Chapter 378: The Three Major Gangs

A line of more than a dozen camels moved slowly across the desert.

Most of these camels carried tall or short figures wrapped tightly in cloth; some even covered their faces with headscarves, leaving only a pair of weary eyes exposed.

Only the few camels in the center carried heavy bundles.

On the two lead camels, a middle-aged man with sun-darkened skin was whispering to a young man beside him, whose eye sockets were deep and nose high.

"Mr. Ou, we're not far from the border now, but rest assured—the nearest border station is dozens of li away, and the border patrol will never come here."

"Good. If you truly get us across this time, you and your people may leave freely. Otherwise, you know the consequences." The Western-looking youth was Wang Yu, using a new face.

Though his voice was low, the threat in his words made the dark-skinned man shudder; he stammered "I dare not," his eyes filled with fear of Wang Yu.

Wang Yu smiled slightly and said nothing more.

The local man leading this smuggling operation was no kind soul—he specialized in helping others cross borders illegally.

A few days ago, deep in the desert, this man's group had stumbled upon Wang Yu, traveling alone.

Seeing him solitary, the man immediately ordered his companions to approach with guns, intending to rob him.

But Wang Yu cut off two heads with two wind blades, causing the man to collapse on the spot, begging for mercy and swearing he knew a perfectly safe smuggling route; only then did Wang Yu spare his life.

The other smugglers on the camels behind, though equally terrified of Wang Yu, did not flee the group—but none dared speak a word to him.

Wang Yu was satisfied with this silence; the name "Mr. Ou" was simply something he made up on the spot.

Since entering the desert, he had detected no trace of pursuers—he did not know whether the British Commonwealth had truly abandoned the hunt or had other plans.

But he did not dwell on it; as long as he entered Xierde, a large nation with a dense population, and blended into the crowd, he would be temporarily safe.

Even if the British Commonwealth wished to send more agents into Xierde to pursue him, it would take a long time.

As he pondered this, the dark-skinned man beside him whispered:

"Mr. Ou, you're a superpower user, aren't you?"

"You know quite a bit," Wang Yu replied coolly, glancing at the man's ingratiating face, without directly denying it.

"You truly are a superpower user! Although the major governments have never officially acknowledged superpowers, rumors have been flying worldwide for years—even among people like us, it's an open secret." The dark-skinned man's face lit up with delight.

"So why ask me this? What do you want to say?" Wang Yu's eyes flickered.

"With your abilities, you're forced to smuggle yourself in—you must have stirred up serious trouble and had to flee the British Commonwealth. In a place like Xierde, to live comfortably, the best way is to join a gang."

"If a top-tier gang is willing to protect you, even if the British Commonwealth knows exactly where you are in Xierde, they won't dare send agents to arrest you." The dark-skinned man explained cautiously.

"So, do you have connections with Xierde's gangs?" Wang Yu's expression remained neutral, but his mind stirred slightly.

"You must understand—we people like us, constantly smuggling others, inevitably deal with some gangs. As far as I know, the three largest gangs in Xierde are all actively recruiting various power users. With your abilities, joining any one of them would be no problem." The dark-skinned man smiled ingratiatingly.

"Oh? It seems you know quite a bit about Xierde's gangs. Tell me first which ones are the most powerful." Wang Yu ordered calmly.

"Yes, Mr. Ou. Though Xierde has many small gangs, only three are truly dominant—far beyond all others."

The dark-skinned man perked up and began speaking at length.

"The largest gang in Xierde is the 'Val' Gang, based in the capital city of Val, exerting influence over nearly two-thirds of the Val region."

Besides the city of Val, several other major cities also fall under its control.

Rumor has it that many members of Xierde's parliament secretly belong to the Val Gang, and even half of Xierde's police force has been infiltrated by them.

"Besides the Val Gang, the 'Xide Society'—formed by five major city gangs—is the second most powerful.

These five cities are Xierde's heavy industrial bases and host the largest concentration of its military forces; thus, the Xide Society is known for its fighting strength. It's said they privately possess mercenaries, tanks, and helicopter gunships."

"Beyond these two, the third-largest gang in Xierde is the 'Mao Family,' controlling the western region bordering our British Commonwealth."

This faction is led by the Mao Family, long-renowned in Xierde.

The three most prosperous economic cities in western Xierde, along with the most profitable legal and illegal industries, are all tightly controlled by this family; no other gang dares interfere—hence, they are famous for their wealth.

As you know, in Xierde, with enough money, you can buy anything—so naturally, they have men, they have guns, and their power is immense.

These three gangs are so feared that even the Xierde government dares not act against them. Though other gangs have considerable strength, they pale in comparison."

The dark-skinned man finished his explanation in one breath, then looked at Wang Yu expectantly.

Wang Yu rubbed his chin, his face thoughtful; after a moment, he asked slowly:

"The gang you know—would it be the Mao Family?"

"Mr. Ou, you're sharp. I do know a minor leader of the Mao Family in the city of Xitie—Xitie is the city right next to the desert. I used to deliver smugglers there, so I know him."

"If you need it, once we leave the desert, I can contact him immediately." The dark-skinned man nodded and bowed on his camel, a faint hope in his expression.

"We'll see after we leave the desert," Wang Yu replied coolly, then narrowed his eyes, clearly unwilling to continue speaking.

"Yes."

The dark-skinned man felt a pang of disappointment, answered softly, and dared not speak further.

Several hours later, the entire group vanished into the desert.

After a strong wind swept through, the long trail of camel footprints between the dunes was erased completely, as if no one had ever passed through this place.