Chapter 20: Warning?

“Leader Lin, please take your time dining.”

Camel said with a grin: “We’ll be off then, not disturbing you.”

Lin Qing wiped his mouth, then said: “Wait—I’ve finished too. Let’s go together.”

Camel slightly raised an eyebrow, then smiled: “Fine, we’ll see you out.”

“I’ll pay.” Lin Qing calmly picked up his phone, opened the restaurant’s order, and looked at the suit-wearing man: “Manager Ji, isn’t there a promotion today? Good reviews get coupons?”

A large group of Blue Scarf Gang members waited nearby. The suit-wearing man forced a smile: “Leader Lin, this bill is on me.”

“I don’t eat free meals.” Lin Qing frowned slightly. “Pay what’s due.”

“Clap clap clap clap.”

Camel clapped loudly beside him, feigning admiration: “No wonder you’re a Patrol Office official—truly fair. Iron Stone Street is lucky to have a patrol like you.”

The gang members followed suit, clapping. The towering, muscular man stared coldly at Lin Qing.

After slowly paying, Lin Qing stood up and said: “Let’s go.”

The Blue Scarf Gang members had long grown impatient, but since their boss hadn’t spoken, none dared say a word.

“Of course, we’ll see you out.” Camel stepped aside with a grin, extremely courteous.

As Lin Qing exited the restaurant, surrounded by the Blue Scarf Gang, Camel smiled: “We’ve got business to attend to. Leader Lin, we’ll meet again next time.”

“Wait.” Lin Qing spoke up. “I’m on a patrol inspection today. I’ll accompany you for a while.”

Camel’s smile froze instantly.

The towering, muscular man narrowed his eyes.

“Leader Lin, don’t joke.” Camel forced a smile again. “You’re coming with us?”

Lin Qing said calmly: “I was just promoted to Patrol Office official. Daily patrols on Iron Stone Street are now my responsibility. Is there a problem?”

Camel stared at Lin Qing: “Are you planning to make trouble for us today?”

“It’s just work.”

Lin Qing said coolly: “You’re running a business, aren’t you? Afraid I’ll see it? Then I’ll definitely take a look. As a patrol officer, I can’t pretend not to see anything.”

The air seemed to freeze. Silence fell instantly.

Camel narrowed his eyes slightly.

The towering, muscular man glared at Lin Qing with murderous intent, his clenched fists cracking with each joint.

The Blue Scarf Gang members all glared fiercely at Lin Qing, ready to pounce the moment their boss gave the order.

Tension mounted, like a drawn bowstring, ready to snap.

Even passersby stayed clear, afraid of being dragged in.

Lin Qing remained calm, as if he felt nothing.

“...Fine.”

Camel suddenly smiled. “Since this is Leader Lin’s duty, law-abiding citizens like us must cooperate fully. Today, I’ll give you this face—we’ll leave.”

“Camel.” The towering, muscular man frowned, unable to hold back: “He’s just a patrol officer—I don’t believe…”

Before he finished, Camel waved him silent, still staring at Lin Qing, smiling: “But face is mutual. We’ve given you face today. We hope you’ll return the favor next time.”

“Your face is certainly large.” Lin Qing looked at Camel with faint mockery.

Camel stepped closer, lowering his voice: “Leader Lin, we respect your patrol officer’s uniform—you’re a real player. But even patrol officers can have accidents.”

Lin Qing slightly raised an eyebrow.

“Dead men are nothing.”

Camel whispered: “Seven thousand a month. You don’t need to risk your life for that, do you?”

At that moment, the towering, muscular man behind Camel suddenly punched the iron railing beside him. CRASH. The railing sank deeply inward. He still stared at Lin Qing without blinking.

The terrifying strength startled the gang members. They instinctively stepped back in a circle.

No one dared imagine what would happen if that punch landed on them—it would kill them instantly. [Order Level Decreased 0.2]

A line of blood-red text appeared before Lin Qing’s eyes.

Lin Qing glanced at the muscular man.

So he truly meant to kill? “I’ve said what I needed to.”

Camel smiled, stepping back two paces: “Let’s go. Today, we give Leader Lin this face. I think you understand.”

The Blue Scarf Gang quickly left.

Lin Qing stood still, then flipped his hand. A black electronic access card appeared in his palm.

He’d taken it from Camel when he leaned in earlier.

The back-door access card for Iron Stone Bar.

…

Iron Stone Bar.

“Camel, this Lin guy seems like a thorn.”

The towering, muscular man grabbed a bottle, snapped off its thick neck, downed a large gulp, spat out a breath of alcohol, and growled: “You know his address, right? Tell me—I’ll take care of him.”

