Chapter 123

Chen Xingzhou is about to stop breathing.

This was the news that spread that night, moving like a storm, diffusing rapidly.

Many curious netizens frantically searched for information through every channel, but all they got, besides ambiguous statements that sounded like rote repetition, were answers as infuriating as "the editor doesn't know either."

Chen Xingzhou is dying, Chen Xingzhou is on his last breath, Chen Xingzhou is alive, Chen Xingzhou punched a bullet to pieces on the spot...

Rumors flew, yet there was no solid proof.

These days, the truth is sometimes a luxury item; most people can only search for that tiny bit of value amidst a massive sea of lies.

Soon, even heavier news grabbed everyone's attention.

Among Lei Wuye's sworn sons and daughters, the fourth one who controlled all the smuggling business in the Nanlu District also died.

Right after finishing the "last meal" with Lei Yaoxing.

The fourth one, having parted on bad terms, was the first to flip the table, pointing at Lei Yaoxing and cursing that he couldn't afford a pineapple; as a result, the moment he got in the car, he was blown into the sky, turning into character fragments in a card pool, distributed for free to every lucky person present.

Everyone present was silent as cicadas in winter, heads lowered, saying nothing at all.

They didn't even dare to look up at the figure at the very front.

From beginning to end, Lei Yaoxing remained silent.

His face was livid.

Everyone stared down at the spreading blood, as if they could see the reflection of the pitch-black sky above... and even the approaching thunder and lightning.

A new storm has already appeared.

Unfortunately, no aliens are descending from the sky to save everything, and the beasts on the ground have already fallen into complete madness.

In the restaurant, the agents of the Beishan Group were eating late-night snacks and drinking beer, watching the team of figures holding watermelon knives hurrying into the dark alley on the street.

Amidst the distant sounds of shouting and killing, they felt the peace of the years.

"But did Lei Yaoxing really do it?" Ji Jue frowned, instinctively feeling that something was wrong.

Even if he wanted to get rid of his competitors and the bothersome younger siblings, why get his own hands dirty? True, he is the biggest beneficiary, but at the same time, his supporters have also suffered countless casualties.

And those uncles who stood up to speak for him left one by one with livid faces, refusing to say another word despite his eager attempts to make them stay, not even willing to take a single red envelope.

After all, having their reputations trampled on like pig bladders for fun, not immediately grabbing watermelon knives to fight to the death on the spot was already a sign of many years of self-cultivation and refinement. Now, they have probably already bought tickets to leave on an airship, hoping not to get involved in any more of Yacheng's bad luck.

The big financial backers supporting him behind the scenes should also be reconsidering, right?

Everyone invested and sponsored you to be the boss to make money, not for you to start a war and make heads roll and chickens and dogs restless... Even if he is now the strongest competitor and no one else can compete with him, from another perspective, there are already signs of being deserted by his followers, faintly pushed to the edge of a cliff.

"Didn't he say it? He isn't, he didn't... who believes that?"

Wen Wen, who was almost tricked by that dog, sneered while clutching edamame, "Even if he wasn't, he is now!"

Chen Xingzhou was tricked out by you to negotiate, and now he's been sent to the ICU; your younger brother was tricked out by you to witness, and now he's been blown to pieces.

The uncles helped you stand your ground and called people out to eat, and as a result, most of them were dead before the meal was finished. The Anquan Bureau came to ask if it was you, you said it had nothing to do with you, and then the person mutated right under the Anquan Bureau's nose.

You say it has nothing to do with you, what the hell are you saying!?

If it's not you, could it be me?

Hearing this, Ji Jue sighed and couldn't help but shake his head.

"No need to be sad for a bunch of trash who deserve to die. If you're in a bad mood, after they finish biting each other to death, just go up and stomp on them a few times, isn't that enough?"

Wen Wen was shelling edamame, while the high-proof liquor next to her was being gulped down.

It's not like only you people from Bai Lu hold grudges; is Tian Yuan really good-tempered? Not paying attention to you now is to avoid the situation from worsening and becoming more complex. After this wave passes, won't there be a reckoning?

Wen Wen had already drafted a list in her head.

A long string of names.

The collateral damage quota from this year to next year is already full, not a single empty spot left!

Besides, it's not like only Tian Yuan has an organization. With Yacheng in such a mess now, does the Taiyi Ring have nothing to say if they've earned less money? So many materials are rotting in the warehouse across the sea and can't be delivered; Ji Jue's express delivery has already been delayed. The Chongguang Sect's charity hospital is almost worked to death, and they can't even save all the people injured by accident every day. If they are really pushed too far, would those crazy people who have undergone rank ascension care about the consequences?

On the surface and in the shadows, the normal operation of every large organization has gradually been interfered with by this civil war.

The situation in the Imperial is now beginning to spiral out of control...

"Even if all the scum died, what does it have to do with me? Meow!"

Ji Jue chewed on the particles in his shaved ice and couldn't help but pause, "Just worried about a friend."

Chen Yubo.

The helpful Boss Chen, the loyal fan of pink, Young Master Chen.

