Chapter 178: Protection
Chapter 178: Protection
At ten in the evening, over a dozen modified open-top cars belonging to the Bloodstain Gang drove into Xiuyi Street.
At this hour, the wide street was devoid of pedestrians, with only the streetlights illuminating the area. The vehicles arrived without any attempt at concealment, their occupants shouting and even firing guns into the air, their audacity on full display.
"Boss, it's that place over there."
The gang leader pointed at a martial arts hall in the distance, still illuminated by floodlights. It was a riverside building, occupying a large area, surrounded by a concrete wall and an iron fence.
Zhuo Bao glanced at it and signaled, causing the car to stop immediately. The vehicles behind followed suit, and the gang members eagerly jumped out, brandishing their weapons. Around forty to fifty gang members slowly converged towards the martial arts hall.
The martial arts hall had night patrol personnel, but their numbers were limited to just five. Upon seeing the large group of Bloodstain Gang members, they retreated behind the entrance gate, raising their crossbows and aiming outside.
Zhuo Bao stepped out of the car and took the lead. He felt a burning fire in his chest, growing more intense by the moment, as if eager to vent his frustration. He reached out, and the gang leader promptly handed him a gun.
Zhuo Bao held the gun and took a few steps forward, stopping in front of the building. He raised the gun and fired three shots into the sky, aiming at the training hall ahead. "Chen Chuan, come out..."
However, before he could finish his sentence, a gunshot rang out from the diagonally opposite building, a dull sound like thunder exploding in the empty street.
Zhuo Bao's movement froze, a large hole appearing in his forehead. His body staggered, and he fell straight back.
The gang leader, hearing the gunshot, wondered who the idiot was firing at this moment, trying to steal the boss's thunder. But as he saw Zhuo Bao lying on the ground, he froze, as did all the gang members beside him.
Just then, a sharp whistle sounded, and patrol officers emerged from the shadows on both sides of the street, aiming their large-bore rifles at the Bloodstain Gang members. They pulled the triggers.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
For a moment, gunshots echoed on the street, and the muzzle flashes stood out vividly in the dark night, visible even across the street.
The gunfire lasted for over two minutes. When it finally stopped, the street was filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder, and none of the dozens of Bloodstain Gang members were left standing.
Xiao Wu, holding a pistol, emerged from the side of a building. As he passed a twitching gang member, he fired a shot at his head, instantly stopping his movements. He circled around, shooting every Bloodstain Gang member who was still alive.
After confirming there were no survivors, he approached Zhuo Bao and aimed his gun at his head. He pulled the trigger repeatedly, emptying the remaining bullets in one breath.
He raised his head and instructed one of the patrol officers, "Make a call. Tell the Bloodstain Gang to come and collect the bodies, and warn them to stay out of trouble."
"Yes, sir."
After the patrol officer made the call from the phone booth, he shouted, "Fall in!"
With a sharp whistle, the patrol officers emerged and formed a neat line, jogging towards the other end of the street. The sound of their boots on the ground echoed as they gradually moved away.
Inside the martial arts hall, Chen Chuan calmly wiped his long sword. He had ignored the commotion outside. Earlier, when he returned from Lakeside Park, he noticed that the Patrol Bureau had increased night patrols in the area, suspecting that his uncle had made arrangements.
This was likely in response to his attack, sending people to protect him and issue a warning to those behind it.
News of what happened here quickly spread to those who were watching the area.
"What? He's been taken care of?"
Shao Xiaobie was surprised and tense upon hearing the news from his butler. "The Patrol Bureau did this? They're getting involved?"
The butler reassured him, "Young Master, rest assured. This was done by the Bloodstain Gang, and it has nothing to do with us. This student is from the Patrol Bureau, and they probably increased patrols in that area after the last attack. Zhuo Bao was just unlucky to run into them."
"As long as it has nothing to do with us," Shao Xiaobie relaxed, but he also felt a headache coming on. Even a fool would know to strengthen their defenses now. How could he proceed with this?
Feeling helpless, he decided to take action. He picked up the phone on the desk and made a call.
"Hey, Brother Wei, it's me, Xiao Bie. Ah, brother, I'm sorry. The person I sent couldn't get the job done, and now the place is heavily guarded. I'm out of ideas..."
Wei Jun, on the other end, thought Shao Xiaobie was useless, unable to handle even this simple task and causing such a ruckus. However, he knew such people were still needed, so he didn't criticize him openly. Instead, he said, "Xiao Bie, you've done your best. I'll take care of this. Don't worry about it."
"Okay, Brother Wei. Let me know if you need anything."
Wei Jun hung up and sat there, deep in thought, his face grim. Finally, he picked up the phone again and dialed a number in Central City. After a while, someone answered.
"Hello, is this Teacher Tan? I'd like you to help me take care of someone. I can cover the cost of your implant surgery this time. Let's discuss it in person..."
"He waited in his villa until the afternoon of the next day. A car drove in from outside and stopped in front of the flower bed in front of the villa. Jing Lin emerged from inside, came to the back, and opened the door. Tan Wang, dressed in a foreign-style ceremonial robe, then stepped out and followed the butler's lead towards the villa.
