The night was deep, and dim, yellow streetlights struggled to illuminate the corners of the block.
A few minutes later, Lu Chao was squatting at the base of a utility pole, a black Colt pistol now in his hand.
The unconscious man before him had a fractured jaw, swollen and misshapen. His baseball cap and mask had been removed.
Yellow hair, a familiar face, and a piece of gauze wrapped around his forehead.
It was none other than the yellow-haired youth who had caused trouble at the Dreamfire Bar the other day, the one he had knocked out and thrown out.
'It's actually him.'
Frowning slightly, a trace of confusion flashed through Lu Chao's mind.
The man had clearly come for revenge for what happened that day. It was something Lu Chao hadn't expected; in fact, it seemed a little absurd.
Then, he shook his head.
Lu Chao shifted his gaze, looking down the dark street ahead.
The dim yellow streetlights on either side barely illuminated parts of the area, while the deeper sections were pitch-black and hard to see.
He found himself subconsciously recalling the two masked men he had seen at the factory street intersection that day.
That cold gaze, like they were sizing up prey, and that inexplicably oppressive aura they gave off... even though they had only made eye contact from a distance, it was hard to forget.
Because of this, when he had first sensed the danger, he had assumed it was those two, which was why he had been extra vigilant.
'Looks like it wasn't them.'
With a flash in his eyes, Lu Chao was well aware of the gap between the yellow-haired youth and those two men.
An aura like that couldn't be faked.
'Still...'
Pulling his thoughts back, Lu Chao looked at the Colt pistol in his hand.
'It's not all bad, I guess.'
'If I hadn't been on guard because of them and gone all out, I probably would've taken a couple of bullets.'
He was somewhat glad for his earlier decisiveness. If not for that, the person lying on the ground right now might very well be him.
At that thought, Lu Chao looked again at the unconscious yellow-haired youth.
'What should I do with this guy?'
...
VMMMM!!
About ten minutes later, after Lu Chao finished a phone call.
Two thick beams of light shone from the far end of the street, quite dazzling, as the deep, powerful roar of an engine rapidly approached.
'They're here.'
With a flicker of anticipation, Lu Chao stood his ground, waiting with a look of relief and expectation.
A moment later, a black [Sharp Light] sedan drove into the street, coming to a halt beside him with a clean fishtail.
When the window rolled down, a familiar face was revealed in the driver's seat.
"Brother Qiang."
"You've got some nerve, kid, calling Brother Hao this late."
Zhou Qiang got out of the car, the closing door making a soft THUD.
"Sorry, Brother Qiang."
Lu Chao gave a helpless smile. This was the result of his deliberations.
Murder was a serious crime in the Alliance Country. He couldn't dirty his own hands and create a ton of trouble for himself just because of the yellow-haired youth's revenge.
Besides, the guy was retaliating because of the incident at the bar, which meant, to a certain extent, this could be considered a 'work-related injury.'
After racking his brain, he couldn't figure out how to deal with the future trouble, so his only option was to find Brother Hao.
"What are you looking at? Brother Hao is still busy. Of course I'm the one who came to handle it."
Zhou Qiang said irritably, noticing Lu Chao glance at the back seat.
He then looked Lu Chao up and down. After confirming he wasn't hurt, his expression softened, and he nodded slightly, sighing in relief.
"Good thing you're not hurt."
"As for this son of a bitch..."
Zhou Qiang tilted his head to look at the ground, at the yellow-haired youth lying there.
His brow furrowed slightly. He had already gotten the full story on the way over.
Then, without wasting any words, he strode closer and kicked at the yellow-haired youth on the ground.
"Still playing dead, are you!"
"AHH!!"
A scream like a pig being slaughtered rang out as the yellow-haired youth's eyes flew open.
His body trembled and twitched with fear. His eyes were wide, his fractured jaw misshapen, his face a mask of pain and terror as he let out muffled whimpers.
"Don't, don't kill me!"
"I was wrong, I was wrong, I was really wrong!!"
He hurriedly begged for mercy, but Zhou Qiang just kicked him down again.
Then he squatted down, grabbed his messy yellow hair, and with a fierce look on his face, demanded to know where the pistol came from.
From the sounds of the questioning, Lu Chao quickly learned the whole story.
Just as he had guessed, the yellow-haired punk was still furious about what had happened before, so he went to the black market and bought a pistol.
The Alliance Country's gun control wasn't particularly strict; their sale was permitted on the market.
Furthermore, as long as one obtained a gun license or had a special status like a patrol officer, they could legally carry a firearm.
"Xiaolu, do you trust me?"
