Chapter 206: An Invitation
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
After Qin Fen got the cash, he didn’t stay on the underground second floor. He took the elevator back to the lobby on the first floor and returned the numbered card to the front desk.
Lisa, who was at the service desk, was surprised to see Qin Fen. Normally, the person who came to return the number forty-four was a staff here.
Today, this unlucky number was actually returned by the partic.i.p.ant instead?
Vincent followed Qin Fen in tandem. He was happy, but also slightly disappointed.
Qin Fen defeated two vicious boxers on the underground second floor. This earned him a handsome sum of bonuses. However, Vincent was disappointed because Qin Fen was still alive, and he had not even suffered any injuries. His desire to go after the woman that was with Qin Fen seemed futile.
Qin Fen walked out of the Gruesome Madness. He turned around to look at Vincent, stretched out his hand and said, “Hand it over.”
Vincent was so shocked that he trembled and took a step back.
He witnessed Qin Fen’s ferocious heart-piercing attack. Qin Fen was as terrifying as the devil at that moment.
Vincent asked with frightened and caution in his eyes, “Hand over what?”
“The bonus.” Qin Fen rubbed his fingers, “My accommodation fee is not that expensive. Return the surplus to me.”
Vincent’s expression changed immediately. It was so easy for him to earn the extra money yet he still wanted it back.
“Hand it over.”
Qin Fen repeated once more with a tone that became somewhat chilly, sending a s.h.i.+ver down Vincent’s spine.
Vincent saw that Qin Fen’s expression turned dark, and he handed over the bonus reluctantly.
Qin Fen looked at the cash in his hands, then he turned toward Lin Ling and softly said, “We can move to a better environment for accommodation now.”
When Vincent heard this, he felt nervous for a moment. This was also a business after all! Moreover, his chances of getting Lin Ling would vanish the moment he let go of Qin Fen like this.
In this place which had different kinds of people, chances are, Lin Ling would be noticed by someone else when she entered another hotel, and this person would steal her away.
“Don’t move out!” Vincent smiled radiantly, and said, “I have rooms with a good environment right here as well.”
“I need to live a little closer to that Gruesome Madness.” Qin Fen said without hesitation, “Your place is too far away.”
“I… I can provide a pick-up car…”
Vincent’s words attracted Qin Fen’s stare, which sent a s.h.i.+ver down his spine again. He had never met a youth with eyes that could look through everything.
Vincent felt like he couldn’t even gather the courage to lie in Qin Fen’s face. His appendages were twitching involuntarily.
Qin Fen stared at Vincent for quite some time. When he saw sweat dropping from Vincent’s forehead, he said flatly, “Nothing in this world is given for no good reason, especially with you being a businessman.”
“I…I…” Vincent felt that Qin Fen’s tiger-like vibe had dispersed. His mind relaxed a lot, and his brain started pondering on how to respond. He was afraid that if he gave a wrong answer, this newcomer of the Golden Triangle who knew nothing about the rules would murder people on the streets.
“I… actually… I like to watch Gruesome Madness, too.” Vincent’s hands behind his back constantly rubbed against one another, “If I were your agent, I can enter for free. The price of the ticket is too high… I’m reluctant to pay it…”
Vincent’s voice grew softer as he reached the end. He didn’t even have the courage to look at Qin Fen anymore. He wasn’t even sure if the lie he told could convince Qin Fen.
Qin Fen fell silent for a brief few seconds. He nodded slowly and said, “Okay, I’ll trust you once. If I find out that you’re lying to me, then…”
“I won’t! I definitely won’t!” Vincent smiled radiantly and waved his hands frantically, “How would I dare lie to you? Just trust me.”
“Okay, I’ll trust you once.” Qin Fen flicked his nail and said, “So, can you tell me where I can buy a gun and bullets?”
“You…” Vincent was slightly shocked. He a.s.sessed Qin Fen several times before he said, “You didn’t inquire about the situation here before you came?”
