Chapter 68: Better to Be a Tyrant Than a Stray Dog (First Subscription Check-in)

"The local gangs are truly impolite."

Qin Shi held up his umbrella and ran back to the shed house; the roads outside Bao Gong Street were already pitted and ruined in large stretches due to excavators and electric drills operating at night.

Rainwater washed down, wrapping mud and gravel, forming a filthy turbid current that left no place to set foot.

Even though Qin Shi had the bonus of eighteen points of Qi Life Force and employed an agile, nimble body technique, he could not avoid getting his running shoes and trouser legs dirty.

"Good thing the sewer isn't blocked; otherwise how could anyone live here!"

While feeling fortunate, Qin Shi also pondered: given the Yi Quan Society's bunch of scoundrels and their unscrupulous nature, damaging the drainage pipes to further disgust the surrounding residents — that kind of dirty work they might well do.

"If this continues, I'll only fall into the clutches of that bitch Lin Yunqing. Forced to live in her big villa, letting her take advantage, leading a miserable life of subservience!"

Qin Shi secretly felt heartache for himself.

The youngest, Qin Lan, was staying at a close female classmate's house, so he didn't need to worry.

Currently the demolition zone is limited to Bao Gong Street, Wei Gong Street, Jian She Lu — these few areas.

The residential area to the west is relatively quiet by comparison, temporarily unaffected.

"I really just want to study properly and live peaceful days."

Qin Shi quickly stepped over the threshold and rushed into the house.

He put away the umbrella and placed it upside down outside.

He took out the hoarded chicken breast and broccoli from the fridge, washed them clean, then blanched them, skimmed off the floating foam, and immediately put both on a plate.

Muscle-building meal complete!

Under the effect of the Professional Skill, Qin Shi was like synthesizing items in a game — casually assembling the corresponding materials together yielded the desired result.

"Truly miraculous! I reckon... this is edible, this builds muscle!"

Qin Shi muttered softly, picked up a portion of boiled chicken breast that even dogs wouldn't eat, and took big bites.

The terrible taste — dry, tough, hard to swallow — produced no effect.

Wolfing down Longxiang Ji Nutritional Ointment for over half a month had already thoroughly destroyed his sense of taste.

"No wonder everyone says the top-tier talent for Health Bodybuilding is none other than taste bud failure! If I want convenience in the future, I might as well grind the boiled chicken breast into mince and consume it together with broccoli juice."

An astonishing thought flashed through Qin Shi's mind.

Among all the "trainees" who have tried his muscle-building meal so far, only Cao Bin praised it incessantly, treating this sloppy-to-an-outrageous-degree "food" as the must-eat number one on Old Factory Street.

In contrast, Zhou Ning every time had a ferocious expression, features twisted, swallowing with difficulty, and continuously drinking water to suppress the urge to vomit.

"Shows Little Zhou's muscle-building heart still isn't devout enough."

Easily wolfing down two portions of muscle-building meal, Qin Shi's satiety rose slightly.

Ensuring his physical ability was sufficient for consumption, he began furiously practicing the method.

Forty minutes later, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, he simply wiped his body with a towel.

Immediately after, he collapsed head-first and fell fast asleep.

"Utilize every minute and second, push time to its utmost!"

Perhaps it was Old Factory Street's increasingly chaotic situation, or perhaps the yearning to climb upward and escape the quagmire — Qin Shi was incomparably urgent to break through the twenty-point Qi Life Force barrier.

In his sleep, he attacked the four-corner-underwear naked man of fifty Qi Life Force points again and again.

The Wind Fist Style's techniques grew more and more proficient, as if deeply branded into his mind, about to become bodily instinct.

Evening, seven twenty.

In the Presidential Suite of the Black Flame Grand Hotel, a capable aide in suit and long pants reported intelligence:

"Hao Ge, nothing found! Only know a van intercepted Jie Shao and Brother Ji, taking them out of the city..."

