"Young master, you're finally here! Let me tell you, this kid is so arrogant, he doesn't take our Black Dragon Guild seriously at all. Previously, I brought some brothers here to complete a mission, and they actually..."
The yellow-haired man exaggeratedly recounted what had happened earlier. After finishing, he looked at Su Mu with a smug expression, completely unaware that Li Ming, who was standing beside him, had an increasingly gloomy expression, his face turning ashen.
"Enough, you damned fool, you don't even realize that death is at your door," Li Ming could no longer tolerate the yellow-haired man's words. He angrily slapped him across the face.
The slap sent the yellow-haired man crashing to the ground, his face swelling rapidly as several teeth flew out, stained with blood.
The yellow-haired man was stunned by the slap, his head ringing. Before he could process what happened, he saw Li Ming walking toward Su Mu.
Su Mu watched Li Ming approach, sneering and mocking, "What? Is Li the genius coming to deal with me?"
"No, no, of course not, I don't have the guts for that. That's... Brother Mu, my subordinate made a mistake. I apologize to you, and whatever you say, I will follow. I won't argue," Li Ming said with a smile. Earlier, he had personally witnessed Su Mu's S-rank profession and heard his conversation with the Deputy City Lord.
This person in front of him could become someone above everyone else in Yun City with just a nod. Destroying their Black Dragon Guild would be simple for him.
Although Li Ming appeared calm on the outside, in reality, his heart was in chaos, and he could only wish he could kill the yellow-haired man a thousand times.
"Don't be like that. You Black Dragon Guild are so impressive. How could I let you apologize? How about I kowtow to the young master instead?" Su Mu said sarcastically.
Bang! Upon hearing this, Li Ming gritted his teeth and, without hesitation, knelt down and kowtowed to Su Mu.
"Brother Mu, indeed, we are in the wrong today. Please forgive us just this once," Li Ming said, bowing.
Su Mu was momentarily stunned. "What the hell, he actually did it. I just said it to tease him, and now he's really doing it. He's so cooperative that it's making me feel unaccomplished. Look at how tough the yellow-haired guy was."
But Li Ming's actions did indeed surprise Su Mu. To be able to kneel before so many subordinates at the age of 18 took a lot of guts.
His actions also stunned the over a hundred Black Dragon Guild members present. The yellow-haired man's eyes almost popped out of his head as he stared, unable to believe what he was seeing.
It was only at that moment that the yellow-haired man realized he had truly crossed the wrong person, and his heart filled with fear, his hands and feet going weak.
Su Mu narrowed his eyes and looked at the kneeling Li Ming. "Heh, you're quite smart. You're the young master of the Black Dragon Guild, where's your father? Why didn't he come?"
"My father went hunting outside the city today, he hasn't returned yet. When he comes back, we'll definitely visit you to apologize," Li Ming replied.
"Alright, you know what's going on today. Sign this master-servant contract and compensate Uncle An with ten million. Then, all members of the Black Dragon Guild must kneel here in front of the shop and kowtow a thousand times. Only then will this matter be settled. And this person must die, do you understand?" Su Mu said coldly as he threw a scroll in front of Li Ming. It was a master-servant contract scroll—once signed, Li Ming's life would be under Su Mu's control.
This was one of the items dropped after killing the Icefire Sabertooth.
Li Ming was a person who could bend and stretch, and was invited by the Combat Department. He was also a B-rank professional, so if he could be subjugated, it would be more valuable than just killing him.
"Alright, whatever Brother Mu says, I'll do," Li Ming replied without hesitation, signing the master-servant contract immediately. He then stood up and turned to his over a hundred subordinates, shouting, "Did you hear that? Kneel down and kowtow, do two thousand kowtows before you can leave. Do you understand?"
"Yes!" The group of thugs exchanged glances before kneeling in unison, repeatedly kowtowing in front of the shop while counting aloud.