After finishing his questions, Zhou Qiang finally let go of the youth and took the Colt pistol.
When he looked over, his tone was solemn and his face held a hint of menace. Lu Chao's heart skipped a beat as an ominous guess formed in his mind.
"Brother Qiang, you're not going to..."
"What are you thinking?"
Seeing right away that Lu Chao had the wrong idea, Zhou Qiang almost laughed in exasperation and immediately cut him off. "How many times has Brother Hao told us? Don't always resort to fighting and killing. You have to learn to use your head."
"Killing is against the law and it's an easy way to get our hands dirty. For something like this, of course we report it to the Patrol Department."
As he spoke, he gestured with the Colt pistol in his hand, explaining with surprising clarity, "Unlicensed possession of a firearm with intent to harm. That's a serious crime in the Alliance Country, too."
"Once this son of a bitch is inside, the society will pull a few strings, and he won't be getting out for at least ten years..."
He said this without any reservation right in front of the yellow-haired youth, causing the man to tremble in terror.
Lu Chao sighed in relief at his words. He really didn't want this to end in someone's death.
'Handing him over to the Patrol Department isn't a bad idea. Then I won't have to worry about him coming for revenge.'
Seeing that he agreed, Zhou Qiang smiled and gently patted his shoulder.
And just like that, the matter was settled. Lu Chao didn't get involved any further.
He just waited there with Zhou Qiang, watching as a patrol car slowly drove up.
The alternating red and blue lights on its roof flashed continuously. The commotion woke up quite a few people on Factory Street, interrupting their sweet dreams.
Some turned on their lights and opened their windows, poking their heads out curiously, while others came downstairs to gawk and ask what was going on.
"Are you okay?"
Zhao Yuanqing, dressed in a tank top and shorts, had rushed downstairs the moment he learned what was happening.
Now he was hovering around Lu Chao, looking him up and down with concern in his eyes, helping him check for injuries.
"I'm fine."
Shaking his head gently, Lu Chao felt a warmth spread through him at his friend's appearance.
After patiently accepting his friend's concern, he turned his gaze across the street.
Three patrol officers emerged from the parked patrol car—two men and a woman.
Zhou Qiang went to talk with one of them, while the culprit, the yellow-haired youth, was handcuffed and squatted to the side with a bruised and swollen face, undergoing a preliminary interrogation.
'It's her?'
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Lu Chao realized the female patrol officer interrogating the youth looked familiar. It was the same one he had seen at the residential building earlier today.
At the time, she had been questioning Old Cheng about some things. Her shoulder insignia indicated she was a Level 2 Patrol Officer, a genuine Brawler.
As if sensing his gaze, or perhaps having learned about him from the interrogation, she quickly turned her head, and their eyes met for a brief moment.
"Hey kid, what are you looking at?"
Zhou Qiang had walked over at some point and asked with a smile.
Lu Chao snapped back to reality and realized Zhou Qiang had finished his business. The patrol car looked like it was about to leave.
"That fast?"
He was a little surprised. At first, he'd thought he would also be questioned and have to give a statement.
But in the end, no one came to bother him from start to finish.
"A trivial matter."
"Don't worry, the matter ends here."
Zhou Qiang waved his hand dismissively, not explaining any further.
Lu Chao was lost in thought.
'Perhaps the Hongyi Society's influence is a bit greater than I imagined?'
"As for you..."
Mistaking what Lu Chao was thinking about, Zhou Qiang patted his shoulder and said, "Tonight counts as a 'work-related injury'."
"Don't worry, Brother Hao will definitely make sure you're compensated."
He said with a knowing smile, as if implying something.
Lu Chao was slightly taken aback. Then he saw the patrol car, its red and blue lights flashing, slowly start to move and drive away.
The ashen-faced youth and the Colt pistol were both taken away, disappearing down the street.
"Alright, I'm off too."
Seeing the matter resolved, Zhou Qiang also turned crisply and left in the black [Sharp Light] sedan.
For a moment, the night wind blew past, bringing with it a slight chill.
The roar of the engine faded into the distance. The curious neighbors gradually looked away, leaving only Lu Chao and Zhao Yuanqing standing on the street corner.
'The Hongyi Society, the Patrol Department...'
His gaze wavered as he watched the cars' taillights disappear one after another. A strange emotion stirred in Lu Chao's heart.
Matters that would take ordinary people a great deal of effort and maneuvering could be resolved by these powers with just a few words.
Beyond that.
Lu Chao clenched his fists slightly.
This yellow-haired youth was just a small-time character, but even so, with a Colt pistol, he had nearly taken his life.
'What if I encounter an even stronger enemy next time?'