This bad news further stimulated Qin Lihao's nerves; his face was so gloomy water seemed about to drip from it:

"Broad daylight, kidnapping at the hotel entrance! Is there still rule of law in the Urban Circle? Ah!"

The subordinate's mouth corner twitched; the words 'rule of law' coming from Hao Ge's mouth were truly discordant.

The things they did — hardly any could withstand investigation.

"Kidnapping my younger brother — they've eaten bear heart and leopard gall!"

Qin Lihao struggled to suppress his manic emotions, unbuttoned his double-breasted suit, his solid, sturdy pectorals rising and falling.

This Yu Hai Construction boss with a not-so-good temper pulled open a drawer and took out a set of injections.

Skillfully inserting the syringe, several liquids were mixed and proportioned according to ratio.

After a gentle shake, a transparent jade-green liquid rippled.

Qin Lihao's eyes revealed an obsessed look as he quietly admired it.

After a moment, he spoke:

"You were told to pull connections and retrieve surveillance from the Patrol Department — no results either?"

Seeing the boss about to inject again, the suited male subordinate felt chills inside, wishing he could run far away:

"Asked friends to follow this lead; that van delivers alcohol and beverages to the lobby and administrative corridor daily, cameras didn't capture faces. The real delivery man was knocked unconscious and thrown in a trash bin, also couldn't get clues..."

The Yincheng Qin Family was a Pioneer Family long ago; later, because that half-step Grandmaster who cultivated the heart passed away too early, their power gradually declined until the main branch left, letting a collateral branch take charge, active in various fields, only then regaining some prestige.

By Qin Lihao's generation, they already had fingers in both black and white, able to cover the sky with one hand.

"Has that van been found?"

Qin Lihao injected himself; the ice-cold liquid entered his body, slightly calming that restlessness.

"Parked at the Stone Gate Archway on Old Factory Street. Searched carefully, not a hair or fingerprint left — very experienced."

The suited male subordinate answered.

"Old Factory Street's electronic blockade is the most severe; that explosion years ago was too terrifying, created a huge calamity, nearly startling awake the 'abomination' sleeping on this planet."

As one of the successors of the Yincheng Qin Family, Qin Lihao knew many secrets. He narrowed his eyes in thought, then suddenly asked:

"Tell me, is it possible that it was that wild dog Cheng Ze?"

The suited man's subordinate dared not give an answer, replying vaguely:

"Brother Ze, back then he was at the hotel..."

Qin Lihao bared his gleaming white teeth, a savage color flashing in his eyes:

"Send people to Old Factory Street, search for me! Turn the ground over three feet deep, you must catch them!"

The suited man's subordinate trembled with fear, as if facing a cold-blooded, ferocious carnivorous creature, a heavy dread rising from his bones.

He asked tremblingly:

"Boss, do we need to let the Inspection Team help?"

A fierce look flashed across Qin Lihao's face. That solid, excessively muscular arm shot out like lightning, dark green veins bulging, surfacing on the skin. The suited man's subordinate was like a little chick grabbed by the neck, his feet slowly leaving the ground.

The suited man's subordinate's large build of nearly two hundred jin was lifted effortlessly with one hand by Qin Lihao. Formidable power gradually released along with the swelling of muscles.

"My Qin Family people were kidnapped, and we still need the Urban Circle's Inspection Team to resolve it? How come, just because he's surnamed Chen or surnamed Lin, they're a grade higher?!"

The suited man's subordinate's face flushed red, capillaries compressed, revealing threads of purple, nearly suffocated alive.

Thud!

Qin Lihao flung his large hand, throwing the nearly strangled suited man's subordinate aside. He knelt on the carpet gasping heavily.

"Tell Cheng Ze to get back here! Isn't he the boss of Beiguan Street? Give him two days to find Ajie! I don't want to use other methods, creating too big a commotion!"

Late night, ten o'clock, rain pouring heavily.

Bean-sized water droplets crackled against the car window, splashing up layers of hazy mist.

Cheng Ze glanced at the suited man's subordinate in the driver's seat. The handprints on his neck were clearly visible:

"Ah Hao, thanks for sending me back."

