Outside the black market casino, a figure wearing a golden mask approached the casino entrance. Behind him followed several people, dragging a figure on the ground. That figure was covered in blood, staining the ground red, a very miserable sight.
The people guarding the casino door bowed respectfully and greeted, "Secretary Jin."
The figure in the golden mask walked straight in, followed by the others. The guards wiped their sweat, feeling a strong oppressive aura from Secretary Jin as he passed by, perhaps an instinctual fear.
After Secretary Jin entered the casino, the atmosphere became noticeably quieter, with some people automatically following him.
On the top floor of the casino, there was an extremely luxurious room guarded by many people outside.
People arrived one after another, including some big figures of the black market, such as Cobra, who mingled in the black market, and Qin Zhong, the manager of the casino and fighting arena.
In the room, the figure wearing the golden mask sat on a large sofa, playing with a knife in his hand.
Two characters were engraved on it, "Skywalker."
The knife's owner lay in front of him, the previously dragged figure, weak and covered in blood.
"Secretary Jin."
"Secretary Jin." The newcomers greeted respectfully and stood aside, no one dared to speak.
A place like the black market was filled with sin, impossible to sustain without protection. Moreover, a massive amount of federal currency flowed through every day. The casino alone made high daily profits, money not easily swallowed by just anyone.
A ruthless person like Cobra was merely a thug, while Qin Zhong was only the manager of the casino and fighting arena.
"Moke, do you recognize this?" Secretary Jin handed the knife to a masked figure beside him.
Moke took the knife and nodded, his body bent, not daring to stand straight.
"Show them." Secretary Jin said.
Moke passed the knife, and Cobra, Qin Zhong, and others took a glance before returning it to Secretary Jin.
"This organization has been particularly active lately, disrupting many things. He is a member." Secretary Jin's voice was cold and mechanical. He leaned forward, stabbing the knife into the man's palm, piercing through. The weak figure on the ground screamed, his hand pinned to the floor.
Secretary Jin squatted, his golden mask close to the man's face, coldly asking, "Who is your leader, and how many people are in the organization?"
There were many such organizations in the underworld. He never paid attention to them, considering them underground rats, and neither did the Underground City care about their existence. At most, a few people would die.
However, this organization seemed to be investigating him recently, targeting his operations, which was intolerable. No one could disrupt his business.
"Kill me!" The man said in pain.
Secretary Jin snorted coldly, sat back on the sofa, and said icily, "Believe me, you won't die if you don't confess something."
Cobra stepped forward, squatted, and twisted the knife embedded in the man's hand, speaking with a chilling tone, "Talk."
The man screamed in agony, wishing for death.
"The organization is dispersed. We don't know each other. The leader is Lao K, but I've never seen him. Messages are relayed through dark channels. I truly don't know Lao K's real identity." The man howled in pain, "That's all I know. Kill me."
"Think again." Cobra's arm split into a blade, piercing the man's back, while his other hand continued twisting the knife, showing extreme cruelty.
"Lao K might be in the black market. I truly don't know anything else." The man screamed in pain. Cobra looked up at Secretary Jin, who nodded.
The blade plunged directly into the man's heart. Blood spilled from his mouth, staining the floor red. Soon, he breathed his last.
"Moke, investigate outside. As for Cobra, have your men in the black market keep an eye out." Secretary Jin instructed. The group bowed, "Yes."
"There's a mission in a few days requiring your cooperation." Secretary Jin gave more instructions before finally saying, "Qin Zhong, arrange for me to go to the fighting arena. It's been a while since I stretched my muscles."
"Yes, Secretary Jin." Qin Zhong nodded and then left the area.
Cobra and the others sneered. Secretary Jin joining the fight was purely for the pleasure of killing. How could the people in the fighting arena be his match?
To them, Secretary Jin was invincible. Even Cobra, as ruthless as he was, greatly feared Secretary Jin, knowing he was merely a dog under his command.
Just as they expected, a bloody one-sided massacre soon occurred in the fighting arena.
Cobra, Moke, and others watched the slaughter from the VIP room, their fear of Secretary Jin deepening.
...
Xu Mo trained in an abandoned factory for most of the day, returning to the department store near nightfall.
Mia waited at the door for him. Seeing Xu Mo with his head down, Mia felt strange and asked, "Xu Mo, what's wrong?"
"Miss Mia, it's nothing." Xu Mo said, head still down, trying to slip past, but Mia grabbed his hand and moved it away.
Noticing the bruises on Xu Mo's face, Mia was taken aback. Xu Mo, bracing himself, said, "Accidentally bumped again."
Mia glared at Xu Mo. She wasn't stupid.
