"I thought you were just some office deadbeat, but I didn't expect you to actually fire."
Amid the silence, the middle-aged woman that Lu Xin was pointing his gun at didn't try to run. Instead, she calmly pushed others aside and stepped forward, facing the gun's barrel without a trace of fear. Her expression remained indifferent as she said coldly:
"We have guns too, but we weren't prepared in advance. You caught us off guard—fine, we'll admit defeat for today and let you go…"
"If the Security Bureau arrests you afterward, that's not our problem."
"But if they don't, then we'll settle this our own way."
The Security Bureau strictly controls firearms within the high-walled city. Even groups like hers had very few guns available inside the city.
Companies that frequently operate outside the walls usually have hidden supply depots beyond the city limits—some even have small armories. However, the patrol army's strict inspections make it impossible to bring too many weapons into the city. Anyone caught doing so would face severe punishment.
Of course, despite these strict regulations, people still manage to smuggle in a gun or two for self-defense. But these weapons aren't carried openly. Since they weren't prepared, Lu Xin's gun had caught them off guard.
The woman was sharp. Her words were airtight. Normally, if someone fired a gun in the city, the Security Bureau would be all over it. Lu Xin could be arrested and sent beyond the walls to labor camps. But she also made it clear—if the Bureau didn't arrest him, they would settle things their way, following the unspoken rules of the underworld.
Not far away, Princess Xiaoqing and Lü Cheng were trembling, their legs weak and faces pale.
The moment Lu Xin pulled out a gun, their entire worldview shattered.
People who grew up inside the high-walled city always thought of guns as something distant, something that had nothing to do with their lives.
Hearing the female manager's words, the thugs released Lü Cheng and Xiaoqing, clearing a path for them.
But their expressions were cold—they looked at Lu Xin as if he were already dead.
Yet Lu Xin didn't move. He said, "I'm not leaving. We haven't finished discussing our business."
The woman who had been staring down the barrel of his gun was momentarily stunned.
"Even now, you still want to negotiate business?"
"Yes."
Lu Xin nodded. "But we need to talk about the price. It can't just be whatever you say—it has to be fair."
He paused before adding, "Fair for both sides."
The woman's expression grew complicated.
The people around her had similarly strange expressions.
"I've used a gun to do business plenty of times. I've even negotiated deals while dangling people over a pool full of lunatics. But this—getting held at gunpoint while someone tries to do business with me—this is a first."
A deep voice interrupted.
From an office behind them, a tall man staggered out. He was unshaven, with a cigarette between his lips, wearing a filthy yet sturdy camouflage jacket. On his head sat a red beret—one that didn't match the uniform of the city's patrol army. Who knew where he got it from?
The moment he appeared, the people around instinctively lowered their heads.
Even the woman with the gun pointed at her turned to him. "Boss, this guy—"
The man waved his hand and said to Lu Xin, "Put the gun down. You have the upper hand today—I won't make trouble for you."
"Oh."
Lu Xin immediately lowered his gun and stuffed it back into his backpack.
Princess Xiaoqing and Lü Cheng's eyes widened, full of confusion.
"Business as usual. Go discuss."
The man nodded toward the woman before turning to Lu Xin. "Come with me, kid."
The situation took an unexpected turn.
Everyone present was baffled.
Lü Cheng and Princess Xiaoqing were soon pushed back into the office. Lu Xin, meanwhile, obediently followed the man into the small building he had come from.
Inside, the place was surprisingly well-furnished—wooden flooring, hanging lights, a large sofa on the left, and a glass coffee table in front of it. On the table were a plate of dumplings, some steamed buns, and a dish of red pickled chili peppers.
The man sat down and started eating. He ate strangely—chewing slowly yet never stopping as if devouring food with an odd sense of greed. The food was ordinary, but he ate it with an unusual seriousness.
Lu Xin didn't respond right away. He glanced at the food on the table. Several empty plates with leftover scraps suggested the man had already eaten a lot.
"I've spent too much time in the wasteland. Every time I return to the city, I can never seem to eat enough."
The man, Qin Ran, bit into a bun, pairing it with a dumpling, and glanced at Lu Xin.
"Want some?"
Lu Xin shook his head. "I'm not hungry."
He could understand Qin Ran's obsession with food.
Life inside and outside the high-walled city was completely different.
Qinggang City was one of the first places to solve the food scarcity problem. Thanks to the redevelopment of agricultural technology and the discovery of mysterious wild strains, the city had a steady supply of livestock and expansive farmland—some even mechanized. But outside the city, food was a luxury few could afford.
Many factions beyond the walls constantly struggled with food shortages. Hunger was a daily reality for people in the wilderness.
For them, the only way to escape starvation was to abandon their weapons and move into the high-walled city.
However, while Qinggang had plenty of food and supplies for purchase, strict laws prevented anyone from taking food out of the city.
The two most well-known major crimes in the high-walled city:
Smuggling firearms inside.Smuggling food outside.
"After years of fighting to survive in the wilderness, you start valuing the simple things—having enough to eat, sleeping safely, not worrying that the woman you're with might pull a grenade on you mid-act…
Inside this city, I try to keep my head down and follow the rules. You give a little, I give a little, and we all get by. Don't you think so?"
Qin Ran ate for a while longer before finally looking up at Lu Xin.
"So, tell me, kid. Why are you looking for me?"
His eyes, despite his relaxed posture, carried a dangerous edge. He studied Lu Xin closely before speaking in a detached tone.
"I've seen plenty of people who do business at gunpoint. But you? You've never been beyond the walls."
"Be honest. Who sent you? What do you want?"
Lu Xin examined him carefully, comparing him to the file he had read.
Then he asked, "Are you Qin Ran?"
The man chuckled instead of answering.
"You here to kill me?"
His right hand, still holding chopsticks, remained steady.
His other hand, however, was reaching beneath the wooden coffee table.
"No."
Lu Xin shook his head. "I came to ask—have you been experiencing anything… strange?"
The moment he heard that, Qin Ran's expression changed.
A flicker of fear crossed his face.
"You're setting me up?" he muttered.
Then, with a sudden movement, his hidden hand reappeared—holding a gun.