“Tie Wu Luo.” Camel frowned slightly.

Tie Wu Luo finished the bottle, crushed it into shards, and sneered: “Don’t trust my strength? He’s a greenhorn—just barely mastered the Four-Six Method. Three punches, I’ll kill him!”

Camel shook his head. “Snap out of it.”

“You think I can’t?” Tie Wu Luo frowned. “Has he learned combat techniques?”

“According to Boss’s intel, Lin Qing has indeed learned combat techniques.” Camel said. “But he’s just started. He barely understands them.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Tie Wu Luo stared at Camel: “Then we should eliminate him now! Once he masters it, he’ll be harder to kill.”

“It’s not that urgent.” Camel frowned. “Do you know how big a mess killing a patrol officer is? Don’t go there unless absolutely necessary.”

Tie Wu Luo blurted: “As long as no one traces it back to us…”

“Tie Wu Luo!”

Camel snapped, voice low and stern: “Didn’t Boss tell you? You only follow my orders. Have you forgotten?”

Tie Wu Luo fell silent.

After a long pause, he muttered: “Fine. I’ll follow you. I only protect you and kill.”

“I don’t doubt you.”

Camel shook his head slightly, patting Tie Wu Luo’s shoulder. “You survived the transformation. Your strength far exceeds mine. I believe even the old patrol team leaders can’t match you. But we must consider consequences.”

“Think carefully.”

He sighed. “Lin Qing is an eighteen-year-old kid, just promoted to patrol officer, full of pride. We openly collect protection money in front of him—he’ll feel humiliated. So we step back, give him face publicly. He won’t keep chasing us.”

Tie Wu Luo frowned. “What if he still won’t back off?”

“No problem.”

Camel smiled. “We gave him face publicly. Privately, we’ll give him a warning. When he gets home, he’ll understand.”

“If he still doesn’t understand…”

He showed a cruel smile, and made a throat-slitting gesture.

…

…

Evening.

Lin Qing returned home. As soon as he scanned his fingerprint to unlock the door, his pupils shrank sharply.

The scrap of paper wedged in the doorframe was gone.

Someone had broken into his home.

The lock was new—installed after his arrival—high-end, anti-burglary.

Even his cousin’s family didn’t know the code or have fingerprint access.

So he’d run into a professional?

The scrap of paper was a habit from his survival days in the apocalypse—it had saved him multiple times.

Lin Qing prepared to activate his combat technique instantly, then pulled a compact retractable knife from his pocket, extended the gleaming blade, and concealed it in his sleeve before walking in as if nothing happened.

But as soon as he entered, he frowned.

The living room coffee table was smashed to pieces, littered everywhere. On the wall, three crimson characters were spray-painted in blood-red paint.

【STAY OUT OF THIS】

“A warning?”

Lin Qing’s brow tightened.

He knew without doubt it was the Blue Scarf Gang’s doing—meant as a warning.

The door wasn’t forced. The lock was intact. Yet they’d gotten in? That sent a sharp wave of danger through him.

If they could open his door, they could hide inside and ambush him. He wasn’t afraid of ambush—but it was still a threat.

“The Blue Scarf Gang has this kind of capability… clearly not ordinary. And today in the restaurant, they called me ‘Leader’—they’re well-informed…”

“Bold. They dare threaten a patrol officer. They truly aren’t afraid of me…”

“Order Level dropped another 0.3. Besides the Blue Scarf Gang’s reorganization, it’s because of that brute.”

“Report to the Bureau? Probably useless…”

Lin Qing took a deep breath, quietly retracted the knife blade. “Fine. I’ll endure it…”

…

“Swish!”

A flash of icy light shot past at terrifying speed, instantly carving a horrific wound across the camel’s neck—nearly severing it completely—blood gushed forth.

In the noisy bar restroom, the camel frantically clamped his nearly severed neck, staring fixedly at the mysterious man who had suddenly emerged from the stall, stumbling backward several steps.

“L-L-L...”

Fear, resentment, and disbelief filled the camel’s eyes; with his barely connected trachea, he managed to utter his final syllable.

Though the man wore a baseball cap and mask, and a loose black coat, he still recognized those eyes.

He couldn’t believe it—how could an official inspector dare come kill him? They had no mortal grudge; he’d even given the other side every courtesy, merely sending a warning—yet now they wanted to kill him? He hadn’t even let Tie Wuluo kill anyone! And yet this man, a government official, wasn’t supposed to enforce the law fairly and follow due process? Why kill him like this??

He had originally planned to report this to the bureau, but held back—it was too complicated. Killing him outright was simpler.

Otherwise, why did he train in combat arts?

(End of Chapter)

(End of Chapter)