shade of the trees, enjoying the tree's protection while serving as its tentacles.

As for the Xuan'ai Si Ya Men stationed in each city of the Japanese civilian area, they can be seen as peddlers trading mountain goods.

And the Jinyiwei, they are the ax-wielding loggers with tiger-like eyes!

So for a small shop like this, what they fear most isn't the towering canopy, but those bloodthirsty hyenas.

The shop owner wiped away the unconscious grimace on his face, quickly approaching the leader of the group, bowing and nearly touching his knees with his forehead.

"This big boss, our shop is under the Blood Dragon Group's care, and the fees are paid on time. I don't know..."

The man didn't even deign to glance at him, let alone spare a glance. His eyes had been fixed on Li Jun and the others since he entered.

The man shoved aside the shop owner blocking his way and walked straight over.

"Close the door properly and find a place to stay. If you dare to eavesdrop or peek, even the Blood Dragon Group can't protect you!"

The man behind him coldly said to the shop owner.

"Understood, understood."

The shop owner, who had fallen to the ground, nodded frantically, using hands and feet to scramble to the door, 'thud' as he slammed it shut.

At the same time, he locked himself out.

The morning light of Si Shi was blocked, making the interior slightly dim.

"Can we find a place to talk alone?"

The man stood beside Xie Bi'an, glanced at the three black umbrellas leaning against the table, and spoke expressionlessly.

Xie Bi'an had no intention of standing up, only calmly said, "Let's talk here, we're all our own people, no need to be evasive."

After pondering for a moment, the man slowly nodded, raised his hand and hooked his fingers.

His subordinate immediately brought a chair and placed it between Li Jun and Xie Bi'an.

At the same time, the other strongmen who came with him scattered and formed a surrounding formation, their eyes fierce as they stared at their targets.

The already cramped dining table became crowded in an instant.

The man raised his eyes to survey the circle around the table, his cold gaze skipped Li Jun, lingering for a moment on Ma Wangye who was leisurely oiling himself, and finally settled on Fan Wujiu's half-smiling face, his pupils noticeably contracting.

"The two heads of the Jinyiwei Husu in Quanshan City both appeared in our Kinjo City without any prior notice. Is your Husu being a bit unruly in its conduct?"

Fan Wujiu, lounging with his legs crossed, lazily said, "Mountain Demon, we notified you as soon as we entered the city, how can that be unruly?"

"So in your Quanshan City Husu's understanding, this is considered proper? Then why don't I try the same in your jurisdiction next time?" The man, using the alias 'Mountain Demon', replied coldly.

Fan Wujiu 'ha'd and smiled, "Go ahead, best to park your car directly in our western suburban Husu office building. I'll make sure you and your men are treated to the utmost comfort!"

Shan Xia's face showed a flicker of anger, "Fan Wujiu, don't be too arrogant! We're all in the same line of work, don't think I'm afraid of you! I advise you to leave immediately, or don't blame us for not giving your brother's office face!"

Suddenly, the square table around them echoed with the clang of mechanical deformation.

Black umbrellas transformed into blades, their cold gleam flashing, their killing intent oppressive!

"Let me think... In the past, during the annual meeting at Qianhusuo, I don't think I ever dealt with you. After all, you intelligence officers are the precious sore spots in the eyes of the Baihu leaders."

Fan Wujiu's smile slowly faded, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the other, "Why don't you send a message to your Kuai Niu, the deputy chief of Jinzheng Office, and ask that big fool if he dares to have any objections to my temper?"

"This is Jinzheng City, not your..."

"Don't spout those old, toothless threats. Even if this is Qianhusuo, I'll still say the same thing."

Fan Wujiu cut off the other's words with a sneer, "You should find out—when the old ghost chased after Deputy Qianhu Lu Chengjiang with a knife last year, who was behind him passing the blade? If you want to chase someone, do you even have the skill?"

A scholar meets a soldier, and even if he has a reason, he can't explain it clearly.

Though Shan Xia himself wasn't a Confucian, facing someone like Fan Wujiu, a notorious meat roller from the Jinyiwei in the Wo Min area, he could only tremble with rage.

After taking several deep breaths, he barely suppressed his anger and turned to Xie Bi'an.

"Xie Bi'an, did you call me here to witness your Chenshan Office's arrogance?"

"Shan Xia, don't rush to anger. Fan Wujiu is just that kind of bastard, don't take him seriously."

Xie Bi'an smoothly took over the role of 'Hong Lian,' speaking gently to soothe him.

"We came to Jinzheng City for an urgent matter, needing to find someone. Unfortunately, we're not familiar with the place, so we have to ask you, the local snake, for help."

"What kind of person? Someone who would warrant such a grand operation?"

Shan Xia looked puzzled; he didn't know what had happened in Chenshan City.

This was because the Jinyiwei offices in the nine cities of the Wo Min area each had their own jurisdictions, operating independently. Unless a cross-city joint action was necessary, they wouldn't easily pry into the affairs of brother offices.

More crucially, the Qianhusuo in Jiang'ercheng had deliberately blocked news of the incident beforehand to prevent escalation.

Thus, other offices still didn't know what had happened in Chenshan City in the past few hours.

"Just a minor character."

"A minor character? Xie Bi'an, are you treating me like a fool?"

Shan Xia snorted, seizing the chance to mock Fan Wujiu.

"Hey, damn it!"

Fan Wujiu bared his teeth, rolling up his sleeves to curse, but was glared at by Xie Bi'an, and had to reluctantly sit back down.

"It's really just a minor character. The other side made us lose some face in Chenshan, so the old ghost is furious and we must bring the person back quickly."

Xie Bi'an patiently persuaded, "What I say is the truth."

"Don't fool me."