Upon seeing this, Wei Jun waited in the study upstairs. When Tan Wang entered, he asked the butler to leave and invited Tan Wang to sit down.
Tan Wang sat on the sofa and said with a playful smile, "I've said it before. As long as you're willing to join the Venomous Snake Sect, you'll be one of our followers. As your guide, according to the sect's rules, I can grant you a request that isn't too demanding, and no additional compensation is required."
Wei Jun was well aware that joining the Venomous Snake Sect was akin to joining a faction prematurely. Going to the Academy Main Campus with this identity wouldn't help him; instead, it might become an obstacle.
He didn't immediately respond to Tan Wang's offer but said, "Teacher, the person I need to deal with this time is the same student you tried to recruit last time."
Tan Wang's face maintained a smile, but his eyes carried a hint of gloom, clearly remembering the previous incident. He had not only failed to recruit the student but had also been beaten up, resulting in him losing face and being unable to stay at the academy any longer.
Wei Jun, understanding Tan Wang's situation, continued, "Teacher, if I join the Venomous Snake Sect, I'll just be an additional follower. It may not be of great help to the sect, but once I graduate from the Academy Main Campus, I'll be able to take over the family business.
Not only can I provide more funding to the Venomous Snake Sect, but I can also promise to support your future cultivation resources. Why don't you consider my conditions?"
Tan Wang hummed in response. This condition was somewhat intriguing, but it was as far as it would go. If the price were any higher, Wei Jun might not have difficulty finding other options.
He pondered for a moment, then snorted and said, "I agree. Where is the person?"
The butler promptly handed over a set of prepared documents.
Tan Wang gestured for Jing Lin to take the documents and stood up. "I'll find time to take action. Once it's done, I'll return to the Academy Main Campus and wait for you to fulfill your promise." With that, he walked out.
Wei Jun approached the window and watched as Tan Wang left the villa and the car drove away. His heart instantly relaxed, knowing that Tan Wang was a master of the Third Limit, and his actions would undoubtedly be foolproof.
In fact, Wei Jun was aware that the Venomous Snake Sect had always offered such services. Even if he lowered his conditions further, Tan Wang would still agree, but he didn't have the mind to linger on this. It was already late August, and he had to resolve this matter before rushing to the Infinite Defense Certificate examination, ensuring there were no setbacks.
After Tan Wang's car left, Wei Jun took hold of Chen Chuan's documents and began reading. He couldn't forget the humiliation of being beaten up by He Xiaoxing, so he had been thinking of ways to deal with this person ever since.
Unfortunately, his money and contributions to the sect weren't enough to exchange for the sect's complete set of implants and secret transmissions. However, dealing with a small fry like Chen Chuan didn't require all that. He had just enough money, and upon returning, he could undergo the next implant surgery.
After reading through Chen Chuan's recent documents, Wei Jun smiled playfully, glanced outside, and said to Jing Lin, "Go check out that lakeside park."
Soon after Wei Jun changed his route, the butler received a message and immediately reported to Wei Jun, "Young Master, the servant following Mr. Tan has reported that his car has changed direction."
"He didn't return to his residence?"
"No, from the direction, it seems he's heading towards Lu Lake."
"Oh? Is he planning to resolve the matter directly?" Wei Jun asked, suddenly alert. He instructed, "Have someone keep an eye on him, and inform me immediately once there's a result!"
"Yes, Young Master."
In front of the private martial arts hall, Chen Chuan emerged, holding a sword. After stepping outside, he looked up and noticed the gloomy weather, which was also uncomfortably hot.
The security guard at the entrance said, "Mr. Chen, the weather looks like it might rain."
"I know," Chen Chuan replied.
He walked out, and the weather had indeed become muggy. At this moment, many people were likely hoping for a refreshing downpour.
Twenty minutes later, Chen Chuan returned to the lakeside park. The corpse from three days ago had been cleaned up, but some residual traces were still visible.
The wind began to blow, causing the reeds by the lakeside to sway and ripple.
Soon after, before Chen Chuan could start his practice, he heard the sound of approaching cars from a distance. He turned to see two sedans heading towards him. The one behind stopped at a distance, while the leading car stopped about ten meters away from him.
The car door opened, and Jing Lin, dressed in a foreign-style ceremonial robe, stepped out. Chen Chuan noticed the fine, embedded lines on his face and neck, indicating some sort of implant.
Jing Lin flexed his wrists and slowly approached Chen Chuan. "Chen Chuan, you didn't expect it to be me, did you?"
He removed his gloves and threw them on the ground, revealing his hands covered in dense scales. "Last time, I lost to you. I admit I was careless then, but not this time."
He clenched his fist. "I'll show you my strength. The humiliation you gave me, I will return twofold." As he spoke, the earth beneath him erupted, and grass blades flew into the air as he charged towards Chen Chuan like an arrow released from a bow.
..."
...
(End of Chapter)
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