Chapter 105 - 102: Slaying the Wicked

Chapter 105: Chapter 102: Slaying the Wicked

The previous Chapter is under review. If you cannot see "Punishing the Wicked (I)," please be patient while I file an appeal.

...

「South Sea, East District, Longxiang Home District.」

"Mingyue, don’t go tonight. Stay and try my cooking."

The gentle woman tied on an apron and headed into the kitchen.

Seated on the sofa, Li Mingyue smiled sweetly.

"Of course, Auntie."

Luo Quan pouted.

"What skills? The only one you have is adding extra salt."

The woman shot him a fierce glare.

"You eat less salt! Be careful, or all your hair will fall out!"

A fond smile touched Luo Quan’s eyes as he watched her enter the kitchen.

He turned to Li Mingyue, his expression growing grave.

"Alright, out with it. What’s wrong?"

Li Mingyue’s face grew serious.

"Master, I need the Public Security Bureau’s help to evacuate Xianggong Street and Xianglu Street in the South District."

Luo Quan frowned. "An operation?"

Li Mingyue said, "Yes, a big one. If we don’t evacuate the residents in time, a lot of people will die."

Luo Quan said, "Why come to me? You could have gone straight to the Public Security Bureau.

"Oh, right. That leader of yours, Bai Juzhi, is there too."

Luo Quan stopped mid-sentence as a realization dawned, his eyes widening.

"Is your operation targeting Bai Juzhi?"

Li Mingyue nodded.

Luo Quan’s brow furrowed. "And you don’t have official orders."

Li Mingyue nodded again. "It would tip him off. Bai Juzhi definitely has eyes inside the Public Security Bureau."

Luo Quan fell silent.

Li Mingyue quickly recounted everything Bai Juzhi had done at the Night Bar.

Luo Quan erupted in fury.

"How dare he!?"

Li Mingyue gave a bitter smile. "Doesn’t that just prove he has powerful backing?"

Luo Quan asked, "Why not discuss it with the director?"

Li Mingyue sighed. "Because this is against protocol. I’m afraid Director Sun won’t help.

"He’s about to retire; he won’t be willing to take a risk.

"I... I’m afraid he’ll mess things up."

Luo Quan frowned. "You’ve changed. Since when did you start assuming the worst of people?"

Li Mingyue froze.

’Ever since I joined the Anomaly Investigation Bureau and saw so much darkness in people’s hearts, I guess I really have changed.’

’That passionate, reckless girl I used to be... she seems to be gone.’

Li Mingyue pursed her lips. "Master, are you willing to take this risk? I guarantee you won’t face any disciplinary action."

Luo Quan slammed his fist on the table. "Why wouldn’t I? I don’t give a damn about disciplinary action!

"I’ve protected the South Sea my entire life! How can I let scum like that run rampant?!

"Today, that bastard is going to learn exactly whose turf the South Sea is!"

Li Mingyue stared at Luo Quan, astonished.

’Why didn’t he hesitate for even a second?’

’Isn’t he afraid of the mission failing, of the consequences for him and his family?’

Li Mingyue lowered her head in shame.

’It seems I really have changed. I’ve become cynical and cowardly.’

She stood up. "Master, I have to go now."

Luo Quan asked, "Dinner’s almost ready. Where are you off to?"

Li Mingyue replied, "There are still hostages there. I need to figure out a way to rescue them."

...

「The next day. Dusk. A private room in the Night Bar.」

Bai Juzhi sat on the sofa, scanning his lieutenants. "Do you have the report?"

Zhang Xiao’Er replied, "Only one person appeared at both the Gavel incident and the Yin Yang Master incident."

Bai Juzhi was a firm believer in probability.

If someone had appeared at both of these anomalous incidents, there was a high chance they were connected to Dusk.

Zhang Xiao’Er handed a file to Bai Juzhi.

Bai Juzhi glanced at it.

The file was on a blonde woman—very beautiful, with an outrageous figure.

She was a risqué streamer who lived off donations from her online patrons.

She had to be wealthy, with a monthly income in the hundreds of thousands.