Once he had given the order, Li Ming's gaze turned cold, filled with furious anger, and he walked straight towards the yellow-haired man.
The yellow-haired man, still in shock, finally snapped out of his daze. His legs weakened, and he collapsed to the ground, shouting, "No, Brother Mu, I was wrong, please spare me this time, young master, young master, you can't kill me!"
The cries for mercy echoed, but Li Ming showed no mercy. A revolver appeared in his hand, and he shot the yellow-haired man with a single shot.
A blood hole appeared in the yellow-haired man's forehead, his eyes widened, and he collapsed lifelessly, still holding onto an expression of regret.
After dealing with the yellow-haired man, Li Ming bent down, intending to kowtow as well since Su Mu had said everyone must do it.
But Su Mu stopped him, his anger now dissipating.
"Alright, you don't need to kowtow. Go back and tell your father to disband the Black Dragon Guild. Don't ever do these ridiculous things again. As for you, join the Combat Department in Yun City and try to rise higher. Understand what I mean?"
Su Mu's decision to keep Li Ming was not a sudden one; he had plans for him. Placing some people in the official departments of Yun City could yield unexpected benefits and make handling some tedious matters easier.
Li Ming clearly understood Su Mu's intentions, nodding in agreement.
"Alright, go back now. Also, warn your father not to have any ulterior motives. You should know, with just one word from me, I can ruin you all."
"Yes, Brother Mu, rest assured. Becoming a follower of an S-rank professional means my future will be brighter, so I will definitely not have any other ideas," Li Ming promised.
...
After everything was settled, Su Mu and An Dashan returned home. Uncle An cooked a few dishes, and the three of them drank heartily, eventually getting drunk.
Su Mu, feeling dizzy, fell asleep immediately. He vaguely remembered Uncle An smiling with a bruised face, constantly praising the two of them for making something of themselves.
When Su Mu woke up, it was already the next morning. His phone rang with a bank notification: thirty million.
"Heh, he really knows how to get things done," Su Mu chuckled, got up, washed up, and went downstairs to buy breakfast.
On his way back, he overheard people talking on the street, and the events from yesterday at the West Square had already spread.
Most of Yun City's residents knew about the new S-rank professional and the Deputy City Lord's attempt to recruit him. They were all amazed.
Su Mu also overheard another piece of news that caught his attention—the son of He Yiming, the Logistics Minister of the Yun City Defense Department, had died in the Novice Trial.
Minister He was reportedly furious and had thrown a tantrum all night, causing trouble for the Defense Department. He had even summoned many students involved in the trial for questioning.
Upon hearing this, Su Mu narrowed his eyes. He knew exactly how He Yun had died—it was at his own hands.
Although it happened in the Novice Dungeon and no one could trace it, there might be some special methods that could uncover clues.
Moreover, this was a world of survival of the fittest. With He Yiming's position, if he went mad, it wouldn't be impossible for him to make those students pay for his son's death.
Looks like I need to be more careful in the future, Su Mu thought warily.
"Did you hear? There was a ghost haunting Jin Xiu Street yesterday. Over a hundred people were kneeling on the street, acting crazy and kowtowing for an entire day and night. Some even fainted from it."
"Really? How could it be haunted? Could there be monsters in our inner city? That's terrifying."
Two older women walked by Su Mu, and their words made him freeze in surprise, then he couldn't help but laugh. The Black Dragon Guild members were surprisingly loyal—they actually kowtowed for the entire night.
When Su Mu returned home, he happened to meet An Dashan, who had come over. The two had agreed the previous day to go outside the city to hunt monsters and level up.
Now that they were professionals, it was time to quickly increase their strength.
Su Mu had not forgotten that this was a post-apocalyptic world. While the base city seemed peaceful and prosperous on the surface, it was always facing danger. Even a slightly larger beast tide could wipe out countless people, and the weak would perish without making a ripple.
Finishing his breakfast, Su Mu didn't waste any time and left the house with the chubby man.