Chapter 163 - 116: The Commissioner is in Trouble

Chapter 163: Chapter 116: The Commissioner is in Trouble

Usually, once they reached this point, they were considered safe.

Bai Lang snorted and ordered the Ironclad Ship to turn around and head back.

’That beast must have finally gotten scared.’

Bai Lang returned to the Water Patrol Bureau. He had just taken a hot towel from an orderly to wipe his face and hadn’t even warmed his seat yet.

"Director! This is bad! Something terrible has happened!"

The shrill cry practically burst into the office.

Bai Lang’s hand froze mid-wipe. He slowly lowered the towel.

His eyes, bloodshot and filled with savage hostility, were revealed.

"The... the three merchant ships we just escorted to the Provincial City’s Water Realm."

"In the waters just before the docks, they were—they were rammed from below by the Snake Demon!"

"They all sank! The cargo, the people... all gone!"

"BANG—CRACK!"

With a tremendous crash, the heavy, solid wood desk in front of Bai Lang...

...was shattered into pieces by his furious palm strike, sending splinters flying.

A terrifying Evil Qi erupted from him, and the temperature in the room plummeted.

"COURT—ING—DEATH!"

Bai Lang roared, each word like iron, laced with the scent of blood.

However, threats like these were not enough to scare off the Snake Demon.

First, Bai Lang had to be able to find the Snake Demon.

Only after finding it could he even talk about killing it.

’Utter humiliation!’

This was no longer just a provocation. It was as if his, Bai Lang’s...

...and the Water Patrol Bureau’s honor had been ripped off, thrown to the ground, and trampled repeatedly!

What was more fatal was that it had happened right under the noses of the Provincial City’s docks!

In less than half a day, this scandal would spread throughout the Provincial City.

It would make the headlines of those newspapers that thrived on chaos!

Bai Lang could almost imagine his commander’s fury upon seeing the papers.

Bad news came one after another.

That very noon, another subordinate reported in, his face pale as a sheet.

The Snake Demon had appeared again in the Yin Mountain section of the river, sinking two merchant ships that had secretly set sail.

The owners of these two ships had assumed there would be no more attacks after the one that morning.

So they set out, gambling on their luck.

As a result, the two merchant ships hadn’t gotten far before they were rammed and sunk by the Snake Demon.

In truth, Lu Jing’an hadn’t originally intended for the Snake Demon to attack again.

But who could they blame? These two ships belonged to the Zhou Family.

The very family that had received the most help from the Lu Family, only to be the first to stab them in the back.

If it had been any other family, Lu Jing’an might have let it slide.

But the Zhou Family...

He absolutely could not let it slide.

「The Lu Residence, in the Warm Pavilion.」

The charcoal brazier burned brightly, chasing away the late autumn chill.

Lu Jing’an had just finished a round of Practicing Boxing, and fine beads of sweat dotted his temples.

Orchid held a soft towel, carefully wiping Lu Jing’an’s sweat while kneading his shoulders.

All the while, she chattered away, her voice filled with irrepressible glee.

"Young Master, you should have seen it!"

"When Shopkeeper Zhou of Dongcheng Zhou’s heard that his last two cargo ships had also been fed to the Snake Demon in the River..."

"...his eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the ground with a THUD."

"His face was as white as a plastered wall! Several of his fellows couldn’t even prop him up!"

She paused, the pressure of her hands just right, but her tone grew even more cheerful:

"Honestly, Young Master, I used to hear the old folks talk about the spirits in the River, and I’d be too scared to even go near the water at night."

"But this time, for some reason, I feel like that Snake Demon..."

"...did a damn good job!"

"All those people who kicked us when we were down, who cheered on the Bai Family."

"Now they’re getting their just deserts!"

"Their goods are piled up in warehouses, unable to be shipped, and creditors are blocking their doors every day."

"They’re so anxious their mouths are breaking out in sores, and they’re buzzing around the docks like headless flies."

Orchid leaned in closer, lowering her voice, though she couldn’t hide her excitement.

"A lot of people outside are whispering now."

"They’re saying things were stable when you were the director, Young Master. There was none of this mess on the River back then."

"If you ask me, they deserve it!"

"If they knew this would happen, they shouldn’t have been so ungrateful in the first place!"

Lu Jing’an closed his eyes, letting Orchid’s nimble fingers press on the acupoints of his neck and shoulders, soothing the fatigue from his practice.

Orchid’s chatter went in one ear and out the other.

All of this was part of his calculations, so he had no need for a retelling.

Lu Jing’an’s mind raced as he considered his next move.

’Bai Lang has suffered one setback after another. His prestige is in the gutter.’

’Public opinion in the Provincial City is souring, and the business community is full of complaints.’

’The fire is hot enough, but it needs one last piece of kindling.’

’Will Bai Lang be dismissed?’

’If he falls, will I, the former director, have a chance to take back control of the Water Patrol Bureau?’

’As long as I’m reinstated, there will be room to maneuver in my third uncle’s case.’

’The plan is good, but it requires patience.’

’It’s only the fifth day. I’ll let the bullets fly a little longer.’

「The next day, at the Provincial City’s various newspaper offices.」

Just as expected, they published "Extras" with horrifying headlines in large, bold, black type:

"Canglan’s Demon Plague Worsens, Even Provincial City’s Dock Waters Not Spared!"

"Water Patrol Bureau Fails to Quell Demon Threat, Merchants Live in Fear!"

At the same time, hundreds of businesses, large and small, from the three counties of Yin Mountain, Xiao Mountain, and Lou Mountain, joined together.

A massive, dark crowd of shopkeepers and owners once again surrounded the Water Patrol Office.

This time, they were no longer just demanding an explanation.

They brought a jointly signed [Petition], and their voices were much firmer than before.

"Director Bai! You must give us a straight answer today! When will this demon plague finally be suppressed?"

"If this continues, we’ll have no choice but to take our entire families to the Provincial City."

"And petition the General Commerce Association and the Military Governor!"

"That’s right! Water Patrol Bureau, give us a way to survive!"

The crowd was furious, the waves of their shouting growing louder and louder.

The noise gave Bai Lang a headache. He already had no patience for dealing with these penny-pinching merchants.

Days of anger and frustration instantly overwhelmed his reason.

"Throw them out! Throw them all the hell out!"

Bai Lang roared.

"If you dare to gather and cause trouble again, you’ll be treated as bandits!"

The wolf-like and tiger-like Water Patrol Officers, wielding rifle butts and clubs, charged viciously toward the crowd.