Even if Chen Xingzhou and Chen Yubo have ostensibly kept their distance for so many years, in reality, who doesn't know the relationship between these two brothers? The moment Chen Xingzhou stumbled and fell, Chen Yubo's situation became precarious.

These days, expecting those followers of Bai Lu who believe in the law of the jungle to offer help in a time of need is absolutely impossible. Even adding flowers to a brocade depends on character, but kicking someone when they're down is something they never tire of. Besides, it's a high-profit, zero-risk move; it just takes a little effort.

When the lion falls, the hyenas will swarm.

His situation is probably difficult now.

He looked at the empty mobile phone screen.

He had just called, but no one answered.

He probably can't spare the time to look at his phone anymore, right?

It's a pity, I haven't gone to his place to see his cat do a backflip yet.

Ji Jue shook his head, and before he could speak, Wen Wen shoved a beer into his hand: "Why are you dawdling with an empty cup? Drink!"

He gave a bitter smile.

After experiencing the late-night drinking sessions every time he dealt with the Beishan Group, he found that he, who used to be a teetotaler, had actually started to get used to it.

"Drinking is harmful."

Ji Jue sighed and tilted his head to drink it all in one go.

After finishing the late-night snack and closing up, Ji Jue returned to the workshop, seizing the opportunity to "process materials" and incidentally destroy the evidence, eliminating all clues.

I don't know if it was luck or if the temporary mercury seal effect was unexpectedly good, but with Brother Qiu's assistance, he actually managed to extract a complete blessing.

It was the precious blessing 【Preemptive Strike】 that Herbert used to block all of Ji Jue's bullets even with his eyes closed. The only flaw was that the blessing, which had undergone many qualitative leaps, had now regressed to its basic form.

Even so, just selling this one blessing alone could earn a huge profit.

But why not keep it for himself?

Although the processing difficulty of such a powerful blessing is not yet something he can reach at his level, at least he can keep it for future use!

Once he masters it, at least Ji Jue won't have to worry about being easily beaten up after being approached by some melee expert. At the very least, he'll be able to put up a bit of a fight.

Purely from the perspective of hunting blessings, working at the Anquan Bureau doesn't seem as troublesome as expected?

Although Tian Yuan is typically inhumane when squeezing the bottom layer, and the foot-soldier agents of the Second Department are always out in the wind and rain doing troublesome things, and the internal infighting is a bit severe, and the factionalism seems a bit excessive... but at least they earn quite a lot!

If you lose a little bit of your conscience, you can earn even more!

They say one doesn't get rich without windfall, so hopefully there will be more outsourcing like this in the future. If there are a few more orders as lucrative as this one, Ji Jue won't have to worry about saving up for his own workshop after he finishes his apprenticeship!

At least with more blessings, he can borrow more money when using them as collateral for loans at the Eternal Bank.

Looking at the life of every Ember, it is almost a life of dealing with loans, from entry to the grave, from apprentice to artisan. Money comes in like water, and goes out even faster. Without one or two golden thighs and investors behind you, it's really hard to sustain, and the ability to resist risk is almost non-existent.

Life is hard, money is hard to earn, and shit is hard to eat.

Now, under Professor Ye's protection, even if he works himself to death, at most he only needs to worry about money, without having to worry about bowing his head for anything, or selling his dignity to beg for mercy.

In the future, if Ji Jue's wings get strong, or if one day Professor Ye feels Ji Jue's wings are strong enough and he's learned enough, and it's time to experience the beatings of society, and then kicks him out to fend for himself, if he has no preparation by then, he'll probably suffer.

One must always take precautions.

Even if the reliance on the workshop for non-aggression isn't as strong, one can't just give it up entirely, right? How is that any different from feeling warm in winter and then going streaking without clothes?

Hmm, another day of striving for his future workshop—progress 【1/9999999999】.

On the self-navigating tricycle, Ji Jue thought about the future, sighing as he returned to his doorstep. Just as he took out the courtyard key and prepared to enter, he heard a faint and subtle call coming from the long night behind him.

"Ji... Jue..."

He froze in place, turning his head abruptly. In the pitch-black night, amidst the gloom, there were many ghostly shadows... he couldn't help but feel his hair stand on end, suspecting he had just heard a hallucination, but the voice sounded again, weeping and complaining, becoming clearer.

"Ji Jue... Ji Jue..."

In an instant, he was terrified.

Subconsciously, he had already drawn his gun, loaded it, and pointed it into the darkness: "Who! Get out here!"

"Brother Ji? It's me! It's me..."

In the stinking trash can, a disheveled face slowly rose, topped with a trash can lid, looking at him with teary eyes, speechless.

Just like a soul coming to claim a life.

Not knowing how long he had waited in the cold night, Chen Yubo, wearing only a T-shirt, curled up into a ball, shivering.

The moment he saw that face, Ji Jue's vision went black.

Good news, Chen Yubo isn't dead.

Bad news, Chen Yubo ran to his doorstep...

I'm almost dead!