Qin Fen’s speech was as slow as the shaking of his head, “No, I was killing policemen and soldiers. There was no time to inquire about the situation. I only knew that I could hide from mishaps here.”
Vincent watched Qin Fen as he said, “was killing policemen and soldiers”. That calm expression sent another s.h.i.+ver down his spine.
Many fugitives of the government’s wanted list here in the Golden Triangle had killed policemen, but only a handful had killed soldiers. However, the fugitives who had killed policemen or soldiers would feel quite proud when they talk about these things.
Vincent had also seen such fugitives.
Vincent had never met a fugitive like Qin Fen, who had killed policemen and soldiers and talked about this matter in such a calm manner. It was as if he didn’t kill policemen and soldiers, but merely killed chicks.
“Do you know?” Qin Fen asked again, pulling Vincent back from his deep thoughts.
“Yes, I know.” Vincent nodded, “Over here is one of the concentration camps of the underworld, so there is no black market. Everything is displayed on counters. There are also various weapons stores along the street. As long as you have enough cash, it wouldn’t be difficult to even buy a Jungle Ranger.”
“Thank you.” Qin Fen held Lin Ling’s waist and turned around, “You go back. We know the way. We’ll go back later at night.”
“Okay, sure.”
Vincent unctuously fawned. A cold gaze flickered in his eyes as he sat back in the car.
He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. Two columns of smoke spewed out from his nostrils as he relaxed. He mumbled to himself, “If I want that chick, I must kill that man. It will be too dangerous to keep him. I feel like I’m facing a ferocious mutant beast when I face him.”
Qin Fen and Lin Ling were not in a hurry as they walked the streets of the Minnan Tower. Whether it was a two-dimensional map or a three-dimensional electronic projection map, it was better to observe the place in person.
The weapons store here was exactly as Vincent had said. Although it couldn’t be said that as long as you had the money, you could even buy s.p.a.ce wars.h.i.+ps immediately. But if you wanted to buy more conventional weapons, then you could pay and receive the goods on the spot.
Qin Fen and Lin Ling walked into an arms shop.
A salesman who was holding his chin and senselessly hitting at flies with a flyswatter at the counter became energized immediately.
“h.e.l.lo, you two. I’m the owner of this store. You can call me Zhe Wuyue.” This salesman had quite a thin figure. As he rubbed his hands back and forth, he emanated a feeling that felt like he was about to earn money from the innocent customers, “What would you like to order? Whether it is for flying in the sky, running on land, or swimming in the sea, it’s all available!”
“This is such a pretty lady. With two PPK in your hands, you’ll definitely make her s.h.i.+ne. If you are after something more exquisite, my store offers carvings of dragons and phoenixes on the gun sh.e.l.l. When you carry it, it will make people…”
Qin Fen raised his hand and cut off the other party’s sale-promoting. He looked at the goods on the shelf, “Guns are for killing people.”
This thirty-year-old, thin-figured Zhe Wuyue was shocked when he looked at Qin Fen. This young-looking man, who looked like he was here to tour rather than to seek refuge, could speak such reasonable words.
“Speaking of that,” Zhe Wuyue took an M16 from the shelf, “This one…”
Qin Fen was too lazy to even take a look. He listed out the weaknesses of the gun without hesitation, “It’s too bulky and unsuitable to be carried around. It affects the speed of firing. The precision is too high. It won’t be easy to maintain…”
“This one…”
“The caliber is alright. The kinetic energy is too small…”
“This one…”
“The caliber is alright. The momentum is not bad. The special bullets are too expensive…”
“How much is this one?” Qin Fen picked up a G22, and kept pointing at the various ammunition parts, even a stack of files and pliers, “How much are all of these?”
Zhe Wuyue was surprised at the very beginning, but now he was now left speechless. Because of all his years of experience in selling guns, he would naturally know his customers’ choices. Those parts and tools were obviously necessary tools for modification. It seemed like this person intended to modify the gun into a weapon that sought solely on destructive power with extremely strong kinetic power.