The suited man named "Jiang Hao" was Hao Ge's confidant. He tugged his collar and smiled:

"Brother Ze, you're being polite. Back when I first joined the Yi Quan Society, it was you who brought me in. You even treated me to beef hot pot."

Cheng Ze's gaze was distant:

"Almost forgot. Ah Hao, you also came from the boxing society. I haven't been to the boxing society in a long time."

Jiang Hao pursed his lips. These years, Hao Ge took over as successor in Yu Hai, absorbing fresh blood, activating more obedient, younger little brothers. Old-timers like Brother Ze were slowly marginalized.

"Hao Ge actually values you quite a bit, Brother Ze. But his personality... is impatient. He doesn't like people talking back or refuting him. Brother Ze, in the future don't always go against Hao Ge. Whatever he tells you to do, just do it properly."

Cheng Ze nodded:

"I don't have much brains, not good at reading faces. Thanks for the reminder, Ah Hao. We're here, I'll get off here."

He opened the car door. Torrential rain blown by the wind, like a surging river rushing over his body.

"I'll get you an umbrella, Brother Ze!"

Jiang Hao pulled out an umbrella from the side of the car door, opened it and handed it to Cheng Ze.

"Thanks."

Cheng Ze didn't refuse, took it and strode toward the house door.

"Boss, Brother Ze has entered the house. As per your instructions, a miniature tracker was placed in the umbrella handle. However, Old Factory Street is rather special. The signal isn't very clear. It can only capture the movement trajectory at intervals."

The soaking wet Jiang Hao returned to the car, flipped open his phone cover and dialed a number, reporting softly:

"I'll keep an eye on him."

Cheng Ze closed the door, put away the umbrella, leaned it against the door frame, not minding the rainwater soaking the carpet.

He pressed the switch by the wall. The bright chandelier illuminated the not-very-spacious room.

This Beiguan Street boss's residence was not the high-end apartment or detached villa outsiders imagined.

Although Cheng Ze had purchased properties in the central area of the Urban Circle, in the relatively developed Dangyang East Suburbs.

But the place he came to most often was still this resettlement housing building adjacent to the factory area.

Changing out of his wet clothes, drying his hair with a towel, Cheng Ze calmly started cooking, as if he completely didn't treat the kidnapping of the Yi Quan Society's Luo Ji and Hao Ge's younger brother as a matter.

Before long, cold tossed wide glass noodles and stewed spareribs with green beans were served on the dining table.

He filled his own bowl to the brim, wolfing it down in big mouthfuls. In three moves he eliminated most of the pot of rice.

He pulled a tissue to wipe his mouth, then poured a cup of cool boiled water and gulped it down.

He stood up and entered the bedroom, pulled open the bedside table drawer, and took out the covered photo frame from inside.

It was an old photo with very blurred colors. A man and a woman stood on open ground, the background a few chimneys and continuous factory buildings.

The man smiled honestly and simply. The woman held a child with both hands, kissing the round, chubby face.

This scene happened to be captured, thus becoming the only family portrait.

The plastic film on the photo's surface was curling. Cheng Ze's palm stroked it. He looked at it seriously for a moment, took it out from the frame, carefully smoothed it flat and put it into his chest pocket.

He sat on the bed edge, waiting until the clock moved to 11:58, then turned off all the lights in the room.

But Cheng Ze did not go to bed to sleep. He pushed open the storage room door, lifted the carpet and pulled up the cover plate.

Below was a crude passage, propped with an iron ladder, leading straight to the vegetable cellar behind the house.

Old Factory Street long ago, every household would build cellars for storing large amounts of winter vegetables and fruits.

Generally dug four to five meters deep. Below, built with earth bricks. Above, sturdy wood used to build a frame, then covered with a layer of corn stalks, leaving only an entrance and exit.

Cheng Ze stepped down step by step, treading on solid ground. He pulled the light cord. The light bulb went "Pop" and lit up.

