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Chapter 30: Compensation
Chapter 30: Compensation
News of Chen Mu's ambush spread quickly throughout the City Guard Headquarters, shocking countless patrol officers.
Although the current times were chaotic, with criminals disregarding the law, and incidents of officers being killed were not uncommon, an attack as brazen as this, targeting a senior patrol officer in broad daylight, had not occurred in the past few years.
Chen Mu, after cleaning up at the City Guard Headquarters, changed into a long robe and waited for news from Min Baoyi. It wasn't until the afternoon that a message finally arrived.
"The Evil Gang from West City?"
Chen Mu's eyebrows rose.
He had only been a senior patrol officer for a few days, and he was only familiar with the gangs in the Nine Streets Ward. He wasn't even well-acquainted with the mixed gangs in the Southern City District, let alone West City, which was an entirely different territory.
As far as he knew, West City was much more chaotic than the Southern City District. In the most remote wards, fights and conflicts occurred almost daily. Everyone there was fierce, even ten-year-old children could wield cleavers and engage in battles. Naturally, the gangs that thrived in such an environment were even more brutal and unruly.
The problem was...
The Evil Gang from West City had absolutely no connection to him.
Min Baoyi didn't seem to mind. He sat down in the chair in front of Chen Mu and sighed, "I don't know much about the Evil Gang either, and I have no dealings with them. So, I asked Madam Xu about it."
Chen Mu passed a cup of tea to him and asked, "What did Madam Xu say?"
Min Baoyi shook his head, "She didn't say much. She just mentioned that you were implicated in this matter and asked me to inquire about your wishes for compensation. She also said that this matter ends here, and you should temporarily avoid West City."
Chen Mu wasn't surprised by this.
He had no connection to West City or the Evil Gang, yet he was inexplicably targeted in the ambush. After thinking it over, the only connection he could find was Xu Hongyu.
Indeed, good things don't come for free. He had just received money and the skin-polishing technique from Xu Hongyu, and now, trouble had found him within a few days.
Xu Hongyu was quite straightforward. She directly told him that he had been implicated and, fearing he might not control his anger and do something rash, she warned him to stop and then asked him to consider what compensation he wanted... In his past life, he was well-versed in such matters. In this life, he couldn't argue, so he could only obediently think about what compensation would be appropriate.
His first thought was to ask for the muscle training technique to follow the skin-polishing technique.
For him now, it wouldn't take long to master the skin-polishing technique. After that, he would need the muscle training technique, but Xu Hongyu didn't know this. If he asked her for it, she might think he was being 'overly ambitious'. Not only would she refuse, but she might also lecture him. He had no counterargument; he couldn't very well proclaim himself a genius in skin-polishing, claiming to have mastered it in a month.
"Hmm... This is a good opportunity."
Chen Mu's thoughts turned, and he pondered something, his expression thoughtful.
Today's ambush, though startling, revealed a misjudgment of his strength. If he hadn't undergone the skin-polishing, his life might have been in real danger. Such incidents might reoccur, so Chen Yue's presence by his side was unsafe.
Now, with Xu Hongyu's connection, it would be fitting to send Chen Yue to the Inner City's Martial Academy to study martial arts. On the one hand, the Inner City was safer, and on the other hand, at her age, if Chen Yue didn't learn martial arts, her future in this chaotic world would be uncertain.
With this in mind, Chen Mu displayed a worried expression and said, "Assisting the District Prefect is my duty, and some danger is to be expected. But my younger sister is still young, and I fear she might be implicated or left helpless if something happens to me. If the District Prefect could arrange for her to study martial arts in the Inner City, she would have a foundation to stand on in the future."
Min Baoyi laughed upon hearing this, "Rest assured about this matter. The Yu Family operates a Martial Academy in the Inner City, training many people each year. They have separate academies for men and women, and with Madam Xu's help, it won't be a problem at all."
As one of the prominent families in the Inner City, they typically cultivated their private armies. These private forces were partially selected from their vast numbers of slaves, servants, and family members. Additionally, they would also recruit disciples with decent aptitudes through their martial academies.