As a store owner, Zhe Wuyue also served a lot of young masters who came here on holiday to seek excitement.
If the young master who claimed to be a firearms enthusiast was of an elementary school level, then this equally young customer before him was definitely of a master level.
“I also want this one, this one, and this one…” Lin Ling also chose a G22 large-caliber pistol, along with a stack of parts. As for the tools needed for modification, she even asked for more than what Qin Fen did.
Zhe Wuyue rea.s.sessed Lin Ling.* Even beautiful women were becoming gun experts as well?*
“Alright! I’m offering to give you both a twenty percent discount today.”
Zhe Wuyue wasn’t an amateur when it came to the guns business. He naturally knew the survival protocol of the Golden Triangle.
Natural selection. Survival of the fittest.
These words were the most appropriate description for the Golden Triangle.
In this place, there was no such Federation-like thing of “I rather have a good father than learn my mathematics and sciences well.”
A gifting relations.h.i.+p for a good future was never going to happen here.
Everyone who lived here was either an ordinary wolf, a legendary wolf, or a fox.
Only those who were truly capable could stand firm and rise in this place.
Judging from the items they both ordered, Zhe Wuyue quickly determined that these two would progress well in their future in the Golden Triangle.
If so, his investment as a businessman shouldn’t start small.
When Qin Fen paid for all the goods, Zhe Wujie handed over a business card hastily, and said, “You must visit my little store anytime in the future. If you need any information, I might be able to provide you both with some.”
Qin Fen kept his business card, and replied seriously, “Thank you.”
As soon as Zhe Wuyue sent Qin Fen off, he turned back toward his store and immediately found a middle-aged man in a camouflage uniform entering the store and asking, “What did those two just buy?”
“Oh? You’re General w.a.n.g’s people?” Zhe Wuyue’s face lit up in a radiant smile. w.a.n.g Hao, who was looking for new recruits rising everywhere, was his bankroller. Naturally, he would not p.i.s.s them off. Zhe Wuyue immediately poured him a cup of good tea, “Those two youth are not ordinary. The items they chose were not expensive, but they were definitely experts in using guns. They are at least experts in using pistols.”
“Really?” The middle-aged man that just came in found it quite unbelievable.
“How could I lie to you?” Zhe Wuyue praised enthusiastically, as if he was promoting his goods, “Those two even bought a stack of gun parts and modification tools. If you don’t believe it, then once their weapons have been a.s.sembled, you can send someone to test them.”
“Test them?” The middle-aged man stroked his beard, “It’s good as well. Killing them would only waste two bullets.”
Zhe Wuyue was sensible so he didn’t speak, but he sneered in his heart. The worst case scenario would be that the two of General w.a.n.g’s soldiers would be wasted.
Qin Fen didn’t rush back to the hotel. They both planned to familiarize themselves with the Minnan Tower, especially those narrow and dark alleys which could be advantageous for them in the future.
As they walked through a rather secluded alley, they both stopped. From the corner of the alley came the sound of a boxing duel.
An alley? The corner of Qin Fen’s mouth curved into a smile. When he got the liquid metal ball that day, it was also in an alley. Now it seemed like he had a predestined affinity toward alleys.
Two dull applauses. A figure around the corner of the alley flashed out, one which Qin Fen couldn’t say to be too familiar, but he had seen it before.
Chen Feiyu barely stabilized his stance. As he leaned against the wall to reduce the possible directions of being attacked, he once again s.p.a.ced out his position as he stared at the alley at the corner.
“Aren’t you tired after running away for so many years? You might as well commit suicide. That way we could save ourselves the fatigue of chasing you.”
At the corner of the alley, the cold voice channeled into Qin Fen’s and Lin Ling’s ears.
The next moment, three people in black clothing, apparently not from the Golden Triangle, slowly entered into Qin Fen’s field of view.
“Hey? There’s someone else?”
The black-clothed man on the left raised his eyebrows when he saw Qin Fen in the alley.