But since Xu Mo didn't say, she didn't ask, quietly saying, "I'll get some medicine."
Xu Mo sighed.
"Xu Mo, did you do something bad and get beaten up?" Bai Wei whispered nearby.
She guessed correctly.
"Sister Bai Wei, what bad could I do?" Xu Mo denied.
"Good." Bai Wei muttered, "If you really did something bad, they wouldn't hit your face unless it was a woman."
Xu Mo: "..."
Mia brought ointment and applied it to him, showing a pained expression. Yesterday's injuries were not fully healed, and now he was hurt again. She wondered who could be so ruthless.
Although curious, Mia respected Xu Mo's silence, and could only speculate.
"Xu Mo, Elsa wants to invite us to her house." Mia spoke as she applied the medicine.
"Us?" Xu Mo asked, surprised.
"Yes." Mia nodded, "Elsa probably guessed."
Xu Mo understood Mia's meaning. Given Elsa and Mia's relationship, it was easy to guess some of the music wasn't Mia's work.
Seeing Xu Mo silent, Mia continued, "Elsa knows many people. Su Xi was her friend, and Su Xi's father works at the City State Council. Though Elsa hasn't mentioned it, I suspect her father also has ties there. If Elsa is willing to help, she might better protect you and Yaoer."
Recently, Elsa had been asking a lot about Xu Mo. Being sensitive and perceptive, Mia naturally noticed.
Mia glanced at Xu Mo's face. He seemed to be getting more handsome, having grown taller, now even surpassing her.
Xu Mo was a bit surprised. He hadn't realized Mia had thought so much. He could see that Elsa's family might be very well off, even her driver seemed skilled, possibly doubling as a bodyguard.
It seemed that while Mia was kind, she wasn't foolish. In this underground world, she often preferred to play dumb, making things easier to endure.
"No." Xu Mo responded, looking at Mia.
"Why?" Mia asked, "Are you still upset about before? Elsa is a bit proud, but she has a good heart."
"Miss Mia, I'm going to rest." Xu Mo ignored her, heading upstairs.
Mia was stunned. Xu Mo had never been so impolite.
However, after a moment of daze, a faint smile appeared on Mia's lips, fleetingly.
The mind of a young girl is always so complex.
In the following days, Xu Mo went out early and returned late. Mia didn't question him, knowing he was no longer the same and had his own ideas.
Bai Wei, on the other hand, was sometimes curious about what Xu Mo did every day.
She even secretly guessed if Xu Mo had fallen in love.
If Xu Mo knew her thoughts, he would probably be speechless.
These days, he had been undergoing brutal training, with his strength improving rapidly. He discovered that cultivating the Breathing Technique after intense exhaustion seemed more effective.
At that moment, in the fighting arena of the abandoned factory, the clash of knives and swords rang out continuously.
Xu Mo's knife strikes were fierce. Seth's heavy sword carried immense strength. Although stronger than Xu Mo, Seth couldn't suppress him anymore. Over these days, Xu Mo's progress involved more than just fighting skills.
His physical fitness, perception, and reflexes had all improved significantly.
At that moment, Seth's heavy sword slashed down. Xu Mo raised his knife to block, using the force to retreat and then suddenly propelled himself forward, slashing swiftly. Seth was about to sweep with his heavy sword when Xu Mo's knife movement changed, drawing an arc and bypassing the heavy sword to deliver a series of strikes. The knife and Seth's armor created a sharp screeching sound.
"Hiss..." Seth's shield rubbed against Xu Mo's knife. Xu Mo leveraged the force to slide back, distancing himself from Seth.
"Impressive." Seth said to Xu Mo, "Xu Mo, you're improving too fast. Without the armor, I'd be dead."
"Seth, my strength is still not as great as yours." Xu Mo replied. Seth's strength was indeed powerful.
"You both should stop flattering each other." Ye Qingdie, watching from the side, remarked.
She had noticed Xu Mo's remarkable improvement over the past few days. His talent was unquestionable. According to him, he only started cultivating the Breathing Technique and Source Power after his parents died.
Xu Mo looked at Ye Qingdie. She continued, "Ordinary people are no longer your match. The enemies you face in the future might be cyborgs, genetic warriors, and transcendent Source Power users. If you can't break armor, what's the point?"
Xu Mo was too familiar with such rhetoric to be fooled, but he didn't bother exposing her. Besides, Ye Qingdie made a valid point. From what he had gathered over the past few days, the power held by the big shots in the underworld far exceeded theirs.
He was increasingly curious about what the world above was like.
"Alright, rest well today. We start the mission tomorrow." Ye Qingdie said.
"Mission?" Xu Mo asked.
"Hunting Cobra!" Ye Qingdie smirked.