Chapter 90: Are There Still Fugitives Left After the Anti-Crime Crackdown?

The group arrived at the Beijing Railway Station.

As the capital of Long Nation, it was naturally a transportation hub, with train services to every corner of the country extremely frequent.

A few hours later.

Accompanied by the station announcement, Lin Mo’s group arrived at Tianbei City.

……

Unlike bustling Beijing.

As soon as they stepped out of the station, Tianbei City’s first impression was one of backwardness.

The station hall had no air conditioning—only a few old-fashioned fans whirring overhead.

The walls were plastered with all kinds of sticky advertisements.

“High price for monster corpses.”

“Urgently hiring suicide squads—daily pay.”

“Black market transactions—honesty first.”

Passersby mostly hurried along with tense expressions.

Many had fresh bloodstains on their clothing.

“Cough… cough…”

Han Mengqing wrinkled her nose in disgust:

“Ugh… is this really a city in Long Nation? It feels like we’ve gone back to the Great Catastrophe era.”

Xu Wenchang said calmly:

“Let’s go. First, rent a car—the temple dungeon’s coordinates are in the Outer Rock Wasteland, dozens of kilometers from here.”

Lin Mo nodded, and the group headed toward the station exit.

At this point, the five-clawed golden dragon badges on their chests had been removed.

The reason was simple—it drew too much attention.

On this journey, wherever they went, they became the center of attention.

They were here to clear dungeons, not to be treated like giant pandas on display.

……

Outside the station,

a shop with a sign reading “Honest Car Rental.”

The owner was a one-eyed man, lounging on the doorstep smoking.

Seeing Lin Mo’s group—especially the three girls with exceptional bearing—he flashed a shrewd gleam in his single eye.

These were clearly easy targets.

“You folks renting a car?”

The owner exhaled a smoke ring and pointed to a filthy, battered pickup truck in the corner.

“Unlucky for you—every other car’s rented out. Only this one’s left. Three thousand per day, ten thousand deposit. No haggling.”

Xu Wenchang frowned slightly.

He stepped closer, took a quick look, and immediately saw the vehicle was in terrible condition.

“Boss, this car won’t make it back from the Outer Rock Wasteland. Don’t you have anything else?”

“None.”

The owner replied dismissively, his tone edged with impatience.

In his mind, his abacus was clacking loudly.

Within five kilometers, he was the only car rental shop around.

These rich kids and girls hated trouble—they’d rent it.

This broken-down heap would break down within five kilometers, and then… the ten thousand deposit would be all his.

Just then,

a slightly youthful voice came from the garage:

“Don’t rent it! The brake pads are worn out, the chassis is cracked—this car won’t last five kilometers!”

Everyone turned to look.

A young man in a grease-stained mechanic’s uniform stepped out.

He held a wrench in hand, his face smeared with soot, yet his eyes were clear and stubborn.

The owner’s face darkened as he glared fiercely at the young man:

“Ah Jie! What are you talking about? You don’t want to work here anymore?”

Ah Jie snorted, yanked off his uniform, and slammed the wrench onto the table:

“I’ve had enough of this job!”

“Your sign says ‘Honest Car Rental,’ but you’re clearly swindling people!”

The owner trembled with rage:

“How dare you! Get out! Get out right now! You won’t get a single cent of this month’s pay!”

Ah Jie didn’t argue. He lifted his chin:

“Fine! Keep your money—buy yourself a coffin with it!”

With that, he turned and walked out of the shop, not even glancing at the furious owner.

The owner continued shouting curses behind him.

Xu Wenchang had no interest in dealing with such a swindler—he gave the man a cold glance.

“Let’s go.”

The group stepped out of the shop. Han Mengqing frowned:

“Master Xu, that place is dozens of kilometers away—how do we get there? And there doesn’t seem to be another rental shop nearby. We can’t walk, can we?”

Lin Mo’s gaze turned to the roadside.

The young man named Ah Jie had just climbed into an old-fashioned off-road vehicle parked by the curb.

The vehicle looked aged, but clearly well-maintained by its owner.

Lin Mo thought for a moment, then walked over quickly and knocked on the window.

The window rolled down. Ah Jie saw Lin Mo and paused in surprise.

“Brother, thanks for speaking up earlier.”

Lin Mo smiled. “If not for you, we’d have been scammed by that heartless boss today.”

Ah Jie scratched his head, embarrassed, and grinned sheepishly:

“No big deal—I didn’t really help. I just couldn’t stand him cheating people.”

“Are you okay, then?”

Lin Mo asked. “You lost your job, and you haven’t even been paid…”

Ah Jie waved his hand, unconcerned:

“Pfft, no problem! I didn’t want that job anyway. Money earned through dishonesty doesn’t sit right.”

He added with disdain:

“Besides, I worked for him just to save up for a dungeon scroll—it drops materials to save my sister.”

“I’ve saved enough now. I bought the scroll. Why would I stay in that job?”

Lin Mo asked immediately:

“Clearing a dungeon? We’re going to clear one too—where are you headed?”

“The Rock Wasteland.”

Hearing Ah Jie’s answer, Lin Mo’s eyes lit up:

“Small world—we’re going there too.”

“Since we’re heading the same way, how about you give us a ride? Don’t worry—we’ll pay you for the fuel.”

Ah Jie looked at his car, then at Lin Mo’s group of four, and hesitated.