The black-clothed man in the middle raised his arm and moved his finger, “Get rid of them…”
Before he finished his sentence, the two black-clothed people beside him were like a garuda spreading its wings. A big stride forward scattered countless durst and gushed out like a wind.
Two sequence-indefinite sound of gunshots suddenly filled the silent alley.
The two black-clothed men who had pounced into the air fell heavily on the ground like torn gunny sacks. Inertia threw their bodies several meters away, leaving a long trail of blood which oozed from their eyebrows on the ground.
The black-clothed man and Chen Feiyu stared blankly in unison. It had never crossed their minds that this man and this woman dared to open fire and kill people on Minnan Street.
While the black-clothed man was stunned, another two bullets spun at high speed straight towards him with a visible pa.s.sage of airflow.
Blood exploded from the black-clothed man’s brain. The last black-clothed man didn’t escape the bullet. His eyes remained wide open as he fell slowly to the ground.
A six-star expert was apparently killed by one shot. The last feeling he had before dying was that his death was too unjust.
Chen Feiyu also recovered from his blank state. He squatted quickly and hastily took the wallet from the black-clothed man. He then took a few steps toward Qin Fen, cupped his fists and said, “Thank you.”
“No worries.”
As Qin Fen dropped those words, he went toward the other two black-clothes men and imitated Chen Feiyu as he searched for both their wallets and guns.
Qin Fen didn’t think that an extra gun would be c.u.mbersome.
Chen Feiyu was shocked by Qin Fen’s action. He looked around and sighed as he said, “The Minnan Tower also has rules. You won’t die by doing this, but it will inevitably attract some trouble. And the most troublesome will be… forget it! Just follow me first”
After Chen Feiyu finished, he didn’t bother to check whether Qin Fen could keep up or not. He turned and ran toward the low wall of the alley and leaped over.
Qin Fen and Lin Ling looked at each other, and then without a word, they followed him over the wall.
The corner of Qin Fen’s mouth had a faint smile as they followed Chen Feiyu.
Am I being forced into trouble? No! Qin Fen shook his head. This is only partially forced at most, I involved myself in this trouble.
When they arrived at the Golden Triangle, Qin Fen and Lin Ling found that this place was far more troublesome than what was in the provided information. Entering an unfamiliar territory left him clueless about so many things.
They needed a local, one who was at least familiar with the people around here, to provide some simple guidelines.
When they saw Chen Feiyu being attacked, Qin Fen and Lin Ling decided to help. They didn’t expect the three black-clothed men to be more anxious than they were, apparently taking out their guns first.
After turning a few lanes and running through several streets, Chen Feiyu ran about ten kilometers or so before stopping in front of a dilapidated wooden house.
“Come on in.” Chen Feiyu pushed open the door into a house with dim lighting. He turned and said to Qin Fen, “I think you’re the Chinese who just entered the Golden Triangle, right? Then I have a duty as a fellow Chinese to tell you about the rules of the Minnan Tower.”
“Brother… you’ve come back so early today… cough…”
In the room came a weak, sickly voice of a woman.
“Things were done faster today.” Chen Feiyu’s smile had a glimpse of exhaustion. He raised his hand with a bag of medicine and said gently, “I’ve made a lot of money again today. I’ll prepare the medicine for you first.”
Made money? Qin Fen’s forehead showed a glimmer of peculiarity. At that moment, he caught Chen Feiyu’s expression which begged him to keep the secret.
Qin Fen nodded without saying a word.
The girl who lay on the bed looked sixteen or seventeen years old. Her face was yellowish, and even her lips were pale.
She coughed twice. When she saw Qin Fen and Lin Ling, her eyes brightened, “Brother, you’re having friends over today?”
Chen Feiyu smirked a little as he nodded while soaking the herbs. It was apparent that he was once the first person in the Five-Star District of Madly Gruesome, a warrior with dozens of human lives under his belt.