In reality, once Chen Mu reached Min Baoyi's level and assumed the position of a patrol commander, he could send his family members or relatives to the Yu Family's Martial Academy to study martial arts. This kind of nepotism was something the prominent Inner City families were happy to see.
Chen Mu smiled. Finding a good place for Chen Yue would also ease his mind. As for the Evil Gang and the West City... he silently remembered them, knowing that there would be time to deal with them later.
...
Southern City District, City Guard Headquarters.
Bang! On the third floor of the main building, the doors of a certain hall were flung open.
Xu Hongyu's figure appeared at the entrance.
He Mingxuan was sitting leisurely on a wisteria chair, sipping tea. Seeing Xu Hongyu storming in with an air of anger, he smiled calmly and said, "Your Excellency Xu, what brings you here? If you have business with me, just call out, and I'll be at your service."
Xu Hongyu didn't speak but walked straight to He Mingxuan's table. She gently lifted her slender hand and slapped it down on the table. The solid yellow wood table shook violently, and from the point of impact, countless cracks spread, eventually shattering and caving in.
The teacup and tea on the table also shattered, scattering across the floor.
The loud noise reverberated throughout the building, and all the senior patrol officers and inspectors heard it clearly. Everyone paused for a moment, then pretended as if nothing had happened and continued their duties, not daring to look upstairs.
He Mingxuan's relaxed expression instantly turned rigid. Unable to maintain his previous smile, he said coldly, "What does this mean, Your Excellency Xu?"
Xu Hongyu didn't reply but stared at him coldly.
He Mingxuan naturally knew why Xu Hongyu had come. Although those people had failed to kill even a lowly patrol officer, which made them quite useless, he was still pleased to see Xu Hongyu so furious. However, he hadn't expected Xu Hongyu to come straight to him without even investigating the matter first.
"Your Excellency Xu, your official authority seems a bit excessive, doesn't it? I can assure you that I have performed my duties without any mistakes these days. If you find me displeasing, you can request the District Commander to transfer me away from the Southern City District."
He Mingxuan sneered.
He wasn't afraid of Xu Hongyu causing trouble because, frankly, this matter had nothing to do with him, and he hadn't secretly ordered it. He had merely spread some news discreetly. Even if Chen Mu hadn't been harmed, the Evil Gang would have taken the blame, and no evidence would implicate him.
Xu Hongyu glared at He Mingxuan, not bothering to respond to his words. She said coldly, "Listen carefully, if anything happens in the Nine Streets again, no matter the reason, I will only hold you accountable. This time, it's at your hall; next time, it will be at the Death Platform!"
As her words fell, Xu Hongyu turned and left.
She left behind He Mingxuan, whose face had turned completely dark. He sat there, still holding a half-filled teacup, watching Xu Hongyu's figure disappear outside the door, leaving behind a mess on the floor.
How dare she!
This crazy woman...
For the sake of a mere subordinate, she was willing to challenge him on the Death Platform. She must be seriously ill!
And why should he be held responsible for any incidents in the Nine Streets? What kind of nonsense logic was that!
Did she even care about reason anymore?!
He Mingxuan crushed the teacup in his hand, splattering water everywhere. For a moment, his chest heaved with anger, but he could only forcefully suppress the rage within...
Because he was no match for Xu Hongyu.
If Xu Hongyu truly lost her mind and insisted on dragging him to the Death Platform, asking the City Governor to witness it, he would be forced into a difficult situation. If he reluctantly went up to fight, he might very well die at Xu Hongyu's hands.
Moreover...
In these times, who still used the Death Platform?
That thing hadn't been heard of in decades, not since the imperial court's influence gradually weakened.
"Fine."
He Mingxuan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.
He realized he had lost his mind, trying to play tricks and reason with a crazy woman. It was indeed foolish of him. In any case, the Yu Family was currently facing internal and external troubles and wouldn't last long. When their situation became dire, Xu Hongyu would become his plaything, to be manipulated at his whim. There was no need to provoke her at this time.
As for Chen Mu, since Xu Hongyu cared so much, he would let him live a few more days.
(End of Chapter)
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