“I… I’m not refusing to help,”

Ah Jie said with a wry smile,

“This car’s my own modification—it runs fine—but I still have to pick up my three childhood friends. We made plans to clear the dungeon together.”

“And this car… really can’t fit so many people.”

Lin Mo felt a pang of disappointment.

Then Ah Jie thought for a moment.

“How about this—I’ll rent you the car. My friends have another vehicle—a three-wheeled rickshaw—but we can squeeze in.”

“Just give me a little for fuel—how’s that?”

Lin Mo blinked, then smiled.

This kid was genuinely honest—and endearing.

He’d quit his job to stop strangers from being cheated, and now he was willing to give up his own car to ride in a rickshaw to help them.

“Alright, it’s settled.”

Without hesitation, Lin Mo pulled out his phone and scanned the code. “Five thousand—enough?”

“Huh? Five thousand? That’s way too much!”

Ajie jumped back, waving his hands frantically, “Just give me some gas money and—”

“Take it.”

Lin Mo transferred the money directly. “Consider it thanks for earlier, plus advance payment for repairs—in case we scratched your car.”

After receiving the money, Ajie’s face flushed bright red with excitement.

He shoved the car keys into Lin Mo’s hands, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and sprinted toward the intersection.

“Thanks, bro! I’ll hitch a ride with my friend. This car’s got nothing wrong except the AC isn’t cold enough and the suspension’s a bit stiff—but the power? Absolutely solid!”

Watching Ajie’s figure vanish around the corner, Han Mengqing couldn’t help sighing:

“Tsk tsk tsk, this kid’s really honest.”

Chu Lingxuan nodded quietly:

“He’s a good older brother. I hope he manages to gather the materials to cure his sister.”

Xu Wenchang smiled:

“Let’s go. Don’t waste his kindness. Onward—Rubble Wasteland!”

…

The off-road vehicle left the city, and the scenery around it rapidly turned desolate.

Rubble Wasteland—its name was fitting.

Bare brown rocks and withered yellow grass stretched everywhere; occasionally, a few low-level demonic creatures wandered in the distance.

The vehicle drove for roughly three hours.

Yet this stretch, originally only dozens of kilometers long, had taken Xu Wenchang nearly three hours to cover.

“Master Xu…”

Han Mengqing, sitting in the back, was thoroughly shaken, her face pale with exhaustion:

“Have we gotten lost? How long has it been? We should’ve arrived by now!”

Xu Wenchang’s face flickered with embarrassment, then he chuckled cheerfully:

“Hmph… How could we be lost? Back when I was on duty here, I could navigate this place blindfolded.”

“The main road’s blocked, so I’m taking you a shortcut—understand? A shortcut.”

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”

As he spoke, Xu Wenchang sneakily glanced at the navigation, then yanked the steering wheel sharply.

After a violent jolt, the vehicle finally came to a stop.

Ahead lay an extremely complex and steep pile of rocks—the car could go no further.

“Cough… Guess we’ll have to walk from here.”

Xu Wenchang pulled the keys out, smiling awkwardly.

Everyone reluctantly got out and trudged forward, stepping unevenly into the terrain.

After walking about ten minutes and climbing over a small hill, the view suddenly opened up.

A large crowd had gathered on the open ground ahead.

Around the perimeter of that area, a long chain-link fence had been erected, forcibly enclosing a vast stretch of land.

“What’s going on?”

Lin Mo frowned slightly.

Outdoor leveling zones and dungeon activation points were public resources—why had they fenced it off?

Suddenly,

Han Mengqing, sharp-eyed, gasped:

“Hey? Isn’t that Ajie?”

Lin Mo squinted.

Sure enough, on the muddy ground at the fence’s entrance, Ajie and his three friends lay battered and bruised.

“What happened? Who beat them up?”

Han Mengqing’s eyes widened.

A nearby young onlooker sighed, lowering his voice:

“Girl, who else? The Shark Gang.”

“Shark Gang?”

Lin Mo asked, puzzled.

The young man nodded, grimacing:

“You know, dungeon scrolls can activate dungeons, but only within specific coordinates.”

A flash of fury crossed his eyes:

“That trash from the Shark Gang has seized this entire coordinate zone and set their own rules.”

“Anyone wanting to activate a dungeon here—whether solo or in a party—must forcibly hire their members to lead the run.”

“Minimum fee: one hundred thousand! No money? Then don’t even think about entering!”

The young man pointed at Ajie and the others, shaking his head:

“Those guys insisted on forcing their way in, saying they didn’t need guides and refused to pay—and this is what happened.”

“That’s outrageous!”

Han Mengqing’s face flushed with anger. “Isn’t this coercion? Where’s the law?”

At that moment,

A bald, muscular giant with a face full of scars bellowed at the crowd:

“What are you all staring at? Listen up, every last one of you!”

“Here, the Shark Gang is the law!”

“If you’re a dragon, coil up! If you’re a tiger, lie down!”

“No money? Then get out of here and don’t block the view—this is your fate!”

As he roared, the bald man glared viciously at Ajie on the ground, causing many nearby cultivators to step back in fear, too terrified to speak up.

Seeing this, Lin Mo’s eyes grew cold.

Xu Wenchang’s previously cheerful expression vanished.

“The state has been cracking down hard on organized crime for years… yet here, in a place like this, such vermin still slip through the cracks…”