“Come here, please sit down.” Her arms supported her as she attempted to sit up from the bed. She smiled happily, “This is the first time my brother brought home some friends since I came here.”
“You lie down now.” Qin Fen sat on a precariously-stable bench, “You can just lie down.”
The girl gave an apologetic smile, and lay on the bed once again, “My brother isn’t very sociable. He has very few friends. Thank you for looking after him.”
Looking after him? Qin Fen laughed bitterly on the inside. I just helped him to rob someone. Isn’t this looking after too much?
As Qin Fen looked closely at the girl’s appearance, he was filled with a bit of doubt. Although there were many people who didn’t resemble their siblings’ looks, but this brother and sister…
The girl felt Qin Fen observing her. She covered her mouth and smiled, then asked, “Are you curious about how I don’t share the slightest similarities in features with my brother?”
Qin Fen was a little surprised. The girl laying on the bed looked like she never goes out yet…
“Hehe…” The girl smiled. “It’s nothing. When my brother carries me out for sunlight every day, someone will always look at us like that.”
Chen Feiyu then took out the medicine pot, and looked at Qin Fen as he suggested, “Do you want to go out to prepare medicine together?”
“Brother, why would you bring friends back only to let them work with you?” The girl complained, “It’ll be the same even if you prepare it in the house.”
“That won’t work.” Chen Feiyu looked at the girl on the bed lovingly, “This medicine is too pungent. Your body is weak. The smell is not good for you.”
Qin Fen got up without saying anything and followed Chen Feiyu out of the room.
The girl on the bed looked at Chen Feiyu’s back and let out a faint sigh before she finally looked at Lin Ling sadly.
Talk. She needed someone to talk to.
But she chose the wrong person this time.
Lin Ling didn’t ask in concern about why she sighed. She simply sat there and looked at the old-fas.h.i.+oned floor quietly.
Outside the room…
Chen Feiyu gently fanned the fire on the stove. He spoke in a very low voice, “Every place has its own social order and rules. This place is no exception.”
“Isn’t it respect for the strongest here?”
“You think you’re very strong?” Chen Feiyu’s tone was somewhat berating, “Respect for the strongest is undoubtedly present here. However, your strength of five stars is far from sufficient. Furthermore, because you shot and killed those people back there, you will be arrested and brought before the arbitration inst.i.tutions nearby. Of course, it’s alright since you killed in self-defense. But you should try to tone down doing those kinds of things. It would be difficult for you to know whether the next person you shoot is a member of an organization or not. By then…”
Qin Fen didn’t speak. He simply nodded.
He could tell that the three men back there were wearing a black suit, white s.h.i.+rt, and black tie. Their dressing style was completely different from the camouflage wardrobes of those in the Golden Triangle. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have killed them straight away.
“Also, you should act like the whole incident of killing those three back there didn’t happen.” Chen Feiyu gave a very serious warning, “Act as if you’ve never met those three. Regardless of who asks, you must be completely oblivious. You’ve never met them, understand? If you don’t want to die, you do as I’ve said.”
“Oh yeah, I’m working at a grocery store. I’m not a fighter.” Chen Feiyu once again reminded.
Qin Fen looked at the fire on the stove as he asked, “Apart from fighting, what other ways are there to make fast money?”
“Join an organization and become an important member.” Chen Feiyu frowned. “I’m advising you to refrain from doing that. Joining an organization is no less dangerous than playing with life and death. The kind of utterly conscienceless money from selling drugs should be avoided.”
After a few silent seconds, Chen Feiyu said, “If you’re not very short of money, it would be better to keep a low profile from Gruesome Madness in the future. Otherwise, when an organization spots you, they’ll pester you with invitations.”
Qin Fen squatted on the ground and looked at the street not far away. Several brawny men dressed in camouflage uniforms gently raised their chins, “Just like them? They’ve come to invite you?”
Chen Feiyu looked up and saw a few people coming toward him. His sword-sharp eyebrows slowly met, “Here they come again. w.a.n.g Hao is truly a persistent person.”