The First Order

Other than a few underworld mob bosses getting into fights inside Stronghold 73, it seemed like nothing else was really happening. Meanwhile, the Anjing House kept sending out texts to stir up the situation every day. However, the Pyro Company had still not found the entrance to the research laboratory.

As long as the research laboratory’s entrance was not found, no one would attack the Pyro Company in advance.

After all, everyone wanted to get their hands on the data from that research laboratory.

If anyone tried to kill the Pyro Company members at this moment, they would probably be stopped by others, too.

Some people even speculated the Zhou Consortium was also probably waiting for things to happen as it seemed they were turning a blind eye to this matter.

The Zhou Consortium’s troops had started to set up camp outside the stronghold, but there were no signs of panic in the stronghold as the criminals just continued to lie low.

It was the calm before the storm brewing in the stronghold.

Ren Xiaosu would take a stroll to the spa center every day without worries before heading for a night run around East Lake.

The older women were still plaza dancing in the plaza, but the Rider who tried to persuade them into thinking this place was unsafe was nowhere to be seen. This matter even got on the news in the stronghold: “Breaking! Young man attempts to stop ladies from plaza dancing but was threatened with extortion claims.”

When Ren Xiaosu was treating the mob bosses’ injuries, he asked, “Why don’t y’all just stay quietly inside the spa center? If you keep picking fights like this, I’m afraid that all y’all will end up crippled before the Pyro Company can locate the research lab’s entrance.”

The mob bosses already knew Ren Xiaosu was no ordinary person. After all, none of them had ever come across a miraculous medicine in the world that could heal deep wounds like theirs within three days.

However, those mob bosses laughed and said, “Don’t worry, with your treatment, we can recover from our wounds within three days. But they can’t! If we just keep on fighting them, they’ll eventually die first!”

Ren Xiaosu pondered for a moment. So there were many wounded people on the other side as well, huh? Um… can I ask which spa they’re at?”

After all, there was money to be earned.

One of the mob bosses was left speechless for a long time. He looked at Ren Xiaosu and said, “We’ll pay you an additional one million yuan to not treat their injuries. You might not know this, but our feud with those bastards goes back a long time. To be honest, we even had thoughts about giving up on getting the lab data when we encountered our foes here in Stronghold 73. We really just want to eradicate them so badly.”

“Alright then.” Ren Xiaosu smacked his lips.

Honestly, Ren Xiaosu really did not regard these mob bosses as potential enemies. After all, he had forced his way into a stronghold and even fought against an entire brigade. He really didn’t think these so-called underworld mob bosses were a threat to him.

These people were really not his match, nor were they worthy opponents for him.

The core of this world was still the consortiums, as well as the powerful forces built around supernatural beings.

Ren Xiaosu thought for a while and said with a sigh, “I still think y’all should be more rational. It’s better to wait for updates from the Anjing House, then go and seize the lab data.”

After all, Ren Xiaosu would be happier to see the situation descend into chaos instead of two criminal organizations kill one another. They did not even fire their guns or go to the hospital because they were afraid of getting arrested by the Zhou Consortium.

How boring!

However, a mob boss said, “Dr. Ren, you don’t understand the situation. We used to be the local power here at the Zhou Consortium’s strongholds, but due to the other party’s sneaky schemes, we were forced out and had to seek refuge at the black market outside of Luoyang City. You think we wanted to leave our homes? Now that we’re back, of course we’re seething with anger when we see our foes again. You’re a doctor, so you don’t understand how brutal the fighting and killing in this wild world is. There’s vengeance on our minds. If we don’t take revenge, outsiders will start looking down on us.”

Ren Xiaosu thought about it carefully. After much thinking, he felt he would earn money too slowly if there was only a patient or two coming in every few days.

He turned to the mob bosses and said with a grin, “Then what about this? How much will you pay me if I help y’all wipe out the local power here?”

The mob bosses suddenly looked at one another. The young man in front of them had such an innocent smile, but the words he said gave them the chills.

But wasn’t this young man a doctor?

Someone laughed and said, “Dr. Ren, don’t joke around. They have guns. We’re not using ours only because we’re worried about getting arrested by the Zhou Consortium. But if it really comes down to it, we’ll still fire our weapons. That’s not something that a doctor like you can handle, so don’t underestimate us.”

Ren Xiaosu raised his eyebrows and did not say anything further.

Just as Ren Xiaosu thought that such peaceful days would last for a while, the Anjing House sent out another extremely important text.

“The Pyro Company’s safe house has been identified. It’s located in the neighborhood at Swan Lake, and they have a total of 40 members in the stronghold. The number of Riders in the stronghold is currently unknown. The location of the research lab is suspected to be in the original East Lake Tunnel, and the Pyro Company is still trying to locate the research lab’s entrance.”

These were the exact words in the text. The mob bosses in the spa center rubbed their hands in glee as they were originally from this stronghold. Ren Xiaosu wondered, “East Lake Tunnel? Why haven’t I heard of this place before?”

“You don’t know about it, do you?” One of them said with a smile, “The East Lake Tunnel is Pre-Cataclysm infrastructure here in the stronghold. Apparently, the tunnel passes through the north and the south of the lake and shortened the travel time between both places. As the tunnel was very sturdy, it remained in use for many years after The Cataclysm. However, the main structure was damaged by an earthquake over a decade ago. Although there was no water seepage, people said that it was in danger of collapsing. As such, the Zhou Consortium sealed off the East Lake Tunnel completely.”

“The Zhou Consortium did not make any repairs to that tunnel?” Ren Xiaosu asked.

“Of course not. The various consortiums are busy developing their weapons and military capabilities, and their basic construction capabilities are far worse than the Pre-Cataclysm times,” one of them explained. “However, that tunnel runs for a very long distance. Why would the lab be hidden in it?”

“It’s so fucking dark in that tunnel, and there are many emergency passageways that only maintenance workers are allowed to enter. Who knows if the lab might be hidden underground behind one of those doors? It seems that the Pyro Company was also very secretive with what they did in the past.” One of them sighed.

Ren Xiaosu packed his stuff and headed out of the spa. He did not have time to waste with this group of mob bosses anymore. At this moment, there were probably already countless criminals heading towards the East Lake Tunnel.

This text was like a declaration of war by the Anjing House on the Pyro Company: “We have already found you and kinda know where your lab is. Many people are rushing over there right now, so are you going as well?

“If you don’t turn up, with so many people on our side, they’ll definitely locate your lab first. If you show up, you’re gonna have to face all these enemies.”

It was very late at night now. Due to the curfew, there were no longer any pedestrians on the streets of Stronghold 73. The entire city looked deserted.

As Ren Xiaosu walked down the dark streets where even the street lights were turned off, he knew this silence would not last for too long. It would get rowdy beyond belief in Stronghold 73 tonight.

A gunshot rang out in the distance, and the report was like the prelude to a midnight feast under the night sky.