Shan Xia still shook his head with a cold face, "We're all in the same line of work, though my reputation isn't as renowned as yours, Xie Bi'an, I'm not here to eat for free. Someone who could make your Chenshan Office lose face must be a big fish!"

Shan Xia glanced around the table again, "You only brought a few people and chose to sneak in quietly. It's not just because too many would expose your movements, but also because you feared our Jinzheng Office would compete for credit."

"But upon arriving in Jinzheng City, we found the previous intelligence couldn't track the fish's trail, so we had no choice but to ask for my help."

Shan Xia tapped the table with his fingers, producing a rhythmic thud.

"Xie Bi'an, should I be happy that you trust my abilities, or angry that you look down on my temper?"

These words caused both Fan Wujiu and Xie Bi'an's expressions to change.

The other's few words had already guessed the reason Xie Bi'an had summoned him, and it seemed they wouldn't easily offer help.

Xie Bi'an's face darkened as he said, "Shan Xia, half a year ago, when you were ordered to chase a group of bandits who had raided the city, it was my intelligence that helped you catch them. You owe me a favor, don't you forget?"

"Of course I remember."

Shan Xia grinned, mimicking Fan Wujiu's posture, and nonchalantly crossed his legs.

"However, a debt is a debt. If you're here to catch bandits, I'd send people to search the entire city without hesitation. But unfortunately, it's clear you're not here for that!"

"So you're not going to repay this favor?"

"Repay it, of course. But you can't let me suffer a loss, can you?"

Shan Xia said cheerfully, "How about this: you share the intelligence with me, and I'll send people to catch them. As for you, return to Chenshan and wait for my news. That way, I won't work in vain, you can complete your task, and we each get what we need. How about it?"

Xie Bi'an frowned, staring at him blankly.

"I told you this kid is unreliable."

Fan Wujiu cursed indignantly, "It's not me saying it, Xiao Bai. In recent years, your network quality has seriously declined. How could you even associate with such a white-eyed wolf?"

Ma Wangye, who had been meticulously grooming himself, finally spoke, "People's hearts aren't what they used to be, the world is harsh."

Li Jun, who had remained silent, at some point picked up a chopstick from the table, twirling it between his fingers.

Click.

Xie Bi'an bit his lip and slammed a document copied from the Husai Group's Chenshan branch on the table, coldly saying, "Shan Xia, do you know what this is?!"

"I knew with your methods, you wouldn't just have a 'favor card' in your hand."

Shan Xia's smile didn't change; he tilted his chin, "It's probably some blackmail on me, right? Go ahead, you can hand it over to our Baihu leaders, or even the Qianhusuo. But you should think carefully."

"Even if I end up being punished by the Qianhusuo, going through the whole process would take at least half a month. By then, the big fish in your hands might have swum away."

Shan Xia put down his leg, leaning forward, pressing his hand on the other end of the document, squinting, "But if you give this to me and promise not to keep a copy, I can consider giving you some extra martial arts points later."

"I'll give you my father!"

"Shut your stinking mouth," Shan Xia turned to glare at Fan Wujiu, "If you don't want your business to fail, you'd better behave like a dog with its tail between its legs!"

As the words fell, Shan Xia's peripheral vision suddenly caught a flash of lightning-like illusion!

Before he could see what it was, a searing pain shot through his palm on the table.

"Ah!"

Shan Xia let out a piercing scream; an unassuming wooden chopstick was embedded in his palm, its other end piercing through the table!

"Chief!"

The Jinzheng Jinyiwei around them turned pale, raising their embroidered spring knives.

"All of you stand still! Whoever dares to move, I'll slaughter him first!"

Fan Wujiu stood up, grabbing the Jinyiwei behind him like lambs, his right hand fingers spread, their tips flashing with a chilling black glow like gun barrels.

"Kids, don't be impulsive. All of you disconnect from the Yellow Li Dream Link obediently. Whoever dares to spread the word, I'll change his head!"

Ma Wangye lifted his black robe, pulling out an exaggerated sniper rifle from behind, pressing it against a Jinyiwei's brow.

The freshly oiled ink armor gleamed, reflecting the faces of sheer horror.

"Dare to touch me here, and you'll never solve this case in Chenshan!"

Shan Xia snarled viciously, his red eyes fixed fiercely on this man he had never once looked at properly.

In his fury, this deputy chief of the Jinzheng Jinyiwei had forgotten one thing—he was a proper Confucian scholar, how could he be pierced through the palm by a simple chopstick?

"Truly, one doesn't shed tears until they see the coffin."

Li Jun reached out and grasped Shan Xiao’s hair, the dull thud of his skull meeting the remnants of a meal echoing through the silence.

He spread his right hand open, and Fan Wujiu swiftly slipped a black umbrella into his palm.

The umbrella’s surface folded inward, and the embroidered spring dagger sprang forth like a serpent uncoiling.

Only when the icy blade pressed against his throat did Shan Xiao remember what he had long buried, the savagery on his face dissolving into nothingness as his rigid frame crumpled into submission.

“Don’t act rashly, don’t—”

Though he knew not the man’s name, Shan Xiao now grasped one truth: the stranger’s power dwarfed his own.

“Xiao Bai, when you can strike, spare the idle words. Forgotten we’re pressed for time?”

Li Jun leaned close to Xie Bi’an, voice a whisper: “Send our intel to him. If we fail to locate Gong Qinghong within half an hour, I’ll carve him apart, limb by limb.”

“Still splitting credit?”

Li Jun’s gaze dipped, the blade’s edge grazing Shan Xiao’s cheek.

“No more.”

His smile softened, honeyed: “Right, this is what brothers ought to do. Shall we begin? No objections?”

“There’s… a minor snag.”

Shan Xiao twisted his face into an expression uglier than tears: “Big brother, half an hour’s too brief. Might we stretch it to a full hour?”