Outside the wind and rain were strong, but inside no water seeped in; the seal was excellent.

Wires ran through the ceiling, holding tungsten bulbs, casting two silhouettes in the dim light.

As Cheng Ze walked over, he found they were two figures stripped stark naked, pale as pigs.

They were bound to chairs with thickened tough ropes, black cloth bags over their heads.

Hearing the noise, both struggled hard, their mouths sealed tight with tape making muffled cries, straining to make any sound.

"Brother Ji, long time no see."

Cheng Ze pulled off the blackout bag, staring at Luo Ji's terrified face, palm cupping the back of his head, pulling him forward:

"Now tell me, does it hurt when this stray dog of mine bites?"

Luo Ji's throat bobbed; he never expected Cheng Ze would dare have someone kidnap him directly.

If Hao Ge found out, he'd die without a burial place!

"You want to say, this stray dog begging on Old Factory Street, what right does he have to fight the Yincheng Qin Family."

The pent-up viciousness and anger of days finally burst forth, making Cheng Ze's fierce face especially brutal:

"The Qin Family has acted like local emperors in Yincheng for long, thinking everyone must fear them? Qin Lihao should thank Hengzhou's blockade all these years, letting him run amok for so long."

Luo Ji trembled; this buzz-cut man before him was worlds apart from the Brother A Ze he'd dealt with before. Even though the latter had some reputation on the path, whenever he saw Hao Ge or Luo Ji himself, he was always respectful, like a sick cat with drooping fur.

Where had he ever shown such bandit-like ferocity!

Rip!

The sealing black tape was torn off; Luo Ji gasped several breaths, begging for mercy repeatedly:

"Brother Ze! I was wrong, Little Brother had eyes but no pearls! Past offenses, you're magnanimous, don't quibble with me!"

Cheng Ze grinned:

"Jianghu rules, pay money to buy your life. Brother Ji, how much money can you produce to buy your own life?"

Luo Ji's head buzzed, his eyes darting, speaking fast and urgent:

"The money is in accounts at the Urban Circle Bank; my home has two password boxes, holding several hundred thousand in cash……"

Cheng Ze shook his head slightly:

"Leave Hengzhou, head for the Star Sea, money is waste paper. Brother Ji, you're not sincere at all."

Luo Ji wanted to explain a few more words, but his mouth was stuck with black tape again; he watched helplessly as Cheng Ze walked before Qin Zhijie, removed the head bag, then greeted him:

"Young Master Jie, do you know me?"

The stripped-naked Qin Zhijie trembled all over, nodding repeatedly.

"You know Hao Ge's temper, very arrogant, never looking at people properly, thinking those under him are all stray dogs on the roadside eating off the Qin Family."

He always thinks he's the fiercest, not understanding the situation."

Cheng Ze straightened his back, passed between the two chairs, came to the wall corner, and grabbed the rusty firewood knife used for chopping wood.

He untied the thick hemp rope binding Qin Zhijie's hands, gripped his right palm, and without a word chopped down hard!

Woo—

Qin Zhijie, his mouth taped shut, eyes bulged, pain making his whole body spasm; struggling violently, he couldn't make a sound.

Luo Ji's face was splattered with fresh blood, as if scared stupid.

Cheng Ze put down the firewood knife, then felt out an iron box in the cellar.

Inside was an old-style flip phone, a long mobile phone battery, and an unopened phone card.

He assembled it without changing expression, then dialed:

"Send Qin Lihao a hand of his brother, tell him he only has two days! Conditions unchanged: five bottles of High-grade Mineral Elements, one set of Fu Zhi Ye, ten units of High-Energy Batteries, or he can get Deuterium Core Fuel Rods instead.

For every hour delayed, I'll cut off one of Qin Zhijie's fingers! I hear Central City has cybernetic implant technology, but no matter how advanced, can it turn scattered pieces into a whole again!"

……

……

ps: Setting out a bowl to ask for first subscriptions, ask for monthly tickets~

(Chapter End)