Bai Juzhi ordered, "Send two men to check her out."

Zhang Xiao’Er nodded. "No problem."

Bai Juzhi added, his tone a clear warning, "Don’t cause any trouble. It’s just an investigation. If she has nothing to do with Dusk, let her go immediately."

’He knew it himself. His men, his young wolves, were a pack of animals.’

’Feed an animal and it’ll fight for you, but you can never truly suppress its wild nature.’

’This woman, Su Yubo, was far too beautiful. For a crew of desperados like his, she was a fatal attraction.’

’Unnecessary trouble would only decrease the probability of the mission’s success.’

Zhang Xiao’Er said, "Don’t worry, Boss."

Bai Juzhi said, "Get Zheng Hao and Zou Lei for me."

Zhang Xiao’Er immediately left the room.

A moment later, two men entered the private room and nodded.

"Boss."

Bai Juzhi pulled out a pistol, aimed it at them, and emptied the magazine in seconds.

Blood stained the floor red.

The two died horribly on the spot, without even a chance to scream.

Every lieutenant shuddered.

They were all hardened men in their own right.

But faced with Bai Juzhi, they were terrified.

Because Bai Juzhi was more vicious, more evil than any of them.

Bai Juzhi glared at his lieutenants.

"You didn’t even notice when Cao Ye’s apprentice arrived.

"My Wolf Team has no use for trash."

The lieutenants were deathly silent.

Bai Juzhi stood up. "The Dusk mission is our last job.

"When it’s over, I’ll get you all out of the Xia Kingdom.

"But if anyone dares to slack off on me during this mission, they’ll be staying in the Xia Kingdom—permanently!

"Do I make myself clear?"

As if electrocuted, the lieutenants shot to their feet.

"Crystal clear!"

Bai Juzhi commanded, "Then carry out your assignments as planned!"

The lieutenants scrambled out of the room as if fleeing from Yama himself, leaving Bai Juzhi all alone.

Suddenly, Bai Juzhi’s face went ghastly pale. He leaned over a trash can and vomited violently.

After a long moment, he straightened up, grabbed a glass of liquor, and threw it back.

Wiping his mouth, Bai Juzhi muttered, "Soon. Very soon. I’ll finally be able to slay a god."

Bai Juzhi stood and walked out of the private room.

Two Wolf Team members immediately bowed their heads. "All quiet, Boss."

Bai Juzhi gave a detached nod and looked out the window.

He frowned. "Why is it so empty out there?"

One of the members explained, "This area is pretty remote. Other than people coming for this bar’s cheap drinks, there’s usually not much foot traffic."

The other member glanced nervously at Bai Juzhi before adding, "And lately... because we’ve been here, business has been slow. The crowds have been getting smaller."

Bai Juzhi glanced at his watch.

Five o’clock.

He stared intently out the window, as if searching for someone.

After a moment, he checked his watch again.

Five-thirty.

He continued to stare outside.

Bai Juzhi’s brow furrowed even deeper.

By six o’clock, his heart had sunk completely.

’Usually, around five, an elderly scrap collector passes down this street on his way to the recycling station on Worker Village Street.’

’Around five-thirty, a middle-aged man crosses the street to the tobacco shop to buy cigarettes.’

’His intel said the man works the night shift and gets up a little after five.’

’And around six, a female student walks down this street on her way to a cram school nearby.’

’Of course, there were more. Bai Juzhi had observed many people who operated on a fixed schedule.’

’But today, not a single one of them had shown up.’

’It wouldn’t be strange if one or two were delayed by some unforeseen event.’

’But for all of them to be missing... the probability of that was an issue.’

’From these small, improbable events, he could derive a single, highly probable conclusion.’

’The situation had changed. This place had become a hunting ground, and he was the prey.’

Bai Juzhi took out his phone and made a call. "Get the Human Skin Drum and the Wooden Cattle and Horses over here! Now!"

One of the members grew tense. "Boss, what’s wrong?"

Bai Juzhi didn’t answer, simply saying, "It’s nothing. You just carry on as usual."