Chapter 210: Human Skin Mask
Chapter 210: Human Skin Mask
In the North District, a middle-aged man in his thirties strolled along the street, his gaze fixed on his mobile phone.
"According to the mission's instructions, the loan company should be around here." He thought to himself.
This man was none other than Jiang Cheng.
He appeared to be in his thirties due to the human skin mask he wore on his face, an idea he had gotten from the black market.
Those who entered the black market wore masks, masks with sunglasses, or nothing at all.
Jiang Cheng had initially thought that these people were highly skilled and fearless, unafraid of exposing their identities. But after the explanation from Bull Head, he realized they were wearing human skin masks.
Before this mission, he had bought one for himself.
Although it was suffocating, it allowed him to move more freely without attracting too much attention.
Once he reached the seventh rank, he planned to wear the human skin mask and return to Pingxi Street to deal with the Iron Fist Gang and Xiao Yuanqing.
For now, he needed to complete the task at hand.
An hour ago, he had received a call from Bing Li, who briefly explained the situation.
In the North District, there was a loan company called Dingshi that offered high-interest loans, causing many families to break apart and become homeless.
Those engaging in such business must have a powerful background.
The loan company's backer was a nearby martial arts academy called Gale Martial Arts Academy, led by an eighth-rank Force Knight. The disciples ranged from first to eighth rank, making it a considerable force in the area.
With the support of the martial arts academy, the Dingshi Loan Company could continue its operations.
The mission was to eliminate a second-rank Force Knight or two first-rank Force Knights from the Gale Martial Arts Academy.
Following his usual approach, Jiang Cheng planned to gather intelligence first. His previous collaboration with Qiu Feng had taught him a lesson.
As he walked, he noticed numerous small advertisements pasted on utility poles and streetlights.
Among them was an ad for the Dingshi Loan Company.
Surprisingly, the interest rate was only 20%, which was high but not exorbitant for a high-interest loan.
After a short walk, he spotted the loan company.
The blue signboard displayed the words "Dingshi Loan Company" in large characters. The storefront was not particularly large, and inside, two people sat playing with their phones.
Jiang Cheng didn't intend to go in directly. He scanned the surroundings and noticed a security guard standing idly at the entrance of a residential complex.
He went to a nearby store and bought a pack of cigarettes before approaching the guard.
Initially, the guard was cautious.
But as soon as Jiang Cheng approached, the guard lowered his guard and began to chat freely.
"Brother, are you planning to take out a loan from that company?"
"Yeah." Jiang Cheng sighed and said, "It's not like I have a business emergency and need funds urgently, right?"
"Then why don't you borrow from someone close to you? Those loan companies are shady!"
"I would, but this amount is not a small sum. My close ones can't afford it, so I have to find other ways. I just saw their advertisement on the street; the annual interest rate is 20%, which is a bit high, but in such times, I have to grit my teeth and bear it. I'm here to ask around, what's their reputation like? Do they scam people?"
"I see."
Sympathy flashed in the guard's eyes, and he glanced at the Dingshi storefront before shrugging and saying, "I don't know if they scam people, but I've heard that many who took loans from them ended up desperate, selling their cars and homes."
"It's quite serious."
Jiang Cheng exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah, it is."
The security guard took a drag of his cigarette,
"Speaking of which, there are two people in our neighborhood who borrowed money from them. In the end, they couldn't repay it, and they even had to sell their house. It happened a couple of years ago, so I don't remember the details clearly. But just the other day, I saw someone come to confront them, saying he had only borrowed 200,000 yuan, but was asked to repay 800,000 yuan. He was cheated, and he demanded repayment from the lender, or else he wouldn't leave."
"And then?"
"Then, he was beaten up by the lender. I heard one of his legs was broken, and he had to crawl away."
The security guard shook his head repeatedly.
"Didn't anyone do something about it?"
"Who would?"
The security guard shrugged, "At the time, someone called the police. The Law Enforcement Bureau sent two people over. They said the contract was valid, and the man had signed it himself. There was no coercion, and it's only right to repay debts. But we all knew there was something fishy going on. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Previously, someone else came and said the same thing, but what can we do?"
"As I was walking on the street today, I saw that limping man begging. I wanted to give him some coins, but I don't have much money either. Sigh."
Jiang Cheng's heart stirred upon hearing this.
After all, it's best to ask the person involved directly in such matters.
"Brother, let me advise you. If you don't want to borrow money from them, then don't. These small ads are not to be trusted. Just like my second uncle, he believed in the secret formula for premature ejaculation treatment advertised there and spent several hundred yuan. What happened?"
"What happened?"
"He went limp."
"..."
Jiang Cheng didn't know what to say. He could only feel sympathy for his second uncle in his heart.
"It's not just this company; you can't trust any of them."
The security guard spoke with a heavy heart, "Do you think they have a good heart? They're in the business of high-interest loans, and they won't stop until they push people to bankruptcy. But these people have connections, and we ordinary folks can't fight them."
"Alright, I understand. Thank you, brother. I won't go to that company."
The security guard chuckled, "You're welcome. Just don't say that I told you those things, okay?"
A hint of fear flashed in the security guard's eyes.
"Don't worry, brother. I'm not the type to gossip," Jiang Cheng patted his chest, "By the way, brother, you said you saw the limping man at night. Where exactly did you see him? Hearing about his situation makes my heart ache. Even though I can't help him, I can at least give him some money for a meal."
"Oh, you're such a good person."
The security guard was shocked.
"It was on that street. If you walk further down that way, you'll see him. But it's hard to say if he's still there or not."
"Okay, thank you, brother."
Jiang Cheng smiled and turned to walk towards the other side.
Through this conversation, Jiang Cheng confirmed that the loan company was indeed not a trustworthy one.
He could now take action after gathering more information from the person involved.
Loan companies, as the name suggests, are known to have a lot of money.
"This brother is a really good person."
The security guard looked at the pack of cigarettes in his hand and smiled widely.
(End of Chapter)
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